President Biden denies referring to Trump supporters as ‘garbage’
[unable to retrieve full-text content] US President Joe Biden has denied referring to Trump supporters as ‘garbage’ during an interview.
UK’s Labour government raises taxes by 40bn pounds in first budget
Finance minister Rachel Reeves has said the tax hike will be used to fund public services and bolster public finances. British Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves has told lawmakers that taxes will rise by 40 billion British pounds ($52bn) in order to plug a hole in the public finances and provide new funding for the United Kingdom’s cash-starved public services, in a wide-ranging budget statement that could set the tone for years to come. In the Labour Party’s first budget since returning to power earlier this year after 14 years in opposition, Reeves said she was also changing the UK’s rules so the government can “invest, invest, invest” and spur economic growth. Her biggest cash commitment was an additional 25 billion pounds ($32.5bn) for the country’s National Health Service, which has seen waiting lists rise to record levels in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. “The choices that I have made today are the right choices for our country,” Reeves said at the end of her statement on Monday. “To restore stability to our public finances. To protect working people. To fix our NHS. And to rebuild Britain.” Reeves said the tax hike, which in large part comes from an increase in the tax businesses pay for employing people, is needed because of the economic “black hole” left by the previous Conservative government. Her centre-left party was elected on July 4 after promising to banish years of turmoil and scandal under Conservative governments, get Britain’s economy growing and restore frayed public services. Reeves has said she will not let public debt balloon, mindful of how former Conservative Prime Minister Liz Truss sent the bond market into a tailspin two years ago with unfunded tax cut plans. She also announced that she would raise the rate of social security contributions paid by employers by 1.2 percentage points to 15 percent from April next year, and lower the threshold at which firms start to pay it – moves which would raise an extra 25 billion pounds ($32.5bn) a year over five years’ time. Company bosses have warned that higher taxes on them, combined with planned new protections for workers and an increased minimum wage, could undermine Labour’s promises to turn Britain into the fastest-growing Group of Seven economy. Reeves announced a string of other revenue-raising moves including changes to the tax rules on capital gains and inheritances and tax paid by private equity executives and non-domiciled residents. Prime Minister Keir Starmer had warned “those with the broadest shoulders” would have to pay more tax. But Reeves ruled out making more individuals pay basic and higher income tax rates after a freeze on the threshold for payments expires in the 2028-29 tax year. She also extended a freeze on fuel duty and cut a tax on draught beer served in pubs. Adblock test (Why?)
Muscle Inc.: The New Frontier of Bodybuilding Drugs
Fitness influencers are marketing dangerous new classes of performance-enhancing drugs to their teenage followers. Performance-enhancing drugs were once a closely guarded secret in the bodybuilding world, but a new generation of fitness influencers is openly sharing their use on social media and marketing dangerous new substances known as research chemicals to their teenage followers. These new drugs have been linked to organ damage, heart failure and, in some cases, death. Their sale for human use is illegal but social media companies and the Federal Drug Administration are seemingly unable or unwilling to stop their spread. In this episode of Fault Lines, we take you inside the deadly market for research chemicals and introduce you to their suppliers, marketers, and victims. Adblock test (Why?)
Delhi Pollution: Air quality dips to ‘very poor’ on Diwali eve, AQI reaches…
The city’s 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 307 at 4 pm, up from 268 on Tuesday.
‘That’s a lie’: Georgia’s top elections official blasts Harris for attacking state voter law
Georgia’s top elections official is accusing Vice President Kamala Harris of lying about the state’s voter security laws. “We have worked tirelessly to prepare for this election by adding early voting days and investing in infrastructure, creating more security and more voter convenience…only to be rewarded with the lies about ‘Jim Crow 2.0,’” Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said during a press conference on Wednesday. Without naming Harris, the Republican state official took aim at her comments during a campaign speech in Michigan earlier this week. “Frustratingly, recently, a candidate repeated that lie that we will lock up people that give water to voters waiting in line to vote,” Raffensperger said. “That’s a lie, because we don’t have any lines in Georgia. It’s just cheap politics.” GEORGIA GOP CHAIR SHARES 2-PRONGED ELECTION STRATEGY AS TRUMP WORKS TO WIN BACK PEACH STATE Harris said in Ann Arbor on Monday night, “I was just in Georgia. You know they passed a law that makes it illegal to give people food and water for standing in line to vote?” “The hypocrisy abounds. Whatever happened to ‘love thy neighbor,’ right?” she added as the supportive crowd jeered. FORMER REPUBLICAN US SENATOR ENDORSES KAMALA HARRIS, SAYS ELECTION OFFERS ‘STARK CHOICE’ Fox News Digital reached out to the Harris campaign for a response to Raffensperger. The remark also got pushback from Republican Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, who mocked Harris’ short-lived 2020 presidential bid. “Sounds like Kamala Harris just can’t handle the truth,” Kemp wrote on X on Tuesday. “We made it easier to vote and harder to cheat in Georgia. As a result, more than 3 million Georgians have already voted — that’s 3 million more votes than the Vice President got in the 2024 primaries.” Georgia officials moved to implement several new voting laws after the 2020 race put the Peach State under a microscope. Among them was limiting the number of ballot drop boxes – which were not used in Georgia before 2020 – and restricting political groups from giving food and water to voters waiting in line on Election Day within a certain distance from their polling place. Georgia also installed new ID requirements for absentee ballots. Democratic organizations and civil rights groups accused Republican officials of restricting voter access with the measures. ‘ILLEGAL, UNCONSTITUTIONAL AND VOID’: GEORGIA JUDGE STRIKES DOWN NEW ELECTION RULES AFTER LEGAL FIGHTS But Raffensperger and other Republicans have pushed back on those attacks, particularly in the wake of record-setting voter turnout in Georgia since early voting got underway on Oct. 15. As of Wednesday afternoon, more than 45% of active Georgia voters have cast pre-Election Day ballots. Meanwhile, Raffensperger cautioned both candidates to accept a loss “gracefully,” comparing it to his grandson losing his recent baseball playoff game. “As soon as they came up short, and they lost, I know that they were disappointed. But what they did, because both teams were good sportsmen, they lined up, and they did that passing of shaking each other’s hand and said, ‘Congratulations, good game,’” he said. “As a grandparent, I’m proud to see that. But just as an American, I think that’s wonderful, because I think that’s what America is – is gracefully accepting your wins, but also gracefully accepting your losses.” He vowed, “I will hold both parties accountable to you, the voters of Georgia.” Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
‘Coming down’: Trump vows to dismantle billboards pushing rights for illegal immigrants if he wins
Former President Donald Trump is vowing to end the use of taxpayer funds to erect billboards in Texas offering help to the friends and family members of illegal immigrants in federal custody. “Kamala [Harris] is now running billboards near the Border advertising FREE Legal Services for Illegal Alien Criminals. When I win, the billboards are coming down, and the Migrant Gangs are going home!” Trump said on X. Fox News reported this week that the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman (OIDO) has set up billboards in Texas saying: “Your brother in immigration custody has rights, we’re here to help.” DHS USES TAXPAYER MONEY TO FUND TEXAS BILLBOARDS COUNTERING IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT EFFORTS The OIDO is an independent office set up to aid immigrants with complaints about potential violations of immigration detention standards. It also provides oversight of immigration detention facilities. It was established in 2019. The DHS says it was established by Congress with a “mandate to independently examine immigration detention to promote safe and humane conditions, including addressing complaints related to the conditions of noncitizens in immigration detention.” However, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol sources tell Fox News they are furious about the ads, given the ongoing pressures on funding due to the crisis at the southern border. CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE Despite that funding squeeze, money is being spent on signs that they see as working against them and that they have described as “insulting.” Trump is not the only politician to be infuriated by the billboards, with multiple Texas lawmakers expressing outrage to Fox News. ‘ABUSED THE LAWS:’ GOP BILL VOWS TO SHUT DOWN KEY BIDEN-ERA POLICIES BENEFITTING MIGRANTS “The news that DHS is using taxpayer money to launch billboards advocating ‘rights’ for individuals in ‘immigration custody’ should be alarming because it’s a preview of the legal arguments that radical progressive democrats will use to argue against deportation of the millions dumped in America by Biden-Harris-Mayorkas,” Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, said. “Time and again, we’ve seen DHS put an open borders agenda ahead of its mission to safeguard American families,” Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, said. “Whether it’s FEMA splurging hundreds of millions of dollars on migrant housing or OIDO running ads like this, our government is hemorrhaging money on the wrong priorities. It’s time for Congress to pull the plug on programs like these.” The controversy over the billboards comes as immigration has rocketed to the top of voters’ priorities for the 2024 election after a massive border crisis that started in 2021. The Biden administration has said it needs more funding to fix what it says is a “broken” immigration system and, along with Vice President Kamala Harris, has pushed for a bipartisan border security bill introduced earlier this year. The administration says a presidential order in June has led to a 55% drop in encounters, but critics have noted that comes after historic highs of encounters in prior years. Trump has pledged to launch a mass deportation campaign and restore Trump-era border policies like wall construction and the Remain-in-Mexico policy. Both were ended by the Biden administration.
Voter registration probes launched in crucial Keystone State counties amid claims of potential fraud
Potentially fraudulent election materials are being probed by top law enforcement and election officials in the battleground state of Pennsylvania as the 2024 contest enters its final days. District attorneys and election officials in both Lancaster County and York County are looking into potential election-related fraud after authorities received large batches of voter registration materials from a “third-party organization.” Both York and Lancaster counties have more registered Republican voters than Democrats, according to state data, with York Republicans holding a 63% majority in the area and Lancaster Republicans at a 61% majority. The importance of the issues cropping up in Pennsylvania – which is widely viewed as one of the key battleground states that could determine a winner in the presidential race – were underscored on Tuesday, when 2024 GOP nominee and former President Donald Trump highlighted the allegations of potential fraud in a Truth Social post. “Wow! York County, Pennsylvania, received THOUSANDS of potentially FRAUDULENT Voter Registration Forms and Mail-In Ballot Applications from a third party group. This is on top of Lancaster County being caught with 2600 Fake Ballots and Forms, all written by the same person. Really bad “stuff.” WHAT IS GOING ON IN PENNSYLVANIA??? Law Enforcement must do their job, immediately!!! WOW!!!” he posted. TRUMP, HARRIS MAKE FINAL PITCHES TO VOTERS IN HIGH-STAKES BATTLEGROUND STATE IN FINAL DAYS OF CYCLE In Lancaster County, home to Pennsylvania’s Amish community, the district attorney and Lancaster County Board of Elections held a press conference last week announcing the investigation of potential fraudulent voter registration forms – not ballots as Trump had alleged – after receiving roughly 2,500 voter registration applications in two separate batches last week. The batches of registration applications were dropped off ahead of Pennsylvania’s registration deadline on Oct. 21. “Staff noticed that numerous applications appeared to have the same handwriting (and) were filled out on the same day,” District Attorney Heather Adams said during a press conference. “The confirmed indicators of fraud that detectives came across were inaccuracies with the addresses listed on the applications, fake and false personal identification information, as well as false names. Also, applications that had names that did not match the provided Social Security information.” Adams said the materials sometimes included correct personal information, but when the individuals were contacted by investigators, they reported they did not request the application forms. She estimated this week that about 60% of the applications were fraudulent, News 8 reported. County Commissioner Josh Parsons told News 8 that the alleged phony registration forms are a “threat” to the election process. ‘PULLING AN ALVIN BRAGG’: LEFT-WING DA’S ‘FLIMSY’ SUIT AGAINST ELON MUSK’S $1M GIVEAWAY SLAMMED BY EXPERT “We know that this is a threat to our election system,” Parsons said. “This is essentially an attack on our election system when you’re trying to get registrations in that are clearly fraudulent.” He added, “If we have clearly fraudulent applications on their face, that is a problem. That is a threat to our election security. That’s what we want our staff to detect. They did. We’re glad the system worked in Lancaster County. We’re proud of them for doing that.” Concerns over fraudulent election materials are also mounting in York County, which neighbors Lancaster County across the Susquehanna River. County commissioners are currently looking into suspicious “election-related materials from a third-party organization.” “We are committed to ensuring the integrity, safety and security of our elections. The York County Office of Elections and Voter Registration has received a large delivery containing thousands of election-related materials from a third-party organization,” York County President Commissioner Julie Wheeler said in a statement provided to local outlets this week. ‘ADMIRES DICTATORS’: HARRIS CONTINUES COMPARING TRUMP TO HITLER DURING BATTLEGROUND STATE TOWN HALL The statement continued, “Those materials appear to include completed voter registration forms, as well as mail-in ballot applications. As with all submissions, our staff follows a process for ensuring all voter registrations and mail-in ballot requests are legal. That process is currently underway. If suspected fraud is identified, we will alert the District Attorney’s Office, which will then conduct an investigation. We will have no further comment until our internal review has been completed.” Wheeler added that an “overabundance of registrations from one particular organization” set off alarm bells for election officials, according to Fox 43. The York County DA’s office told Fox News Digital on Wednesday that “The Office of the District Attorney has been in constant contact with the York County Commissioners and York County Board of Elections regarding any potential irregularities they are seeing and observing that may necessitate further investigation by this office.” “As we have always done, this office will investigate any matter regarding elections that require a criminal investigation and if needed, would prosecute any cases where the evidence is sufficient to support a conviction. Regarding any specific allegations or investigation, it is the policy of this office not to comment on such specific matters but only general operating procedures. Any other questions concerning the operations of elections should be referred to the County Commissioners and/or the Board of Elections,” the DA’s office continued. ‘I’M GOING WITH TRUMP’: 3 FORMER DEMS FROM PENNSYLVANIA EXPLAIN HOW FORMER PRESIDENT WON THEM OVER Eyes are locked on Pennsylvania this election cycle, as the Northeast battleground state could help tip the election one way or the other. Pennsylvania carries 19 electoral votes and since 1992 has voted for Democratic presidential candidates – until Trump’s successful 2016 election. Trump narrowly won the state that year as he campaigned against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. In 2020, however, Biden won the state by 1.17 percentage points, teeing up a highly-anticipated election showdown next week between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Boeing hikes soap dispenser prices by 8,000%, gouges Air Force with $1M overcharge on C-17 spare parts
Boeing overcharged the Air Force for simple spare parts on C-17 aircraft by $1 million over a four-year period, according to the Pentagon. The defense giant marked up the cost of soap dispensers by 8,000%, putting taxpayers on the hook for such items that cost 80 times more than market value. While the cost that Boeing charged per dispenser was redacted from a new audit released this week, in total, the Air Force overpaid for the dispensers by $149,072 from 2018 to 2022, according to Pentagon Inspector General Robert Storch. “The Air Force needs to establish and implement more effective internal controls to help prevent overpaying for spare parts for the remainder of this contract, which continues through 2031,” said Storch. “Significant overpayments for spare parts may reduce the number of spare parts that Boeing can purchase on the contract, potentially reducing C-17 readiness worldwide.” PENTAGON LACKS COUNTER-DRONE PROCEDURE LEADING TO INCURSIONS LIKE AT LANGLEY, EXPERTS SAY An anonymous tip about the exorbitant soap dispenser prices prompted the inspector general’s audit into spare parts. Boeing has a 10-year contract with the Air Force that allows it to purchase the spare parts needed for C-17s and the Air Force reimburses Boeing for the spare parts. The IG’s review of 46 spare parts revealed that only nine, or 20%, were purchased by the Air Force at “fair and reasonable” prices, totaling $20.3 million. The IG found that the Air Force did not pay “fair and reasonable” prices for about 26% of the spare parts reviewed, about $4.3 million worth of equipment. For another 54% of the spare parts, valued at $22 million, the IG was not able to determine whether the Air Force paid fair prices: the service branch did not maintain historical data on pricing and they were unable to obtain supplier quotes for similar products. The IG found the Air Force failed to validate the accuracy of data in contract negotiations for spare parts, review price increases during contract execution, and review invoices to determine whether prices were “fair and reasonable” before paying them. Boeing said in a statement it was reviewing the report but cautioned that it appeared to compare prices for the parts that met aircraft standards to “basic commercial items” that wouldn’t meet the qualifications for military aircraft. “We are reviewing the report, which appears to be based on an inapt comparison of the prices paid for parts that meet aircraft and contract specifications and designs versus basic commercial items that would not be qualified or approved for use on the C-17. We will continue to work with the OIG and the U.S. Air Force to provide a detailed written response to the report in the coming days.” An Air Force spokesperson said they would implement new controls on payments. “The Air Force is working with the Defense Contract Management Agency to develop controls to ensure the accuracy of payments. We are also updating contracts to include additional subcontractor information sharing.” Around 220 C-17s are in use by the Air Force, Air National Guard and the Air Force Reserve Command. GOP SENATOR DEMANDS ANSWERS AFTER PENTAGON FINDS ARMY GAVE TAIWAN MOLDY GEAR, AMMO FROM 1983 The Air Force calls the Boeing Globemaster C-17s “the most flexible cargo aircraft” in its fleet, capable of carrying people and cargo across a variety of distances. It’s become the primary aircraft used for evacuation and humanitarian missions. The Pentagon’s sprawling budget broke $900 billion last year, making overcharges by defense contractors a constant headache for internal watchdogs. Earlier this month, Raytheon agreed to pay $1 billion in a settlement with the Department of Justice (DOJ) for defrauding the Defense Department and paying bribes to a government official in Qatar to acquire business in the country. The company was accused of inflating its costs by $111 million on missile systems and operation of a radar surveillance system it sold to the Pentagon. Raytheon allegedly lied about the cost of building three Patriot missile batteries, with the Army agreeing to a $619 million contract.
‘We can’t let up’: How GOP, Dem senators are using 2024 campaign trail to lobby for conference influence
Republican and Democrat senators have been out on the 2024 campaign trail in full force ahead of critical elections, including those who are not seeking office themselves this cycle. As the GOP looks to retake the majority in the Senate, leader candidates Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., and Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, have not been the only ones lending a helping hand to candidates. Sens. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, Tom Cotton, R-Ark., Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Tim Scott, R-S.C., and Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., are among those who have used the congressional recess to campaign with other Republicans. Both Ernst and Cotton are notably running to be the next Republican conference chair. TOP REPUBLICANS PROBE BIDEN ADMIN ON AFGHAN NATIONALS’ ALLEGED ELECTION DAY TERRORIST PLOT Senate Republican Conference Chairman John Barrasso, R-Wyo., has also hit the trail often, even as he vies for re-election in a noncompetitive Wyoming race. He is running unopposed to replace Thune as Republican whip. “No candidate ever forgets the help they receive in their moment of need, and any senator looking to build relationships is smart to lend a hand on the campaign trail. And all of your existing colleagues appreciate when you’re giving up your time to earn a majority,” said former top aide to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., John Ashbrook, a Republican strategist. HARRIS BREAKS SILENCE AFTER GOP LEADERS SAY ANTI-TRUMP RHETORIC ‘RISKS INVITING’ ANOTHER ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT Ernst has traveled to Georgia, Michigan, Nebraska, Montana, Nevada, Ohio and Pennsylvania since June, hitting some of the states multiple times. The Iowa Republican specifically campaigned with Montana Republican Senate candidate Tim Sheehy, Ohio Republican Senate candidate Bernie Moreno, Michigan Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers, Pennsylvania Republican Senate candidate Dave McCormick and Nevada Republican Senate candidate Sam Brown, according to a schedule shared with Fox News Digital. “Kamala Harris and Democrats are trying to destroy the country I know and love, the one I fought for,” she told Fox News Digital in an exclusive statement. “That’s why I refuse to sit on the sidelines. Throughout the year, I’ve been crisscrossing our great country to elect Republicans up and down the ballot, bring a Donald Trump victory home, and recruit the next lineup of my Senate colleagues.” “With days until Election Day, we can’t let up. We must run across the finish line. This barnstorm of battleground states will ensure Kamala Harris and Chuck Schumer can never again open our nation’s borders to a stampede of illegal immigrants and terrorists, unlock historic inflation, destroy America’s reputation on the world stage, or force radical green mandates on hardworking Americans.” SEN TAMMY BALDWIN HITS BACK AT GOP OPPONENT’S CLINTON COMPARISON: ‘ACTUALLY CALLED YOU DEPLORABLE’ Cotton similarly joined Sheehy, Moreno, Rogers, Brown and McCormick during his travels in the pivotal states. He additionally campaigned in Arizona with Republican candidate Kari Lake, in Wisconsin with Republican candidate Eric Hovde and in Florida with Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla. The Arkansas Republican will be hitting both Texas and Nebraska this week to support Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Deb Fischer, R-Neb., according to a schedule shared with Fox News Digital. Incumbent Democrats have also been deploying to crucial races to offer assistance, with Sens. Cory Booker, D-N.J., Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., and Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., traveling during the election cycle. Booker has rivaled his Republican colleagues with his heavy campaign schedule this cycle. The New Jersey Democrat had appearances reportedly slated in Arizona, Georgia, New Hampshire, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Texas, despite having already visited many of the states this year. Additionally, he has appeared in Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Ohio, South Carolina and Wisconsin, per the New Jersey Globe. ‘ILL-FATED EFFORT’: MCCONNELL WAS ‘FURIOUS’ AT RICK SCOTT’S 2022 LEADER BID, BOOK SAYS Both Warnock and Ossoff have been assisting Vice President Kamala Harris in their home state of Georgia, but their activities have also extended to other key states. The two Democrats have each made trips to Michigan, and Warnock has also lent a helping hand to Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., in his Senate race. Senators have a vested interest in expanding their party within Congress, giving them the opportunity to act on their legislative goals. However, with Republican leadership elections coming just after the presidential election, the campaign trail is also a place to show personal loyalty and build on relationships. For example, Ernst is not only helping out those in competitive elections. The Iowa Republican hosted two Republican Senate candidates last month on a co-delegation trip to the Middle East. Reps. Jim Banks, R-Ind., and John Curtis, R-Utah, are heavily favored to sweep their respective elections to the U.S. Senate. According to Ernst’s office, her invitation was to prepare the expected new members to be strong on national security in the upper chamber. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Rand Paul hits ‘Biden/Harris CDC’ over COVID-19 vaccine guidance for 6-month-olds
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine immunization schedule advises, in the case of the 2024-2025 Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, three doses for children ages 6 months old through 4 years old — and Sen. Rand Paul has suggested that such guidance is leading to public hesitancy to trust the agency’s recommendations. “Pfizer drug reps…Uh, I mean, the Biden/Harris CDC, insists your 6-month-old get 3 COVID vaccines despite no scientific studies demonstrating decreased hospitalization or death. Is anyone surprised that the public is now hesitant to believe ANY CDC recommendations?” the lawmaker posted. Regarding the 2024-2025 Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, the CDC’s vaccine schedule suggests previously unvaccinated children in the 6-month through 4-year-old age bracket should receive an initial dose, followed by another “at least 3–8 weeks after Dose 1,” and a third “at least 8 weeks after Dose 2.” VACCINES FOR FLU AND COVID: SHOULD YOU GET BOTH AT THE SAME TIME? “An 8-week interval between the first and second doses of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine might be optimal for some people, as it might reduce the rare risk of myocarditis and pericarditis associated with COVID-19 vaccines,” the CDC notes. Paul, who tested positive for COVID-19 in 2020, noted in 2021 that he had not been vaccinated. CDC RECOMMENDS NEW COVID VACCINES FOR AMERICANS 6 MONTHS AND OLDER “So, when I go out to the media and say that I, as a recovered COVID patient, will not get a vaccine that is not proven to help me nor proved I even need — the science deniers, bureaucrats and media typically go nuts,” he wrote in an opinion piece posted by the Courier Journal. “But facts are facts. I’m no more likely to get or transmit COVID than someone who is vaccinated,” he continued. The lawmaker has served in the Senate since 2011 and was most recently re-elected in 2022. SEN. PAUL SAYS FAUCI DESERVES PRISON FOR COVID-19 MISHANDLING: ‘THERE WAS NO SCIENCE’ Fox News Digital reached out to the CDC for comment but did not receive a response. Fox News Digital also reached out to offer Sen. Rand Paul the opportunity to provide a comment about his post, but his communications director declined.