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The cadaver dogs were busy performing the grim duties of their training when the opportunists leapt into action.

They couldnt let a catastrophic loss of human life get in the way of pitching a hefty dose of politically expedient, anti-science rhetoric. To which countless others shook our heads and asked, Is nothing sacred?

The deaths and devastation by tornadoes across multiple states, but especially in Kentucky, are hard to comprehend.

Its one thing to know the escalating number of fatalities more than 80 at this writing, with dozens still missing and to assess the leveled blocks of homes and businesses. But to carry the grief, the economic consequences and the sense of helplessness of such a tragedy well, thats impossible for anyone but the people living it.

Coping with something of that magnitude is personal. That fact alone ought to make it somewhat sacrosanct.

Which is why the easy takes, the slaps at old rivals, were so numbingly predictable and, at the same time, disappointing.

The attacks cut both ways: hard left and hard right.

Fox News published an article under the headline Biden uses tornado tragedy to push climate agenda, suggests storms are consequence of the warming not even 24 hours after a tornado raced for 200 miles through six states. Note the word suggests in the headline.

The first line claimed that Biden used the tragedy to further his own beliefs on climate change.

No, the president was nuanced and accurate.

When asked by reporters if he could conclude that the tornadoes had been due to climate change, hed said that it was too early to know for sure. He said that he planned to (gasp!) seek the advice of experts.

Then there were those who rushed to social media to jeer at Rand Paul and Mitch McConnell, both senators for Kentucky, for past stinginess when authorizing help for other communities in times of disaster. They also deserve chastising.

NPR, among others, came out with an incredibly clearheaded, spot-on article, which was headlined: The exact link between tornadoes and climate change is hard to draw. Heres why.

Scientists say that its far from clear how tornadoes might be, or if they are, directly affected by the human-induced warming of the planet. But they suspect that the intensity and frequency of the tornadoes might be impacted.

Did the uncertainty of that statement make you cringe?

Remember that feeling. It could be a reaction to guide how you absorb information.

Scientists are constantly learning more about climate change and how it affects our weather. And for people who are extremely linear thinkers, sometimes shifting information means its suspicious information. Theyre uncomfortable with differing answers all being correct, depending upon what was known at the time.

Stir in a politicized read on an issue or headline-grabbing event, and its easy to see how quickly what should remain a scientific assessment begins to morph.

Theres a path forward here. Its useful for the masses of the public who are neither adamantly denying climate change nor pounding the pulpit with tomes of irreversible apocalyptic doom.

Simply become more thoughtful not conspiracy obsessed in the face of tragedy, not pitched toward a narrative that favors a political team. But simply seek to be informed with the most accurate reporting available at the time. Remain open to the reality that this, too, could shift.

Then send a prayer, and a donation if possible, to Kentucky. Its the right answer for now.

Continue reading here:
Pitts: On tornadoes, science and twisted politics - The Columbian

When Joe Biden ran for the White House, he campaigned on making Saudi Arabia a pariah on the international stage. But a year into his presidency, Biden has stopped well short of getting tougher on Saudi Arabiaand prominent elected Democrats are following suit.

At first, Biden seemed like hed make good on his campaign rhetoric. Democratslong opposed to the Trump administrations approach to arms deals for Saudi Arabiacontrolled both chambers of Congress. And Biden had been critical of Saudi Arabia given its role in Yemens war and the murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018, which the CIA pegged to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

In February, Biden announced that the United States would be backing off the Trump administrations approach of funding Saudi Arabias offensive military operations.

Saudi Arabia has been launching airstrikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen for years, ever since Houthi rebels took Yemens capital Sanaa in 2014, and followed up with attacks against Saudi Arabia in turn. A Saudi-led coalition tried to intervene on behalf of the internationally recognized Yemeni government, but the conflict has so far brought 5 million to the brink of famine, killed hundreds of thousands, and has no clear end in sight as peace processes have stalled.

But, as the idiom goes, Do as I say, not as I do.

Rather than backing off funding the conflict, the Biden administration has actually renewed efforts to arm Saudi Arabia. Biden found a carve-out to still fund the conflict, by only allowing defensive arms sales to Saudi Arabiaa decision that has put him at loggerheads with some members of his own party who say it allows him to take rhetorical credit for bucking Trumps approach, but which in reality perpetuates and contributes to the conflict.

Just last month, the State Department approved a $650 million missile sale to Saudi Arabiathe first major arms sale to the Kingdom during the Biden administrationand its left Democrats on Capitol Hill fuming about the administrations willingness to support a country with a derelict human rights track record.

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) told The Daily Beast the defensive carve-out is bogus when Saudi Arabia is known to fudge its human rights record.

Omar said it was clear that, whatever the stated use of these weapons, they would likely be used to perpetuate the war in Yemen, which includes routine targeting of civilians and children.

Even if they were only used in a defensive manner, there is no justification for handing 300 air-to-air missiles arming a regime known for lying to cover up routine human rights violations, Omar told The Daily Beast. We should be using diplomacy to bring an end to Saudi Arabias brutal campaign in Yemen, not perpetuating it.

Arming the Saudis in any way, many Democrats have long argued, just prolongs the suffering and fuels the conflict with Yemen. As aid groups have noted, the people of Yemen are not starving. They are being starved.

Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) also lambasted Bidens approach, noting that this decision leaves Saudi Arabia in the drivers seat, not the United States.

The distinction between offensive and defensive support of the Saudi Royal Air Force is a smoke screen: there is no telling to what degree U.S. indirect support of fighter aircraft is being used in operations that have the end effect of prolonging war and exacerbating the worst humanitarian emergency on the planet, Markey told The Daily Beast. Just Monday Saudi-led forces launched airstrikes in Sanaa, according to state media, Reuters reported.

Democrats have long argued against arms deals with Saudi Arabia. But an uncanny flip-flopping has started to settle in on Capitol Hill. While every Democratic senator voted in 2019 to block President Trump from approving an arms sale with Saudi Arabia, early this month the Democrat-controlled Senate rejected a proposal that would have blocked the Biden administration from selling $650 million worth of weapons to Saudi Arabia.

Although the majority of Democrats voted against the sale, some Democrats that used to be the staunchest advocates for pulling back on arms deals to Saudi Arabia are now all-in.

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) speaks during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing to examine U.S.-Russia policy on Dec. 7, 2021.

Alex Brandon

Take Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT). He was one of the earliest critics of arming Saudi Arabia, and has opposed the war in Yemen since the beginning. And yet, he voted in favor of the $650 million package.

Murphy said in a statement he believes this sale doesnt fall into the category of offensive operations in Yemen.

After reviewing the details of this sale, I believe it is consistent with President Bidens pledge to end assistance for offensive operations in Yemen. This sale is solely intended to defend Saudi territory against cross-border Houthi drone attacks, which indiscriminately threaten Saudi civilians and other residents, including over 50,000 Americans, Murphy said. I have been the leading critic of Saudi Arabias war in Yemen and have led the fight to end U.S. support for the Saudis bombing campaign, but I don't advocate for ending our security relationship with Saudi Arabia.

The Democrats are swerving on the issue likely because they simply dont want to rock the boat with Biden, the chair of the Yemeni Alliance Committee, Jehan Hakim, told The Daily Beast. During the Trump administration there was a clear support amongst the Democrats to stop arms sales to Saudi Arabia, Hakim said.

"Theres a kind of hesitancy or reluctance to go against the Biden administration, Hakim told The Daily Beast. It was easier to go against Trump than it is to go against Biden because theyre obviously in the same party, theres this motivation or ambition to not go against the leadership.

Many other lawmakers who have previously voted to block arms deals to the Kingdom or stop support for Saudis war with Yemen also voted in favor of the sale, including Sens. Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) (who both, as candidates in 2020, said they supported ending military and intelligence assistance to Saudi Arabia); Bob Menendez (D-NJ) (who led the way in 2019, introducing measures to block sales to Saudi Arabia during the Trump administration); Tom Carper (D-DE); Maggie Hassan (D-NH); Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH); and others.

One congressional aide suggested the support for the recent sale was about defending civilians in Saudi Arabia.

I wouldnt characterize this as a gift to the Saudis. I would say this is about defending civilians including American citizens in Saudi Arabia against attack, the congressional aide told The Daily Beast.

Democrats also recently discarded an amendment from Sen. Bernie Sanders, the independent from Vermont, and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) that would have blocked U.S. defense contractors from maintaining Saudi warplanes conducting aerial strikesa proposal that, if passed, could help stop the bombing and bring the conflict to a close.

A congressional aide familiar with the matter told The Daily Beast that a shift towards blocking any arms deals with Saudi Arabia could take place if civilian infrastructure is increasingly targeted.

If you see a return of mass bombing of civilian infrastructure that could trigger some real rethink: should we cut off all arms sales period too sort of try to bring this to an end, the congressional aide told The Daily Beast.

The recent sea change of support for Saudi Arabia from the Democratic Party is alarming, according to Markey.

Im deeply disappointed that Congress didnt take this chance to end the U.S. support of the Saudi-led military coalition after seven terrible years of civil war in Yemen, Markey told The Daily Beast. We need to broker peace, not continue to flood the Saudi-led military coalition with endless arms and unconditional support.

Khanna said he thinks the party seems to be making some progress on galvanizing support to block arms deals and maintenance packages with Saudi Arabia, noting that when he first started trying to attract interest in his proposals to wind down support to the conflict, they failed. This year, my amendment passed the House, Khanna said. We have a long way to go, but change is coming Congress should do its job and end military support and arm sales to the Saudi government.

Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) speaks at an End Fossil Fuel rally near the U.S. Capitol on June 29, 2021.

Anna Moneymaker

The U.S. relationship with Saudi Arabia has always been a balancing act, one that even the nimblest of politicians has stumbled over in the past, giving the kingdom a pass on human rights issues to achieve other goals, such as counterterrorism work or confronting Iran.

Theres arguments about the importance of a secure and stable supply of oil on the global market, [how they are] a source of stability and a regional ally. But these are all arguments that dont hold up water anymore, if they ever did, Stephen Miles, the executive director of Win Without War, told The Daily Beast. The energy landscape today doesnt look like what its looked like in decades prior Similarly, we are seeing the Saudis be a source of instability before you even get to the gross human rights violations like the murder of Jamal Khashoggi.

Some of Bidens top advisers have opted to voice their opinion in favor of pulling back on Saudi arms deals, too. A 2019 version of the Sanders-Khanna amendment, which was essentially an identical proposal to the more recent iteration about maintenance, was supported by a whole host of now-Biden administration officials, including Bidens national security adviser Jake Sullivan, the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Colin Kahl, and Kelly Magsamen, who now serves as the chief of staff to the Secretary of Defense, who each signed a letter in support of blocking logistics and maintenance deals with Saudi Arabia to help unravel Saudi Arabias contributions to the Yemen conflict.

Other supporters include Wendy Sherman, who now serves as deputy secretary of state, and Susan Rice, who now heads up the Domestic Policy Council.

But the buck stops with Biden.

Basically this all comes down to Biden, a senior Democratic Senate aide told The Daily Beast.

The aide continued that it was important to understand that the people around Biden who signed that letter, who are now in positions of real authority, had to understand that they were ultimately making a criticism of the president.

As on so many things on foreign policy, it really comes down to Bidens decision, the aide said.

For now, though, the United States is focused on improving the kingdoms ability to defend its territory against threats, a State Department spokesperson told The Daily Beast. President Biden and Secretary Blinken have both been clear that human rights are a priority in our bilateral relationship with Saudi Arabia, and we have been raising these issues through consistent and constant engagement at senior levels in both Washington and Riyadh.

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), who has been pushing lawmakers and the Biden administration alike to back away from greenlighting Saudi arms deals, told The Daily Beast he thinks his colleagues and the Biden Administration ought to buck up and get more consistent on their takes on Saudi Arabia.

President Biden and proponents of Saudi arms sales say the latest $650 million sale is merely to help defend Saudi territorial integrity, but these words do not match Saudis actions, Paul told The Daily Beast. By participating in current and future sales, we would not only be rewarding reprehensible behavior, but also exacerbating a humanitarian crisis in Yemen, and you would think lawmakers could be more consistent in their efforts to protect defenseless civilians from the cruelty of a criminal regime.

Fahad Nazer, the official spokesperson for the Saudi Embassy in Washington, told The Daily Beast that the conflictand the dire humanitarian situationwill end if the Houthis lay down their weapons, go back to the negotiating table and stop obstructing the efforts of the UN Yemen envoy and the friends of Yemenincluding Saudi Arabiato advance a political solution in accordance with the relevant UN resolutions and political references.

With these realities, Biden, almost one year into his presidency, who still hasnt made good on his campaign promise to make Saudi Arabia a pariah, ought to rethink his policy, especially as it trickles down to his party and perpetuates the war, Bruce Riedel, a former CIA officer and former senior adviser on South Asia and the Middle East to four presidents, told The Daily Beast.

What weve seen is an administration that campaigned on a promise to dramatically change American foreign policy towards Saudi Arabia and its Yemen war and which, as we get close to one year in office, has failed to live up to those commitments, said Riedel, now director of the Brookings Intelligence Project. In practice, nothing has changed. The war continues, the Saudis continue to bomb Yemeni civilians.

Originally posted here:
Biden Went Soft on Saudi Arabia. Now Democrats in Congress Are, Too. - The Daily Beast

Kentucky Senator Rand Paul sounded off on Dr. Anthony Fauci and the Biden administration for their response to the newly emerging omicron variant of COVID-19. On "America's Newsroom," Wednesday, Sen. Paul criticized Fauci for creating hysteria and fear, and noted that the scientist who discovered the variant called Biden's travel ban a "hysterical overreach."

OMICRON VARIANT SEEMS LESS SEVERE THAN EARLIER ONES, WHO OFFICIAL SAYS: LIVE UPDATES

SEN. RAND PAUL: Dr. Fauci routinely ignores the science and causes hysteria and creates fear. This is the opposite of what you really want as far as someone leading your public health effort. The Omicron variant, the doctor who discovered it, we should be proud of her. In South Africa, she dutifully reported it, discovered it was a new variant, and she wrote an op-ed yesterday as well. And in the op-ed, she said that so far, no one's been hospitalized in South Africa. So far, no one's died from this disease, and that it's a hysterical overreach to ban travel.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

So you're banning travel, which will destroy economically tourism and travel and have great hardship for the world. But you're doing it for something that's not scientifically sound. It's not going to do anything to stop the spread of this variant. The variant's already out there. We also don't know yet: Will it be more deadly or less deadly? The initial reports, what we know so far is it looks like it will be less deadly. We'll know more in about two weeks, but that's when we would think we might want to make some decisions after we know the facts rather than before.

WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW BELOW:

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Sen. Rand Paul blasts Fauci as omicron cases are reported around US: He 'causes hysteria and creates fear' - Fox News

U.S. Senator Rand Paul of Bowling Green believes the omicron COVID-19 variant could come with a silver lining if it produces predominately less severe illness than the original and Delta variants.

Early reports from South Africa where the omicron variant was first discovered indicate it is much more contagious than previous variants while causing milder disease and Senator Paul says that would be good news.

While efforts continue to convince more Kentuckians and Americans to get vaccinated against COVID-19, Senator Paul is pleased with how much of the most vulnerable populations have already taken the vaccine.

Meanwhile, as tension grow between Russia and the Ukraine and the western world worries of a possible invasion, Senator Paul says the U.S. and its allies could possibly alleviate those tensions by committing to not bring Ukraine or other Russian neighbors of interest into NATO.

You can hear the entire interview below:

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Sen. Paul hopeful omicron variant will produce less severe illness - WHOP

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Thereisa saying among people in medical school that when you're learning about what to do in an emergency situation, before you take the pulse of the person you see laying still, take your own pulse.

The meaning of this saying was not to freak out, butto try to stay calm,and try to make rational decisions beforerushing to a potentially damaging reaction.

VICTOR DAVIS HANSON: FAUCI IS ACTING LIKE A 'MONARCH' WITH 'LEGISLATIVE, JUDICIAL AND EXECUTIVE POWER'

Apparently, Dr. Anthony Faucidoesnt rememberthissaying orlesson.

Once again, we find ourselves in a situationin which we have a new COVID variant.Ratherthan making rational, scientific decisions, Dr. Fauci and the Biden administration have jumped to assume theworst, andhave begunimplementing restrictions with the ever-looming threat of mandates.

We really dont know much about theomicron variant. It could have different mutations, different symptoms, and require different treatments. But rather than freaking out, we should take the next week or two to see what becomes ofit.

President Biden on the other hand, has alreadyfollowed suit with Dr. Fauci in foolishlyannouncingpublic health policy that is not based onany science.Mandating a COVID test within 24 hours of international travel, ignores the fact that rapid tests for patients without symptoms give false readings about half the time.

BIDEN JOKES THAT FAUCI IS PRESIDENT, SAYS HE SEES FAUCI MORE THAN FIRST LADY

Meanwhile,medical officials in South Africa, where the variant originated,have been shocked at theknee-jerkreaction from countries across the worldin imposing travel restrictionsand renewingmandates.

EvenDr. Angelique Coetzee, who discovered the new variant,has said countries,including the United States,are "panicking unnecessarily." Dr. Coetzeehasalso said,"the simple truthis:we dont know yet anywhere near enough aboutomicron to make such judgments or to impose such policies."

This is a prime example of big governmentthinking it must do something out of gut reaction, but in all likelihood, government will do the wrong thing.The ink on the travel ban has barely dried and reports are already coming in that theomicron variant is less deadly. In addition, the variant is nowin nearly40 countries, so a travel ban will have little effect.

We needtopause, learn more about theomicronvariant, and in the meantimenot imposetravel restrictions that will tank theU.S. andworld economies, ensue chaos, and frankly do nothing to change the course of this new variant.

FLORIDA REPORTS LOWEST DAILY CORONAVIRUS CASES PER CAPITA IN NATION

Not to mention the fact that while we implement travel restrictions onU.S. citizens and other countries, our southern border remains wide openwith very little being done totest migrants who are being released by the thousands into our country. Apparently, President Bidens newCOVID-19 "strategy"only applies to law-abiding citizens, and not illegal aliens.

The default solution for big government types like President Biden and Dr. Fauci is always more rules, more regulation and less of your liberty.

Our responseshouldnt be a blanket decision for the whole world, on locking the economy down, locking the country up, and banning travel before we knowfor surewhether this is a more or less deadly variant.

Instead,ifthe governmentwants to do something productive for once, itcouldget out of the way of vaccine and drug development, and allow for new vaccines and drugs to come to marketquicker.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE OPINION NEWSLETTER

President Trump did it, and because of Operation Warp Speed, drug companies and researchers were able to develop the first COVID-19 vaccine in record time, saving countless lives.

For months, Ive urgedthe Biden administration to do the same thing, cut regulations and red tape toallowfor thequickdevelopment ofanew COVID vaccinethat respondsbetterto variants.While some companies are currently in trials, at no point has the Biden administration includingPresident Biden and Dr. Faucimade efforts to speed up the processof getting a new vaccineor treatmentsto market.

If anyone in that administration had anycompetenceat all they would be taking steps to adapt the COVID vaccine like they adapt the flu vaccine each year, and let Americans make their own individual decision on whether or not to be vaccinated.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Instead, theywill continue topreach about booster shots,yell about masks,threatenyou,theAmericanpeoplewith vaccine mandates, and blame all of their problems and failures on the never-ending pandemic.

It is by far time we fire Dr. Fauci, and for the Biden administration to come up with a reasonable, rational plan that follows actual science and acknowledges Americans individual rights and liberties.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE FROM SEN. RAND PAUL

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Biden, Fauci assume the worst with omicron instead of making rational, scientific decisions - Fox News