Vox Sentences - Fauci, uncensored

Drs. Birx and Fauci reveal the internal chaos that plagued the Trump administration’s Covid-19 response; tens of thousands of Russians protest Putin.

Tonight's Sentences was written by Gabby Birenbaum.

TOP NEWS

In the Trump White House, Birx and Fauci were sidelined

Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Deborah Birx and Anthony Fauci gave explosive interviews over the weekend in which they detailed how Trump and his allies in the White House undermined their work, compromising the country’s coronavirus response. [CNN / Brian Stelter]
Birx, who was the White House coronavirus response coordinator, said there was no coordinated full-time coronavirus team, leaving her to reach out to government contacts in a variety of agencies on her own. [CBS News / Melissa Quinn and Margaret Brennan]
Birx said she was “censored” within the White House. Publicly, she became known for defending the president’s strategy, while Fauci was more openly critical. [Washington Post / Meryl Kornfield]
Some White House were Covid deniers, Birx said, and someone would manipulate her data before presenting it to the president, feeding him incorrect graphs. [Khaleda Rahman / Newsweek]
But for many, Birx’s revelations are too little, too late. New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman noted on Twitter that Birx was uninterested in speaking to the media and plainly supported Trump while he undermined other scientists. [Twitter / Maggie Haberman]
In a lengthy interview with the Times, Fauci described a White House in which Trump’s views on the virus could be just as influenced by a business associate peddling alternative medicine as by Fauci and his colleagues. When he would openly disagree with Trump in meetings, Trump would tell Fauci to be more positive — and then Chief of Staff Mark Meadows or trade adviser Peter Navarro would confront the doctor for speaking out. [New York Times / Donald G. McNeil Jr.]
Working for Biden and getting to present scientific data without objection, Fauci says, is a “liberating feeling.” [The Hill / Tal Axelrod]

Protests grow in Russia over opposition leader’s arrest

Up to 40,000 Russians took to the streets in Moscow Saturday to protest the arrest of opposition leader and Putin critic Alexei Navalny, who was taken into custody last weekend after returning to Russia in the wake of a nerve agent attack against him. [Reuters / Anton Zverev and Andrew Osborn]
Calling the protests illegal and using force to break them up, police arrested 3,000 demonstrators in provinces all across the country, including Navalny’s wife Yulia. [Vox / Anya van Wagtendonk]
Despite government attempts to censor posts, TikToks and videos on YouTube and Instagram encouraging young people, in particular, to attend "Free Navalny" rallies were effective in driving turnout. Even provinces like Tatarstan that typically avoid opposition activity saw protests. [NPR / Kat Lonsdorf]
The Biden administration called on Russia to release Navalny and the arrested protesters, marking a sharp difference in US policy on Putin between Biden and his predecessor. [Independent / Griffin Connolly]
The Kremlin has successfully tamped down protests against its leadership before. But the energy around this weekend’s protests, considering the bitter cold and threats of intimidation, means they could get bigger and potentially warrant a response. [CNBC / Holly Ellyatt]
Journalist Leonid Ragozin says the majority of Russians are pragmatic supporters of Putin who follow the mood of the country. To be successful, the protests would have to be disruptive enough to convince moderates that Putin no longer creates stability. [Al Jazeera / Leonid Ragozin]

MISCELLANEOUS

A new executive order from President Biden allows transgender people to serve in the military once again.

[Vox / Katelyn Burns]

Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) announced he will retire at the end of his term in 2022, presenting a blow to moderates in the GOP and creating a Senate pickup opportunity for both Democrats and more conservative Republicans. [Politico / Burgess Everett and James Arkin]
California Gov. Gavin Newsom lifted a statewide stay-at-home order on Monday, despite record death tolls and hospital overcrowding in Los Angeles. [Los Angeles Times / Taryn Luna]
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will become the first team to play the Super Bowl in their home stadium, when 43-year-old Tom Brady and the Bucs take on last year’s champion Kansas City Chiefs and their star quarterback Patrick Mahomes. [Tampa Bay Times / Rick Stroud]

VERBATIM

“It wasn’t just hydroxychloroquine, it was a variety of alternative-medicine-type approaches. It was always, 'A guy called me up, a friend of mine from blah, blah, blah.' That’s when my anxiety started to escalate.”

[Anthony Fauci on the people then-President Trump was listening to regarding the coronavirus epidemic]

LISTEN TO THIS

With Joe Biden in office, the United States has a chance to reset its response to the Covid-19 pandemic and address the crisis at hand. President Biden has set a goal of administering 100 million Covid-19 vaccines in 100 days. Central to his plan to get there: an increased federal role in the process and billions of dollars in investment. [Spotify / German Lopez]

Vox Quick Hits covers the important and complex topics in news, politics, and pop culture in episodes that are 10 minutes or less. Check in daily to hear short updates from your favorite journalists and podcasts in the Vox Media Podcast Network. You can find Vox Quick Hits and subscribe in all the usual podcast places.

Vox Sentences - Fauci, uncensored

Older messages

Economic relief by executive order

The US rejoins the climate fight

The Democratic trifecta

Biden's Day 1 agenda

The $1.9 trillion Biden agenda

You Might Also Like

The Dark Side of Immune

Techie-turned-lawmaker uses Microsoft chops as state senator | ‘Acquired’ podcast hosts raising fund

RIP, NBA Dynasties

☕ Fast, casual

☕ Spend but don’t break

Criminalizing homelessness before the Supreme Court.

Gibberish Party

The dirty side of retail

☢️ Building the World of ‘Fallout’

TikTok, Transplant Breakthrough, and 'Baby Reindeer'