(The Defender)—Newly disclosed emails reveal that top officials at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) planned to provide Congress with a response that “doesn’t actually answer the questions” about a grant the agency awarded to a nonprofit for controversial research conducted in collaboration with the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China.
Independent journalist Paul D. Thacker, author of “The Disinformation Chronicle” on Substack, analyzed the emails, which were obtained through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request by investigative reporter Jimmy Tobias.
Thacker’s report shows NIH officials discussing how to respond to congressional inquiries about the grant awarded to EcoHealth Alliance.
In a July 2020 email exchange, Adrienne Hallett, then-NIH associate director for legislative policy, outlined a strategy to evade direct answers to congressional inquiries.
“We are going to draft a response to the letter that doesn’t actually answer the questions in the letter but rather presents a narrative of what happened at a high level,” Hallett wrote. “The Committee may come back for other documents but I’m hoping to run out the clock.”
The email chain reveals that top NIH leadership, including then-Director Francis Collins and then-Principal Deputy Director Lawrence Tabak, were aware of and supportive of this approach.
Collins responded, “Sounds like a good plan.” Dr. Michael Lauer, the NIH’s deputy director for extramural research, replied, “Thanks so much Adrienne! I’ll draft something today.”
Incredible (or not)…
An NIH staffer outlines her plans to evade Congressional scrutiny to Collins & Tabak ⬇️
Collins: "Sounds like a good plan"
From @JamesCTobias' latest FOIAshttps://t.co/EovAm5oxk6@randpaul @RepMGriffith pic.twitter.com/ytN05Bh3LW
— harish seshadri (@harishseshadri2) July 31, 2024
The congressional letter in question was signed by the chairs of the Energy and Commerce and the Science, Space, and Technology committees and the chairs of their respective investigative subcommittees.
EcoHealth refused to answer NIH questions
EcoHealth Alliance, a nonprofit organization focused on emerging infectious diseases, has been at the center of debates surrounding the origins of COVID-19 due to its work with bat coronaviruses and its partnership with the Wuhan lab.
In April 2020, the NIH terminated EcoHealth’s grant amid concerns about its collaborative research project in Wuhan.
Three months later, in July 2020, the NIH reinstated the grant but immediately suspended it. The agency imposed certain conditions, including requiring answers from EcoHealth Alliance on such issues as the disappearance of Wuhan lab scientist Huan Yanling and details on how the Wuhan lab determined the genetic sequence of SARS-CoV-2.
In a July 2020 email, Tabak expressed concerns over potential political blowback from the grant reinstatement.
An August 2020 email from Lauer noted that EcoHealth refused to answer the questions NIH required.
In May 2023, the NIH reinstated a reduced version of the grant. However, a year later, under pressure from lawmakers, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services suspended all funding for EcoHealth Alliance grants and initiated proceedings to block any future federal research funding.
On Wednesday, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which operated the Emerging Pandemic Threats Program and had funded numerous EcoHealth Alliance projects, announced it had suspended all funding to the organization.
The EcoHealth Alliance controversy is not an isolated incident. Further evidence from several rounds of FOIA’d documents Tobias received (not discussed in Thacker’s current article) reveals a pattern of concealment and subterfuge within the NIH and related government agencies regarding COVID-19 origins and related research.
Collins ‘pleased’ with early 2020 WaPo article dismissing lab-leak theory
In a separate incident, emails obtained through FOIA requests reveal that Collins actively supported efforts to discredit the theory that COVID-19 originated in a lab.
In February 2020, Collins endorsed a Washington Post article criticizing Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) for suggesting the possibility of a lab origin for the virus. The article, which stated the lab-leak theory was a debunked conspiracy, was later “corrected” because “then as now, there was no determination about the origins of the virus.”
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Despite the correction, the article still refers to a “fringe theory” and the article URL still includes the word “conspiracy.”
Collins endorsed the Post article despite growing scientific evidence and intelligence reports suggesting the lab-leak theory deserved serious consideration.
A FOIA’d email from February 2020 strongly suggested that Collins and Dr. Anthony Fauci, then-director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, were aware of the gain-of-function research behind the emerging COVID-19 pandemic. Fauci wrote, “?? Serial passage in ACE2-transgenic mice.”
Collins conspired with Fauci to discredit the lab-leak theory through the now-infamous Proximal Origin paper.
It wasn’t until January 2024 during a closed-door interview with the U.S. House of Representatives Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic that Collins finally admitted what he knew all along: SARS-CoV-2 could have leaked from a lab and it was not a conspiracy theory.
Despite the common knowledge of the likelihood of a lab leak, disclosed documents show that people like Tabak continued to deny it:
It always has been unclear whether Tabak's non-answers and false answers have been attributable to ignorance or to willful obstruction. (He is as dumb as a rock, making ignorance a real possibility.)
— Richard H. Ebright (@R_H_Ebright) July 26, 2024
Documents also show the U.S. Department of State by 2019 had knowledge of and cleared the EcoHealth-funded experiments at the Wuhan Lab:
From the new FOIA release by @JamesCTobias. State Department approval for NIH grant by @EcoHealthNYC
🔴Humanized mice
🔴5-6 Novel SARS-related coronaviruses
🔴"All work involving samples and viral isolates from bats
will be performed at the Wuhan Institute of Virology" https://t.co/anXSVlIXdY pic.twitter.com/fnudV4XaYJ— Louis R Nemzer (@BiophysicsFL) April 2, 2023
Adding to the controversy, a FOIA’d document from June 2020 (see page 164) shows that Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) was likely aware of rumors that EcoHealth’s grant-funded work was being conducted in a Biosafety Level 2 (BSL-2) lab at the Wuhan Institute, despite the risky nature of the research, which typically requires a BSL-4 facility.
NIH ‘a rogue agency’
Thacker’s investigation points to broader issues within the NIH and its evasion of public records laws.
“The National Institutes of Health is a rogue agency,” Thacker wrote. He noted that since the beginning of the pandemic, “The NIH has put up roadblocks to Freedom of Information Act requests, forcing people to sue the agency until they disclose documents, which they then heavily redact.”
U.S. Right To Know agreed:
Our investigation into #COVID_19 origins "is a test case of citizens’ access to government records. If we can’t successfully use our nation’s public records laws to investigate something as important as the cause for the deaths of nearly 1.2 million Americans, then why bother…
— U.S. Right To Know (@USRightToKnow) March 20, 2024
In May, Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio), chairman of the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, announced an investigation into “a potential conspiracy at the highest levels” of NIH to evade FOIA and avoid public transparency on issues related to the pandemic.
The revelations about the NIH’s handling of congressional inquiries come amid other controversies involving key figures in the pandemic response.
“Senator Rand Paul has sent two [criminal] referrals to the Department of Justice after catching Anthony Fauci lying under oath about funding he provided to the Wuhan Institute of Virology for dangerous gain-of-function virus research,” Thacker wrote.
Thacker highlighted May 2024 House investigations of “Fauci’s right-hand man” Dr. David Morens, who admitted to deleting communications and using private email with Fauci to hide public records related to the pandemic origins.
The departure of key figures involved in the controversies also raised eyebrows. Thacker noted that Hallett — the NIH staffer who suggested evading congressional questions — after leaving NIH joined the biotechnology company Cambrian Bio as vice president of global policy.
Five Things New “Preppers” Forget When Getting Ready for Bad Times Ahead
The preparedness community is growing faster than it has in decades. Even during peak times such as Y2K, the economic downturn of 2008, and Covid, the vast majority of Americans made sure they had plenty of toilet paper but didn’t really stockpile anything else.
Things have changed. There’s a growing anxiety in this presidential election year that has prompted more Americans to get prepared for crazy events in the future. Some of it is being driven by fearmongers, but there are valid concerns with the economy, food supply, pharmaceuticals, the energy grid, and mass rioting that have pushed average Americans into “prepper” mode.
There are degrees of preparedness. One does not have to be a full-blown “doomsday prepper” living off-grid in a secure Montana bunker in order to be ahead of the curve. In many ways, preparedness isn’t about being able to perfectly handle every conceivable situation. It’s about being less dependent on government for as long as possible. Those who have proper “preps” will not be waiting for FEMA to distribute emergency supplies to the desperate masses.
Below are five things people new to preparedness (and sometimes even those with experience) often forget as they get ready. All five are common sense notions that do not rely on doomsday in order to be useful. It may be nice to own a tank during the apocalypse but there’s not much you can do with it until things get really crazy. The recommendations below can have places in the lives of average Americans whether doomsday comes or not.
Note: The information provided by this publication or any related communications is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. We do not provide personalized investment, financial, or legal advice.
Secured Wealth
Whether in the bank or held in a retirement account, most Americans feel that their life’s savings is relatively secure. At least they did until the last couple of years when de-banking, geopolitical turmoil, and the threat of Central Bank Digital Currencies reared their ugly heads.
It behooves Americans to diversify their holdings. If there’s a triggering event or series of events that cripple the financial systems or devalue the U.S. Dollar, wealth can evaporate quickly. To hedge against potential turmoil, many Americans are looking in two directions: Crypto and physical precious metals.
There are huge advantages to cryptocurrencies, but there are also inherent risks because “virtual” money can become challenging to spend. Add in the push by central banks and governments to regulate or even replace cryptocurrencies with their own versions they control and the risks amplify. There’s nothing wrong with cryptocurrencies today but things can change rapidly.
As for physical precious metals, many Americans pay cash to keep plenty on hand in their safe. Rolling over or transferring retirement accounts into self-directed IRAs is also a popular option, but there are caveats. It can often take weeks or even months to get the gold and silver shipped if the owner chooses to close their account. This is why Genesis Gold Group stands out. Their relationship with the depositories allows for rapid closure and shipping, often in less than 10 days from the time the account holder makes their move. This can come in handy if things appear to be heading south.
Lots of Potable Water
One of the biggest shocks that hit new preppers is understanding how much potable water they need in order to survive. Experts claim one gallon of water per person per day is necessary. Even the most conservative estimates put it at over half-a-gallon. That means that for a family of four, they’ll need around 120 gallons of water to survive for a month if the taps turn off and the stores empty out.
Being near a fresh water source, whether it’s a river, lake, or well, is a best practice among experienced preppers. It’s necessary to have a water filter as well, even if the taps are still working. Many refuse to drink tap water even when there is no emergency. Berkey was our previous favorite but they’re under attack from regulators so the Alexapure systems are solid replacements.
For those in the city or away from fresh water sources, storage is the best option. This can be challenging because proper water storage containers take up a lot of room and are difficult to move if the need arises. For “bug in” situations, having a larger container that stores hundreds or even thousands of gallons is better than stacking 1-5 gallon containers. Unfortunately, they won’t be easily transportable and they can cost a lot to install.
Water is critical. If chaos erupts and water infrastructure is compromised, having a large backup supply can be lifesaving.
Pharmaceuticals and Medical Supplies
There are multiple threats specific to the medical supply chain. With Chinese and Indian imports accounting for over 90% of pharmaceutical ingredients in the United States, deteriorating relations could make it impossible to get the medicines and antibiotics many of us need.
Stocking up many prescription medications can be hard. Doctors generally do not like to prescribe large batches of drugs even if they are shelf-stable for extended periods of time. It is a best practice to ask your doctor if they can prescribe a larger amount. Today, some are sympathetic to concerns about pharmacies running out or becoming inaccessible. Tell them your concerns. It’s worth a shot. The worst they can do is say no.
If your doctor is unwilling to help you stock up on medicines, then Jase Medical is a good alternative. Through telehealth, they can prescribe daily meds or antibiotics that are shipped to your door. As proponents of medical freedom, they empathize with those who want to have enough medical supplies on hand in case things go wrong.
Energy Sources
The vast majority of Americans are locked into the grid. This has proven to be a massive liability when the grid goes down. Unfortunately, there are no inexpensive remedies.
Those living off-grid had to either spend a lot of money or effort (or both) to get their alternative energy sources like solar set up. For those who do not want to go so far, it’s still a best practice to have backup power sources. Diesel generators and portable solar panels are the two most popular, and while they’re not inexpensive they are not out of reach of most Americans who are concerned about being without power for extended periods of time.
Natural gas is another necessity for many, but that’s far more challenging to replace. Having alternatives for heating and cooking that can be powered if gas and electric grids go down is important. Have a backup for items that require power such as manual can openers. If you’re stuck eating canned foods for a while and all you have is an electric opener, you’ll have problems.
Don’t Forget the Protein
When most think about “prepping,” they think about their food supply. More Americans are turning to gardening and homesteading as ways to produce their own food. Others are working with local farmers and ranchers to purchase directly from the sources. This is a good idea whether doomsday comes or not, but it’s particularly important if the food supply chain is broken.
Most grocery stores have about one to two weeks worth of food, as do most American households. Grocers rely heavily on truckers to receive their ongoing shipments. In a crisis, the current process can fail. It behooves Americans for multiple reasons to localize their food purchases as much as possible.
Long-term storage is another popular option. Canned foods, MREs, and freeze dried meals are selling out quickly even as prices rise. But one component that is conspicuously absent in shelf-stable food is high-quality protein. Most survival food companies offer low quality “protein buckets” or cans of meat, but they are often barely edible.
Prepper All-Naturals offers premium cuts of steak that have been cooked sous vide and freeze dried to give them a 25-year shelf life. They offer Ribeye, NY Strip, and Tenderloin among others.
Having buckets of beans and rice is a good start, but keeping a solid supply of high-quality protein isn’t just healthier. It can help a family maintain normalcy through crises.
Prepare Without Fear
With all the challenges we face as Americans today, it can be emotionally draining. Citizens are scared and there’s nothing irrational about their concerns. Being prepared and making lifestyle changes to secure necessities can go a long way toward overcoming the fears that plague us. We should hope and pray for the best but prepare for the worst. And if the worst does come, then knowing we did what we could to be ready for it will help us face those challenges with confidence.
