The President's Daily Brief - October 26th, 2022. The White House Puts Out Even More COVID-19 Misinformation.

Episode Date: October 26, 2022

It’s October 26th. You’re listening to the President’s Daily Brief. Your morning intel starts now. ------ We’ve got a Special Edition of the PDB this morning. And it’s special because we’re going to talk about something nobody is talking about: Last month the US Government acknowledged that the batteries powering the Renewable Energy Revolution in this country — the electric vehicles, the solar and wind farms, all of it — those batteries are produced by child miners in the Congo. Now, we’ve talked about this on the PDB in the past as a part of our series that I called Dirty Green Energy. But this is official confirmation from the US Government itself. And it’s a big deal.  But then why is this report not in the press? Why aren’t politicians talking about it? Why aren’t car manufacturers acknowledging it?  ------ Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of the President's Daily Brief. Email: [e-mail] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's October 26th. You're listening to the President's Daily Brief. I'm your host and former CIA Officer Brian Dean Wright. Your morning intel starts now. First up, Joe Biden and his COVID team were at the White House yesterday promoting the latest COVID vaccine booster shots. But unfortunately, they were also promoting at least two big lies about the vaccines. So I'll share what those were and why they might be doing it. As always, I'm keeping an eye out for a development. stories. Put these two on your radar. First, our oil producing allies in Saudi Arabia are growing more estranged from us, and they are ending up in the arms of China. Second, we have a diesel crisis in this country, and if you are on the East Coast, you will want to listen to what's likely

to come over the next couple of weeks. As always, we've got a listener question today. It's about how some U.S. representatives asked Joe Biden to find peace with Russia, and then quickly back down. But first, let's get started with today's main brief. Joe Biden and his White House COVID team held a press event yesterday where he got his third COVID booster shot, and that is after, of course, he was infected twice with COVID back in July. Now, during the event yesterday, I am sorry to say that he had his staff promoted some pretty serious misinformation about COVID and the vaccines, which is quite shocking, given the emphasis by so many folks in D.C. on stopping misinformation about.

about COVID, but here we are. So let's step through the two big pieces of misinformation that the White House spread yesterday and then pivot to analysis and opinion on why it happened. So first, during Joe Biden's remarks to the press yesterday, he said this about COVID vaccines. Quote, if you get it, you're protected. And if you don't, you are putting yourself and other people unnecessarily at risk. End quote. So, where is the lie in that statement? Well, when he says that the vaccine protects not just you but other people too, that is a lie. So here's the truth.

If you get the vaccine, it may provide you a personal or therapeutic benefit. In other words, you're still going to get sick, but it might make you feel a little less miserable. But it might not. So talk to your doctor to determine if that's true for you. but in the meantime, COVID vaccines do not give you sterilizing immunity, meaning that you will still spread this virus to others even if you get a COVID shot. Now, if you recall, that's not what we were promised. When COVID shots first came out virtually everyone from Pfizer,

Moderna, the U.S. government, and countless public health officials, they all told you, told us that if we get vaccinated, we wouldn't get sick, and we wouldn't spread it. But that was wrong. And we know that now. And in fact, Pfizer and Moderna are now acknowledging that they never tested their vaccines for that sterilizing immunity. So they never should have promised it.

But nevertheless, Joe Biden is still repeating this falsehood of if you get the jab, it'll protect others. All right? It's not true. But he keeps saying this and he's done it for years now. Okay. So that's the first big lie out of the White House. yesterday. He's on the COVID-19 response team, and he predicted that even though very few Americans

have gotten boosted with these latest COVID shots, only about 9% of us, actually, he said that more of us will. And that's because he said these latest COVID shots are so much better than the old versions of the COVID shots. So to explain this, he was referencing the fact that Pfizer and Moderna have tweaked their COVID vaccines to allegedly better target the latest COVID variants, much like they might do for the flu vaccines every year. But unfortunately, Dr. Webb is wrong on this. That's what researchers from Columbia University and the University of Michigan are saying as of this morning. So here's what we know about that. Bloomberg News reported yesterday that researchers from those two universities set out to confirm the data from Pfizer and Moderna, who promised us just last month

that these latest tweaked shots are actually much better than their old. shots against the new variants. So the university researchers, well, they did their own science, and they looked at the number and the efficacy of what's called the neutralizing antibodies that are created by these jabs. And they looked for these antibodies in both the new jabs and the old ones. And then the researchers compared the results. Well, it turns out that there was no difference between the old jabs and the new. Both versions produced the same number and efficacy of these antibody levels. Lead researcher David Ho from the Columbia University said, quote,

so far, we don't see the benefit of the new shots, end quote. By the way, if you want to dig into the data on that, you can find that in Bloomberg News under the article entitled, New COVID Boosters aren't better than the old ones, study finds. One last thing before we pivot from facts and data to analysis and opinion. during Biden's remarks yesterday, he also clarified for all of us the number of times that we should expect get these COVID booster shots if we make that choice. So here is Joe Biden's counsel to America and the world. Quote, if you're fully vaccinated, get one more COVID shot once a year.

That's it, end quote. So did you catch that? Just one more shot, folks. well, one more shot once a year for some period of time. Forever? Who knows? Anyway, that is obviously very different from what we were promised when these vaccines first came out. If we all recall, of course, it was first two shots and you're done. Then it was, well, you might need one booster. And then it was, well, probably two boosters. And, well, now it appears that you're going to need one booster every year forever. So with that, folks, we end the focus on facts and data and let's now pivot to analysis and opinion.

I'm not going to do too much on this one. Your podcast platform might ban me if I do. So instead, I'll just ask you some questions that you can answer. So why does the White House keep spreading COVID misinformation? And I don't mean things that are still being debated, like how therapeutic exactly are these vaccines. because I'd like for you to discuss that with your doctors. So rather than that, what I want us to focus on, what I want you to ask yourself is this.

Joe Biden and his COVID team, who are, I'm sure, full of very smart people, they keep saying stuff that's just factually wrong. Like if you get a COVID vaccine, you'll protect yourself and others. Because that's not even a debated assertion anymore. COVID vaccines do not protect others because you will still catch and spread the virus. Now, it may be that once infected your viral load or the amount of virus inside your body, well, it does become lower with a therapeutic vaccine. And if that's true, it will be person dependent and it may or may not limit how infectious

you are, and thus the number of people that you might spread it to. But we earnestly don't know the answer to that question because some data say, yes, it probably does give you that benefit and perhaps a benefit to others, while other studies say, no, that's not true. Well, bottom line is we just don't know yet, so we have to keep studying. And speaking of, I don't know how long it'll take us to answer that question, especially because Pfizer and Moderna have such an awful track record of telling the truth about their product, and we now know that for certain because of this study from Columbia and University of Michigan. And so that leads reasonable people to ask, what exactly is going on here?

why is the White House spreading lies about stuff that we know are lies? Well, as you wrestle with that, let me share this. Based on an analysis done by Kaiser Permanente, the Imperial College of London, the Consumer Advocacy Group public citizen, and the nonprofit Oxfam, they all anticipate that Pfizer will mark up the cost of its COVID vaccine by upwards of 10,000 percent next year.

Yes, you heard me right. Pfizer is going to increase their per-shot profit markup by 10,000% next year. Now, Pfizer, for its part, is responding to this analysis by saying, yes, it's true, we are increasing our price, but we're doing it because we have to keep up our revenue. Yeah, I'm sure you do. Anyway, plus, they're saying, you folks out there, you will never see the price hike because the U.S. government, or your insurance companies will pick up most of that tab. Which is one heck of a response. Because obviously you are a taxpayer and you will have to pay the U.S. government's bills.

And the same is true for those of you who have health insurance because they will pass along the cost to you in the form of higher premiums or co-pays and deductibles. So folks, look, as always, you all can decide whether or not to get vaccinated or boosted after consultation with your doctors. It's your body, your risk, your choice. Meanwhile, I also defer to you all as to what to make of this audity show, including the two big lies out of the White House. But I think what's becoming increasingly clear

is that the data behind these vaccines, data provided by Pfizer and Moderna, well, that's not settled, nor is it exactly clear. I mean, after all, the researchers at Columbia and the University of Michigan are now telling us that pretty darn, clearly. And second, the people who might force these companies to be more candid with us, people like Joe Biden or his COVID-19 response team, well, they continue to feed you, me,

all of us misinformation, despite how obviously wrong they are. And that leaves reasonable people like us wondering whether to trust any of them at all. Coming up, ladies and gentlemen, a closer look at what's on my radar. Two quick briefs for you, both on energy. We'll be right back. Not loving your AT&T or T Mobile Bill? Yeah, we've been hearing that a lot. Good news. Bring your AT&T or T Mobile Bill to Verizon and we'll give you a better deal. So get away from that unfortunate phone bill and get to Verizon. Run, ride, canoe. Whatever it takes, we'll be here.

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you have new or worsening eye problems. You should not receive a live vaccine when treated with Epglis. Before starting Epglis, tell your doctor if you have a parasitic infection. Ask your doctor about Ebglis and visit ebbglis.com or call 1800 LilyRX or 1-800 545 Welcome back to the PDB. As always, I'm watching a few other stories this morning, both related to energy. So put these two on your radar. First, America's relationships with our oil-producing friends are suffering this morning, and one of the most important is with Saudi Arabia. So to refresh our memories on this and why it's so important to you, Joe Biden asked oil-producing countries last month to either increase their oil output or leave it as is, but certainly don't cut production.

Now, he specifically asked Saudi Arabia to ensure that the oil cartel OPEC and OPEC Plus would follow this request to leave oil production alone. Well, the Saudis declined his request. And along with the other OPEC countries, they all agreed to cut production in order to boost prices. And that is bad news for consumers like you and me, who will likely pay higher gas prices in the weeks to come. And that means it could also be bad news politically for buy. and his party during the midterm elections. So all of that helps explain why Biden and his team have been outraged at Saudi Arabia and OPEC nations for about a month now.

If you recall, the White House accused the Saudis in particular of siding with Russia in the war in Ukraine because of this OPEC deal, and said that America would, quote, be reevaluating our relationship with the kingdom, end quote, because they dared to defy our request. And that takes us to our update this morning. Late last week, Saudi Arabia held a meeting with the Chinese government. And the two nations agreed to deepen cooperation in the energy sector through a variety of investments, which, by the way, currently sit at $5.5 billion for the first half of this year. Again, that's China investing in Saudi Arabia.

Plus, the two nations agreed that Saudi Arabia will, quote, continue to be China's most reliable partner and supplier of crude oil, end quote. and it's true their relationship is very important Saudi Arabia sends 2.7 million barrels of oil a day to China that's the most that they send to any nation on the planet that's according to the South China Morning Post so one last thing here to flag for you as the Saudis drift away from us to the Chinese the Saudis issued what I think is a pretty ominous warning this week

when their energy minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Solomon He criticized the White House for reducing the oil in our strategic petroleum reserve. Now, if you remember, Joe Biden released about 15 million barrels from our emergency supply, well, in an attempt to lower gas prices. But in response, here's a quote from the Saudis that, frankly, I find it be alarming. So listen to how it ends. Quote, people are depleting their emergency stocks and using it as a mechanism to manipulate markets. However, it is my profound.

duty to make it clear to the world that losing emergency oil stock may become painful in the months to come." End quote. So if that sounds like a warning to you all, well, I think so too. It suggests that bad things are coming, and the Saudis and maybe even the Chinese have an idea of what that might be. Regardless, I'll keep you posted. Second, we've got a major diesel shortage in America this morning and for my listeners from New England to Georgia, you all are going to get hammered, at least odds are, and here's what you should know. We have a regional diesel shortage in this country from Maine to Georgia. That is according to pretty much every media outlet and energy analyst covering this issue, including the Wall Street Journal, CNBC, Bloomberg, and a variety

of energy companies and investment firms like Goldman Sachs. The three main reasons that they cite for this shortage include a lack of refining capability, the war in Ukraine, and limited pipeline capacity. So the shortage is so acute with supplies at 30% of normal that rationing is now underway in some areas to prevent hoarding or a run on diesel supplies. So for instance, the Connecticut Energy Marketers Association told Bloomberg news that they are rationing supply right now to area retailers. Meanwhile, Mansfield Energy, which is a major diesel supplier to the southeast, they said that they're requiring a 72-hour notice to companies seeking supplies because they're not sure that they'll have enough. The situation in Tennessee, they said, is especially bad.

So the good news, and there is some, is that more supply is on the way, but it's going to take a while to get there. The main artery providing diesel, it's called the Colonial Pipeline, Well, thankfully, it just got fully booked with all sorts of diesel products, but it's not going to hit Atlanta until November 3rd and then the New York area a week later. Now, there are overseas supplies coming in, too, at a very high cost because you all are competing with Europe and the war in Ukraine. But those fresh supplies aren't going to arrive until late November. And if we get a cold snap, this problem will become a crisis, especially for New England states like Maine, New York, and Pennsylvania, all of whom are, rely on diesel or home heating oil. So as I warned listeners last week, folks, hold your hats on this one. It's going to get worse. The war in Ukraine, our lack of refineries and the tight

pipeline capacity, it's really going to bite folks on the East Coast this winter, most certainly when your temperatures start to drop. And with that, one more thing before I let you go, and actually, it's related to the war in Ukraine. We'll be right back. across North America with special guests. Get tickets Thursday, May 7th at Olivia Rodrigo.com. USAA knows dynamic duos can save the day, like superheroes and sidekicks or auto and home insurance. With USAA, you can bundle your auto and home and save up to 10%. Tap the banner to learn more and get a quote at usa.com slash bundle.

Restrictions apply. Welcome back to the PDB, ladies and gentlemen. One more thing before I let you go. Nick in Washington State wrote in asking about whether I saw the group of Democrat representatives appealing to Joe Biden on Monday to find a peaceful resolution in Ukraine. But then they backed off their request by Tuesday morning. So Nick wanted to know what I thought about that whole deal. Well, for folks not following this, let me summarize quickly. There's a group of 30, well, self-professed, progressive Democrats who wrote a letter to Joe Biden imploring him to find a

peaceful way out of the war in Ukraine. So the letter was pretty modest in its suggestions. Basically, we should keep talking to the Russians and broker a fair deal, because the costs of continued escalation were potentially horrific and unknowable to include nuclear war. And they said, there was a growing cost to pour in middle class Americans through higher gas and diesel and electricity prices. And all that's true. So, okay, it's modestly accurate and reasonable, even if you disagree. But apparently, that was all a bridge too far, at least for fellow Democrats of these progressives.

So the lead sponsor of that letter, a progressive Democrat representative with a last name, Jayapal. Well, she came out yesterday saying, well, if I can paraphrase, well, that letter was written by her staff last summer and was not supposed to get out. Okay, never mind the fact that she signed the letter and spoke about it at a press conference. Well, now she's saying that it was a bad idea,

the press conference anyway, because Republicans are taking it as an attack against the president. So she has apologized for everything. And she and the other 30 progressives have taken back the letter. One point of clarification, though, the letter was read and signed off on by all 30, to include Representative Jayapal on Monday. That's according to the online outlet Politico. So she's lying here about the letter being cooked up by some naughty stats. staff member last summer. So, Nick, what do I think about all this? Is that, that's what you're asking.

Well, Congress has committed America to $65 billion in aid and to use their language. America will be with Ukraine for as long as it takes using whatever weaponry it takes. Now, you would think that maybe, just maybe, we should debate that level of commitment a lot more. maybe allow for some dissent to talk about the dangers of that kind of policy. But no, even in the normally very pro-peace Democrat Party, at least the far left wing of that party, apparently there will be no dissent. I mean, all right, but I offer you this. When we first started the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and our bombing campaign in Libya, our leaders and the American people were very gung-ho about all of it until things went south.

and then we weren't supportive. And lots of people, as we all know, looked around and said, how could we have gotten that so wrong? We should ask more questions next time. We should. And that's going to be very difficult after events like this, where even modest protests or recommendations for peace get shut down. And that's really a shame.

Because members of our military, including the 101st Airborne Division, are pouring into Romania and Poland, right now as of this morning to prepare for a war with Russia. So God forgive us if there was a path to peace, no matter how imperfect, and we chose to ignore it. And that, ladies and gentlemen, concludes your morning brief. As always, we close out the show,

reminding each other of why we are here, talking about our country and our world. It's the creed of every good spy and every smart American. It's from John, Chapter 8, Verse 32, and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. Good day. Pay off your home, travel for life, drive a Ferrari. In celebration of the world premiere of the Monopoly Big Board Buckslot Machine by Aristocrat

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