Private channel session 1724
20 messages over 4h 2m, 2022-02-03 – 2022-02-03.
A “conversation” here is an activity session — a run of messages with under 60 minutes of silence inside it. The channel had no native conversation boundaries.
-
Seems like they have also given Fox News the tip-off: ```Good morning, Could you please comment on the letter you were sent this morning by Republican members of the House of Representatives asking for clarification on why you originally suspected the COVID-19 virus was possibly man created before then suggesting otherwise in the Nature Medicine report entitled, "The Proximal Origin of SARS-CoV-2." Do you still hold the belief the virus was naturally occurring? Have you faced any pressure from Dr. Fauci and Dr. Collins to downplay the potential of a man-made virus, as the letter suggested? Thank you,Caitlin McFallPolitics Reporter Fox News```
-
Got the same. Maybe worth answering "yes" and "no"?
-
As to the letter - @Andrew Rambaut you should pass this on to your university to respond. I assume you won't comply, but it's important to understand that further requests will come. Congress can subpoena foreign nationalsand while they can't do anything directly if you refuse to appear, it could/will have consequences for future travel tothe US.They can't subpoena any of us at the moment (unless they get bipartisan support - we have already looked into that and that seems unlikely), but all of that changes in November.
-
And I would answer 'I didn't', 'yes', 'no'
-
Hah - simple!
-
@Robert Garry - you do need to work with your press office to get this particular quote clarified (or at least have clear answers to it), because it's being brought up a lot and it's quite damaging:"In fact, Dr. Garry later stated the consensus on the teleconference was "1. Don't try to write a paper at all . . . or 2. Ifyou do write it[,] don't mention a lab origin as that will just add fuel to the conspiracists.""
-
I'll get clarification from our outside council on the underlying meaning of some of the verbiage in the letters to us -especially "it is imperative you provide answers under oath" and everything under "to allow a full and complete record of these documents to be produced to the Committee in response to future document requests, please:". Putting these in the letter make me believe they're already thinking about next steps.
-
The letters haven't yet gone online on the committee website, but once they do, I expect a lot of press requests will follow. I just asked my institution how they want to handle those (I'll be on the road all day), but I assume we're just going to ignore them.https://republicans-oversight.house.gov/letter
-
The biggest issue is that they are/were attributing that advice to Fauci and Collins Of course they are twisting this totally out of context in other ways too. I didn't state that was the "consensus on the teleconference." It wasn't ofcourse. Not even close. Only that that was among some of the advice we got and specifically NOT advice from Fauci or Collins. Advice BTW we clearly did not follow. as we: 1. wrote the paper and 2. mentioned lab origin.
-
Yup, all true
-
I'm gonna forward the ltr to the Dean who will bring in the Uni General Council. Will let him know there are severalinaccuracies. We definitely need to let Scripps and Tulane communicate - mixed messages will be twisted. . I'm pretty sure we'll get the chance to clarify under oath or otherwise.
-
Pretty sure Eddie will get the same. But not sure we need to get all four Unis involved - at the moment - but SR and Tulane should at least communicate.
-
Yes. I'll talk to council next week - on my way to Yosemite. For now, ignore - including media requests...
-
Yes. I have forwarded to our senior lawyer to take a look at. But pretty sure they will say ignore it.
-
Ignoring - going out for some pizza with my lovely wife - Abigail and Stefanie coming home tomorrow or latest Saturday...
-
All letters online now
-
yes - pizza and beer
-
I got the same.
-
So did Jeremy
-
I have put my letter on my wall of crazy in the postdoc office