Previewing Fauci Capitol Hill Grilling, Paris Stabbing Spree, Sailor’s Wild Rescue: AM Update 7/28

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0:38Dr. Anthony Fauci set to return to Capitol Hill under subpoena tomorrow as newly released diary entries reveal his decade-long fixation on fame and media attention. A knife-wielding attacker stabbing three women in Paris, then claiming Allah commanded him to do it as French authorities hesitate to name a motive. Yeah, like, ecstatic, you know what I mean? Like, I was, like, crying and, like, so happy. A California sailor found alive after spending weeks adrift in the Pacific, reportedly surviving on makeshift repairs, scraps of food, and sheer determination. And the Cracker Barrel CEO behind the chain's disastrous makeover, stepping down, nearly one year after customers forced the company to restore its traditional identity.

1:26All that and more coming up in just a moment on your AM Update.

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2:59Committee Chairman Rand Paul, Republican from Kentucky, issuing the subpoena last month after Dr. Fauci reportedly agreed to testify voluntarily in June, then backed out. Senator Paul telling Semaphore the reversal, pushing him to a breaking point, leading him to issue his first subpoena since becoming chairman. Lawmakers expected to press Dr. Fauci about U.S. funded research involving the Wuhan Institute of Virology and the scientific and political decisions that shaped the government's pandemic response. The hearing marks the latest chapter in a years-long investigation into what federal officials knew about the origins of COVID, when they knew it, and whether they withheld evidence pointing to a possible laboratory origin.

3:45Tomorrow's hearing marks Dr. Fauci's first appearance in front of Congress since June 2024, where he repeatedly denied allegations that he helped conceal the origins of COVID. Senator Paul, in a recent Fox News appearance earlier this month, on what he expects to hear from Dr. Fauci in this next round. I expect he will not tell the truth. I expect him to dissemble. I expect him to filibuster. But I don't expect him to be honest. He has not been honest in the last six years. But we have the evidence now that he destroyed records, that he encouraged others to destroy records. We have evidence and the opinion of many of the people who worked around with him that the research that was funded in China and Wuhan was dangerous, gain-of-function research, and that this was perhaps the worst public health decision made in our lifetime, maybe in history, to fund this research in a totalitarian country, an opaque country, with a less-than-safe lab and very, very dangerous research.

4:45So this was a terrible decision. And we know it was made consciously because Fauci has told us repeatedly that he supports this research even if an accident should happen, even if a pandemic should occur. He thinks that the knowledge is worth the risk. And I think the lives of 15 million people who died approximately would counter that. Senator Paul releasing thousands of pages from Fauci's diary in the days leading up to the hearing, including pandemic-era diary entries and a separate 465-page collection released yesterday spanning from 2001 through July 2015. The earlier entries revealing a government scientist intensely attentive to his television exposure and increasingly convinced of his own star power, years before COVID made him a household name.

5:35In a January 2013 entry, Dr. Fauci complaining after the Department of Health and Human Services rejected his proposed appearances with CNN anchors Wolf Blitzer and Soledad O 'Brien. Dr. Fauci blaming complaints from the CDC, writing that the dispute had, quote, everything to do with pure jealousy that I am a rock star stealing their thunder. They're not even trying. They don't want to find it. They're jealous of me. The diary entries also giving investigators a new opportunity to compare what Dr. Fauci recorded privately with what he later told Congress and the public. Here more from Senator Paul.

6:13We also know now that in January of 2020, at the very beginning, we know that he knew that it didn't come from the wet market. So he's argued for years, still continues to argue that the most likely place is a wet market. But in January of 2020, we know that he was admitting privately that this virus, that the early cases didn't come from the wet market and we're not connected to the wet market at all. So this is really the modus operandi here is that privately he would tell the truth to others. There would be a discussion of truth. And then publicly there would be lies, nothing but lies. And it was purposeful to cover up and to try to distinguish and say, oh, I had nothing to do with this.

6:54I knew nothing about it. It wasn't dangerous research. All of that was untrue. Dr. Fauci's newly released diary receiving little scrutiny from the establishment media, CNBC proving a notable exception yesterday, pressing one of Dr. Fauci's former colleagues, former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, on the entries. Having a reputation totally in the toilet at 85 years, does that hold him to account for what he was responsible for? The Tony Fauci I saw in those emails is not the Tony Fauci I knew over the years. I mean, he was a guy who was sober, who was careful about his public appearances and his statements, was always very thoughtful.

7:34Did you figure out the obsession with mainstream media and defending him and Jake Tapper having multiple dinners and best friends? What did that come from? And I know people around here that would call Tony Fauci a hero. Yeah, I can't dissect how people perceive it. I think different people had different emotions around it. The whole vaccine mask shut down. It was a difficult time, Joe, as you know very well, and I think people are looking for a voice that they can cling to. Maybe they... I am science. That's why people don't like me. I mean, that was... You're very guarded and nice. I was disappointed by the emails, I have to admit.

8:16Tomorrow's hearing now giving Fauci another opportunity to answer for the decisions and conduct documented in those records. Former President Joe Biden granting him a sweeping preemptive pardon during his final hours in office, covering any federal offenses tied to Fauci's government service between January 2014 and January 2025. That pardon offering no protection, however, for any new crime committed, like during tomorrow's testimony. Any knowingly false statement to Congress could potentially create fresh criminal exposure. Three women stabbed in broad daylight in Paris yesterday by an attacker claiming Allah commanded him to do it.

8:59The assault unfolding around 11.30 in the morning near Porte de Cleschi in the northwestern part of the city. Video showing the suspect dressed in a light-colored tracksuit with shoulder-length black hair jogging through the streets carrying two large kitchen knives. The person recording the video shouting, attention, attention, in French, warning pedestrians as the armed man approaches. The suspect then appearing to swing one of the knives at a woman from behind before continuing down the street. It is unclear whether she was among the three confirmed victims. Those women, ages 19, 24, and 36, one suffering stab wounds in the lower back, another in the abdomen, both listed in critical condition, though officials say all three are expected to recover, according to the Telegraph.

9:51Mayor Jofra Boulard saying one of the victims is pregnant, though authorities have not disclosed which woman or the extent of her injuries. Witnesses say the attacker appearing to target women as he moved through the neighborhood, several men ultimately tackling the suspect, pinning him beneath the chair until an off-duty police officer took him into custody. One of those men, Ahmed Jahel, describing the ordeal in a dubbed interview with C News. I turn around and see someone with two large knives by the Klichy gate. They'd already stabbed a woman, a young woman. He crosses out the crosswalk and behind the kiosk, he attacks another victim.

10:31He was only targeting women and stabbed her in the back. That's when me and two friends of mine stepped in. Basically, a friend of mine threw his suitcase at him to subdue him, really, so he dropped the knives. He dropped the knives. That's when my buddy came up from behind, swept his legs, he fell to the ground, and I moved in to hold down his legs and feet, and we put a chair on top of him so he couldn't move while waiting for the police. Another recording capturing the suspect on the pavement, restrained by the group. The man heard declaring in French, quote, it is Allah who commanded me. French Interior Minister Laurent Nunes, however, urging the public not to draw conclusions about the motive, describing the suspect's remarks during his arrest as, quote, incoherent.

11:19The suspect who remains in custody, not yet publicly identified. French outlet Le Figaro reporting he initially gave police a false name and is believed to be 31 years old. The government's reluctance to connect the attack to Islamist extremism, despite the suspect's own words, reviving frustration over what critics see as a broader refusal to name the ideology behind such violence. French journalist Anne-Elisabeth Moutet arguing on GB News, European leaders have become so fearful of accusations of Islamophobia, they refuse to acknowledge the common thread. What's happening in Europe is nobody dares name the problem because that would be Islamophobia.

12:03And I'm, you know, I don't think it's something that's against Islam, but it certainly is against a certain violent variety of it, which is Islamism. And everybody is pussyfitting around us, even though we've had various incidents of women priests, various people being attacked by madmen who are speaking in the name of Allah. And I think there's a common denominator there. We are not naming this properly. And when you talk off the record to members of the police, they will tell you that they know exactly what it is. But you can't prejudge before it comes to justice. But it takes years sometimes to come to justice.

12:39The Paris stabbing comes just two days after a known Islamist allegedly drove a van into crowds near Berlin's Pride celebration, then attacking people with a machete, killing one and injuring 29 others. Coming up, a California sailor rescued after more than a month alone in the Pacific, and the CEO who tried to remake Cracker Barrel stepping aside after customers rejected her woke overhaul.

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14:37Roughly two weeks into the trip, Sato's mast reportedly snapping amid rough seas and winds, the boat then running out of fuel, and his phone eventually dying. The failures leaving him without navigation, reliable power, or any way to call for help, as the damaged vessel drifted away from the routes normally traveled by commercial ships. Video recorded before his phone went dead, showing the broken mast hanging over the water while waves slammed into the small boat. Sato telling Hawaii News Now the days alone at sea began taking a devastating toll as he drifted farther off course with no sign of rescue.

15:16That was really annoying to not have my phone, because that's what I was using for navigation, using the navionics on it. And I was really distracted that day. It wasn't a good day. I cried for a whole week just drifting south, like miserable. I felt like I was going to just like try to turn my motor on and just like suffocate, you know, from the carbon monotony, you know what I mean, or kill myself. I don't know why, because I felt hopeless. Sato eventually pulling himself out of that despair, deciding to use whatever remained on the boat to save his own life. Hawaii News Now reporting he began piecing together a replacement sailing system using PVC pipe, kayak paddles, and other materials available on board.

15:56The improvised repairs giving him at least some control over the vessel and allowing him to begin working his way back toward the shipping lanes. His food supply steadily disappearing as the days dragged on, Sato telling the outlet he survived mainly on oatmeal and fish and squid that landed inside his boat. Fresh drinking water running out after 20 days, reportedly forcing him to collect moisture inside a plastic bag and lick the condensation to stay alive. Sato's efforts paying off after nearly a month adrift when the battered boat finally reached a shipping route. Crew members aboard the MV George III spotting the disabled sailboat on July 21, approximately 900 miles from Hawaii.

16:42After more than a month fighting to stay alive, Sato describing the overwhelming relief of finally seeing his rescuers. Oh my God, yeah, like ecstatic, you know what I mean? Like I was like crying and like so happy and then they went and got me fruit and water. Yeah, they were so good to me, those guys. Sato telling Hawaii News Now the experience has not ended his desire to sail. He reportedly plans to eventually continue on to the Philippines, although he says his next attempt will involve a much bigger boat. Cracker Barrel CEO Julie Massino stepping aside nearly one year after her attempt to overhaul the iconic country restaurant triggered a customer revolt, erasing nearly$100 million from the company's market value.

17:31That'll do it. The company announcing Monday that Massino will leave the top job August 10th, ending a three-year tenure dominated by her unsuccessful effort to steer Cracker Barrel away from the traditional identity that made it popular and beloved by generations of American families. Massino remaining as an advisor through October 9th, with former Bloomin' Brands CEO David Dino taking over after four decades in the restaurant and retail industries. Massino arriving at Cracker Barrel in 2023, declaring the folksy restaurant chain was no longer as relevant as it once had been. Her proposed solution?

18:08A$700 million transformation overhaul of the chain's menu, branding, and restaurants. The backlash exploding last August after Cracker Barrel unveiled a stripped-down new logo, removing the overall clad old-timer and his barrel from the company's most recognizable symbol. Remodeled locations also much of the antique-style decor and country store atmosphere for brighter, more sterile, more generic dining rooms. The proposed redesign drawing instant backlash, longtime customers accusing Cracker Barrel of stripping away its personality and abandoning the heritage that made the restaurant distinctive.

18:47Here, the Associated Press speaking with customers in Mississippi. My first thought was, why? I mean, if it's not broke, don't fix it. and it's certainly not broke. They are supposed to be taking out the old, I call it antique-type decorations on the walls, which I'm very conservative and old, so I like those and rather that they didn't. Well, I don't like to change it. I mean, it's always been Cracker Barrel like it is, so I like what it stays like it is. We love the nostalgia and the old-timey, you know, atmosphere to it. And I don't see the point. To whoever's doing this, please leave it alone.

19:28We love the sign. We love the little man on the sign. We love the Cracker Barrel. Massino initially dismissing the criticism, insisting during an August appearance last year on Good Morning America that customers actually loved the changes. Yeah, because people, the Cracker Barrel needs to feel like the Cracker Barrel for today and for tomorrow. And again, the things that you love are still there. We need people to choose us and we want people to choose us because people love this brand. What if all the customers are coming at you hard enough about the look of the restaurants and they want to go back to the old way?

20:02Would you do it? Honestly, the feedback's been overwhelmingly positive that people like what we're doing. The financial response suggesting otherwise. Cracker Barrel losing nearly$100 million in market value immediately after unveiling the new logo. President Trump joining the revolt days later, posting to Truth Social, quote, Cracker Barrel should go back to the old logo, admit a mistake based on customer response, the ultimate poll, and manage the company better than before. Cracker Barrel surrendering that same evening, scrapping the new logo one week after its debut. The company abandoning the rest of Messino's visual overhaul two weeks later, announcing it would suspend the restaurant remodels after testing the new design in only four locations.

20:48Cracker Barrel telling customers, quote, if your restaurant hasn't been remodeled, you don't need to worry, it won't be. Massino later conceding the redesign had, quote, missed the mark. The company still struggling to repair the damage nearly a year later. Cracker Barrel reporting a$24.6 million loss during the first quarter following the controversy, compared with a$4.8 million profit one year earlier, as revenue fell nearly 6%. Cracker Barrel stock yesterday dropping slightly on the news, falling 2.38 % to$52.43, down nearly 18 % since this time last year. And that'll do it for your AM Update.

21:32I'm Megan Kelly. Join me back here for the MK Show, live on SiriusXM's The Megan Kelly Channel 111 at New East, on youtube.com slash megankelly, and on all podcast platforms.

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