Anthony Fauci’s long-standing reputation may finally falter, as his perceived arrogance could lead to his downfall.

Despite experiencing various allegations over the years—ranging from obscuring the origins of COVID-19 to engaging in risky viral research partnerships with China—Fauci has managed to keep his public image largely untarnished. However, his grip on this carefully curated facade might be slipping.

In an unexpected twist just days away from another Capitol Hill face-off with his staunch critic, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, a trove of his personal diary entries has surfaced. These records, rather than bolstering his image, have added theatrics to the political arena, leaving Fauci vulnerable to ridicule.

Over the weekend, a critical release of documents by Senator Paul—serving as the chair of the Senate’s oversight committee—caught the public’s eye. These documents, purported to be Fauci’s own diary entries spanning from December 2019 to December 2022, are set to take center stage as Paul prepares to interrogate Fauci under oath on the upcoming Wednesday.

Paul asserted on social media that Fauci’s private declarations contradict his public assurances, emphasizing the disparity with, “What he wrote privately and what he told the country are two different stories.” This marks another volley in Paul’s long-running pursuit to link Fauci to the creation of the virus, adding further fuel to the contentious debate.

Fauci emerges from the diary entries as a frivolous narcissist, possibly corrupt and a really bad speller (for example, “dyswaded” for dissuaded).

As the global death toll mounted, Fauci’s diary shows he was increasingly preoccupied with his rising media profile and reveling in the admiration, especially the praise from celebrities, all of which he meticulously ­recorded.

‘Flattered’ by praise

“Much praise for me,” he gushed on March 4, 2020, after recording 108 cases of coronavirus in the US and 10 deaths.

“Everyone in the WH is congratulating me on the piece [fawning Politico profile of Fauci]. The public adulation of me has been amazing with every young intern as well as seasoned veteran in the WH coming over to me congratulating me and thanking me for my work and even asking for selfies.”

On March 15, 2020, he wrote: “BIG DAY!… USA = 2888 [cases] with 58 deaths . . . I did all 5 Sunday Shows today (my 3rd Fauci 5) with This Week on ABC, Meet the Press on NBC, Face the Nation on CBS, FOX with Chris Wallace and CNN.”

Day after day he recorded the praise, the media profiles, the “multiple TV cameras and hundreds of camera clicks follow[ing] me,” and his centrality in the decision-making at the White House in those early days of the ­pandemic.

“I spoke with Bill de Blasio (Mayor – NYC) and convinced him based on what I was saying publicly and my conversation tonight to close the NYC schools. I went on to tell him he should close the bars and restaurants in NYC. He said that he would base this on my recommendation.”

“Big front page article abut [sic] me appeared in the Washington Post. Very flattering,” he wrote on May 21, 2020, noting global deaths of 9,800, with 272 deaths in the US.

“It is not hyoperbole [sic] to say that today I am the most famous and talked about person in the country and one of the most recognizable peson [sic] in the world . . . The entire secret service corps is coming over to me and chatting. They let me into the first gate without even checking ID.”

May 23, 2020, after cases shot up 20 percent overnight: “Apparently the WH is very upset that I am being profiled and it looks like I am putting down the POTUS and becoming a star that outshines him.”

After the November 2020 election, he was less diligent about noting the death toll, which was higher under his pal Joe Biden than Donald Trump. But he had plenty of room to record praise from celebrities.

“Praised by Barbara Bush in an interview and several celebrities.

“[Billionaire] Adrienne Arsht sent me an amazing video [the Kennedy Center] put together to celebrate my 80th birthday. They gathered a whole bunch of celebrities to sing to me and offer words of praise and congratulations: Orlando Bloom, Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher, Amy Poehler, Lily Tomlin, Sophia Bush, Matthew McConaughey, Steve Buscemi, Magic Johnson, Joan Baez, and many others.”

Oh yes, there were many others, all faithfully recorded in his name-dropping diary:

Barbra Streisand sent a note expressing deep appreciation for his “important and consistent work.”

Julia Roberts called him her “personal hero.”

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Joe and Jill Biden sent “cookies + note” from the basement in March 2020, saying: “You are our hero. Stay strong and healthy. We need you.”

Dick Cheney called to thank him. Then-VP Mike Pence told him he is “the most visible and trusted asset in the country.”

By June 2022, he was officially a legend: “It has been an extraordinary spring with all of these wonderful honors that I have received. This will have been my 58th honorary doctorate.”

When he announced he was retiring as Biden’s adviser in August 2022, Fauci records the praise from Biden chief of staff Ron Klain: “he considers me ‘one of the most important public servants in the history of the country’ given that I have saved millions of lives over the last several years . . .

“The number of texts and e-mail of thanks and praise . . . are stunning.”

“I am really being somewhat embarrassed by the amount of honors that are [being] given to me and kudos my way.”

In November 2022, he records a “Terrific event,” at which “I was honored at the home of the French Ambassador . . . They sang my praises and we had a very elegant dinner . . . Photo shoot at my home and at work by prize-winning (MOMA) photojournalist Wolfgang Tillmans.”

All those Fauci bobbleheads and “In Fauci we trust” bumper stickers and shrines to the left’s favorite health fascist clearly didn’t help him with his humility problem.

Such is the insatiable nature of vanity that the more adulation he received the more he craved.

The hubris first exploded into public in his 2024 memoir, “On Call: A Doctor’s Journey in Public Service,” described by National Review as “insufferably vain — the book lovingly records a seemingly endless torrent of compliments from celebrities, colleagues, and employees.”

Other reviews noted its “vainglorious self-promotion” and said Fauci “has no trouble remembering every bit of praise that others have heaped upon him.”

This is how Fauci described his career at the National Institutes of Health, where he began in 1964 straight out of medical school and rose to be head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases: “My upward career trajectory was steep. I was becoming well-known and respected nationally and internationally . . . someone who had the explicit respect of and thus access to the highest leaders of government.”

Deified himself

Additional files released by Paul in the prelude to Wednesday’s showdown reveal that Fauci, who had been the highest-paid federal official in the US government, also solicited nominations for big-money awards for himself from scientists to whom he had given millions in government grants, according to the files.

He “stacked up cash prizes worth hundreds of thousands of dollars during COVID,” said Paul, including one foreign prize worth a cool $900,000.

Fauci even had his taxpayer-funded staff writing nominations for him.

“Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall,” warns the Bible about such hubris.

But his 50 years as a powerful bureaucrat taught Fauci only that he was a god; and after all the damage he wrought, it’s hardly consolation to witness his inevitable fall.

It is simply a tragedy that a man so flawed could wield such power.

In a fascinating glimpse into the personal side of Anthony Fauci, recently unveiled diaries show how he relished his connections with celebrities amidst the early, turbulent days of the COVID-19 pandemic in America.

As the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and later a chief medical advisor to President Joe Biden, Fauci rose to significant prominence during the 2020 lockdowns, achieving a celebrity status of his own.

These diary entries, published by Fauci’s frequent critic, Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, offer intriguing insights into his personal experiences during this historical health crisis.

Senator Paul claims that Fauci’s writings reveal a certain enthusiasm for the fame propelled by the pandemic. An excerpt shared by Paul highlights Fauci’s excitement about explaining Amazon’s digital assistant, Alexa, to Barbra Streisand, likening it to a fanboy moment.

In one memorable diary entry, Fauci described a “great call” with Streisand, in which she sought his advice on the safety of the mRNA vaccine, to which he confidently affirmed its safety.

He then spoke about listening to Streisand’s music on the Alexa device before saying the longtime star ‘really did not know what Alexa was.’

He then admitted to having ‘butt called’ her later the same day, only to discover Streisand had been planning to call him anyway to ask about differences between the Moderna and Pfizer jabs. 

During that call, he said he demonstrated how the Alexa worked by asking her to play Streisand songs.

‘When the song came on loud and clear, she started laughing and absolutely loved it!’

In another, he discusses and Instagram post with the ‘wonderful’ Tyra Banks.

‘One person said that Tyra was sexy, but that I was even more sexy than she was,’ he said of the comments, which he admitted were often ‘mean and vicious.’ 

Fauci also comments on his own fame in general, including one post on April 7 of 2020, nearly a month after the pandemic began.

‘Press still hot and heavy about me. Multiple stories per day directly or indirectly involving me,” Fauci wrote.

He described the ‘national and international fame is explosive and really unimaginable’ by May 21. 

In late June of 2020, Fauci writes in one entry that he’s been asked to participate on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars. 

The diaries have been released as part of Senator Paul’s investigation into Fauci and days before he testifies the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee. Paul is the Homeland Security Committee Chair. 

Paul accused Fauci of dodging a previous commitment to testify before a Senate committee chaired by the Kentucky libertarian.

‘Last week, Anthony Fauci notified us that he will not voluntarily testify before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, even though he had previously agreed to do so,’ Paul wrote on X on Monday.

‘Therefore, today we have issued a subpoena for him to publicly testify.’ Paul said later Fauci would testify in July.

The subpoena is the latest in a long string of clashes between Paul and Fauci.

As far back as 2021, Paul accused Fauci in a Senate hearing of providing funding for a Chinese laboratory, which intelligence reports have revealed may have originated the COVID pandemic.

Fauci denied the accusations, but Paul believes the evidence shows otherwise and has pushed for an indictment of Fauci, alleging that he lied to Congress under oath. 

In May, Paul warned in a social media post that the statute of limitations for Fauci’s alleged misdeed was about to expire. Fauci has not been indicted by Trump’s Justice Department.

Fauci received a pardon from former President Joe Biden at the end of the latter’s tenure in office. 

The ‘full and unconditional’ pardon cleared the former White House medical advisor for ‘any offenses against the United States which he may have committed or taken part in during the period from January 1, 2014’ through the date of the pardon. 

Nonetheless, Paul is still pursuing an opportunity to speak to Fauci, promising in another X post on Tuesday to ‘review every aspect of Fauci’s pardon and continue demanding accountability.’

‘The American people deserve answers about COVID’s origins and the actions of public officials,’ Paul continued. ‘No one is above scrutiny.’

Controversy surrounding COVID origins was fueled earlier this year by congressional testimony from CIA agent James Erdman, as previously reported by the Daily Mail.

Erdman alleged that Fauci ‘injected himself’ into intelligence community discussions about the lab-leak theory.

Before Fauci’s intervention, Erdman said, the intelligence community was about to conclude that a Chinese lab had been the source of the pandemic.

In another blow to Fauci, David Morens, one of his former top aides, was indicted earlier this year for allegedly concealing and altering evidence.

An email from Morens appeared to show him proclaiming he had learned ‘how to make emails disappear’ to avoid FOIA requests.

The Daily Mail reached out to a representative for Fauci for comment on the subpoena. 

A woman from North Carolina has disappeared during her visit to the Caribbean island of Grenada, igniting a desperate search effort while her family and friends urgently call for her return.

The missing woman, Elizabeth “Liz” Waddell, 44, was last spotted on Wednesday at Grand Anse Beach located in St. George’s, close to her accommodation in the Grand Anse vicinity, as reported by the Royal Grenada Police Force.

Waddell, who is a physical therapist, as well as a wife and mother from the Raleigh region, is described as being 5 feet 5 inches tall with short blonde hair. In efforts to aid in finding her, authorities released a photo of Waddell featuring pink hair and sought the public’s assistance.

Waddell founded Art of Movement Physical Therapy and holds a doctorate in physical therapy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, according to details from her professional website.

According to a friend who said she has known Waddell and her husband for more than 20 years, Waddell traveled to Grenada for a vacation with another friend, WRAL News reported. 

Waddell’s friend reportedly lost sight of her after remaining at their Airbnb to take an online course while Waddell went outside, apparently for a swim.

“She had her swimsuit on, and she went outside their Airbnb,” Amanda Romano-Harmon said, according to the local outlet. “They had a pool that overlooked the bay. Liz was set up out there just sightseeing from the pool, and her friend was taking her online course. When she got through with her course, she looked up and she didn’t see Liz outside, so she went outside to walk around and see where she went, and she saw her towel down on the pier. So the only thing we can think is maybe she went for a swim.”

The friend reportedly became increasingly concerned over the next several hours, knowing Waddell did not have her phone with her, and eventually filed a missing-persons report.

Waddell’s husband, Cailen, was at work when he received the call about his wife’s disappearance, according to the report.

He said on social media Friday that he was heading to the area to assist in the search and urged anyone with connections to the island to share information that could help locate her.

He also described Waddell as a kind-hearted person while speaking with local Grenada media outlets.

“My wife is a loving, free-spirited person. She could make friends with anyone. She often did,” he told Grenada Broadcasting Network (GBN).

Police are urging anyone with information about Waddell’s whereabouts to come forward, specifically asking fishermen, boat operators and residents along Grenada’s southern coastline to report any sightings that could assist in the search.

According to GBN, an extensive search effort is underway with the assistance of police officers, divers and students from St. George’s University.

The U.S. State Department told News Media on Sunday that officials are aware of reports of a missing American citizen in Grenada and emphasized that the Trump Administration has no higher priority than the safety and security of U.S. citizens abroad.

The State Department declined to provide additional details due to privacy considerations but said it can assist families and friends with filing missing persons reports and help them understand local procedures.

Aradia Fitness, where Waddell also works as a fitness instructor,  called the news of her disappearance “disheartening” in a social media post and said the community is praying for her safe return.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the South Saint George Police Station at 444-4454, the Criminal Investigation Department at 440-3921, the police emergency line at 911, or the nearest police station, the Royal Grenada Police Force said.

In a dramatic turn of events, a Netflix executive found himself jobless after sharing a deeply personal experience during a workplace “trust exercise.” According to a lawsuit, the executive, who once enjoyed a $1.1 million annual compensation, was let go after mentioning his medically prescribed use of ketamine.

Kevin Baillie, formerly the vice president and head of creative at Eyeline Studios, has initiated legal action against the streaming giant. His lawsuit reveals that his candid admission sparked an investigation which ultimately led to his dismissal.

Baillie, celebrated for his contributions to the visual effects of iconic films like “Pirates of the Caribbean” and the “Harry Potter” series, underwent supervised ketamine treatments in October and November 2022 at a clinic in Santa Barbara.

His legal complaint explains that he pursued this treatment to manage clinical depression, a condition he grappled with following his mother’s passing.

The incident in question occurred during a “Vulnerability-Trust exercise” at an exclusive Netflix retreat in January 2026 held at Sendero Ranch, a Northern California site owned by the company. Baillie disclosed his treatment to colleagues during this retreat, a gesture that, according to the suit, backfired professionally.

Baillie claims he explained the reason why he had taken the drug but was investigated by Netflix. On March 18, 2026 a company investigator brought the incident up, “in a manner suggesting suspicion of recreational drug use,” the suit reads.

The executive was fired in April with the company’s attorney confirming “the ketamine therapy issue has factored into the termination,” the papers say, and go on to suggest Baille was denied up to a year of severance pay.

Baillie says in the lawsuit the “scope” of the investigation related to alleged profanity and drinking. He has been warned during his performance review that he should “drop one or two less f-bombs but don’t stop entirely.”

It goes on to say that at the same retreat Baillie drank a Guinness standing on his head, after sharing that he had learned the trick from his former father in law during a conversation inspired by the trust session.

“His colleague immediately asked for a demonstration, rather than withhold the openness that the session had encouraged, he performed the trick,” the papers say.

Baille also paints a picture of an allegedly alcohol-fueled company environment encouraged by the Eyeline Studios CEO Jeff Shapiro.

During two company outings “Shapiro purchased beer at a corner store and brought it into the vehicle for the group to share,” the suit says.

In addition to hosting multiple parties, Shapiro also had a personal bar in his office “from which he served alcohol (to Baille) including after a successful meeting with Netflix’s CEO Ted Sanandos,” according to the papers.

Baillie is asking for a jury trail, compensatory damages, lost wages, damages for emotional distress, and punitive damages.

Netflix and Eyeline were contacted for comment.

In a tragic incident at a Publix parking lot in Florida, an elderly grandmother lost her life after allegedly being run over by an undocumented migrant.

Deborah Murphy, 82, was crossing to her car outside a Publix store in Panama City Beach this past May when, according to court documents, a Toyota 4Runner driven by 26-year-old Venezuelan national Carlos Saurez-Conteras allegedly hit her.

Eyewitness reports and an arrest affidavit indicate that the SUV knocked Murphy to the ground and then backed up, running over her again.

Despite being rushed to a nearby hospital, Murphy tragically succumbed to her injuries.

“We are committed to seeking justice and ensuring Suarez-Conteras is held responsible for his dangerous behavior,” Murphy’s twin daughters, Beth Schulz and Amy Edge, stated in an interview with Fox News Digital.

‘She touched so many lives as an amazing friend, teacher, mother and grandmother,’ the pair added.

Authorities determined that Saurez-Conteras, of Georgia, and his front-seat passenger, Luis Sanabria, 29, were both Venezuelan nationals living in the United States illegally. 

Both men were slapped with US Immigration and Enforcement (ICE) detainers and booked into the Bay County Sheriff’s Office Jail. 

Saurez-Conteras, however, has since submitted a written plea of not guilty to driving with a canceled license causing death, a third-degree felony.

His attorney argued that his client ‘didn’t commit any crime’ related to the charges, writing in an email to Fox News: ‘It’s simply an unfortunate incident and not criminal in nature.’

The grandmother’s tragic death unfolded just before 1pm on May 17 as she walked through the Publix parking lot at the corner of Magnolia Beach Road and Navy Boulevard after finishing her grocery shopping. 

Chilling footage released by Florida Highway Patrol troopers captured the moments leading up to the deadly crash, with Suarez-Contreras seen pulling forward and stopping just seconds before Murphy walks out of the store with grocery bags. 

Suarez-Contreras put his black SUV into reverse just as Murphy entered the crosswalk. Within seconds, the vehicle struck her, knocking her down before he continued backing up and ran over her, according to authorities. 

Sanabria, the passenger in the SUV, immediately fled the scene on foot before police arrived and ‘only returned when I had Suarez-Contreras call him,’ a deputy wrote in the arrest affidavit. 

Back in the supermarket parking lot, Sanabria gave sworn testimony identifying Suarez-Contreras as the driver, stating that he ‘was operating the vehicle at the time of the crash.’

According to a trooper, Suarez-Contreras claimed he never saw Murphy and said the fatal crash was an accident, not intentional, according to WMBB News. 

But even before an immigration investigation was launched, an officer at the scene noted that he was giving ‘suspicious’ answers during questioning. 

Sanabria was found to have an expired visa, according to an incident report, and was later released into ICE custody, Bay County Sheriff’s Office public affairs specialist Jacob Navarro told Fox. 

Meanwhile, Suarez-Contreras remains jailed without bond due to his immigration status and concerns that he is a ‘potential flight risk.’ 

Arrest records revealed that Suarez-Contreras’ Georgia license had been canceled, though officials have not disclosed when it was canceled due to privacy reasons, according to the outlet. 

Under Florida law, undocumented immigrants cannot obtain a state-issued driver’s license – a stark contrast to the 19 states and the District of Columbia that issue licenses to ‘authorized residents.’

The 26-year-old is now scheduled to face a judge for his arraignment on August 17 at the Bay County Courthouse in Panama City.

In the wake of the tragedy, Murphy’s daughters honored their beloved mother at a memorial, describing her as a ‘light’ who was ‘vibrant with so many more memories to be made.’

Born in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1944, Murphy dedicated her life to her faith and her passion for early childhood special education, according to her obituary. 

She is survived by her daughters, six grandchildren, one great-grandchild, a sister, a brother, and countless nieces, nephews, godchildren and extended family members. 

One of Murphy’s grandchildren honored her memory by presenting the family with a collection of reflections on life written in Murphy’s own words, her daughters said, according to Fox.

‘My husband and I always felt that the best thing we could do for generations to come would be to leave this world with people who would make a difference,’ the grandmother wrote in one of the reflections.

‘It has been a delight to witness one’s own legacy. I thank my daughters for making our dream come true!!’ she added.

In 2024, roughly one in six fatal traffic crashes in the US involved drivers with invalid licenses, while 7,080 pedestrians were killed and more than 71,000 were injured in crashes nationwide, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

More than 10,500 pedestrian crashes were reported across Florida in 2024, resulting in 678 deaths, state data revealed.

The NHTSA identified drivers failing to check their surroundings while reversing – particularly in parking lots – as a leading factor in pedestrian crashes.