Premium: Fauci announces his departure, sad for some, none too soon for others

START YOUR MORNING BY LISTENING TO TODAY'S BIZNEWS BREAKFAST BRIEFING – Bitcoin bounces, equities ease; Total's attractions; DA's uMngeni turning around; PM succession hurts UK economy.Infectious diseases expert Dr Anthony Fauci (81), for many the face of Covid-19 officialdom, has announced his departure. Yesterday the man who has directed the US's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for almost 40 years said he would depart before the expiry of president Joe Biden's term in 2025..___STEADY_PAYWALL___.Fauci was a highly divisive figure during the pandemic. Praised by most US Democrats for his approach to Covid-19, he was elevated to the chief presidential medical advisor when Biden took office. Republicans, however, questioned his credibility for changing positions on numerous issues including the efficacy of mask wearing..Among his most strident critics is JFK's nephew (Democrat) Robert Kennedy Jr who launched another public missile over the weekend after Fauci admitted vaccines (which he pushed as a panacea) "don't protect overly well against (Covid-19) infection". This came after Fauci himself tested positive for the virus a month ago. He exhibited mild symptoms..Kennedy blames Fauci for massive damage to the US economy, criticising the mainstream media for refusing to hold him "accountable for the costly national policies and the lockdowns that were utterly built upon his initial assertion that the vaccines would prevent transmission and end the pandemic.".This is of more than academic interest here in South Africa. The country's Covid-19 lockdowns, among the longest and harshest in the world, were a direct result of mirroring Fauci's approach. His local counterpart, Dr Glenda Gray, is an unashamed Fauci acolyte..More for you to read today: .Many Investors Are Fleeing the Stock Market, but Some Are Doubling Down: 'If I Lose $15,000, I'm Not Going to Die'. The market is plummeting, and some amateur investors see that as good reason to jump inAir Travel Is Broken. Here's Why. Cutbacks in 2020 mean there aren't enough baggage handlers, pilots and others. When something goes wrong, it ripples through to flight delays, cancellations, long lines and lost luggageRussia Orders Troops to Target Ukraine's Western-Supplied Long-Range Weapons. Ukraine strikes a warehouse in Nova Kakhovka in the Russian-occupied Kherson regionMadcap Markets Push Goldman Sachs To Higher Trading Revenue, but Profit Falls. Wall-Street firm rounds out an earnings season of double-digit profit declines across the industry.NB FOR YOUR WALL STREET JOURNAL ACCESS….As a Premium subscriber you are entitled to full membership of wsj.com (normal price $29 a month). Be sure to action your access through the Premium link on the BizNews website. Because of The Wall Street Journal's credential requirements, be sure to create a password which has at least 8 characters and includes at least one letter and one number – NB it MAY NOT contain any special characters (ie #, !, @ etc). To maintain access to WSJ.com, you MUST enter our partner's website via Biznews Premium at least once a month. A final PS, if you had previously signed up for WSJ you'll need to clear the cookies from your device. Our helpdesk can assist – support@biznews.com

Premium: Fauci announces his departure, sad for some, none too soon for others

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