Fauci, Paul clash on virus origins, trade charges of lying

WASHINGTON (AP) — A recurring clash between the government’s top infectious disease doctor and a U.S. senator has erupted again on Capitol Hill, with each accusing the other of lying. Dr. Anthony Fauci angrily confronted Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky in testimony Tuesday before a Senate committee. Fauci rejected Paul’s insinuation that the U.S. helped fund research at a Chinese lab that could have sparked the COVID-19 outbreak. Fauci told Paul that he had never lied and then told the senator: “You do not know what you’re talking about, quite frankly.” It was the latest in a series of clashes between Paul and Fauci.