Eighty-five years old, under subpoena, and asked the same question until he pled the Fifth 111 times. To Senator Rand Paul, that looks like a confession. In this episode, part of "The Middle Way" series, Jeff Krasno tries to hold two true things at once: Fauci's diaries reveal real vanity and overconfidence, and the push to make those flaws the central crime of the pandemic is disproportionate. Why pleading the Fifth isn't the admission it looks like on TV What's actually in the 1,141 pages of diaries, and what isn't The lab leak theory, the furin cleavage site, and where the evidence really sits Gain-of-function research, the EcoHealth grant, and two very different definitions of the same phrase Why masks, Trump, and institutional trust all belong in this story too This episode is for anyone trying to make sense of the Fauci hearings without picking a side handed to them by cable news. This episode was made possible by: CocoaVia: Use code COMMUNE2026 for 25% off at CocoaVia.com LMNT: Get a free 8-count Sample Pack of LMNT’s most popular drink mix flavors with any purchase at drinklmnt.com/commune. Stemregen: Get 20% off your first order at stemregen.co/commune with the code COMMUNEPOD Vivobarefoot: Try Vivobarefoot risk-free with a 100-day return guarantee, and get 25% off your order at vivobarefoot.com/commune. Stripes: Visit stripesbeauty.com and use the code COMMUNE20 for 20% off our entire product line.