The Daily Dude: July 2026

Thursday, July 30, 2026

Missouri Needs to Elect a Smarter Senator

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former Chief Medical Advisor to the President who served heroically during the COVID pandemic, faced hostile questioning at a combative congressional hearing. During his testimony, Fauci repeatedly invoked the Fifth Amendment, under the advice of his attorneys. This was used over 100 times throughout the hearing. It is not a crime and is frequently used by witnesses who suspect that whatever they say will be used to file criminal charges against them. The risk is especially high for Dr. Fauci, as Trump's DOJ has pursued filed spurious prosecutions against James Comey, Letitia James, John Bolton, Senators Mark Kelly and Elissa Slotkin, and Representatives Jason Crow, Maggie Goodlander, Chris Deluzio, and Chrissy Houlahan.

Republican senator Josh Hawley appeared to take issue with Fauci invoking his right to invoke the Fifth Amendment and later foolishly took to social media to incorrectly suggest “honest” people don’t use it. His social media post backfired instantaneously.

Saturday, July 11, 2026

Nitrous Oxide is No Laughing Matter

Nitrous oxide (aka "laughing gas") has many uses, from a painkiller during dental procedures to a whipping agent for canned whipped cream. While its euphoric side effects have long been known, the rise of vaping has helped create a perfect delivery vehicle for the gas - and a perfect recipe for an addiction, experts warn.

29-year-old Meg Caldwell was a horse rider from Florida when she started using nitrous oxide recreationally in university eight years ago. But like many young people, she started to use more heavily during the pandemic. The youngest of four sisters, she was "the light of our lives," her sister Kathleen Dial told the BBC. But Caldwell's use continued to escalate, to the point that her addiction "started ruining her life".

Wait! There's even more . . .