The clash between the now-retired infectious disease expert and the Republican senator from Kentucky is back on.Former NIH Director Anthony Fauci on July 29 in Washington, D.C.Anna Moneymaker / Getty ImagesJuly 29, 2026, 6:00 PM EDTBy Yasmin Vossoughian and Emily NgoWelcome to the daily Inside Scoop newsletter. For months, we were all glued to Dr. Anthony Fauci’s updates about Covid. Six years later, we are getting a glimpse of his journal entries during some of the most pivotal moments from the deadly pandemic. Today Congress tried to dig into these entries and more, but Fauci wasn’t having any of it. Let’s get into it.Fauci has been thrust back into the spotlight as the unwilling central character in Sen. Rand Paul’s ongoing inquiry into the origins and the handling of the Covid pandemic.Just a moment.We are getting your experience ready.