BONUS POD: Big Pharma gets Cancelled, FBI Reopens Pipe Bombs, Cocaine & Court Leaks plus Ivy Under Fire
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We have a winner. Yes. Listen to Armstrong and Getty on demand on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. In the fall of 1986, Ronald Reagan found himself at the center of a massive scandal that looked like it might bring down his presidency. It became known as the Iran-Contra affair. The things that happened were so bizarre and insane, I can't begin to tell you. Please do. Thank you.

To hear the whole story, listen to Fiasco, Iran Contra on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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You're listening to the 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson. Good Thursday morning. Welcome. It is the 47 Morning Update, and we've got three big stories for you that you do not want to miss this morning. First up, RFK Jr.'s Health and Human Services has canceled Moderna's $766 million deal.

Vaccine contract. Why? They say the technology actually may not be safe for you at all. Also, the deputy FBI director, Dan Bongino, coming out and saying there's some big stories that we're still looking into. You remember the cocaine at the White House or the leaking of the 2022 Supreme Court decision when it came to Roe v. Wade and the Washington pipe bomb incident just the day before last?

January the 7th. Well, all of these are now being investigated again by the FBI. I'll have those details. And finally, President Trump yet again proving he wasn't joking when he said he was going to be looking at where your tax dollars are going. This time, he says, it's time to cut off the funding to Harvard. And Harvard is now fighting back. We'll have that and how much money it could save you in just a second.

It's the 47 Morning Update, and it starts right now. Story number one. There's no other way to describe it but a major victory for American taxpayers. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, under Secretary RFK Jr., has canceled a $766 million contract with Moderna that was intended to fund the development of

of an mRNA-based vaccine targeting pandemic influenza viruses, including the H5N1 bird flu. The funding, awarded through the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, known as BARDA,

comprised $176 million granted in July of 2024 and $590 million in January of 2025. The cancellation occurred despite Moderna reporting positive interim results from early stage trials involving 300 healthy adults, which demonstrated they claimed a robust immune response and favorable safety profile. That's obviously coming from the company.

Well, when the announcement came through, this is what it sounded like on MSNBC. The administration has canceled a contract with Moderna for the development of a bird flu vaccine for humans. Our Angelica Peebles joins us now with more. And you could...

You could conjecture a lot of things about this between RFK Jr. and vaccines and mRNA. What's behind all this? Yeah, good morning, Joe. So this is just the latest in a string of events that we've seen related to COVID vaccines over the last week. And what's happened

And so what's really notable about this is that obviously we've seen this, you know, we've seen bird flu tearing through birds and also dairy cows and so on.

and the risk to humans. And so what we saw in the Biden administration is that they really ramped up this work and they were helping to fund, or they were going to fund a phase three trial to see if we could use mRNA for a bird flu vaccine if it indeed spills over to humans. And now the cancellation of this vaccine is quite

surprise, maybe not a surprise now because we had been hearing rumblings about this for the past few months. But, you know, we just saw this this contract ramp up right before the last administration left. And now you have the Trump administration saying that they felt like after a rigorous review, we concluded that the continued investment in Moderna's H5N1 mRNA vaccine

was not scientifically or ethically justifiable. And they're saying that it's not just about efficacy, it's about safety. And so it's interesting to hear them really casting doubt on just the safety and the efficacy of mRNA vaccines as a whole. You go back to what the HHS official stated in that decision, and you would think the media would have spent more time on this, saying, following a comprehensive review,

They concluded that continued investment in Moderna's H5N1 and mRNA vaccine was not scientifically or ethically justifiable.

Now, concerns were raised about the safety and testing rigor of the MRNA technology. And the HHS emphasized the need for safety, number one, integrity, number two, and public trust in medical advancement, something that at all disappeared because of the, quote, COVID vaccine. Remember when they promised you if you got it, you were going to stop the spread and you didn't have to worry about getting it.

COVID-19. Well, that never happened and we all know we were lied to. Now, this move also aligns with Secretary Kennedy's longstanding skepticism towards mRNA vaccines. Since assuming his role in February, Kennedy has implemented several policy changes, which

Reflecting those views, including rolling back COVID-19 vaccine recommendations, as we mentioned yesterday, for healthy children and pregnant women. Something that's been celebrated by quite a few Americans. Now, to be clear, no one has banned vaccines. This is going back to giving you the choice and a choice that many Americans have.

had taken away from them during the COVID lockdowns. Now, story number two. There were some pretty big stories in the past administration that literally got swept under the rug. And there are stories that Democrats, certainly those in power, were really hoping they'd never have to worry about again. It's part of the reason why they were propping up Joe Biden, even though they knew he wasn't even the president of the United States of America. He had a massive cognitive

But hey, when you're doing what they're doing, why not keep the charades going?

Well, the FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino has come out and said that, quote, the Bureau is now looking at several of those cases involving, quote, potential public corruption. Cases the FBI could look at are the Washington pipe bomb incident, a White House cocaine discovery. You may remember that story. And also...

And also the minor leaking of the 2022 Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade. Yes, the FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino saying that the Bureau is looking at launching investigations into these cases of potential public corruption. Bongino said, quote, shortly after swearing in, the FBI Director Kash Patel and I evaluated a number of cases of potential public corruption that occurred.

understandably have garnered public interest. Bongino, a former Secret Service agent, and you may know him from his podcast, noted that they made the decision to either reopen or push additional resources and investigative attention to these cases.

One case they're looking to target is the FBI investigation to the alleged pipe bomb left near the Democratic and Republican National Committee buildings in Washington, D.C. The day before the January 6th Capitol breach, he said. The FBI said in 2024 that a $500,000 reward is still in effect for information leading to the arrest of the pipe bomb suspect.

Earlier in 2025, the former assistant director in charge of the FBI Washington field office told CNN that officials are seeking, quote, new leads, saying maybe alliances have changed or relationships have changed and it's time to report on the suspect.

is what he said to the outlet at the time, saying tips from the public really have been very helpful. But as I mentioned, we're still trying to identify the suspect. So we're trying to release a little more information such that maybe it will jog somebody's memory. Other cases that warrant more resources include one involving the discovery of cocaine in the White House in July of 2023, as well as the massive leak of

of the Supreme Court's decision that overturned Roe v. Wade in June of 2022, saying it this way, quote, I receive requests, briefings on these cases weekly, and we are making progress. If you have any investigative tips on these matters,

that may assist us, then please contact the FBI. Also in his ex-post, Bongino said he and Patel have conducted one media interview together, which was with Fox News, as you know, a few days ago, saying, quote, we decided early on to limit our media footprint overall in order to keep the attention on the work being done. We have chosen to communicate in writing on this platform to fill some of the inevitable information gaps

saying, quote,

But for the liberals out there that may have been committing crimes, guess what? You may have thought you got away with it. And apparently with this administration, you may be very wrong. And lastly, story number three. It's a pretty simple idea. If you hate the United States of America, why should we let you come to America's universities, especially if you're advocating for violence against Jewish students?

or even American students. Well, the Trump administration has now intensified its actions against Harvard University by directing federal agencies to cancel or redirect contracts worth approximately $100 million.

Now, this move follows earlier measures, including the freezing of over $2.6 billion in federal research grants, citing concerns over the university's policies and campus climate.

Now the aspects of the policy change are actually very simple. The reallocation of resources is number one. The administration's decision aims to redirect substantial federal funds to institutions that align more closely with its policy objectives, potentially benefiting trade schools and other educational entities.

They also say there's an emphasis on accountability. By scrutinizing Harvard's use of federal funds, the administration underscores the importance of accountability and also adherence to national standards in higher education institutions. And then the promotion of diverse educational opportunities. The potential redistribution of funds, the White House say, may enhance vocational and technological training programs.

offering countless students alternative pathways to successful careers without the traditional university route and or going to an Ivy League school. There's also the encouragement of institutional self-reliance. The funding cuts may prompt elite universities, they say, to seek greater financial independence, fostering innovation, efficiency, and management resources.

Now, these actions are sparking legal challenges as the universities are angry over what's happening. But at the end of the day, the White House also says this comes down to another issue. And that is, are we actually encouraging students from around the world to come to the U.S. that love America and that want to be a part of the process? Or are tax dollars going to students that actually hate America? And that brings up the State Department.

Pausing visa interviews as Trump moves to cancel Harvard's last federal contracts. Here's more of that story as CNN freaked out over it. News and a major escalation in the Trump administration's fight against America's universities. The State Department pausing all new student visa application interviews. And while that pause is in place, the government is developing new guidance for social media screenings of foreign students who want to study in the U.S.,

This comes as the White House moves to cancel all remaining federal contracts with Harvard. Two senior administration officials tell CNN that those contracts are worth about $100 million. This on top of more than $2 billion in grants that the administration froze last month. And on Monday, the president threatened to give that money to trade schools. Here's Harvard's president in an interview that was taped before news broke about those latest contract cancellations.

I don't know fully what the motivations are, but I do know that there are people who are fighting a cultural battle. I don't know if that is what is driving the administration. They don't like what's happened to campuses, and sometimes they don't like what we represent.

The Harvard president right there going on NPR, which the president's also trying to defund, complaining about the motives of the Trump administration. You can't make it up. Donald Trump doesn't care, by the way. And he's moving forward with protecting America's interests and your tax dollars. Thank you for listening to the 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson.

Please make sure you hit subscribe wherever you're listening to this podcast right now. And for more in-depth news, also subscribe to the Ben Ferguson podcast, and we will see you back here tomorrow.

The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration in the United States. Recipients have done the improbable, the unexpected, showing immense bravery and sacrifice in the name of something much bigger than themselves. This medal is for the men who went down that day. On Medal of Honor, Stories of Courage, you'll hear about these heroes and what their stories tell us about the nature of bravery.

Listen to Medal of Honor on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Why should you listen to Armstrong and Getty on demand? We're not boring. A lot of news is boring. And tedious. And depressing. And makes you angry. You don't want to live your life like that. Hey, I'm Jack Armstrong. He's Joe Getty. We're Armstrong and Getty. We try to bring you the truth. And help you figure out this crazy modern world. How about something about a comedic tone? Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

We have a winner. Yes. Listen to Armstrong and Getty on demand on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. In the fall of 1986, Ronald Reagan found himself at the center of a massive scandal that looked like it might bring down his presidency. It became known as the Iran-Contra affair. The things that happened were so bizarre and insane, I can't begin to tell you. Please do. Thank you.

To hear the whole story, listen to Fiasco, Iran Contra on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an iHeart Podcast.