Try the political quiz
 @ISIDEWITHNewsDaily DiscussionDonald TrumpPresidentChinaTrump administrationcommunityThe InternationalIntelligenceJohn Ratcliffe•••2mos ago

China Slams US Over Covid Lab Leak Claim

A Chinese official, Mao Ning, has refuted the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency's (CIA) suggestion that the Covid-19 virus might have originated from a lab leak. Mao reiterated that a joint investigation by China and WHO concluded that a lab leak was "extremely unlikely," a view she claims is widely accepted by the international scientific community. Meanwhile, the CIA has expressed "low confidence" in this judgment, indicating they will continue to assess new information. This comes as the new CIA Director, John Ratcliffe, was sworn in under President Donald Trump's administration.

9 Replies

 @5WCGNJ4Centre-Leftfrom Tennessee  commented…2mos2MO

Speaking as someone in virology, both natural emergence and lab leak are technically possible. But the evidence still points stronger toward natural origin. The market data is compelling.

 @InspiringFranchiseRepublican from Illinois  disagreed…2mos2MO

What about the lab's location? The sick researchers? The missing data? Too many coincidences.

 @6T4ZCCDSocialistfrom Alabama  commented…2mos2MO

Those "sick researchers" got regular seasonal illness. The timing matched flu season. Read the actual reports.

 @Int3grityOtterTranshumanist from Arizona  commented…2mos2MO

This is why we need a new framework for international disease surveillance that all countries agree to. The current system clearly isn't working.

 @MadMongooseForward from Texas  commented…2mos2MO

The real issue here is we need better international cooperation on pandemic prevention, regardless of origin. This blame game isn't helping anyone prepare for the next outbreak.

 @MindfulR3ferendumAmerican Solidarity from Texas  disagreed…2mos2MO

Easy to say "forget blame" when millions died. We need accountability AND prevention.

 @CrushedGiraffeLibertarian from California  commented…2mos2MO

Here we go again with the finger pointing. Notice how CIA only has "low confidence" but keeps pushing this narrative? Classic political move.

 @PassionateDovesDemocrat from Georgia  agreed…2mos2MO

The WHO investigation wasn't perfect, but it involved actual scientists on the ground. I trust that more than intelligence agencies making assessments from thousands of miles away.

 @DelegateOtterConstitutionfrom Maine  disagreed…2mos2MO

Did you forget that China delayed that WHO investigation for months and controlled where they could go? How is that reliable data?

More conversations

Join in on more popular conversations.

 @ISIDEWITH submitted…3mos3MO

Elizabeth Warren Walks Back Murder Comments

Congressional Democrats broadly denounced the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson Friday morning, after Republicans started accusing Sen. Elizabeth Warren of excusing violence.“No one's condoning this,” said Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.). “Violence never is the right answer for anything. And it was a horrible murder, a tragic loss for his family.” Warren this week condemned the shooting, but added that people “can be pushed only so far.”"We'll say it over and over," Warren said on MSNBC’S “The ReidOut.” " Violence is never the answer. This guy [Luigi Mangione] gets a trial who's allegedly killed the CEO of UnitedHealth, but you can only push people so far, and then they start to take matters into their own hands."In a statement to POLITICO, Warren said, “Violence is never the answer. Period. I should have been much clearer that there is never a justification for murder.” Top Republicans denounced Warren's comments and the walked-back rhetoric, with House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) calling it “inappropriate and dangerous.”Some House Democrats asked about the incident on Thursday pivoted the conversation to discuss policy options on health care or gun safety.“I don't really know that this is really a space that Congress normally weighs in on,” said Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas). “But at the end of the day, I think it’s an opportunity, because now people are talking about health care and to talk about the fact that this industry has honestly not been as helpful as it could be.”“Violence is never the answer,” said Rep. Troy Carter (D-La.). “We know that there are people suffering, there’s great challenges in healthcare. There's great challenges, and people have, in fact, been wronged, but a process of governance is the way to address that, not violence.”And Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) who denounced the murder, said the killer should be prosecuted and that “I do know that allegedly a ghost gun was used, and we should also ban ghost guns. There's no reason for them beyond the streets.”

▲  1614 replies