Did the coronavirus escape from a lab? The idea deserves a second look, scientists say
Eighteen scientists from some of the world’s most prestigious research institutions are urging their colleagues to dig deeper into the origins of the coronavirus responsible for the global pandemic.
In a letter published Thursday in the journal Science, they argue that there is not yet enough evidence to rule out the possibility that the SARS-CoV-2 virus escaped from a lab in China, and they call for a “proper investigation” into the matter.
“We believe this question deserves a fair and thorough science-based investigation, and that any subsequent judgment should be made on the data available,” said Dr. David Relman, professor of microbiology and immunology at Stanford University who helped write the letter.
The brief letter was prompted in part by the March 30 publication of a report commissioned by the World Health Organization that sought to discover the origin of the virus that has resulted in the deaths of more than 3.3 million people across the globe.
The authors of that report, which is credited to both the WHO and China, ranked each of four possible scenarios on a scale from “extremely unlikely” to “very likely.”
After considering information, data and samples presented by the Chinese members of the team, the authors concluded the likelihood that the virus jumped from a source animal to an intermediary species and then to humans was “likely to very likely,” while an introduction due to an accidental laboratory leak was deemed “extremely unlikely.”
Other potential pathways the investigators considered were a direct jump from animal to human without an intermediate host(“possible to likely”) and transmission from the surface of frozen food products (“possible”).
But Relman and his co-authors said their colleagues who worked on the WHO investigation did not have access to enough information to draw these conclusions.
—Los Angeles Times
Ex-White House counsel Don McGahn agrees to testify behind closed doors on Russia collusion probe
Former White House counsel Don McGahn has agreed to testify in a private congressional hearing about the Russia investigation,ending a long court battle sparked by former President Donald Trump’s effort to stonewall lawmakers.
McGahn, a key figure in special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation, will answer questions from the House Judiciary Committee behind closed doors, but a transcript will be released about a week later, according to federal court papers filed Wednesday.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., hailed the breakthrough agreement with the Justice Department as a win for transparency and the constitutional separation of powers.
“When the former president vowed to fight ‘all of the subpoenas’ aimed at his administration, he began a dangerous campaign of unprecedented obstruction,” Nadler said in a statement. “We begin to bring that era of obstruction to an end today.”
Under the agreement, McGahn will only be questioned about information attributed to him in publicly available portions of the Mueller report.
—New York Daily News
Trial postponed for 3 ex-officers charged in George Floyd’s death
MINNEAPOLIS — The trial for three ex-Minneapolis police officers charged with aiding and abetting murder and manslaughter in the killing of George Floyd has been postponed until next year following their indictment on federal civil rights charges.
Tou Thao, J. Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane will now stand trial on March 7, 2022. They were originally scheduled to stand trial this August. The rescheduling follows a motion hearing Thursday morning in Hennepin County District court, where Judge Peter Cahill said the federal case should proceed first. Defense attorneys for the officers did not object to changing the date. Prosecutor Matthew Frank said he disagreed with the new date.
The three, along with ex-officer Derek Chauvin, were indicted last week by a federal grand jury on charges of abusing their positions of authority to detain Floyd. According to the charges, the officers used the "color of the law" to deprive Floyd of his constitutional rights to be "free from the use of unreasonable force" when Chauvin pinned Floyd down with a knee on his neck for more than nine minutes, and the other three did nothing to stop him. "This offense resulted in bodily injury to, and the death of George Floyd," the charges state. A federal trial in that case has not yet been scheduled.
Chauvin was convicted three weeks ago of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter in the May 25, 2020, death of Floyd, who pleaded to breathe before he lost consciousness and died. Chauvin's sentencing is scheduled for June 25.
—Minneapolis Star Tribune
Colombian city of Cali becomes epicenter of nation's spiraling, deadly unrest
As Colombians fill the streets, the city of Cali has emerged as the epicenter of the nation's recent bloodshed. Long simmering social tensions, persistent violence from illegal armed groups and excessive use of force by authorities have fueled citizen angst. Most of the at least 40 people killed in three weeks of protest lost their lives in the city, according to accounts from human rights organizations.
President Iván Duque's government has initiated talks with protest organizers, but analysts say he faces an uphill battle in trying to stabilize the nation. Negotiations aimed at quelling a previous wave of protests in 2019 ended before reaching a resolution, and skepticism among a frustrated public remains high. Some fear that the situation in Cali could foretell what other Latin American cities might experience in the months ahead.
"I see all of this as very difficult," said Sergio Guzmán, director of Colombia Risk Analysis. "Among protesters, the trust in institutions is broken."
Colombia's protests began April 28 over a proposed tax increase but quickly morphed into a larger airing of grievances as the country grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic. The country's gross domestic product plunged 6.8% last year and millions joined the ranks of the poor. In recent weeks, ICU occupancy rates have soared as Colombia embarks on a slow and delayed vaccination campaign.
Many are upset not just at the government's handling of the public health crisis, but also Duque's piecemeal implementation of the historic 2016 peace accord with the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia.
Protesters have also been clamoring for a better social safety net to protect those who live in poverty in one of Latin America's most unequal countries.
—The Miami Herald
