President Joe Biden speaks at the White House Conservation in Action Summit at the Department of the Interior, Tuesday, March 21, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
President Joe Biden is calling for more transparency in the effort to find the origins of COVID-19.
Earlier this month the House of Representatives approved the COVID-19 Origins Act in a 419-0 vote. It was signed by Biden on Monday.
"I shared the Congress' goal of releasing as much information as possible about the origin of Coronavirus Disease 2019," he put out in a statement. "My administration will continue to review all classified information relating to COVID-19's origins, including potential links to the Wuhan Institute of Virology."
Last month, a report from the Energy Department on the origins of the virus added to the split on findings between multiple agencies. It posited, with low confidence, that the outbreak likely originated from a lab in China. The Wall Street Journal was first to report.
China disagreed with the report, and the country's foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said, "Certain parties should stop rehashing the 'lab leak' narrative, stop smearing China, and stop politicizing origins-tracing."
The UN, which had been coordinating a global health response to the pandemic and implementing policies to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and future viruses, said that its own investigation was ongoing.
And in the U.S. the FBI had for some time speculated that the outbreak started in a Wuhan lab, while the CIA had not reached a conclusion on the matter.
"We need to get to the bottom of COVID-19's origins to help ensure we can better prevent future pandemics," Biden added in his statement.
A federal judge on Tuesday will consider whether Texas can keep a floating barrier on the U.S.-Mexico border as both the Biden administration and Mexico push to remove Republican Gov. Greg Abbott's latest hardline measure to deter migrants from crossing.
As the Biden administration makes billions of dollars available to remove millions of dangerous lead pipes that can contaminate drinking water and damage brain development in children, some states are turning down funds.
It's almost time for the first debate among Republicans competing for their party's 2024 presidential nomination. Here's all of the information on how to watch.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused Facebook on Monday of putting profits over people’s safety during the emergencies created by Canada’s record wildfire season.
For foreign workers, Lahaina was an oasis. But after fires whipped by hurricane-force winds leveled the town earlier this month, many have lost their lives, livelihoods and even their documents.
Authorities in Georgia said Thursday they're investigating threats targeting members of the grand jury that indicted former President Donald Trump and 18 of his allies.
