Accusations are flying between U.S. and Chinese officials over how each country is handling the coronavirus pandemic.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Fox News on Wednesday that the Chinese Communist Party has a "responsibility to tell the world how this pandemic got out of China and all across the world, causing such global economic devastation.”
The comments came after China Central Television's top evening news program questioned the accuracy of U.S. data tracking of COVID-19 infections, singling out Pompeo for “turning himself into the common enemy of mankind.”
Underlying the heated exchange is an effort by the U.S. State Department to better understand the origins of the outbreak in Wuhan.
"It's not even about the blame game," Morgan Ortagus, a spokesperson for the department, told Cheddar. "It's about us not being able to answer fundamental questions about this pandemic."
She said the agency is focused on "making sure the world has the data and the transparency that it needs, not only from the Chinese Communist Party but also from Iran, North Korea, other places."
Specifically, the department wants to confirm China's claim that the virus originated in a Wuhan wet market by sending in independent scientists to assess the data. Ortagus compared the process to the common practice of getting studies peer-reviewed by a credible source.
"It doesn't matter if it's Americans, by the way," Ortagus said. "We're happy if it's Germans, or French, or British scientists that want to go in, but no one is being allowed to go into Wuhan to investigate."
Other global leaders, including Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, have called on China to allow an international investigation into the source of coronavirus.
In addition, the State Department is doing a 60 to 90-day review of the World Health Organization to determine "what information they have and don't have," she said.
"Everything that we're doing right now boils down to this: how do we prevent a pandemic of this scale from ever happening again?" Ortagus said. "We know that we can't answer that question until we get the live virus samples, until we have independent, credible scientists and doctors who are able to go into the Wuhan, into the wet markets, into the laboratories, to understand what caused this pandemic."
U.S. intelligence agencies also revealed that they are following up on speculation amplified by the White House that the pandemic may have spread from a lab accident in Wuhan, while also acknowledging that the virus appeared "not manmade or genetically modified."
Ayman Mohyeldin, host of MSNBC Original Podcast 'American Radical,' joins Cheddar News to discuss how the podcast chronicles a woman's path to the insurrection.
Following the attack on the Capitol last year, several major corporations promised to no longer pour funds into the campaigns of Republican lawmakers who supported the January 6 insurrection. But not all have stood firm on their word. Among those that did keep to their promise were Nike, American Express, and Walgreens.
Rep. Annie Kuster (D-N.H. 2nd District) joined Cheddar's "Between Bells" to reflect on the January 6 insurrection and her personal experience in the Capitol when rioters attempted to overtake the House chamber. "What I now understand to be true is that the mob of rioters had reached the third floor and was literally in the hallway running toward us as we ducked into the elevator," she told Cheddar. Kuster recalled the fear she felt, wondering what might have happened if the insurrectionists crossed paths with her group. Kuster noted that she has since received therapy to help cope with the traumatic event. "A thousand acts of courage saved our life and saved our democracy," she said.
Andy Kroll, Washington bureau chief at Rolling Stone, joined Cheddar's Baker Machado to discuss the anniversary of the January 6 insurrection and how it could impact upcoming elections. Kroll talked about whether or not Trump's influence will aid Republicans in the midterms and how it could be a setup for the former president to run in the 2024 presidential election. "This day has become really almost a kind of cause for Republican base voters," he said. "And you're going to see that fueling some turnout, you're going to see that fueling, even, candidates running for office in these midterm elections."
According to a recent analysis from ProPublica and the Wall Street Journal an analysis of Facebook posts, internal company documents, and interviews reveal key evidence about the social media giant's role in January 6 insurrection. National Reporter at ProPublica Craig Silverman, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
AT&T and Verizon have agreed to delay activating their 5G services for two weeks after Airlines for America, a lobbying group that represents American, Delta, and other airlines, filed a petition last week with the FCC to stop the deployment of 5G in the U.S. over concerns that the network can interfere with certain systems on airplanes. President Biden spoke out about it, saying it would avoid further delays and cancellations of flights. Light Reading 5G and Mobile Strategies Director Mike Dano joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
On a day where the Dow and Russell 2000 each closed more than 3% lower, Melissa Armo, founder and owner of The Stock Swoosh, says Wednesday's big sell-off could extend into after-hours trading. She joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell for more.
The new year has just gotten underway, but the clock is already ticking for the Democratic-led Congress to pass bills regulating big tech. Evan Greer, Director for Fight For the Future, joins Cheddar News to explain why Democratic lawmakers would want to push legislation now, and what a Republican takeover would mean for the industry.
Americans looking to purchase at-home COVID-19 tests will now have to shell out a bit more money after an agreement expired between the White House and companies to sell the tests at cost. The price of Abbot's BinaxNow test kit from October to December was $14 apiece; on Tuesday, Walmart's website listed the test for $19.88, and Kroger listed the tests for $23.99. Carbon Health Regional Clinical Director Dr. Bayo Curry-Winchell joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss the impact higher prices will have as the nation experiences another surge in cases.
