Skip to main content

Headline Roundup April 14th, 2020

US Investigating if Chinese Lab Mismanagement Led to Pandemic

Summary from the AllSides News Team

U.S. intelligence officials have examined the possibility that the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic originated at a Chinese research lab. Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley told reporters Tuesday that investigations were so far "inconclusive, although the weight of the evidence seems to indicate natural. But we don’t know for certain;" a Washington Post column published Tuesday morning described State Department warnings made in 2018 about safety protocols at a lab in Wuhan, China, where researchers were studying coronaviruses in bats. Some left-rated outlets focused on Milley's "inconclusive" remark, while some center-rated outlets concentrated more on the evidence apparently pointing to natural occurrence. Conversely, some right-rated outlets painted the lab origination as more likely than not, citing the Post column.

Featured Coverage of this Story

Evidence that coronavirus originated at Chinese lab is 'inconclusive,' top general says
Evidence that coronavirus originated at Chinese lab is 'inconclusive,' top general says

Politico

News

The top U.S. general said evidence that the coronavirus originated at a Chinese research lab is "inconclusive," following a report that U.S. officials warned of safety concerns at a research facility in the city of Wuhan two years ago.

"We've had a lot of intelligence take a hard look at that," Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley told reporters Tuesday. "At this point it's inconclusive, although the weight of the evidence seems to indicate natural. But we don’t know for certain."

The comments come hours after The Washington Post reported...

Open on Politico
It's Looking Increasingly Likely Wuhan Coronavirus Came From a Lab Bat
It's Looking Increasingly Likely Wuhan Coronavirus Came From a Lab Bat

Townhall

News

Outside of knowing Wuhan coronavirus originated in Wuhan, China, United States intelligence agencies are still working on nailing down exactly where in the city the virus came from. There's been speculation it came from an infected animal, likely a bat, that was sold and eaten at a Wuhan wet market. This theory has prompted a number of politicians in the U.S. and around the world to call for the closing of China's wet markets.

But increasingly it looks like the disease came from a bat being studied at the Wuhan...

Open on Townhall
U.S. military says coronavirus likely occurred naturally but not certain
News

U.S. intelligence indicates that the coronavirus likely occurred naturally, as opposed to being created in a laboratory in China, but there is no certainty either way, the top U.S. general said on Tuesday.

The remarks by Army General Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, could fan speculation about the coronavirus’ origins — something China has dismissed as a conspiracy theory that is unhelpful to the fight against the pandemic.

Asked whether he had any evidence that the virus perhaps began in a Chinese laboratory and was...

Open on Reuters

More headline roundups

More News about Defense and Security on AllSides

News from the Left

News from the Center

News from the Right