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Biden urged to declassify coronavirus origin info in Senate-passed measure
The Senate approved a measure by unanimous consent Wednesday that would require the Biden administration and the director of national intelligence to declassify intelligence on the origins of COVID-19.
"The American people deserve to know about the origins of COVID-19," Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley said on the Senate floor before the Senate passed the amendment that was part of a broader bill. "They deserve to know how this terrible pandemic that has ravaged the globe and our country, how it got started, and what China’s role was in starting it."
He said voters deserved to see the evidence and judge for themselves, rather than different speculation from various administration officials on where the virus may have come from.
"Whether it’s weighing in on issues of health care, national security, COVID-19, who disagrees with transparency?" asked Indiana Republican Sen. Mike Braun. "The sunshine reveals everything."
In a statement before the vote, Biden said intelligence leaders were weighing two possible scenarios – that the virus either leapt to a human from contact with an infected animal or that it accidentally leaked from a laboratory in Wuhan, China. CLICK HERE FOR MORE ON OUR TOP STORY.
In other developments:
- Biden: Intel community torn between 'two likely scenarios' on COVID-19 outbreak source
- Former State Department official reveals 'procedural' and 'substantive concerns' with Wuhan COVID-19 origin
- White House won’t say if China will be punished if lab leak theory is proven
- Biden State Department quietly ended team's work probing COVID origin
- Fauci defends 'modest' collaboration with Wuhan scientists, says NIH didn't fund 'gain of function' research
- White House insists COVID-19 origins requires 'transparent' international investigation
Democrats are getting nervous about 'woke' culture, analysts say
A New York Times opinion writer wondered in an op-ed Wednesday if the progressive cancel culture push will backfire on Democrats at the polls, and he isn't the only analyst asking the question.
"Is Wokeness ‘Kryptonite for Democrats?’" Times contributor Thomas Edsall's headline asked.
Edsall shared an email he received from social psychologist Jonathan Haidt arguing that the left-wing policies will only serve to drag down the party.
"Wokeness is kryptonite for Democrats," Haidt wrote. "Most people hate it, other than the progressive activists. If you just look at Americans' policy preferences, Dems should be winning big majorities. But we have strong negative partisanship, and when people are faced with a party that seems to want to defund the police and rename schools, rather than open them, all while crime is rising and kids' welfare is falling, the left flank of the party is just so easy for Republicans to run against." CLICK HERE FOR MORE.
In other developments:
- Wokeness at Fed's regional banks puts central bank independence at risk
- Ben Domenech: Other nations laughing at US for embracing 'woke religion' critical race theory
- 'Ridiculous' to see left-wing bureaucrats bringing 'woke-ism' to military: Ted Cruz
- Twitter explodes over Russian army recruitment ad compared to 'woke' US version: 'We are doomed'
Virginia couple shot dead in cold blood outside their home, police say
A manhunt was underway in Virginia on Wednesday after a husband and wife were brutally murdered outside their home in Springfield, authorities said.
The couple were shot in cold blood in their front yard just before 9:30 a.m., Fairfax County police said.
"They did nothing wrong. They were tragically and horribly murdered in their neighborhood," Fairfax County police Maj. Ed O’Carroll said at an evening news conference.
O’Carroll identified the victims as Edward McDaniel Jr., 55, and Brenda McDaniel, 63.
Police had yet to identify the suspect -- or suspects -- whom they believe killed the couple. Investigators were searching for a 2018 light-colored Nissan Altima with Maryland plate number 1EF1479. CLICK HERE FOR MORE.
In other developments:
- Reward reaches $300K for California freeway shooter who killed 6-year-old
- Virginia deputy single-handedly lifts overturned car to free trapped woman
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#TheFlashback: CLICK HERE to find out what happened on "This Day in History."
SOME PARTING WORDS
Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., joined "Fox News @ Night" to discuss the push for an investigation into the unknown origins of COVID-19 Wednesday night.
"We need to figure out exactly where this virus came from, how it originated and figure out if it did or did not come from that lab," Blackburn said. "There will be many ways we can get the answers and go back to the work that Secretary Pompeo, as secretary of state, had started in 2018 when there were reports from our diplomatic scientists that there were issues around this lab – there were concerns."
"And," she continued, "I think we start there and work forward."
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