Monday, February 27, 2023

Wake-Up Call: Feds Flip-Flop On Wuhan Lab Leak

The Energy Department has reversed its position and concluded based on new intelligence that the Covid-19 virus most likely leaked from a Chinese research lab. The new conclusion was issued in an update to a 2021 document prepared by Director of National Intelligence and was recently provided to White House lawmakers. The Energy Department has now therefore joined the FBI in saying the virus likely spread from a lab in Wuhan. However, four other agencies are still said to favor the 'natural spillover' theory that the virus escaped via an animal at a nearby meat market. Two, one of which is the CIA, is yet to declare a definitive position. White House national security advisor Jake Sullivan told CNN on Sunday that there was still 'no definitive answer'. 

➤WOODY HARRELSON IS CRITICIZED FOR HIS ‘SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE’ OPENING MONOLOGUE: Woody Harrelson joined the “Five-Timers Club” after hosting Saturday Night Live over the weekend, but he also sparked controversy for seeming to support COVID vaccine conspiracy theories. The Kingpin star joked about receiving a script prior to the pandemic during his opening monologue. "So, the movie goes like this," he said. "The biggest drug cartels in the world get together and buy up all the media and all the politicians and force all the people in the world to stay locked in their homes, and people can only come out if they take the cartel's drugs and keep taking them over and over." Many outraged fans took to Twitter to respond.

➤MICHIGAN, TEXAS OFFICIALS UNAWARE OHIO CONTAMINATED SOIL, WATER WERE TAKEN TO THEIR AREAS: 'WE WERE SANDBAGGED': Officials from Texas and Michigan say they were unaware that soil and water from the site of the East Palestine, Ohio, freight train derailment was being taken to their areas. Days after the derailment, officials conducted a controlled release of chemicals to avoid the risk of an explosion. Residents were evacuated before officials conducted the release, but have since been allowed back. Wastewater and soil from the site of the derailment were taken to hazardous waste companies in both Texas and Michigan, and some officials claim that they didn't get any notice.

➤U-S WARNS CHINA: The United States warned China of serious consequences if it provided arms to support Russia's invasion of Ukraine, as Kyiv's top general visited the frontline town of Bakhmut where Ukrainian defenders were holding out against constant attacks. Air raid sirens blared in the capital Kyiv and other cities overnight and a Russian missile strike killed one person in the western town of Khmelnitskyi, Mayor Oleksandr Symshyshyn said on the Telegram messaging app.

Washington and its NATO allies are scrambling to dissuade China from providing military aid for Moscow's war, making public comments on their belief that Beijing is considering providing lethal equipment possibly including drones. Western fears of China helping to arm Russia come as Moscow's forces struggle to make gains around key objectives in eastern Ukraine, and as Kyiv prepares a counter-offensive with advanced Western weapons including battle tanks.

➤G-O-P TO REQUIRE DEBATERS TO PLEDGE SUPPORT: Republican loyalty pledge Any Republican who wants to run for president in 2024 will have to sign a loyalty pledge if they want to join the 2024 debates, Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel told CNN’s "State of the Union" on Sunday. The pledge would require candidates to support the eventual GOP presidential nominee. Discussing the qualification criteria for the first Republican presidential debate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, McDaniel said the rules aren’t set in stone yet, but she expects the pledge will be included. “I think it’s kind of a no-brainer, right?” One year out from the 2024 primaries, here is the debut Fox News national survey on the presidential nomination races. Spoiler alert, former President Donald Trump looks formidable, while President Biden faces doubt.  Republican primary voters were read a list of 15 announced and potential candidates for the 2024 nomination. Trump tops the list with 43%, followed by Ron DeSantis at 28%, Nikki Haley and Mike Pence at 7% each, and Greg Abbott and Liz Cheney at 2% each.

➤PA. CHICK-FIL-A BANS UN-ACCOMPANIED YOUTH:  Chick-fil-A restaurant in Pennsylvania says that unaccompanied minors are no longer allowed to dine in their establishment after unruly "children and teenagers" continued to cause disruptions. A Royersford, Pennsylvania, Chick-fil-A said the new policy was prompted by rowdy minors disrespecting employees and vandalizing their establishment after being dropped off by parents on the weekend. "While we love being a community restaurant and serving guests of all ages, some issues need to be addressed," the FaceBook post explained before giving specific "unacceptable behaviors" employees had to deal with. Some children and teens engaged in loud conversations with "a lot of explicit language," cursed at and mocked staff, vandalized property, stole decor and walked through the drive-thru lanes, the post claimed. "We are a family-friendly restaurant where this is not tolerated," the Chick-fil-A branch warned.


➤FIRING SQUAD POSSIBLE FOR KOHBERGER: Bryan Kohberger (right) could face a firing squad if he is found guilty of the quadruple homicide of four University of Idaho students last year. Lawyers are believed to be gearing up for the possibility of a death penalty trial for the 28-year-old criminal justice major - who remains the only suspect in the November 13 slayings of Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Madison Mogen, 21, Ethan Chapin, 20 and Xana Kernodle, 20. Prosecutors haven't yet indicated whether they intend to pursue the death penalty for Kohberger, although it seems likely they will, given the gravity of his alleged crimes. And now, Republican state lawmaker Rep. Bruce Skaug has introduced a bill that would once again allow for execution by firing squad in the state, as well as lethal injection.

➤5 DEAD IN NEVADA CRASH OF MEDICAL PLANE THAT MAY HAVE BROKE APART BEFORE CRASH: A medical transport flight that crashed in a mountainous area in northern Nevada, killing all five people aboard the plane including a patient, apparently broke apart before hitting the ground, authorities said Sunday. "How do we know if the airplane broke up in flight? We found parts of the airplane one-half to three-quarters of a mile away" from the crash scene, board vice chairman Bruce Landsberg said at a news briefing in Carson City, Nevada.

➤TWITTER CUTS CONTINUE: Twitter Inc. laid off more workers late Saturday in a fresh wave of cuts meant to curb costs at the social networking company now owned by Elon Musk. The layoffs hit employees on teams across the company, including engineering and product, according to people familiar with the situation. Some employees learned they were laid off via an email late Saturday, the people said, and others tweeted that they learned they were terminated when they could no longer log in to the internal system. It’s unclear exactly how many employees were impacted, though sources believe it was dozens. The Information previously reported more than 50 people were let go. 

🎥ANTMAN SINKS: The gonzo R-rated horror comedy “Cocaine Bear” sniffed up $23.1 million in its opening weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday, while Marvel’s “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” shrank unusually quickly in its second weekend. “Quantumania” was still No. 1 with an estimated $32.2 million in ticket sales in U.S. and Canadian theaters. But the “Ant-Man” sequel, hit with some of the worst reviews and audience scores of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, dropped a steep 69.7% in its second weekend. That’s the worst decline for an MCU film, falling faster than “Black Widow” (67.8%), a pandemic release that debuted simultaneously in homes. Instead, Universal Pictures’ “Cocaine Bear” rampaged through multiplexes, scoring notably above expectations. Made for about $35 million and directed by Elizabeth Banks, “Cocaine Bear” stirred up plenty of buzz just from its title and its made-to-go-viral trailer.

➤INCOME GUARANTEES BECOMING POPULAR: Flush with pandemic cash, from Tacoma, Washington, to Gainesville, Florida, scores of local administrations are trying out guaranteed payouts to poor households in the region of $250-$1,000 per month. The pilots are popular and beneficiaries say the money helps families put food on the table, reduce stress, pay education costs, and overcome daily hurdles, such as being able to buy a car to commute to work. But they're also proving controversial. In some cases, they single out specific groups, like transgender Californians. Advocates have even said they're inspired by the Black Panther armed Marxist group or are reparations for historic racism.


⚾PADRES, MANNY MACHADO FINALIZING $350 EXTENSION: Star third baseman Manny Machado and the San Diego Padres are finalizing an 11-year, $350 million contract extension. Machado said earlier this week he intended to opt out of the final five years (and $150 million) of his current contract with the Padres following the season after preliminary negotiations on an extension broke down.  Machado had set a Feb. 16 deadline to reach a new deal, conversations continued between Machado's agent, Dan Lozano of MVP Sports, and Padres general manager A.J. Preller. The deal is expected to be official soon.

⚾MLB REVIEWING EXCHANGE BETWEEN OLIVER MARMOL, C.B. BUCKNOR: Umpire C.B. Bucknor declined to shake St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol's hand before an exhibition game on Saturday, according to Marmol, and Major League Baseball is looking into that exchange. Marmol was upset by Bucknor's response. "I don't think he's good at his job, and it just shows a lack of class as a man," Marmol said after the game. According to an MLB spokesperson, "We are aware of Mr. Marmol's comments, and the matter is under review."

🏀NBA SCORES:
Milwaukee Bucks 104 Phoenix Suns 101
Atlanta Hawks 129 Brooklyn Nets 127
Chicgo Bulls 102 Washington Wizards 82
Los Angeles Lakers 111 Dallas Mavericks 108
Cleveland Cavaliers 118 Toronto Raptors 93
Sacramento Kings 124  Oklahoma City Thunder 115
Golden State Warriors 109 Minnesota Timberwolves 104
Portland Trail Blazers 131 Houston Rockets 114
Denver Nuggets 134 Los Angeles Clippers 124

➤ALBERT HAMMOND WAS WRONG: Californians plagued by the extraordinary snow, rains and flooding that have recently lashed the Golden State are girding for another storm that promises to bring more foul weather today. But the next round — which could bring several more feet of snow to the mountains, 50 mph wind gusts to the Sacramento Valley and about a half inch of rain to already-sodden Southern California — will pale in comparison to the high-powered storm that’s clobbered the West Coast over the past few days, according to ABC7. That weather system, which according to the National Weather Service was one of the strongest to ever sweep across southwest California, left in its wake rain-swollen rivers and a snow dusting atop the famed Hollywood sign. The storm’s fearsome winds also took down trees and electrical wires, knocking out the power for more than 120,000 residents.

➤NYC TO GET TASTE OF WINTER: The Big Apple is bracing for its biggest snowfall of the season as a storm approaches with just a few weeks left in a winter where flurries have been a rare sight. With Old Man Winter running out of time to pack a snowy punch, the city could get 1-3 inches of accumulating snow when a winter storm gets underway Monday evening. Northern suburbs could expect heavier totals as the storm cranks up. “New York City is going to be right on the sort of the dividing line between nuisance snow and no snow at all,” said Fox News Weather meteorologist Mike Rawlins. “So for the city, we’re in the 1-3 (inches) range.”



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