On today’s NOTICE News Daily: There’s new intel on how the COVID-19 pandemic may have started. We break it down. Plus: some big changes are coming to Major League Baseball.
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Top Story: How Did The Covid Pandemic Start?
WASHINGTON – Various news outlets reported over the weekend that the U.S. Department of Energy told lawmakers it believed the Covid-19 pandemic started with a lab leak in Wuhan, China. There’s disagreement, however, within the federal government. The FBI came to the same conclusion, while other agencies believe the virus started by making the jump from animals to humans. >> Full story from NBC News
Further Reading…
- Go Deeper: China must be “more honest” on COVID origins, the U.S. says (Reuters)
- The White House said Monday there’s still “no consensus” on COVID’s origins (Politico)
- Timeline: How The Covid Lab Leak Origin Story Went From ‘Conspiracy Theory’ To Government Debate (Forbes)
- GOP senators have reintroduced a bill requiring Biden declassify all US intelligence connected to Wuhan lab, COVID origins (Fox News)
In Other News…
- Hundreds of thousands of migrants have reached Italy by boat over the past decade, fleeing conflict and poverty back home. This latest tragedy’s death toll is at least 62, including 14 children. >> Full story
- Will Biden’s student loan forgiveness program come to pass? The Supreme Court will soon decide. >> Full Story
- Swing and a Miss: NYC road sign misspells ‘Jakie’ Robinson Parkway (we still call it the Interboro anyway) >> Full story from NBC New York
New Rules Coming to Major League Baseball
CBS Sports has a great rundown of how the new rules are affecting games after the first weekend of spring training (namely – shorter games and more stolen bases). Opening Day is March 30th – and all 30 teams are scheduled to play that day. It will be the first time that’s happened since 1968. >> Here’s the full report from CBS News
Discussion Questions
- Regardless of how Covid-19 started in Wuhan, China, why was it able to be so far-reaching, globally?
- What has new intelligence led the U.S. Department of Energy to conclude, and how does this compare to what the FBI concluded in 2001?
- How are other U.S. intelligence agencies supporting their determination that they cannot definitively determine if the pandemic started from a lab leak?
- What is one key reason why it is so vital to understand how the pandemic started?
- Why might some people be very angry that Jackie Robinson’s name was spelled wrong on a highway sign?
- What are some reasons the MLB committee changed rules to baseball in order to make games shorter? Do you think these changes will be effective in achieving the MLB’s ultimate goal?
Writing Prompts
- Why might China be accusing the U.S. of politicizing the pandemic? Even if finding the exact cause of the pandemic could then attach extreme negativity toward a country or its people, is it still worth knowing the truth? What steps could be taken to attempt to stop any discrimination that results from the new findings by the U.S. Department of Energy?
- There has been enough pushback to President Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan to bring its case to the Supreme Court. Why might Republicans in six states, and many more people, feel that such a student loan plan isn’t fair, and why might some think such a plan is necessary? What do you think?
- The fact that the MLB reexamined the rules of “America’s pastime” demonstrates a flexibility to shift with the times in order to better meet the needs of modern audiences. What other arenas or areas might such examinations be helpful? Consider aspects of society that perhaps worked once, but for various reasons, could benefit from some changes now.