Lab-Leak Theory Attracts New Attention As President Biden Calls For Closer Look at COVID-19’s Origin

KQED's Forum

KQED

News Commentary, News, Politics

4.2 • 727 Ratings

🗓️ 28 May 2021

⏱️ 36 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Media conversations about the origin of COVID-19 intensified this week, after President Biden ordered U.S. intelligence agencies to "redouble" efforts to determine whether the virus emerged through cross-species transmission or escaped from a research lab in Wuhan, China. In a highly publicized joint report in February, the World Health Organization and the Chinese government dismissed the lab-leak theory as "extremely unlikely." But since then, more scientists are calling for new investigations, as a consensus forms that both scenarios are still viable. We'll talk about the politics -- and geopolitics--complicating the inquiry into the pandemic's origins. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Support for KQED podcasts comes from San Francisco International Airport.
0:05.3	You can fly back in time and visit SFO's Aviation Museum and Library to learn about the history of commercial aviation.
0:12.3	No boarding pass needed. Learn more at flysafo.com slash museum.
0:17.3	Switch to Comcast Business Mobile and save hundreds a year in your wireless bill.
0:21.5	Comcast Business, powering possibilities.
0:24.0	Restrictions apply.
0:24.7	Comcast Business Internet required.
0:26.0	Comparates two unlimited intro lines and lowest price 5D plans of top three carriers.
0:29.0	Tax on fees extra, reduced speeds after 30 gigabytes of usage.
0:31.4	Data thresholds may vary.
0:33.7	From KQED.
0:45.9	Music From KQED. From KQED, public radio in San Francisco, I'm Nina Kim.
0:50.5	When Eric Carl mused about why his book, The Very Hungry Cateraterpillar was such a success, he said, children need hope.
0:58.2	You, little caterpillar, can grow up to be a beautiful butterfly.
1:01.8	We remember Carl who died Sunday.
1:03.9	First, though, questions about the origin of COVID-19 intensified this week.
1:08.5	After President Biden ordered U.S. intelligence agencies to redouble efforts
1:12.7	to determine whether the virus jumped from an animal to a human or escaped from a research lab in Wuhan.
1:18.7	But the origin narratives, especially the lab theory, have been deeply politicized.
1:23.5	David Frum helps us navigate the politics right after this news.
1:36.3	Music David Frum helps us navigate the politics right after this news. This is Forum. I'm Mina Kim.
1:39.3	Groups of scientists have begun making public appeals for more investigations into the origins of COVID-19,
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from KQED, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of KQED and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.