Missouri wins $24 billion lawsuit against Beijing over hoarding of PPE
Missouri won a roughly $24 billion lawsuit that accused China of hoarding personal protective equipment (PPE) during the COVID-19 pandemic. The victory brings a potential end to a five-year legal battle after Missouri sued Beijing for “obstructing the production, purchase and export of critical medical equipment, including PPE, during the pandemic.”
As Straight Arrow News previously reported, a court of appeals ruled in January to allow the case to move forward, overturning a lower court’s decision.
The appeals court, however, ordered accusations be limited to the hoarding of PPE as opposed to the initial suit, which claimed China hid information on the origins of COVID-19.
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Missouri won a roughly $24 billion lawsuit that accused China of hoarding personal protective equipment (PPE) during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The victory brings a potential end to a five-year legal battle after Missouri sued Beijing for “obstructing the production, purchase and export of critical medical equipment, including PPE, during the pandemic.”
The appeals court, however, ordered accusations against China be limited to the hoarding of PPE as opposed to the initial suit, which claimed Beijing hid information on the origins of COVID-19.
What did Missouri’s attorney general say about the judgment?
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey called the federal judge’s ruling on Friday, March 7, a “landmark victory.”
Bailey said in a statement, “China refused to show up to court, but that doesn’t mean they get away with causing untold suffering and economic devastation. We intend to collect every penny by seizing Chinese-owned assets, including Missouri farmland.”
Bailey’s office said that the judgment is the largest dollar amount the state has ever been awarded in a lawsuit, six times larger than the previous record.
Bailey celebrated the ruling on X, writing, “Hey China, you owe Missouri $24 billion. I just won a judgment in court. Pay up — or we start seizing assets and farmland.”
How has China responded?
China has yet to respond to the judgment, but warned in the past that it may take retaliatory action.
New coronavirus found in bats is no cause for concern, CDC says
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said the new coronavirus discovered in bats is not a cause for concern. The agency announced on Monday, Feb. 24, there is no current threat to public health and no infections have been found in humans.
The CDC stated it’s “aware of a publication about a new coronavirus, but there is no reason to believe it currently poses a concern to public health.”
As Straight Arrow News recently reported, Chinese researchers found a new coronavirus that uses the same cell surface protein to enter human cells as SARS-COV-2, which is the virus that causes COVID-19.
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said a newly discovered coronavirus in bats is not a cause for concern. The agency announced on Monday, Feb. 24, there is no current threat to public health and no infections have been found in humans.
The CDC stated it’s “aware of a publication about a new coronavirus, but there is no reason to believe it currently poses a concern to public health.”
What did the Chinese study find?
As Straight Arrow News recently reported, Chinese researchers found a new coronavirus that uses the same cell surface protein to enter human cells as SARS-COV-2, which is the virus that causes COVID-19.
The study shows the coronavirus variant closely resembles the one that led to a deadly pandemic in 2020.
Where did the research come from?
Scientists at China’s Wuhan Institute of Virology, the same lab accused by some U.S. agencies of leaking the COVID-19 virus, noted the bat virus carries a risk of animal-to-human transmission.
Researchers, however, acknowledged more human testing is needed for a conclusive determination.
Why aren’t scientists too concerned right now?
The study also said the new virus did not enter human cells as easily as the virus that causes COVID-19. It also stated that the “risk of emergence in human populations should not be exaggerated.”
It should be noted that none of the animal studies examined the virus’s transmissibility.
What would happen if it did infect humans?
Researchers said antiviral drugs and monoclonal antibodies could be effective if people were to become infected with this new strain.
How abundant are coronaviruses?
Scientists said there are hundreds of coronaviruses in nature and only a few affect humans. They said bats “harbor the highest proportion of genetically diverse coronaviruses,” which could pose a potential risk to people.
New coronavirus resembling COVID-19 discovered in bats: Report
Chinese researchers discovered a new coronavirus that uses the same cell surface protein to enter human cells as the virus that causes COVID-19. The researchers published their findings in the journal Cell.
The virus is found in bats and closely matches the one that led to the global pandemic in 2020.
The first known human case of COVID-19 was reported in Wuhan in November 2019, and more than 1.2 million Americans have died as a result of the disease.
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Chinese researchers discovered a new coronavirus that uses the same cell surface protein to enter human cells as the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19.
The report, featured in the journal Cell, notes that the HKU5-CoV-2 is a virus found in bats. The coronavirus variant closely matches the one that lead to the global pandemic in 2020.
Researchers at China’s Wuhan Institute of Virology, the same lab accused of leaking the COVID-19 virus, report the bat virus carries a risk of animal-to-human transmission. However, researchers admit human testing remains to be investigated.
Dr. Michael Osterholm, an infectious disease expert at the University of Minnesota, tells Reuters that reaction to the study is “overblown.” He said there is a lot of immunity in the population to similar COVID-19 and SARS viruses compared with 2019.
The study itself noted that the virus has significantly less binding affinity than SARS-CoV-2.
Congress wants to declassify UFO, COVID, Epstein files
The House Oversight Committee will look at declassifying materials related to several national mysteries, from UFOs and Jeffrey Epstein’s client list to 9/11. The CIA, NSA, and the Departments of Justice, Defense, State and Energy will also be asked to provide briefings on any information they have about these incidents.
The creation of a task force comes shortly after President Trump signed an executive order declassifying documents about the assassinations of JFK, RFK and MLK.
Most classified documents are supposed to be automatically declassified between 10 to 25 years after they are created, though some remain under wraps due to their content.
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The House Oversight Committee is creating a task force to examine the declassification of materials regarding national mysteries, including UAPs (UFOs), Jeffrey Epstein’s client list, the origins of COVID-19, and the 9/11 files. The task force wants to build on President Donald Trump’s executive order instructing intelligence heads to prepare for the release of documents regarding the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
“For too long, the federal government has kept information of public interest classified, and the American people are demanding greater transparency,” Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., said in a statement. “This secrecy has sowed distrust in our institutions.”
To kick off their efforts, Comer and task force chair Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., sent letters to the heads of the CIA, NSA, and Departments of Justice, Defense, State and Energy, asking for briefings on information they may have. The committee will then review the materials and make recommendations for declassification and release.
“The federal government has been hiding information from Americans for decades,” Luna said. “It is time to give Americans the answers they deserve.”
Classified documents are supposed to be automatically declassified between 10 to 25 years after they are created, depending on their sensitivity level. Some records are exempted from automatic declassification if they reveal intelligence sources or methods, secrets about U.S. weapons systems, or information that could harm America’s relationship with a foreign nation, among other reasons.
The FBI announced Tuesday, Feb. 11, that it found 2,400 new records related to the JFK assassination. The documents will be handed over to the National Archives and Records Administration so they can be released according to the president’s order.
Former FBI Director Christopher Wray said the bureau assessed that the COVID pandemic began with a lab leak in Wuhan, China. But he never revealed how they reached that conclusion and what information they had to support it.
All these questions and more could be answered if the government declassifies the tens of thousands of documents related to the cases.
Missouri notches win in effort to sue China for $25 billion over COVID
Missouri’s efforts to sue China for $25 billion in a lawsuit accusing the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) of hoarding personal protective equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic can move forward. This comes after a court of appeals ruled in the state’s favor.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit ruled in favor of the state’s case moving forward on Thursday, Jan 30. In the ruling, it states, “Missouri has plausibly alleged that the defendant’s anticompetitive behavior had ‘a direct effect in the United States.’”
The panel granted Missouri’s motion to reverse a previous ruling that threw out the lawsuit against China. The lawsuit alleged China was hoarding masks, ventilators and other important medical equipment from the United States and in effect Missouri.
Now, Missouri’s legal battle against Beijing will go on for now.
Missouri’s Attorney General Andrew Bailey celebrated after the panel of judges ruled in favor of the state’s efforts to recover damages for lost lives, jobs and harm caused by lack of access to readily available medical equipment.
“We will continue to fight for accountability for the horror communist China unleashed on Americans in the form of COVID-19. We are headed back to court to pursue remedies for all Missourians. I’m proud of this win on behalf of the American people,” Bailey said in a statement.
As Straight Arrow News previously reported, Beijing warned of potential retaliatory legal action. The country suggested the U.S. could lose immunity in Chinese courts if the lawsuit moves forward.
Missouri’s lawsuit was originally filed in 2020. The lawsuit accused China of covering up critical information about the COVID-19 virus. A federal judge later struck down that lawsuit.
However, under the latest ruling, Missouri must narrow its argument to the hoarding of PPE to have a legal grounding in the case.
Missouri sues China for $25B, CCP warns of ‘reciprocal countermeasures’
Missouri is suing China for $25 billion, accusing the Chinese government of hoarding personal protective equipment (PPE) during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. The lawsuit, filed by Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, claims China’s actions significantly harmed the people of Missouri and disrupted the global pandemic response.
Bailey argues that the case is an opportunity to hold China accountable for its role in the pandemic. Critics contend that the lawsuit could set a new precedent, allowing the U.S. to be sued in Chinese courts.
The lawsuit’s origins and claims
The lawsuit was originally filed in 2020. Bailey accused China of covering up critical information about the virus and hoarding PPE, such as masks and ventilators, in the pandemic’s early days.
Bailey’s office claims China “thwarted the production, purchasing, and import and export of medical supplies.” As a result, Bailey said China’s actions caused “widespread harm” to Missouri residents.
Legal twists and court rulings
The case has faced legal hurdles. A district court judge dismissed the lawsuit, citing the 1976 Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA), which typically shields foreign governments from prosecution in U.S. courts. However, the U.S. Court of Appeals revived part of the case in 2024. The court ruled that Missouri could pursue claims related to the hoarding of PPE but not allegations about China’s data cover-up.
The court categorized the PPE claims as an “antitrust claim” related to commercial activity, allowing the case to proceed.
China’s response and trial expectations
As the trial begins Monday, Jan. 27, reports suggest that China will not send a representative to court. The CCP has long dismissed lawsuits like Missouri’s as “very absurd” and lacking factual or legal basis.
In a Chinese diplomatic notice to the U.S. State Department regarding state cases against China, the CCP wrote it “does not accept and will not participate in such lawsuits … [i]f the U.S. side allows the frivolous lawsuits to proceed, the Chinese side reserves the right to take reciprocal countermeasures.”
If China does not show up in court, Missouri could win a default judgment, making it easier for the state to secure damages.
What’s at stake
The outcome of this case could have broad implications, with Missouri seeking to hold China financially responsible for its pandemic-related actions. If the court rules in Missouri’s favor, it could further inflame already-tense relations between the U.S. and China.
CIA analysis says COVID-19 ‘more likely’ came from lab leak
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) said Saturday, Jan. 25, that the COVID-19 pandemic “more likely” started with a lab leak rather than originating from animals, according to its latest analysis. The agency said, though, it would continue evaluating any new intelligence reporting.
“CIA assesses with low confidence that a research-related origin of the COVID-19 pandemic is more likely than a natural origin based on the available body of reporting,” a CIA spokesperson said in a statement.
For years, the CIA said it could not conclude the origins of the virus that killed more than one million Americans and over seven million people worldwide.
However, in the final weeks of the Biden Administration, former national security adviser Jake Sullivan ordered a new review of the virus’ origins and former CIA director Bill Burns told the agency it needed to take a side.
The decision to release that assessment marks one of the first made under the agency’s new Trump-appointed director, John Ratcliffe, who took over the CIA on Thursday, Jan. 23.
While Ratcliffe has believed COVID-19 started in a lab in Wuhan, China, agency officials told The New York Times that its analysis was in the “works for some time” and did not “bend its views to a new boss.”
“The conclusion that a laboratory leak is extremely unlikely was reached by the China-WHO joint expert team based on field visits to relevant laboratories in Wuhan.”
Mao Ning, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman
China refuted the CIA’s claim in a statement Monday, Jan. 27. “The conclusion that a laboratory leak is extremely unlikely was reached by the China-WHO joint expert team based on field visits to relevant laboratories in Wuhan,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said. “This has been widely recognized by the international community and the scientific community.”
The CIA joins other agencies, like the FBI and the Energy Department, in believing the coronavirus most likely came from a lab leak and not from an infected animal at an outdoor market, which other intelligence agencies have favored.
The FBI and Energy Departments differ, however, on which labs they believe started the leak.
Colombia accepts deported migrants after tariff showdown with Trump
The showdown between the Trump administration and Colombia over deported migrants is over, but what happens to the tariffs the president threatened to impose? And much-needed rain in Southern California brings new concerns to the region. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Monday, Jan. 27, 2025.
Colombia accepts deported migrants after tariff showdown with Trump
The Trump administration claimed a quick and decisive victory after Colombia agreed to allow the U.S. to transport repatriated migrants back to the South American country.
Early Sunday, Jan. 26, Colombia blocked two U.S. military planes carrying deportees from landing. Colombian President Gustavo Petro said the U.S. “can’t treat Colombian migrants like criminals.”
President Donald Trump responded to the move on Truth Social, announcing “emergency 25% tariffs” on all imports from Colombia — which would be raised to 50% in a week, a travel ban for Colombian citizens and a revocation of visas for Colombian officials in the U.S.
Within hours, Petro threatened a 25% retaliatory tariff increase on the U.S. in a series of social media posts objecting to the use of military planes and the treatment of migrants.
However, by late Sunday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Colombia’s government agreed to the “unrestricted acceptance” of migrants from Colombia “without limitation or delay.”
Leavitt added tariffs and financial sanctions will be held in reserve but not signed. Still, the visa sanctions against Colombian officials and stricter customs inspections of Colombian nationals and cargo ships, ordered by Trump earlier Sunday, will remain in effect “until the first planeload of Colombian deportees is successfully returned.”
Leavitt’s statement said other countries should take notice and fully cooperate in accepting its deportees who were in the U.S. illegally.
Israel-Hamas ceasefire moves forward after weekend issues
Early Monday, Jan. 27, Qatar announced an agreement was reached to release an Israeli civilian hostage and allow Palestinians to return to northern Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said in a statement that the hostage release, which is set for Thursday, Jan. 30, will include civilian hostage Arbel Yehoud and female soldier Agam Berger.
As of Monday morning, Palestinians are now allowed to return to northern Gaza on foot. They were set to start returning on Saturday, Jan. 26, but Israel put that on hold because of Yehoud, whom Israel said should have been released on Saturday.
However, Israel did release 200 Palestinian prisoners Saturday as part of the second phase of an exchange in the ceasefire deal that saw Hamas release four female Israeli soldiers.
Trump weighed in on the issue over the weekend, suggesting most of Gaza’s population be temporarily resettled in other countries, such as Egypt and Jordan, to “just clean out” the war-ravaged enclave. Egypt, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority rejected his idea.
Bird feathers found in engines of crashed South Korean plane: Report
Authorities investigating last month’s deadly passenger jet crash at South Korea’s Muan airport said they found evidence a bird may have caused the plane to go down.
A preliminary report, released Monday, said duck feathers and blood stains were found in both engines of the jet that crashed into a concrete structure that houses a “localizer,” killing 179 of the 181 people on board. The localizer aids in the navigation of an aircraft approaching the runway.
The report said investigators will examine the jet engines and concrete structure further to determine the role each played in the deadliest plane crash on South Korean soil.
Rain brings relief to wildfire-devastated Los Angeles area
Thousands of South California residents displaced by deadly wildfires hope to return to their homes, or what remains of them, Monday, as the area sees its first significant rainfall in months.
A slow-moving rainstorm settled over Southern California on Sunday, bringing much-needed relief as three major wildfires, now mostly contained, scorch the already devastated area.
However, this morning, major concerns about mudslides, flash flooding, and toxic ash emerged. Experts said rain that falls on recently burned areas picks up contaminants from ash, charred vehicles, and other debris and can carry pollutants into the ecosystem and water supply.
Forecasters said rain showers will continue into Monday afternoon.
New CIA analysis says COVID-19 outbreak ‘more likely’ came from lab leak
The CIA now says the COVID-19 pandemic “more likely” started with a lab leak rather than originating from animals. However, the agency said it would continue evaluating any new intelligence reporting.
On Saturday, a CIA spokesperson said the pandemic’s “research-related origin” is “more likely than a natural origin based on the available body of reporting.”
However, analysts said they have “low confidence” in that assessment, despite former CIA Director Bill Burns telling the agency it needed to look at the existing evidence again and come down on one side or the other.
The decision to release that assessment marks one of the first made under the CIA’s new Trump-appointed director, John Ratcliffe, who took over the agency on Thursday, Jan. 23.
The country has argued over the origin of COVID-19, with other agencies like the FBI and the Energy Department believing the coronavirus most likely came from a leak in a lab in Wuhan, China, and not the theory of an infected animal at an outdoor market, which other intelligence agencies have favored.
Chiefs to meet Eagles in Super Bowl rematch
Super Bowl LIX is now set for Sunday, Feb. 9, in New Orleans. The Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles will play for the title in a rematch from two years ago.
The Chiefs will attempt to win three consecutive Super Bowls.
The defending champs knocked off the Buffalo Bills 32-29 in a thriller at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday night. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes ran for two touchdowns while its defense held off Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills.
The Bills led going into the fourth quarter 22-21, but Mahomes led his team down the field twice, including a game-winning field goal by Harrison Butker with just over three minutes left.
In the first game of the day, the Philadelphia Eagles put up 55 points — the most ever in a conference championship game — and routed the upstart Washington Commanders 55-23.
Eagles star running back Saquon Barkley ran for three touchdowns, including a 60-yarder on the team’s first play from scrimmage. Quarterback Jalen Hurts also showed up to play, running for three touchdowns, as well.
WHO makes cutbacks after Trump’s executive order to leave organization
The World Health Organization (WHO) said it’s already making cutbacks following President Donald Trump’s executive order directing the United States, the WHO’s largest donor, to withdraw from the group. AFP news agency obtained an email from the organization’s chief sent to staff Friday, Jan. 2, stating Trump’s decision impacts its financial situation and creates uncertainty for the WHO workforce.
According to the organization, the U.S. withdrawal will take a year to complete, with funding from the U.S. remaining in place until that point.
But despite that, a WHO spokesperson told AFP the organization is already freezing recruitment in less critical areas and cutting back on travel.
The WHO also said it was open to constructive dialogue with the U.S. in hopes Trump would reconsider.
Why did Trump decide to leave WHO?
The White House said in a statement Monday, Jan. 20, that the U.S.’s decision to withdraw from the WHO is a result of “the organization’s mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic that arose out of Wuhan, China, and other global health crises, its failure to adopt urgently needed reforms, and its inability to demonstrate independence from the inappropriate political influence of WHO member states.”
Where does the WHO go from here?
The WHO also told AFP that Trump’s decision will impact the critical information it shares with the U.S., noting the bird flu outbreak, which has infected dozens of people and has killed one person in the U.S.
The WHO said for now, it’s working to expand its funding base and continues to rely on support from its member states.
In its 2022-23 budget, the U.S. pitched in $1.3 billion, which is about 16% of the WHO’s total budget.
Trump to sign executive order targeting gain-of-function research: Report
The Trump administration is preparing an executive order that would stop federal funding for gain-of-function (GOF) research, The Wall Street Journal reports. Gain-of-function is a controversial area of virus-related research that has been widely debated since the COVID-19 pandemic.
The research modifies a virus to increase its transmissibility, virulence or ability to evade the immune system. Essentially, it makes the virus more dangerous and deadly than its natural state.
Scientists in favor of GOF research argue that it can provide crucial insights into how viruses evolve and spread.
People familiar with the matter, who spoke anonymously to the Journal, said the goal of the executive action would be to prevent U.S.-funded scientists from conducting GOF research on viruses that could threaten human health.
There is also a possibility that H5N1, also known as bird flu, could be exempt from the order.
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and other Republicans have been critical of gain-of-function research. They claim that COVID-19 is the product of it and leaked from a lab at the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
Paul has accused Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, of knowingly funding gain-of-function research at the Wuhan lab with federal funds.
The origin of the COVID-19 pandemic remains undetermined. In October 2021, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence released a declassified report asserting that it could not conclusively prove the origins of COVID-19.
The president has not finalized his executive action.