President_NP0 Biden_NP0 said_VVD Wednesday_NP0 he_PNP had_VHD asked_VVN U.S._NP0 intelligence_NN1 agencies_NN2 to_TO0 "_PUQ redouble_VVI their_DPS efforts_NN2 "_PUQ to_TO0 determine_VVI the_AT0 origin_NN1 of_PRF the_AT0 coronavirus_NN1 ,_PUN an_AT0 abrupt_AJ0 departure_NN1 from_PRP the_AT0 previous_AJ0 White_AJ0 House_NN1 position_NN1 of_PRF relying_VVG on_PRP the_AT0 World_NN1 Health_NN1 Organization_NN1 to_TO0 uncover_VVI how_AVQ the_AT0 contagion_NN1 started_VVD ._SENT The_AT0 new_AJ0 message_NN1 reflects_VVZ a_AT0 notable_AJ0 shift_NN1 in_PRP some_DT0 prominent_AJ0 scientists_NN2 '_POS assessments_NN2 that_CJT the_AT0 virus_NN1 all_AV0 but_CJC certainly_AV0 jumped_VVD from_PRP an_AT0 animal_NN1 species_NN0 to_PRP humans_NN2 ._SENT The_AT0 theory_NN1 that_CJT has_VHZ more_AV0 recently_AV0 gained_VVN traction_NN1 is_VBZ that_CJT the_AT0 pandemic_AJ0 —_PUN which_DTQ has_VHZ killed_VVN more_AV0 than_CJS 3.4_CRD million_CRD people_NN0 worldwide_AV0 —_PUN may_VM0 have_VHI accidentally_AV0 escaped_VVN from_PRP the_AT0 Wuhan_NP0 Institute_NN1 of_PRF Virology_NN1 in_PRP China_NP0 ,_PUN though_CJS that_DT0 is_VBZ far_AV0 from_PRP conclusive_AJ0 ._SENT Biden_NP0 ordered_VVD intelligence_NN1 officials_NN2 to_TO0 deliver_VVI a_AT0 report_NN1 within_PRP 90_CRD days_NN2 "_PUQ that_CJT could_VM0 bring_VVI us_PNP closer_AJC to_PRP a_AT0 definitive_AJ0 conclusion_NN1 ._SENT "_PUQ Timeline_NN1 :_PUN How_AVQ the_AT0 Wuhan_NP0 lab-leak_NN1 theory_NN1 suddenly_AV0 became_VVD credible_AJ0 Some_DT0 Republicans_NN2 pushed_VVD the_AT0 idea_NN1 early_AJ0 on_PRP that_DT0 the_AT0 Wuhan_NP0 lab_NN1 ,_PUN rather_AV0 than_CJS a_AT0 natural_AJ0 transmission_NN1 from_PRP animals_NN2 to_PRP humans_NN2 ,_PUN was_VBD at_PRP fault_NN1 ._SENT Among_PRP them_PNP was_VBD former_DT0 president_NN1 Donald_NP0 Trump_NP0 ,_PUN who_PNQ often_AV0 used_VVD inflammatory_AJ0 language_NN1 to_TO0 describe_VVI the_AT0 virus_NN1 's_POS origins_NN2 in_PRP China_NP0 ._SENT But_CJC that_DT0 notion_NN1 was_VBD dismissed_VVN by_PRP Democrats_NN2 and_CJC many_DT0 scientists_NN2 ,_PUN who_PNQ viewed_VVD the_AT0 focus_NN1 on_PRP the_AT0 lab_NN1 as_PRP part_NN1 of_PRF a_AT0 larger_AJC attack_NN1 on_PRP China_NP0 that_CJT fueled_VVD an_AT0 increase_NN1 in_PRP hate_NN1 crimes_NN2 against_PRP Asian_AJ0 Americans_NN2 ._SENT "_PUQ There_EX0 was_VBD so_AV0 much_AV0 inaccurate_AJ0 information_NN1 flowing_VVG from_PRP the_AT0 White_AJ0 House_NN1 that_CJT many_DT0 viewed_VVD this_DT0 as_CJS just_AV0 another_DT0 thing_NN1 that_CJT was_VBD not_XX0 true_AJ0 and_CJC a_AT0 way_NN1 for_PRP the_AT0 White_AJ0 House_NN1 to_TO0 divert_VVI attention_NN1 from_PRP a_AT0 fledgling_AJ0 covid_AJ0 response_NN1 ,_PUN "_PUQ said_VVD Chris_NP0 Meekins_NP0 ,_PUN a_AT0 former_DT0 Health_NN1 and_CJC Human_AJ0 Services_NN2 official_NN1 who_PNQ is_VBZ now_AV0 an_AT0 analyst_NN1 at_PRP Raymond_NP0 James_NP0 ,_PUN a_AT0 financial_AJ0 services_NN2 firm_NN1 ._SENT But_CJC in_PRP recent_AJ0 weeks_NN2 ,_PUN some_DT0 notable_AJ0 researchers_NN2 have_VHB begun_VVN arguing_VVG more_AV0 pointedly_AV0 that_CJT the_AT0 lab_NN1 theory_NN1 should_VM0 remain_VVI on_PRP the_AT0 table_NN1 until_CJS more_DT0 is_VBZ known_VVN ,_PUN including_PRP some_DT0 who_PNQ made_VVD the_AT0 case_NN1 in_PRP an_AT0 article_NN1 in_PRP the_AT0 journal_NN1 Science_NN1 ._SENT A_AT0 series_NN0 of_PRF reports_NN2 in_PRP the_AT0 Wall_NP0 Street_NP0 Journal_NN1 ,_PUN including_PRP one_PNI highlighting_VVG how_AVQ several_DT0 Wuhan_NP0 lab_NN1 employees_NN2 became_VVD sick_AJ0 in_PRP fall_NN1 2019_CRD with_PRP covid-like_AJ0 symptoms_NN2 ,_PUN have_VHB boosted_VVN the_AT0 reexamination_NN1 ._SENT The_AT0 origin_NN1 of_PRF the_AT0 deadliest_AJS pandemic_AJ0 in_PRP recent_AJ0 memory_NN1 carries_VVZ enormous_AJ0 implications_NN2 for_PRP public_AJ0 health_NN1 —_PUN and_CJC beyond_AV0 ._SENT If_CJS investigators_NN2 point_VVB to_PRP China_NP0 ,_PUN one_CRD of_PRF the_AT0 most_AV0 powerful_AJ0 and_CJC sensitive_AJ0 countries_NN2 in_PRP the_AT0 world_NN1 ,_PUN it_PNP could_VM0 ignite_VVI a_AT0 global_AJ0 diplomatic_AJ0 firestorm_NN1 ._SENT Health_NN1 officials_NN2 complain_VVB that_CJT China_NP0 has_VHZ hampered_VVN investigations_NN2 into_PRP the_AT0 matter_NN1 ,_PUN and_CJC a_AT0 definitive_AJ0 finding_NN1 could_VM0 remain_VVI elusive_AJ0 despite_PRP Biden_NP0 's_POS directive_NN1 ._SENT 
