Today’s 5 Things include how much trouble Rudy Giuliani might be in (spoiler: probably lots); the Wuhan lab leak “theory”; COVID-19 vaccinations in the US; COVID-19 on cruise ships; and “Havana Syndrome,” or that weird sonic attack/sickness US diplomats and spies are experiencing.
- CNN: Faulty redactions in court document show federal investigators seized more info in case against Rudy Giuliani than previously disclosed
- Washington Post: Timeline: How the Wuhan lab-leak theory suddenly became credible
- Guardian: Half of American adults fully vaccinated against Covid, Biden officials say
- Jalopnik: Cruise Ship Crew Gets COVID Without Any Passengers At All, Vaccinated Or Not
- New Yorker: Are U.S. Officials Under Silent Attack?
There’s two basic versions of the Wuhan lab leak story regarding COVID-19. One is that China developed and released the virus on purpose, and the other is that the virus was developed for “research purposes” at a lab in Wuhan and escaped accidentally. The evidence for either story or any of its various permutations seems mighty damn thin at best, and, as far as I can tell, is bolstered only by the fact that we can’t figure out where in the animal kingdom the virus may have spawned.
For the record, I am deeply dubious about this whole Wuhan lab leak thing. Here’s a good Twitter thread by Matt Tait, national security and information security expert, on why this “theory” is suspicious.
I dunno, folks. I guess it’s not technically impossible, but the Wuhan lab leak idea sounds like bullshit to me, so for now I’d take all that with a big ol’ grain of salt.
In other news, today is both the Glorious 25th of May, and Towel Day. So grab your towel and sprig of lilac, enjoy nerdy things, and remember to flip a few bucks to Alzheimer research.
Notes & Thoughts 