Investigation into COVID-19 Origins Sparks Controversy and Protests

The House panel investigating the U.S. government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic is holding a hearing on Tuesday, focusing on a paper by influential virologists who concluded in 2020 that the virus did not originate from a lab leak. Republicans allege that the paper represented a "coverup" orchestrated by Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Francis Collins. The scientists deny these allegations, stating that their conclusions were based on scientific data. The hearing comes amid a shift in public opinion, with a majority of Americans now favoring the lab-leak theory. The debate has riven the scientific community and strained relations between the U.S. and China.