🦠 Revisiting the lab leak theory

It’s Friday, March 1 — people are talking about the Bitcoin surge, the Covid lab leak theory, and more.

As always, we’ve summarized and organized the different shades of perspective, so you can see the big picture quickly. Here at Shades we believe that seeing multiple points of view is the best way to stay informed.

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- Jeff (co-founder of Shades)

🚀 The Bitcoin surge

Bitcoin is flirting with record highs, sparking a frenzy among investors and skeptics alike. Will it boom or bust?

🚀 Bitcoin is enjoying its largest monthly gain since December 2020. Yahoo Finance credits new exchange-traded funds and an expected rate cut by the Fed.

🚀 CNN says Bitcoin is succeeding despite the haters. It’s nearing record highs.

🚀 But ABC News wonders if the surge is sustainable. Fear the bubble!

🚀 Bubble or not, The Hill thinks Bitcoin's surge to $60k is a major market rebound any way you slice it. Remember when Bitcoin was at $20k?

🦠 Revisiting the lab leak theory

Where did Covid come from? Some blame animal spillover, others cry lab leak.

🦠 Years later, the origin of COVID-19 is still a big mystery. Reuters says the two big prevailing theories are animal transmission and lab leak. Conclusive evidence is elusive — we may never know the answer.

🦠 The Atlantic thinks it was animal spillover: A team of experts found evidence that Covid probably came from raccoon dogs.

🦠 But the WSJ says Covid probably originated in a lab: Covid's unique trails don't match natural evolution patterns. The media was wrong to dismiss the lab-leak theory as conspiracy.

🦠 Commentary agreed: Covid-19 likely originated from a Wuhan lab leak — there must be stricter regulations on gain-of-function research.

🦠 For what it's worth, a 2023 YouGov poll found that 66% of Americans think Covid came from a lab — and the belief cuts across party lines.

Quick hits

⚫ The Smokehouse Creek fire in Texas has become the state's largest wildfire, claiming lives and destroying homes.

📉 Stocks show little change with the Nasdaq hitting a record close for the first time in two years amid anticipation of inflation reports.

🤖 Elon Musk files a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it has strayed from its mission to benefit humanity.

🏀 Caitlin Clark's decision to enter the WNBA Draft causes a spike in ticket prices for Iowa basketball.

Thanks for reading. If you have any feedback or want to share your thoughts or ideas, please email me at [email protected].