First Thing: FBI director endorses Covid lab leak theory

Comments fuel divide within US intelligence community on origins. Plus, Finland erects Russia border fence

Good morning.

Christopher Wray, the FBI director, has weighed in on the debate over the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic, endorsing the theory that it may have come from a leak in a Chinese laboratory.

Keeping an open mind. Some scientists and other observers argue that the lab leak theory cannot be ruled out and should be kept separate from the racist propaganda that often accompanies it.

‘Time is not on our side.’ The US Congress must act urgently to counter the economic and national security threats posed by the Chinese government, bipartisan lawmakers on a newly created committee have warned.

Biden administration enforcement escalation. The move was instantly hailed by members of the predominantly Black community around the plant as a major victory in their ongoing campaign for clean air.