U.S. and world news for Feb. 27

Origin of Covid-19: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has had investigators looking into the origin of Covid-19 and according to a classified intelligence report some of the investigators believe the pandemic was the result of a laboratory leak in China. However, reports make it clear that the DOE has not conclusively determined that a lab leak of the virus caused the outbreak. The intelligence report is said to state that there is “low confidence” that the virus leaked out from a Chinese lab.

SAG Awards: The actors in the movie “Everything Everywhere All at Once” walked away with the most awards at last night’s Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles. Individual winners included Jamie Lee Curtis, Ke Huy Quan and Michelle Yeoh. Sally Field received the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Walter Mirisch dies at 101: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced over the weekend that Hollywood producer Walter Mirisch has died at age 101. He produced best picture Oscar winners “West Side Story,” “The Apartment” and “In The Heat of the Night” and personally was awarded two honorary Oscars. Mirisch was president of the Academy from 1973 to 1977.

Human rights violations: United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres speaking to the Human Rights Council in Geneva this morning said that Russia is responsible for the most massive violation of human rights in the world today as a result of its invasion of Ukraine. He said the U.N. has documented some of the violations by the Russians.

Winter storm: Possible tornadoes were reported in Oklahoma yesterday as a result of the massive winter storm that is moving toward the Northeast today. Straight-line winds of up to 90 miles per hour also were recorded. Parts of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts are forecast to get up to five inches of snow and sleet tonight and into tomorrow.

Turkey earthquake: Another earthquake hit Turkey this morning. It registered 5.1 on the Richter scale, less severe than the other two major quakes over the past few weeks. Additional buildings collapsed from today’s quake and about 70 injuries were reported. The death toll from earthquakes in Turkey and Syria has surpassed 48,000 with an estimated 173,000 collapsed buildings in Turkey alone.