Topic: Hubei Province

The hosts revisit "Rubisco," a plant protein derived from alfalfa, noting that a Saudi company is using unlimited water rights in Arizona to grow the crop. They debunk claims that broccoli contains as much protein as steak. The segment also features a viral story about a traditional Chinese dish from Hubei province called "suodiu," which consists of stir-fried rocks that are sucked for flavor and then discarded.

China is experiencing its longest heat wave on record, leading to a national drought alert and power cuts to factories in Sichuan. NPR reported that officials in Hubei province are using "experimental" cloud seeding methods, which the hosts clarify has been a standard practice for decades, involving silver iodide rather than "shooting metal" into the sky.

Dr. Peter Hotez advocates for a year-long scientific investigation in Hubei Province to unravel the origins of COVID-19, warning of future pandemics like COVID-26. Critics argue that the sudden shift toward investigating the lab leak theory is a distraction from other issues, such as the Bill and Melinda Gates divorce. The narrative is shifting toward a natural origin investigation despite previous dismissals of the lab leak hypothesis.

The hosts discuss the scheduled reopening of Wuhan on April 8 and the exclusion of asymptomatic cases from China's official counts. They also revisit the January arrest of Harvard Professor Charles Lieber and two Chinese nationals for their undisclosed ties to the Chinese government and the People's Liberation Army.

Reports from Spain highlight the use of an ice rink as a temporary morgue as the death toll surpassed China's official numbers. Meanwhile, in China's Hubei province, travel restrictions are being eased for families to reunite, though Wuhan remains under strict control for two more weeks.