>> people like me, we were completely shut down, called conspiracy theorists, and had our reputations attacked and savaged. >> reporter: late today republican lawmakers sent letters demanding information on covid origins and the chinese communist party's role in obscuring the truth. and separately demand the biden administration declassify all evidence related to a potential lab leak >> and kelly, it's not lost on any of us all this comes as tensions with china are growing. >> reporter: that's right, lester. from the spy balloon to intelligence that china may help arm russia in ukraine, and on covid china's been under intense scrutiny for failing to allow independent inspectors inside their labs. today china officials pushed back telling the u.s. to stop politicizing the origins of covid and to stop smearing china. lester >> kelly o'donnell, thank you. a new cycle of violence tonight in the mideast to report. the state department confirming an israeli with u.s. citizenship was killed by palestinian gunmen in