WASHINGTON — The CIA now believes the virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic most likely originated from a laboratory, according to an assessment released Saturday that points the finger at China even while acknowledging that the spy agency has “low confidence” in its own conclusion.

He has offered a vision for a more aggressive spy agency, and his focus on the threat from China is widely shared by Republican and Democratic lawmakers.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate confirmed former Texas Congressman John Ratcliffe to serve as the next director of the CIA on Thursday.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the CIA told senators during his confirmation hearing Wednesday that the nation’s premier spy agency must do a better job of staying ahead of global threats posed by Russia, China and other adversaries.

Negotiations broke down to hold a final vote on Trump's CIA nominee, prompting Senate GOP leadership to tee up procedural steps to advance John Ratcliffe and others.

Ratcliffe, 59, is the first person to have served as both director of national intelligence and chief of the CIA.

The CIA believes the COVID-19 virus likely originated from a laboratory — but acknowledges the spy agency has 'low confidence' in its own conclusion.

The former Texas lawmaker and prosecutor was Trump's national intelligence director in his first term. He vowed to reject White House political pressure

The Senate confirmed John Ratcliffe as CIA director on Thursday as Republicans work to approve officials to the top posts in his administration amid delays by Democrats.

The CIA on Saturday offered a new assessment on the origin of the Covid outbreak, saying the coronavirus is "more likely" to have leaked from a Chinese lab than to have come from animals. But the intelligence agency cautioned it had "low confidence" in this determination.

Along with this week's roll call votes, the House also passed a bill (H.R. 207), to direct the Secretary of Commerce to establish a task force regarding shark depredation.