President Joe Biden and China's Xi Jinping held a fifth call as leaders on Thursday, speaking for more than two hours as concerns mounted over a possible visit to Taiwan by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The call included discussions of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which China has yet to condemn, and attempts to manage competition between the world's two largest economies, whose ties have been increasingly clouded by tensions over democratically governed Taiwan, which Xi has vowed to reunite with the mainland, by force if necessary.

FIND OUT WHY XI WARNED BIDEN AGAINST 'PLAYING WITH FIRE'

Major semiconductor makers on Thursday hailed Congress' passage of a bill spending federal government money for new chip factories in the U.S., saying they were moving ahead on various projects that had been stalled awaiting funding. The "Chips and Science Act" authorizes about $52 billion in government subsidies for U.S. semiconductor production and research, and a $24 billion investment in tax credit for chip plants. The bipartisan bill is headed to President Joe Biden's desk for signing.

SEE THE PLANS CHIP MAKERS HAVE FOR MORE PRODUCTION

National Geographic and sustainable sneaker brand Cariuma launched a line of sneakers Wednesday inspired by the green turtle and the Madagascar gecko -- two species that are in danger of extinction. The shoes, which can be purchased on Cariuma’s website, come in different styles featuring different endangered animals. Each purchase of the new line will support The National Geographic Society, which is directly working to preserve endangered species and their habitats.

HOW TO GET A PAIR OF ENDANGERED SPECIES SNEAKERS

What year did National Geographic magazine launch, and by whom?

Thursday's answer: LEGO began producing an early version of the now familiar blocks in 1949, calling them "Automatic Binding Bricks".