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<h1 data-aos="fade-down" id="daily-dose">Daily-Dose</h1>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" data-aos-anchor-placement="top-bottom" id="contents">Contents</h1>
<ul>
<li><a href="#from-new-yorker">From New Yorker</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-vox">From Vox</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-the-hindu-sports">From The Hindu: Sports</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-the-hindu-national-news">From The Hindu: National News</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-bbc-europe">From BBC: Europe</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-ars-technica">From Ars Technica</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-jokes-subreddit">From Jokes Subreddit</a></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-new-yorker">From New Yorker</h1>
<ul>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Dont Believe Donald Trump: A Failure to Raise the Debt Ceiling Would Be Disastrous</strong> - The ex-Presidents intervention has made a fraught situation even more complicated. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/dont-believe-donald-trump-a-failure-to-raise-the-debt-ceiling-would-be-disastrous">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>The Vanishing Acts of Vladimir Putin</strong> - One of the seeming paradoxes of the Russian President is the degree to which he is at once a unitary micromanager and an absent, aloof, and often indecisive leader. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/the-vanishing-acts-of-vladimir-putin">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>The Salmon in the Sky</strong> - A painted plane that flew the Alaskan coast. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/afterword/the-salmon-in-the-sky">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>“Debt-Limit Terror” Is No Way to Run a Superpower</strong> - On the latest round of the Republicans dangerous game. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/letter-from-bidens-washington/debt-limit-terror-is-no-way-to-run-a-superpower">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Why Erdoğan Prevailed in a Battle of Competing Turkish Nationalisms</strong> - As the country heads to a Presidential runoff, will the aftermath of a devastating earthquake hold more sway than old narratives of grievance? - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a/why-erdogan-prevailed-in-a-battle-of-competing-turkish-nationalisms">link</a></p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-vox">From Vox</h1>
<ul>
<li><strong>More mammograms are a good thing … right?</strong> -
<figure>
<img alt="A finger pointing to a spot on a mammography scan of a breast." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Aq37UeVUOg5DHbwa43m6arlNo-k=/441x0:1881x1080/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72295060/Vox_1238822195.0.jpg"/>
<figcaption>
Michael Hanschke/picture alliance via Getty Images
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The new breast cancer screening recommendations for women over 40 are surprisingly fraught.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="5Yzox5">
On May 9, the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) released a <a href="https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/public-comments-and-nominations/opportunity-for-public-comment">draft</a> of their new guidelines on who should be screened for breast cancer. The biggest change: recommending that women with average breast cancer risk start getting mammograms every two years beginning at 40, <a href="https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/breast-cancer-screening">instead of starting at age 50.</a>
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="o7VsBX">
According to the recommendations authors, the <a href="https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/draft-recommendation/breast-cancer-screening-adults#bcei-recommendation-title-area">reasons</a> for the change included a noticeable increase in breast cancer cases among women in their 40s between 2015 and 2019, as well as a higher likelihood of late cancer diagnoses — and of dying due to breast cancer — among Black women in particular.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="yphKpL">
“The most important thing for women to know is to begin screening at the age of 40, because it just might save your life,” said USPSTF chair Carol Mangione in a <a href="https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/draft-recommendation/breast-cancer-screening-adults">video</a> on the USPSTF website.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="B6Ast7">
But a number of experts say its not that simple. For a test so often touted as lifesaving, theres a surprising <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4582264/">lack</a><a href="https://theconversation.com/routine-mammograms-do-not-save-lives-the-research-is-clear-84110"> of</a><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34703006/"> consensus</a> about how much mammography actually prolongs lives, and whether the unnecessary medical care mammograms sometimes lead to is worth their benefits.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="kzrn0h">
Breast cancer causes more than <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/basic_info/index.htm#:~:text=Each%20year%20in%20the%20United,What%20Is%20Breast%20Cancer%3F">42,000 deaths</a> in the US each year, and <a href="https://www.cancer.org/content/dam/cancer-org/research/cancer-facts-and-statistics/breast-cancer-facts-and-figures/2022-2024-breast-cancer-fact-figures-acs.pdf">about 40 percent</a> more Black women die due to breast cancer than do white women. The <a href="https://www.bcrf.org/blog/black-women-and-breast-cancer-why-disparities-persist-and-how-end-them/">causes of this disparity</a> are complex — and recommending more mammograms to all Americans as the solution comes with increased physical, emotional, and economic costs.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="p5QvkB">
Will they be worth it? Lets get realistic about what these recommendations can and cant do.
</p>
<h3 id="erWW2e">
The new recommendations can increase rates of breast cancer diagnosis and treatment — which is both good and bad
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="469T4Q">
The USPSTFs recommendations offer guidance on how to use mammograms for screening average-risk people. Thats worth keeping in mind for a couple of reasons. First, higher-risk people — like those with family histories of breast cancer — <a href="https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/breast-cancer/screening-tests-and-early-detection/american-cancer-society-recommendations-for-the-early-detection-of-breast-cancer.html">may need to be screened differently</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="liZ8tO">
Additionally, not every mammogram that gets done is for screening: These recommendations do not apply to, for example, someone who detects a lump in their breast. (In that scenario, because the person has a symptom before they get the test, the mammogram is a diagnostic test — and the <a href="https://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/diagnostic-mammogram/#:~:text=A%20mammogram%20is%20an%20x,physician%20to%20check%20the%20tissue.">procedure</a> and <a href="https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/-/media/Project/Websites/mdhhs/Keeping-Michigan-Healthy/CancerDocuments/BC3NP/Clinical/BC3NPBCFUAlgorithmsPY01.pdf?rev=4716e92c93e94616897ac6565c018fcf&amp;hash=B3422E7F6B2F0584D7C3C1D3977655D3">what follows</a> are a little different.)
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="2iLsGp">
When screening tests work, they find medical problems early, before people have any indication that they might have that problem. Mammograms can do this, flagging tiny changes associated with <a href="https://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/types-of-breast-cancer/">many types of breast cancer</a>. Some breast cancers are slow-moving while others grow quickly; some are treatment-responsive and others are resistant to treatment; some readily invade other tissues and others resolve on their own. Mammograms can help spot them all.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="pG9eRD">
But they can also detect lots of breast changes that <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2790523">arent actually abnormal</a>, like benign texture differences in the breast tissue called <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/22080-fibrocystic-breasts">fibrocystic changes</a>. Trouble is, theyre not great at distinguishing whats harmful from whats benign. For that reason, abnormal mammograms are generally followed by a cascade of <a href="https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/-/media/Project/Websites/mdhhs/Keeping-Michigan-Healthy/CancerDocuments/BC3NP/Clinical/BC3NPBCFUAlgorithmsPY01.pdf?rev=4716e92c93e94616897ac6565c018fcf&amp;hash=B3422E7F6B2F0584D7C3C1D3977655D3">other evaluations</a> to help determine whats going on, depending on what theyve found.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="U4BnX7">
Increasing the number of mammograms people get can increase the number of abnormalities that get diagnosed and will lead to more follow-up ultrasounds, biopsies, and other procedures. It can also increase the number of people getting treated for conditions judged to be cancerous, with a range of surgeries, chemotherapies, and radiation treatments.
</p>
<h3 id="Rug1qt">
But how much more premature breast cancer death can all this added care prevent? Thats not a simple question to answer.
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Hm91bL">
The thing about breast cancer is that most types are so slow-moving and so responsive to therapy that even if people dont get breast cancer treatment until they first notice a lump, theyre still <a href="https://moffitt.org/cancers/invasive-ductal-carcinoma/diagnosis/stages/">highly likely</a> to survive the cancer.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="sec-3">
Yes, diagnosis in early stages of these cancers leads to <a href="https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/breast-cancer/understanding-a-breast-cancer-diagnosis/breast-cancer-survival-rates.html">better outcomes</a> than late-stage diagnoses — but those early stages last a while, with the median time around <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9011255/">10 years</a> altogether.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="yPrWpq">
(About <a href="https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/breast-cancer/about/types-of-breast-cancer/triple-negative.html">one in 10</a> breast cancers diagnosed in the US are very aggressive and resistant to treatment, and they usually move too quickly to be caught by a mammogram done only once every two years.)
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="4SdR4H">
That means that for people who are vigilant about changes in their bodies and have decent access to health care, the value-add of mammograms over simply being aware of your body is actually pretty small.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="t9qU3M">
“The better we get able to treat a disease, the less important it becomes to find it,” said <a href="https://csph.brighamandwomens.org/theplus_team_member/welch-gilbert/">Gilbert Welch</a>, a senior researcher at Brigham and Womens Hospital in Boston who studies cancer overdiagnosis. In other words, when we find treatments that work at many different stages of disease, the benefits of early diagnosis shrink dramatically. For breast cancer, that treatment is the anti-hormonal therapies that emerged in the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2566956/">1990s</a> and dramatically changed breast cancer survival rates.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="bJJ7F3">
A recent <a href="https://lowninstitute.org/earlier-screening-for-breast-cancer-benefits-and-harms/">analysis</a> by the Lown Institute, a nonprofit health care think tank, highlighted some key USPSTF figures, which show the limits of mammograms in a helpful way.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="9FT1un">
The analysis imagines a world without screening mammograms, in which women seek evaluation for breast cancer only when they notice a breast lump or other concerning symptoms. According to <a href="https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/document/draft-modeling-report/breast-cancer-screening-adults">the USPSTFs models</a>, about 28 out of every 1,000 women in this world would die from breast cancer at some point in their lives.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="cInpxy">
Then, lets look at what the previous guidelines — recommending regular mammograms starting at age 50 — can accomplish. If all women adhered to those guidelines, then seven of those breast cancer deaths would be prevented.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="uwmyoF">
However, the USPSTF estimates those mammograms would also result in 1,021 false-positive mammograms and<strong> </strong>148 biopsies that turn out to be benign. It would also lead to 10 cases of overdiagnosis — that is, treatment of a cancer that never would have harmed them to begin with.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="LPn9u6">
Thats bad. False-positive mammograms are associated with <a href="https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/13/4/e072188.long">psychological consequences</a>, such as anxiety and sleep issues, that persist for years afterward. And the unnecessary surgeries, medications, and radiotherapies that follow breast cancer overdiagnosis cost the US an estimated <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25847639/">$4 billion a year</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="plDMhy">
Now, what can we expect under the new guidelines, with the mammogram age starting at 40? The USPSTF projects that would save an additional two of those 1,000 women from a breast cancer death (technically, one and a half; the authors rounded up). But significant added harms would come with all of those extra positive mammograms: This scenario leads to an additional 62 benign biopsies and two additional overdiagnosed cases.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="FuOHmm">
What all of this means is that<strong> </strong>the new recommendations can potentially lead to a lot of unnecessary, and potentially harmful, care. To some people, those trade-offs, even if they harm hundreds of people, are worth saving even one extra life.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="43YoRV">
What complicates things even further is that these are calculations set in the ideal world of a statistical model. The complexity of the real world leads to some changes in the math, especially for Black women.
</p>
<h3 id="vOzY9x">
The new recommendations can give Black women in particular an on-ramp to breast cancer care — but they cant map the rest of the route
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="8zYIlV">
These models assume that every one of these 1,000 hypothetical women is equally watchful and attentive to changes in their bodies, and seek medical evaluation and care when they notice somethings off. They also assume that each has equal access to a medical system that provides the same quality of care to all of them.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="UMNfnI">
But we know that latter part isnt the American reality. Decades of economic and residential segregation mean Black Americans are <a href="https://tcf.org/content/report/racism-inequality-health-care-african-americans/">more likely to be uninsured</a> and to live in areas without readily available health care providers and facilities. Furthermore, the legacy of medical racism translates to <a href="https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/newsletter-article/2021/jan/medical-mistrust-among-black-americans#:~:text=Medical%20Mistrust%20and%20Its%20Impacts,it's%20worse%20among%20Black%20Americans.&amp;text=In%20an%20October%202020%20poll,percent%20say%20they%20distrust%20it.">high levels of distrust</a> in medical providers among Black Americans. And Black women with breast cancer receive <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14531494/">lower doses</a> of breast cancer chemotherapy compared with white women.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="rwyEQ6">
As a result, even if Black women notice breast changes that may be associated with cancer, they may be less likely to seek and receive evaluation for those changes, and to get appropriate care when they do.<strong> </strong>
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="1AAG2v">
That delay means many Black women only start treatment <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17101943/">in the later stages</a> of <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7789230/">disease</a>, once the cancer is more likely to have spread beyond their breasts. These kinds of treatment differences explain, at least in part, why<strong> </strong>even Black women with treatable breast cancers have <a href="https://ascopubs.org/doi/full/10.1200/JCO.2017.73.7932">worse outcomes</a> than do women of other racial and ethnic groups.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="HZsKb9">
Black women also more often have the rarer, particularly aggressive <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5604720/">triple-negative breast cancers</a>, so named because their cells dont carry any of the three targets at which the most effective treatments take aim. These cancers, which make up around <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmolb.2022.836417">20 percent</a> of all US breast cancers and have <a href="https://seer.cancer.gov/statistics-network/explorer/application.html?site=55&amp;data_type=4&amp;graph_type=5&amp;compareBy=subtype&amp;chk_subtype_622=622&amp;chk_subtype_623=623&amp;chk_subtype_620=620&amp;chk_subtype_621=621&amp;series=9&amp;sex=3&amp;race=1&amp;age_range=1&amp;stage=101&amp;advopt_precision=1&amp;advopt_show_ci=on&amp;hdn_view=0&amp;advopt_show_apc=on&amp;advopt_display=2#resultsRegion0">lower survival rates</a> than other types, are <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6744285/">at least twice as likely</a> to be diagnosed in Black women than in white women, especially <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36895969/">at younger ages</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="4emKUw">
The role of mammograms in improving these cancers outcomes is unclear: Triple-negative breast cancers are generally <a href="https://www.annalsofoncology.org/article/S0923-7534(19)37639-2/fulltext">harder to see and progress far more quickly</a> than other cancer types, making them hard to catch at early stages by a test done only every one or two years. Although magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is better at diagnosing these cancers, its <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8178936/">cost and resource demands</a> are barriers to using it as a population-wide screening tool.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="wApDY8">
The more common and more treatable breast cancers are where the new recommendations could potentially help by giving Black women an on-ramp to earlier cancer care. In this sense, regularly scheduled mammograms — which are <a href="https://www.verywellhealth.com/find-free-or-low-cost-mammograms-429861">covered by all US insurance plans</a> and are often available free for uninsured people — could make an end-run around some of the many reasons women might let a breast lump go unevaluated for years.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="NY8Rep">
Because routine mammograms could help improve access to care among Black women with treatable cancers whod otherwise lack a treatment entry point, this group could have more to gain than lose from getting more mammograms. In USPSTFs models, the number of Black womens lives saved by routine mammograms was slightly higher than in the general population, no matter at what age they started.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="lxbJCy">
What the recommendations dont (and cant) do is plot out a route for after the on-ramp.
</p>
<h3 id="oYWl3L">
More mammograms arent the solution to the biggest problems in breast cancer
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="aqfabA">
The USPSTF didnt restrict its new recommendations to Black women alone: It recommended it for all women. That also means more mammograms for women who have already effectively maxed out the benefit they could get from the screening test. In that group, the recommendation will likely lead to more benign biopsies, more overdiagnoses, and more harm.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="r56vxX">
Some researchers have <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2803948">suggested</a> starting screening mammograms at different ages in different racial and ethnic groups based on these considerations. However, the USPSTF opted not to do that.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="TZ1Q4q">
USPSTF member and internist John Wong told Vox in an email that rising rates of breast cancer among younger women of all racial and ethnic backgrounds provoked the choice. Younger women stand to have more years of life saved when a mammogram diagnoses a breast cancer in them than in an older person, he said. “Fundamentally, with more women being diagnosed at younger ages, each life that is saved from dying of breast cancer means even more years that women have to live after a diagnosis,” he said.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="39Mu8Y">
Thats true — if the early diagnosis is what saved their life. But its possible these younger women wouldve survived the same duration even with a later diagnosis.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="pIdMTI">
<a href="https://lowninstitute.org/staff/shannon-brownlee/">Shannon Brownlee</a>, a special adviser to Lowns president, said the new recommendations mean “exposing a large population of women to overdiagnosis and overtreatment — which is harmful, we know that — in order to fix the fact that poor women and Black women have poor access to health care.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="7PfaJ0">
Furthermore, they dont actually fix the health care access disparities at the root of the problem, she said, because they do nothing to address barriers to getting timely care for cancers identified during those screenings.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="gh5igK">
“Maybe itll help some women who really didnt have access” to health care, she said, “but they still dont have access: You can get your mammogram now for free, but then you cant get treated because your insurance isnt adequate.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="62eLAm">
It “just seems like a really dumb way to fix that problem,” she said. “This is really a travesty. Frankly, I think its going to harm a lot of women.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Y80ReF">
Instead of increasing the number of mammograms, it would be far more beneficial to research and identify the environmental, genetic, and other potential causes of triple-negative breast cancers that create added risk for Black women, said Brownlee.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="0wdOUH">
Also critical, she said, is addressing racial inequities in health care access.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="8zwVcn">
Many studies have documented how differences in environment, insurance coverage, and treatment likely <a href="https://www.bcrf.org/blog/black-women-and-breast-cancer-why-disparities-persist-and-how-end-them/">contribute to breast cancer mortality inequities</a> and<a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/data-shows-massive-disparity-in-excess-deaths-among-black-americans"> also drive</a> Black Americans <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2804822">dramatically worse mortality</a> more broadly. Fixing these inequities is generationally important work that urgently demands the attention of American policymakers, scholars, and health care institutions.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="1Zhkfg">
But more mammograms wont solve these problems, said Welch. “You cant screen your way out of health disparities.”
</p>
<h3 id="hVUMTL">
Whats a person with breasts to do?
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="8n2tfD">
The new recommendations are still just in draft form and will be open for public comment through <a href="https://uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/announcements/public-comment-draft-recommendation-statement-draft-evidence-review-and-draft-modeling-report-screening-breast-cancer">June 5</a>. But things might not get much clearer even once theyre finalized. Meanwhile, whats a woman with average breast-cancer risk to do?
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="3tKG9R">
Welch urges viewing the recommendations in a bigger context. “No one should think this is the most important thing they do for their health,” he said. Instead, people should do “what their grandmother would have told them 40 years ago: Eat your fruits and vegetables, go play outside, run around, find things that give your life meaning, exercise.” he said. “And dont smoke. Whatever you do, dont smoke.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="t3yiV9">
Even if you opt out of mammograms, being aware of your body and seeking care for early warning signs and for other general preventive care makes sense. (The USPSTF officially <a href="https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/home/getfilebytoken/zESNSGqmKFpJWqNb573WXC">recommended against</a> breast self-exams in 2009, but some research suggests the practice <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4179105/">still has value</a>, especially in <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0002961009003560">high-risk groups</a>, like those with personal or family breast cancer histories or who carry certain genetic mutations.)
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="rS38bo">
Its understandable if, even knowing all of this, some people still want regular screening mammograms.<strong> </strong>If he had to write the mammography guidelines, Welch would tell people that getting a mammogram is a choice. Although women who notice a breast lump should seek care immediately, viewing their breasts as ticking time bombs can itself create a sense of unwellness, he said.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="VwIQRQ">
“You develop a new problem, come see the doctor,” said Welch. “But this whole question of to what extent you should see your body as a laboratory, you need to be testing it every other day — I think thats a recipe for a sick society.”
</p></li>
<li><strong>What a debt default could mean for Americas superpower status</strong> -
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/iyjmHiQZpGTAMExCExsuwQdAL_g=/0x0:4929x3697/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72295002/1483917249.0.jpg"/>
<figcaption>
US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen listens during an open session of a Financial Stability Oversight Council meeting at the Department of the Treasury on April 21, 2023, in Washington, DC.  | Alex Wong/Getty Images
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The showdown will cause a global crisis — and that has real implications for US influence.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="mROrdI">
In case you havent heard, the United States is in the middle of a <a href="https://www.vox.com/policy/2023/5/6/23707949/debt-ceiling-crisis-budget-deal-questions">perilous debt-ceiling showdown</a>. <a href="https://www.vox.com/congress">Congress</a> needs to expand the amount of <a href="https://www.vox.com/money">money</a> the US can legally<strong> </strong>borrow, but <a href="https://www.vox.com/politics/2023/5/16/23724602/debt-ceiling-negotiations-house-republicans">Republicans</a> and the Biden White House cant agree on the terms.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="D1mRUv">
That is pushing America closer and closer to the <a href="https://www.vox.com/policy/2023/5/6/23707949/debt-ceiling-crisis-budget-deal-questions">date of default</a>, which means America wont be able to pay its bills. That would, as youve also probably heard, cause economic pandemonium in the United States, but also abroad, potentially triggering a global financial crisis and recession.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="TieoEj">
Sounds bad — because it is. The US political dysfunction will engulf the rest of the world because America anchors the global financial system. US Treasury bonds and the dollar have traditionally been seen as risk-free. If the US defaults, they wont be that reliable any longer — but that readjustment cant happen overnight, either.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="JdUkzQ">
The US is already starting to look like a much more chaotic bet. And if America defaults, that could accelerate and<strong> </strong>have profound implications for the United Statess global influence. US power and geopolitical leverage have very much to do with its financial dominance. Its how the US can wield sanctions to <a href="https://www.vox.com/22968949/russia-sanctions-swift-economy-mcdonalds">punish Russia for its Ukraine invasion</a>, or <a href="https://armscontrolcenter.org/fact-sheet-north-korea-sanctions/">North Korea for its nuclear weapons program. </a>Suddenly, the world looks very different if, say, central banks start buying up more reserves of euros or Chinese renminbi.
</p>
<aside id="BZiewU">
<div>
</div>
</aside>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="hOoCYB">
To be clear, the world is nowhere near that yet, but as Marcus Noland, executive vice president and director of studies at the Peterson Institute for International Economics said, a US default “gives that process a nice shove.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="6Zf8XD">
Vox spoke with Noland about what were actually talking about when we talk about a US debt default causing a global crisis, and what some of the longer-term implications of that might be for America and the rest of the world.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="rgiAlW">
The conversation, edited and condensed for length and clarity, is below.
</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="HA4dDr"/>
<h4 id="5JbhlL">
Jen Kirby
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="I3Hc1Q">
When we talk about a possible US default, we often say some version of it could cause a <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/cea/written-materials/2021/10/06/life-after-default/">“global financial crisis.”</a> What does that mean?
</p>
<h4 id="0TUKDw">
Marcus Noland
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="mfg0FP">
US Treasury bonds act as a kind of risk-free benchmark on which many, many, many, many, many other financial transactions around the world are based, so that your mortgage, or commercial real estate — all sorts of transactions — are linked, ultimately, to the prices for US Treasury bonds, and the interest rates that are implied by those prices.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="HRrAvm">
It can get way beyond just things like mortgages or commercial real estate interest rates, but other kinds of transactions as well. This could be in all kinds of financial markets, and its not limited to the United States. There are markets around the world that ultimately are benchmarked against this standard of a risk-free asset.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="tFR4o1">
If that market freezes up and there are no longer transactions [around US Treasury bonds], and those prices are no longer observable, or the markets become so thin and fragmentary that the prices become highly unstable and erratic, that will cascade into other markets. Not only will the US Treasury market itself be affected, but all these other markets that are ultimately linked to it are affected as well.
</p>
<h4 id="y2k2y7">
Jen Kirby
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="8swZw5">
So the value of other contracts is pinned to the value of the US Treasury bond?
</p>
<h4 id="ozYNp4">
Marcus Noland
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="WNP2g4">
There may be a contract in which the interest rate on this particular contract is some margin above a specific US Treasury issuance. If that US Treasury issuance essentially no longer exists, if theres no price, then that [other] contract basically has no price.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="qLYwZr">
Once the market for US Treasuries freezes up, then that will have a cascading effect, within the United States, but globally as well, as other financial contracts that are ultimately linked to that risk-free benchmark can no longer function, either.
</p>
<h4 id="Y7Pjhe">
Jen Kirby
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="S1cnDT">
Essentially, it takes this standard that everyone is using, and it just throws it completely out of whack because you dont have a fixed point to compare it to — so you dont even know what youre supposed to be paying.
</p>
<h4 id="nhVqWK">
Marcus Noland
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="1FQn0k">
Exactly, exactly. You lose that fixed point. Thats a good way of putting it. It would be sort of like if Greenwich Mean Time disappeared. You wouldnt even know what time it was because everything is measured against Greenwich Mean Time.
</p>
<h4 id="6TrJMy">
Jen Kirby
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="rYhwua">
Outside of the United States, are there countries or markets or industries that are particularly vulnerable if that were to happen?
</p>
<aside id="vCL5nk">
<div>
</div>
</aside>
<h4 id="RYr0go">
Marcus Noland
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="VieWJZ">
Ive mentioned, obviously, things like housing, commercial real estate here in the United States, but essentially, anybody who holds US Treasuries would be at risk. And that includes foreign central banks, that includes foreign financial intermediaries or American intermediaries that sell services to foreigners based on US Treasuries, or securities that are benchmarked off of US Treasuries. Think of pension funds. Think of banks. I mean, it would be taking the cornerstone out of the entire modern <a href="https://www.vox.com/business-and-finance">finance</a> global financial system.
</p>
<h4 id="7Pd3rz">
Jen Kirby
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="htEWBc">
It sounds like immediate chaos. What might happen next?
</p>
<h4 id="UIS02T">
Marcus Noland
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="dLWPxX">
I honestly dont know what large holders of US Treasuries would do. For example, foreign central banks. You can imagine an alternative system in which bonds issued by the European Central Bank, or bonds issued by the Bank of England, or other major central banks around the world, could start to form that new set of benchmarks. And you could essentially reconstruct contracts, linking them to those instruments as kind of the risk-free benchmark. But theres a reason why the dollar is, and US Treasuries are, the benchmark, and not the euro and bonds issued by the European Central Bank or the Bank of England or something. In some long-run sense, they might play an equivalent role, but they dont play that role today.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="aj8pVM">
Its not like there are no alternatives to the dollar-based system. But the dollar and US Treasuries are the dominant vehicles for this function in the international financial system.
</p>
<h4 id="Nw2yzn">
Jen Kirby
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="u2isML">
Even if the US does not default, this showdown is coming closer to the edge — and may be a feature, not a bug, of our political system. How do you think that is influencing how the rest of the world thinks about US Treasury bonds and the dollar in the longer term?
</p>
<h4 id="cryBbK">
Marcus Noland
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="xdYAOS">
The dollar can play a variety of roles, and US Treasuries play a variety of roles. The use of the dollar and US Treasury securities as central bank reserves has been declining over time, but its still by far the largest. It accounts for <a href="https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF11707">about 60 percent of global central bank reserves</a>, and no other currency comes close. <a href="https://www.imf.org/en/Blogs/Articles/2021/05/05/blog-us-dollar-share-of-global-foreign-exchange-reserves-drops-to-25-year-low">The euro is in second [at about 20 percent]</a>. And then I think after that, everything else is in single digits. So theres already a trend away from the dollar, but its a slow-moving trend.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="VHejDd">
Likewise, its hard to get data on trade invoicing. But the International Monetary Fund and other groups have tried to collect such data. It appears that the dollar is the predominant currency used in international trade. The Chinese are denominating a lot of their trade in renminbi. <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/business/2023/04/05/chinas-yuan-gains-traction-as-international-trade-settlement-currency/">So that is already rising</a>, and that process is further along. The use of non-dollar currencies for trade invoicing has moved along further than for central bank reserves.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ssj8lZ">
And then you can look at things like: How is it used in portfolio investment around the world? In this situation, of course, people are going to be moving away from the dollar. The question is, how rapidly and to what other alternatives?
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="FEF25A">
Periodically, there has been a thought that some other currency might challenge the US dollar for supremacy. Back in the late 1980s, people thought maybe it would be the Japanese yen. But the Japanese didnt want to do the things that would be necessary to make the yen more widely used around the world. So that moment passed.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="4uvHLi">
Then the euro was created in 1999. People thought the euro could be an alternative to the dollar. But this was an untested central bank that was governed by a whole group of countries. Thats not the same thing as the US Treasury and the US Federal Reserve. And so while the euro has gained use in all sorts of ways, it has not supplanted the dollar.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="8W7hVg">
Now the interest is with the Chinese renminbi. Here, the story gets more interesting because <a href="https://www.vox.com/china">China</a> is a non-Western country with a set of diplomatic interests and political values that seem to be quite distinct from those held in the United States and the West more broadly. It is thought that the rise of China and the potential use of the renminbi could present a greater political challenge to the United States, which leads to your interest in sanctions and foreign policy.
</p>
<h4 id="fHwLUF">
Jen Kirby
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="qLzG11">
Yep, lets talk sanctions.
</p>
<h4 id="sWS4H7">
Marcus Noland
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="HYnna0">
Because the dollar is the dominant currency, that has implications for United States foreign policy.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="KZgzUn">
The US can use its control over dollar deposits in the United States as a direct lever for sanctions, as we have done in the case of <a href="https://www.vox.com/22968949/russia-sanctions-swift-economy-mcdonalds">Russia and its invasion of Ukraine.</a>
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="jdGK2Y">
[The US] can also use the vast and lucrative US financial market as a lever to gain compliance with economic sanctions. For example, in the 2000s, <a href="https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/js2720">the United States sanctioned a small bank in Macao called Banco Delta Asia,</a> which was a small, obscure bank, but it turned out it was one of only two banks that North Korea used. When the US put sanctions on Banco Delta Asia and got the Macanese authorities to freeze North Korean holdings in the bank, it crippled North Korean international exchange. Ultimately, the Macanese authorities and the Peoples Bank of China were willing to go along with this because they took a look around and they said — obviously, Im making these numbers up for illustrative purposes — “you know, were doing $10,000 worth of business with the North Koreans. Were doing $10 billion worth of business with the United States. Were going to do the commercially prudent thing and throw this troublesome small customer overboard to maintain access to the US market.” The centrality of the dollar and the size of the US financial markets gives leverage in that regard.
</p>
<aside id="RWXbxd">
<div>
</div>
</aside>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="C4bnIG">
The final way is — and Im going to use an example with respect to North Korea — when youre doing dollar transactions, those dollar transactions pass through banks in the United States, and through the US Federal Reserve System. And so we can watch what youre doing. We can block transactions. We can use all that data, we have to suss out what front companies may be operating to do illicit transactions that we dont want to happen. When it comes to North Korea and, say, missile proliferation or their nuclear program, we can use our information on dollar transactions to figure out who the front companies are and how theyre linked, and then we can go after them in terms of trying to impede these transactions that we want to stop.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="C0yYL6">
If you have a rise in the renminbi and have the development of alternative messaging systems to SWIFT and those transactions — especially if you have a central bank digital currency, the e-Chinese yuan, and those transactions are going through the Peoples Bank of China, theyre not going through the New York Fed, then we cant see them. And so now, if youre the North Koreans, and you want to do some nuclear program work or missile proliferation, you can run your transactions through Chinese banks in Chinese currency and never use the dollar, it never enters the American radar system. And so if youre in the United States, and you want to impede these activities, the rise of the renminbi as an alternative to the dollar can really impede the effectiveness of US sanctions activities.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="bIJODl">
For all three of those reasons, an erosion of the status of the US dollar and the centrality of the dollar or dominance of the dollar will lessen the ability of the United States to carry out certain forms of economic or financial diplomacy or sanctions policy.
</p>
<h4 id="7Hktn3">
Jen Kirby
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="66BFC7">
How does the <a href="https://www.vox.com/2023/5/9/23715753/debt-ceiling-limit-default-deal-crisis">debt ceiling</a> showdown tie into that, exactly?
</p>
<h4 id="kNtvoO">
Marcus Noland
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="LlkYK7">
Theres this massive loss of confidence in the dollar, and massive reappraisal of the riskiness of the United States, and youre looking around for alternatives.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="hLcY1M">
Now I want to make clear, the renminbi is not going to immediately replace the dollar. The Chinese have capital controls. Their internal financial markets are large, but theyre relatively unsophisticated. If you were a foreign investor, you cannot hedge and swap risk in China like you can in New York. Finally, the issue of lack of constraint on executive authority — maybe we dont have enough executive authority here — but they have excessive amounts. You might be a little concerned about putting yourself at the whim of Xi Jinping.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="a4UZ6k">
So its not like the renminbi is immediately going to replace the dollar. But this is more like a self-inflicted thing by the United States, which then encourages people to start looking around for alternatives.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="4DnErK">
The most likely ones will be the euro and the renminbi. In the long run, we may end up in a situation, such as some people argue we existed in prior to the First World War, where you have multiple currencies all kind of existing together. Theres not a single dominant currency. You could imagine, eventually, in however many years, the dollar, the euro, and the renminbi kind of playing a similar role in the 21st century.
</p>
<h4 id="WncWkE">
Jen Kirby
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="h7syCv">
So its not like this will happen overnight, but these debt showdowns, and the possibility of default, may accelerate that decline of the dollars dominance.
</p>
<aside id="FvHCZx">
<div>
</div>
</aside>
<h4 id="h9Hz6D">
Marcus Noland
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="JtcoqU">
Exactly. It gives that process a nice shove.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="iRn2EC">
What it will do in China is — China, like I said, they have capital controls; their markets arent as well developed as ours are; they have an executive that doesnt have a lot of constraints on his behavior. But China may say to themselves, “This is presenting us with an opportunity. If we start to get rid of the capital controls, if we develop more sophisticated markets, if we tie the executives hands more, we may make the renminbi more attractive to others.” So it might also elicit a kind of response within China that would help propel or facilitate the internationalization of the Chinese yuan.
</p>
<h4 id="vDhVs3">
Jen Kirby
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="tkRPos">
But I wonder, is a global financial market where different currencies have more parity necessarily a bad thing?
</p>
<h4 id="1oaG1e">
Marcus Noland
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="8BrcJB">
No. Thats the world that existed, basically, at the end of the 19th century, in the first stage of globalization, and it seemed to work okay. But it means that the US would have less power and influence.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="hybHfG">
In a pure economic sense, no: You can have a multi-currency world. The fact that we have vast increases in electronic capabilities and development of digital currencies will reduce the transaction cost of moving from one currency to another. There might be some efficiency gain from having a single currency, but theres not going to be huge efficiency loss from having several currencies operating in that way.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="k8A4m1">
The big change would be the loss of US geopolitical influence.
</p>
<h4 id="sIWc9n">
Jen Kirby
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="D0k8ap">
Is there anything else about a potential US debt default that you wanted to flag?
</p>
<h4 id="WvYkJA">
Marcus Noland
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="mGoGv1">
I mean, everybody loses.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="5Si5gG">
Low-income countries will be vulnerable because a lot of them borrow in dollars, but everybody will be vulnerable. If you want to bring it home to Americans, you could disrupt their pension systems and pension payments and their mortgage and everything else. And then the foreign policy aspect is the US is advantaged by the centrality of the dollar and our Federal Reserve System in global finance. If that starts to disappear, then our ability to use financial sanctions for things like dealing with North Korea start to erode as well.
</p></li>
<li><strong>How the Disney villain disappeared</strong> -
<figure>
<img alt="Ursula in “The Little Mermaid”: A sea witch, aka a woman with an octopus body and human head with a short spiky haircut." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/-X38BAOIcLgWRufDM-dzg4HdgXQ=/94x0:1830x1302/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72294920/Screen_Shot_2023_05_08_at_4.28.30_PM.0.png"/>
<figcaption>
The original 1989 Ursula (voiced by Pat Carroll) in all her glory. | © 1989 Walt Disney Studios. All rights reserved.
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The live-action Little Mermaid is a reminder of what movies like Encanto and Frozen II dont have: a bad guy.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="59KDwu">
When <a href="https://www.vox.com/disney">Disney</a>s live-action remake of <em>The</em> <em>Little Mermaid</em> is released on May 26, audiences will finally get to see Melissa McCarthys take on one of the most iconic villains of all time: Ursula. The sea-witch octopus, originally voiced by Pat Carroll and modeled after drag queen Divine, is the epitome of a classic Disney baddie: unabashedly evil and self-serving, with a campy anthem to boot. But with a new version of this character back on our screens, you might realize that its been quite some time since Disney has produced an antagonist as brazenly wicked as Ursula. That kind of unbridled villainy has become a relic of sorts in the animation studios latest original storytelling, which might have you wondering: Where are all the bad guys?
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="O32wwj">
Once a staple of Disneys animated features, particularly musicals, villains have slowly been phased out in favor of stories like <em>Frozen II</em> or <em>Encanto</em> that focus more on our heros inner conflict with themselves. Rather than face off against an evil archetype working toward their downfall, our current generation of heroes are fighting their own demons, acting as their own foils, and having to overcome their own mistakes.
</p>
<aside id="urDdWE">
<div>
</div>
</aside>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="aBOEtn">
The change marks one of the starkest shifts in the history of Disney fairytales, perhaps second only to the switch from 2D animation to CGI. For over half a century, the villain had loomed large in these stories, beginning with the Evil Queen in the first-ever animated feature, <em>Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs</em>. Cinderellas Stepmother, Captain Hook, and Maleficent soon followed during the Golden Age, and eventually, when the “Disney Renaissance” began in 1989, villains like Ursula, Jafar, and Scar continued the tradition.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="dCkNxp">
Its classic storytelling, with each playing a key role in driving the plot and furthering the character development of our hero. Whether it be locking them away in a tower, stealing their voice, or trying to kill them in a power grab, these characters set the ball in motion and serve as a tangible figure to defeat.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="TfsSzr">
But as of late, those archetypes have gradually faded away. While <em>The Princess and the Frog</em> (2009) and <em>Tangled</em> (2010) gave us Dr. Facilier and Mother Gothel respectively, we havent seen a traditional villain since 2013. Even in that case — Hans from <em>Frozen</em> — the villain pales in comparison to the conflict that Elsa has with her own powers. That theme continued in the films sequel, where Elsa struggled to find where she and those powers belonged. Similarly, in 2016s <em>Moana</em>, the title character sets out on an adventurous ocean quest of self-discovery. And most recently, in 2021s <em>Encanto</em>, Mirabels main conflict is her desire for approval and purpose within her magical family as she fights to restore their fading powers.
</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/F7IcVzselb8DJmATs89Wji_75M4=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24642398/ENCANTO_ONLINE_USE_490.0_074.60_0104.jpg"/> <cite>Disney</cite>
<figcaption>
In <em>Encanto</em>, Mirabel doesnt have a traditional foe, just her own longing for approval.
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="BzvIs6">
But why exactly did this change come about? Disneys storytelling patterns have always evolved over time, but typically that evolution has been guided by (and can be traced back to) previous successes and failures.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="FNuMm6">
For example, when <em>The Little Mermaid</em> revitalized the studios flailing animation department in 1989, the company doubled down on fairytales and the songwriting team of Howard Ashman and Alan Menken — resulting in <em>Beauty and the Beast</em> and <em>Aladdin</em>. It also began the still-active trope of an “I Want” song, in which the main character sings about their desires early in the film, with “Part of Your World.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="zLt7RJ">
More recently, when disappointing box office numbers for <em>The Princess and the Frog</em> were blamed on the title deterring boys, <em>Rapunzel</em>s title was changed to the more gender-neutral <em>Tangled</em>, and the successful adjective trend of course continued with <em>Frozen</em>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="wxVZxU">
So what was it that could have inspired this move away from the traditional hero vs. villain format?
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="VBLcSi">
If theres anything in the world of animation that could have spurred such a seismic shift, its <a href="https://www.vox.com/culture/2019/6/27/18715845/pixar-movies-rankings">Pixar</a>. From its origins producing the first ever CGI animated feature with 1995s <em>Toy Story</em>, the studio (now a subsidiary of Disney) completely reimagined the genre — both in terms of its animation style, and the kinds of stories they were telling. Pixars themes, premises, and characters broke convention time after time, and the studio even veered into Disneys lane by trying its hand at a princess movie with <em>Brave</em>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="usf4V8">
The success of Pixars films likely gave filmmakers permission to draw outside the lines, and reimagine what a Disney animated feature could be. This new, broader path, which led Disney to acclaimed films like <a href="https://www.vox.com/culture/2016/11/22/13713820/moana-review-disney-dwayne-johnson-lin-manuel-miranda"><em>Moana</em></a> and <a href="https://www.vox.com/culture/22894837/we-dont-talk-about-bruno-billboard-tik-tok-structure-music"><em>Encanto</em></a>, proved commercially and critically successful, and resulted in groundbreaking new stories told in exciting new ways. And at times, that meant no villains.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="DwRjth">
But <em>Frozen II</em>, which had a more mixed reception in 2019, demonstrates some of the pitfalls that can come along with this new approach. In the film, Elsa is led by a mysterious voice on a journey of self-discovery to protect her kingdom from a curse. If it sounds a bit abstract, thats because it is. The docuseries <em>Into the Unknown: Making Frozen II</em> follows the last year of the films production, and the challenges that the creative team faced in crafting a clear narrative. With only months to go until the films release date, they were still unsure of who the voice was that was calling Elsa, and feedback from repeated test screenings highlighted the storys lack of clarity. In this case, fighting the abstract concept of “the elements” paired with the internal journey of finding ones place proved very difficult to clearly depict on screen. Its in an instance like this, where the story becomes muddled, that the value of having a villain is really seen.
</p>
<aside id="huulEN">
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</aside>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="b2z2kN">
While a traditional good guy vs. bad guy dynamic might seem simpler and less nuanced than complicated heroes facing complex internal battles, oftentimes both approaches are doing the same thing. A villain is at their best when their presence is facilitating our heros inner journey and eventual growth — and doing so in an active, cinematic way.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="StwZB0">
Take <em>The Little Mermaid</em> for example. Much like <em>Moana</em> or <em>Frozen</em>, that movie is about a character grappling with balancing their love of family with their desire to leave them behind for something more. The difference is the inclusion of Ursula, who facilitates that journey and thus helps depict it in a very linear and active way. With Ursula there to push Ariel in a certain direction, her grappling becomes a dialogue instead of a monologue. “Lifes full of tough choices<em>,</em> <em>innit</em>?” Ursula famously says, before kicking off the films plot by forcing Ariel to make that tough choice.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="DDgZlk">
The role villains like Ursula play is invaluable, whether it be as surrogates for our heros own inner demons, foils to their big plans, or fun, campy fools that we love to see defeated. Not to mention that villains come with great accessories: a showstopper like “Poor Unfortunate Souls,” poisoned produce, or a comedic sidekick like Iago — all of which are more entertaining than a vague, mysterious curse.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="mddbVW">
For now, we can look to the slew of live-action remakes to remind us what were missing. Those films, along with the success of retellings like <em>Cruella</em> and <em>Maleficent</em>, should also garner hope that the studio hasnt lost sight of the value villains can hold.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="vTwNLe">
But until these live-action attempts inspire a return to form on the animation front, those classic villains continue to be missing in action. To <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KUb4bWbyEQ">borrow a phrase</a>: “Youll find that nowadays / Ive mended all my ways / repented, seen the light, and made the switch<em>.” </em>But will that switch stick? When <em>The Little Mermaid</em> ushered in the return of fairy tales for the first time since 1959s <em>Sleeping Beauty</em>, it proved that a return to form is always possible for the House of Mouse. And soon enough, an iconic animated villain might come our way again. Who knows? Maybe someone at Disney is sketching a pair of sinister, villainous eyebrows as we speak.
</p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-the-hindu-sports">From The Hindu: Sports</h1>
<ul>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Aruna Quadri leads foreign players line-up; Sharath, Sathiyan and Manika key attractions among Indians</strong> - Fourth season of the Ultimate Table Tennis League is scheduled to be held at the Balewadi Sports Complex in Pune from July 13 to 30</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Talented Yashasvi Jaiswal has learnt art of conversion from chase-master Virat Kohli: Sehwag</strong> - Former India cricketer Virender Sehwag lauded the young Mumbaikar for taking a leaf out of legendary Virat Kohlis book as he looks to convert the fifties into hundreds</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>WTC final: India vs Australia | Ponting feels India should have Suryakumar Yadav in squad, backs Kishan to provide X factor</strong> - The former Australian captain Ricky Ponting feels Australia have a slight upper hand going into the title clash.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>BCCI set to ratify its POSH policy and form World Cup Working Group at SGM</strong> - The Working Group for the ODI World Cup will comprise BCCI president, secretary, treasurer along with acting CEO and other senior officials.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>IPL 2023: KKR vs LSG | Listless Kolkata hoping against hope, Lucknow eyes play-off berth</strong> - On momentum too, LSG look far superior to a struggling KKR who have struggled to get into the act at their home den.</p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-the-hindu-national-news">From The Hindu: National News</h1>
<ul>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>WFI chief to hold rally in Ayodhya on June 5 amid wrestlers protest</strong> - Supporters including representatives from Rajput organisations have vowed to stand by him alleging that the WFI chief was being harassed due to his caste affiliation; till now, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh has evaded any action</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>APEAPCET-2023 concludes for engineering stream in Andhra Pradesh</strong> - Out of 2,38,180 registered students, 2,24,724 take the test, say officials</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Bharat Biotechs partner says Covaxin not commercially viable in North America</strong> - Ocugens decision comes after U.S. FDA backs bivalent vaccines for COVID-19</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>DVAC launches fresh probe into highways contracts</strong> - Road projects executed during the AIADMK regime come under scrutiny</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>India fully prepared, committed to protecting its sovereignty &amp; dignity: PM Modi amid eastern Ladakh border row</strong> - In an interview with Japanese publication Nikkei Asia, PM Modi said, “the future development of the India-China relationship can only be based on mutual respect, mutual sensitivity and mutual interests”</p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-bbc-europe">From BBC: Europe</h1>
<ul>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Ukraine war: Taking steps to tackle the mental scars of conflict</strong> - The psychological effects of Russias invasion are starting to show in Ukraine, at the front and at home.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>West Ham players confront AZ Alkmaar fans after awful scenes as family section attacked</strong> - West Ham players confront AZ Alkmaar fans who attacked an area in which friends and family are watching the match.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>G7: New sanctions will make sure Russia pays a price, Sunak says</strong> - Rishi Sunak says he hopes other countries follow the UK and bring in new sanctions against Russia.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Ukraine war: Russia launches ninth wave of missile attacks on Kyiv this month</strong> - All missiles over the capital were shot down, but falling debris caused some damage, Ukraine says.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Italy floods leave 13 dead and force 13,000 from their homes</strong> - More bodies are found after almost every river flooded between the coast and Bologna.</p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-ars-technica">From Ars Technica</h1>
<ul>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Ars Frontiers is Monday, May 22: Top minds talk AI, mRNA, and TikTok bans</strong> - Everyone is invited to our (free!) event, streaming live this coming Monday! - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1937010">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Rocket Report: Canada places premium on a spaceport, Lueders heads to Starbase</strong> - “I fell to my knees, sobbing, from witnessing such an incredible feat.” - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1940052">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Dealmaster: Save on Dell XPS 15, smartwatches, and more</strong> - Summer is here, but that shouldnt keep you from your cable management project. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1940097">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Potentially millions of Android TVs and phones come with malware preinstalled</strong> - The bane of low-cost Android devices is showing no signs of going away. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1940400">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>RSV vaccine to protect infants gets green light from FDA advisors</strong> - Faint data signal of possible increased risk of premature birth caused some concern. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1940392">link</a></p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-jokes-subreddit">From Jokes Subreddit</h1>
<ul>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Female masturbation is like preparing coffee.</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF --></p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
You can grind your beans by hand, but its easier and faster to just use a machine.
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<!-- SC_ON -->
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/FunnyGoNow"> /u/FunnyGoNow </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/13la8ms/female_masturbation_is_like_preparing_coffee/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/13la8ms/female_masturbation_is_like_preparing_coffee/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>What is the difference between iron man and aluminium man ?</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF --></p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Iron man stops the bad guys, aluminium man just foils their plans.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/InboxInviteNeeded"> /u/InboxInviteNeeded </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/13ljnbq/what_is_the_difference_between_iron_man_and/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/13ljnbq/what_is_the_difference_between_iron_man_and/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Can we ban “yo momma” jokes from this sub? Theyre old, stupid and have been done by literally everyone hundreds of times..</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF --></p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Just like yo mamma
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/HelpingHandsUs"> /u/HelpingHandsUs </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/13law49/can_we_ban_yo_momma_jokes_from_this_sub_theyre/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/13law49/can_we_ban_yo_momma_jokes_from_this_sub_theyre/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>I just passed my drug test…</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF --></p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
My dealer has some explaining to do!
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/AnnoyingOldGuy"> /u/AnnoyingOldGuy </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/13lm5kd/i_just_passed_my_drug_test/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/13lm5kd/i_just_passed_my_drug_test/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>I know a woman who has been married 3 times and is still a virgin</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF --></p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Her first husband was a psychologist and all he ever wanted to do was talk about it. Her second husband was a gynecologist and all he ever wanted to do was look at it. Her third husband was a gourmet and all he wanted to do was eat it.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The good news is that I just heard she is getting remarried. This time she is going to marry a lawyer that way she knows she will get screwed.
</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/setherooo9"> /u/setherooo9 </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/13lhvjc/i_know_a_woman_who_has_been_married_3_times_and/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/13lhvjc/i_know_a_woman_who_has_been_married_3_times_and/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
</ul>
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