++In many jurisdictions, public health authorities have implemented travel restrictions to reduce coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID19) spread. Policies that restrict travel within countries have been implemented, but the impact of these restrictions is not well known. On May 4th, 2020, Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) implemented travel restrictions such that non-residents were required to have exemptions to enter the province. We fit a stochastic epidemic model to data describing the number of active COVID19 cases in NL from March 14th - May 4th. We then predicted possible outbreaks over 9 weeks, with and without the travel restrictions, and for contact rates 40% to 70% of pre-pandemic levels. Our results suggest that the travel restrictions reduced the mean number of clinical COVID-19 cases in NL by 92%. Furthermore, without the travel restrictions there is a substantial risk of very large outbreaks. Using epidemic modelling, we show how the NL COVID19 outbreak could have unfolded had the travel restrictions not been implemented. Both physical distancing and travel restrictions affect the local dynamics of the epidemic. Our modelling shows that the travel restrictions are a plausible reason for the few reported COVID19 cases in NL after May 4th. +
+Evaluating Safety, Pharmacokinetics and Clinical Benefit of Silmitasertib (CX-4945) in Subjects With Moderate COVID-19 - Condition: Covid19
Interventions: Drug: Silmitasertib; Drug: SOC
Sponsor: Chris Recknor, MD
Recruiting
Convalescent Plasma for Treatment of COVID-19: An Open Randomised Controlled Trial - Condition: Covid19
Interventions: Biological: SARS-CoV-2 convalescent plasma; Other: Standard of care
Sponsors: Joakim Dillner; Karolinska Institutet; Danderyd Hospital; Falu Hospital
Not yet recruiting
Phase II / III Study of COVID-19 DNA Vaccine (AG0302-COVID19) - Condition: COVID-19
Interventions: Biological: Group A (AG0302-COVID19); Biological: Group A (Placebo); Biological: Group B (AG0302-COVID19); Biological: Group B (Placebo)
Sponsors: AnGes, Inc.; Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development
Recruiting
Use of BCG Vaccine as a Preventive Measure for COVID-19 in Health Care Workers - Condition: COVID 19 Vaccine
Intervention: Biological: BCG vaccine
Sponsors: Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro; Ministry of Science and Technology, Brazil
Recruiting
At-Home Infusion Using Bamlanivimab in Participants With Mild to Moderate COVID-19 - Condition: Covid19
Intervention: Drug: bamlanivimab
Sponsors: Daniel Griffin, MD PhD; Eli Lilly and Company; Optum, Inc.
Not yet recruiting
Changes in Viral Load in COVID-19 After Probiotics - Condition: COVID-19
Intervention: Dietary Supplement: Dietary supplementation with probiotic GASTEEL PLUS in patients with covid disease admitted to hospital
Sponsors: Hospital de Sagunto; Biopolis S.L.; Laboratorios Heel España
Recruiting
Efficacy and Safety of High-dose Vitamin C Combined With Chinese Medicine Against Coronavirus Pneumonia (COVID-19) - Condition: COVID-19
Interventions: Drug: Alpha-interferon alpha, abidol, ribavirin, Buzhong Yiqi plus and minus formula, Huhuang Detoxicity Paste, Baimu Qingre Jiedu Paste, fumigation/inhalation of vitamin C; Drug: Alpha-interferon, abidol, ribavirin, Buzhong Yiqi plus and minus formula, Huhuang Detoxicity Paste, Baimu Qingre Jiedu Paste and 5% glucose; Drug: Alpha-interferon, abidol, ribavirin, Buzhong Yiqi plus and minus formula, Huhuang Detoxicity Paste, Baimu Qingre Jiedu Paste and high-dose vitamin C treatment
Sponsor: Xi'an International Medical Center Hospital
Active, not recruiting
IFN-beta 1b and Remdesivir for COVID19 - Condition: Covid19
Interventions: Drug: Interferon beta-1b; Drug: Remdesivir
Sponsor: The University of Hong Kong
Recruiting
COVID-19 And Geko Evaluation: The CAGE Study - Condition: Covid19
Intervention: Device: geko T3
Sponsor: Lawson Health Research Institute
Not yet recruiting
A Clinical Safety Study on AT-100 in Treating Adults With Severe COVID-19 Infection - Condition: Covid19
Intervention: Biological: AT-100
Sponsor: Airway Therapeutics, Inc.
Not yet recruiting
LYT-100 in Post-acute COVID-19 Respiratory Disease - Condition: Covid19
Interventions: Drug: LYT-100; Other: Placebo
Sponsors: PureTech; Clinipace Worldwide; Novotech (Australia) Pty Limited
Not yet recruiting
Resolving Inflammatory Storm in COVID-19 Patients by Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids - - Condition: COVID-19
Interventions: Drug: Omegaven®; Drug: Sodium chloride
Sponsor: Karolinska University Hospital
Recruiting
WHO COVID-19 Solidarity Trial for COVID-19 Treatments - Condition: Covid19
Interventions: Drug: Remdesivir; Drug: Acalabrutinib; Drug: Interferon beta-1a; Other: Standard of Care
Sponsor: The University of The West Indies
Not yet recruiting
COVID-19 Thrombosis Prevention Trials: Post-hospital Thromboprophylaxis - Condition: Covid19
Interventions: Drug: Apixaban 2.5 MG; Drug: Placebo
Sponsors: Thomas Ortel, M.D., Ph.D.; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
Not yet recruiting
Mushroom-based Product for COVID-19 - Condition: COVID-19
Intervention: Drug: FoTv
Sponsors: Gordon Saxe; University of California, Los Angeles; University of California, Irvine
Recruiting
Dual Targeting of 3CL(pro) and PL(pro) of SARS-CoV-2: A Novel Structure-Based Design Approach to treat COVID-19 - With the rapid growth of the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic across the globe, therapeutic attention must be directed to fight the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). However, developing new antiviral drugs and vaccine development is time-consuming, so one of the best solutions to tackle this virus at present is to repurpose ready-to-use drugs. This paper proposes the repurposing of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved, purchasable, and...
Protoporphyrin IX and verteporfin potently inhibit SARS-CoV-2 infection in vitro and in a mouse model expressing human ACE2 - The SARS-CoV-2 infection is spreading rapidly worldwide. Efficacious antiviral therapeutics against SARS-CoV-2 is urgently needed. Here, we discovered that protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) and verteporfin, two FDA-approved drugs, completely inhibited the cytopathic effect produced by SARS-CoV-2 infection at 1.25 µmol/Land 0.31 µmol/L respectively, and their EC50 values of reduction of viral RNA were at nanomolar concentrations. The selectivity indices of PpIX and verteporfin were 952.74 and 368.93,...
Autophagy in T cells from aged donors is maintained by spermidine, and correlates with function and vaccine responses - Older adults are at high risk for infectious diseases such as observed at the recent COVID-19 outbreak and vaccination seems to be the only long-term solution to the pandemic. While most vaccines are less efficacious in older adults, little is known about the molecular mechanisms that underpin this. Autophagy, a major degradation pathway and one of the few processes known to prevent aging, is critical for the maintenance of immune memory in mice. Here, we show that autophagy is specifically...
mTOR inhibition in COVID-19: A commentary and review of efficacy in RNA viruses - In this commentary, we shed light on the role of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway in viral infections. The mTOR pathway has been demonstrated to be modulated in numerous RNA viruses. Frequently, inhibiting mTOR results in suppression of virus growth and replication. Recent evidence points towards modulation of mTOR in SARS-Cov2 infection. We discuss the current literature on mTOR in SARS-Cov2 and highlight evidence in support of a role for mTOR inhibitors in the treatment of...
Host metabolism dysregulation and cell tropism identification in human airway and alveolar organoids upon SARS-CoV-2 infection - The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is caused by infection with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which is spread primary via respiratory droplets and infects the lungs. Currently widely used cell lines and animals are unable to accurately mimic human physiological conditions because of the abnormal status of cell lines (transformed or cancer cells) and species differences between animals and humans. Organoids are stem cell-derived self-organized...
HMGB1 as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target for severe COVID-19 - COVID-19 has attracted global attention due to its rapid spread around the world with substantial morbidity and associated mortality. Severe COVID-19 can be complicated by the acute respiratory distress syndrome, sepsis and septic shock leading to death. These complications are thought to result from an overactivation of the immune system, leading to a cytokine storm syndrome associated with multiple organ failure. Here, we report that high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), a prototypical...
A feluletaktivalt XII-es veralvadasi faktor eletkortol fuggo lehetseges szerepe a "bradikininvihar" kialakitasaban COVID-19-betegekben - CONCLUSION: The targeted inhibition of activated blood coagulation factor XII may represent a new therapeutic target for COVID-19, especially for elder patients. Recently, beneficial results have already been observed by the clinical applications of recombinant C1INH and bradykinin receptor antagonists. Orv Hetil. 2020; 161(50): 2099-2103.
Targeting transcriptional regulation of SARS-CoV-2 entry factors ACE2 and TMPRSS2 - Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus responsible for COVID-19, employs two key host proteins to gain entry and replicate within cells, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and the cell surface transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2). TMPRSS2 was first characterized as an androgen-regulated gene in the prostate. Supporting a role for sex hormones, males relative to females are disproportionately affected by COVID-19 in terms of mortality and morbidity....
Spike glycoprotein and host cell determinants of SARS-CoV-2 entry and cytopathic effects - SARS-CoV-2, a betacoronavirus, is the cause of the COVID-19 pandemic. The SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) glycoprotein trimer mediates virus entry into host cells and cytopathic effects (syncytium formation). We studied the contribution of several S glycoprotein features to these functions, focusing on those that differ among related coronaviruses. Acquisition of the furin cleavage site by the SARS-CoV-2 S glycoprotein decreased virus stability and infectivity, but greatly enhanced syncytium-forming...
Stapled Peptides Based on Human Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 (ACE2) Potently Inhibit SARS-CoV-2 Infection In Vitro - SARS-CoV-2 uses human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) as the primary receptor to enter host cells and initiate the infection. The critical binding region of ACE2 is an ∼30-amino-acid (aa)-long helix. Here, we report the design of four stapled peptides based on the ACE2 helix, which is expected to bind to SARS-CoV-2 and prevent the binding of the virus to the ACE2 receptor and disrupt the infection. All stapled peptides showed high helical contents (50 to 94% helicity). In contrast, the...
Screened antipsychotic drugs inhibit SARS-CoV-2 binding with ACE2 in vitro - AIM: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has swept the globe and no specific effective drug has been identified. Drug repurposing is a well-known method to address the crisis in a time-critical fashion. Antipsychotic drugs (APDs) have been reported to inhibit DNA replication of hepatitis B virus, measles virus germination, and HIV infection, along with replication of SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, both of which interact with host cells as SARS-CoV-2.
Ritonavir may inhibit exoribonuclease activity of nsp14 from the SARS-CoV-2 virus and potentiate the activity of chain terminating drugs - SARS-CoV-2is the causative agent for the ongoing COVID19 pandemic, and this virus belongs to the Coronaviridae family. The nsp14 protein of SARS-CoV-2 houses a 3' to 5' exoribonuclease activity responsible for removing mismatches that arise during genome duplication. A homology model of nsp10-nsp14 complex was used to carry out in silico screening to identify molecules among natural products, or FDA approved drugs that can potentially inhibit the activity of nsp14. This exercise showed that...
Antiviral activity against Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus by Montelukast, an anti-asthma drug - Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) is a respiratory disease caused by a coronavirus (MERS-CoV). Since its emergence in 2012, nosocomial amplifications have led to its high epidemic potential and mortality rate of 34.5 %. To date, there is an unmet need for vaccines and specific therapeutics for this disease. Available treatments are either supportive medications in use for other diseases or those lacking specificity requiring higher doses. The viral infection mode is initiated by the...
Integrated Bioinformatics Analysis for the Screening of Associated Pathways and Therapeutic Drugs in Coronavirus Disease 2019 - CONCLUSION: Some drugs selected through our methods have been proven to have antiviral effects in previous studies. We aim to use global bioinformatics analysis to provide insights to assist in the design of new drugs and provide new choices for clinical treatment.
Treatment Options for Coronavirus Disease 2019 in Patients With Reduced or Absent Kidney Function - Coronavirus disease 2019, the disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 virus, was first identified in the Hubei Province of China in late 2019. Currently, the only role for therapy is treatment of the disease, as opposed to postexposure prophylaxis, however multiple clinical trials are currently ongoing for both treatment and prophylaxis. Treating coronavirus disease 2019 relies on two components; the first is inhibition of the viral entrance and replication within...
"AYURVEDIC PROPRIETARY MEDICINE FOR TREATMENT OF SEVERWE ACUTE RESPIRATORY SYNDROME CORONAVIRUS 2 (SARS-COV-2." - AbstractAyurvedic Proprietary Medicine for treatment of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2)In one of the aspect of the present invention it is provided that Polyherbal combinations called Coufex (syrup) is prepared as Ayurvedic Proprietary Medicine , Aqueous Extracts Mixing with Sugar Syrup form the following herbal aqueous extract coriandrum sativum was used for the formulation of protek.Further another Polyherbal combination protek as syrup is prepared by the combining an aqueous extract of the medicinal herbs including Emblica officinalis, Terminalia chebula, Terminalia belerica, Aegle marmelos, Zingiber officinale, Ocimum sanctum, Adatoda zeylanica, Piper lingum, Andrographis panivulata, Coriandrum sativum, Tinospora cordiofolia, cuminum cyminum,piper nigrum was used for the formulation of Coufex.
Haptens, hapten conjugates, compositions thereof and method for their preparation and use - A method for performing a multiplexed diagnostic assay, such as for two or more different targets in a sample, is described. One embodiment comprised contacting the sample with two or more specific binding moieties that bind specifically to two or more different targets. The two or more specific binding moieties are conjugated to different haptens, and at least one of the haptens is an oxazole, a pyrazole, a thiazole, a nitroaryl compound other than dinitrophenyl, a benzofurazan, a triterpene, a urea, a thiourea, a rotenoid, a coumarin, a cyclolignan, a heterobiaryl, an azo aryl, or a benzodiazepine. The sample is contacted with two or more different anti-hapten antibodies that can be detected separately. The two or more different anti-hapten antibodies may be conjugated to different detectable labels.
疫苗融合蛋白 - 本申请涉及一种融合蛋白，所述融合蛋白包括SARS‑CoV‑2抗原多肽和鞭毛蛋白或其片段。本申请还提供了所述融合蛋白的制备方法和用途。本申请所述的融合蛋白能够诱导机体产生针对SARS‑CoV类病毒的抗原的细胞免疫反应。
AN EFFICIENT METHODOLOGY TO MANAGE THE ADMISSIONS IN HOSPITALS DURING THE PANDEMICS SUCH AS COVID 19 -
一种SARS-CoV-2假病毒小鼠体内包装系统及其制备方法 - 本发明提供了一种假病毒小鼠体内包装系统的制备方法，包括以下步骤：S1基于慢病毒包装质粒系统和睡美人转座子系统构建SARS‑CoV‑2假病毒包装质粒系统，S2将步骤S1中SARS‑CoV‑2假病毒包装质粒系统与睡美人转座酶表达质粒混合通过水动力注射的方式转染小鼠肝细胞，然后睡美人转座子系统将SARS‑CoV‑2假病毒包装所需序列以剪切粘贴的方式整合到小鼠肝细胞的基因组。本发明可在小鼠体内持续制造分泌SARS‑CoV‑2假病毒，可模拟靶器官被SARS‑CoV‑2病毒持续侵入攻击的过程，从而可模拟出新冠肺炎（COVID‑19）的病理特征。基于SARS‑CoV‑2假病毒小鼠体内包装系统的动物模型安全性高，不需要P3级实验室就能开展研究。利用水动力注射的方式引入SARS‑CoV‑2假病毒包装质粒系统操作简单，成本低。
柴胡解毒药物组合物及其制备方法和应用 - 本发明属于中药领域，具体涉及一种柴胡解毒药物组合物及其制备方法和应用，所述柴胡解毒药物组合物以质量份计由如下原料组分制成：柴胡3060份，黄芩1530份，法半夏1530份，生姜1530份，大枣510份，枳实2040份，大黄1020份，桃仁1020份，白芍15~30份。本发明的柴胡解毒药物组合物能够显著改善普通型COVID‑19引起的咳嗽；能改善疫毒闭肺型重型COVID‑19引起的咳嗽，显著改善疫毒闭肺型重型COVID‑19引起的胸闷、气短和乏力等主要症状。另外经大量临床观察，本发明的柴胡解毒药物组合物能够显著改善疫毒闭肺型重型COVID‑19引起的发热面红，咳嗽，痰黄粘少，或痰中带血，喘憋气促，疲乏倦怠，口干苦粘，大便不畅，小便短赤等症状。
一种新型冠状病毒RBD核苷酸序列、优化方法与应用 - 本发明公开了一种新型冠状病毒RBD核苷酸序列、优化方法与应用。属于基因工程技术领域。优化步骤：（1）对野生型新型冠状病毒RBD核苷酸序列进行初步优化；（2）将宿主细胞特异性高表达分泌蛋白信号肽序列进行优化；（3）将人IgG1‑Fc核苷酸序列进行优化；（4）将步骤（2）优化后的宿主细胞特异性高表达分泌蛋白信号肽核苷酸序列、步骤（1）得到的初步优化新型冠状病毒RBD核苷酸序列、连接子核苷酸序列和步骤（3）优化后的人IgG1‑Fc核苷酸序列依次连接即可。与现有技术相比，本发明的有益效果：产生的克隆表达效率比野生新型冠状病毒RBD序列提高了约12倍，比中国仓鼠密码子偏性优化序列克隆表达效率提高了2倍。
ASSISTING COMPLEX FOR TAKING OF BIOMATERIAL FROM MOUTH IN PANDEMIC CONDITIONS - FIELD: medicine. SUBSTANCE: invention refers to medicine, namely to methods for contactless taking of biomaterial in tested person. Taking the biomaterial in the tested person is carried out in a room located in a dirty zone and separated by a partition from the clean zone, in which there is a laboratory assistant performing the procedure using a robotic complex. Complex includes digital controller, manipulator with tool unit, small manipulator, camera, monitor, control system of digital controller, manipulator, small manipulator, and complex control system. In the partition there are two holes: one – for installation and passage of the swab, the other – for the test tube installation. In the dirty zone there is a small manipulator having two actuators: one for movement of a test tube with a swab, and the second for positioning and placing a disposable mouthpiece. EFFECT: reduced risk of laboratory assistant and tested person infection by avoiding their direct contact. 17 cl, 1 dwg
+Einzeldosierte, wasserlösliche oder wassermischbare Arzneiform, umfassend mindestens einen antiinfektiven Arzneistoff, zur Herstellung einer Nasenspülung und/oder zur Verwendung in der lokalen Behandlung des menschlichen Nasenraums. +
+Einzeldosierte, wasserlösliche oder wassermischbare Arzneiform, umfassend mindestens einen antiinfektiven Arzneistoff, zur Herstellung einer Nasenspülung und/oder zur Verwendung in der lokalen Behandlung des menschlichen Nasenraums. +
The G.O.P. Can No Longer Be Relied On to Protect Democracy - The gall of Kevin McCarthy and his fellow-backers of Trump’s attempts to overturn the results of the election is only surpassed by their irresponsibility and fecklessness. - link
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya Is Overcoming Her Fears - “Every country has its own path to democracy,” Tsikhanouskaya, who calls herself the leader of democratic Belarus, says. “And this is ours.” - link
The Supreme Court Rejects Texas’s Shameful Lawsuit, But There Has to Be a Reckoning - If prominent Republicans don’t renounce Trump’s campaign to overturn the election, they will do lasting harm to the country—and the early signs are not good. - link
Biden’s Victory in the Electoral College Was a Welcome Affirmation of Democracy - On Monday, focus shifted away from the mendacious President and shiftless Republicans, and onto the majority of Americans who voted to rid the country of the Trump scourge. - link
What an F.D.A. Committee Weighed in Voting for the Pfizer COVID Vaccine - In the present circumstances, one could imagine a far more fraught F.D.A. hearing than the one that took place on Thursday. - link
++“In this battle for the soul of America, democracy prevailed.” +
++Over the past six weeks since Election Day, President-elect Joe Biden carried about his business while largely ignoring the circus surrounding President Donald Trump’s incessant lies about election fraud and refusal to concede. That changed a bit on Monday. +
++Speaking hours after the Electoral College officially voted to confirm his victory over Trump, Biden declared victory. He also criticized the president, whom he portrayed as on the wrong side of the struggle for democracy, for refusing to acknowledge the reality of his defeat. +
++“In this battle for the soul of America, democracy prevailed,” Biden said. “We the people voted. Faith in our institutions held. The integrity of our elections remains intact. And so now it is time to turn the page. To unite. To heal.” +
++Biden noted that he won the same number of electoral votes as Trump did following the 2016 election — 306, though Trump ultimately received only 304 electoral votes because of two faithless electors — and said, “At the time, President Trump called his Electoral College tally a landslide. By his own standards, these numbers represented a clear victory then, and I respectfully suggest they do so now.” +
++++Biden: "306 electoral votes is the same number that Trump & Pence received when they won in 2016. At the time, Trump called his electoral college tally a landslide. By his own standards, these numbers represented a clear victory then & I respectfully suggest they do so now" pic.twitter.com/StyOFRJoxn +
+— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) December 15, 2020 +
+At another point, Biden took an indirect shot at Trump, saying “the flame of democracy was lit in this nation a long time ago. And we now know that nothing — not even a pandemic, or an abuse of power — can extinguish that flame.” +
++Biden addressed the flood of failed lawsuits the Trump campaign has filed since the election and the Supreme Court’s refusal last week to take up a flimsy case that could’ve overturned his victory. He also praised state and local officials on both sides of the aisle for overseeing a fair election while refusing to be “bullied” by Trump. +
++“In America, when questions are raised about the legitimacy of elections, those questions are resolved through the legal processes. And that’s precisely what happened here,” he said. “All the counts were confirmed ... none of this has stopped baseless claims.” +
++Later, Biden noted that “respecting the will of the people is at the heart of our democracy,” adding that when Trump won four years ago, “it was my responsibility to announce the tally of the Electoral College votes to the joint session of Congress ... I did my job.” +
++++Biden: "4 years ago, when I was VP, it was my responsibility to announce the tally of the Electoral College votes to the joint session of Congress ... I did my job ... now it's time to turn the page as we've done throughout our history." pic.twitter.com/eCHWQMWxPo +
+— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) December 15, 2020 +
+Although a majority of House Republicans indicated in writing last week that they supported the aforementioned case that could have overturned the election results, Biden extended an olive branch, saying, “I’m convinced we can work together for the good of the nation on many subjects. That is the duty owed to the people, to our Constitution, to our history.” He also thanked the Senate Republicans who have already acknowledged his victory. +
++Biden, who sounded noticeably hoarse throughout, closed by noting that the joy of his win “is tempered by the pain so many of us are feeling today. Our nation [today] passed a grim milestone: 300,000 deaths due to this Covid virus. My heart goes out to each of you during this dark winter of the pandemic.” +
++++Biden winds down his speech: "We have always set the example to the world for a peaceful transition of power. I know the task before us won't be easy. It is tempered by the pain so many of us are feeling today. Our nation passed a grim milestone. 300,000 deaths due to this virus" pic.twitter.com/hSDGAK6Pkg +
+— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) December 15, 2020 +
+While the president-elect wants to turn the page from the election, the president continues to toss around lies about it being stolen from him. Stephen Miller, who serves as both a White House official and campaign adviser, indicated where things might be heading during a Fox & Friends appearance earlier Monday when he said that “an alternate slate of electors in the contested states is going to vote [for Trump] and we are going to send those results to Congress.” +
++But that’s just political theater. The fact of the matter is that Biden is president-elect. And as he noted, “Trump was denied no course of action he wanted to take” in challenging the results. As Biden emphasized on Monday, there is no escaping the reality that Biden’s victory was the product of a free and fair election, whether Trump wants to acknowledge it or not. +
+
++He started his administration with “alternative facts.” He’s ending it with alternate electors. +
++President-elect Joe Biden’s win was confirmed yet again Monday, as the 538 members of the Electoral College cast their votes across every state and the District of Columbia — a fact that has led more conservatives to urge President Trump to concede. +
++There was little drama expected in how the day’s tallying would go; in the end, no elector went against their state’s popular vote. +
++States and districts accounting for 306 electoral votes have certified wins for Joe Biden — which means Democrats, chosen by state parties, were named the electors for those states. Meanwhile, states and districts with 232 electoral votes certified wins for President Trump and appointed Trump-supporting electors. +
++Yet the president seems to have other ideas. White House senior adviser Stephen Miller said on Fox Monday that Trump’s team planned to support an “alternate” set of electors in key states Biden won, which Trump is continuing to baselessly dispute. +
++“As we speak, today, an alternate slate of electors in the contested states is going to vote and we’re going to send those results up to Congress,” Miller said. “This will ensure that all of our legal remedies remain open.” +
++And Trump’s chosen electors did indeed meet in states including Georgia, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Nevada, and Michigan to cast their votes for Trump — though some involved tried to downplay the significance of this move, calling it merely a legal formality. +
++In fact, it’s a legally frivolous and baseless action. The legitimate and legally recognized electors in states Biden won have had their appointments certified by each state governor, in accordance with the vote totals in each state. The president’s “alternate” electors were acting with no legal authority whatsoever, apparently because Trump doesn’t want to acknowledge the election is over and that he’s lost. +
++The move is a preview of further shenanigans when Congress meets to count the electoral votes on January 6 — the final constitutional step before the winner is inaugurated. There, Trump allies plan to file challenges to the results in states Biden won. Yet those challenges will fail because Democrats will control the House. +
++So overall, any “alternate slate of electors” should mainly be understood as a stunt, to deceive Trump’s voters into thinking he still has a chance and keep the grift (and massive fundraising) that accompanies that deception going for another few weeks. +
++Both before and after the 2020 election, nightmare scenarios were floated that focused on the possibility that multiple slates of electors could be sent from a state to Congress. For instance, in a swing state Biden won with a Republican-controlled legislature, the governor could send a slate of pro-Biden electors, but the legislature could (dubiously try to) send a slate of pro-Trump electors. +
++But that didn’t pan out. Despite Trump’s efforts to pressure GOP leaders in key states like Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Georgia, Biden’s wins were certified on schedule — and no state legislature tried to appoint Trump electors instead. +
++According to Miller, though, Trump’s team is trying to ignore this impediment by having Trump’s chosen electors in states Biden won meet on their own authority and cast their electoral votes for Trump, despite having no actual authority to do so. These electors would effectively just be some people, not the certified electors for states. +
++Efforts to do this took place in swing states like Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin. One would-be Trump elector in Georgia hyped the effort as “taking decisive action.” But another downplayed the effort to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Greg Bluestein, saying that the idea was “basically, checking legal boxes, if something should come of the lawsuits.” +
++The Trump campaign’s Pennsylvania chair also argued in a statement that “this was in no way an effort to contest the will of the Pennsylvania voters,” and that their elector-naming was merely “conditional” and meant to “preserve any legal claims that may be presented going forward.” (They pointed toward Hawaii’s close presidential election in 1960 as a precedent, though it has little relevance for the current situation.) +
++Miller optimistically suggested three main ways this alternate slate of electors could end up becoming the real electors. +
++First, he said, the courts could send their votes to Congress, “if we win these cases.” This seems quite unlikely, as Trump and his allies’ efforts to overturn the results of states in the courts have been uniformly rejected so far, at both the state court and US Supreme Court levels. +
++Second, Miller said, “the state legislatures in Georgia, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, can do the same,” suggesting Trump will keep trying to pressure GOP-controlled state legislatures to somehow reject the electors that will, after today, already have been approved in their states, and replace them with the president’s. Legislature leaders in these states have refused to do this thus far, often claiming they have no such authority to do so under state law. +
++Third, Miller said they plan to “send those results up to Congress,” and that “Congress has that opportunity as well to do the right thing.” This effort is also doomed, and we’ll explore why that is below. +
++On January 6, 2021, a joint session of the newly elected Congress will convene to count the votes cast by the Electoral College. This congressional count is the final formal step in making the presidential election results official before the inauguration itself. +
++The 12th Amendment to the Constitution says that Congress — led by Vice President Mike Pence, in his role as president of the Senate — is supposed to “open all the certificates” of electoral votes sent by states, and “the votes shall then be counted.” +
++Eventually, Congress became an arena for resolving disputes over the presidential election’s outcome — particularly in the infamously disputed election of 1876. Subsequently, Congress passed the Electoral Count Act to try to shift more responsibility for settling results to the states, but it also set up a procedure by which members of Congress could challenge results in particular states. +
++Under this process, if at least one House member and one senator object to the results in any state, each chamber will hold a vote on the matter. For the objection to succeed, both the House and the Senate must vote in favor of it. Otherwise, it fails. (And since Democrats will control the new House, any objection to Biden’s win will surely fail in that chamber. Failure in the Senate is also a strong possibility, since several Republican senators have acknowledged that Biden won.) +
++The nightmare scenarios for a post-election dispute — like this one written last year by Ned Foley, a law professor at Ohio State University — often focused on how Congress might settle things if they got two slates of electors from a contested state, one certified by the governor and one by the state legislature. Which elector slate would be the “default” one? Would Pence end up making the final call? If he did so, and Congress was divided, who could stop him? There are various messy possibilities as to how this could play out. +
++But that’s not the situation that’s unfolding. For the 2020 election, every governor has certified a result, and no state legislature has disputed that result. +
++So maybe the Trump campaign will try to “send” their own results up to Congress somehow, as Miller claimed. But under the Electoral Count Act (which deals with the scenario where “more than one return or paper purporting to be a return from a State shall have been received”), it’s difficult to see how the alternate results could possibly be counted, unless Republicans decide to unilaterally declare they won’t follow this provision of the Electoral Count Act because they believe it to be unconstitutional, or something. +
++The person who will truly be in an awkward position on January 6 is Vice President Pence. He’s of course not the first veep to preside over the tense election of the opposing party’s candidate — Vice President Biden did it for Trump in 2016, and Vice President Al Gore did it for his own opponent in 2000. +
++But both Hillary Clinton and Gore had conceded by then. If Trump hasn’t yet conceded, he and his allies will likely try to pressure Pence to somehow interfere with the congressional counting process, even though Pence’s role is widely understood as mostly ceremonial. +
+
++He will depart December 23. +
++Attorney General Bill Barr is resigning, President Donald Trump announced on Twitter Monday evening. His last day will be December 23. +
++Barr has been one of Trump’s most loyal allies, most notably for his outspoken criticism of the 2016 Russia investigation and for going as far as launching an investigation into the origins of that probe. +
++But Barr’s relationship with the president had become strained in recent weeks over the attorney general’s refusal to back Trump’s claims of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election. Barr, contradicting Trump, said earlier this month that there was no evidence of “fraud on a scale that could have effected a different outcome in the election.” Barr had reportedly told associates in recent weeks that he was considering stepping down from his post before Inauguration Day. +
++Whether this was fully Barr’s decision is not totally clear, given that the attorney general had clearly fallen out of favor with the president. Last week, Trump retweeted a post that called for Barr to be fired. Trump also added his own commentary: “A big disappointment!” +
++On Monday, before the news of Barr’s departure had been announced, a reporter asked White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany about the friction between Barr and Trump. “Yeah, you know there’s a clear frustration,” she responded. “I’ll leave it at that.” +
++Trump, in announcing Barr’s resignation Monday evening, said in a tweet: “Our relationship has been a very good one, he has done an outstanding job!” +
++Trump added: “As per letter, Bill will be leaving just before Christmas to spend the holidays with his family... Deputy Attorney General Jeff Rosen, an outstanding person, will become Acting Attorney General. Highly respected Richard Donoghue will be taking over the duties of Deputy Attorney General. Thank you to all!” +
++++...Deputy Attorney General Jeff Rosen, an outstanding person, will become Acting Attorney General. Highly respected Richard Donoghue will be taking over the duties of Deputy Attorney General. Thank you to all! pic.twitter.com/V5sqOJT9PM +
+— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 14, 2020 +
+Trump’s tweet included Barr’s resignation letter — and it’s really quite something, as far as resignation letters go. +
++In it, Barr praises the president effusively, saying that he is “greatly honored that you called on me to serve your Administration and the American people once again as Attorney General.” +
++“I am proud to have played a role in the many successes and unprecedented achievements you have delivered for the American people,” Barr writes. He continues: +
++++Your record is all the more historic because you accomplished it in the face of relentless, implacable resistance. Your 2016 victory speech in which you reached out to your opponents and called for working together for the benefit of the American people was immediately met by a partisan onslaught against you in which no tactic, no matter how abusive and deceitful, was out of bounds. The nadir of this campaign was the effort to cripple, if not oust, your Administration with frenzied and baseless accusations of collusion with Russia. +
+
+This is a truly remarkable statement, given that Barr was tasked with overseeing the conclusion of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. +
++Barr has made no secret of his distaste for the Russia probe, and he made controversial moves that critics say undercut Mueller’s work, from misleadingly framing Mueller’s findings in an early summary to questionable interventions in the cases of former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn and Trump associate Roger Stone, both of whom were charged in the special counsel’s investigation. (Trump later commuted Stone’s sentence, and he recently pardoned Flynn.) +
++Barr also tapped a US federal prosecutor, John Durham, to launch an inquiry into the origins of the 2016 Russia investigation. Barr has since named Durham as special counsel, thereby allowing Durham to continue his work under a Biden presidency. +
++Barr helped Trump advance his agenda in other ways, too, including on immigration and on punishing protesters and cities for disorder during this summer’s protests. +
++But all of that might not have been enough to keep Barr in Trump’s good graces once Barr decided not to back Trump’s disproven claims that the election was stolen from him. Instead, Barr is the latest official departing or forced out with just weeks left in Trump’s presidency. +
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+2022 Women’s World Cup | ICC announces schedule, India to open against a qualifier - The event, which was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic from its original window in February-March 2021 with the same six host cities and venues retained, will be held between March 4 and April 3, 2022.
Sreesanth named in Kerala probables list for Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy - His ban ended in September this year
Virat Kohli climbs to 2nd spot; Pujara, Rahane also feature in top-10 in ICC Test ranking for batsmen - In the ICC Test rankings for teams, India is currently placed third
Pink ball zips around more, captains have to manage tactics: Cummins - Pat Cummins said there is always a sense of excitement when they approach a pink ball Test
Aus vs Ind | We will have our plans in place for Kohli, says Langer - The four-match series opener at Adelaide Oval will be the only time India captain Kohli will play Test cricket Down Under this summer as he will return home on paternity leave
‘Ramayana’ theme to mark two years of Chhattisgarh government - The Ram Van Gaman Path is referred to the route taken by Lord Ram during his 14 years of exile.
Cabinet expansion after BJP’s proposal: Nitish Kumar - Speculation over delay arose as JD(U) has been reportedly insisting on having equal number of berths to that of BJP
Supreme Court asks Centre to consider granting break to doctors engaged in COVID-19 duty - The top court said that continuous work might be affecting mental health of doctors.
New IVRS booking system leaves gas consumers confused - Change in booking number and restrictions on refill booking only to one registered mobile number
₹23 crore unaccounted cash seized in I-T searches - The searches covered 60 premises located in Chennai, Trichy, Coimbatore, and various places in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Mumbai.
EU Digital Services Act set to bring in new rules for tech giants - Europe is set to announce two new acts in the biggest shake-up of digital laws in 20 years.
Dutch go into five-week lockdown - Measures designed to contain the coronavirus pandemic will change how millions of people celebrate.
US imposes sanctions on Turkey over Russia weapons - Turkey's acquisition of a Russian-made missile defence system has angered other Nato allies.
Brexit: UK and EU restart trade talks after leaders' call - A final decision on a deal was expected on Sunday, but the two sides sent negotiators back to the table.
Alexei Navalny: Report names 'Russian agents' in poisoning case - News site Bellingcat unveils evidence implicating a Russian unit in the case of the Putin critic.
SolarWinds hackers have a clever way to bypass multi factor authentication - Hackers who hit SolarWinds compromised a think tank three separate times. - link
Twenty years later, Dungeons & Dragons gets another movie adaptation - Co-director clinches a Freaks & Geeks full-circle conclusion. - link
FTC kicks off sweeping privacy probe of nine major social media firms - Consumer privacy has fallen into the FTC's purview, so it's digging deep. - link
SpaceX won “rural” FCC funding in surprising places, like major airports - Starlink and other ISPs took advantage of broken FCC system, researcher says. - link
EA set to pay $1.2 billion for Codemasters and its stable of racing games - $1.2 billion purchase is part of a trend of game industry consolidation. - link
+Please upvote because I want this house to be spotless +
+ submitted by /u/yzf426fm
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+He should have his cabinet together by the end of the week. +
+ submitted by /u/Riverrat423
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+Boss: Why don't you answer it? +
++Me: I'll let it ring for a while. That way they'll think I have other stuff to do than talk on the phone. +
++Boss: ANSWER IT GODDAMMIT! +
++Me: 911, what's the emergency? +
+ submitted by /u/FreeAwards4me_THANKS
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+When a bullet kills someone else, you know it’s been fired +
+ submitted by /u/josephjames18
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+What does ternative mean? +
+ submitted by /u/Rose_Ting
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