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<title>25 May, 2023</title>
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<h1 data-aos="fade-down" id="covid-19-sentry">Covid-19 Sentry</h1>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" data-aos-anchor-placement="top-bottom" id="contents">Contents</h1>
<ul>
<li><a href="#from-preprints">From Preprints</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-clinical-trials">From Clinical Trials</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-pubmed">From PubMed</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-patent-search">From Patent Search</a></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-preprints">From Preprints</h1>
<ul>
<li><strong>The impact of RSV/SARS-CoV-2 co-infection on clinical disease and viral replication: insights from a BALB/c mouse model</strong> -
<div>
RSV and SARS-CoV-2 are prone to co-infection with other respiratory viruses. In this study, we use RSV/SARS-CoV-2 co-infection to evaluate changes to clinical disease and viral replication in vivo. To consider the severity of RSV infection, effect of sequential infection, and the impact of infection timing, mice were co-infected with varying doses and timing. Compared with a single infection of RSV or SARS-CoV-2, the co-infection of RSV/SARS-CoV-2 and the primary infection of RSV followed by SARS-CoV-2 results in protection from SARS-CoV-2-induced clinical disease and reduces SARS-CoV-2 replication. Co-infection also augmented RSV replication at early timepoints with only the low dose. Additionally, the sequential infection of RSV followed by SARS-CoV-2 led to improved RSV clearance regardless of viral load. However, SARS-CoV-2 infection followed by RSV results in enhanced SARS-CoV-2-induced disease while protecting from RSV-induced disease. SARS-CoV-2/RSV sequential infection also reduced RSV replication in the lung tissue, regardless of viral load. Collectively, these data suggest that RSV and SARS-CoV-2 co-infection may afford protection from or enhancement of disease based on variation in infection timing, viral infection order, and/or viral dose. In the pediatric population, understanding these infection dynamics will be critical to treat patients and mitigate disease outcomes.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.05.24.542043v1" target="_blank">The impact of RSV/SARS-CoV-2 co-infection on clinical disease and viral replication: insights from a BALB/c mouse model</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Within-host SARS-CoV-2 viral kinetics informed by complex life course exposures reveals different intrinsic properties of Omicron and Delta variants</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The emergence of successive SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOC) during 2020-22, each exhibiting increased epidemic growth relative to earlier circulating variants, has created a need to understand the drivers of such growth. However, both pathogen biology and changing host characteristics - such as varying levels of immunity - can combine to influence replication and transmission of SARS-CoV-2 within and between hosts. Disentangling the role of variant and host in individual-level viral shedding of VOCs is essential to inform COVID-19 planning and response, and interpret past epidemic trends. Using data from a prospective observational cohort study of healthy adult volunteers undergoing weekly occupational health PCR screening, we developed a Bayesian hierarchical model to reconstruct individual-level viral kinetics and estimate how different factors shaped viral dynamics, measured by PCR cycle threshold (Ct) values over time. Jointly accounting for both inter-individual variation in Ct values and complex host characteristics - such as vaccination status, exposure history and age - we found that age and number of prior exposures had a strong influence on peak viral replication. Older individuals and those who had at least five prior antigen exposures to vaccination and/or infection typically had much lower levels of shedding. Moreover, we found evidence of a correlation between the speed of early shedding and duration of incubation period when comparing different VOCs and age groups. Our findings illustrate the value of linking information on participant characteristics, symptom profile and infecting variant with prospective PCR sampling, and the importance of accounting for increasingly complex population exposure landscapes when analysing the viral kinetics of VOCs.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.05.17.23290105v1" target="_blank">Within-host SARS-CoV-2 viral kinetics informed by complex life course exposures reveals different intrinsic properties of Omicron and Delta variants</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Primary Care Post-COVID syndrome Diagnosis and Referral Coding</strong> -
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Introduction - Guidelines for diagnosing and managing Post-COVID syndrome have been rapidly developed. Consistency of the application of these guidelines in primary care is unknown. Electronic health records provide an opportunity to review the use of codes relating to Post-COVID syndrome. This paper explores the use of primary care records as a surrogate uptake measure for NICEs rapid guideline managing the long-term effects of COVID-19 by measuring the use of Post-COVID syndrome diagnosis and referral codes in the pathway. Method - With the approval of NHS England we used routine clinical data from the OpenSafely-EMIS/-TPP platforms. Counts of Post-COVID syndrome diagnosis and referral codes were generated from a cohort of all adults, establishing numbers of diagnoses and referrals following diagnosis. The relationship between Post-COVID syndrome diagnosis and referral codes was explored with reference to NICEs rapid guideline. Results - Of over 45 million patients, 69,220 (0.15%) had a Post-COVID syndrome diagnostic code, and 67,741 (0.15%) had a referral code. 78% of referral codes did not have an associated diagnosis code. 79% of diagnosis codes had no subsequent referral code. Only 18,633 (0.04%) had both. There were higher rates of both diagnosis and referral in those who were more deprived, female and some ethnic groups. Discussion - This study demonstrates variation in diagnosis and referral coding rates for Post-COVID syndrome across different patient groups. The results, with limited crossover of referral and diagnostic codes, suggest only one type of code is usually recorded. Recording one code limits the use of routine data for monitoring Post-COVID syndrome diagnosis and management, but suggests several areas for improvement in coding. Post-COVID syndrome coding, particularly diagnosis coding, needs to improve before administrators and researchers can use it to evaluate care pathways.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.05.23.23289798v1" target="_blank">Primary Care Post-COVID syndrome Diagnosis and Referral Coding</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Psychiatric hospital admissions and linkages to ambulatory services in the Western Cape Province of South Africa (2015-2022): trends, risk factors, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and possible opportunities for intervention</strong> -
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In recent years, hospital managers have reported increasing numbers of psychiatric hospital admissions in the Western Cape Province of South Africa, driven by poverty and substance use. We aimed to examine this trend, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as assess factors associated with linkage to ambulatory services following hospital discharge and repeat psychiatric admissions. Using electronic health data from the Provincial Health Data Centre, a consolidated routine service database, all psychiatric hospital admissions in the Western Cape public sector from 2015 to 2022 were analyzed, stratified by hospital level. Mixed effects logistic regression was used in this cohort study to determine the factors associated with successful linkage to ambulatory services within 30 days following hospital discharge, and repeat psychiatric admission within 30 and 90 days. We found that psychiatric hospital admissions, particularly at the district/acute level, were increasing prior to 2020 and an increasing proportion of diagnoses were substance related. 40% of admissions at the district level had not been seen at a primary health care facility in the year before the admission. Male patients and those with substance use disorders were less likely to be successfully linked to outpatient services following discharge. Successful linkage was one of the most protective factors against readmission within 90 days with an adjusted odds ratio of 0.76 (95%CI 0.73-0.79) and 0.45 (95%CI 0.42-0.49) at district/acute and specialized hospitals respectively. Improving linkage to ambulatory services by mental health patients post-discharge is likely to avert hospital readmissions.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.05.17.23290107v1" target="_blank">Psychiatric hospital admissions and linkages to ambulatory services in the Western Cape Province of South Africa (2015-2022): trends, risk factors, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and possible opportunities for intervention</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Posttraumatic stress disorder symptom trajectories in a 16-month COVID-19 pandemic period</strong> -
<div>
In the aftermath of mass trauma, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms follow prototypical trajectories of resilience, recovery, or chronic distress. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic represented an unheralded opportunity to better understand heterogeneous trajectories of PTSD symptoms across a prolonged period of social disruption and stress. We tracked the PTSD symptoms of trauma-exposed individuals in the U.S., sought to identify population-based variability in PTSD symptom trajectories, and understand what, if any, early pandemic experiences would predict their membership in one trajectory over others. As part of a large-scale longitudinal study of U.S. residents during the pandemic, participants who reported at least one potentially traumatic event in their lifetime (N = 1206) at Wave 1 (April 2020) were included in the current study. PTSD symptoms were assessed with the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 at four time points extending to July 2021. Latent growth mixture modeling was used to identify heterogeneous symptom trajectories. Trajectory membership was regressed on baseline demographics and experiences from the early stage of the pandemic as measured by the Epidemic-Pandemic Impacts Inventory. Four trajectories (Resilient [73%], Recurring [13.3%], Recovering [8.3%], and Chronic [5.5%] were identified. Age, trauma load, and early pandemic experiences (emotional/physical health problems and positive changes) were each significant predictors of trajectory membership. Predictors primarily differentiated the Resilient from each of the other three trajectories. Distinct PTSD symptom trajectories during the COVID-19 pandemic point to the need for targeted efforts helping those at most risk for ongoing distress.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://psyarxiv.com/wpjgm/" target="_blank">Posttraumatic stress disorder symptom trajectories in a 16-month COVID-19 pandemic period</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Experiences, impacts and mental health functioning during a COVID-19 outbreak and lockdown: Data from a diverse New York City sample of college students</strong> -
<div>
In March 2020, New York City (NYC) experienced an outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) which resulted in a 78-day mass confinement of all residents other than essential workers. The aims of the current study were to (1) document the breadth of COVID-19 experiences and their impacts on college students of a minority-serving academic institution in NYC; (2) explore associations between patterns of COVID-19 experiences and psychosocial functioning during the prolonged lockdown, and (3) explore sex and racial/ethnic differences in COVID-19-related experiences and mental health correlates. A total of 909 ethnically and racially diverse students completed an online survey in May 2020. Findings highlight significant impediments to multiple areas of students’ daily life during this period (i.e., home life, work life, social environment, and emotional and physical health) and a vast majority reported heightened symptoms of depression and generalized anxiety. These life disruptions were significantly related to poorer mental health. Moreover, those who reported the loss of a close friend or loved one from COVID-19 (17%) experienced significantly more psychological distress than counterparts with other types of infection-related histories. Nonetheless, the majority (96%) reported at least one positive experience since the pandemic began. Our findings add to a growing understanding of COVID-19 impacts on psychological health and contribute the important perspective of the North American epicenter of the pandemic during the time frame of this investigation. We discuss how the results may inform best practices to support students’ well-being and serve as a benchmark for future studies of US student populations facing COVID-19 and its aftermath.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://psyarxiv.com/nyght/" target="_blank">Experiences, impacts and mental health functioning during a COVID-19 outbreak and lockdown: Data from a diverse New York City sample of college students</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Information bias of vaccine effectiveness estimation due to informed consent for national registration of COVID-19 vaccination: estimation and correction using a data augmentation model</strong> -
<div>
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Background: Registration in the Dutch national COVID-19 vaccination register requires consent from the vaccinee. This causes misclassification of non-consenting vaccinated persons as being unvaccinated. We quantified and corrected the resulting information bias in the estimation of vaccine effectiveness (VE). Methods: National data were used for the period dominated by the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant (11 July to 15 November 2021). VE ((1-relative risk)*100%) against COVID-19 hospitalization and ICU admission was estimated for individuals 12-49, 50-69, and ≥70 years of age using negative binomial regression. Anonymous data on vaccinations administered by the Municipal Health Services were used to determine informed consent percentages and estimate corrected VEs by iterative data augmentation. Absolute bias was calculated as the absolute change in VE; relative bias as uncorrected / corrected relative risk. Results: A total of 8,804 COVID-19 hospitalizations and 1,692 COVID-19 ICU admissions were observed. The bias was largest in the 70+ age group where the non-consent proportion was 7.0% and observed vaccination coverage was 87%: VE of primary vaccination against hospitalization changed from 75.5% (95% CI 73.5-77.4) before to 85.9% (95% CI 84.7-87.1) after correction (absolute bias -10.4 percentage point, relative bias 1.74). VE against ICU admission in this group was 88.7% (95% CI 86.2-90.8) before and 93.7% (95% CI 92.2-94.9) after correction (absolute bias -5.0 percentage point, relative bias 1.79). Conclusions: VE estimates can be substantially biased with modest non-consent percentages for registration of vaccination. Data on covariate specific non-consent percentages should be available to correct this bias.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.05.23.23290384v1" target="_blank">Information bias of vaccine effectiveness estimation due to informed consent for national registration of COVID-19 vaccination: estimation and correction using a data augmentation model</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Emotional overeating affected nine in ten female students during the COVID-19 University closure: A cross-sectional study in France</strong> -
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Objectives: To estimate the proportion of female university students reporting overeating (EO) in response to emotions during the COVID-19 university closures, and to investigate social and psychological factors associated with this response to stress. Design: Online survey gathered sociodemographic data, alcohol/drugs use disorders, boredom proneness and impulsivity using validated questionnaires, and EO using the Emotional Overeating Questionnaire (EOQ) assessing eating in response to six emotions (anxiety, sadness, loneliness, anger, fatigue, happiness), whose structure remains to be determined. Participants: Sample of 302 female students from Rennes University, France. Main Outcome Measure: Frequencies of emotional overeating. Analysis: The frequency of emotional overeating was expressed for each emotion as percentages. Exploratory Factor analyses (EFA) were used to determine EOQ structure and provide an index of all EOQ items used for further analysis. Linear regression models were used to explore relationships between EO and others covariates. Results: Nine in ten participants reported intermittent EO in the last 28 days, mostly during 6 to 12 days, in response to Anxiety (75.5%), Sadness (64.5%), Happiness (59.9%), Loneliness (57.9%), Tiredness (51.7%), and to a lesser extent to Anger (31.1%). EFA evidenced a one-factor latent variable reflecting “Distress-Induced Overeating” positively correlated with internal boredom proneness, tobacco use, attentional impulsivity, inability to resist emotional cues, and loss of control over food intake, and negatively with age and well-being. EO was unrelated to body mass index or substance abuse. Conclusion and Implications: Nine in ten female students reported emotional overeating during the COVID-19 university closure. This response to stress was related to eating tendencies typical of young women, but also to personality/behavioral patterns such as boredom and impulsivity proneness. Better understanding of the mechanisms underlying EO in response to stress and lack of external/social stimulation would improve preventive interventions.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.05.17.23290100v1" target="_blank">Emotional overeating affected nine in ten female students during the COVID-19 University closure: A cross-sectional study in France</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Wastewater Surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 in an Atlanta, Georgia Jail: A study of the feasibility of wastewater monitoring and correlation of building wastewater and individual testing results.</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Background Wastewater-based surveillance (WBS) on an institutional level was implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic, including carceral facilities. In this study of a mega-jail, we examined the relationship between COVID-19 diagnostic test results from jail residents and the PCR signal for SARS-CoV-2 detection in weekly samples of jail wastewater over a 28-week period. Methods This study in a Georgia Jail (average population ~2,700) was conducted October 2021-May 2022. Weekly on-site wastewater samples were collected (Moore Swabs) and tested for SARS-CoV-2 RNA using RTqPCR. The source of wastewater was identified using a tracer dye. The jail offered residents rapid antigen testing at entry. We conducted periodic mass screenings via RT-PCR of nasal swabs. We aggregated individual test data, calculated the Spearman correlation coefficient, and performed logistic regression to examine the relationship between the strength of the SARS-CoV-2 PCR signal (Ct value) in wastewater and the proportion of the jail population that tested positive for COVID-19. Results Overall, 3770 individual nasal specimens were collected; 3.4% were COVID-positive. Weekly diagnostic test positivity ranged from 0%-29.5%. Dye tests demonstrated that a single wastewater collection point was sufficiently representative of the jails aggregate viral load. Twenty-five wastewater samples were collected. RT-qPCR Ct values for wastewater samples with SARS-CoV-2 RNA ranged from 28.1-39.9. A strong inverse correlation was observed between diagnostic test positivity and Ct value (r= -0.67, p &lt; 0.01). Conclusion WBS was shown to be an effective strategy for surveilling COVID-19 in a large jail. Strong partnerships with the jail administration are essential to the success of WBS surveillance.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.05.17.23290000v1" target="_blank">Wastewater Surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 in an Atlanta, Georgia Jail: A study of the feasibility of wastewater monitoring and correlation of building wastewater and individual testing results.</a>
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<li><strong>Spatiotemporal Variations of “Triple-demic” Outbreaks of Respiratory Infections in the United States in the Post-COVID-19 Era</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Objectives: The United States confronted a “triple-demic” of influenza, respiratory syncytial virus, and COVID-19 in the winter of 2022, resulting in increased respiratory infections and a higher demand for medical supplies. It is urgent to analyze each epidemic and their co-occurrence in space and time to identify hotspots and provide insights for public health strategy. Methods: We used retrospective space-time scan statistics to retrospect the situation of COVID-19, influenza, and RSV in 51 US states from October 2021 to February 2022, and then applied prospective space-time scan statistics to monitor spatiotemporal variations of each individual epidemic, respectively and collectively from October 2022 to February 2023. Results: Our analysis indicated that compared to the winter of 2021, COVID-19 cases decreased while influenza and RSV infections increased significantly during the winter of 2022. We revealed that a twin-demic high-risk cluster of influenza and COVID-19 but no triple-demic clusters emerged during the winter of 2021. We further identified a large high-risk cluster of triple-demic in the central US from late November, with COVID-19, influenza, and RSV having relative risks of 1.14, 1.90, and 1.59, respectively. The number of states at high risk for multiple-demic increased from 15 in October 2022 to 21 in January 2023. Conclusion: Our study provides a novel spatiotemporal perspective to explore and monitor the transmission patterns of the triple epidemic, which could inform public health authorities9 resource allocation to mitigate future outbreaks.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.05.23.23290387v1" target="_blank">Spatiotemporal Variations of “Triple-demic” Outbreaks of Respiratory Infections in the United States in the Post-COVID-19 Era</a>
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<li><strong>Inflammation in the COVID-19 airway is due to inhibition of CFTR signaling by the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein</strong> -
<div>
Background: SARS-CoV-2-contributes to sickness and death in COVID-19 patients partly by inducing a hyper-proinflammatory immune response in the host airway. This hyper- proinflammatory state involves activation of signaling by NF{kappa}B and ENaC, and expression of high levels of cytokines and chemokines. Post-infection inflammation may contribute to “Long COVID”, and there are also other long term consequences of acute severe COVID-19, which double or triple the chances of dying from any cause within a year. Enhanced signaling by NF{kappa}B and ENaC also marks the airway of patients suffering from cystic fibrosis, a lethal proinflammatory genetic disease due to inactivating mutations in the CFTR gene. We therefore hypothesized that inflammation in the COVID-19 airway might similarly be due to inhibition of CFTR signaling by SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein. Methods: This hypothesis was tested using the hTERT-transformed BCi-NS1.1 basal stem cell, previously derived from small airway epithelia, which were differentiated into a model of small airway epithelia on an air-liquid-interface (ALI). Cyclic AMP-activated CFTR chloride channel activity was measured using an Ussing Chamber. Cell surface-CFTR was labeled with the impermeant biotin method. Results: Exposure of differentiated airway epithelia to SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein resulted in loss of CFTR protein expression. As hypothesized, TNF/NF{kappa}B signaling was activated, based on increased protein expression of TRADD, the first intracellular adaptor for the TNF/TNFR1 complex, TNFR1, the TNF receptor, phosphorylated I{kappa}B, and the chemokine IL8. ENaC activity was also activated, based on specific changes in molecular weights for and {gamma}ENaC. Exposure of the epithelia to viral Spike protein suppressed cAMP-activated CFTR chloride channel activity. However, addition of 30 nM concentrations of cardiac glycoside drugs ouabain, digitoxin and digoxin, prevented loss of channel activity. ACE2 and CFTR were found to co-immunoprecipitate (co-IP) in both basal cells and epithelia, suggesting that the mechanism for Spike-dependent CFTR loss might involve ACE2 as a bridge between Spike and CFTR. In addition, Spike exposure to the epithelia resulted in failure of endosomal recycling to return CFTR to the plasma membrane, suggesting that failure of CFTR recovery from endosomal recycling might be a mechanism for Spike-dependent loss of CFTR. Conclusion: Based on experiments with this model of small airway epithelia, we predict that inflammation in the COVID-19 airway may be mediated by inhibition of CFTR signaling by SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein, thus inducing a CFTR-null, cystic fibrosis-like clinical phenotype. Descriptions of COVID-19 in CF carriers with only one copy of wildtype CFTR suggest that this model-based conclusion might be consistent with patient-based experience.
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<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.01.18.476803v3" target="_blank">Inflammation in the COVID-19 airway is due to inhibition of CFTR signaling by the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein</a>
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<li><strong>Ensemble of deep learning language models to support the creation of living systematic reviews for the COVID-19 literature</strong> -
<div>
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an unprecedented amount of scientific publications, growing at a pace never seen before. Multiple living systematic reviews have been developed to assist professionals with up-to-date and trustworthy health information, but it is increasingly challenging for systematic reviewers to keep up with the evidence in electronic databases. We aimed to investigate deep learning-based machine learning algorithms to classify COVID-19 related publications to help scale-up the epidemiological curation process. Methods: In this retrospective study, five different pre-trained deep learning-based language models were fine-tuned on a dataset of 6,365 publications manually classified into two classes, three subclasses and 22 sub-subclasses relevant for epidemiological triage purposes. In a k-fold cross-validation setting, each standalone model was assessed on a classification task and compared against an ensemble, which takes the standalone model predictions as input and uses different strategies to infer the optimal article class. A ranking task was also considered, in which the model outputs a ranked list of sub-subclasses associated with the article. Results: The ensemble model significantly outperformed the standalone classifiers, achieving a F1-score of 89.2 at the class level of the classification task. The difference between the standalone and ensemble models increases at the sub-subclass level, where the ensemble reaches a micro F1-score of 70% against 67% for the best performing standalone model. For the ranking task, the ensemble obtained the highest recall@3, with a performance of 89%. Using an unanimity voting rule, the ensemble can provide predictions with higher confidence on a subset of the data, achieving detection of original papers with a F1-score up to 97% on a subset of 80% of the collection instead of 93% on the whole dataset. Conclusion: This study shows the potential of using deep learning language models to perform triage of COVID-19 references efficiently and support epidemiological curation and review. The ensemble consistently and significantly outperforms any standalone model. Fine-tuning the voting strategy thresholds is an interesting alternative to annotate a subset with higher predictive confidence.
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<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.01.18.524571v2" target="_blank">Ensemble of deep learning language models to support the creation of living systematic reviews for the COVID-19 literature</a>
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<li><strong>ChAdOx1 COVID vaccines express RBD open prefusion SARS-CoV-2 spikes on the cell surface</strong> -
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Vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 have been proven to be an effective means of decreasing COVID-19 mortality, hospitalization rates, and transmission. One of the vaccines deployed worldwide is ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, which uses an adenovirus vector to drive the expression of the original SARS-CoV-2 spike on the surface of transduced cells. Using cryo-electron tomography and subtomogram averaging, we determined the native structures of the vaccine product expressed on cell surfaces in situ. We show that ChAdOx1-vectored vaccines expressing the Beta SARS-CoV-2 variant produce abundant native prefusion spikes predominantly in one-RBD-up conformation. Furthermore, the ChAdOx1 vectored HexaPro stabilized spike yields higher cell surface expression, enhanced RBD exposure, and reduced shedding of S1 compared to the wild-type. We demonstrate in situ structure determination as a powerful means for studying antigen design options in future vaccine development against emerging novel SARS-CoV-2 variants and broadly against other infectious viruses.
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<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.05.22.541685v1" target="_blank">ChAdOx1 COVID vaccines express RBD open prefusion SARS-CoV-2 spikes on the cell surface</a>
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<li><strong>The impact of age and psychosocial factors on cognitive and auditory outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic</strong> -
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Purpose: In March 2020, the UK government announced that people should isolate to reduce the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19. Outside a pandemic, psychosocial factors, such as socialisation and mental health, may impact the relationship between hearing loss and increased dementia risk. We aim to report the impact of psychosocial factors, including social isolation, depression, and engagement in activities, on hearing and cognitive function in younger and older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: An online survey and experiment assessed self-reported psychosocial factors, self-reported hearing ability and speech-in-noise perception, and cognition. Data were collected between June 2020 and February 2021. Older (N = 112, MAGE = 70.08) and younger (N = 121, MAGE = 20.52) monolingual speakers of English, without any language or neurological disorders participated. Multiple linear regression models were employed to investigate hypothesised associations between psychosocial factors, and hearing and cognition, in older and younger adults. Results: Multiple regression analyses indicated that older adults displayed poorer speech-in-noise perception and poorer performance on one of four cognitive tasks, compared to younger adults; and increased depression was associated with poorer subjective hearing. Other psychosocial factors did not significantly predict hearing or cognitive function. Conclusions: Data suggest that self-reported hearing and depression are related. This conclusion is important for understanding the associations between hearing loss and cognitive decline in the long-term, as both hearing loss and depression are risk factors for dementia.
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<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://psyarxiv.com/rqfjy/" target="_blank">The impact of age and psychosocial factors on cognitive and auditory outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic</a>
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<li><strong>Smaller preferred interpersonal distance for joint versus parallel action</strong> -
<div>
During social interaction, humans prefer to keep a certain distance between themselves and other individuals. This preferred “interpersonal distance” (IPD) is known to be sensitive to social context, and in the present study we aimed to further investigate the extent to which IPD is affected by the specific type of social interaction. In particular, we focused on the contrast between joint actions, where two or more individuals coordinate their actions in space and time to achieve a shared goal, and parallel actions, where individuals act alongside each other but individually. We predicted that joint action would be associated with a smaller preferred IPD compared to parallel action. Additionally, given that this research took place in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, we aimed to assess whether IPD preferences are affected by individuals’ concerns about infection in general, as well as COVID-19 in particular. We predicted that higher individual concerns would be associated with greater preferred IPD. To test these hypotheses, we asked participants to imagine different social scenarios (involving either joint or parallel actions alongside a stranger) and indicate, on a visual scale, their preferred IPD. The results of two experiments (n = 211, n = 212) showed that participants preferred a shorter distance when they imagined acting jointly compared to when they imagined acting in parallel. Moreover, participants who reported higher discomfort for potential pathogen contact and who were more aware of the COVID-19 context in which the study took place preferred a larger IPD in general. Our results provide further evidence that different types of social interaction shape IPD preference. We discuss potential reasons for this phenomenon and highlight remaining questions for future research.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://psyarxiv.com/8za3r/" target="_blank">Smaller preferred interpersonal distance for joint versus parallel action</a>
</div></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-clinical-trials">From Clinical Trials</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>The Standard of Care Combined With Glucocorticoid in Elderly People With Mild or Moderate COVID-19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Drug: Glucocorticoid<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Huashan Hospital<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></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>Investigation of the Effect on Cognitive Skills of COVID-19 Survivors</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Other: green walking and intelligence gam<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   Bayburt University;   Karadeniz Technical University<br/><b>Completed</b></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>Conducting Clinical Trials of the Medicine “Rutan Tablets 0.1g” No. 10 in the Complex Therapy of COVID-19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Patients With COVID-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Drug: The drug “Rutan 0.1”.;   Other: Basic treatment<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Research Institute of Virology, Ministry of Health of the Republic of Uzbekistan<br/><b>Completed</b></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>The Effect of Special Discharge Training in the COVID-19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19 Pneumonia<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Other: COVID-19 Discharge Education<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Kilis 7 Aralik University<br/><b>Completed</b></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>Evaluation of Safety, Tolerability, Reactogenicity, Immunogenicity of Baiya SARS-CoV-2 Vax 2 as a Booster for COVID-19</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>:   COVID-19 Vaccine;   COVID-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Biological: 50 μg Baiya SARS-CoV-2 Vax 2;   Other: Placebo<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Baiya Phytopharm Co., Ltd.<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></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>Arginine Replacement Therapy in COVID-19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Drug: Arginine Hydrochloride<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Emory University<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></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>Effectiveness of a Second COVID-19 Vaccine Booster in Chinese Adults</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Biological: Intramuscularly administered Ad5-nCoV vaccine;   Biological: Aerosolized Ad5-nCoV;   Biological: DelNS1-2019-nCoV-RBD-OPT1;   Biological: SYS6006<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Jiangsu Province Centers for Disease Control and Prevention<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></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>Physiotherapy in Mutated COVID-19 Patients</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19 Pandemic<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Behavioral: Physiotherapy<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Giresun University<br/><b>Completed</b></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>Studying the Efficiency of the Natural Preparation Rutan in Children in the Treatment of COVID-19, ARVI</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19 Respiratory Infection<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Drug: Rutan 25 mg;   Other: Control group<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Research Institute of Virology, Ministry of Health of the Republic of Uzbekistan<br/><b>Completed</b></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>A Pilot Study Evaluating the Efficacy of the Vielight Neuro RX Gamma in the Treatment of Post COVID-19 Cognitive Impairment</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Post COVID-19 Cognitive Impairment<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Device: Vielight Neuro RX Gamma active device;   Device: Vielight Neuro RX Gamma sham device<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Vielight Inc.<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></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>To Explore the Regulatory Effect of Combined Capsule FMT on the Levels of Inflammatory Factors in Peripheral Blood of Patients With COVID-19 During Treatment.</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>:   Fecal Microbiota Transplantation;   COVID-19 Infection<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Procedure: Fecal microbiota transplantation<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Shanghai 10th People’s Hospital<br/><b>Completed</b></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>Use of a Hypochlorous Acid Spray Solution in the Treatment of COVID-19 Patients : COVICONTROL Study .</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   SARS CoV 2 Infection<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Other: Spray with Hypochlorous Acid Group;   Other: Spray with Placebo Group<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   University of Monastir<br/><b>Recruiting</b></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>Telerehabilitation Program and Detraining in Patients With Post-COVID-19 Sequelae</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19 Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Other: Telerehabilitation program<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Campus docent Sant Joan de Déu-Universitat de Barcelona<br/><b>Completed</b></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>COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake Amongst Underserved Populations in East London</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>:   COVID-19;   Influenza;   Vaccination Refusal<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Device: Patient Engagement tool<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   Queen Mary University of London;   Social Action for Health<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></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>REVERSE-Long COVID-19 With Baricitinib Pilot Study</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Drug: Baricitinib 4 MG<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   Vanderbilt University Medical Center;   Emory University;   University of California, San Francisco;   University of Minnesota;   Vanderbilt University;   Yale University<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-pubmed">From PubMed</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>Immunosuppressants exert differential effects on pan-coronavirus infection and distinct combinatory antiviral activity with molnupiravir and nirmatrelvir</strong> - CONCLUSIONS: Different immunosuppressants have distinct effects on coronavirus replication, with 6-TG, MPA, tofacitinib and filgotinib possessing pan-coronavirus antiviral activity. The combinations of MPA, 6-TG, tofacitinib and filgotinib with antiviral drugs exerted an additive or synergistic antiviral activity. Thus, these findings provide an important reference for optimal management of immunocompromised patients infected with coronaviruses.</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>Myricetin possesses the potency against SARS-CoV-2 infection through blocking viral-entry facilitators and suppressing inflammation in rats and mice</strong> - CONCLUSION: Our findings showed that myricetin inhibited HCoV-229E and SARS-CoV-2 replication in vitro, blocked SARS-CoV-2 virus entry facilitators and relieved inflammation through the RIPK1/NF-κB pathway, suggesting that this flavonol has the potential to be developed as a therapeutic agent against 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>Promoting cognitive health: a virtual group intervention for community-living older adults</strong> - CONCLUSIONS: The synchronous virtual group intervention was shown to be feasible for the elderly in the community who participated in the study.</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>SARS-CoV-2 RBD and Its Variants Can Induce Platelet Activation and Clearance: Implications for Antibody Therapy and Vaccinations against COVID-19</strong> - The COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 virus is an ongoing global health burden. Severe cases of COVID-19 and the rare cases of COVID-19 vaccine-induced-thrombotic-thrombocytopenia (VITT) are both associated with thrombosis and thrombocytopenia; however, the underlying mechanisms remain inadequately understood. Both infection and vaccination utilize the spike protein receptor-binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2. We found that intravenous injection of recombinant RBD caused significant…</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>HSPA5 Promotes Attachment and Internalization of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus through Interaction with the Spike Protein and the Endo-/Lysosomal Pathway</strong> - Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) has caused huge economic losses to the global pig industry. The swine enteric coronavirus spike (S) protein recognizes various cell surface molecules to regulate viral infection. In this study, we identified 211 host membrane proteins related to the S1 protein by pulldown combined with liquid-chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis. Among these, heat shock protein family A member 5 (HSPA5) was identified through screening as having a…</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>Evaluation of the Inhibition Potency of Nirmatrelvir against Main Protease Mutants of SARS-CoV-2 Variants</strong> - SARS-CoV-2 continues to pose a threat to public health. Main protease (M^(pro)) is one of the most lucrative drug targets for developing specific antivirals against SARS-CoV-2 infection. By targeting M^(pro), peptidomimetic nirmatrelvir is able to inhibit viral replication of SARS-CoV-2 and reduce the risk for progression to severe COVID-19. However, multiple mutations in the gene encoding M^(pro) of emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants raise a concern of drug resistance. In the present study, we…</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>Culture and pandemic control at cross-roads: navigating the burial guidelines for COVID-19-related deaths in a Ghanaian setting</strong> - CONCLUSIONS: Insensitivity to socio-cultural practices compromised the implementation of the COVID-19 pandemic control interventions, particularly, the COVID-19-related death and burial protocols. Some compromises that were not sanctioned by the protocols were reached to allow health officials and families respectfully bury their dead. These findings call for the need to prioritize the incorporation of sociocultural practices in future pandemic prevention and management strategies.</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>Rational Design of Covalent Kinase Inhibitors by an Integrated Computational Workflow (Kin-Cov)</strong> - Covalent kinase inhibitors (CKIs) hold great promise for drug development. However, examples of computationally guided design of CKIs are still scarce. Here, we present an integrated computational workflow (Kin-Cov) for rational design of CKIs. The design of the first covalent leucine-zipper and sterile-α motif kinase (ZAK) inhibitor was presented as an example to showcase the power of computational workflow for CKI design. The two representative compounds, 7 and 8, inhibited ZAK kinase with…</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>Essential Oil Derived from Underutilized Plants <em>Cymbopogon khasianus</em> Poses Diverse Biological Activities against “<em>Aspergillosis</em>” and “<em>Mucormycosis</em>”</strong> - Palmrosa essential oil (PEO) from Cymbopogon khasianus, is used as complementary and traditional medicine worldwide. The present study aimed at compositional profiling of PEO and molecular docking of PEO bioactive compound geraniol against fungal enzymes chitin synthase (CS), UDP-glycosyltransferase (UDPG) and glucosamine-6-phosphate synthase (GPS), as apposite sites for drug designing against “Aspergillosis” and “Mucormycosis” and in vitro confirmation. Compositional profile of PEO was…</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>Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies: Comparison of Enzyme Immunoassay, Surrogate Neutralization and Virus Neutralization Test</strong> - CONCLUSIONS: sVNT appeared to be a reliable method for the assessment COVID-19 serology in patients with high antibody levels, while false-negative results were frequently observed in patients with low NT titers.</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>Elucidating Atomistic Insight into the Dynamical Responses of the SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease for the Binding of Remdesivir Analogues: Leveraging Molecular Mechanics To Decode the Inhibition Mechanism</strong> - To combat mischievous coronavirus disease followed by continuous upgrading of therapeutic strategy against the antibody-resistant variants, the molecular mechanistic understanding of protein-drug interactions is a prerequisite in the context of target-specific rational drug development. Herein, we attempt to decipher the structural basis for the inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 main protease (M^(pro)) through the elemental analysis of potential energy landscape and the associated thermodynamic and…</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>Risk connectedness between crude oil, gold and exchange rates in China: Implications of the COVID-19 pandemic</strong> - This study examined the risk connectedness and its asymmetry between oil, gold, and foreign exchange under the realized volatility, spillover index framework, and high-frequency data during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was found that: (1) At the beginning of the pandemic outbreak, the total volatility spillover in the system declined, which may indicate that the pandemic cuts the trading activities in the financial markets by inhibiting personnel mobility, then, the spillover experienced a…</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>Prognostic immune markers identifying patients with severe COVID-19 who respond to tocilizumab</strong> - CONCLUSIONS: We found that tocilizumab has pleiotropic effects and that clinical response to this drug remain heterogenous. Our data suggest that it is possible to identify patients who will respond to treatment and that the administration of tocilizumab is able to restore the immune balance through the re-establishment of different cell populations affected by SARS-COV-2 infection, highlighting the importance of temporal examination of the pathological features from the diagnosis.</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>Immunogenicity of NVX-CoV2373 in PREVENT-19: A Phase 3, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial in Adults in the United States and Mexico</strong> - CONCLUSIONS: NVX-CoV2373 elicited robust humoral immune responses against ancestral SARS-CoV-2 virus 2 weeks following the second vaccination in adult PREVENT-19 participants, consistent with previously reported high vaccine efficacy. PREVENT-19 ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT04611802.</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>Hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin alter the contractility of living porcine heart slices</strong> - The cardiotoxicity risk of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and azithromycin (AZM) has been the subject of intensive research triggered by safety concerns in COVID-19 patients. HCQ and AZM have been associated with QT interval prolongation and drug-induced arrhythmias, however other cardiotoxicity mechanisms remain largely unexplored. Our group has pioneered the living heart slice preparation, an ex-vivo platform that maintains native cardiac tissue architecture and physiological electrical and…</p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-patent-search">From Patent Search</h1>
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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>What Is Biden’s Endgame in the Debt-Ceiling Standoff?</strong> - The Administration is examining all its options to avoid a technical default should there be no agreement by the “X-Date.” - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/what-is-bidens-endgame-in-the-debt-ceiling-standoff">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>How to Find a Missing Person with Dementia</strong> - Searching for people with cognitive disabilities presents special challenges. Can we solve them? - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/annals-of-inquiry/how-to-find-a-missing-person-with-dementia">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Why the Pro-Life Movement Can’t Quit Trump</strong> - The former President is less committed than the other 2024 G.O.P. front-runners on the subject of abortion. Shouldn’t advocates of tighter restrictions be jumping ship? - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a/why-the-pro-life-movement-cant-quit-trump">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Why Masha Gessen Resigned from the PEN America Board</strong> - A conversation about balancing free-speech commitments in an era of war. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a/why-masha-gessen-resigned-from-the-pen-america-board">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Battle Rap’s Unwoke Representation Politics</strong> - Even if the point of battle rap is trading increasingly offensive insults, the whole thing functions on a certain system of trust. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/battle-raps-unwoke-representation-politics">link</a></p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-vox">From Vox</h1>
<ul>
<li><strong>Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny reminds you how much Hollywood has changed</strong> -
<figure>
<img alt="Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/hQD0E4Si41-V7Opuw0yspKiyzmI=/2x0:1210x906/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72311711/indycover.0.jpg"/>
<figcaption>
Harrison Ford returns. | Disney
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The new Indiana Jones movie hits different in the IP age.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="96hMLz">
In 1981’s <em>Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark</em>, the mercenary archaeologist René Belloq looks his friend-turned-foe Indiana Jones square in the eye and tells him the absolute truth. “Indiana,” he says, “we are simply passing through history.” They’re discussing the treasure they seek: the Ark of the Covenant, which might be just a valuable old artifact or might be the home of the Hebrew God, who knows. “This — this <em>is</em> history.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="3W5Nyu">
Humans die. Civilizations pass away. Artifacts, however, remain. They tell us who we were, and who we still are.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="hrMgGN">
History — the pursuit of it, the commodification of it, our universal fate to live inside of it — is Indiana Jones’s obsession, and that theme bleeds right off the screen and onto us. After all, <em>Raiders</em> was released 42 years ago, before I was born, and the fifth and final film (or <a href="https://screencrush.com/final-indiana-jones-film/">so we’re told anyhow</a>), <em>Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny</em>, just premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, due to arrive in theaters this summer. Watch it at this moment in time, and you’re reminded that you, too, are passing through history. Those movie stars are looking a lot older.
</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="The two actors stand against a backdrop of ancient ruins." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/pWpMMoPBFe8HWKOk5JPZ5mkYb8Y=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24673832/indy2.jpg"/> <cite>Disney</cite>
<figcaption>
Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Harrison Ford in <em>Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.</em>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="RBHl3k">
This is a series preoccupied with time and its cousin, mortality, from the characters’ relentless pursuit of the ancient world’s secrets to the poignancy of Jones’s relationships. His adventures are frequently preceded by the revelation that someone or something in his life has died — a friend, a family member, a relationship. <em>Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade</em>, released in 1989, makes the fact of death especially moving, with its plot point turning on immortality and the Holy Grail. More humorously, cobweb-draped skeletons are strewn liberally throughout the series, reminding us that other explorers and other civilizations have attempted what Indiana is trying to do. He’s just another in a string of adventurers, one who happens to be really good at throwing a punch.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="6NLIVD">
<em>Dial of Destiny</em> feels like an emphatic period at the end of a very long sentence, a sequel making its own case against some future further resurrection — not unlike last year’s Cannes blockbuster premiere, <em>Top Gun: Maverick</em>, or 2021’s fourth installment of <em>The Matrix</em>. That’s not just because Harrison Ford is turning 81 this summer. It’s in the text; <em>Dial of Destiny</em> argues, explicitly, that you have to leave the past in the past, that the only way to ensure the world continues is to put one foot down and then another, moving into the future.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="6nvRBi">
Ironic, yes, for a movie built on giant piles of nostalgia and made by a company that proudly spends most of its money <a href="https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/23668199/fallacy-new-ideas-original-story-little-mermaid-live-action-remake">nibbling its own tail</a>. In fact, the entire <em>Indiana Jones</em> concept was nostalgia-driven even before the fedora made its big-screen debut. Harrison Ford’s whip-cracking adventurer descends from swashbuckling heroes of pulp stories and matinee serials that George Lucas and Steven Spielberg loved as kids; like <a href="https://www.slashfilm.com/1249819/star-wars-harrison-ford-used-to-find-han-solo-not-play-him/">that other franchise</a> Ford launched, the Indy series is both original and pastiche, both contemporary-feeling and set in another time, another place, a world that’s far, far away.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="9vzCwG">
<em>Dial of Destiny</em> is loaded with related ironies, though they’re mostly extratextual. On the screen, it’s fairly straightforward: a sentimental vehicle, one that hits familiar beats and tells familiar jokes, comfort food to make you feel like a kid again for a little while. The Indiana Jones <a href="https://www.vox.com/movies">movies</a>, even the bad ones, have always been pretty fun to watch in a cartoon-movie kind of way, while also being aggressively just fine as films — I mean that with fond enthusiasm — and <em>Dial of Destiny</em> fits the bill perfectly.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="nyKZfj">
This installment turns on pieces of a dial created by the Greek mathematician Archimedes, which, like most of the relics that pop up in Indy’s universe, may or may not bestow godlike powers on its wielder. Naturally, the Nazis want it, especially Hitler. So the film opens in 1939, with Indy (a de-aged Ford, though unfortunately nobody thought to sufficiently de-age his voice) fighting Jürgen Voller (Mads Mikkelsen) to nab it while getting out of one of his signature high-octane scrapes via a familiar combo of costume changes, well-aimed punches, acrobatics, and dumb luck. Then we jump forward to 1969, to discover a very much <em>not</em> de-aged Indy collapsed into his armchair in front of the TV, shirtless and in boxers, snoozing and clutching the dregs of a beer. This is a movie about getting old, after all.
</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="Harrison Ford looks fierce, wielding a bullwhip in one hand, fedora on his head." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/D4EkOcVYN3BgW4i934KKpAKQ2GE=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24673834/indy1.jpg"/> <cite>Disney</cite>
<figcaption>
Indy still has his fedora and his whip, of course.
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="28hirx">
You can deduce the rest — old friends and new, tricks and turns, mysteries, maybe some time travel, the question of whether the magic is real. Phoebe Waller-Bridge is in this movie as Helena Shaw, Jones’s archaeologist goddaughter, and injects it with some much-needed joie de vivre. There are some fun chase scenes, though director James Mangold’s visual sense (richly demonstrated in previous films like <em>Logan</em> and <em>Ford v Ferrari</em>) falls a little flat next to the memory of Steven Spielberg’s direction. But for the most part, it’s all here again. I don’t want to spoil your fun.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="7uIdMl">
Yet a thread that’s run through the whole four-decade series, with heightened irony every time it comes up, is the battle between Indy — who firmly believes that history’s relics ought to be in a museum for everyone to enjoy — and fortune-seeking mercenaries or power-seeking Nazis, who want to privately acquire those artifacts for their own reasons. (Leaving the artifact where it is, perhaps even among its people, still doesn’t really seem to be an option.) It’s a mirror for the very real theft of artifacts throughout history by invading or colonizing forces, the taking of someone else’s culture for your own use or to assert your own dominance. That battle crops up again in this installment, with both mercenaries <em>and</em> Nazis on offer. Shaw, voicing a darker archaeological aim, wryly insists that thieving is just capitalism, and that cash is the only thing worth believing in; Voller’s aims are much darker.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="rrbUd5">
It’s all very fitting in a movie about an archaeologist set in the midcentury. But you have to notice the weird Hollywood resonance. When <em>Raiders</em> first hit the big screen, it was always intended to be the first in a series, much like Lucas and Spielberg’s beloved childhood serials. (The pair in fact made their initial <em>Indiana Jones</em> deal with Paramount for five movies.) But while some bits (and chunks) of the 1980s films have aged pretty badly, they endure in part because they’re remixes that are alive with imagination and even whimsy, the product so clearly of some guys who wanted to play around with the kinds of stories they loved as children.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="VWf6mm">
Now, in the IP era, remixing is a fraught endeavor. The gatekeepers, owners and fans alike, are often very cranky. The producers bank on more of the same, not the risk of a new idea. The artifacts belong to <a href="https://apnews.com/article/4d98c8dee1c72fa5ac42ce01dff143fd">them</a>, and they call the shots, and tell you when you can have access or not. (The evening <em>Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny</em> opened at Cannes, <a href="https://www.vox.com/disney">Disney</a> — already infamously known for <a href="https://www.vulture.com/2017/02/the-disney-vault-is-real-heres-what-its-like-inside.html">locking its animation away in a vault</a> and <a href="https://www.vulture.com/2019/10/disney-is-quietly-placing-classic-fox-movies-into-its-vault.html">burying the work of companies it acquires</a> — announced it would <a href="https://deadline.com/2023/05/disney-remove-series-streaming-disney-plus-hulu-big-shot-willow-y-dollface-turner-hooch-pistol-1235372512/#:~:text=The%20titles%2C%20which%20are%20being,The%20Last%20Man%2C%20Dollface%2C%20The">start removing dozens of its own series</a> from its streamers.) Rather than move into the future and support some new sandboxes, the Hollywood of today mostly maniacally rehashes what it’s already done. It <a href="https://www.vox.com/culture/23700519/writers-strike-ai-2023-wga">envisions a future</a> where what’s on offer is mostly what we’ve already had before.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="jlpgmw">
In this I hear echoes of thinkers like Theodor Adorno and Max Horkheimer — two men who fled the Nazis, incidentally — who proposed the culture industry was giving people the illusion of choice, but only the freedom to choose what <em>they</em> said was on offer. You can have infinite variations on the same thing.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="8ILK4h">
It’s a sentiment strangely echoed in <em>Dial of Destiny</em>. One night, Shaw is doing a card trick for some sailors, who are astounded that when they call out the seven of clubs, that’s what they pull out of the deck. But she shows Indy how she does it — by forcing the card on them, without them realizing. “I offer the feeling of choice, but I ultimately make you pick the one I want,” she explains, with a wry grin.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="vuZlM9">
After 40 years and change, <em>Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny</em> releases into a world where there’s more stuff than ever to watch, but somehow it feels like we have less choice, less chance of discovery. It is our moment in history — an artifact of what it was to be alive right now. When the historians of the future look back, I have to wonder what they’ll see, and thus who, in the end, they’ll think we really were.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="3hFXbX">
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny <em>premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and opens in theaters on June 30.</em>
</p></li>
<li><strong>Is the debt ceiling stalemate just posturing — or is this time truly different?</strong> -
<figure>
<img alt="House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is on the right of the photo, talking to Rep. Matt Gaetz on the left, both surrounded by other people standing on the House floor, from a slightly overhead view." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/45XE8OHi_Vz0QQfKpDKrJJxIxnk=/162x0:2778x1962/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72311621/GettyImages_1454740442.0.jpg"/>
<figcaption>
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The case for optimism vs. the case for pessimism on the chances of default, explained.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="k8dm1t">
There have been few signs of progress in negotiations between President Joe Biden and the House GOP over raising the debt ceiling this week, as the “<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/23/us/politics/debt-limit-default-xdate-report.html">X-date</a>” at which the government will be unable to pay its bills, and the <a href="https://www.vox.com/money/2023/5/24/23736112/debt-ceiling-economy-default-treasury-janet-yellen-stock-market">accompanying prospect of economic turmoil</a>, draws nearer.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="kPa0zb">
And Republicans’ public comments suggest they’re digging in. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy <a href="https://twitter.com/josephzeballos/status/1661414744224325635">has been insisting</a> this week that the only “concession” House Republicans will offer to Democrats is raising the debt ceiling — hardly a concession. Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC), a GOP negotiator, <a href="https://twitter.com/JakeSherman/status/1661405629716615170">said</a> he’s “not yet an optimist on us getting this resolved.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="wGQAFo">
And on Wednesday afternoon, House leaders <a href="https://twitter.com/JakeSherman/status/1661473059164020740">said</a> members could leave Washington for Memorial Day weekend, suggesting a deal isn’t imminent. (McCarthy has also said that he’ll abide by a House rule saying the chamber must wait 72 hours after a bill is introduced before voting on it.)
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="VqvshK">
If you take this at face value, it sounds terrifying. But should you?
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="yahurk">
The markets evidently <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-05-13/stock-traders-are-nonchalant-about-us-being-on-cusp-of-default?sref=qYiz2hd0">think you shouldn’t</a>. Stock traders’ apparent view is that this is all just posturing, and that a deal will be struck.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="x2Lqo0">
Because that’s how it always goes with debt ceiling brinkmanship. “Debt Ceiling Drama is Political Theater, Not an Existential Crisis,” a headline in <a href="https://www.thestreet.com/investing/debt-ceiling-sound-fury-has-signified-nothing-from-bond-markets">the financial website TheStreet</a> reads. In Washington, too, it’s hard to find many who will outright predict a default is the <em>likely </em>outcome.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="DXr6PV">
That’s because, in a high-stakes, adversarial negotiation with an impending deadline, it’s common for both sides to dig in until the last minute, trying to drive as hard a bargain as possible. (Take <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/news-event/fox-dominion-trial">Fox’s settlement with Dominion</a>, reached just as a trial in the defamation lawsuit the voting machine company brought against the network was about to begin.)
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ABXsd5">
Capitol Hill watchers frequently see this dynamic play out in Congress, where negotiators often loudly insist there’s no deal until, at the end of a prolonged process, one suddenly materializes:
</p>
<div id="9TGI4I">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" dir="ltr" lang="es">
How deals sometimes come together in Congress: NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO! REBOOT. MAYBE? NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO YES!
</p>
— Steven Dennis (<span class="citation" data-cites="StevenTDennis">@StevenTDennis</span>) <a href="https://twitter.com/StevenTDennis/status/1552402227020660739?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 27, 2022</a>
</blockquote></div></li>
</ul>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="I9hbNd">
A default wouldn’t really be in anyone’s interest. Kevin McCarthy doesn’t want a default. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell doesn’t want a default. Rich Republican donors don’t want a default that would likely cause economic chaos and make them a lot poorer.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="phUq2E">
What Republicans want is a deal. President Biden wants a deal too. So, this thinking goes, probably, they’ll come up with one.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="1oQQkN">
There’s also a more pessimistic take.
</p>
<h3 id="1BTJHt">
The pessimists have a darker view about the House GOP
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="rZcmGj">
The key difference between optimists and pessimists is that the optimists have more faith in the competence and reasonableness of Speaker McCarthy, and the rationality of the GOP generally.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="cEvBkS">
When House Republicans make absurd demands, the optimists interpret that as tough negotiating. When McCarthy sounds unreasonable in public, the optimists think he’s just trying to sound tough for the GOP base, to convince them he’s fighting as hard as he can — but that he actually really is, in good faith, seeking a deal. They think the adults are in charge of the House GOP.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="F4MsRL">
The pessimists, who are <a href="https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/debt-ceiling-maga-congress-spending/">generally</a> on the left, would suggest a few points in response.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="B8cgRR">
<strong>1) The House GOP is so extreme that McCarthy won’t be able to lock down the votes for a reasonable deal</strong>: Back when McCarthy was trying to lock down the votes for speaker, he had to bow and scrape to get the votes he needed from the hard right. One concession he made was <a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2023/1/5/23540554/kevin-mccarthy-speaker-offer-republicans-concessions">a rules change</a> that effectively makes it easier to force a no-confidence vote in his leadership.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="yVnmyU">
To avoid that, some believe, he’ll pander even more to the far right, making sure to get their blessing on any deal. But, the argument goes, these members of Congress are so extreme and untethered from political reality that they’ll never agree to anything realistic — anything Democrats have a chance of accepting.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="6lbksQ">
The optimists’ response to this would be to point out that McCarthy does not actually need the votes of the far right (any bipartisan deal is expected to lose votes from the far right and far left), and that he’d just ideally like to keep their grumbling to a minimum to prevent a revolt against his speakership. Perhaps he can do this by convincing them he fought hard for their priorities.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="bt0MpP">
<strong>2) Republicans have an incentive to crash the economy and hurt Biden’s presidency</strong>: An even darker theory is that the GOP actually <a href="https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2023/05/what-if-republicans-actually-want-a-debt-default-disaster.html">has no political incentive</a> to avoid a default — indeed, they may outright <a href="https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/debt-ceiling-maga-congress-spending/">want an economic crisis</a>, assuming that Biden as the incumbent president will get the blame, and the GOP will benefit in the 2024 elections.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="MT21AG">
The optimists would respond that it’s hardly inevitable voters would blame Biden (Republican extremism, it’s now clear, did indeed <a href="https://split-ticket.org/2023/05/24/the-electoral-impact-of-election-denial/">hurt certain candidates</a> in the 2022 midterms), that Republican donors’ pocketbooks would also be hurt by a market panic, and just that this is too much of an evil caricature of the other party.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="r4FjYL">
<strong>3) Miscalculation or bungling could lead to a default no one wants</strong>: In adversarial negotiations with a deadline, everyone wants to signal maximal toughness until the last minute, when things suddenly get real.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="syjECw">
But one complication about the current situation is it doesn’t seem the parties know and agree on exactly when the “X-date” — the crisis date — is. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has claimed it is “potentially as early as June 1,” but that statement is ambiguous, and some outside analysts <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2023/05/22/yellens-broken-record-moment-u-s-still-risks-default-in-early-june-00098234">think it will be later</a> in June. If Republicans don’t have an accurate view of when it is, they could keep posturing until it’s too late.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="WZqB5K">
More prosaically, negotiations could collapse because one side “misreads” the other, holding out for more concessions than are in the offing. This is the “incompetence scenario” for a default. And if you think McCarthy is an incompetent bungler, you may view this as disturbingly likely.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="QgAjA9">
The optimistic take here would be that if a default was really truly just days away, the Biden administration would surely make that information known. Additionally, if it looks like default might really happen, an eventual market panic could bring the parties back to the table. Finally, McCarthy has been a whole lot more competent at managing his conference this year than many expected. (Then again, he hasn’t had to sell them on an unpalatable deal just yet.)
</p>
<h3 id="c1pqcA">
Disaster may be unlikely — but unlikely things can happen
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="cumG1x">
Overall, I think the optimists’ case is more convincing than the pessimists’. I think things will <em>probably</em> be fine.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="c9xLEK">
But how certain am I of that? What are the odds that one of the pessimistic scenarios turns out to be right? Is there a 1 percent chance of disaster? 5 percent? 10 percent? I’m hesitant to put an exact number on it.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="3bF23k">
More to the point, the severe consequences of default are disturbing enough that even a low-probability chance they’ll actually happen is disquieting. Unlikely things sometimes happen!
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="51yzgb">
Which is why it would be nice if Republicans dispensed with this debt ceiling nonsense and negotiated over spending without playing chicken with the global economy. But I’m not holding my breath for that.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="rxFhRE">
</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>A guide to Ron DeSantis’s most extreme policies in Florida</strong> -
<figure>
<img alt="DeSantis at New College of Florida" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/GQQFX_jbQgXQzb8fTnroP15LlwM=/212x0:8660x6336/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72311556/1255159315.0.jpg"/>
<figcaption>
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaks after signing three education bills on the campus of New College of Florida in Sarasota, Florida on May 15, 2023.  | Thomas Simonetti/The Washington Post/Getty Images
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
DeSantis’s Florida bills targeting LGBTQ people, abortion rights, and teachings on race preview his presidential platform.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="tbjdHA">
In launching his <a href="https://www.vox.com/politics/23733398/ron-desantis-president-2024-election-trump-republican-primary">2024 presidential campaign</a>, Florida Gov. <a href="https://www.vox.com/ron-desantis">Ron DeSantis</a> promised to champion a new, expansive conservatism. To understand exactly what that would look like, you only need to look to Florida itself.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="KFiv8y">
This legislative term, the governor and his fellow Republicans waged culture wars everywhere from the classroom to the bathroom to <a href="https://www.vox.com/politics/2023/5/19/23730119/ron-desantis-disney-florida-investment-2024-election">Disney World</a>, making the state a pioneer of some of the most extreme right-wing <a href="https://www.vox.com/policy">policies</a> in the US.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Fin21i">
DeSantis’s legislative agenda in Florida — which he has framed as a “blueprint” for America — has targeted immigrants, <a href="https://www.vox.com/lgbtq">LGBTQ</a> individuals, <a href="https://www.vox.com/race">Black Americans</a>, and women, as well as the corporations who come to their defense. And state lawmakers have advanced DeSantis’s own political career at the expense of transparency and accountability. That’s all been done in the name of wooing an activist GOP base, which still loves former <a href="https://www.vox.com/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a> and has given him a <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/10/politics/donald-trump-polls/index.html">historically large</a> lead in Republican primary polls.
</p>
<div class="c-float-right">
<div id="5JqGiD">
<div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="jiCNWW">
“What’s been happening … in Florida should scare every single person across the entire country,” US Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-FL) said in a press call. “Gov. Ron DeSantis running for president and even being within striking distance of the Oval Office should frighten anyone who values democracy, <a href="https://www.vox.com/voting-rights">voting rights</a>, civil rights, freedom, and the pursuit of happiness.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="AMOXlx">
Many of the Florida laws passed this session, which concluded earlier this month, go further even than other red states. Proposals banning gender-affirming care for minors and establishing a six-week <a href="https://www.vox.com/abortion">abortion</a> ban, for example, impose harsh new restrictions that could have severe consequences on those seeking such care in the state. Immigration proposals targeting undocumented people have also inspired fear among the roughly <a href="https://www.axios.com/local/tampa-bay/2023/05/24/florida-immigration-law-ron-desantis">772,000 undocumented immigrants</a> in the state, and prompted some to leave.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="war0H4">
The attacks on LGBTQ rights and Black Americans via policies that restrict the teaching of systemic racism and trans people’s ability to use bathrooms have been so harsh that civil rights groups like the NAACP and Equality Florida have <a href="https://www.vox.com/politics/2023/5/22/23733060/desantis-florida-naacp-travel-advisory-lulac-equality">cautioned people against traveling </a>to the state. Some of those groups are challenging laws DeSantis has signed in court.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="sMDIBd">
DeSantis has nevertheless doubled down on those policies.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="9feuAS">
“I think that the culture wars are front and center right now. People are talking about it more than economic issues, more than <a href="https://www.vox.com/defense-and-security">national security</a>, foreign policy. So I think DeSantis has set himself up nicely,” said Brendan Steinhauser, a GOP strategist based in Texas.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="F52ITr">
A representative for DeSantis’s office did not immediately return a request for comment.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="eSTs7j">
It’s not clear that pursuing an ultraconservative agenda actually serves DeSantis politically in the long-run. Florida Republicans have legislated so far to the right that there is concern among some GOP donors that DeSantis has gone too far and alienated voters who might have otherwise supported him in a general election.
</p>
<aside id="u0QOvV">
<div>
</div>
</aside>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="SkSkmC">
“There’s a certain anti-Trump segment of the donor class has lined up with him, but another that is still looking for a candidate,” said Robert Cahaly, senior strategist and pollster at the Trafalgar Group and former Republican political consultant.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="dquDYL">
Here’s how Florida lawmakers have enacted DeSantis’s vision this session.
</p>
<h3 id="icPQB9">
LGBTQ rights
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="47BXSt">
DeSantis has been a key figure behind the <a href="https://www.vox.com/politics/23631262/trans-bills-republican-state-legislatures">national Republican campaign against LGBTQ rights</a>, particularly that of children, with some of Florida’s policies being the first of their kind in the nation. Those policies serve a practical purpose for the GOP: They allow them to perform opposition to the “<a href="https://www.vox.com/culture/21437879/stay-woke-wokeness-history-origin-evolution-controversy">woke</a> left” and ensure their social conservative backers <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/why-is-the-gop-escalating-attacks-on-trans-rights-experts-say-the-goal-is-to-make-sure-evangelicals-vote">show up to vote</a> — even after the religious right achieved its decades-long goal of overturning <a href="https://www.vox.com/2022/5/3/23055125/roe-v-wade-abortion-rights-supreme-court-dobbs-v-jackson"><em>Roe v. Wade</em></a> last year.
</p>
<aside id="IHjeLk">
<div>
</div>
</aside>
<ul>
<li id="ez2XeM">
<a href="https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2023/254"><strong>Gender-affirming care ban</strong></a><strong>:</strong> DeSantis signed a law that imposes felony penalties on <a href="https://www.vox.com/health-care">health care</a> workers who provide <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/17/politics/desantis-signs-anti-trans-bill/index.html">gender-affirming care</a> for minors. The law includes a unique provision that could allow some parents to ask Florida courts to override other states’ custody decisions for children receiving gender-affirming care, though it only applies to a narrow set of circumstances. Advocates are <a href="https://www.glad.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/doe-v-ladapo-motion-for-temp-restraining-order.pdf">challenging parts of the law</a> on an emergency basis in court, arguing that it violates parents’ fundamental rights to make medical decisions for their children and that it violates the Constitution by discriminating against transgender children.
</li>
<li id="USgedO">
<a href="https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2023/1674"><strong>Bathroom bill</strong></a><strong>: </strong>DeSantis has made it illegal for Floridians to <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/4008737-desantis-signs-transgender-bathroom-bill-bans-gender-affirming-care-expands-dont-say-gay-law/">use bathrooms and changing facilities</a> that don’t correspond with their sex at birth.
</li>
<li id="hk0qrV">
<a href="https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2023/1069"><strong>Gender identity</strong></a><strong>: </strong>Florida expanded DeSantis’s controversial “<a href="https://www.vox.com/2022/3/15/22976868/dont-say-gay-florida-unconstitutional-ron-desantis-supreme-court-first-amendment-schools-parents">Don’t Say Gay</a>” law to place additional restrictions on the teaching of “human sexuality” through high school and to require that schools promote abstinence from sex outside of marriage and monogamous heterosexual marriage. That law also prevents schools from requiring that teachers use pronouns that align with their students’ <a href="https://www.vox.com/gender">gender identity</a> and declares that it is “false to ascribe to a person a pronoun that does not correspond to such person’s sex.”
</li>
<li id="wI5L9i">
<a href="https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2023/1423"><strong>Drag shows</strong></a><strong>:</strong> He also signed a law that bars establishments from allowing minors to watch an “adult live performance” that “depicts or simulates nudity, sexual conduct, sexual excitement, or specific sexual activities.” Though the law is intended to target drag shows, many drag shows <a href="https://account.miamiherald.com/paywall/stop?resume=273247175">do not include any such content</a>.
</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="ssRBZa">
Abortion
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="wNXkc8">
As Vox’s Rachel Cohen explained, Florida is among the states that have approved <a href="https://www.vox.com/policy/2023/4/5/23668272/florida-abortion-desantis-republicans-six-weeks-gop">a very stringent abortion ban,</a> which significantly curbs people’s access to the procedure. It joins other Southern states in harshly curtailing reproductive rights in the region, eliminating Florida’s status as a destination for people seeking out such care.
</p>
<aside id="5QWlhb">
<div>
</div>
</aside>
<ul>
<li id="tRvkgq">
<a href="https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2023/300"><strong>Six-week abortion ban</strong></a><strong>:</strong> The legislature has approved a bill that bars most abortions after six weeks, with some exceptions for rape, incest, and the life of the mother. In cases of rape and incest, a person would have to provide documentation like a restraining order in order to obtain an abortion up to 15 weeks. The legislation would penalize physicians who knowingly violate its parameters with potential fines or jail time. The policy won’t take effect until the state’s <a href="https://www.vox.com/scotus">Supreme Court</a> makes a decision on its existing 15-week abortion ban.
</li>
</ul>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="eQJIru">
<a href="https://www.ft.com/content/9fa26170-5533-4e0b-a852-238b0ef15118">Some Republican donors</a> are concerned the decision to move forward with such an extreme abortion ban will cause DeSantis to face political blowback as he moves on the national stage. Although restrictions on abortion have been a chief focus of some conservative voters, voters <a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/23444732/2022-midterm-elections-results-abortion-rights-nebraska-north-carolina">overwhelmingly supported abortion access</a> during the <a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/23357154/2022-midterm-elections-guide">2022 midterms</a>, and there are<a href="https://www.vox.com/policy/23710432/independents-abortion-democrats-midterms-2024-election-voters"> signs protecting abortion access</a> will be a salient issue in 2024.
</p>
<h3 id="elpV7Q">
Education
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="gUYLtE">
In addition to curbing education about LGBTQ rights and identity in schools, several of the Florida legislature bills have centered on limiting discussions about diversity and race. <a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/23593369/ron-desantis-florida-schools-higher-education-woke">As Vox’s Fabiola Cineas explained</a>, such measures follow a state push to reject the teaching of the AP African American Studies course in Florida.
</p>
<aside id="G0pQIt">
<div>
</div>
</aside>
<ul>
<li id="ryIV19">
<a href="https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2023/266/?Tab=BillHistory"><strong>Banned public universities from funding DEI</strong></a><strong>:</strong> <a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/education/article275020896.html">One new law</a> bars public colleges and universities from funding efforts that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion, also known as DEI. DEI programming typically examines disparities and focuses on how marginalized groups can be better represented in staffing or curriculum. Opponents of the law worry that it could drive away students and faculty, while supporters argue that such programs are used to quell dissent.
</li>
<li id="IX1Owy">
<a href="https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2023/266/BillText/er/PDF"><strong>Restrictions on higher education courses</strong></a><strong>: </strong>A new policy also bans the state’s public colleges and universities from offering general education courses about “identity politics” and the idea that “systemic racism” is “inherent in the institutions of the United States.” <a href="https://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2023/05/23/what-the-desantis-agenda-means-for-higher-education-in-florida">This law expands restrictions</a> DeSantis previously pushed in the K-12 system to higher education.
</li>
<li id="Fx48r1">
<a href="https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2023/1069/BillText/er/PDF"><strong>Book banning</strong></a><strong>: </strong>The legislature amplified the state’s efforts at book banning, with a new law that mandates that certain books can be pulled from school shelves for review within five days of a person flagging it as concerning. <a href="https://www.npr.org/2023/05/18/1176879171/florida-book-ban-lawsuit">At least one Florida school district</a> has already faced a lawsuit over its approach to book banning due to concerns that it violates free speech rights.
</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="WBUFnD">
Immigration
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="g0j9it">
Legislators approved a wide-ranging slate of immigration policies, which severely limit the ability of undocumented people to both work and travel in the state. These hardline proposals are intended to establish DeSantis’s credentials on an issue national Republicans have repeatedly hammered Democrats on.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="6QwZ2S">
DeSantis’s proposals have been slammed by immigration advocates, who note that the policies could severely hurt the state economically and drive its residents away.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="wnAT4d">
“As fear becomes the norm in immigrant communities, a lot of these migrant workers will start leaving the state and looking somewhere else,” Samuel Vilchez Santiago, the Florida state director of the American Business Immigration Coalition, <a href="https://www.vox.com/2023/5/17/23725952/ron-desantis-immigration-law-florida">told Vox’s Christian Paz</a>.
</p>
<aside id="WV6ng3">
<div>
</div>
</aside>
<ul>
<li id="0iK5wV">
<a href="https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2023/1718/BillText/er/HTML"><strong>Employment verification</strong></a><strong>: </strong>A <a href="https://www.vox.com/2023/5/17/23725952/ron-desantis-immigration-law-florida">new law</a> requires companies with 25 employees or more to check workers’ citizenship status using a federal portal known as E-Verify before hiring them. There are severe penalties, including daily fines, for companies that do not abide by this law. As Paz notes, this could have a devastating impact on 800,000 undocumented people who live in the state, and who may seek residency and employment elsewhere due to fears of deportation.
</li>
<li id="xvHsOI">
<a href="https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2023/1718/BillText/er/HTML"><strong>Funding for migrant flights</strong></a><strong>: </strong>There has been $12 million allocated for flights that DeSantis can use to transport migrants from Florida to other states. DeSantis gained national attention for flying migrants from <a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2022/9/17/23357832/desantis-marthas-vineyard-flights-gop-immigration-stunts">San Antonio, Texas to Martha’s Vineyard</a>; and now faces a <a href="https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/3879104-desantis-pushes-for-dismissal-of-lawsuit-brought-by-migrants-sent-to-marthas-vineyard/">lawsuit over that stunt</a>.
</li>
<li id="UXdhgN">
<a href="https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2023/1718/BillText/er/HTML"><strong>Invalidation of out-of-state IDs</strong></a>: A provision in the state’s new <a href="https://www.vox.com/immigration">immigration reform</a> package bars undocumented people from driving in the state of Florida regardless of whether they have a valid out-of-state license. The bill also imposes penalties on people who are transporting undocumented people in the state.
</li>
</ul>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="YsFjwz">
In addition to the expansive immigration package it approved, the legislature also passed a law that’s expected to harm Chinese immigrants in the state, with some <a href="https://www.vox.com/politics/23718895/ron-desantis-china-housing-law">local activists also telling Vox</a> that people are considering moving as a result.
</p>
<aside id="hHDDyY">
<div>
</div>
</aside>
<ul>
<li id="f53nWt">
<a href="https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2023/264/BillText/er/HTML"><strong>Anti-China land ownership:</strong></a> Many Chinese citizens will soon be barred from owning property in the state. The law applies to people who are not US citizens and who are not legal permanent residents in the country. There is an exception for people with non-tourist visas, though it’s still very restrictive. The law also limits many citizens from other countries, including <a href="https://www.vox.com/russia">Russia</a> and <a href="https://www.vox.com/iran">Iran</a>, from purchasing farmland within 10 miles of a military site.
</li>
</ul>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="k3RBUm">
This law has raised fears of racial profiling of Chinese immigrants in the state overall and has already been <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/russellflannery/2023/05/22/aclu-to-sue-florida-over-desantis-backed-law-blasted-by-asian-american-groups/?sh=46b2ee55593c">challenged in court by the ACLU</a> for being discriminatory.
</p>
<h3 id="JMRR2u">
Guns and crime
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="tocuFF">
DeSantis has quietly catered to gun rights activists by loosening Florida’s gun laws and invoked what he describes as a “tough-on-crime” agenda that he has positioned as a model for the country, even though <a href="https://www.vox.com/politics/2023/4/10/23673240/desantis-crime-florida-guns-shootings-police-2024">it’s not clear that crime is lower in Florida</a> than in some of the blue cities he’s criticized.
</p>
<aside id="wVLkyE">
<div>
</div>
</aside>
<ul>
<li id="YLJffB">
<a href="https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2023/543"><strong>Permitless carry</strong></a><strong>:</strong> DeSantis made Florida the <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/permitless-concealed-carry-may-soon-legal-states-rcna64947">26th state</a> to adopt permitless carry. The law, which goes into effect July 1, allows gun owners to carry a concealed weapon without a permit or without undergoing training, with some restrictions. Previously, gun owners applying for a permit to carry a concealed weapon were required to undergo a background check, fingerprinting, and training, and to demonstrate competency by firing a gun in front of an instructor.
</li>
<li id="6KsAui">
<a href="https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2023/450"><strong>Death penalty</strong></a><strong>:</strong> DeSantis signed laws lowering the <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/desantis-expands-death-penalty-include-child-rape-setting-likely-court-rcna82413">number of jurors</a> required to recommend the death penalty from 12 to eight and allowing <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/desantis-expands-death-penalty-include-child-rape-setting-likely-court-rcna82413">child rapists</a> to be sentenced to the death penalty. The latter law conflicts with a 2008 US Supreme Court decision that explicitly prohibited the use of the death penalty in child rape cases when the child survives on the basis that it would disincentivize victims to come forward and put them in mortal danger. DeSantis has said he is prepared to “take this law all the way to the US Supreme Court.”
</li>
<li id="Ers6IC">
<strong>Anti-liberal bail reform:</strong> DeSantis signed a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/death-penalty-child-rape-desantis-florida-9b03e9cd5a96f68967c3e06a299ff2a7">law</a> that prevents a judge from entering bail that is lower than prescribed by the Florida Supreme Court and barring individuals charged with violent or heinous crimes from being released before their first court appearance. That’s despite the fact that cash bail does not deter pretrial crimes nor impact whether defendants appear in court, and conversely, reducing reliance on cash bail does not increase pretrial misconduct, a 2022 <a href="https://aouss.github.io/NCB.pdf">paper</a>​​ found.
</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="lD1jmc">
Targeting “woke” corporations
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="CmpayN">
The Florida legislature has propped up DeSantis’s battles against what he calls “woke” corporations that embrace progressive social justice policies, including Disney, the state’s largest taxpayer.
</p>
<aside id="qDD8sG">
<div>
</div>
</aside>
<ul>
<li id="OTcTmy">
<strong>Disney: </strong>DeSantis signed a law <a href="https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2023/1604">nullifying an agreement</a> that would have allowed Disney to continue to develop and maintain its theme parks in Florida with relative independence. <a href="https://www.vox.com/politics/2023/4/26/23699368/disney-ron-desantis-lawsuit-florida-central-tourism-oversight-board">Disney consequently sued DeSantis</a> for waging a “relentless campaign to weaponize government power” over the company. It’s part of a long-running feud between the governor and Disney, which started when company executives <a href="https://www.vox.com/2022/3/15/22976868/dont-say-gay-florida-unconstitutional-ron-desantis-supreme-court-first-amendment-schools-parents">spoke out last year against what critics call Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law</a>, which bans classroom discussion of gender identity and sexual orientation.
</li>
<li id="eRt24p">
<strong>Countering ESG investing:</strong> DeSantis has also signed a law barring state officials from <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/sustainable-business/desantis-signs-sweeping-anti-esg-legislation-florida-2023-05-02/">investing public money</a> to promote <a href="https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2022/12/10/23496712/esg-gop-climate-corporate-responsibility">environmental, social, and governance goals</a>, such as ensuring employees have good working conditions or combatting <a href="https://www.vox.com/climate">climate change</a>. Republicans have framed ESG investing, the subject of Biden’s <a href="https://www.vox.com/politics/2023/3/20/23643243/joe-biden-veto-esg-republicans-woke-capitalism">first veto</a>, as another symptom of “woke” corporatism.
</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="3aMFoH">
Democracy
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="bKcwMD">
Florida legislators have passed bills changing the <a href="https://www.vox.com/politics/2023/4/28/23702778/ron-desantis-florida-legislature-2024-election-bill">state’s election laws and public records requirements </a>in a manner designed to politically benefit DeSantis.
</p>
<aside id="2zptPY">
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</div>
</aside>
<ul>
<li id="54j0Kr">
<a href="https://www.flsenate.gov/Committees/billsummaries/2023/html/2922"><strong>Public records</strong></a><strong>: </strong>DeSantis signed a <a href="https://www.flsenate.gov/Committees/billsummaries/2023/html/2922">law</a> eliminating the requirements to report where he goes and who he meets with in an official capacity, insulating him from public scrutiny as he launches his presidential campaign.
</li>
<li id="ucqOjy">
<a href="https://www.flsenate.gov/Committees/BillSummaries/2023/html/3202"><strong>Campaign finance</strong></a><strong>: </strong>DeSantis signed a <a href="https://www.flsenate.gov/Committees/BillSummaries/2023/html/3202">law</a> that relaxes <a href="https://www.vox.com/campaign-finance">campaign finance</a> reporting requirements for state political committees, which currently disclose their fundraising figures monthly. That applies to DeSantis’s state political committee, Friends of Ron DeSantis, which reported about $86 million cash on hand as of the end of April.
</li>
<li id="UiCMOU">
<strong>Scrapping Florida’s “resign-to-run” requirement: </strong>The same bill also explicitly <a href="https://www.flsenate.gov/Committees/BillSummaries/2023/html/3202">allows DeSantis to run</a> for president without having to resign from his position as governor, as may be required under preexisting Florida law.
</li>
<li id="gzkz37">
<strong>Another attack on voting rights: </strong>Finally, the bill introduces new fines for outside voter registration groups and requires they provide a receipt when they help someone fill out a voter registration application — a measure that Democrats say could have a <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2023/04/28/florida-legislature-desantis-presidential-run-00094467">chilling effect </a>on minority voters who tend to register through these groups.
</li>
</ul>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="6KKbho">
</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>Final call on Asia Cup venue to be taken after IPL final, says BCCI secretary Jay Shah</strong> - PCB chairman Najam Sethi had proposed a ‘hybrid model’ where they will organise at least four games on home soil and India will play their matches at a neutral venue</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>Premier League 2022/23 | Brighton draws 1-1 with Man City, secures Europa League qualification</strong> - Julio Enciso’s stunning goal secured Brighton’s qualification for the Europa League in a 1-1 draw against Manchester City</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>Not Bumrah’s replacement, just doing my job, says Madhwal</strong> - MI will back the level-headed Madhwal to step up in Qualifier-2 against Gujarat Titans</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: GT vs MI | Upbeat Mumbai faces defending champions Gujarat in Qualifier 2</strong> - The contest in Ahmedabad on May 26 will be the third meeting between GT and MI this season, with both teams winning one game each.</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>Sindhu, Prannoy enter quarterfinals of Malaysia Masters</strong> - Sindhu will face China’s Yi Man Zhang in the quarterfinals; Prannoy will next meet the winner of the match between third seed Jonatan Christie of Indonesia and Japan’s Kenta Nishimoto</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>HC directs HR&amp;CE Dept. to ensure worship at Droupadi Amman temple festival without caste discrimination</strong> - Justices B. Pugalendhi and V. Lakshminarayanan pass the orders while disposing of a public interest litigation petition complaining of the Scheduled Caste people being sidelined</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>Bureaucratic delay is not helping the poor in Chennai’s slums, resettlements</strong> - After its first meeting in May 2022, the Chennai City Habitat Development Committee has not met again; habitat development board says several decisions taken at the meeting needed govt. approval and hence delay</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>ITI bags ₹3,889-cr. advance purchase order from BSNL</strong> -</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>BJP to hit the streets seeking implementation of Congress guarantees in Karnataka without conditions</strong> - Mysuru MP Pratap Simha said that the Congress will be given time till June 1 to implement the schemes without any strings or conditions attached</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>Another 2 cheetah cubs born in Kuno National Park die from “apparent dehydration and weakness”</strong> - As per the officials, the cubs died from apparent dehydration and weakness within the fenced area housing the mother and cubs</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>Germany falls into recession as inflation hits economy</strong> - Rising prices have dampened demand from households and businesses in Europe’s largest economy.</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: Wagner says Bakhmut transfer to Russian army under way</strong> - The boss of the mercenary group says it is transferring control of the city to the Russian army.</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: ‘My brother saved my life - but lost his own’</strong> - Maksym saved Ivan’s life in Bakhmut, then stayed to lead their men. A week later he was dead.</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>Why Turkey’s election is being closely followed in Africa</strong> - Whoever wins Sunday’s Turkish presidential run-off cannot ignore the country’s growing ties with Africa.</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>Germany Last Generation: Where car is king but protesters won’t let you drive</strong> - Cars are at the heart of the culture wars and anger at road-blocking tactics has led to armed raids.</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>At long last, the glorious future we were promised in space is on the way</strong> - “It is gratifying to see folks coming around.” - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1941295">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>The lightning onset of AI—what suddenly changed? An Ars Frontiers 2023 recap</strong> - Google and Microsoft managers discussed tech’s hottest topic during Ars Frontiers. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1941696">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Chinese state hackers infect critical infrastructure throughout the US and Guam</strong> - Group uses living-off-the-land attack and infected routers to remain undetected. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1942057">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Sony confirms “PlayStation Q,” a handheld device for streaming PS5 games</strong> - The company also announced Bluetooth earbuds that work with PC, mobile, and PS5. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1942039">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Alan Wake II coming in mid-October, promising another cryptic PC powerhouse</strong> - <em>Control</em> studio’s haunted novelist among the notable PlayStation announcements. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1941971">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>‘Bless me Father, for I have sinned. I have been with a loose girl.’</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF --></p>
<div class="md">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The priest asks, ‘Is that you, Joe?’ ‘Yes, Father’ ‘Who’s the gal you were with?’ ‘I won’t tell, I don’t want to ruin her reputation.’ ‘Was it Jane marlow?’ ‘I can’t say.’ ‘Was it Tami Jones?’ ‘I’ll never tell.’ ‘Kim Dixon or Kate James?’ ’My lips are sealed.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The priest sighs in frustration. ‘You’re very tight lipped, and I admire that. But you’ve sinned and have to atone. You cannot be an altar boy for a month.’
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Joe walks back to his pew, and his friend Jordan whispers, ‘What’d you get?’ ‘A month’s vacation and four excellent Leads.’
</p>
</div>
<!-- SC_ON -->
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/ES_FTrader"> /u/ES_FTrader </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/13qwvpo/bless_me_father_for_i_have_sinned_i_have_been/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/13qwvpo/bless_me_father_for_i_have_sinned_i_have_been/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>So a chicken walks into a library and says , “bock”. Sounding like “book” the librarian hands him a book. He takes it and goes happily on his way. Then the next day…</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF --></p>
<div class="md">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The chicken says “bock bock”, and the librarian hands him two books. Away he went. The third day, chicken says “bock bock bock”, and the librarian hands him three books. And so on until the fifth day, when the chicken says “bock bock bock bock bock”, the librarian hands him five books and follows him to see what he’s doing with all these books.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
There is a frog sitting across the way that the chicken takes the books to. The librarian, confused but curious, continues to follow the chicken. The chicken approaches the frog, says “bock bock bock bock bock”, places the five books into the frogs hands. The frog responds by tossing each book aside one by one, “reddit reddit reddit reddit reddit”!
</p>
</div>
<!-- SC_ON -->
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/legallyreddit"> /u/legallyreddit </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/13qyzm5/so_a_chicken_walks_into_a_library_and_says_bock/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/13qyzm5/so_a_chicken_walks_into_a_library_and_says_bock/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Officer: The victims were sacrificed to on a shrine made of antlers.</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF --></p>
<div class="md">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Detective: Dear god ! Officer: Most likely yes.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SC_ON -->
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/DeathBlade99-cod-"> /u/DeathBlade99-cod- </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/13rccui/officer_the_victims_were_sacrificed_to_on_a/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/13rccui/officer_the_victims_were_sacrificed_to_on_a/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>What’s made of leather and sounds like a sneeze?</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF --></p>
<div class="md">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
A shoe.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SC_ON -->
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/VariousWatercress3"> /u/VariousWatercress3 </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/13r3hi8/whats_made_of_leather_and_sounds_like_a_sneeze/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/13r3hi8/whats_made_of_leather_and_sounds_like_a_sneeze/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>My wife asked if she has any annoying habits…</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF --></p>
<div class="md">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
… and then she got all offended during the PowerPoint presentation
</p>
</div>
<!-- SC_ON -->
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/moneynah"> /u/moneynah </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/13qloqx/my_wife_asked_if_she_has_any_annoying_habits/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/13qloqx/my_wife_asked_if_she_has_any_annoying_habits/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
</ul>
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