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<title>25 October, 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>Forecasting dominance of SARS-CoV-2 lineages by anomaly detection using deep AutoEncoders</strong> -
<div>
The COVID-19 pandemic exemplified the need for a rapid, effective genomic-based surveillance system to predict emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants and lineages. Traditional molecular epidemiology methods, which leverage public health surveillance or integrated sequence data repositories, are able to characterize the evolutionary history of infection waves and genetic evolution but fall short in predicting future outlooks in promptly anticipating viral genetic alterations. To bridge this gap, we introduce a novel Deep learning, autoencoder-based method for anomaly detection in SARS-CoV-2 (DeepAutoCov). Trained and updated on the public global SARS-CoV-2 GISAID database. DeepAutoCov identifies Future Dominant Lineages (FDLs), defined as lineages comprising at least 25% of SARS-CoV-2 genomes added on a given week, on a weekly basis, using the Spike (S) protein. Our algorithm is grounded on anomaly detection via an unsupervised approach, which is necessary given that FDLs can be known only a posteriori (i.e., after they have become dominant). We developed two concurrent approaches (a linear unsupervised and a posteriori supervised) to evaluate DeepAutoCoV performance. DeepAutoCoV identifies FDL, using the spike (S) protein, with a median lead time of 31 weeks on global data and achieves a positive predictive value ~7x better and 23% higher than the other approaches. Furthermore, it predicts vaccine related FDLs up to 17 months in advance. Finally, DeepAutoCoV is not only predictive but also interpretable, since it can pinpoint specific mutations within FDLs, generating hypotheses on the potential increases in virulence or transmissibility of a lineage. By integrating genomic surveillance with artificial intelligence, our work marks a transformative step that may provide valuable insights for the optimization of public health prevention and intervention strategies.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.10.24.563721v1" target="_blank">Forecasting dominance of SARS-CoV-2 lineages by anomaly detection using deep AutoEncoders</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Nonspecific membrane bilayer perturbations by ivermectin underlie SARS-CoV-2 in vitro activity</strong> -
<div>
Since it was proposed as a potential host-directed antiviral agent for SARS-CoV-2, the antiparasitic drug ivermectin has been investigated thoroughly in clinical trials, which have provided insufficient support for its clinical efficacy. To examine the potential for ivermectin to be repurposed as an antiviral agent, we therefore undertook a series of preclinical studies. Consistent with early reports, ivermectin decreased SARS-CoV-2 viral burden in in vitro models at low micromolar concentrations, five- to ten-fold higher than the reported toxic clinical concentration. At similar concentrations, ivermectin also decreased cell viability and increased biomarkers of cytotoxicity and apoptosis. Further mechanistic and profiling studies revealed that ivermectin nonspecifically perturbs membrane bilayers at the same concentrations where it decreases the SARS-CoV-2 viral burden, resulting in nonspecific modulation of membrane-based targets such as G-protein coupled receptors and ion channels. These results suggest that a primary molecular mechanism for the in vitro antiviral activity of ivermectin may be nonspecific membrane perturbation, indicating that ivermectin is unlikely to be translatable into a safe and effective antiviral agent. These results and experimental workflow provide a useful paradigm for performing preclinical studies on (pandemic-related) drug repurposing candidates.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.10.23.563088v1" target="_blank">Nonspecific membrane bilayer perturbations by ivermectin underlie SARS-CoV-2 in vitro activity</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Facemask wearing in COVID-19 pandemic: Correlates and prevalence; A survey after COVID-19 second wave in Uganda.</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Background: The WHO and the US. CDC documented that facemask-wearing in public situations is one of the most important prevention measures that can limit the acquisition and spread of COVID-19. Considering this, WHO and US. CDC developed guidelines for using facemasks in public settings. This study aimed to determine correlates and prevalence of facemask wearing during COVID-19 pandemic among adult population of Northern Uganda. Methods. We conducted a cross-sectional study on five hundred and eighty-seven adult population of northern Uganda. A single stage stratified, and systematic sampling methods were used to select respondents from twenty-four Acholi subregion’s health facilities. Data was collected in a face-to-face questionnaire interview with an internal validity of Cronbach9s α=0.72. A local IRB approved the study, and Stata 18 was used for data analysis at multivariable Poisson regression with a p-value set at ≤0.05. Results: The most substantial findings from this study were the high prevalence of face mask-wearing in public among respondents [88.7%,95%CI:86%-91%]. At a multivariable Poisson regression analysis, we found that obese respondents were 1.12 times more likely to wear facemasks than those who were not, [adjusted Interval Rates Ratios, aIRR=1.12,95%CI:1.04-1.19;p&lt;0.01], and respondent who agreed to the lockdown measures were 1.23 times more likely to wear facemasks during COVID-19 pandemic than those who did not, [aIRR=1.23, 95%CI:1.07-1.41;p&lt;0.01]. Other sociodemographic characteristics such as sex, age, occupation, level of education, religion, tribes, marital status, nationality, race, and comorbidities were not statistically significant at 95% Confidence Intervals. Conclusion: The most significant findings from this study were the high prevalence of face mask-wearing among adult community members in northern Uganda. The correlates of facemask wearing in public were the obese and respondents who agreed with the presidential directives on the lockdown measures. Although this was within acceptable prevalence rates, the strict enforcement of face mask-wearing by security forces raised concerns among many community members and human rights advocates. We recommend more studies on communities9 perspectives on the challenges and benefits of facemask-wearing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.10.16.23297124v1" target="_blank">Facemask wearing in COVID-19 pandemic: Correlates and prevalence; A survey after COVID-19 second wave in Uganda.</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Feasibility of intranasal delivery of thin-film freeze-dried monoclonal antibodies</strong> -
<div>
Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) administered intranasally as dry powders can be potentially applied for the treatment or pre-exposure prevention of viral infections in the upper respiratory tract. However, a method to transform the mAbs from liquid to dry powders suitable for intranasal administration and a device that can spray the dry powders to the desired region of the nasal cavity are needed to fully realize the potentials of the mAbs. Herein, we report that thin-film freeze-drying can be applied to prepare aerosolizable mAb dry powders and that the dry powders can be sprayed into the posterior nasal cavity using the Unidose (UDS) Powder Nasal Spray System from Aptar Pharma. AUG-3387, a human-derived mAb that neutralizes the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), was used in the present study. First, we prepared AUG-3387 thin-film freeze-dried powders (i.e., TFF AUG-3387 powders) from liquid formulations containing different levels of mAbs. The TFF AUG-3387 powder with the highest solid content (i.e., TFF AUG-3387C powder) was then chosen for further characterization, including the evaluation of the plume geometry, spray pattern, and particle size distribution after the powder was sprayed using the UDS Powder device. Finally, the deposition patterns of the TFF AUG-3387C powder sprayed using the UDS Powder device were studied using 3D-printed nasal replica casts based on an adult model and a child model. It is concluded that it is feasible to intranasally deliver mAbs as dry powders by transforming the mAbs into dry powders using thin-film freeze-drying and then spray the powder using the UDS Powder device.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.10.23.563139v1" target="_blank">Feasibility of intranasal delivery of thin-film freeze-dried monoclonal antibodies</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>SARS-CoV-2 induces acute neurological signs while Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide (CGRP) signaling blockade reduces interleukin 6 (IL-6) release and weight loss in mouse models</strong> -
<div>
COVID-19 can result in neurological symptoms such as fever, headache, dizziness, and nausea. We evaluated whether the Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide (CGRP) receptor antagonist, olcegepant, used in migraine treatment could mitigate acute neuroinflammatory and neurological responses to SARS-COV-2 infection. We infected wildtype C57BL/6J and 129/SvEv mice, and a 129 CGRP-null mouse line with a mouse-adapted SARS-CoV-2 virus, and evaluated the effect of CGRP receptor antagonism on the outcome of that infection. We determined that CGRP receptor antagonism provided protection from permanent weight loss in older (&gt;12 m) C57BL/6J and 129 SvEv mice. We also observed acute fever and motion-induced dizziness in all older mice, regardless of treatment. However, in both wildtype mouse lines, CGRP antagonism reduced acute interleukin 6 (IL-6) levels by half, with virtually no IL-6 release in mice lacking CGRP. These findings suggest that blockage of CGRP signaling protects against acute IL-6 release and subsequent inflammatory events after SARS-CoV-2 infection.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.10.23.563669v1" target="_blank">SARS-CoV-2 induces acute neurological signs while Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide (CGRP) signaling blockade reduces interleukin 6 (IL-6) release and weight loss in mouse models</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>A 50-gene high-risk profile predictive of COVID-19 and Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis mortality originates from a molecular imbalance in monocyte and T-cell subsets that reverses in survivors with post-COVID-19 Interstitial Lung Disease</strong> -
<div>
Background: We aim to study the source of circulating immune cells expressing a 50-gene signature predictive of COVID-19 and IPF mortality. Methods: Whole blood and Peripheral Blood Mononuclear cells (PBMC) were obtained from 231 subjects with COVID-19, post-COVID-19-ILD, IPF and controls. We measured the 50-gene signature (nCounter, Nanostring), interleukin 6 (IL6), interferon gamma;-induced protein (IP10), secreted phosphoprotein 1 (SPP1) and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) by Luminex. PCR was used to validate COVID-19 endotypes. For single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) we used Chromium Controller (10X Genomics). For analysis we used the Scoring Algorithm of Molecular Subphenotypes (SAMS), Cell Ranger, Seurat, Propeller, Kaplan-Meier curves, CoxPH models, Two-way ANOVA, T-test, and Fisher exact. Results: We identified three genomic risk profiles based on the 50-gene signature, and a subset of seven genes, associated with low, intermediate, or high-risk of mortality in COVID-19 with significant differences in IL6, IP10, SPP1 and TGF{beta}-1. scRNA-seq identified Monocytic-Myeloid-Derived Suppressive cells (M-MDSCs) expressing CD14+HLA DRlowCD163+ and high levels of the 7-gene signature (7Gene-M-MDSC) in COVID-19. These cells were not observed in post-COVID-19-ILD or IPF. The 43-gene signature was mostly expressed in CD4 T and CD8 T cell subsets. Increased expression of the 43 gene signature was seen in T cell subsets from survivors with post-COVID-19-ILD. The expression of these genes remained low in IPF. Conclusion: A 50-gene, high-risk profile in COVID-19 is characterized by a genomic imbalance in monocyte and T-cell subsets that reverses in survivors with post-COVID-19 Interstitial Lung Disease.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.10.22.563156v1" target="_blank">A 50-gene high-risk profile predictive of COVID-19 and Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis mortality originates from a molecular imbalance in monocyte and T-cell subsets that reverses in survivors with post-COVID-19 Interstitial Lung Disease</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Microfluidic antibody profiling after repeated SARS-CoV-2 vaccination links antibody affinity and concentration to impaired immunity and variant escape in patients on anti-CD-20 therapy</strong> -
<div>
Background: Patients with autoimmune/inflammatory conditions on anti-CD20 therapies, such as Rituximab, have suboptimal humoral responses to vaccination and are vulnerable to poorer clinical outcomes following SARS-CoV-2 infection. We aimed to examine how the fundamental parameters of antibody responses, namely affinity and concentration, shape the quality of humoral immunity after vaccination in these patients. Methods: We performed in depth antibody characterisation in sera collected four to six weeks after each of three vaccine doses to wild-type (WT) SARS-CoV-2 in Rituximab-treated primary vasculitis patients (n=14) using Luminex and pseudovirus neutralisation assays, whereas a novel microfluidic-based immunoassay was used to quantify polyclonal antibody affinity and concentration against both WT and Omicron (B.1.1.529) variants. Comparative antibody profiling was performed at equivalent time points in healthy individuals after three antigenic exposures to WT SARS-CoV-2 (one infection and two vaccinations; n=15) and in convalescent patients after WT SARS-CoV-2 infection (n=30). Results: Rituximab-treated patients had lower antibody levels and neutralisation titres against both WT and Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variants compared to healthy individuals. Neutralisation capacity was weaker against Omicron versus WT both in Rituximab-treated patients and in healthy individuals. In the Rituximab cohort, this was driven by lower antibody affinity against Omicron versus WT (median [range] KD: 21.6 [9.7-38.8] nM vs 4.6 [2.3-44.8] nM, p=0.0004). By contrast, healthy individuals with hybrid immunity produced a broader antibody response, a subset of which recognised Omicron with higher affinity than antibodies in Rituximab-treated patients (median [range] KD: 1.05 [0.45-1.84] nM vs 20.25 [13.2-38.8] nM, p=0.0002), underpinning the stronger serum neutralisation capacity against Omicron in the former group. Rituximab-treated patients had similar anti-WT antibody levels and neutralisation titres to unvaccinated convalescent individuals, despite two more exposures to SARS-CoV-2 antigen. Temporal profiling of the antibody response showed evidence of affinity maturation in healthy convalescent patients after a single SARS-CoV-2 infection which was not observed in Rituximab-treated patients, despite repeated vaccination. Discussion: Our results enrich previous observations of impaired humoral immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 in Rituximab-treated patients and highlight the significance of quantitative assessment of serum antibody affinity and concentration in monitoring anti-viral immunity, viral escape, and the evolution of the humoral response.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.10.22.563481v1" target="_blank">Microfluidic antibody profiling after repeated SARS-CoV-2 vaccination links antibody affinity and concentration to impaired immunity and variant escape in patients on anti-CD-20 therapy</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Heterotypic responses against nsp12/nsp13 from prior SARS-CoV-2 infection associates with lower subsequent endemic coronavirus incidence</strong> -
<div>
Immune responses from prior SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 vaccination do not prevent re-infections and may not protect against future novel coronaviruses (CoVs). We examined the incidence of and immune differences against human endemic CoVs (eCoV) as a proxy for response against future emerging CoVs. Assessment was among those with known SARS-CoV-2 infection, COVID-19 vaccination but no documented SARS-CoV-2 infection, or neither exposure. Retrospective cohort analyses suggest that prior SARS-CoV-2 infection, but not COVID-19 vaccination alone, protects against subsequent symptomatic eCoV infection. CD8+ T cell responses to the non-structural eCoV proteins, nsp12 and nsp13, were significantly higher in individuals with previous SARS-CoV-2 infection as compared to the other groups. The three groups had similar cellular responses against the eCoV spike and nucleocapsid, and those with prior spike exposure had lower eCoV-directed neutralizing antibodies. Incorporation of non-structural viral antigens in a future pan-CoV vaccine may improve protection against future heterologous CoV infections.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.10.23.563621v1" target="_blank">Heterotypic responses against nsp12/nsp13 from prior SARS-CoV-2 infection associates with lower subsequent endemic coronavirus incidence</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Convergent evolution of SARS-CoV-2 XBB lineages on receptor-binding domain 455-456 synergistically enhances antibody evasion and ACE2 binding</strong> -
<div>
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) XBB lineages have achieved dominance worldwide and keep on evolving. Convergent evolution of XBB lineages on the receptor-binding domain (RBD) L455F and F456L is observed, resulting in variants like EG.5, FL.1.5.1, XBB.1.5.70, and HK.3. Here, we show that neutralizing antibody (NAb) evasion drives the convergent evolution of F456L, while the epistatic shift caused by F456L enables the subsequent convergence of L455F through ACE2 binding enhancement and further immune evasion. L455F and F456L evade Class 1 NAbs, reducing the neutralization efficacy of XBB breakthrough infection (BTI) and reinfection convalescent plasma. Importantly, L455F single substitution significantly dampens receptor binding; however, the combination of L455F and F456L forms an adjacent residue flipping, which leads to enhanced NAbs resistance and ACE2 binding affinity. The perturbed receptor-binding mode leads to the exceptional ACE2 binding and NAb evasion, as revealed by structural analyses. Our results indicate the evolution flexibility contributed by epistasis cannot be underestimated, and the evolution potential of SARS-CoV-2 RBD remains high.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.08.30.555211v2" target="_blank">Convergent evolution of SARS-CoV-2 XBB lineages on receptor-binding domain 455-456 synergistically enhances antibody evasion and ACE2 binding</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>The impact of spatial connectivity on NPIs effectiveness</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Background. France implemented a combination of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) to manage the COVID-19 pandemic between September 2020 and June 2021. These included a lockdown in the fall 2020 - the second since the start of the pandemic - to counteract the second wave, followed by a long period of nighttime curfew, and by a third lockdown in the spring 2021 against the Alpha wave. Interventions have so far been evaluated in isolation, neglecting the spatial connectivity between regions through mobility that may impact NPI effectiveness. Methods. Focusing on September 2020 - June 2021, we developed a regionally-based epidemic metapopulation model informed by observed mobility fluxes from daily mobile phone data and fitted the model to regional hospital admissions. The model integrated data on vaccination and variants spread. Scenarios were designed to assess the impact of the Alpha variant, characterized by increased transmissibility and risk of hospitalization, of the vaccination campaign and alternative policy decisions. Results. The spatial model better captured the heterogeneity observed in the regional dynamics, compared to models neglecting inter-regional mobility. The third lockdown was similarly effective to the second lockdown after discounting for immunity, Alpha, and seasonality (51% vs 52% median regional reduction in the reproductive number R0, respectively). The 6pm nighttime curfew with bars and restaurants closed, implemented in January 2021, substantially reduced COVID-19 transmission. It initially led to 49% median regional reduction of R0, decreasing to 43% reduction by March 2021. In absence of vaccination, implemented interventions would have been insufficient against the Alpha wave. Counterfactual scenarios proposing a sequence of lockdowns in a stop-and-go fashion would have reduced hospitalizations and restriction days for low enough thresholds triggering and lifting restrictions. Conclusions. Spatial connectivity induced by mobility impacted the effectiveness of interventions especially in regions with higher mobility rates. Early evening curfew with gastronomy sector closed allowed authorities to delay the third wave. Stop-and-go lockdowns could have substantially lowered both healthcare and societal burdens if implemented early enough, compared to the observed application of lockdown-curfew-lockdown, but likely at the expense of several labor sectors. These findings contribute to characterize the effectiveness of implemented strategies and improve pandemic preparedness. Keywords. COVID-19, NPIs, modeling, curfew, restrictions.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.10.23.23297403v1" target="_blank">The impact of spatial connectivity on NPIs effectiveness</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>In vivo affinity maturation of murine B cells reprogrammed to express human antibodies</strong> -
<div>
CRISPR-edited murine B cells engineered to express human antibody variable chains proliferate, class switch, and secrete these antibodies in vaccinated mice. However, current strategies disrupt the heavy-chain locus, resulting in inefficient somatic hypermutation without functional affinity maturation. Here we show that recombined murine heavy- and kappa-variable genes can be directly and simultaneously overwritten, using Cas12a-mediated cuts at their 3'-most J segments and 5' homology arms complementary to distal V segments. Cells edited in this way to express the HIV-1 broadly neutralizing antibodies 10-1074 or VRC26.25-y robustly hypermutated and generated potent neutralizing plasma in vaccinated recipient mice. 10-1074 variants isolated from these mice bound and neutralized HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein more efficiently than wild-type 10-1074 while maintaining or improving its already low polyreactivity and long in vivo half-life. We further validated this approach by generating substantially broader and more potent variants of the anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies ZCB11 and S309. Thus, B cells edited at their native loci affinity mature, facilitating development of broad, potent, and bioavailable antibodies and expanding the potential applications of engineered B cells.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.10.20.563154v1" target="_blank">In vivo affinity maturation of murine B cells reprogrammed to express human antibodies</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Assessing nanobody interaction with SARS-CoV-2 Nsp9</strong> -
<div>
The interaction between SARS-CoV-2 non-structural protein Nsp9 and the nanobody 2NSP90 was investigated by NMR spectroscopy using the paramagnetic perturbation methodology PENELOP (Paramagnetic Equilibrium vs Nonequilibrium magnetization Enhancement or LOss Perturbation). The Nsp9 monomer is an essential component of the replication and transcription complex (RTC) that reproduces the viral gRNA for subsequent propagation. Therefore preventing Nsp9 recruitment in RTC would represent an efficient antiviral strategy that could be applied to different coronaviruses, given the Nsp9 relative invariance. The NMR results were consistent with a previous characterization suggesting a 4:4 Nsp9-to-nanobody stoichiometry with the occurrence of two epitope pairs on each of the Nsp9 units that establish the inter-dimer contacts of Nsp9 tetramer. The oligomerization state of Nsp9 was also analyzed by molecular dynamics simulations and both dimers and tetramers resulted plausible. However a different distribution of the mapped epitopes on the tetramer surface with respect to the former 4:4 complex could also be possible, as well as different stoichiometries of the Nsp9-nanobody assemblies such as the 2:2 stoichiometry suggested by the recent crystal structure of the Nsp9 complex with 2NSP23 (PDB ID: 8dqu), a nanobody exhibiting essentially the same affinity as 2NSP90. The experimental NMR evidence, however, ruled out the occurrence in liquid state of the relevant Nsp9 conformational change observed in the same crystal structure.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.10.20.563308v1" target="_blank">Assessing nanobody interaction with SARS-CoV-2 Nsp9</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Changes in total charge on spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 in emerging lineages</strong> -
<div>
Motivation: Charged amino acid residues on the spike protein of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have been shown to influence its binding to different cell surface receptors, its non-specific electrostatic interactions with the environment, and its structural stability and conformation. It is therefore important to obtain a good understanding of amino acid mutations that affect the total charge on the spike protein which have arisen across different SARS-CoV-2 lineages during the course of the virus' evolution. Results: We analyse the change in the number of ionizable amino acids and the corresponding total charge on the spike proteins of almost 2000 SARS-CoV-2 lineages that have emerged over the span of the pandemic. Our results show that the previously observed trend toward an increase in the positive charge on the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern has essentially stopped with the emergence of the early omicron variants. Furthermore, recently emerged lineages show a greater diversity in terms of their composition of ionizable amino acids. We also demonstrate that the patterns of change in the number of ionizable amino acids on the spike protein are characteristic of related lineages within the broader clade division of the SARS-CoV-2 phylogenetic tree. Due to the ubiquity of electrostatic interactions in the biological environment, our findings are relevant for a broad range of studies dealing with the structural stability of SARS-CoV-2 and its interactions with the environment. Availability: The data underlying the article are available in the online Supplementary Material.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.10.21.563433v1" target="_blank">Changes in total charge on spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 in emerging lineages</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Screening Peptide Drug Candidates to Neutralize Whole Viral Agents : A Case study with SARS-CoV-2 Virus</strong> -
<div>
Covid19 pandemic revealed the reality for the need of therapeutic and pharmaceutical molecule development in a short time with different approaches. Although the enhancement of immunological memory by vaccination was the quicker and robust strategy, still medication is required for immediate treatment for a patient. For this purpose, one of the approaches is developing new therapeutic molecule development like peptide-based drugs. Also, peptides can be used developing other molecules like nanobodies. Here, M13 phage display library was used for selecting SARS-CoV-2 interacting peptides for developing a neutralizing molecule for further use. Biopanning was applied with four iterative cycles to select phages displaying different 12-amino acid-long peptides. Then, the M13 phage genomic region where peptide sequences expressed were analyzed and sequences were obtained. Randomly selected peptide sequences were synthesized by solid-state peptide synthesis method. These peptides were analyzed by quartz crystal microbalance method in terms or peptide interaction capacity with specifically wild-type S protein. Next, QCM data was further validated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in order to check peptides according to their neutralizing capacity rather than binding to S1 protein. The results showed that, phage display served an opportunity for selecting peptides which can be used and developed further as pharmaceutical molecules. More specifically, scpep3, scpep8 and scpep10 had both binding and neutralizing capacity for S1 protein as a candidate for therapeutic molecule.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.10.22.563490v1" target="_blank">Screening Peptide Drug Candidates to Neutralize Whole Viral Agents : A Case study with SARS-CoV-2 Virus</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>A bioactive peptide from the pearl has dual roles in resisting SARS-CoV-2 infection and its complications</strong> -
<div>
Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is a critical receptor for the entry of the SARS-CoV-2 virus into cells. Moreover, a decrease in ACE2 level and its activity due to SARS-CoV-2 infection is considered a crucial reason for the development of Covid-19-associated complications. Here, we report a bioactive peptide derived from the seawater pearl oyster Pinctada fucata, named SCOL polypeptide, which binds strongly to ACE2 and effectively inhibits 65% of the binding of the SARS-CoV-2 S protein to ACE2; thus, this peptide can be used as a blocker to enable cells to resist SARS-CoV-2 infection. The SCOL polypeptide also increases ACE2 enzyme activity by 3.76 times. Previous studies have shown that ACE2 deficiency is associated with inflammation, pain, cardiovascular diseases, insulin resistance, and nervous system injury. Therefore, the SCOL polypeptide can be used to treat or alleviate complications such as lung inflammation, pain, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and loss of taste or smell caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection. Thus, the SCOL polypeptide can play a dual role in resisting SARS-CoV-2 infection.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.10.23.563427v1" target="_blank">A bioactive peptide from the pearl has dual roles in resisting SARS-CoV-2 infection and its complications</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>Evaluation of Concordance Between Exhaled Air Test (eBAM-CoV) and RT-PCR to Detect SARS-CoV-2</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>: SARS-CoV-2 Infection; COVID-19; Coronavirus <br/><b>Interventions</b>: Device: eBAM Cov Testing <br/><b>Sponsors</b>: Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nīmes; University of Nimes; brains’ laboratory sas, FRANCE <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>A Phase I/IIa Study to Safety, Tolerability and Immunogenicity of EG-COVII in Healthy Adult</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>: COVID-19 <br/><b>Interventions</b>: Biological: EG-COVII <br/><b>Sponsors</b>: EyeGene Inc. <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>Pharmacokinetics and Bioequivalence of Aterixen 100 mg Tablets and Aterixen 100 mg Film-coated Tablets in Healthy Volunteers</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>: Viral Infection COVID-19 <br/><b>Interventions</b>: Drug: Aterixen <br/><b>Sponsors</b>: Valenta Pharm JSC <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>Long COVID Brain Fog: Cognitive Rehabilitation Trial</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>: Long COVID; Brain Fog; Cognitive Impairment; Cognitive Dysfunction; Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome <br/><b>Interventions</b>: Behavioral: Speed of Processing Training; Behavioral: In-lab Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Training; Behavioral: In-lab Brain Health Training; Behavioral: Transfer Package; Behavioral: Follow Up Phone Calls; Behavioral: Vocational Rehabilitation; Behavioral: Peer Mentoring <br/><b>Sponsors</b>: University of Alabama at Birmingham; National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research <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>A Practical RCT of TCM in the Treatment of LCOVID and Analysis of Syndrome Types and Medication Characteristics.</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>: Long COVID <br/><b>Interventions</b>: Drug: Traditional Chinese medicine treatment; Drug: Western medicine treatment <br/><b>Sponsors</b>: Chinese University of Hong Kong <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>Paradoxical Response to Chest Wall Loading in Mechanically Ventilated Patients</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>: ARDS; COVID-19; Mechanical Ventilation Pressure High; Ventilator-Induced Lung Injury <br/><b>Interventions</b>: Diagnostic Test: Manual loading of the chest wall <br/><b>Sponsors</b>: HealthPartners Institute <br/><b>Withdrawn</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>Narrative Intervention for Long COVID-19 (NICO)</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>: Long COVID; Long Covid19 <br/><b>Interventions</b>: Behavioral: Narrative Intervention for Long COVID-19 (NICO) <br/><b>Sponsors</b>: University of Colorado, Denver <br/><b>Active, not 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>Inspiratory Muscle Training in People With Long COVID-19- A Pilot Investigation.</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>: Long COVID <br/><b>Interventions</b>: Device: PrO2 <br/><b>Sponsors</b>: University of Bath; Swansea 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>Inspiratory Muscle Strength Training in Post-Covid Syndrome</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>: Cardiovascular Abnormalities; Post-COVID-19 Syndrome; Physical Exercise <br/><b>Interventions</b>: Other: Inspiratory muscle strength training <br/><b>Sponsors</b>: D’Or Institute for Research and Education <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>Immunogenicity of Concomitant Administration of COVID-19 Vaccines With Influenza Vaccines</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>: COVID-19; Influenza; Vaccine Reaction; Contaminant Injected <br/><b>Interventions</b>: Biological: Omicron-containing COVID-19 vaccine; Biological: influenza vaccine <br/><b>Sponsors</b>: Catholic Kwandong University; Korea University Guro Hospital <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>Home-Based Respiratory Muscle Strength Training Program for Individuals With Post-COVID-19 Persistent Dyspnea</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>: Post-COVID-19 Syndrome; Dyspnea <br/><b>Interventions</b>: Device: Respiratory Muscle Strength Trainers <br/><b>Sponsors</b>: University of South Florida <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>Rural Tailored Communication to Promote SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Testing in Saliva</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>: SARS-CoV2 Infection <br/><b>Interventions</b>: Behavioral: General SARS-CoV-2 Communication; Behavioral: Rural-Targeted SARS-CoV-2 Communication <br/><b>Sponsors</b>: Michigan State University; National Cancer Institute (NCI); Johns Hopkins University <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>Cognitive Rehabilitation Therapy for COVID-19</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>: Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome <br/><b>Interventions</b>: Behavioral: Compensatory Cognitive Training for COVID-19; Behavioral: Holistic Cognitive Education <br/><b>Sponsors</b>: VA Office of Research and Development <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>COVID Rehabilitation</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>: Rehabilitation; Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome; Post-Infectious Disorders <br/><b>Interventions</b>: Behavioral: One day course; Behavioral: Individual follow-ups <br/><b>Sponsors</b>: University Hospital of North Norway; University of Bergen; Oslo University Hospital; Norwegian University of Science and Technology <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>Phase 3 Open-Label Controlled Trial of Convalescent Plasma in Early COVID-19 Infection</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>: Covid19 <br/><b>Interventions</b>: Drug: Convalescent Plasma; Other: Standard of Care <br/><b>Sponsors</b>: Larkin Community Hospital <br/><b>Withdrawn</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>The effect of zofenopril on the cardiovascular system of spontaneously hypertensive rats treated with the ACE2 inhibitor MLN-4760</strong> - CONCLUSIONS: Zofenopril treatment reduced MLN-induced adiposity and improved cardiac function regardless of ACE2 inhibition. Although the concomitant MLN and zofenopril treatment increased thoracic aorta vasorelaxation capacity, zofenopril increased the participation of H(2)S and NO in the maintenance of endothelial function independently from ACE2 inhibition. Our results confirmed that the beneficial effects of zofenopril were not affected by ACE2 inhibition, moreover, we assume that ACE2…</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>Assessing the gene expression of the adenosine 5’-monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and its relation with the IL-6 and IL-10 plasma levels in COVID-19 patients</strong> - CONCLUSION: Increasing AMPK gene expression is likely a necessary effort of the immune system to inhibit inflammation in critical COVID-19. However, this effort seems to be inadequate, probably due to factors that induce inflammation, like erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and IL-6.</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 neurotropism-induced anxiety and depression-like behaviors require Microglia activation</strong> - The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has been associated with a wide range of “long COVID” neurological symptoms. However, the mechanisms governing SARS-CoV-2 neurotropism and its effects on long-term behavioral changes remain poorly understood. Using a highly virulent mouse-adapted SARS-CoV-2 strain, denoted as SARS2-N501Y (MA30) , we demonstrated that intranasal inoculation of SARS2-N501Y (MA30) results in…</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>Development of an Integrated Sample Amplification Control for Salivary Point-of-Care Pathogen Testing</strong> - BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a rise in point-of-care (POC) and home-based tests, but concerns over usability, accuracy, and effectiveness have arisen. The incorporation of internal amplification controls (IACs), essential control for translational POC diagnostics, could mitigate false-negative and false-positive results due to sample matrix interference or inhibition. Although emerging POC nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) for detecting SARS-CoV-2 show impressive…</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>Intestinal injury and vasculitis biomarkers in cats with feline enteric coronavirus and effusive feline infectious peritonitis</strong> - OBJECTIVE: To investigate intestinal injury, repair and vasculitis biomarkers that may illuminate the progression and/or pathogenesis of feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) or feline enteric coronavirus (FECV) infection.</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>ORF3c is expressed in SARS-CoV-2-infected cells and inhibits innate sensing by targeting MAVS</strong> - Most SARS-CoV-2 proteins are translated from subgenomic RNAs (sgRNAs). While the majority of these sgRNAs are monocistronic, some viral mRNAs encode more than one protein. One example is the ORF3a sgRNA that also encodes ORF3c, an enigmatic 41-amino-acid peptide. Here, we show that ORF3c is expressed in SARS-CoV-2-infected cells and suppresses RIG-I- and MDA5-mediated IFN-β induction. ORF3c interacts with the signaling adaptor MAVS, induces its C-terminal cleavage, and inhibits the interaction…</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>Chemical Characteristics and Biological Activity Screening of Pistacia lentiscus Mastic Gum and Leaves from Turkiye</strong> - CONCLUSION: The mastic gum and leaves obtained from P. lentiscus may have great potential in terms of their chemical content, antiviral and cytotoxic activities. In ovo antiviral activity studies on the P. lentiscus were evaluated for the first time. Attributable to these properties, it is a sustainable, renewable natural resource that can be used as an additive and flavor in the food and pharmaceutical industries. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.</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 Potential Peptide-Based Inhibitors against SARS-CoV-2 and Variants of Concern</strong> - The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has greatly affected all aspect of life. Although several vaccines and pharmaceuticals have been developed against SARS-CoV-2, the emergence of mutated variants has raised several concerns. The angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE2) receptor cell entry mechanism of this virus has not changed despite the vast mutation in emerging variants. Inhibiting the spike protein by which the virus identifies the host ACE2 receptor is 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>Some novel bioactivities of <em>Virgibacillus halodenitrificans</em> carotenoids, isolated from Wadi El-Natrun lakes</strong> - Carotenoids come in second among the most frequent natural pigments and are utilized in medications, nutraceuticals, cosmetics, food pigments, and feed supplements. Based on recent complementary work, Virgibacillus was announced for the first time as a member of Wadi El-Natrun salt and soda lakes microbiota, identified as Virgibacillus halodenitrificans, and named V. halodenitrificans DASH; hence, this work aimed to investigate several in vitro medicinal bioactivities of V. halodenitrificans…</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>Clinical and pulmonary function analysis in long-COVID revealed that long-term pulmonary dysfunction is associated with vascular inflammation pathways and metabolic syndrome</strong> - INTRODUCTION: Long-term pulmonary dysfunction (L-TPD) is one of the most critical manifestations of long-COVID. This lung affection has been associated with disease severity during the acute phase and the presence of previous comorbidities, however, the clinical manifestations, the concomitant consequences and the molecular pathways supporting this clinical condition remain unknown. The aim of this study was to identify and characterize L-TPD in patients with long-COVID and elucidate the main…</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 Naïve Phage Display Library-Derived Nanobody Neutralizes SARS-CoV-2 and Three Variants of Concern</strong> - CONCLUSION: Our study highlights a novel nanobody, Nb-H6, that may be useful therapeutically in SARS-CoV-2 and VOC outbreaks and pandemics. These findings also provide a molecular foundation for further studies into how nanobodies neutralize SARS-CoV-2 and variants and imply potential therapeutic targets for the treatment of 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>Macromolecules: Synthesis, antimicrobial, POM analysis and computational approaches of some glucoside derivatives bearing acyl moieties</strong> - Macromolecules i.e., carbohydrate derivatives are crucial to biochemical and medical research. Herein, we designed and synthesized eight methyl α-D-glucopyranoside (MGP) derivatives (2-8) in good yields following the regioselective direct acylation method. The structural configurations of the synthesized MGP derivatives were analyzed and verified using multiple physicochemical and spectroscopic techniques. Antimicrobial experiments revealed that almost all derivatives demonstrated noticeable…</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>Synthesis, structural characterization, antioxidant, cytotoxic activities and docking studies of schiff base Cu(II) complexes</strong> - By combining hydrazide with 2-Acetylpyridine, a hydrazone ligand (HL) was successfully created. Several copper (II) salts have been used to create three copper (II) hydrazone complexes (acetate, sulphate, and chloride). The hydrazide ligand and its copper (II) complexes (1-3) were studied via variety of analytical techniques, including elemental analysis, electronic, infrared, UV-vis Spectrum, XRD study, thermal analysis, also molar conductivity amounts. The spectrum results indicate that in all…</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>Pyrazolidinone-Based Peptidomimetic SARS-CoV-2 M<sup>pro</sup> inhibitors</strong> - The main protease (M^(pro)) of SARS-CoV-2 is an attractive drug target for COVID-19 treatment as it plays an integral role in the proliferation of coronavirus. Herein, we describe the investigation of β- and γ-lactams as electrophilic “warheads” for covalent binding to Cys145 of the M^(pro) active site. The highest inhibitory activity (IC(50) = 45 ± 3 μM) was achieved using a pyrazolidinone warhead attached to the targeting dipeptide. Importantly, the synergy of the warhead and the targeting…</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>In vitro testing of host-targeting small molecule antiviral matriptase/TMPRSS2 inhibitors in 2D and 3D cell-based assays</strong> - The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic strongly stimulated the development of small molecule antivirals selectively targeting type II transmembrane serine proteases (TTSP), required for the host-cell entry of numerous viruses. A set of 3-amidinophenylalanine derivatives (MI-21, MI-472, MI-477, MI-485, MI-1903 and MI-1904), which inhibit the cleavage of certain viral glycoproteins was characterized in 2D and 3D primary human hepatocyte models on collagen- 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>Another Hospital in Gaza Is Bleeding</strong> - Doctors in southern Gaza are overwhelmed by the dead and the wounded—and by displaced Palestinians sleeping on the floor. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/another-hospital-in-gaza-is-bleeding">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>The Simmering Lebanese Front in Israel’s War</strong> - A series of tit-for-tat exchanges between Hezbollah fighters and the Israeli Army risks blowing the Gaza offensive into a regional conflict. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/dispatch/the-simmering-lebanese-front-in-israels-war">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Yes, We Can Tackle International Tax Evasion, If We Really Try</strong> - A new report finds that the amount of offshore wealth shielded from tax authorities has fallen dramatically since the Obama Administration, which pioneered efforts to make countries share banking information. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/yes-we-can-tackle-international-tax-evasion-if-we-really-try">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>How the Yale Unions Took Over New Haven</strong> - A decade ago, blue-collar campus workers won a majority on the city council. Would an alliance with grad students dilute their power? - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/dispatch/how-the-yale-unions-took-over-new-haven">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Ibram X. Kendi’s Anti-Racism</strong> - The historian espoused grand ambitions to dismantle American racism, but the crisis at his research center suggests that he always had a more limited view of change. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/ibram-x-kendis-anti-racism">link</a></p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-vox">From Vox</h1>
<ul>
<li><strong>Why Apple’s weather app is so bad</strong> -
<figure>
<img alt="A rainstorm passes across the skyline of lower Manhattan in New York City, as seen from Jersey City, New Jersey. The skyscrapers are shrouded in gray mist and torrents of rain." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/KhT-lroqx3lJsiwbY-6Hm1zWnR4=/0x0:4864x3648/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72791000/1638763606.0.jpg"/>
<figcaption>
The last seven weekends in New York City have looked like this. | Gary Hershorn/Getty Images
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Your local meteorologist is always going to be more accurate than a weather app.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="rvzTqN">
For the last seven weekends in New York City, <a href="https://gothamist.com/news/if-its-the-weekend-in-nyc-its-raining-and-has-been-for-7-weeks-straight">it has rained</a>. Never during the week. Never for just an hour. Never not inconvenient. At this point it feels like the inclement weather has gone fully sentient, and knows the exact time on Friday to start ruining New Yorkers’ plans.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="nqNdtW">
Over this time, this relentless weekend-only rain has also affirmed that <a href="https://www.vox.com/apple">Apple</a>’s weather app is pretty much useless. Personally, I’ve learned that the app cannot distinguish between “light rain” and “rain,” that the percentages it spits out feel bogus, and to never trust it when it tells you what time the rain will stop. I’m not alone. My friends and coworkers also have various stories about how the app has let them down, or how sometimes <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/iphone/comments/1529lh0/weather_app_glitch/">it just won’t work</a>. Some even talk about Dark Sky, a <a href="https://support.apple.com/en-us/102594">weather-forecasting app that Apple bought</a> in 2020, with a mournful, wistful sadness, like a lost love. Apple says Dark Sky’s most beloved features have been integrated into its app, but Dark Sky fans aren’t convinced. Things were different then, they say. Things were better.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="4E2ivL">
My growing frustration spurred me to find out why Apple’s weather app stinks. In speaking to experts, I was comforted by the fact that there’s actually a reason — algorithms, specifically — for my annoyance. It’s nice to be mad at something in particular. But in my search I also discovered newfound appreciation for local meteorologists and more about weather and weather forecasting than I had initially planned.
</p>
<h3 id="LNO5WY">
What we mean when we say Apple’s weather app stinks
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Lhw2cz">
My serious complaint with Apple’s weather app is that it won’t give me a straight answer when it comes to rain. Rain means wet socks, puddles, a dampness in my clothes that hangs around all day. It also means dealing with people who say, “Oh, we needed this” with a polite smile.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="M3Wjq3">
Rain sucks.
</p>
<aside id="0hX11Q">
<div>
</div>
</aside>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="QnCP3j">
My needs are simple: I want to know if it’s going to rain, how much it’s going to rain, when the rain will start and when it’ll stop. Ideally, I would like to not have to go outside to check if it’s raining, because why else would I have a powerful computer in my hand if it couldn’t tell me things that were happening around me?
</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="A man wearing glasses looks at the phone in his hand, which shows Apple’s weather app on the screen." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/J4ClawX3h8cVWfTo7XXAoAFYF0A=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25025774/1544682674.jpg"/> <cite>Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Images</cite>
<figcaption>
Is this man’s weather app wrong? It depends where he lives!
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="d9NYv8">
“The Apple weather app is not good for specifics,” says John Homenuk, the meteorologist behind <a href="https://twitter.com/nymetrowx">NY Metro Weather</a>. Homenuk has gained a loyal New York City following for his accurate and jaunty daily weather forecasts. “And, unfortunately, specifics is what we need if we’re planning our life. ‘Do I need a jacket tonight? Is it gonna rain when I go to sit on the rooftop later?’ It struggles with that type of stuff.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="383XGb">
Homenuk explained to me that Apple’s weather app, and weather apps in general, work by using algorithms to interpret data — weather models, location, current observations — culled from various sources. Other experts I spoke to said apps don’t disclose what data they’re using nor how frequently they source the data, which can lead to imprecise readings.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="rzCfgc">
These algorithms also have limits. In weather forecasting, these limits show up because those equations are based on models that meteorologists understand to be imperfect.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="XHVMYA">
“There’s one big model that is used not only in apps, but weather data around the United States. It’s called the GFS, the Global Forecast System,” Homenuk said, adding that the GFS tends to err on the side of speed, sometimes projecting storms going out to sea and out of the area faster than anticipated. Meteorologists who understand the GFS know its faults, and use those faults and what the GFS is predicting to provide a more accurate forecast.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="OGJUYv">
“If there’s a snowstorm developing … the app could be showing that four days from now it’s going to be sunny and 45 degrees because the app’s using the GFS. But we know as human beings that this model always does this. It’s always too far out to sea with the storms, and we’ll be more careful,” Homenuk said, providing a hypothetical example.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="sNsuLG">
The GFS is just <a href="https://weather.us/model-charts">one model of many</a>, and each one has its own tendencies and errors that humans can correct for. Algorithms don’t have that kind of discernment yet, which in turn makes app predictions like precipitation and storms somewhat imprecise. Algorithms also can’t compete with the human experience of living somewhere and knowing how weather behaves in that particular area.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="vlIQpT">
“Terrain can have a huge effect on how those models perform,” Jeff Givens, a meteorologist based in Durango, Colorado, told me over email. <a href="https://durangoweatherguy.com/">Givens’s accurate forecasts</a> (especially when it comes to snow and storms) have garnered him a following on his extremely popular site <a href="https://durangoweatherguy.com/">Durango Weather Guy</a>, because the San Juan Mountains tend to bork general weather predictions in his area. “Apps and models perform better in flat terrain.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="jVo8Tj">
Given this information, it seems like weather apps perform best in places with predictable precipitation patterns, as well as places where there aren’t mountains or any kind of topographical features to skew things. People in Southern California probably do not complain about Apple’s app as much as someone in Durango or even New York City would.
</p>
<h3 id="cv4Eom">
Apps are great, when you put them into perspective
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="EgiwiY">
When I asked Alexander Stine, a professor at San Francisco State University’s earth and climate sciences department, why Apple’s weather app sucked, he scoffed at me.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="g1efzP">
“Not knowing whether it’s going to rain in an hour? I would say that’s just being fussy about where the peas are on your plate,” Stine said. “It’s an incredible technological achievement to know that it’s going to rain at all this week. I grew up in a world where weather prediction was not accurate. We didn’t have enough data. But over my lifetime, the skill of weather prediction has increased pretty astoundingly.” Talking with Stine gave me a new perspective on my gripe with weather apps. When you consider how much better these predictions have become over time, these apps feel more like an achievement of technology, instead of a point of annoyance.
</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="A person walks their bike through ankle-deep water along a flooded road near Prospect Park amid a coastal storm on September 29, 2023, in the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn in New York City." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/G0TQh4wf3bew3r_FceC-AtIC-cA=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25025784/1708167204.jpg"/> <cite>Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images</cite>
<figcaption>
The National Weather Service does important work, like modeling weather patterns and issuing warnings. But it’s less concerned if you get rained on tonight.
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="yACPxO">
Stine explained that everything we think about forecasting comes from the National Weather Service, a branch of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Every six hours they run a simulation which then gives them information for the next few weeks. Regional offices break down that information pragmatically, with attention to past data. Weather companies (e.g. Accuweather, Weather Underground, etc.) then go and make nudges and tweaks to that information to create predictions.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="vK3EeT">
“Ultimately, whatever someone’s putting on an app — they don’t have access to different information than anyone else,” Stine said. “There is not different information available to different weather predictors. They’re all using the National Weather Service.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="rYECJu">
The models, Stine says have improved greatly as time has gone on, getting better and better every day. That’s mainly due to more and more detailed data being fed into the equations over the years, to the point where there’s more uncertainty in current satellite observations than in the forecast models themselves.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="cdvSJW">
The basic idea: everyone gets their weather data from the same place, and there shouldn’t be drastic variances between what weather companies and apps are saying. Also: stop complaining.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="QhCa11">
But Stine did have a small concession. He explained that my complaints aren’t about the grand scale of weather forecasting which, as he pointed out, can have major economic and governmental impacts. My grumble, he said, is more about the trend of what he calls “now-casting” — and that’s a very different animal.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="HKH1Je">
“The traditional weather forecasting problem is a problem of understanding the fluid dynamics of the entire planet,” Stine said. “Whereas the problem is if it’s gonna rain in five minutes, that’s a very localized [concern]. That’s not something that, to my knowledge, the National Weather Service is very interested in. It’s kind of neat though, and maybe you can go put on a coat, or maybe you can go out back and stick the bicycle in the garage.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="WEkS8i">
Complaining about Apple being wrong about rain in Manhattan in seven minutes when, over Stine’s lifetime (he’s 49), there have been massive developments in weather prediction does feel a little like complaining about the way the peas have been arranged on my plate. How Stine thinks about weather forecasting and how I, pre-Stine, thought about weather prediction differed in scale and scope.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="YuMpCh">
But those disparate perspectives find common ground when it comes to the importance of meteorologists.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="WEqND0">
As accurate as these models and forecasts are, meteorologists are key to understanding the weather around us, how it behaves, and the places we live. Apps will never, barring some kind of future, massive technological advancement, be as good at weather prediction as the meteorologists who understand how a particular combination of physics, mathematics, and geography work.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="JLGR5K">
“It’s part of understanding the value of meteorologists. And this is not me, like, trying to defend my job,” said Homenuk, of NY Metro Weather. “Human input is needed to understand the complexities of weather.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="h5pqW4">
Homenuk told me, as of the time we spoke, that he didn’t expect any rain in the forecast for New York City for Halloween. I’d check the app, but I am gonna trust him on this one.
</p></li>
<li><strong>What unites the global protests for Palestinian rights</strong> -
<figure>
<img alt="A crowd of protesters, seen from above, with a large banner that reads “ceasefire.”" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/p-NhYvrHgcRmO6bz2prkWR1LaqE=/454x0:7739x5464/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72790876/1743339233.0.jpg"/>
<figcaption>
Protesters stage a demonstration in support of a ceasefire against the Palestinians in Gaza in the Cannon House Office Building on October 18, 2023 in Washington, DC. Members of the Jewish Voice for Peace and the IfNotNow movement staged a rally to call for a ceasefire in the Israel–Hamas war. | Alex Wong/Getty Images
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
In recent weeks, tens of thousands of people have marched in rallies across the world.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="c0gFDl">
In light of the <a href="https://www.vox.com/2023/10/14/23917260/israel-hamas-war-gaza-humanitarian-crisis">growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza</a>, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinian-protests-us-embassy-0a8d106163346b53c0125777e78e8e13">protests supporting</a> Palestinian rights have erupted around the world in the last two weeks.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="hVbp8S">
The protests, which vary by country or even by city, still have some common themes: They broadly condemn <a href="https://www.vox.com/israel">Israel</a>’s military siege of Gaza, call for a ceasefire on all sides, and criticize US military aid for Israel. They have been notable in their size and scope, with demonstrations including <a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-protests-world-8f6728e4d15391f9a478d4bef38ec52c">tens of thousands of people</a> in the US, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="kydFsJ">
There are also some takeaways that are unique to each region: In the US, the protests appear to mark an increase in public support for Palestinians compared to past conflicts. In the Middle East, where protests have previously been repressed by multiple countries in the region <a href="https://www.vox.com/world-politics/2023/10/14/23914904/arab-world-israel-palestine-conflict-middle-east">like Qatar, Egypt, and Morocco</a>, it’s revealing about autocratic leaders’ political calculuses that protests are being allowed to take place at all. Some of these protests have been condemned for supporting Hamas’s horrific violence, while other rallies and organizers have actively denounced such positions and criticized the killings of both Israeli and Palestinian civilians.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="RV27gE">
In many places, the demonstrations expressing support for Palestinians share the goal of putting pressure on Israel and the Western policymakers who have thrown their support behind the Israeli government in its response <a href="https://www.vox.com/politics/2023/10/10/23911661/hamas-israel-war-gaza-palestine-explainer">to the militant political group Hamas’s October 7 attack</a>. <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/large-crowds-back-israel-in-london-berlin-elsewhere-demand-release-of-hostages/">Separate protests in support of Israel</a> have also been held over the past weeks, calling for the release of the roughly 200 Israeli hostages <a href="https://www.vox.com/politics/2023/10/10/23911661/hamas-israel-war-gaza-palestine-explainer">Hamas</a> took captive during its violent incursion.
</p>
<div class="c-float-right">
<div id="4F00q8">
<div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="B9v2jt">
Nearly two weeks ago, Hamas launched a surprise attack into Israel, <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/10/why-israeli-officials-screened-footage-hamas-attack/675735/">brutally killing</a> roughly 1,400 people and seizing approximately 200, many of them civilians. In response, Israel launched an ongoing series of devastating airstrikes, and enacted a “complete siege” of Gaza, which is overseen by Hamas, keeping its roughly 2.2 million people — most of them civilians — from getting food, water, and fuel. Following external pressure, it has recently allowed in minimal <a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-war-biden-hospital-d9606e0ead1f8c4e9fd00b602ed14a38">humanitarian aid</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="prsH9X">
Continued fighting has <a href="https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/10/1142687">already caused at least 5,000 deaths</a> and 15,200 injuries in Gaza, according to local authorities, while <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/10/23/gaza-death-toll-exceeds-5000-as-israel-continues-daily-bombardments">displacing more than 1 million people</a>. Many activists fear the conflict could lead to significantly more casualties as the Israeli government <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ka8WZu644YU">reportedly prepares a ground invasion</a> to target the densely populated Palestinian enclave in the coming days.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="TXZx5l">
This is an outbreak of violence unlike recent ones, both in terms of the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/10/world/middleeast/israel-gaza-war-hamas-deaths-killings.html">brutality of Hamas’s attack</a> and the deadly scale and <a href="https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-769978">stated aims of Israel’s response</a>. The outpouring of protests criticizing this violence — particularly those condemning<strong> </strong>Israel’s military response — has also felt unique.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="9zWf6s">
That <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/23/world/europe/israeli-hamas-middle-east-implications.html">paradigm shift</a> helps explain why this moment of global protest can seem different — especially to audiences in the US, watching protests abroad and in <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/flood-brooklyn-for-palestine-rally/">New York City</a>, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2023/10/19/1207028328/thousands-of-protestors-turned-out-in-washington-d-c-to-support-palestinians">Washington, DC</a>, and <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-10-21/pro-palestinian-supporters-hold-rally-and-march-in-downtown-los-angeles">Los Angeles</a>. The US demonstrations seem to reflect shifts in public sentiment in support of Palestinian rights; for example, a <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/472070/democrats-sympathies-middle-east-shift-palestinians.aspx#:~:text=Democrats'%20Sympathies%20in%20Middle%20East%20Situation&amp;text=As%20of%202023%2C%2049%25%20sympathize,both%20or%20have%20no%20opinion.">March 2023 Gallup poll</a> found for the first time that Democrats’ sympathies aligned more with Palestinians than with Israelis.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="M5wrEY">
Broadly, the Gallup poll found that Americans overall are still more sympathetic with Israelis, though it documented a growing trend of support for Palestinians over time. In 2010, 15 percent of Americans said their sympathies lay more with Palestinians than Israelis in the Middle East. In 2023, that number was at 31 percent.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="bT8oif">
<a href="https://today.yougov.com/politics/articles/47657-americans-support-for-israel-is-growing-amid-its-war-with-hamas">An October 2023 Economist/YouGov survey</a> conducted after the Hamas attacks, however, found that sympathy for Israelis grew following the militant group’s violent incursion as sympathy for Palestinians or for both groups has declined. While 31 percent of Americans were more sympathetic to Israel in March 2023, that number went up to 48 percent in October 2023 following the attacks.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="EL35xg">
At the same time, <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/new-poll-reveals-republicans-back-ceasefire-call-israel-hamas-1836689">an October 2023 poll from the progressive firm Data for Progress</a> found that 66 percent of likely American voters strongly or somewhat agreed with the need for the US to call for a ceasefire. And an <a href="https://poll.qu.edu/images/polling/us/us10172023_upro18.pdf">October 2023 Quinnipiac survey</a> found that younger voters, in particular, were less likely to support the US’s plans to send military weapons to Israel, with 51 percent of registered voters between the ages of 18 and 34 disapproving of such actions.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="pm3A3V">
In many other Western countries — including France, Spain, Italy, and Britain — the public has been more sympathetic to the Palestinians’ cause than Israel’s, <a href="https://yougov.co.uk/international/articles/45869-attitudes-israel-palestine-conflict-western-europe">a dynamic reaffirmed in a 2023 YouGov survey</a>. German respondents have sympathized more with Israelis, however, <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2007/06/27/chapter-5-views-of-the-middle-east-conflict/">a continuation of a past pattern</a>. In the Middle East, public sentiment has also consistently favored Palestinians, and the recent military actions in Gaza have only served to spur additional outcry.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Ol8235">
The US shift in public opinion and subsequent surge in global protests supporting Palestinians are driven by a couple of factors. In the US, the <a href="https://www.vox.com/race">Black Lives Matter</a> movement in 2020 helped reshape conversations about racial justice, taught new leaders to mobilize, and raised broader awareness about human rights abuses. Additionally, there has been increased understanding of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict globally due to social media and a wider range of information sources. And in recent years, there has been more scrutiny among civil rights groups of settlements in the West Bank, violence toward Palestinians in the occupied territories, and the role that US military aid is playing in this conflict. Together, these factors have contributed to a ripe environment for protest.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="kcR0uU">
“You do see more people, particularly in younger generations, being willing to support Palestinian rights, who equate this stance with broader stances on a number of different issues including racial justice in the US,” Sarah Parkinson, a Johns Hopkins political scientist who is an expert in Middle East studies, tells Vox.
</p>
<h3 id="NpHNOr">
What protesters are calling for
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="bLu2pf">
There has been a lot of variation in the protests — <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/more-than-100-detained-egypt-after-pro-palestinian-protests-lawyers-2023-10-24/">local political contexts</a>, <a href="https://www.vox.com/world-politics/2023/10/14/23914904/arab-world-israel-palestine-conflict-middle-east">regional history</a>, what was <a href="https://news.sky.com/story/israel-hamas-war-rishi-sunak-calls-for-calm-and-cool-response-to-gaza-hospital-strike-12987149">happening in the war the day of a rally</a>, and even <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/pro-palestinian-activists-us-cheer-hamas-taking-hostages-music-festival-honor-martyrs">individual protest speakers</a> can shape the message significantly. But let’s start with what many of them share: Broadly, the demonstrations in DC and globally have criticized the <a href="https://www.vox.com/joe-biden">Biden administration</a>’s policy choices, the Israeli government’s current airstrikes on Gaza, and the Israeli government’s longstanding occupation of Palestinian territories.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="qPi51y">
“We came to make clear to President Biden that he has a choice,” Eva Borgwardt, political director of IfNotNow, a Jewish American advocacy group that opposes Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories, tells Vox. IfNotNow was among the organizations that staged a sit-in on <a href="https://www.vox.com/congress">Capitol Hill</a> last week as well as a protest in front of the White House. “Either he can uphold the value that every human life is precious or he can let Netanyahu’s far-right government enact a genocidal campaign against Palestinians that will destabilize the region and make peace an impossibility for another generation.”
</p>
<div id="9mxEcl">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" dir="ltr" lang="en">
BREAKING: Jewish protesters for a <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FreePalestine?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FreePalestine</a> flood rotunda of Canon Building demanding CeaseFire chanting NOT IN OUR NAME!”<br/><br/>Stop <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gazagenocide?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Gazagenocide</a> <a href="https://t.co/XopVI1yEfq">pic.twitter.com/XopVI1yEfq</a>
</p>
— #StopCopCity (<span class="citation" data-cites="ChuckModi1">@ChuckModi1</span>) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChuckModi1/status/1714713243405430948?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 18, 2023</a>
</blockquote></div></li>
</ul>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="uZBvEM">
A chief demand that activists have is for a ceasefire, which would put a temporary halt to the military actions taken in Gaza, and center negotiations for the return of hostages that Hamas has taken. In the Middle East, activists have called for their governments to back away from the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/18/world/middleeast/protests-gaza-hospital-israel-palestine.html">normalization of ties with Israel</a>, which establishes open channels for diplomacy and trade, a move multiple countries have taken in the past.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="a88Lrm">
Beyond the immediate push for a ceasefire, some protesters are calling for longer-term policy changes including ending Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories. That push involves ending Israel’s military occupation of the West Bank and its blockade of Gaza. Many protesters who support Palestinian rights have growing concerns about the Israeli government’s actions in Gaza and in the West Bank, where it has been accused of governing Israeli settlers under one legal system and Palestinian residents under another. That, along with longtime Israeli limits on access to Gaza, has led a number of protesters and activists to accuse Israel of <a href="https://www.vox.com/23924319/israel-palestine-apartheid-meaning-history-debate">practicing apartheid</a>. The Israeli and US governments have both refuted this claim.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="nkFim9">
“This movement and conversation has been growing in the last few years as more and more people come to recognize the reality of the Israeli occupation of Palestine and the reality that this cannot continue,” says Liv Kunins-Berkowitz, the media coordinator at Jewish Voice for Peace, another organization that participated in protests supporting Palestinian rights and urging a ceasefire last week.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="gcuUsE">
Some of the protests that have occurred, like a Times Square rally organized by the Democratic Socialists of America that took place shortly after the Hamas attack, have also <a href="https://news.yahoo.com/socialist-rally-in-times-square-praising-hamas-terror-attack-draws-widespread-condemnation-204123785.html">been criticized for being pro-Hamas</a> and for condoning the killings of Israeli civilians, a position that many activists have forcefully denounced. Demonstrations that occurred in Beirut and Amman <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/International/hamas-day-rage-protests-break-middle-east/story?id=103955873">following a former Hamas leader’s call for a Day of Rage</a> were also pro-Hamas and included violent chants directed at Israel and the United States.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="LbjxE6">
<strong>[</strong><em><strong>Related: </strong></em><a href="https://www.vox.com/world-politics/2023/10/14/23914904/arab-world-israel-palestine-conflict-middle-east"><em><strong>How the Arab World sees the Israel-Palestine conflict</strong></em></a><em>]</em>
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="7s4Ria">
Other activists in large-scale demonstrations in cities like DC have condemned the killings of Israeli and Palestinian civilians and sought to make it clear their demands relate to Palestinian civilians. “This march is not a pro-Hamas march, it’s about starving children,” Angela Braithwaite, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/oct/21/thousands-to-attend-pro-palestine-protests-across-australia">a protester in London, told</a><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/oct/21/its-simply-a-call-for-freedom-marchers-defend-contentious-slogan-at-london-palestine-protest"> </a><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/oct/21/thousands-to-attend-pro-palestine-protests-across-australia">the Guardian</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="TtXTEq">
Domestically and internationally, ire about the conflict is also targeted at the US, which has staunchly backed Israel. “So many lawmakers have, as they should, said that the over 1,000 Israeli lives lost was an unacceptable tragedy,” says Borgwardt. “I want to ask them: How many Palestinian lives is an unacceptable tragedy? Because for some, several thousand is not enough. And they are clearly waiting to speak out until this massacre reaches unheard-of, horrifying proportions.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="GK0y9H">
Throughout the Middle East, protests have taken place outside Israeli and US embassies. And in an apparent signal of the concern with the United States’ stance, Arab leaders of Jordan, Egypt, and the Palestinian Authority canceled a scheduled meeting they were to hold with Biden following an explosion at a Gaza hospital that left hundreds dead. The US and Israel have since noted that intelligence points to Palestinian militants being responsible, while Hamas has blamed the Israeli military.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="kUPoh1">
Biden’s trip to Israel went ahead as planned last week. In a public address, he expressed his support and requested $14 billion in military aid from Congress. “We will make sure Israel has what it needs to take care of its citizens, defend itself, and respond to this attack,” he said in remarks following the Hamas attack.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="BvN7Rg">
Biden has begun to speak more about Palestinian civilians in recent days, saying in a national address on Thursday, “We mourn every innocent life lost. We can’t ignore the humanity of innocent Palestinians who only want to live in peace and have an opportunity.” Additionally, he has negotiated a deal that enables $100 million of humanitarian aid to move to Gaza through Egypt. This position appears to acknowledge some activists’ calls for humanitarian assistance, though it does not alter the US’s commitment to backing Israel militarily.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="IccM6d">
In pushing for a ceasefire, many protesters are urging the Biden administration to reconsider its military support for Israel, which they view as contributing to mass killings of civilians in Gaza. They also question why Gaza is being given a fraction of the aid Biden requested for Israel.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="oIWw3X">
Political scientists note that the US’s support of Israel has harmed its image with other countries in the Middle East, including among protesters who view its stance as hypocritical.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="sA6wwr">
“What has particularly incensed many in the region is the rapid and extensive support that Israel received on multiple fronts — political, financial, and, most significantly, military,” says Najib Ghadbian, a University of Arkansas political scientist and expert in Middle East studies. “The sudden deployment of aircraft carriers and other weapons, along with logistical support to Israel in anticipation of a potential ground invasion of Gaza, is seen as a direct contribution to the suffering of the people in Gaza.”
</p>
<h3 id="R03Wgg">
The latest protests supporting Palestinians’ rights are different from those that have come before
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="baotcW">
Younger people, as polls show, are among those most concerned with the United States’ policies toward Israel and Palestine. For some in the US,<strong> </strong>previous Black Lives Matter protests helped raise awareness about racism and discriminatory policies and mobilized people for causes related to racial justice, not just at home but globally.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Z6BVXg">
“I saw the parallels of Black Americans facing a militarized police force and Palestinians facing militarized policing,” says Borgwardt of her experience participating in protests following the fatal police shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Milcx2">
A shift in public opinion in 2021 “happened in part due to the George Floyd uprising,” <a href="https://www.loyola.edu/academics/history/faculty/klug">Sam Klug</a>, an assistant teaching professor of African American history at Loyola University Maryland, previously <a href="https://www.vox.com/2023/10/17/23918689/black-palestinian-solidarity-jewish-alliance-israel">told Vox’s Fabiola Cineas</a>. “This uprising, and the longer-term Black Lives Matter movement of which it was a part, influenced many Americans, especially young people, to begin viewing the situation in Israel-Palestine in terms of structural violence, occupation, and colonial oppression. Of course, it wasn’t the only cause of this shift, but it was significant.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="mof4O9">
Younger generations are also more likely to get their information from social media and from primary sources, as one expert notes. “You have, particularly with younger generations, a shift away from mainstream media outlets, which means people have access to more diverse media,” says Parkinson. “People are actually able to access voices straightforwardly and to see images direct from places like Gaza and the West Bank and East Jerusalem.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="uOGwjH">
Social media and global justice movements have influenced protesters in the Middle East, as well, along with ongoing Israeli policy choices. In addition to the military strikes on Gaza, there has been coverage in the region of the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-west-bank-raid-9e552961589904c64caf30820cf1a831">Israeli government’s killings of Palestinians</a> in the West Bank and of Israeli forces’ attacks on <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/9/17/israeli-forces-attack-palestinian-worshippers-at-al-aqsa-mosque">Palestinians at al-Aqsa Mosque</a> in recent months, says Ghadbian.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="TS2w4T">
“They are united in one demand: ending the Israeli bombardment of Gaza and ending the Israeli occupation,” Kuwait University history professor<a href="https://www.cnn.com/videos/world/2023/10/20/exp-bader-al-saif-growing-regional-protests-intv-102003aseg2-cnni-world.cnn"> Bader Al-Saif told CNN</a>, of protesters in the Middle East. “I have not seen such a scale of protests in the region since the Arab Spring.”
</p>
<h3 id="zsRndK">
Protesters aim to pressure policymakers
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="RzlKCk">
Protesters hope their actions can influence policymakers’ decisions in a bid to prevent more civilian deaths, and to find a longer-term resolution to this entrenched conflict.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="TqEvPl">
DC activists pointed to growing the support of progressive lawmakers’ resolution backing a ceasefire as a chief goal, with the aim of increasing the pressure on Biden as well. As these demonstrations have continued, the US government hasn’t altered its central policies, though the Biden administration’s approach toward the conflict does appear to be shifting slightly. While Biden said Thursday he wants Congress to approve an “unprecedented commitment to Israel’s security that will sharpen Israel’s qualitative military edge,” he also reiterated a point he made in his address in Israel, saying, “As hard as it is, we cannot give up on peace.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="6ii0s5">
His language, while still bellicose, represented a tempering of the rhetoric his administration used in the days after the conflict began, such as when White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre called the initial push for a ceasefire <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/4248451-white-house-calls-lawmakers-not-backing-israel-wrong-disgraceful/">“disgraceful.”</a>
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="GRCxMc">
In the Middle East, protesters want to see their governments adjust their postures toward Israel as well. In Morocco and Bahrain, demonstrations have featured calls for their countries to reverse the normalizing of ties with Israel, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/18/world/middleeast/protests-gaza-hospital-israel-palestine.html">the New York Times reports</a>. Egypt, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates are among the countries that have normalized relations with Israel.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Px4Blp">
Saudi Arabia was also on the verge of considering such an agreement, a move that would have dealt a blow to Palestinians’ ongoing fight for an independent state, since normalization means it’s moving ahead with establishing this diplomatic relationship despite the policies Israel has implemented toward Palestinians. Saudi Arabia’s normalization would also take an incentive Israel was previously offered in exchange for negotiations with Palestinians off the table.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="RYjyfF">
In a rare signal of support for such demonstrations, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/more-than-100-detained-egypt-after-pro-palestinian-protests-lawyers-2023-10-24/">countries like Egypt</a>, which are more repressive toward political speech, have remained somewhat open to such protests — a move <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2023/10/21/exploiting-our-anger-egyptians-denounce-staged-pro-palestine-protests#:~:text=Critics%20say%20el%2DSisi's%20administration,the%20Gaza%20Strip%20ticks%20higher.">some activists view as staged</a> and designed to increase support for domestic leaders.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="QpXABc">
“One of the things that governments want to do by permitting them is to insulate themselves domestically but also to send a signal internationally that the region is really angry, with really good reason,” says Parkinson, citing Qatar as another example where government historically cracks down on this type of political speech but isn’t doing so this time around.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Yo0LhQ">
Meanwhile, French and German leaders have restricted pro-Palestinian protests due to what their governments describe as concerns about “disorder and antisemitism,” <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/france-germany-palestinian-supporters-say-they-struggle-be-heard-2023-10-19/">Reuters reports</a>, raising concerns about suppression of free speech in these countries.
</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Don’t blame social media for the fog of war</strong> -
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/JxhmyxMLYyG2vO976IkGdl0eXYo=/210x0:3567x2518/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72790812/1741638666.0.jpg"/>
<figcaption>
Palestinians stand around a crater caused by an Israeli strike in Khan Yunis in the Gaza Strip. | Mohammed Talatene/Picture Alliance via Getty Images
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Elon Musk and the other platform owners aren’t entirely to blame for misinformation around the Israel-Hamas conflict.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="d3So4E">
Social media is a good place to get a lot of bad information. That’s not a new problem, but it’s particularly acute right now, during a war between <a href="https://www.vox.com/israel">Israel</a> and <a href="https://www.vox.com/politics/2023/10/10/23911661/hamas-israel-war-gaza-palestine-explainer">Hamas</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="TwYf5A">
The temptation is to put the blame for this at the feet of <a href="https://www.vox.com/elon-musk">Elon Musk</a>, who has seemingly tried to <a href="https://www.vox.com/technology/2023/10/17/23921219/x-twitter-europe-disinformation-investigation"><em>increase</em> the amount of unreliable stuff</a> on <a href="https://www.vox.com/twitter">Twitter</a> since he bought the service a year ago. You can also rail against <a href="https://www.vox.com/tiktok">TikTok</a>, with its <a href="https://www.vox.com/technology/23902094/tiktok-shop-wellness-trend-castor-oil">enormous influence and black-box algorithm</a>. You can also point a finger at Telegram, a messaging service for much of the world that <a href="https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/telegrams-embrace-contradiction">barely pays lip service to moderation</a>. Then there’s <a href="https://www.vox.com/meta">Meta</a> and <a href="https://www.vox.com/youtube">YouTube</a> and other platforms which continue to invest heavily in content moderation but are still swamped with this stuff, simply because there’s so much of this stuff.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="1cckog">
I’m happy to cast the shame net widely. But I also think people complaining about inaccurate information on their platform of choice during a brutal conflict are also going to have to come to grips with a difficult reality: Getting the “right” info during a war — especially in real time or close to it, when that news is happening in a place where journalists may have limited access and are under dire threat themselves — is an inherently difficult exercise that may never get you the results you want.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="nfSFKh">
Last week’s deadly explosion at a Gaza hospital is the newest data point in that argument: Hamas immediately blamed the strike on Israeli rockets, and initial reports from news outlets including the New York Times ran with that framing; Israel subsequently blamed an errant Palestinian missile launched from inside Gaza.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="8T3Lnz">
As I’m typing this, a week later, the consensus — <a href="https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/israel-hamas-war-gaza-strip-conflict/card/watch-video-analysis-shows-gaza-hospital-was-hit-by-failed-rocket-meant-for-israel-rP4uhNqD5MQoYryXxsvC">at least in Western media</a> — seems to have shifted toward <a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-hospital-rocket-gaza-e0fa550faa4678f024797b72132452e3">the Israeli explanation</a>. Meanwhile, the Times published an <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/23/pageoneplus/editors-note-gaza-hospital-coverage.html">editor’s note</a> on Monday that says its initial coverage “relied too heavily on claims by Hamas” and “left readers with an incorrect impression”; the paper’s <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2023/10/23/world/israel-hamas-war-gaza-news?name=styln-israel-gaza&amp;region=hub&amp;block=storyline_live_updates_block_recirc&amp;action=click&amp;pgtype=LegacyCollection#israel-gaza-hospital-evidence">most recent coverage</a> of the blast doesn’t say the Israeli narrative is correct but does say that Hamas “has yet to produce or describe any evidence linking Israel to the strike.”
</p>
<div class="c-float-right">
<div id="vM6AgK">
<div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="EVOCA1">
This isn’t a nihilistic, there-is-no-truth argument. Something caused that explosion and loss of life, and at some point, there will most likely be enough forensic evidence to establish what actually happened, with some degree of confidence.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="tr4OtI">
But for the duration of this conflict, we’re going to have to live with the fact that a lot of what we first learn about what happens in a war is wrong, or misleading. We can’t primarily blame social platforms for that: It’s the very nature of the conflict itself.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="HYNkzd">
In this case, it will be even harder to suss out the truth immediately after an incident, for a couple of reasons:
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="aFQkQw">
*Both Israel and Hamas have longstanding and deserved reputations for putting out <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/haters-wont-be-swayed-but-hamas-lies-about-gaza-hospital-blast-are-being-exposed/">misleading</a> <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2022/5/22/lies-investigations-and-videotape">propaganda</a> about their military actions.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="hEUvBc">
*Journalists have very limited access to on-the-ground facts. Only a small number of them were in Gaza prior to the Oct. 7 attacks, and any reporting they undertake now is incredibly <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/style/media/2023/10/16/gaza-journalists-palestinian-reporters-challenges/">difficult and risky</a>. <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/10/16/at-least-15-journalists-killed-in-hamas-israel-war">Nearly two dozen of them have reportedly been killed</a> in the first two weeks of the war. Meanwhile, the Israeli government won’t allow anyone — including journalists — to enter Gaza.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="zXluJ9">
In the wake of the hospital explosion last week, we’ve seen attempts to counteract those weaknesses, with a combination of forensics and crowdsourcing: Using snippets of video and audio recorded at the time of the explosion, plus photos taken the day after the blast, researchers such as <a href="https://www.bellingcat.com/">Bellingcat</a>, a nonprofit fact-checking group, have published their own findings — <a href="https://www.bellingcat.com/news/2023/10/18/identifying-possible-crater-from-gaza-hospital-blast/">which remain inconclusive</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="HLdVn4">
And none of that will satisfy people who expect black-and-white answers about something that happened a week ago.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Sw8GkT">
And if that’s frustrating for you, I have news you won’t like: This is likely going to get worse, for quite some time. If Israel goes forward with plans to invade Gaza, you can expect all kinds of conflicting reporting about shootings, explosions, and military and civilian casualties. And that information will be even harder to verify with tanks in the streets.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="tUkUBa">
More context you won’t like: While we can blame some of this on a news environment sped up by phones and digital platforms, getting bad info about what happened in a war is a <a href="https://www.pbs.org/kenburns/the-war/communication-news-censorship#:~:text=Government%20control%20of%20the%20news,on%20proper%20handling%20of%20news.">longstanding problem</a>. And that almost always begins with the fact that most information about what happens in a war initially comes from the government fighting the wars.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="0ckddP">
That’s why, for instance, the early coverage of the death of Pat Tillman, the NFL player turned Army Ranger, at first reported he’d been killed in a 2004 ambush in <a href="https://www.vox.com/afghanistan">Afghanistan</a> — and not, as we <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/03/AR2005050301502.html">eventually learned</a>, that he’d died in a friendly fire incident. The same goes for the <a href="https://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,538846-1,00.html">story of Jessica Lynch</a>, the US soldier captured by Iraqi soldiers in 2003. Lynch later said the tale of her abduction and rescue, which received enormous attention at the time, had been <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20041220201552/http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2003/11/12/backpage/11_11_0322_16_39.txt">distorted and exaggerated by US officials</a>. If you want a more recent — but pre-Musk — example of how hard it is to decipher what’s happening in a war, look into the sabotage of <a href="https://www.vox.com/russia">Russia</a>’s Nord Stream pipelines, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/07/us/politics/nord-stream-pipeline-sabotage-ukraine.html">which may or may not have been the work of Ukrainian militants</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="fvNvLg">
The fog can also apply to war in places we don’t traditionally think of as war zones: While there is no shortage of reporters on the ground in Israel itself, it has still been difficult to get confirmation of exactly what happened during the October 7 attacks, leading to claims and counterclaims about specific atrocities. This week the Israeli military tried to address that by <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/oct/23/israel-shows-footage-of-hamas-killings-to-counter-denial-of-atrocities">screening graphic footage of the violence for a group of reporters</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="akySzO">
So faced with those structural obstacles that aren’t going anywhere, what can you do? One answer, counseled by <a href="https://www.bellingcat.com/author/giancarlofiorella/">Giancarlo Fiorella</a>, Bellingcat’s director of research and training: “Slow down.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="X9pPd8">
“That’s something we’ve always been good at,” he tells me. “But in particular this past week or so, we’ve come to appreciate how that’s a skill — the ability to say, ‘Look, we’re not going to rush to publish something. Let’s take our time.’”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="lAmk4m">
But I have a similarly unsatisfying suggestion: While waiting for the truth to surface in the wake of something horrible, you could spend some time … using social media.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="qy5rQx">
Wait! Didn’t we just establish that the platforms are riddled with untruths?
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="wV7b8l">
Yes. And there’s plenty of data supporting that assertion, as well as a small group of hardworking people <a href="https://twitter.com/shayan86?lang=en">cataloging</a> many of those posts that are wrong.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="WFwl55">
But it’s worth noting that not all disinformation has the same impact or ambition: Yes, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/clip-shows-bruno-mars-concertgoers-not-attack-israel-desert-festival-2023-10-09/">Twitter and TikTok users were sharing footage of people running at Bruno Mars concert</a> and claiming it was filmed during the Hamas attack at the Negev desert rave that killed hundreds. But that attack was real, and the mislabeled footage doesn’t change that — it was just an opportunity for people to gain social media clout.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="xuNFMH">
But no matter what, you’re going to get a slew of this stuff. To help sort through it, my colleague <a href="https://www.vox.com/technology/2023/10/12/23913472/misinformation-israel-hamas-war-social-media-literacy-palestine">A.W. Ohlheiser suggests using the SIFT method</a>: “Stop, Investigate the source, Find better coverage, and Trace claims, quotes, and media to the original context.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="8UrVNG">
That may be more than what the average TikTok or Twitter user wants to do with the stuff they’re scrolling through. But since you’re deep into a story about accuracy in media, you can definitely give it a shot.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="1zNVdK">
Used responsibly, and cautiously, what social media <em>can</em> do is open your window on the world a little bit wider. I’ve been gratified, for instance, that alongside clips from the likes of CNN and ABC News, my TikTok feed shows me excerpts from Al Jazeera and the UK’s Channel 4, which tend to be much more skeptical of Israeli claims than US news organizations. I have to caveat emptor all of that, obviously — but that has always been the responsibility of the conscientious news consumer, and I feel I’m much better off seeing how other parts of the world see the conflict. And that may be, for now, the best I can hope for. Not all of it is going to be right, but we’re not getting real-time truth right now — and in wartime, we never have.
</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>The secret behind Klaasen’s death-overs carnage</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>Art Gallery, Art Of Romance and Fast Pace shine</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>Judy Blue Eyes impresses</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>De Kock converts his farewell into a fairy tale</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>Hardik Pandya may miss more World Cup matches, continues his recovery at NCA</strong> - Hardik Pandya who had reported to National Cricket Academy on October 23 in Bengaluru is yet to recover fully.</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>Nipah virus antibodies detected in bats in Wayanad</strong> - ICMR’s ongoing bat surveillance survey has detected NiV antibodies in Pteropus bat species in 14 States and one Union Territory, indicating a wider presence of the virus and possibilities of outbreaks across the country</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>KIMS to provide oncology services in Ongole of Andhra Pradesh soon</strong> - Treatment for cancer in any part of the body is now covered under Dr.YSR Aarogyasri health scheme, says Special Officer</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>Here are the big stories from Karnataka today</strong> - Welcome to the Karnataka Today newsletter, your guide from The Hindu on the major news stories to follow today. Curated and written by Nalme Nachiyar.</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>KCR nominates Sunitha Laxma Reddy for Narsapur constituency</strong> - Sitting MLA Madan Reddy to contest as Medak MP</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>Govt approves inclusion of Jamrani Dam under PMKSY-AIBP</strong> - The project envisages the construction of a dam near Jamrani village across river Gola, a tributary of river Ram Ganga, in the Nainital district of Uttarakhand.</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>North Sea search abandoned for four missing on British ship Verity</strong> - The German coastguard said search efforts were suspended on Tuesday night and “will not be resumed”.</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>Andrea Giambruno: Meloni’s ex-partner dropped as TV host over lewd remarks</strong> - The Italian PM separated with Andrea Giambruno after sexually explicit remarks were leaked.</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: Avdiivka civilians cling on amid Russian assault</strong> - Just over 1,000 civilians remain in Avdiivka, focus of a bloody Russian assault in eastern Ukraine.</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>Iceland’s PM strikes over gender pay gap</strong> - Katrín Jakobsdóttir is refusing to work on Tuesday in protest at the gender pay gap.</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 Rock waxwork museum makes skin tone fix after criticism</strong> - Paris’s Grevin Museum says it has “remedied the skin tone” of the life-sized wax figure overnight.</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>Daily Telescope: A closer look at the most-distant object visible to the naked eye</strong> - Looking far away to understand our own home. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1978371">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>How to make almost any computer a modern-day PLATO terminal</strong> - A dive into the past, whether you’re using a vintage or new computer. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1962768">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>For the first launch of ULA’s Vulcan rocket, it’s Christmas or next year</strong> - Astrobotic’s lunar lander ships to Florida later this week for final launch prep. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1978363">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>I used a $28 mechanical keyboard for a month—maybe you should, too</strong> - The best budget mechanical keyboard I’ve ever used. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1974725">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>US surprises Nvidia by speeding up new AI chip export ban</strong> - Nvidia tried to end-run restrictions with new designs, but US govt said not so fast. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1978300">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>Three women die and go to heaven.</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF --></p>
<div class="md">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
While in heaven, God tells the women not to step on the grass while in heaven or they will be punished.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The grass is everywhere so they have to make an effort to avoid it. One girl steps on the grass and is instantly handcuffed to an ugly man. The other woman also steps on the grass and is instantly handcuffed to an ugly man for all eternity.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The last woman manages to avoid the grass for several years and feels that she should be rewarded. One day, a man suddenly appears handcuffed to her and she can’t believe her eyes at how handsome he is. She asks him, “are you the man of my dreams” and he responds, “I’m not sure but I just stepped on some grass”
</p>
</div>
<!-- SC_ON -->
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/L_Dubb85"> /u/L_Dubb85 </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/17fvstr/three_women_die_and_go_to_heaven/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/17fvstr/three_women_die_and_go_to_heaven/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>My pastor told this during a sermon once and it still kills me</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF --></p>
<div class="md">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Two fellas are walking in the woods one day when they come upon a gigantic hole, so big and deep that they can’t see the bottom of it. Naturally, their curiosity gets the best of them and they start looking for things to throw in the hole. They find sticks and rocks and throw them in but never hear anything hit the bottom of the hole.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Eventually they find an old railroad tie and figure they’ll definitely hear that hit the bottom, so they lug it over and throw it in. A few seconds pass, but they still don’t hear it hit the bottom. They shrug and start to walk away, when all of a sudden a cow comes charging through the woods at them and jumps into the hole!
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
“That was crazy!” they say to each other as they’re walking out of the woods. A farmer is walking into the woods at the same time and greets them. The guys tell the farmer about the hole they found. The farmer asks if the guys have seen his cow. They say, “as a matter of fact we saw a cow come sprinting through the woods and jump into that hole!”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The farmer shakes his head and says, “hmm, well that couldn’t have been my cow. My cow was tied to a railroad tie.”
</p>
</div>
<!-- SC_ON -->
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/fruitrollupsalad"> /u/fruitrollupsalad </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/17ffgxm/my_pastor_told_this_during_a_sermon_once_and_it/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/17ffgxm/my_pastor_told_this_during_a_sermon_once_and_it/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>My wife is furious I bought a 12-year-old whiskey.</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF --></p>
<div class="md">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
And the kid’s mother tried to get me arrested.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SC_ON -->
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/NopeNopeNope2020"> /u/NopeNopeNope2020 </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/17g0eh0/my_wife_is_furious_i_bought_a_12yearold_whiskey/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/17g0eh0/my_wife_is_furious_i_bought_a_12yearold_whiskey/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>I’m drunk and I might’ve made up a joke?</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF --></p>
<div class="md">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
What do people in Alabama do on Halloween?
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Pumpkin.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SC_ON -->
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/zapfoe"> /u/zapfoe </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/17fir2w/im_drunk_and_i_mightve_made_up_a_joke/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/17fir2w/im_drunk_and_i_mightve_made_up_a_joke/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>After a hour of labor, a woman gives birth to a beautiful baby boy..</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF --></p>
<div class="md">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Moments after taking his first breath in the real world, the baby looks at the doctor holding him and asks, “Are you my father?” The doctor responds, “No sweet child, I am not your father.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The doctor hands the baby to his mother. As she gazes into his eyes lovingly, the baby asks, “Are you my father?” His mother responds, “No sweet child, I am not your father.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
She hands him to his father, who is overcome with emotion. As tears of joy stream down his face, the baby asks him, “Are you my father?” Struggling to answer through his tears, the man responds, “Yes sweet child, I am forever and ever, your father.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The baby sits up and starts rapidly slamming his fist into his father’s forehead: “THEN TELL ME HOW YOU LIKE IT, MOTHERFUCKER!!!”
</p>
</div>
<!-- SC_ON -->
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/No_Security_1276"> /u/No_Security_1276 </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/17fh2ha/after_a_hour_of_labor_a_woman_gives_birth_to_a/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/17fh2ha/after_a_hour_of_labor_a_woman_gives_birth_to_a/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
</ul>
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