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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>How risky is it to not wear a mask? Moral emotions increase preventative health behaviours during the COVID-19 pandemic in India</strong> -
<div>
Given the high transmission rates of the COVID-19 virus, policies aim at the maximal adoption of preventative health behaviours (PHBs) such as mask-wearing and maintaining physical distance. Moral emotions, risk perception, and message frames have previously been shown to foster favourable PHBs during various pandemics. To investigate the factors associated with PHBs during the COVID-19 pandemic, the present study explored the predictive role of moral emotions and message frames on PHBs (reduced physical contact and COVID-19 related policy support), controlling for risk perception regarding wearing a mask. Thus, a 2 (target of the message: self vs others) x 2 (valence: negative vs positive) between-groups experiment was conducted amongst Indians. Negative moral emotions predicted both (reduced) physical contact and policy support, and positive moral emotions predicted policy support. Exposure to differently framed health messages did not predict PHBs. The present study contributes to the field of health communication by highlighting the need for culture-specific practices such as focusing on the affective aspects of such communication. The results are increasingly relevant owing to the continuance of the COVID-19 crisis in India, and suggest that eliciting moral emotions throughCOVID-19 communication may significantly improve compliance with PHBs.
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<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/vtxuk/" target="_blank">How risky is it to not wear a mask? Moral emotions increase preventative health behaviours during the COVID-19 pandemic in India</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Efficient overexpression and purification of SARS-CoV-2 Nucleocapsid proteins in Escherichia coli</strong> -
<div>
The fundamental biology of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) nucleocapsid protein (Ncap), its use in diagnostic assays and its potential application as a vaccine component have received considerable attention since the outbreak of the Covid19 pandemic in late 2019. Here we report the scalable expression and purification of soluble, immunologically active, SARS-CoV-2 Ncap in Escherichia coli. Codon-optimised synthetic genes encoding the original Ncap sequence and four common variants with an N-terminal 6His affinity tag (sequence MHHHHHHG) were cloned into an inducible expression vector carrying a regulated bacteriophage T5 synthetic promoter controlled by lac operator binding sites. The constructs were used to express Ncap proteins and protocols developed which allow efficient production of purified Ncap with yields of over 200 mg per litre of culture media. These proteins were deployed in ELISA assays to allow comparison of their responses to human sera. Our results suggest that there was no detectable difference between the 6His-tagged and untagged original Ncap proteins but there may be a slight loss of sensitivity of sera to other Ncap isolates.
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<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.01.08.574531v1" target="_blank">Efficient overexpression and purification of SARS-CoV-2 Nucleocapsid proteins in Escherichia coli</a>
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<li><strong>Preferential apical infection of intestinal cell monolayers by SARS-CoV-2 is associated with damage to cellular barrier integrity: Implications for the physiopathology of COVID-19</strong> -
<div>
SARS-CoV-2 can infect different organs, including the intestine. In Caco-2 intestinal cell line, SARS-CoV-2 modulates the ACE2 receptor expression and affects the expression of molecules involved in intercellular junctions. To further explore the possibility that the intestinal epithelium serves as an alternative infection route for SARS-CoV-2, we used a model of polarised intestinal cell monolayers grown on the polycarbonate membrane of Transwell inserts, inoculated with the virus either in the upper or lower chamber of culture. In both polarised Caco-2 cell monolayers and co-culture Caco-2/HT29 cell monolayer, apical SARS-CoV-2 inoculation was found to be much more effective in establishing infection than basolateral inoculation. In addition, apical SARS-CoV-2 infection triggers monolayer degeneration, as shown by histological examination, measurement of trans-epithelial electronic resistance, and cell adhesion molecule expression. During this process, the infectious viruses reach the lower chamber, suggesting either a transcytosis mechanism from the apical side to the basolateral side of cells, a paracellular trafficking of the virus after damage to intercellular junctions in the epithelial barrier, or both. Taken together, these data highlight a preferential tropism of SARS-CoV-2 for the apical side of the human intestinal tract and suggests that infection via the intestinal lumen leads to a systemic infection.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.01.08.574642v1" target="_blank">Preferential apical infection of intestinal cell monolayers by SARS-CoV-2 is associated with damage to cellular barrier integrity: Implications for the physiopathology of COVID-19</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Lateral Flow Assays Biotesting by Utilizing Plasmonic Nanocrystals Made of Inexpensive Metals - Replacing Gold</strong> -
<div>
Different kinds of nanoparticles can be conjugated with diverse biomolecular receptors and employed in biosensing to detect a target analyte (biomarkers of infections, cancer markers, etc.) from biological samples. This proven concept was largely used during the COVID-19 pandemic in over-the-counter gold nanoparticles-based paper strip tests. Considering that gold is expensive and is being largely depleted, here we show that novel and less expensive plasmonic counterparts, titanium nitride (TiN) nanoparticles, and copper nanoparticles covered with a gold shell (Cu@Au) perform comparable or better than gold nanoparticles. After functionalization, these novel nanoparticles provide a high signal, efficiency, and specificity when used on paper strip tests. This allows an easy visual determination of the positive signal and the development of more affordable paper-based test strips. Moreover, by conducting the machine learning study, we have shown that the bio-detection with TiN is more accurate than that with gold, demonstrating the advantage of a broadband plasmonic material. The implementation of lateral flow assays based on TiN and Cu@Au nanoparticles promises a drastic cost reduction of this technology and its widespread applications in tasks of biomedical diagnostics, environmental and food safety, security and doping screening.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.01.08.574723v1" target="_blank">Lateral Flow Assays Biotesting by Utilizing Plasmonic Nanocrystals Made of Inexpensive Metals - Replacing Gold</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>PathIntegrate: Multivariate modelling approaches for pathway-based multi-omics data integration</strong> -
<div>
As terabytes of multi-omics data are being generated, there is an ever-increasing need for methods facilitating the integration and interpretation of such data. Current multi-omics integration methods typically output lists, clusters, or subnetworks of molecules related to an outcome. Even with expert domain knowledge, discerning the biological processes involved is a time-consuming activity. Here we propose PathIntegrate, a method for integrating multi-omics datasets based on pathways, designed to exploit knowledge of biological systems and thus provide interpretable models for such studies. PathIntegrate employs single-sample pathway analysis to transform multi-omics datasets from the molecular to the pathway-level, and applies a predictive single-view or multi-view model to integrate the data. Model outputs include multi-omics pathways ranked by their contribution to the outcome prediction, the contribution of each omics layer, and the importance of each molecule in a pathway. Using semi-synthetic data we demonstrate the benefit of grouping molecules into pathways to detect signals in low signal-to-noise scenarios, as well as the ability of PathIntegrate to precisely identify important pathways at low effect sizes. Finally, using COPD and COVID-19 data we showcase how PathIntegrate enables convenient integration and interpretation of complex high-dimensional multi-omics datasets. The PathIntegrate Python package is available at https://github.com/cwieder/PathIntegrate.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.01.09.574780v1" target="_blank">PathIntegrate: Multivariate modelling approaches for pathway-based multi-omics data integration</a>
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<li><strong>Durability of protection from original monovalent and bivalent COVID-19 vaccines against COVID-19-associated hospitalization and severe in-hospital outcomes among adults in the United States — September 2022–August 2023</strong> -
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Objective: To evaluate the durability of protection provided by original monovalent and bivalent COVID-19 vaccination against COVID-19-associated hospitalization and severe in-hospital outcomes Design: Multicenter case-control design with prospective enrollment Setting: 26 hospitals in 20 US states Participants: Adults aged ≥18 years admitted to hospital with COVID-19-like illness from 8 September 2022 to 31 August 2023 Main outcome measures: The main outcomes were absolute and relative vaccine effectiveness of original monovalent and bivalent COVID-19 vaccines against COVID-19-associated hospitalization and severe in-hospital outcomes, including advanced respiratory support (defined as receipt of high-flow nasal cannula, non-invasive ventilation, or invasive mechanical ventilation [IMV]) and IMV or death. Vaccine effectiveness was estimated using multivariable logistic regression, in which the odds of vaccination (versus being unvaccinated or receiving original monovalent vaccination only) were compared between COVID-19 case patients and control-patients. Bivalent vaccine effectiveness analyses were stratified by time since dose receipt. Results: Among 7028 adults without immunocompromising conditions, 2924 (41.6%) were COVID-19 case patients and 4104 (58.4%) were control patients. Compared to unvaccinated patients, absolute vaccine effectiveness against COVID-19-associated hospitalization was 6% (-7% to 17%) for original monovalent doses only (median time since last dose [IQR] = 421 days [304-571]), 52% (39% to 61%) for a bivalent dose received 7-89 days earlier, and 13% (-10% to 31%) for a bivalent dose received 90-179 days earlier. Absolute vaccine effectiveness against COVID-19-associated advanced respiratory support was 31% (15% to 45%) for original monovalent doses only, 66% (47% to 78%) for a bivalent dose received 7-89 days earlier, and 33% (-1% to 55%) for a bivalent dose received 90-179 days earlier. Absolute vaccine effectiveness against COVID-19-associated IMV or death was 51% (34% to 63%) for original monovalent doses only, 61% (35% to 77%) for a bivalent dose received 7-89 days earlier, and 50% (11% to 71%) for a bivalent dose received 90-179 days earlier. Conclusion: When compared to original monovalent vaccination only, bivalent COVID-19 vaccination provided additional protection against COVID-19-associated hospitalization and certain severe in-hospital outcomes within 3 months of dose receipt. By 3-6 months, protection from a bivalent dose declined to a level similar to that remaining from original monovalent vaccination only. Although no protection remained from original monovalent vaccination against COVID-19-associated hospitalization, it provided durable protection against severe in-hospital outcomes &gt;1 year after receipt of the last dose, particularly against IMV or death.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.01.07.24300910v1" target="_blank">Durability of protection from original monovalent and bivalent COVID-19 vaccines against COVID-19-associated hospitalization and severe in-hospital outcomes among adults in the United States — September 2022–August 2023</a>
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<li><strong>How executive control and emotional reactivity influence coping strategies in psychiatric patients during the COVID-19 pandemic</strong> -
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Background: During times of environmental challenges, adaptive coping strategies are essential to maintain mental health. Coping relies on executive control, which is often impaired in individuals with psychiatric disorders. Furthermore, emotional reactivity may interfere with executive control. Studying the association between cognitive skills and adaptive coping strategies, as well as the potential impact of emotional reactivity, could inform how we can provide mental support during large-scale adversity. In this study we examined coping strategies in a thoroughly phenotyped psychiatric cohort, the MIND-Set cohort, during the early COVID-19 pandemic stage. Methods: We studied 1) the association between coping and both subjective and objective executive control before the pandemic, and three different coping strategies used during the pandemic, 2) the mediating role of emotional reactivity, indexed by amygdala reactivity, and 3) the moderating role of the presence of a psychiatric diagnosis in these associations. After finding no specific impact of patient or control status in this association, we decided to post-hoc study the transdiagnostic impact of depression severity in these associations. Results: showed 1) only a significant association between subjective executive control and a self-reported positive reappraisal style and corona-related reappraisal. However, after controlling for depression severity, this association was no longer significant. Additionally, objective executive control was only directly associated with right amygdala reactivity, while amygdala reactivity in neither of the hemispheres mediated the association between executive control and any of the coping styles. Furthermore, the type of diagnosis did not moderate the association between executive control and coping. Conclusion: Our findings firstly underline the difference between self-reported and performance based executive control. While both deficits in subjective and performance based EC may play a role in the persistence of psychiatric symptomatology, this finding emphasizes how depressive symptoms or negative affect can impact reappraisal ability. As this ability is fundamental to staying resilient, treatments focused on reducing negative affect and thereby training reappraisal are pivotal in the maintenance of mental health in the entire population during environmental challenges.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.01.08.24300980v1" target="_blank">How executive control and emotional reactivity influence coping strategies in psychiatric patients during the COVID-19 pandemic</a>
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<li><strong>Immunological imprinting shapes the specificity of human antibody responses against SARS-CoV-2 variants</strong> -
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The spike glycoprotein of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) continues to accumulate substitutions, leading to breakthrough infections of vaccinated individuals and prompting the development of updated booster vaccines. Here, we determined the specificity and functionality of antibody and B cell responses following exposure to BA.5 and XBB variants in individuals who received ancestral SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines. BA.5 exposures elicited antibody responses that primarily targeted epitopes conserved between the BA.5 and ancestral spike, with poor reactivity to the XBB.1.5 variant. XBB exposures also elicited antibody responses that targeted epitopes conserved between the XBB.1.5 and ancestral spike. However, unlike BA.5, a single XBB exposure elicited low levels of XBB.1.5-specific antibodies and B cells in some individuals. Pre-existing cross-reactive B cells and antibodies were correlated with stronger overall responses to XBB but weaker XBB-specific responses, suggesting that baseline immunity influences the activation of variant-specific SARS-CoV-2 responses.
</p>
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<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.01.08.24301002v1" target="_blank">Immunological imprinting shapes the specificity of human antibody responses against SARS-CoV-2 variants</a>
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<li><strong>Symptoms of children and adolescents infected with SARS-CoV-2 variants alpha, delta or omicron</strong> -
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Symptoms experienced by children and adolescents with SARS-CoV-2 infections in the alpha, delta and omicron variant dominated phases were investigated using an online survey, and the frequencies of reported symptoms and changes over time were analyzed. The most prevalent symptoms were fever above 38 degrees Celsius, tiredness, headache, runny or blocked nose, sneezing and dry cough. Lethargy and nausea were reported significantly more frequently in the omicron variant dominated phase than in the earlier phases of the pandemic. Compared to symptoms reported by adults, fever and gastrointestinal symptoms were reported more frequently for children, especially in the omicron variant dominated phase, whereas the frequency of loss of smell and loss of taste was significantly lower in children than in adults.
</p>
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<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.01.07.23300006v1" target="_blank">Symptoms of children and adolescents infected with SARS-CoV-2 variants alpha, delta or omicron</a>
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<li><strong>Estimation of SARS-CoV-2 fitness gains from genomic surveillance data without prior lineage classification</strong> -
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The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants with increased fitness has had a strong impact on the epidemiology of COVID-19, with the higher effective reproduction number of the viral variants leading to new epidemic waves. Tracking such variants and their genetic signatures, using data collected through genomic surveillance, is therefore crucial for forecasting likely surges in incidence. Current methods of estimating fitness advantages of variants rely on tracking the changing proportion of a particular lineage over time, but describing successful lineages in a rapidly evolving viral population is a difficult task. We propose a new method of estimating fitness gains directly from nucleotide information generated by genomic surveillance, without a-priori assigning isolates to lineages from phylogenies, based solely on the abundance of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs). The method is based on mapping changes in the genetic population structure over time. Changes in the abundance of SNPs associated with periods of increasing fitness allow for the unbiased discovery of new variants, and thereby obviating a deliberate lineage assignment and phylogenetic inference. We conclude that the method provides a fast and reliable way to estimate fitness advantages of variants without the need for a-priori assigning isolates to lineages.
</p>
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<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.01.08.24300976v1" target="_blank">Estimation of SARS-CoV-2 fitness gains from genomic surveillance data without prior lineage classification</a>
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<li><strong>Assessing the impact of interventions on the major Omicron BA.2 outbreak in spring 2022 in Shanghai</strong> -
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Background Shanghai experienced a significant surge in Omicron BA.2 infections from March to June 2022. In addition to the standard interventions in place at that time, additional interventions were implemented in response to the outbreak. However, the impact of these interventions on BA.2 transmission remains unclear. Methods We systematically collected data on the daily number of newly reported infections during this wave and utilized a Bayesian approach to estimate the daily effective reproduction number. Data on public health responses were retrieved from the Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker and served as a proxy for the interventions implemented during this outbreak. Using a log-linear regression model, we assessed the impact of these interventions on the reproduction number. Furthermore, we developed a mathematical model of BA.2 transmission. By combining the estimated effect of the interventions from the regression model and the transmission model, we estimated the number of infections and deaths averted by the implemented interventions. Results We found a negative association (-0.0069, 95% CI: -0.0096 to -0.0045) between the level of interventions and the number of infections. If interventions did not ramp up during the outbreak, we estimated that the number of infections and deaths would have increased by 22.6% (95% CI: 22.4-22.8%), leading to a total of 768,576 (95% CI: 768,021-769,107) infections and 722 (95% CI: 722-723) deaths. If no interventions were deployed during the outbreak, we estimated that the number of infections and deaths would have increased by 46.0% (95% CI: 45.8-46.2%), leading to a total of 915,099 (95% CI: 914,639-915,518) infections and 860 (95% CI: 860-861) deaths. Conclusion Our findings suggest that the interventions adopted during the Omicron BA.2 outbreak in spring 2022 in Shanghai were effective in reducing SARS-CoV-2 transmission and disease burden. Our findings emphasize the importance of non-pharmacological interventions in controlling quick surges of cases during epidemic outbreaks.
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<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.01.08.24300974v1" target="_blank">Assessing the impact of interventions on the major Omicron BA.2 outbreak in spring 2022 in Shanghai</a>
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<li><strong>homeRNA self-blood collection enables high-frequency temporal profiling of the pre-symptomatic host immune kinetics to respiratory viral infection: a prospective cohort study</strong> -
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<b>Background</b> Early host immunity to acute respiratory infections (ARIs) is heterogenous, dynamic, and critical to an individual′s infection outcome. Due to limitations in sampling frequency/timepoints, kinetics of early immune dynamics in natural human infections remain poorly understood. In this nationwide prospective cohort study, we leveraged a self-blood collection tool (<i>home</i>RNA) to profile detailed kinetics of the pre-symptomatic to convalescence host immunity to contemporaneous respiratory pathogens. <b>Methods</b> We enrolled non-symptomatic adults with recent exposure to ARIs who subsequently tested negative (exposed-uninfected) or positive for respiratory pathogens. Participants self–collected blood and nasal swabs daily for seven consecutive days followed by weekly blood collection for up to seven additional weeks. Symptom burden was assessed during each collection. Nasal swabs were tested for SARS–CoV–2 and common respiratory pathogens. 92 longitudinal blood samples spanning the pre–shedding to post–acute phase of eight SARS–CoV–2–infected participants and 40 interval–matched samples from four exposed–uninfected participants were subjected to high–frequency longitudinal profiling of 773 host immune genes. <b>Findings</b> Between June 2021 – April 2022, 68 participants across 26 U.S. states completed the study and self–collected a total of 691 and 466 longitudinal blood and nasal swab samples along with 688 symptom surveys. SARS–CoV–2 was detected in 17 out of 22 individuals with study–confirmed respiratory infection. With rapid dissemination of home self–collection kits, two and four COVID-19+ participants started collection prior to viral shedding and symptom onset, respectively, enabling us to profile detailed expression kinetics of the earliest blood transcriptional response to contemporaneous variants of concern. In pre–shedding samples, we observed transient but robust expression of T–cell response signatures, transcription factor complexes, prostaglandin biosynthesis genes, pyrogenic cytokines, and cytotoxic granule genes. This is followed by a rapid induction of many interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs), concurrent to onset of viral shedding and increase in nasal viral load. Finally, we observed increased expression of host defense peptides (HDPs) in exposed-uninfected individuals over the 4–week observational window. <b>Interpretation</b> We demonstrated that unsupervised self–collection and stabilization of capillary blood can be applied to natural infection studies to characterize detailed early host immune kinetics at a temporal resolution comparable to that of human challenge studies. The remote (decentralized) study framework enables conduct of large–scale population–wide longitudinal mechanistic studies. Expression of cytotoxic/T–cell signatures in pre–shedding samples preceding expansion of innate ISGs suggests a potential role for T–cell mediated pathogen control during early infection. Elevated expression of HDPs in exposed–uninfected individuals warrants further validation studies to assess their potential role in protective immunity during pathogen exposure.
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<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.10.12.23296835v2" target="_blank">homeRNA self-blood collection enables high-frequency temporal profiling of the pre-symptomatic host immune kinetics to respiratory viral infection: a prospective cohort study</a>
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<li><strong>Associations of proton pump inhibitors with susceptibility to pneumonia, influenza, and COVID-19: evidence from a large population based cohort study</strong> -
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Adverse effects of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) have raised wide concerns. The association of PPIs with influenza is unexplored, while that with pneumonia or COVID-19 remains controversial. Our study aims to evaluate whether PPI use increases the risks of these respiratory infections. The current study included 160,923 eligible participants at baseline who completed questionnaires on medication use, which included PPI or histamine-2 receptor antagonist (H2RA), from the UK Biobank. Cox proportional hazards regression and propensity score-matching analyses were used to estimate the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Comparisons with H2RA users were tested. PPI use was associated with increased risks of developing influenza (HR 1.32, 95%CI 1.12-1.56) and pneumonia (hazard ratio [HR] 1.42, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.26-1.59). In contrast, the risk of COVID-19 infection was not associated with regular PPI use (HR 1.08, 95%CI 0.99-1.17), while the risks of severe COVID-19 (HR 1.19. 95%CI 1.11-1.27) and mortality (HR 1.37. 95%CI 1.29-1.46) were increased. However, when compared with H2RA users, PPI users were associated with a higher risk of influenza (HR 1.74, 95%CI 1.19-2.54), but not pneumonia or COVID-19-related outcomes. In conclusion, PPI users are associated with increased risks of influenza, pneumonia, as well as COVID-19 severity and mortality compared to non-users, while the effects on pneumonia or COVID-19-related outcomes under PPI use were attenuated when compared to the use of H2RAs. Appropriate use of PPIs based on comprehensive evaluation is required.
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.08.21.22279047v2" target="_blank">Associations of proton pump inhibitors with susceptibility to pneumonia, influenza, and COVID-19: evidence from a large population based cohort study</a>
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<li><strong>Towards Real-Time Airborne Pathogen Sensing: Electrostatic Capture and On-Chip LAMP Based Detection of Airborne Viral Pathogens</strong> -
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Considerable loss of life, economic slowdown, and public health risk associated with the transmission of airborne respiratory pathogens was underscored by the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Airborne transmission of zoonotic diseases such as the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) has caused major disruptions to domestic and global food security. Current ambient air pathogen monitoring systems involves the collection of air samples from indoor settings suspected of viral contamination, followed by subsequent processing of capture samples to determine the presence and species of airborne viral matter. Nucleic acid amplification techniques are considered the gold standard for pathogen diagnostics. Currently, the necessary extraction and purification of viral RNA from air collector systems prior to sample analysis is both time consuming and performed manually. A monitoring system with separate air sampling and biochemical detection procedures is prone to delay the response to emergent viral threats. In this paper, we present a pathogen monitoring system that overcomes these limitations related to extraction and purification of viral samples and lays the groundwork for a real-time monitor for airborne viral pathogens. We demonstrate a high flow electrostatic precipitator system, that uses small collection wells as counter electrodes for pathogen collection. Integrated reverse-transcriptase loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) is used for detection of captured viral matter within wells. On-chip heating of collection wells is enabled by integrated planar heaters and small volumes of reagent (30 ) directly to the collection wells. We present the design of such a system and show experimental results that demonstrate the use of this device for detection of aerosolized SARS- CoV-2 virus like particles (VLPs), a model pathogen for SARV-CoV-2.
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.01.05.574431v1" target="_blank">Towards Real-Time Airborne Pathogen Sensing: Electrostatic Capture and On-Chip LAMP Based Detection of Airborne Viral Pathogens</a>
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<li><strong>Innate Immune Activation and Mitochondrial ROS Invoke Persistent Cardiac Conduction System Dysfunction after COVID-19</strong> -
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Background: Cardiac risk rises during acute SARS-CoV-2 infection and in long COVID syndrome in humans, but the mechanisms behind COVID-19-linked arrhythmias are unknown. This study explores the acute and long term effects of SARS-CoV-2 on the cardiac conduction system (CCS) in a hamster model of COVID-19. Methods: Radiotelemetry in conscious animals was used to non-invasively record electrocardiograms and subpleural pressures after intranasal SARS-CoV-2 infection. Cardiac cytokines, interferon-stimulated gene expression, and macrophage infiltration of the CCS, were assessed at 4 days and 4 weeks post-infection. A double-stranded RNA mimetic, polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (PIC), was used in vivo and in vitro to activate viral pattern recognition receptors in the absence of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Results: COVID-19 induced pronounced tachypnea and severe cardiac conduction system (CCS) dysfunction, spanning from bradycardia to persistent atrioventricular block, although no viral protein expression was detected in the heart. Arrhythmias developed rapidly, partially reversed, and then redeveloped after the pulmonary infection was resolved, indicating persistent CCS injury. Increased cardiac cytokines, interferon-stimulated gene expression, and macrophage remodeling in the CCS accompanied the electrophysiological abnormalities. Interestingly, the arrhythmia phenotype was reproduced by cardiac injection of PIC in the absence of virus, indicating that innate immune activation was sufficient to drive the response. PIC also strongly induced cytokine secretion and robust interferon signaling in hearts, human iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs), and engineered heart tissues, accompanied by alterations in electrical and Ca2+ handling properties. Importantly, the pulmonary and cardiac effects of COVID-19 were blunted by in vivo inhibition of JAK/STAT signaling or by a mitochondrially-targeted antioxidant. Conclusions: The findings indicate that long term dysfunction and immune cell remodeling of the CCS is induced by COVID-19, arising indirectly from oxidative stress and excessive activation of cardiac innate immune responses during infection, with implications for long COVID Syndrome.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.01.05.574280v1" target="_blank">Innate Immune Activation and Mitochondrial ROS Invoke Persistent Cardiac Conduction System Dysfunction after COVID-19</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>Phase III Clinical Study Evaluating the Efficacy and Safety of WPV01 in Patients With Mild/Moderate COVID-19</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>: Mild to Moderate COVID-19 <br/><b>Interventions</b>: Drug: WPV01; Drug: Placebo <br/><b>Sponsors</b>: Westlake Pharmaceuticals (Hangzhou) Co., Ltd. <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>Integrated Mindfulness-based Health Qigong Intervention for COVID-19 Survivors and Caregivers</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>: COVID-19 Infection <br/><b>Interventions</b>: Other: Mindfulness-based Health Qigong Intervention <br/><b>Sponsors</b>: The Hong Kong Polytechnic 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>SARS-CoV-2 and Influenza A/B in Point-of-Care and Non-Laboratory Settings</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>: SARS-CoV-2 Infection; Influenza A; Influenza B <br/><b>Interventions</b>: Diagnostic Test: Aptitude Medical Systems Metrix COVID/Flu Test <br/><b>Sponsors</b>: Aptitude Medical Systems; Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority <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>Can Doctors Reduce COVID-19 Misinformation and Increase Vaccine Uptake in Ghana? A Cluster-randomised Controlled Trial</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>: COVID-19 <br/><b>Interventions</b>: Behavioral: Motivational Interviewing, AIMS; Behavioral: Facility engagement <br/><b>Sponsors</b>: London School of Economics and Political Science; Innovations for Poverty Action; Ghana Health Services <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>Effect of Aerobic Exercises Versus Incentive Spirometer Device on Post-covid Pulmonary Fibrosis Patients</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>: Lung Fibrosis Interstitial; Post-COVID-19 Syndrome <br/><b>Interventions</b>: Other: Aerobic Exercises; Device: Incentive Spirometer Device; Other: Traditional Chest Physiotherapy <br/><b>Sponsors</b>: McCarious Nahad Aziz Abdelshaheed Stephens; Cairo University <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>Long COVID Ultrasound Trial</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>: Long Covid <br/><b>Interventions</b>: Device: Splenic Ultrasound <br/><b>Sponsors</b>: SecondWave Systems Inc.; University of Minnesota; MCDC (United States Department of Defense) <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 After COVID-19 Vaccines in Adapted Schedules</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>: Coronavirus Disease 2019; COVID-19 <br/><b>Interventions</b>: Drug: BNT162b2 30µg; Drug: BNT162b2 20µg; Drug: BNT162b2 6µg; Drug: mRNA-1273 100µg; Drug: mRNA-1273 50µg; Drug: ChAdOx1-S [Recombinant] <br/><b>Sponsors</b>: Universiteit Antwerpen <br/><b>Completed</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Could Wearing Face Mask Have Affected Demodex Parasite</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>: Pandemic, COVID-19; Demodex Infestation <br/><b>Interventions</b>: Diagnostic Test: standard superficial skin biopsy (SSSB) <br/><b>Sponsors</b>: Nurhan Döner Aktaş <br/><b>Completed</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>TDCS Stimulation After Covid-19 Infection</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>: COVID-19 <br/><b>Interventions</b>: Procedure: Transcranial Direct Stimulation <br/><b>Sponsors</b>: Istanbul Medipol University Hospital; Alanya Alaaddin Keykubat University <br/><b>Recruiting</b></p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-pubmed">From PubMed</h1>
<ul>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Multiple redox switches of the SARS-CoV-2 main protease in vitro provide opportunities for drug design</strong> - Besides vaccines, the development of antiviral drugs targeting SARS-CoV-2 is critical for preventing future COVID outbreaks. The SARS-CoV-2 main protease (M^(pro)), a cysteine protease with essential functions in viral replication, has been validated as an effective drug target. Here, we show that M^(pro) is subject to redox regulation in vitro and reversibly switches between the enzymatically active dimer and the functionally dormant monomer through redox modifications of cysteine residues….</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>Antibacterial and Antiviral Activities of Silver Nanocluster/Silica Composite Coatings Deposited onto Air Filters</strong> - The indoor air quality should be better controlled and improved to avoid numerous health issues. Even if different devices are developed for air filtration, the proliferation of microorganisms under certain conditions must be controlled. For this purpose, a silver nanocluster/silica composite coating was deposited via a cosputtering technique onto fiber glass and polymeric based substrates. The aim of this work is focused on the evaluation of the antibacterial and antiviral effects of the…</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>Nanoengineered Red Blood Cells Loaded with TMPRSS2 and Cathepsin L Inhibitors Block SARS-CoV-2 Pseudovirus Entry into Lung ACE2<sup>+</sup> Cells</strong> - The enzymatic activities of Furin, Transmembrane serine proteinase 2 (TMPRSS2), Cathepsin L (CTSL), and Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor binding are necessary for the entry of coronaviruses into host cells. Precise inhibition of these key proteases in ACE2^(+) lung cells during a viral infection cycle should prevent viral S protein activation and its fusion with a host cell membrane, consequently averting virus entry to the cells. In this study, we construct dual-drug-combined…</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><em>In silico</em> Evaluation of ACE2 Inhibition by <em>Prunus armeniaca</em> L. and <em>in vivo</em> Toxicity Study</strong> - CONCLUSION: Four compounds from Prunus armeniaca seem to exert an inhibitory potential of 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>Design, Synthesis, X-ray Crystallography, and Biological Activities of Covalent, Non-Peptidic Inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease</strong> - Highly contagious SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus has infected billions of people worldwide with flu-like symptoms since its emergence in 2019. It has caused deaths of several million people. The viral main protease (Mpro) is essential for SARS-CoV-2 replication and therefore a drug target. Several series of covalent inhibitors of Mpro were designed and synthesized. Structure-activity relationship studies show that (1) several chloroacetamide- and epoxide-based compounds targeting Cys145 are potent…</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>Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Activity of a Polyphenolic Complex from Maackia amurensis</strong> - We studied the ability of the polyphenolic complex from Maackia amurensis, the active substance of Maksar, to inhibit the cytopathogenic effect induced by the SARS-CoV-2 and to reduce the concentration of viral RNA in infected Vero E6 cells. Polyphenolic complex showed significant anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity and effectively inhibited viral replication by direct action on viral particles and the early stage of viral 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>Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1 in sepsis, and current insights into clinical studies</strong> - Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1 (TREM-1) is a pattern recognition receptor and plays a critical role in the immune response. TREM-1 activation leads to the production and release of proinflammatory cytokines, chemokines, as well as its own expression and circulating levels of the cleaved soluble extracellular portion of TREM-1 (sTREM-1). Because patients with sepsis and septic shock show elevated sTREM-1 levels, TREM-1 has attracted attention as an important contributor to the…</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>Two Receptor Binding Strategy of SARS-CoV-2 Is Mediated by Both the N-Terminal and Receptor-Binding Spike Domain</strong> - It is not well understood why severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-CoV-2 spreads much faster than other β-coronaviruses such as SARS-CoV and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS)-CoV. In a previous publication, we predicted the binding of the N-terminal domain (NTD) of SARS-CoV-2 spike to sialic acids (SAs). Here, we experimentally validate this interaction and present simulations that reveal a second possible interaction between SAs and the spike protein via a binding site located in the…</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>Cyclooxygenase-2/prostaglandin E2 pathway regulates infectious bronchitis virus replication in avian macrophages</strong> - Infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) is a significant respiratory pathogen that affects chickens worldwide. As an avian coronavirus, IBV leads to productive infection in chicken macrophages. However, the effects of IBV infection in macrophages on cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression are still to be elucidated. Therefore, we investigated the role of IBV infection on the production of COX-2, an enzyme involved in the synthesis of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in chicken macrophages. The chicken macrophage…</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 natural products from virtual screenings as SARS-CoV-2 main protease inhibitors using combinational experiments</strong> - Recently, andrographolide, kaempferol, maslinic acid, rutin, and schaftoside have been identified as potent SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro) inhibitors via molecular docking studies. However, no comprehensive in vitro testing of these compounds against Mpro has been conducted. In this study, we rigorously evaluated the in vitro inhibition of Mpro by these compounds using combinational experiments, including fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), fluorescence polarization (FP), and…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Chemical and spectroscopic characterization of (Artemisinin/Querctin/ Zinc) novel mixed ligand complex with assessment of its potent high antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 and antioxidant capacity against toxicity induced by acrylamide in male rats</strong> - A novel Artemisinin/Quercetin/Zinc (Art/Q/Zn) mixed ligand complex was synthesized, tested for its antiviral activity against coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), and investigated for its effect against toxicity and oxidative stress induced by acrylamide (Acy), which develops upon cooking starchy foods at high temperatures. The synthesized complex was chemically characterized by performing elemental analysis, conductance measurements, FT-IR, UV, magnetic measurements, and XRD. The morphological surface of…</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>High production <em>MBL2</em> polymorphisms protect against COVID-19 complications in critically ill patients: A retrospective cohort study</strong> - Mannose-binding lectin (MBL) binds to SARS-CoV-2, inhibits infection of susceptible cells, and activates the complement system via the lectin pathway. In this study, we investigated the association of MBL2 polymorphisms with the risk of hospitalization and clinical worsening in patients with COVID-19. A total of 550 patients with COVID-19 were included (94 non-hospitalized and 456 hospitalized). Polymorphisms in MBL2 exon 1 (codons 52, 54 and 57) and promoter region (-550, -221, and +4) were…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Studying SARS-CoV-2 interactions using phage-displayed receptor binding domain as a model protein</strong> - SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain (RBD) mediates viral entry into human cells through its interaction with angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). Most neutralizing antibodies elicited by infection or vaccination target this domain. Such a functional relevance, together with large RBD sequence variability arising during viral spreading, point to the need of exploring the complex landscape of interactions between RBD-derived variants, ACE2 and antibodies. The current work was aimed at developing…</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>Multifunctional polymeric guanidine and hydantoin halamines with broad biocidal activity</strong> - Prolonged and excessive use of biocides during the coronavirus disease era calls for incorporating new antiviral polymers that enhance the surface design and functionality for existing and potential future pandemics. Herein, we investigated previously unexplored polyamines with nucleophilic biguanide, guanidine, and hydantoin groups that all can be halogenated leading to high contents of oxidizing halogen that enables enhancement of the biocidal activity. Primary amino groups can be used to…</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>Nikki Haley Seeks an Iowa Surge as the Last G.O.P. Moderate in the Race</strong> - In the final run-up to the Iowa caucuses, Haley made her closing argument to the state’s voters, pitching herself as the anti-chaos, anti-Trump candidate. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/dispatch/nikki-haley-campaigns-in-iowa-breweries-and-vineyards">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>The U.S. Is Reaping the Benefits of Low Unemployment</strong> - In many ways, keeping the jobless rate low and the labor markets tight is the most effective and cost-efficient welfare policy there is. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/the-us-is-reaping-the-benefits-of-low-unemployment">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>What Could Tip the Balance in the War in Ukraine?</strong> - In 2024, the most decisive fight may also be the least visible: Russia and Ukraine will spend the next twelve months in a race to reconstitute and resupply their forces. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/what-could-tip-the-balance-in-the-war-in-ukraine">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>The Last Gasp of the Iowa Kingmakers</strong> - A group of local influencers, who have held sway in past caucuses, recently gathered to try to derail Donald Trump’s candidacy. Will their effort make any difference? - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-political-scene/the-last-gasp-of-the-iowa-kingmakers">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>How Trump Captured Iowa’s Religious Right</strong> - The state’s evangelical voters were once skeptical of the former President. Now they are among his strongest supporters. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-political-scene/how-trump-captured-iowas-religious-right">link</a></p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-vox">From Vox</h1>
<ul>
<li><strong>How a horny beer calendar sparked a conservative civil war</strong> -
<figure>
<img alt="A person wearing glasses shaped like beer mugs." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/xalUI3s6ZdBTwHadgprV-XcS-7U=/191x0:3232x2281/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73041039/GettyImages-176458449.0.jpg"/>
<figcaption>
Oli Scarff/Getty Images
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</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
It’s called “Calendargate,” and it’s raising the question of what — and whom — the right-wing war on “wokeness” is really for.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="s1zOOK">
While most people were enjoying the holidays, extremely online conservatives were fighting about a pinup calendar.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="rsZJ30">
Last month, Ultra Right Beer — a company founded as a conservative alternative to <a href="https://www.vox.com/money/2023/4/12/23680135/bud-light-boycott-dylan-mulvaney-travis-tritt-trans">allegedly woke Bud Light</a> — released a 2024 calendar titled “<a href="https://ultrarightbeer.com/products/conservative-dads-real-women-of-america-2024-calendar">Conservative Dad’s Real Women of America 2024 Calendar</a>.” The calendar contains photos of “the most beautiful conservative women in America” in various sexy poses. Some, like <a href="https://www.vox.com/lgbtq">anti-trans</a> swimmer Riley Gaines and writer Ashley St. Clair, are wearing revealing outfits; others, like former House candidate Kim Klacik, are fully clothed. No one is naked.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="XmJYXN">
But this mild sexiness was just a bit too much for some prominent social conservatives, who started decrying the calendar in late December as (among other things) “<a href="https://twitter.com/RealBrysonGray/status/1738794883656057057">demonic</a>.” The basic complaint is that the calendar is pandering to married men’s sinful lust, debasing conservative women, and making conservatives seem like hypocrites when they complain about leftist immorality.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="3EdLo2">
“This is the problem with conservatives who think they can act just like the secular world,” <a href="https://twitter.com/JennaEllisEsq/status/1740050525410775099">writes Jenna Ellis</a>, one of Donald Trump’s attorneys during the <a href="https://www.vox.com/2020-presidential-election">2020 election</a> fight. “If conservatives aren’t morally grounded Christians, what are we even ‘conserving’?”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="rkjcZB">
Other conservatives, led by several of the women who posed in the calendar, defended the calendar — decrying their critics as nosy puritans who exemplify the right’s inability to connect with ordinary people.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="eedbBG">
The fight between these factions, dubbed “Calendargate,” started on X but has exploded outward — becoming an inescapable topic on the right in the new year. Prominent right-wing media figures like <a href="https://twitter.com/TRHLofficial/status/1742391723425239282">Tim Pool</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/MegynKellyShow/status/1742657082992795706">Megyn Kelly</a> have weighed in; articles dissecting the controversy have appeared in <a href="https://www.nationalreview.com/2024/01/on-right-wing-smut/">National Review</a> and <a href="https://www.theamericanconservative.com/beyond-the-calendar-wars/">the American Conservative</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="8RAxOB">
On one level, this is all very stupid. No one is going to be hurt by the calendar, nor will the controversy surrounding it change anything of political significance. These is an obvious fact that some of the Calendargate participants themselves acknowledge.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="45YoVE">
At the same time, Calendargate is deeply revealing about the fault lines inside the conservative movement.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="yrRKZI">
Broadly speaking, the Trump-era conservative movement has involved an alliance between traditional social conservatives and so-called “<a href="https://theweek.com/articles/964006/rise-barstool-conservatives">Barstool conservatives</a>”: leave-me-alone bros who resent what they see as censorious political correctness. These two factions are aligned on the need to fight the left, but deeply at odds on <a href="https://www.vox.com/social-policy">social policy</a> questions ranging from <a href="https://www.vox.com/abortion">abortion</a> to pornography.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="nWlTkr">
Calendargate raises the question of what the war on “<a href="https://www.vox.com/culture/21437879/stay-woke-wokeness-history-origin-evolution-controversy">wokeness</a>” is for: freeing conservatives to have raunchy fun without fear of left-wing censorship, or imposing a new vision of right-wing virtue in place of the reining liberal cultural ethos?
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="owzjml">
How the right’s ideologues end up answering that question could well shape the future of the Republican Party.
</p>
<h3 id="3BxtE3">
The conservative divide at the heart of Calendargate
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="CVrNnB">
The idea of an “alternative” set of conservative goods is not a new one. From <a href="https://www.cloudtenpictures.com/">evangelical film studios</a> to <a href="https://slate.com/culture/2021/07/conservative-book-publisher-interview-editor-eric-nelson.html">right-wing literary imprints</a> to <a href="https://archive.thinkprogress.org/the-inside-story-of-the-charlatan-who-duped-the-nations-top-conservatives-4982960c5412/">borderline scammy survival kits</a>, there’s a long and storied history of products being marketed specifically to conservatives as counterweight to what they see as the unacceptably liberal mainstream.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Hma3mi">
Such cultural and economic counterprogramming has become particularly important in the last few years, as conservatives have increasingly come to see big business as an enemy stronghold. The <a href="https://www.vox.com/money/23851108/bud-light-target-boycott-success-trans-issues-woke-capitalism">rise of conservative corporate boycotts in 2023</a> speaks to just how alienated many on the right feel from mainstream American consumer society.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="5bwJT4">
Ultra Right Beer and companies like it have sprung up to sell to this market. The company was founded in the midst of <a href="https://www.vox.com/money/2023/4/12/23680135/bud-light-boycott-dylan-mulvaney-travis-tritt-trans">the great Bud Light controversy</a> — when conservatives swore off the beer brand in response to its advertising partnership with trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney. The calendar’s explicitly transphobic emphasis on “real” women in the calendar is a callback to these origins.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="hsAZ7N">
All sorts of conservatives jumped on board the anti-Bud Light train, leading to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/29/food/bud-light-year-in-review-future/index.html">a large and seemingly sustained drop in beer’s sales</a>. But that doesn’t mean Ultra Right was poised for success. Setting aside the question of whether the beer is good — I haven’t had the pleasure — there’s also a question of what kinds of conservatives you expect to buy your beer. Judging from the calendar, Ultra Right’s founders have a specific demo in mind: the “Barstool Conservative.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="wI7H5x">
The term, <a href="https://theweek.com/articles/964006/rise-barstool-conservatives">coined by writer Matthew Walther in 2021</a>, refers to the popular male-oriented Barstool Sports media empire owned by a pushing-50 bro named Dave Portnoy. Barstool has a well-deserved reputation for catering to the lowest common male denominator: The “pics” section of the site features a running feature from its Chicago affiliate titled “smokeshow of the week.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="a63VsD">
Barstool conservatives are the sort of people (okay, mostly men) who like Barstool’s vibe. They are the kind of dudes angry that Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit magazine <a href="https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2023/may/22/editorial-sports-illustrateds-swimsuit-issue-takes/">now features photos of older, plus-size, and trans models</a>. They tend to dislike liberals, specifically the kind of liberal who would chide them for objectifying women or laughing at a racist joke. They tend to see Trump’s history of womanizing and conspicuous consumption not as turnoffs but as selling points.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="inBID3">
But while part of the post-Trump right-wing coalition, they are very different from traditional social conservatives. They don’t see a society with widespread porn access and legalized weed as a problem; they see it as progress. Christian sexual morality holds less than zero appeal to them; they might even support <a href="https://www.vox.com/marriage-equality">same-sex marriage</a> or (like Portnoy himself) legalized abortion.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="MTmwV2">
So while both Barstool and social conservatives groups might be comfortable voting for Trump and his fellow Republicans to fight against “wokeness,” they have wildly different views of what an ideal society might look like — including the kinds of cultural products they want to consume. In essence, it’s a question about <a href="https://www.vox.com/culture/22452846/purity-chronicles">what should be conserved</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="vSair5">
“Either the sexual revolution was fun and games until a bunch of overzealous feminists and LGBT activists ruined it, or the sexual revolution was doomed from the start and the ’90s-style smut found in advertising, <a href="https://www.vox.com/movies">movies</a>, and calendars isn’t much removed from our present degradation,” <a href="https://www.nationalreview.com/2024/01/on-right-wing-smut/">National Review’s Madeline Kearns</a> writes in her piece on Calendargate. For her part, Kearns argues for the latter:
</p>
<blockquote>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="12wQF9">
What needs conserving is not the liberalism of yesterday but timeless virtues and norms: a courtship culture, one that emphasizes male and female sexual complementarity, abstinence before marriage, fidelity within it, openness to the gift of children, as well as the cultivation of a culture in which beauty is prized over the vulgar and obscene. Lust, however lucrative, undermines this project.
</p>
</blockquote>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="hNBPzV">
The gulf between this social conservatism and the quasi-libertarianism of Barstool types creates a huge problem for companies looking to sell their products to “conservatives” as a bloc. “Sex sells” is generally a pretty good rule when you’re selling to Barstool conservatives, but it might lose you fans among the pious evangelical crowd.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="BWyaHz">
Ultra Right’s calendar ran headfirst into this problem, and an absurd internet controversy was the result.
</p>
<h3 id="p8BN5F">
Whither the “anti-woke”?
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="PW6JOE">
Much like conservative-focused brands, the Barstool-versus-social-cons fight is hardly new.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="58Swao">
In a 2023 column, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/14/opinion/barstool-social-conservatives-abortion.html">the New York Times’s Jane Coaston</a> traced it back to a debate between William F. Buckley, the patron saint of movement conservatism, and Hugh Hefner, the founder of Playboy magazine. In 1966, Hefner appeared on Buckley’s <a href="https://www.vox.com/tv">television</a> show <em>Firing Line</em> to defend a political doctrine he defined as “anti-puritanism” — the idea that “man’s morality, like his <a href="https://www.vox.com/religion">religion</a>, is a personal affair best left to his own conscience.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="419h9y">
In Coaston’s view, the conservative movement’s increasing reliance on Barstool types is a sign that Hefner has been winning the debate. “There’s been a subtle warping of the conservative movement as it sounds increasingly less like itself and more like its horny, libertine opposition, in the pursuit of electoral gains and cultural relevance,” she writes.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="3s9BXX">
At the same time, there’s been some movement in the precise opposite direction. A new generation of “<a href="https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2023/06/08/the-new-right-patrick-deneen-00100279">postliberal</a>” Republicans — like Sens. J.D. Vance and Josh Hawley — want to not merely defend traditional social norms but use political power more aggressively to impose them on the rest of America. Vance has, for example, <a href="https://www.deseret.com/u-s-world/2022/5/31/23148731/jd-vance-ohio-senate-candidate-pornography-should-be-banned-to-save-families-birth-rate-marriage-us">called for outright banning pornography</a> (in defiance of clear <a href="https://www.everycrsreport.com/reports/95-804.html#:~:text=abridging%20the%20freedom%20of%20speech,pornography%3A%20obscenity%20and%20child%20pornography.">First Amendment jurisprudence</a>).
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="gdSgS9">
These postliberals are reacting to the same thing that the Barstool conservatives are: a sense that liberal social ideas have come to dominate American politics and culture. But they disagree profoundly on why that’s bad: The Barstool conservatives hate “wokeness” for restricting liberty, while postliberals think the problem is that liberalism restricts freedom for the wrong reasons and in the wrong ways.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="FqqcdQ">
The two strains of conservatism are different not just substantively, but sociologically.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="O04sRW">
Postliberalism is a highly intellectualized elite movement, popular among Catholic college professors and Ivy-educated senators. It was <a href="https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2019/05/against-david-french-ism">born out of a sense</a> that traditional social conservatives, the kinds of people who objected to the Ultra Right calendar, were insufficiently ruthless in wielding power to crush their cultural enemies.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="h0NUGI">
Barstool conservatism, by contrast, is a politics of the gut (Coaston calls it a “conservatism of feels”). There are no intellectuals avatars, worked-out doctrines, or <a href="https://nationalconservatism.org/natcon-2-2021/presenters/jd-vance/">glitzy conferences</a>; it’s not really a “movement” in any organized fashion. It’s just an inchoate sense, seemingly widely shared among the current GOP electorate, that the woke are trampling on their freedom to speak their mind and have fun.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="KZzsIG">
It makes sense, then, that this movement has more influence in conservative countercultural institutions than its more elitist postliberal rival.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="pXVJBO">
The guy behind Ultra Right Beer, who goes by the pseudonym “Conservative Dad,” isn’t out there to advance <a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/9/9/20750160/liberalism-trump-putin-socialism-reactionary">Catholic integralism</a>. He wants to make money by appealing to the sense among conservatives that political correctness has gone too far — and what better way to do that than by appealing to men who pine for the days when you could ogle “real women” in the workplace?
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="QrDFMn">
The logic of the market is not the logic of the postliberal intellectual, or even the traditional social conservative. As conservatives become increasingly frustrated with mainstream corporations, there will be demand for something other than <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/left_behind_the_movie">schlocky films about the end of days</a>. And what the people want now isn’t, for the most, part, what social conservatives want them to want.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="JyxAsv">
This isn’t lost on postliberals. Writing on Calendargate in <a href="https://www.theamericanconservative.com/beyond-the-calendar-wars/">the American Conservative</a>, former <a href="https://www.vox.com/ron-desantis">Ron DeSantis</a> speechwriter Nate Hochman bemoans the way that so-called conservative brands play into mainstream culture rather than challenging its premises. “The narrow ideological frame that the right operates in permits only a long, unending line of ‘conservative alternatives to [X],’ reproducing the values and animating assumptions of the dominant culture with a thin coat of right-wing policy priorities painted on top,” he argues. “An anti-trans Bud Light is still, in essence, Bud Light. An anti-woke <em>Playboy</em> is still, in essence, <em>Playboy</em>.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="zdztVQ">
This, more than anything else, is what makes Calendargate worthy of notice. While an essentially ridiculous controversy pitting a series of too-online conservatives against each other, it exposes the ways in which the attempts to remake conservatism in the “anti-woke” era will create new sources of tension inside the conservative camp — and highlights the way this struggle might play out inside conservative cultural spaces.
</p></li>
<li><strong>Nikki Haley, the one candidate who could still make the GOP primary kinda interesting, explained</strong> -
<figure>
<img alt="Nikki Haley gestures to someone off camera, standing in front of a lectern. " src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ALaFZZB1681EXtncZqf2mT_MPgY=/429x0:4553x3093/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73041009/GettyImages_1247163437.0.jpg"/>
<figcaption>
Former US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley speaks during a campaign event to launch her presidential bid, at the Charleston Visitor Center in Charleston, South Carolina, on February 15, 2023. | Logan Cyrus/AFP via Getty Images
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
How Haley is trying to reject — and co-opt — Trumpism.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="8fp410">
<a href="https://www.vox.com/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a> leads polls overwhelmingly, <a href="https://www.vox.com/ron-desantis">Ron DeSantis</a> has gone down in flames, and various other candidates never got off the ground.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="4JZ4bV">
But if the GOP presidential primary is to be a serious contest at all — and it’s not yet clear if it is — it’s <a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2023/2/14/23599194/nikki-haley-donald-trump-2024-presidential-campaign">Nikki Haley</a> who will make it one.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="MrKUsX">
Trump remains the overwhelming favorite to win, with<a href="https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2024/president/2024gop.html"> large leads in every early state</a> and positively gigantic leads in national polls.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Tutkmy">
But Haley has been creeping up in New Hampshire. Recent polls <a href="https://www.realclearpolling.com/polls/president/republican-primary/2024/new-hampshire">are mixed</a> on just how close she’s come to Trump — one shows her trailing the former president by just 7 points, while another shows her down 20 points. But she has <a href="https://twitter.com/AdImpact_Pol/status/1742286691044327741">millions in outside spending</a> lined up to try to make that contest, set for January 23, closer.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="gjLfVv">
Haley is better-positioned than many expect to have a “moment” in the nomination battle, should she do well in New Hampshire. But it’s still very hard to imagine how she could actually defeat Trump. Only if you squint, and make some very optimistic assumptions for her, you could maybe — maybe — see it.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="SVZ1ig">
In a field full of also-rans and laughingstocks, though, Haley has ended up being the one Trump challenger who still looks the teensiest bit dangerous as 2024 begins. And the more you know about her political history, the less surprising that is.
</p>
<h3 id="tyN2ib">
Who is Nikki Haley, and how did she rise in politics?
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ijqlrE">
Born to Punjabi Sikh immigrants who’d settled in South Carolina, Haley was born Nimarata Nikki Randhawa. She speaks and writes often about the awkwardness of growing up as one of very few kids who were neither white nor Black in her area at a time when South Carolina life was thoroughly organized around that racial binary. But the accusation that she changed her name in some phony Anglicizing fashion, long spread by her political rivals, is false: she’s gone by Nikki <a href="https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-nikki-haley-name-change-372441389596">since she was born</a>.
</p>
<div id="ib8Mk8">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" dir="ltr" lang="en">
Thank you for the question. Nikki is a Punjabi word that means little one. It’s my middle name on my birth certificate. <br/><br/>As someone who also doesn’t go by their first name, I’m sure you understand. <a href="https://t.co/xwEWhyhnnF">https://t.co/xwEWhyhnnF</a>
</p>
— Nikki Haley (<span class="citation" data-cites="NikkiHaley">@NikkiHaley</span>) <a href="https://twitter.com/NikkiHaley/status/1388279095902064641?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 30, 2021</a>
</blockquote></div></li>
</ul>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Nu9yZ9">
While attending Clemson University, Nikki began dating her future husband, Bill Haley, but<a href="https://twitter.com/awprokop/status/1742591981023383694"> decided</a> she preferred to call him by his middle name, “Michael” instead. She got others to do the same, and the rebranding stuck. She graduated with an accounting degree, and within a few years, she had married and was working on the business side of a women’s clothing company her mother had started. She got involved in local business and women-in-business groups.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="7Nq0D2">
Eventually, in 2004, the 31-year-old Haley turned her eye to politics. She decided to run for the state legislature, primarying a Republican incumbent who’d held the seat for three decades — and, surprisingly, won. In the ensuing years, she at first seemed to be climbing the ladder in the statehouse. But the GOP speaker was locked in frequent combat with the state’s governor, Mark Sanford (R), who<a href="https://www.goupstate.com/story/news/2006/06/14/sanford-vetoes-entire-state-budget-tuesday-night/29370173007/"> wanted bigger spending cuts</a> and conservative policy overhauls. Haley cast her lot with Sanford and became a critic of the speaker, who<a href="https://www.heraldonline.com/news/local/article12243275.html"> iced her out</a> of committee posts, throwing her political future into question.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="AuDdjE">
So in 2009, as a still-little-known state legislator, Haley entered the race to succeed the term-limited Sanford the following year. Three more established white men were already running — the attorney general, lieutenant governor, and a Congress member — but Haley was counting on a big advantage: The popular Sanford had privately encouraged her to run and, she thought, he’d be in her corner. Yet just one month after Haley entered the race, Sanford imploded in scandal (he vanished from the state for six days to conduct an affair in Buenos Aires, with his spokesperson infamously claiming he was hiking the Appalachian Trail). She spent most of the race in fourth place<a href="https://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/elections/election_2010/election_2010_governor_elections/south_carolina/toplines/toplines_south_carolina_gop_primary_for_governor_march_3_2010"> in the polls</a>.
</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="Nikki Haley stands onstage, with her family standing to the left of her." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/GEvBVTYa6UaElXNC4euoi2f-8g4=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25206137/GettyImages_102315572.jpg"/> <cite>Chris Keane/Getty Images</cite>
<figcaption>
Nikki Haley onstage during an election party on June 22, 2010, in Columbia, South Carolina.
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="MY7NLs">
But 2010 was the Tea Party year, and Haley played its politics expertly, winning out-of-state endorsements from both Mitt Romney and Sarah Palin,<a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=f1OCh4wACWEC&amp;pg=PT113&amp;lpg=PT113&amp;dq=haley+attacks+barrett+tarp&amp;source=bl&amp;ots=Nxejg5DI7A&amp;sig=ACfU3U0xvjekDfN2dnTOwxAfVj3SxXEE4A&amp;hl=en&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjvrZ286caDAxWRD1kFHZm7CDEQ6AF6BAgfEAM#v=onepage&amp;q=haley%20attacks%20barrett%20tarp&amp;f=false"> hammering</a> one opponent’s vote for the bank bailout, and branding herself as a different kind of conservative opposed to the corrupt establishment. Then she deftly handled<a href="https://www.politico.com/story/2010/06/the-blogger-who-upended-sc-038367"> late-breaking claims</a> from two South Carolina GOP operatives that they’d had affairs with her; she denounced their allegations as dirty smear politics, and they never came up with proof. Her<a href="https://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1995862,00.html"> support only rose</a>, and she won the primary big (though her first general election win was <a href="https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2010/11/03/Nikki-Haley-wins-SC-governors-race/58941288763018/">closer than expected</a>).
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="QaeuY3">
Haley’s governorship had its fair share of<a href="https://www.thestate.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/cindi-ross-scoppe/article127985784.html"> tumult</a><a href="https://www.politico.com/story/2013/05/nikki-haley-south-carolina-governor-091215"> and</a><a href="https://www.politico.com/story/2012/11/haley-admits-sc-hacking-gaffes-084119"> scandals</a>, but politically, it was a success for her. She tacked conservative on some issues, for instance,<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/BL-WB-42003"> turning down</a> Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion, and eventually avoided a repeat of her bitter primary. But she also won broad popularity by focusing on jobs,<a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/blog/morning-edition/2013/04/sc-gov-nikki-haley-signs-off-on-120m.html"> helping incentivize</a> Boeing to bring more jobs to the (anti-union) state, and winning her 2014 reelection easily while the state’s economy thrived.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="elGqQg">
Then, after the 2015 Charleston church shooting, when it emerged that the gunman had frequently displayed the Confederate flag, Haley at long last<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/02/15/nikki-haley-confederate-flag-timeline/"> got the flag taken down</a> from the statehouse grounds, winning national attention. The press deemed her a rising star; she<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/23/us/politics/nikki-haley-donald-trump-un-ambassador.html"> criticized Trump</a> during the 2016 primary and<a href="https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2016/02/29/nikki-haley-faults-donald-trump-for-not-condemning-white-supremacists/"> endorsed</a> Sen. Marco Rubio (some<a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2016/01/16/haleys-comet"> speculated about</a> a Rubio-Haley ticket).
</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="Haley and Rubio stand arm in arm waving. " src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/tSLpAMszAc997FRnSBIxif4fpaQ=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25206126/GettyImages_510894394.jpg"/> <cite>Aaron P. Bernstein/Getty Images</cite>
<figcaption>
Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio (R-FL) appears with South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley at an event on February 17, 2016, in Chapin, South Carolina.
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="3cimtK">
Instead, Trump won. Like most in the GOP, Haley had accommodated herself to his rise and endorsed him, but it was still somewhat surprising when Trump picked her as ambassador to the United Nations, especially since she lacked any foreign policy experience. In her two years in the New York-based post, she talked tough on TV a lot (<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/feb/03/un-envoy-nikki-haley-criticises-russian-aggression-in-ukraine">including about Russia</a>), staunchly<a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/2/15/nikki-haleys-israel-advocacy-defined-her-tenure-at-un-advocates"> supported Israel</a>, and made contacts without needing to be in Washington or run an agency. Persistent<a href="https://twitter.com/awprokop/status/1742990955160961025"> rumors</a><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/jan/18/nikki-haley-plotted-kushner-ivanka-trump-vp-mike-pompeo-new-book"> claimed</a> that Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump recommended Trump drop Mike Pence from the 2020 ticket in favor of Haley to appeal to suburban women.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="V6XgeJ">
That didn’t happen, so after stepping down from government at the end of 2018, Haley<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/kavyagupta/2023/08/08/how-nikki-haley-built-an-8-million-fortune-and-helped-bail-out-her-parents/?sh=414363957b4c"> set about making money</a>, through speaking fees, consulting, book deals, and board seats (including at Boeing, though Haley<a href="https://www.defensenews.com/industry/2020/03/20/nikki-haley-resigns-from-boeing-board-over-airlines-bailout/"> hastily quit</a> that post after the company considered taking pandemic aid, with the politics of bailouts likely on her mind).
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="IbG17S">
When the next presidential cycle came around, Trump’s presence in the race didn’t deter her from launching another underdog campaign. And, unlike DeSantis, her support has gradually improved<a href="https://www.realclearpolling.com/polls/president/republican-primary/2024/national"> rather than declining</a>. In part, that’s because of her charisma, demonstrated in feisty<a href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/elections/gop-debate-2024-presidential-primary-outlook-a6060f4d"> debate performances</a> in which she’s sparred with her male rivals. But unlike DeSantis, who unsuccessfully tried to outflank Trump from the right, Haley pursued a different strategy based on appealing to more traditional Republican voters.
</p>
<h3 id="3TPoUf">
What does Nikki Haley actually stand for?
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="cwZYOt">
On the issues, Haley is a relatively standard early 2010s Republican who has done little to alter her ideology for the Trump era — indeed, that’s her appeal to many of her backers, that she’s essentially a return to how the GOP used to be.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="QGGmHh">
Generally, she’s pro-business and culturally conservative. She<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/22/politics/nikki-haley-economic-proposal/index.html"> says</a> she’ll cut a lot of taxes and slash government spending, and bragged about being a “<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/09/20/scott-and-haley-attack-unions-as-uaw-strike-threatens-to-escalate.html">union buster</a>.” She says she’s “pro-life” but wants to<a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/once-again-nikki-haley-is-the-only-republican-with-a-winning-abortion-message"> reassure swing voters</a> that she won’t push hugely restrictive policies. She’s<a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4034876-haley-calls-transgender-athletes-in-sports-the-womens-issue-of-our-time/"> complained about</a> trans women and girls competing in girls’ sports, calling it “the women’s issue of our time.” She<a href="https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/nikki-haley-is-right-on-immigration/"> wants to</a> crack down on illegal immigration but supports “<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/16/politics/merit-based-immigration-explainer/index.html">merit-based</a>” immigration.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="AwwOGM">
But Haley stands out for rejecting the Trumpian turn on two major issues.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="bGhxLt">
The first is on entitlement spending. Haley harks back to the era of Paul Ryan in arguing that cuts to Social Security and Medicare<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/05/politics/nikki-haley-social-security-medicare-reform/index.html#:~:text=%E2%80%9CI%20recognize%20that%20Social%20Security,vote%20and%20leave%20you%20broke.%E2%80%9D"> are urgently necessary</a>, though she stresses such changes should only<a href="https://apnews.com/article/haley-social-security-medicare-president-2024-0b6ea12f7ee8c650ce2de4bf2df5a787"> affect younger people</a> and not current beneficiaries. This position<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/28/politics/koch-network-nikki-haley/index.html"> helped earn</a> Haley the endorsement of billionaire<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/28/us/politics/koch-network-nikki-haley-endorsement-trump.html"> Charles Koch’s political network</a> but would open her up to attacks in the general election. (Trump stood out among Republicans in 2016 for pledging not to touch Social Security or Medicare, but<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/22/us/politics/medicare-trump.html"> toward the end of his term</a> he said he’d look at changing the programs “at the right time.”)
</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="Haley sits at a table, arms crossed. " src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/euZSZ8XLg_9ifLpvScdAgbtbrW0=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25206546/GettyImages_1024855346.jpg"/> <cite>Dominick Reuter/AFP via Getty Images</cite>
<figcaption>
US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley listens during a United Nations Security Council meeting on the situation in Myanmar at UN Headquarters in New York on August 28, 2018.
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="syPntp">
The second is foreign policy, where Haley sounds like a traditional Republican interventionist hawk. Trump has mused about<a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2024/01/trump-2024-reelection-pull-out-of-nato-membership/676120/"> pulling the US out of NATO</a>,<a href="https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2022/06/205_331080.html"> wants to withdraw</a> more troops currently deployed in countries like South Korea, and has refused to commit to aiding Ukraine in its war against Russia. But Haley<a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/08/24/debate-divide-gop-ukraine-aid"> has championed</a> Ukraine’s cause, said further aid is necessary to counter Russia and China, and <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4091747-haley-says-biden-made-putins-day-with-resistance-to-ukraines-nato-bid/">wants to admit</a> Ukraine to NATO (even President Biden says<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/biden-looks-forward-ukraine-nato-membership-just-not-now-2023-07-12/"> now is not the time</a> for that).
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="BWJD2r">
One issue on which Haley has not stuck out her neck, though, is Trump’s efforts to steal the 2020 election. She followed a typical mainstream Republican path by<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/08/politics/nikki-haley-trump/index.html#:~:text=His%20actions%20since%20Election%20Day,the%20President%20%E2%80%93%20stormed%20the%20Capitol."> criticizing Trump</a> in the days just after the January 6 attack but pivoting within weeks to oppose Trump’s impeachment trial. (“Give the man a break. I mean,<a href="https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2021/01/nikki-haley-thinks-trump-is-the-true-victim-of-the-insurrection-give-the-man-a-break/https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2021/01/nikki-haley-thinks-trump-is-the-true-victim-of-the-insurrection-give-the-man-a-break/"> move on</a>.”) She’s<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/12/31/desantis-haley-pledge-pardon-trump-if-hes-convicted/"> opposed</a> the prosecutions of Trump and said she’d pardon him if he’s convicted. She’s clearly seen no political benefit in becoming a loud or consistent Trump critic, and has avoided doing so, for now.
</p>
<h3 id="7s0lsi">
Okay, does Nikki Haley actually have a chance of winning?
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="w3nUvP">
It is easy to see how Haley could have a moment during the early states. It still seems much more difficult to envision her actually beating Donald Trump in 2024.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="lrpzUU">
Let’s start with how she <em>could</em> win. Expectations for her are very low in Iowa on January 15, so even a decent performance there would be covered as a victory by the media.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="96l3cP">
Next is New Hampshire on January 23. One <a href="https://twitter.com/admcrlsn/status/1744708470656377284?s=46&amp;t=LVLwPwruc4koXd6hdIOe8Q">poll released this week</a> was very encouraging for Haley, showing Trump at 39 percent and Haley at 32 percent. Another poll was less encouraging — it showed Trump at 46 percent and Haley at 26 percent. In both, Chris Christie got 12 percent of the vote.
</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="Christie and Haley, standing at a lectern, speak, as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis walks behind them in the background. " src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/xI1v83Rk5A8HzK6x-dkbSuNz8AA=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25214235/GettyImages_1836283066.jpg"/> <cite>Justin Sullivan/Getty Images</cite>
<figcaption>
Republican presidential candidates former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (L) and former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley talk during a commercial break in the NewsNation Republican Presidential Primary Debate at the University of Alabama Moody Music Hall on December 6, 2023.
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Ri9i0L">
Still, Haley has<a href="https://twitter.com/AdImpact_Pol/status/1742286691044327741"> lots of</a><a href="https://twitter.com/AdImpact_Pol/status/1742286692889895371"> outside money</a> trying to improve her numbers further with ads. She also has the endorsement of the state’s governor, Chris Sununu, who <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4387136-christie-sununu-crazy-to-think-he-will-drop-out/">has urged</a> Christie to quit the race and endorse Haley. Additionally, Haley could get a boost from independents or <a href="https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2024/01/will-new-hampshire-liberals-vote-for-nikki-haley.html">even Democrats</a>, who are permitted to vote in the Granite State <a href="https://www.vox.com/politics/2023/2/23/23611828/2024-republican-presidential-candidates-trump-hurd">GOP primary</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="nBYuJ6">
Some<a href="https://www.vox.com/2019/7/8/18662807/will-biden-win-2020-harris-warren"> past primary frontrunners</a> have seen their national leads suddenly evaporate based on early state results; a Haley victory in New Hampshire would surely give the race a jolt and could puncture the belief that Trump is inevitable. The purported next state for Republicans is Nevada in early February, but there’s a weird situation in that state where Trump and Haley are competing in separate contests on different days (<a href="https://www.rgj.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/01/03/why-isnt-trump-on-sample-ballot-for-nevadas-presidential-primary/72088075007/">long story</a>). So the real next showdown would be South Carolina, Haley’s home state, on February 24. A further win there would set her up very nicely for Super Tuesday on March 5, and the battle would continue from there.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="slxvtW">
But there are many reasons to be deeply skeptical that this will happen. Trump is leading national polls by 50 points, and<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/08/01/nobody-has-lost-primary-after-holding-lead-like-trumps/"> no one with</a> such a lead at this point has ever lost a presidential primary. A national Haley surge relies on the idea that Trump’s support will suddenly collapse, when the closest thing to an iron law of Republican politics in the past decade has been the GOP base’s refusal to ditch Trump. Haley isn’t even currently favored to win South Carolina — she’s trailing Trump<a href="https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2024/president/2024gop.html"> by about 30 points there in polls</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="gWN7YJ">
Haley also got a series of bad news cycles at just the wrong time for her, due to a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/28/us/politics/nikki-haley-civil-war-slavery.html">very bad answer</a> she gave at a town hall event. Asked what caused the Civil War, she gave a vague answer referring to “the role of government,” and avoided referring directly to slavery. After criticism, she <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/28/us/politics/nikki-haley-civil-war-slavery.html">said the next day</a> that “of course the Civil War was about slavery,” but her rivals (including both <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/06/politics/trump-haley-attacks-iowa-new-hampshire-gop/index.html">Trump</a> and <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4379965-biden-haley-civil-war-response/">Biden</a>) seized on the comments to suggest she dodged the question.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="3L9lQa">
But the biggest problem for Haley may be that she perfectly epitomizes what many Republican <em>donors</em> want for the party, and where many Republican voters in the early 2010s then <em>thought</em> they wanted — but not what the base in the Trump era actually wants. Which means she may well be facing the same limitation Rubio faced in 2016.
</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="Haley and Trump sit, Trump holding one of Haley’s hands with both of his. " src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/6QLBki4n3FvEWxHcoM0birvmajg=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25214239/GettyImages_1048024612.jpg"/> <cite>Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images</cite>
<figcaption>
Then-US President Donald Trump shakes hands with Nikki Haley, then United States Ambassador to the United Nations, in the Oval Office of the White House on October 9, 2018
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="tlfgXs">
If Haley falls short in the presidential contest, attention will quickly turn to whether Trump will pick her as his running mate. There’s been<a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/03/07/trump-kari-lake-vice-president-candidates-2024"> reporting</a> that Trump wants a female running mate, with Haley often mentioned as an option. But she’d face some resistance from important members of Trump’s coalition. Donald Trump Jr.<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/nikki-haley-donald-trump-jr-vice-president-ticket-2024-0ca25b99"> said recently</a> that he would “go to great lengths to make sure” that his father didn’t pick Haley, calling her “a puppet of the establishment,” and Tucker Carlson has<a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/media/4367335-tucker-carlson-nikki-haley-donald-trump-vice-president-pick-reason-to-oppose-ticket-2024/"> made similar comments</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="HAFLdT">
Whatever Trump decides, 2028 would seemingly be an election in which Haley could run again without the big guy on the ballot — but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. New Hampshire still lies ahead, and that will determine whether Haley really will make this race somewhat interesting, or whether she will sputter out like all the other challengers to Trump before her.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="jLbdmI">
</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s mysterious absence, explained</strong> -
<figure>
<img alt="Austin looking down toward the ground with uniformed soldiers in the background." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/tD2w-l0iNceIechDPma7kbIBWq8=/193x0:3264x2303/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73040126/1830641577.0.jpg"/>
<figcaption>
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin at the Pentagon on December 4, 2023. | Win McNamee/Getty Images
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Why it’s a big deal that the president didn’t know his defense secretary was in the hospital for three days.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Iry5t2">
Even the most powerful people in the world are still humans with bodies and families. They sometimes need to take time off, whether for medical reasons, personal matters, or just to recharge. But the people who rely on them still need to know where they are.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="1b4Sb2">
That’s the issue at hand with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s days-long disappearance last week. The secretary was hospitalized and placed in intensive care on January 1, but the public wasn’t informed until three days later — and, even more surprisingly, neither was Austin’s ultimate boss, <a href="https://www.vox.com/joe-biden">President Joe Biden</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="tF2Oph">
That’s a shockingly long time given Austin’s job as head of the $800 billion Defense Department, one whose command of the US military is second only to the president and who is sixth in line for presidential succession.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="nWxVhy">
“The secretary of defense plays a crucial role in the chain of command,” <a href="https://sanford.duke.edu/profile/peter-d-feaver/">Peter Feaver</a>, a Duke University professor and former White House National Security Council (NSC) staffer who studies civil-military relations, told Vox. “He’s the civilian in control of national security 24/7. That’s an important function in a republic. It’s important in the way that even some of the other Cabinet secretaries are not.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="2a6fwP">
Austin, who the Pentagon <a href="https://twitter.com/weijia/status/1744802009729970275">finally said</a> on Tuesday was admitted to the ICU for complications from prostate surgery treatment, is now back on the job, and for the moment the White House <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2024/01/08/biden-austin-resignation-00134280">says</a> it intends to keep him there. (Though NSC spokesperson John Kirby <a href="https://twitter.com/JimLaPorta/status/1744832662060061170">said Tuesday</a> that the White House also did not know Austin had prostate cancer until this morning, a situation he <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1744850609755344946">termed</a> “not optimal.”) But the press and members of <a href="https://www.vox.com/congress">Congress</a> are continuing to demand answers, with some calling for Austin’s resignation.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="MALuZF">
As it faces these questions, the administration is already stretched trying to manage American involvement in two raging wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, and is facing a tough reelection battle in the coming year. A centerpiece of Biden’s argument for reelection has been to contrast the professionalism and dependability of his team, particularly on national security, with the <a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/2/13/17004108/trump-aides-legal-fees-firing-resignations">chaos of Donald Trump’s term in office</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Sjl4db">
But it’s hard not to view the lack of communication around Austin’s absence as anything but chaotic, and this apparent national security own-goal could not have come at a worse time for the White House and the Pentagon.
</p>
<h3 id="hQ1O2k">
The silent general
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="LvTrdD">
A retired four-star general, Austin has been secretary of defense since the beginning of Biden’s term. He had a distinguished military career that included combat commands in Iraq and <a href="https://www.vox.com/afghanistan">Afghanistan</a> and a three-year stint as commander of Central Command, overseeing US military activity in the Middle East and South Asia.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="G258xu">
Austin’s appointment made history, as he is the first Black secretary of defense. (Notably, while Black Americans <a href="https://carnegieendowment.org/2022/09/06/diversity-in-high-brass-pub-87694">are overrepresented</a> in the military as a whole, they have been underrepresented in the senior ranks.) But it was also controversial because he had retired from active military service only five years earlier. <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/10/113">Federal law prohibits</a> military officers from becoming secretary of defense until seven years after they retire, unless granted a special waiver by Congress.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="zDL1FI">
Austin was only the third secretary to be granted such a waiver but was the second in less than five years after Trump’s first secretary of defense, former Marine Gen. James Mattis. This led to <a href="https://taskandpurpose.com/news/defense-secretary-lloyd-austin-challenges/">some criticism</a> that Biden was following in the former president’s footsteps, further eroding a norm intended to maintain civilian control over the military.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="mT1z5W">
But Austin had had a close personal relationship with Biden. The president’s late son, Beau, served on Austin’s staff in Iraq. Still, while Austin frequently represents US policy on national security crises to both <a href="https://www.vox.com/media">the media</a> and foreign governments, he’s also known as a <a href="https://www.politico.com/newsletters/playbook/2024/01/07/what-was-lloyd-austin-thinking-00134190">very private person</a> — he was<a href="https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/12/16/lloyd-austin-isnt-who-you-think-he-is/"> reportedly nicknamed</a> “the silent general” in military circles — who shares little about his personal life with either friends or colleagues. And this desire for privacy is what may have gotten him into trouble.
</p>
<h3 id="MO2I2v">
The SecDef vanishes
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="E3NJeJ">
The<a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/timeline-key-figures-found-lloyd-austins-hospitalization/story?id=106194114"> imbroglio began</a> on December 22 when Austin underwent an elective medical procedure — later revealed to be treatment for prostate cancer — which required him to stay overnight at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. On New Year’s Day, several hours after he took part in a conversation with Biden and other top national security officials about the Middle East, Austin began experiencing severe pain and was taken back to Walter Reed.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="f2m5Cw">
The following day, Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the highest-ranking officer in the military, was told that Austin had been hospitalized; also informed were Austin’s chief of staff, Kelly Magsamen, and the Pentagon press secretary, Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder. Magsamen, who was sick with the flu, did not inform the White House.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="OqISgx">
Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks, who was on vacation in Puerto Rico, was told to assume some secretary-level duties, but was not informed that Austin was hospitalized. (According to the Pentagon, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/defense-secretary-lloyd-austin-hospitalized-biden-859cc79631d6c96dbdff161faf8e4f96">it is not unusual</a> for a deputy secretary to take over a secretary’s duties for a short period without knowing exactly why.)
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="6UtjFI">
Both the White House and Hicks finally learned of Austin’s hospitalization on January 4. According to Ryder, Magsamen had been “unable to make notifications before then” because she was ill. Ryder briefed the press at the Pentagon that day, but did not disclose anything about Austin’s condition. The Pentagon finally informed Congress and the press on January 5 but did not publicize the details of Austin’s medical condition until January 9.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Xpopay">
Austin is still in the hospital, though no longer in the ICU, but has <a href="https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/3637155/austin-continues-recovery/#:~:text=%22He%20is%20no%20longer%20in,operational%20updates%20throughout%20the%20day.">resumed his full duties</a> according to the Pentagon. A statement from Walter Reed described his prognosis as “<a href="https://twitter.com/weijia/status/1744802009729970275">excellent</a>.”
</p>
<h3 id="tCRQMo">
Why Austin’s absence matters
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="q4QoEV">
The most straightforward explanation for what happened is simple confusion resulting from the fact that Austin’s chief of staff was ill and his deputy was on vacation at the same time he was hospitalized.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="jsSor2">
There does not appear to have been any direct impact on US national security or the military’s ability to carry out operations. In fact, the US <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/three-iran-backed-militia-fighters-killed-baghdad-drone-strike-sources-2024-01-04/">carried out a rare airstrike in Baghdad</a>, targeting an Iranian-linked militia leader, shortly before the White House learned of Austin’s condition on January 4. According to the Pentagon, the strike had been approved before his hospitalization.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ARqYf0">
In fact, things seemed to carry on as normal to such an extent that it raises a few questions about just how important Austin is to the administration. “The fact that Biden hadn’t been in touch with his secretary of defense for four days during a period of round-the-clock military operations and crisis … suggests that Austin is far from essential,” <a href="https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2024/01/secretary-of-defense-lloyd-austin-disappeared-hospitalized-biden-cabinet.html">wrote Slate’s Fred Kaplan</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="8RSfoZ">
As for the question of what would have happened if a more serious crisis had erupted last week, on paper at least, the chain of command was never broken. Military commanders or the White House could have reached Hicks, who had secure communications equipment with her on vacation and already knew she had to assume some of Austin’s duties, even if she didn’t know exactly <em>why </em>she was filling in.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="iDXO1b">
Some lawmakers, such as <a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/93km7z/gop-lawmakers-nuclear-command-control-lloyd-austin">Sen. Tom Cotton</a> (R-AR), have suggested that Austin is a “key link” in the nuclear chain of command, implying that the president would not be able to order the use of nuclear weapons with him. But this is not correct. <a href="https://www.armscontrol.org/act/2021-06/features/nuclear-launch-authority-too-big-decision-just-president">For better or for worse</a>, the president has the sole authority to order the use of nuclear weapons, and if they chose to do so, they would communicate those orders directly to military officers at the Pentagon using codes unique to them. A 2022 <a href="https://sgp.fas.org/crs/natsec/IF10521.pdf">Congressional Research Service report</a> noted that the “Secretary of Defense would possibly contribute to the process by confirming that the order came from the President, but this role could also be filled by an officer in the National Military Command Center at the Pentagon.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="NcFSoe">
But all of this assumes that backup systems and redundancies are working perfectly, which they clearly weren’t for the three days when the president didn’t know his secretary of defense was in the hospital.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="DBG46U">
Duke’s Feaver also brought up a hypothetical scenario in which the president wanted to call <em>off </em>a strike, such as the January 4 one in Baghdad. In a situation like that, they would likely inform their national security adviser — Jake Sullivan, in Biden’s case — who would communicate with the defense secretary: “So, it’s New Year’s Day, the president changes his mind and decides to cancel it. Jake tried to call the Defense Secretary and says, ‘Wait, he’s in intensive care? Why didn’t anyone tell me?’ It wouldn’t prevent the president from executing the order, but there would have been a hiccup at a moment of very high tension.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="PWQby2">
This is not an outlandish scenario. In 2019, Trump reportedly told the Pentagon to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/21/us/politics/trump-iran-decision.html">call off airstrikes</a> on <a href="https://www.vox.com/iran">Iran</a> with planes already in the air.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="iIlKiw">
Kori Schake, a former White House and Defense Department staffer now at the American Enterprise Institute, said another concerning scenario from the point of view of civilian control of the military is one in which the president could not reach the defense secretary, their deputy, or their chief of staff (all of whom were to varying degrees of out of pocket last week). In that case, the president would likely contact the chairman of the Joint Chiefs directly to implement their orders. But the chairman, unlike the defense secretary, is a uniformed member of the military.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="w6b2kc">
“That removes the judgment of the civilian leadership of the department, which is really important,” Schake told Vox. “It’s the secretary of defense’s job to make sure that military plans, budgeting, and operations are consistent with the president’s political priorities. That’s why they’re a member of the Cabinet. That’s why Congress approves them.”
</p>
<h3 id="2iEfO9">
Will Austin stay on the job?
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="KH947a">
Back on the job, Austin now says he takes “<a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/lloyd-austin-taking-full-responsibility-keeping-white-house/story?id=106161240">full responsibility</a>” for the decisions made last week, while the Pentagon has ordered a <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/biden-exasperated-informed-lloyd-austins-hospitalization-source/story?id=106168484">30-day review</a> of what went wrong.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="x7XONP">
“The DOD is doing the classic move of stretching the timeline out and hoping this will die down,” said Schake. “They have some explaining to do. Not just how not to do this again, but why were specific decisions made?”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="IIoChl">
The White House has said Austin will stay on the job and has the president’s full support. One official told Politico on Monday that the president <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2024/01/08/biden-austin-resignation-00134280">would not accept</a> the secretary’s resignation if he offered it. However, in the aftermath of the affair, the White House is ordering a review of Cabinet protocols for delegating authority, according to a <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/white-house-orders-cabinet-protocol-review-after-lloyd/story?id=106231525">memo obtained by ABC News</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="PRw8Ts">
Jason Dempsey, a military veteran and former White House staffer who is now a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, said the affair was “certainly a mistake” and should be a lesson for staffing practices going forward. He said Austin’s command background — the very thing that made his appointment somewhat controversial — also made it unlikely his reputation in the military ranks would be damaged.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="O34ktr">
“He has a wellspring of reputation, and he’s going to get some grace from his military counterparts,” Dempsey said. “If this was some congressman who was walking into the building for the first time and did this, it would be different.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="UB8gCE">
Republicans on Capitol Hill and the campaign trail are unlikely to be so forgiving. Cotton has <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWJQL0oCifQ&amp;ab_channel=SenatorTomCottonhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWJQL0oCifQ&amp;ab_channel=SenatorTomCotton">already called </a>for Austin’s resignation. Rep. Matt Rosendale of Montana says he’s planning to <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/house-republican-to-file-impeachment-articles-against-lloyd-austin">introduce articles of impeachment</a>. Trump, who went through two confirmed defense secretaries and four acting ones during his four years in office, has called for Austin to be fired for “<a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/111717444603097912??oref=newsletters_dbrief">dereliction of duty</a>.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ICYUhj">
“He will have to go before Congress and explain himself,” Feaver predicted. “And if the explanation is what I think it is, which is just that he was a very private person and he was embarrassed to be talking about [the issue], he’s going to have to get over that and talk about it in a highly publicized hearing where there are going to be people trying to score points off of him.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="EY8IeU">
Dempsey said that the entire situation was somewhat ironic given the stress that Austin’s military training would have put on passing along all relevant information to his superiors: “The first thing they teach you in the military is that bad news doesn’t get better with age.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="WPTGg8">
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="kHSHOD">
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="9iXds8">
</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>Something Royal, Supreme Dance, Schnell and Starkova excel</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>Julio, Knotty Charmer, Philosophy, Ruling Dynasty, King Of War and Gismo impress</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>Enabler, The Godfather and Running Star show out</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>Vishnu Vinod makes a strong statement on his return</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>Morning Digest | Boeing 737 MAX of Indian airline had a missing part; Study finds majority of Indian cities far from clean air target, and more</strong> - Here is a select list of stories to start the day</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>Last date extended till Jan. 17 for submission of applications for APPSC Group-II services</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>Dukanwadi residents in Yadgir demand drinking water supply</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>Congress alone can safeguard interests of Andhra Pradesh, says AICC State in-charge Manickam Tagore</strong> - Manickam Tagore, while addressing the Congress executive meeting on poll preparedness, accuses TDP, YSRCP and JSP of toeing the BJP line</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>Legendary singer K.J. Yesudas turns 84</strong> - Newspapers bring out special pages with feature stories and picture albums of him as a mark of tribute, television channels air special programmes and interviews featuring his fellow singers and music directors, who reminisce about their experiences with him</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>Polish police arrest MPs in presidential palace</strong> - Mariusz Kaminski and Maciej Wasik were sentenced to two years in prison for abuse of power.</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>Serbian rescue for livestock trapped on island in Danube</strong> - One local farmer says some animals have already died after freezing temperatures set in this week.</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>Gabriel Attal: Macron’s pick for PM is France’s youngest at 34</strong> - Gabriel Attal is named France’s next prime minister, as Emmanuel Macron aims to revive his presidency.</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>Italian fascist salute images spark political uproar</strong> - The crowd was taking part in an annual event marking the killing of far-right activists in the 1970s.</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>Austrian ski gondola crashes in Hochoetz injuring Danish family</strong> - The gondola is said to have fallen 7m (23ft) at the Hochoetz ski resort in Tyrol.</p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-ars-technica">From Ars Technica</h1>
<ul>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Ars readers gave nearly $40,000 in our 2023 Charity Drive</strong> - Ars’ total charity haul since 2007 now tops $506,000. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1994837">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Facebook, Instagram block teens from sensitive content, even from friends</strong> - Meta hiding harmful content from teens isn’t enough, whistleblower says. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1994843">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Canada vows to defend its drug supply against Florida importation plan</strong> - Canada adds that importing its drugs will not solve America’s drug pricing problems. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1994816">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Quantum computing startup says it will beat IBM to error correction</strong> - Company builds on recent demonstration of error-tracking in similar hardware. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1994815">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Full trailer for 3 Body Problem captures epic scope of Liu Cixin’s novel</strong> - “They are coming. And there’s nothing you can do to stop them.” - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1994542">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>A married couple became famous for not having an argument in 25 years.</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF --></p>
<div class="md">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Local newspaper editors gathered at the occasion to find out the secret to their happy 25 year marriage.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The editor said: “Sir, it’s amazing, impossible. How is this possible?”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The husband began recalling his honeymoon days: “after our honeymoon, we began horseback riding, on different horses. I was lucky to have a gentle, kind-spirited horse.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
My wife on the other hand wasn’t so fortunate. She had a crazy horse. As she was riding the horse, the horse began to jump wildly and she fell off. My wife patted the horse on the back, saying ‘this is your first time.’ She jumped back on and we continued riding for a while. Then the horse started acting wildly again, causing my wife to fall off once again. She didn’t lose her cool and patted the horse again, saying ‘this is your second time’. Once again she hopped on and again, the horse jumped wildly and she fell off. My wife pulled out a revolver and shot the horse dead.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
My jaw fell to the ground. ‘What the hell are you doing? Did you just shoot a horse?? What’s wrong with you?!’, I asked her, shocked and bewildered.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
She looked at me, ‘this is your first time’.”
</p>
</div>
<!-- SC_ON -->
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/hearsdemons"> /u/hearsdemons </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/192x7nz/a_married_couple_became_famous_for_not_having_an/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/192x7nz/a_married_couple_became_famous_for_not_having_an/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A driver was pulled over for speeding</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF --></p>
<div class="md">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The cop approaches and says, “Do you know how fast you were going?”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The driver replies, “Yeah yeah, make it quick; I just robbed a bank and I just lost those cops a few miles back.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
“Really?” as the cop starts taking notes, “All by yourself?”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
“Nah, I had a partner but I shot him! He’s in the trunk; I also have to smuggle the 20kg of cocaine next to him soon, so can you just please hurry up?”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
“Yah, I’m calling for backup”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The cop takes the driver’s keys and puts him in handcuffs; 10 minutes later, two squad cars each with a pair of officers arrive and inspect the man’s vehicle. They kept looking and looking, but they can’t find the money, corpse, nor the cocaine.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
One of the latter cops, the sergeant, goes to the driver to apologize.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
“I’m sorry to inconvenience you sir; but our man told us you robbed a bank, killed a man, and was about to smuggle coke.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
“What?! I assure you that a God-fearing man like me will never do any abhorrent deed.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
“Yes, our mistake.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
“I bet that bastard also said I was speeding!”
</p>
</div>
<!-- SC_ON -->
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/EggYakult"> /u/EggYakult </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/1933hlv/a_driver_was_pulled_over_for_speeding/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/1933hlv/a_driver_was_pulled_over_for_speeding/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A boy brought home his report card to show his parents how well he did in math class.</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF --></p>
<div class="md">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
His report card showed a 90/100 for his math grade. His father was ecstatic, however his mother knew he was terrible at math and thus simply couldn’t believe he got a 90/100.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
She looked closely at the report card and noticed that the 9 and the 0 looked to have different handwriting styles. She immediately became suspicious. “Son, tell me, did you add a 0 to the end of your grade?”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
“No,” the boy replied.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
“I’m going to ask you again,” said the mom, “did you add the 0 yourself?”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
“No mom, I didn’t add the 0–”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Fuming, the mom cuts him off. “Ok, since you’re not telling me the truth, you are grounded for one month.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
“No mom, please!” the boy begged, “I swear I didn’t add the 0!”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
“This is your last chance,” said the mom, “tell me the truth!”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
“I didn’t add the 0…I added the 9.”
</p>
</div>
<!-- SC_ON -->
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/Hipp013"> /u/Hipp013 </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/192r38m/a_boy_brought_home_his_report_card_to_show_his/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/192r38m/a_boy_brought_home_his_report_card_to_show_his/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A Zen Master taught two cows to be self aware.</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF --></p>
<div class="md">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
A Zen Master taught two cows to be self aware. After a moment of confusion, they started to discuss this amongst themselves.<br/> The first one asked: “Do you think we have free will, or is the universe deterministic?”<br/> The second answered: “Moo.”
</p>
</div>
<!-- SC_ON -->
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/ExcArc"> /u/ExcArc </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/192yp8m/a_zen_master_taught_two_cows_to_be_self_aware/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/192yp8m/a_zen_master_taught_two_cows_to_be_self_aware/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A little old lady of ninety goes to the doctor complaining of terrible flatulence.</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF --></p>
<div class="md">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
She tells him she is otherwise in perfect health, but the constant wind is very uncomfortable. She adds, “But I’m so grateful that at least it isn’t embarassing. You see, the remarkable thing is, it’s always completely silent and it doesn’t smell at all. You would have no idea, but I’ve actually passed wind at least fifteen times just during this appointment.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The doctor agrees that is indeed remarkable, and he prescribes the old lady a course of tablets and tells her to come back the next week.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
When she returns, she isn’t happy. She tells the doctor that she doesn’t think the tablets he prescribed have done her any good at all. She still passes wind just as much, and although it is still completely silent, now it smells absolutely terrible.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The doctor nods. “Excellent. Now we’ve cleared up your sinus problems, let’s see what we can do about your hearing.”
</p>
</div>
<!-- SC_ON -->
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/BeccasBump"> /u/BeccasBump </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/192u9ro/a_little_old_lady_of_ninety_goes_to_the_doctor/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/192u9ro/a_little_old_lady_of_ninety_goes_to_the_doctor/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
</ul>
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