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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>Managing Information and Planning for Health Charities’ Participation</strong> -
<div>
This research aims to investigate managing information and planning for the participation of health charities. With the Covid-19 outbreak, it was important to use information systems to optimize health management. The correct processing of information is the basis for better use of health charities’ participation. Using the snowball technique, and semi-structured interviews, 47 experts and non-experts in Fars province were asked for their opinions. Next, based on the fuzzy network analysis, important factors were prioritized. Four categories and 8 important criteria were identified. To prioritize the effective aspects of the participation of health charities in Fars province, a network analysis technique was used via MATLAB software. Strategy and programs with a normal weight of 0.34 showed the highest priority. Research and education with a normal weight of 0.26 received the second priority. Laws and regulations with a normal weight of 0.24 were placed as the third priority. Based on the obtained results, creating strategy and planning, training and building cultural in this field, ease of rules and regulations as well as planning of financial resources play an important role in managing the participation of health donors. With precise planning of health programs, donors see the transparency of decisions. They check the part that needs financing and equipment completion. Because the quality of plans and programs, effectiveness and efficiency of strategies, and the quality of results depend on the decisions made by donors.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://osf.io/kd39r/" target="_blank">Managing Information and Planning for Health Charities’ Participation</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Screening COVID-19 by Swaasa AI Platform using cough sounds: A cross-sectional study</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The Advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has led to the use of auditory data for detecting various diseases, including COVID-19. SARS-CoV-2 infection has claimed more than 6 million lives till date and hence, needs a robust screening technique to control the disease spread. In the present study we developed and validated the Swaasa AI platform for screening and prioritizing COVID-19 patients based on the signature cough sound and the symptoms presented by the subjects. The cough data records collected from 234 COVID-19 suspects were subjected to validate the convolutional neural network (CNN) architecture and tabular features-based algorithm. The likelihood of the disease was predicted by combining the final output obtained from both the models. In the clinical validation phase, Swaasa was found to be 75.54% accurate in detecting the likely presence of COVID-19 with 95.45% sensitivity and 73.46% specificity. The pilot testing of Swaasa was carried out on 183 presumptive COVID subjects, out of which 82 subjects were found to be positive for the disease by Swaasa. Among them, 58 subjects were truly COVID-19 positive, which corresponds to a Positive Predictive Value of 70.73%. The currently available rapid screening methods are very costly and require technical expertise, therefore a cost effective, remote monitoring tool would be very beneficial for preliminary screening of the potential COVID-19 subject.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.11.02.22281821v1" target="_blank">Screening COVID-19 by Swaasa AI Platform using cough sounds: A cross-sectional study</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Rapid onset of chronic urticaria after Moderna COVID-19 booster vaccine</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
A substantial number of patients with newly onset of chronic urticaria was observed rapidly after the booster vaccine against COVID-19. This observation was unprecedented compared to the primary series of vaccination. To address this concern, we initiated an online observational study with the help of local allergists. We found a striking association between the booster dose, the Moderna vaccine, and the new onset of chronic urticaria within the following 10 days. These data were confirmed when reviewing all cases of CSU related to COVID-19 vaccination reported to Swissmedic, the Swiss regulatory agency. These data should not discourage patients from being vaccinated, as this vaccination campaign has been instrumental in reducing COVID-19 burden and preventing millions of deaths. Yet, there is an urgent need to establish appropriate guidelines and monitor this adverse event more closely, considering that a fourth dose is currently being administered.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.11.03.22281730v1" target="_blank">Rapid onset of chronic urticaria after Moderna COVID-19 booster vaccine</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Emotion and Anxiety Interact to Bias Spatial Attention</strong> -
<div>
Emotional expressions are an evolutionarily conserved means of social communication and are essential for social interactions. It is important to understand how anxious individuals perceive their social environments, including emotional expressions, especially with the rising prevalence of anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic. Anxiety is often associated with an attentional bias for threat-related stimuli, such as angry faces. Yet the mechanisms by which anxiety enhances or impairs two key components of spatial attention—attentional capture and attentional disengagement—to emotional expressions are still unclear. Moreover, positive valence is often ignored in studies of threat-related attention and anxiety, despite high occurrence of happy faces during everyday social interaction. Here, we investigated the relationship between anxiety, emotional valence, and spatial attention in 574 participants across two preregistered studies. We found that happy faces capture attention more quickly than angry faces during the visual search experiment and found delayed disengagement from both angry and happy faces over neutral faces during the spatial cueing experiment. We also show that anxiety has a distinct impact on both attentional capture and disengagement of emotional faces. Together our findings highlight the role of positively valenced stimuli in attracting and holding attention and suggest that anxiety is a critical factor modulating spatial attention to emotional stimuli.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://osf.io/qcp34/" target="_blank">Emotion and Anxiety Interact to Bias Spatial Attention</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Unsupervised clustering of SARS-CoV-2 positive hospitalized patients identifies six endophenotypes of COVID-19 and points to FGFR and SHC4-signaling in acute respiratory distress syndrome</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Defining the molecular mechanisms of novel emerging diseases like COVID-19 is crucial to identify treatable traits to improve patient care. To circumvent a priori bias and the lack of in-depth knowledge of a new disease, we opted for an unsupervised approach, using the detailed circulating proteome, as measured by 4985 aptamers (SOMAmers), of 731 SARS-CoV-2 PCR-positive hospitalized participants to Biobanque québécoise de la COVID-19 (BQC19). The consensus clustering identified six endophenotypes (EPs) present in this cohort, with varying degrees of disease severity. One endophenotype, EP6, was associated with a greater proportion of ICU admission, mechanical ventilation, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and death. Clinical features of this endophenotype, showed increased levels of C-reactive protein, D-dimers, elevated neutrophils, and depleted lymphocytes. Moreover, metabolomic analysis supported a role for immunothrombosis in severe COVID-19 ARDS. Furthermore, the approach enabled the identification of Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor (FGFR) and SH2-containing transforming protein 4 (SHC4) signaling as features of the molecular pathways associated with severe COVID-19. Finally, this information was sufficient to train an accurate predictive model solely based on clinical laboratory measurements, suggesting the use of blood markers as surrogates for generalizing these EPs to new patients and automating identification of high-risk groups in the clinic.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.11.02.22281834v1" target="_blank">Unsupervised clustering of SARS-CoV-2 positive hospitalized patients identifies six endophenotypes of COVID-19 and points to FGFR and SHC4-signaling in acute respiratory distress syndrome</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Prior infections and effectiveness of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in test-negative study: A systematic review and meta-analysis</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Background: Prior infection with SARS-CoV-2 can provide protection against infection and severe COVID-19. In settings with high pre-existing immunity, vaccine effectiveness (VE) should decrease with higher levels of immunity among unvaccinated individuals. Here, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to understand the influence of prior infection on VE. Methods: We included test-negative design (TND) studies that examined VE against infection or severe disease (hospitalization, ICU admission, or death) for primary vaccination series. To determine the impact of prior infections on VE estimates, we compared studies that excluded or included people with prior COVID-19 infection. We also compared VE estimates by the cumulative incidence of cases before the start of and incidence rates during each study in the study locations, as further measures of prior infections in the community. Findings: We identified 67 studies that met inclusion criteria. Pooled VE among studies that included people with prior COVID-19 infection was lower against infection (pooled VE: 77%; 95% confidence interval (CI): 72%, 81%) and severe disease (pooled VE: 86%; 95% CI: 83%, 89%), compared with studies that excluded people with prior COVID-19 infection (pooled VE against infection: 87%; 95% CI: 85%, 89%; pooled VE against severe disease: 93%; 95% CI: 91%, 95%). There was a negative correlation between the cumulative incidence of cases before the start of the study and VE estimates against infection (spearman correlation (ρ) = -0.32; 95% CI: -0.45, -0.18) and severe disease (ρ = -0.49; 95% CI: -0.64, -0.30). There was also a negative correlation between the incidence rates of cases during the study period and VE estimates against infection (ρ = -0.48; 95% CI: -0.59, -0.34) and severe disease (ρ = -0.42; 95% CI: -0.58, -0.23). Interpretation: Based on a review of published VE estimates we found clear empirical evidence that higher levels of pre-existing immunity in a population were associated with lower VE estimates. Excluding previously infected individuals from VE studies may result in higher VE estimates with limited generalisability to the wider population. Prior infections should be treated as confounder and effect modificatory when the policies were targeted to whole population or stratified by infection history, respectively.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.11.03.22281925v1" target="_blank">Prior infections and effectiveness of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in test-negative study: A systematic review and meta-analysis</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Estimating the gendered impact of COVID-19</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The extent of gendered COVID-19 impact remains undetermined for the lack of sex-disaggregated data. The prevailing view puts males nearly twice as impacted as females. Globally, access to resources and their usage are gendered- mostly favoring males. Gender gaps widen during natural/man-made calamities and pandemics. Modeling estimates of impact for top 70 countries reporting &gt;300 sex-disaggregated COVID-19 deaths (&gt;80% of total), indicates average mortality sex (male:female) ratio (COVID-MSR) of 1.37±0.30 (95% confidence interval:1.30-1.44; range:0.85-2.47) against prevalent pre-pandemic MSR of 1.79±0.41 (1.70-1.89; range:0.93-2.99). Contrary to the prevailing view, widened gender gaps globally increased female mortality by 19.57±21.16% (14.62%-24.88%; range: -22.46 to +68.50%) causing an estimated 22.03% excess deaths (360 thousand by 30 December 2021). Identification of factors favoring gendered impacts is needed for equitable pandemic management.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.11.02.22276012v1" target="_blank">Estimating the gendered impact of COVID-19</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Evaluation of antibody kinetics and durability in health subjects vaccinated with inactivated COVID-19 vaccine (CoronaVac): A cross-sectional and cohort study in Zhejiang, China</strong> -
<div>
Background: Although inactivated COVID-19 vaccines are proven to be safe and effective in the general population, the dynamic response and duration of antibodies after vaccination in the real world should be further assessed. Methods: We enrolled 1067 volunteers who had been vaccinated with one or two doses of CoronaVac in Zhejiang Province, China. Another 90 healthy adults without previous vaccinations were recruited and vaccinated with three doses of CoronaVac, 28 days and 6 months apart. Serum samples were collected from multiple timepoints and analyzed for specific IgM/IgG and neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) for immunogenicity evaluation. Antibody responses to the Delta and Omicron variants were measured by pseudovirus-based neutralization tests. Results: Our results revealed that binding antibody IgM peaked 14-28 days after one dose of CoronaVac, while IgG and NAbs peaked approximately 1 month after the second dose then declined slightly over time. Antibody responses had waned by month 6 after vaccination and became undetectable in the majority of individuals at 12 months. Levels of NAbs to live SARS-CoV-2 were correlated with anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG and NAbs to pseudovirus, but not IgM. Homologous booster around 6 months after primary vaccination activated anamnestic immunity and raised NAbs 25.5-fold. The NAb inhibition rate subsequently rose to 36.0% for Delta (p=0.03) and 4.3% for Omicron (p=0.004), and the response rate for Omicron rose from 7.9% (7/89) to 17.8% (16/90). Conclusions: Two doses of CoronaVac vaccine resulted in limited protection over a short duration. The homologous booster slightly increased antibody responses to the Delta and Omicron variants; therefore, the optimization of booster procedures is vital. Funding: Key Research and Development Program of Zhejiang Province; Key Program of Health Commission of Zhejiang Province/ Science Foundation of National Health Commission; Major Program of Zhejiang Municipal Natural Science Foundation.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.11.03.515011v1" target="_blank">Evaluation of antibody kinetics and durability in health subjects vaccinated with inactivated COVID-19 vaccine (CoronaVac): A cross-sectional and cohort study in Zhejiang, China</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>The COVID-19 pandemic sparked off a large-scale outbreak of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii from the endemic strains of an Italian hospital</strong> -
<div>
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<i>Acinetobacter baumannii</i> is an insidious nosocomial pathogen that poses a serious threat due to the rise of incidence of multidrug resistant (MDR) strains. During the COVID-19 pandemic, MDR <i>A. baumannii</i> clones have caused several outbreaks worldwide. Here we describe a detailed investigation of an MDR <i>A. baumannii</i> outbreak that occurred at Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo (Pavia, Italy). A total of 96 <i>A. baumannii</i> strains, isolated between January and July 2020 from 41 inpatients (both SARS-CoV-2 positive and negative) in different wards, were characterized by phenotypic and genomic analyses combining Illumina and Nanopore sequencing. Antibiotic susceptibility testing revealed that all isolates were resistant to carbapenems and the sequence analysis attributed this to the carbapenemase gene <i>bla</i><sub>OXA-23</sub>. Screening of virulence factors unveiled that all strains carried determinants for biofilm formation, while plasmid analysis revealed the presence of two plasmids, one of which was a ∼100kbp long and encoded a phage sequence. A core genome-based phylogeny was inferred to integrate outbreak strain genomes with background genomes from public databases and the local surveillance program. All strains belonged to the globally disseminated ST2 clone and were divided into two main clades. Strains from the outbreak clustered with surveillance isolates from 2019, suggesting that the outbreak was caused by two strains that were already circulating in the hospital before the start of the pandemic. The intensive spread of <i>A. baumannii</i> in the hospital was enhanced by the extreme emergency situation of the first COVID-19 pandemic wave that resulted in minor attention to infection prevention and control practices.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.06.28.22276851v2" target="_blank">The COVID-19 pandemic sparked off a large-scale outbreak of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii from the endemic strains of an Italian hospital</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Population-based sero-epidemiological estimates of real-world vaccine effectiveness against Omicron infection in an infection-naive population, Hong Kong, January to July 2022</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant has demonstrated enhanced transmissibility and escape of vaccine-derived immunity. While current vaccines remain effective against severe disease and death, robust evidence on vaccine effectiveness (VE) against all Omicron infections (i.e. irrespective of symptoms) remains sparse. We addressed this knowledge-gap using a community-wide serosurvey with 5,310 subjects by estimating how vaccination histories modulated risk of infection in Hong Kong (which was largely infection naive) during a large wave of Omicron epidemic during January-July 2022. We estimated that Omicron infected 45% (41-48%) of the Hong Kong population. Three and four doses of BNT162b2 or CoronaVac were effective against Omicron infection (VE of 47% (95% credible interval 34-68%) and 70% (43-99%) for three and four doses of BNT162b2 respectively; VE of 31% (1-73%) and 59% (10-99%) for three and four doses of CoronaVac respectively) seven days after vaccination, but protection waned with half-lives of 15 (3-47) weeks for BNT162b2 and 5 (1-37) weeks for CoronaVac. Our findings suggest that booster vaccination can temporarily enhance population immunity ahead of anticipated waves of infections.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.11.01.22281746v1" target="_blank">Population-based sero-epidemiological estimates of real-world vaccine effectiveness against Omicron infection in an infection-naive population, Hong Kong, January to July 2022</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Antiviral effect of candies containing persimmon-derived tannin against SARS-CoV-2 delta strain</strong> -
<div>
Inactivation of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in the mouth has the potential to reduce the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) because the virus is readily transmitted by dispersed saliva. Persimmon-derived tannin has strong antioxidant and antimicrobial activity owing to its strong adhesiveness to proteins, and it also exhibited antiviral effects against non-variant and alpha variant SARS-CoV-2 in our previous study. In this report, we first demonstrated the antiviral effects of persimmon-derived tannin against the delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 in vitro via the plaque assay method. We then examined the effects of candy containing persimmon-derived tannin. Our plaque assay results show that saliva samples provided by healthy volunteers while they were eating tannin-containing candy remarkably suppressed the virus titers of the SARS-CoV-2 delta variant. In addition, we found that the SARS-CoV-2 viral load in saliva from patients with COVID-19 that was collected immediately after they had eaten the tannin-containing candy was below the level of detection by PCR for SARS-CoV-2. These data suggest that adding persimmon-derived tannin to candy and holding such candy in the mouth is an effective method by which to inactivate the SARS-CoV-2 in saliva, and the application of this approach has potential for inhibiting the transmission of COVID-19.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.10.31.513793v1" target="_blank">Antiviral effect of candies containing persimmon-derived tannin against SARS-CoV-2 delta strain</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>SOCIAL COMMUNICATION PATHWAYS TO COVID-19 VACCINE SIDE-EFFECT EXPECTATIONS AND EXPERIENCE</strong> -
<div>
Objective: Negative beliefs about medication and vaccine side-effects can spread rapidly through social communication. This has been recently documented with the potential side-effects from the COVID-19 vaccines. We tested if pre-vaccination social communications about side-effects from personal acquaintances, news reports, and social media predict post-vaccination side-effect experiences. Further, as previous research suggests that side-effects can be exacerbated by negative expectations, we assessed if personal expectations mediate the relationships between social communication and side-effect experience. Method: In a prospective longitudinal survey (N=551), COVID-19 vaccine side-effect information from three sources—social media posts, news reports, and first-hand accounts from personal acquaintances—as well as side-effect expectations, were self-reported pre-vaccination. Vaccination side-effect experience was assessed post-vaccination. Results: In multivariate regression analyses, the number of pre-vaccination social media post views (β = .17) and impressions of severity conveyed from personal acquaintances (β = .42) significantly predicted an increase in pre-vaccination side-effect expectations, and the same variables (βs = .11, .14, respectively) predicted post-vaccination side-effect experiences. Moreover, pre-vaccination side-effect expectations fully mediated the relationship between both sources of social communication and experienced side-effects from a COVID-19 vaccination. Conclusions: This study identifies links between personal acquaintance and social media communications and vaccine side-effect experiences and provides evidence that pre-vaccination expectations account for these relationships. The results suggest that modifying side-effect expectations through these channels may change the side-effects following a COVID-19 vaccination as well as other publicly discussed vaccinations and medications.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://psyarxiv.com/e2bfv/" target="_blank">SOCIAL COMMUNICATION PATHWAYS TO COVID-19 VACCINE SIDE-EFFECT EXPECTATIONS AND EXPERIENCE</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Spatial Optimization to Improve COVID-19 Vaccine Allocation</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Early distribution of COVID-19 vaccines was largely driven by population size and did not account for COVID-19 prevalence nor location characteristics. In this study, we applied an optimization framework to identify distribution strategies that would have lowered COVID-19 related morbidity and mortality. Optimized vaccine allocation would have decreased case incidence by 8% with 5,926 fewer COVID-19 cases, 106 fewer deaths, and 4.5 million dollars in healthcare cost saved during the first half of 2021. As COVID-19 variants continue to be identified, and the likelihood of future pandemics remains high, application of resource optimization should be a priority for policy makers.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.10.30.22281737v1" target="_blank">Spatial Optimization to Improve COVID-19 Vaccine Allocation</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Distinct phenotype of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.1 in human primary cells but no increased host range in cell lines of putative mammalian reservoir species</strong> -
<div>
SARS-CoV-2’s genetic plasticity has led to several variants of concern (VOCs). Here we studied replicative capacity for seven SARS-CoV-2 isolates (B.1, Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, Zeta, and Omicron BA.1) in primary reconstituted airway epithelia (HAE) and lung-derived cell lines. Furthermore, to investigate the host range of Delta and Omicron compared to ancestral SARS-CoV-2, we assessed replication in 17 cell lines from 11 non-primate mammalian species, including bats, rodents, insectivores and carnivores. Only Omicron’s phenotype differed in vitro, with rapid but short replication and efficient production of infectious virus in nasal HAEs, in contrast to other VOCs, but not in lung cell lines. No increased infection efficiency for other species was observed, but Delta and Omicron infection efficiency was increased in A549 cells. Notably replication in A549 and Calu3 cells was lower than in nasal HAE. Our results suggest better adaptation of VOCs towards humans, without an extended host range.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.10.04.510352v2" target="_blank">Distinct phenotype of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.1 in human primary cells but no increased host range in cell lines of putative mammalian reservoir species</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Reversal of increases in methadone distribution for opioid use disorder in the US during the COVID-19 pandemic</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Introduction: This study aimed to investigate US patterns of distribution of methadone for OUD from 2010 to 2021 in order to identify potential obstacles in the mitigation of the opioid epidemic. Methods: The number of Opioid Treatment Programs (OTP) per state, and the weight of methadone in grams distributed to OTPs per state, were obtained from the US Drug Enforcement Administration9s Automated Reports and Consolidated Ordering System. Methadone was adjusted for state population and compared across all fifty states and Washington DC from 2010 to 2021. Medicaid9s State Drug Utilization Data database was utilized to determine methadone prescriptions for all fifty states and DC. This was corrected for the number of Medicaid enrollees in each state. Results: The overall distribution of methadone to OTPs significantly increased from 2010 to 2020 (+61.00%) and from 2015 to 2020 (+26.22%) (P &lt; 0.0001). The states with the highest percent change from 2010 to 2020 were Montana (+897.02%), Alaska (+421.11%), and Vermont (+353.67%). In contrast to 2010 and 2015, 2019 (pre-COVID-19 pandemic) to 2021 (post-pandemic) showed no significant change in the US distribution of methadone to OTPs (-5.15%). From 2019 to 2021, methadone distribution in Ohio (+47.53%) significantly increased while it significantly decreased in Florida (-54.61%), New Hampshire (-52.99%), Nebraska (-47.96%), and Alabama (-44.27%) relative to the national mean. Twenty states (MD, VT, NM, ME, GA, NC, NY, NH, UT, OK, SC, MT, WA, AL, TX, MN, FL, SD, NE and MS) had fewer OTPs in 2021 relative to prior years. In 2020, 89.23% of methadone covered by Medicaid was distributed among three states (VA, MT, IA), and seven states (VA, MT, IA, WI, TN, OR, VT) distributed 98.47%. Conclusions: This investigation revealed three patterns for methadone distribution in the US: 1) increased utilization over the past decade, 2) a decline from 2019 to 2021, and 3) pronounced state level variation with some states (e.g. Wyoming) having no OTPs or Medicaid coverage. New policies are urgently needed to remove access barriers to methadone treatment in order to reduce the worsening overdose crisis in the US.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.03.09.22272154v2" target="_blank">Reversal of increases in methadone distribution for opioid use disorder in the US during the COVID-19 pandemic</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>Using a Community-level Just-in-Time Adaptive Intervention to Address COVID-19 Testing Disparities</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Behavioral: Multi-Level Multi-Component Intervention (MLI);   Behavioral: Community Just-In-Time Adaptive Intervention (Community JITAI)<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston;   National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS)<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>Safety and Efficacy of Medications COVID-19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Severe Covid-19<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Drug: Oral bedtime melatonin<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Hospital San Carlos, Madrid<br/><b>Completed</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Use of Multiple Doses of Convalescent Plasma in Mechanically Intubated Patients With COVID-19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Biological: Multiple doses of anti-SARS-CoV-2 Convalescent Plasma<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   Hospital Regional Dr. Rafael Estévez;   Complejo Hospitalario Dr. Arnulfo Arias Madrid;   Hospital Santo Tomas;   Hospital Punta Pacífica, Pacífica Salud;   Insituto Conmemorativo Gorgas de Estudios para la Salud;   Sociedad Panameña de Hematología;   Institute of Scientific Research and High Technology Services (INDICASAT AIP);   University of Panama;   Sistema Nacional de Investigación de Panamá<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>Examining How a Facilitated Self-Sampling Intervention and Testing Navigation Intervention Influences COVID-19 Testing</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Behavioral: Facilitated Self-Sampling Intervention (FSSI);   Behavioral: Testing Navigation Intervention (TNI).;   Behavioral: Control<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston;   National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS)<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A Phase III of COVID-19 Vaccine EuCorVac-19 in Healthy Adults Aged 18 Years and Older</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Biological: EuCorVac-19;   Biological: ChAdOx1<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   EuBiologics 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>Open Multicenter Study for Assessment of Efficacy and Safety of Molnupiravir in Adult Patients With COVID-19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Drug: Molnupiravir (Esperavir);   Drug: Standard of care<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Promomed, LLC<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>Open Multicentre Study of the Safety and Efficacy Against COVID-19 of Nirmatrelvir/Ritonavir in the Adult Population</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Drug: nirmatrelvir/ritonavir;   Drug: Standard of care<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   Promomed, LLC;   Sponsor GmbH<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>Study Evaluating GS-5245 in Participants With COVID-19 Who Have a High Risk of Developing Serious or Severe Illness</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Drug: GS-5245;   Drug: GS-5245 Placebo<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Gilead Sciences<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>Effects of Respiratory Muscle Training in Individuals With Long-term Post-COVID-19 Symptoms</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>:   Covid19;   Post-acute COVID-19 Syndrome<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Other: Inspiratory + expiratory muscle training group;   Other: Inspiratory + expiratory muscle training sham group;   Other: Exercise training program<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   Universidad Complutense de Madrid;   Colegio Profesional de Fisioterapeutas de la Comunidad de Madrid<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>Recombinant COVID-19 Vaccine (CHO Cell, NVSI-06-09) Phase III Clinical Trial</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>:   COVID-19;   Coronavirus Infections<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Biological: LIBP-Rec-Vaccine;   Biological: BIBP-Rec-Vaccine;   Biological: placebo<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   National Vaccine and Serum Institute, China;   China National Biotec Group Company Limited;   Lanzhou Institute of Biological Products Co., Ltd;   Beijing Institute of Biological Products Co Ltd.<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A Study to Evaluate the Safety, Tolerability, and Immunogenicity of Combined Modified RNA Vaccine Candidates Against COVID-19 and Influenza</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>:   Influenza, Human;   COVID-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Biological: bivalent BNT162b2 (original/Omi BA.4/BA.5);   Biological: qIRV (22/23);   Biological: QIV<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   BioNTech SE;   Pfizer<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>Study to Evaluate Safety, Tolerability, Efficacy and Pharmacokinetics of ASC10 in Mild to Moderate COVID-19 Patients</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   SARS CoV 2 Infection<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Drug: ASC10;   Drug: Placebo<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Ascletis Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd.<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A Phase I/II Study of GLB-COV2-043 as a COVID-19 Vaccine Booster</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Drug: GLB-COV2-043;   Drug: BNT162b2/COMIRNATY®<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   GreenLight Biosciences, Inc.<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Safety and Efficacy of Intranasal Administration of Avacc 10 Vaccine Against COVID-19 in Healthy Volunteers</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Biological: Avacc 10;   Combination Product: Outer Membrane Vesicles (OMV) : OMV alone in vehicle;   Other: Placebo<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   Intravacc B.V.;   Novotech (Australia) Pty Limited<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>The Phase Ⅱ/Ⅲ Trial of LYB001</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Biological: LYB001;   Biological: Placebo<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Yantai Patronus Biotech Co., Ltd.<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-pubmed">From PubMed</h1>
<ul>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Recent advances in understanding spleen tyrosine kinase (SYK) in human biology and disease, with a focus on fostamatinib</strong> - Spleen tyrosine kinase (SYK) is an important regulatory molecule of signal transduction pathways involved in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases such as immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), and the SYK-signaling pathway has emerged as a potential target for the treatment of numerous diseases. The aim of this narrative review is to summarize the biological properties of SYK and its involvement in disease pathways, provide an update on SYK inhibitors in the treatment of ITP, and consider other…</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>Mechanism of N-0385 blocking SARS-CoV-2 to treat COVID-19 based on molecular docking and molecular dynamics</strong> - CONCLUSION: The mechanism of N-0385 treatment COVID-19 was investigated by molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation. We speculated that N-0385 may not only inhibit SARS-CoV-2 invasion directly by acting on TMPRSS2, ACE2 and DPP4, but also inhibit the immune recognition process and inflammatory response by regulating TLR7, NLRP3 and IL-10 to prevent SARS-CoV-2 invasion. Therefore, these results suggested that N-0385 may act through multiple targets to reduce SARS-CoV-2 infection 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>Bovine lactoferrin inhibits SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV-1 by targeting the RdRp complex and alleviates viral infection in the hamster model</strong> - Breast milk has been found to inhibit coronavirus infection, while the key components and mechanisms are unknown. We aimed to determine the components that contribute to the antiviral effects of breastmilk and explore their potential mechanism. Lactoferrin (Lf) and milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) inhibit SARS-CoV-2 related coronavirus GX_P2V and SARS-CoV-2 trVLP in vitro and block viral entry into cells. We confirmed that bovine lactoferrin (bLf) blocked the binding between human…</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>Constructing Janus Microsphere Membranes for Particulate Matter Filtration, Directional Water Vapor Transfer, and High-Efficiency Broad-Spectrum Sterilization</strong> - Commercial masks have significant drawbacks, including low water vapor transmission efficiency and limited ability to inhibit harmful microorganisms, whereas in this contribution, a series of Janus microsphere membranes are developed with hierarchical structures by quenching and crystallizing 12-hydroxystearic acid and halicin layer-by-layer on a polypropylene non-woven fabric, laminating them with hydrophilic cotton fibers in a one-pot process, and further demonstrate the potential of this…</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>Management of Severe and Critical COVID-19 Infection with Immunotherapies</strong> - Following the reduction in mortality demonstrated by dexamethasone treatment in severe COVID-19, many targeted immunotherapies have been investigated. Thus far, inhibition of IL-6 and JAK pathways have the most robust data and have been granted Emergency Use Authorization for treatment of severe disease. However, it must be noted that critically ill patients comprised a relatively small proportion of most of the trials of COVID-19 therapeutics, despite bearing a disproportionate burden 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>Topoisomerase 3b is dispensable for replication of a positive-sense RNA virus–murine coronavirus</strong> - A recent study demonstrated that a DNA-RNA dual-activity topoisomerase complex, TOP3B-TDRD3, is required for normal replication of positive-sense RNA viruses, including several human flaviviruses and coronaviruses; and the authors proposed that TOP3B is a target of antiviral drugs. Here we examined this hypothesis by investigating whether inactivation of Top3b can inhibit the replication of a mouse coronavirus, MHV, using cell lines and mice that are inactivated of Top3b or Tdrd3. We found that…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>The urgency of strengthening health information to support public perception and involvement in the COVID-19 vaccine</strong> - CONCLUSIONS: Strengthening positive information can alter the sense of community vulnerability, making it a driving force for participation in the COVID-19 vaccine campaign. This finding is an appropriate strategy to expand the reach and resolve public doubts about accepting the vaccine.</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>S-217622, a SARS-CoV-2 main protease inhibitor, decreases viral load and ameliorates COVID-19 severity in hamsters</strong> - In parallel with vaccination, oral antiviral agents are highly anticipated to act as countermeasures for the treatment of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Oral antiviral medication demands not only high antiviral activity, but also target specificity, favorable oral bioavailability, and high metabolic stability. Although a large number of compounds have been identified as potential inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2…</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 infects human brain organoids causing cell death and loss of synapses that can be rescued by treatment with Sofosbuvir</strong> - The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which was rapidly declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO). Early clinical symptomatology focused mainly on respiratory illnesses. However, a variety of neurological manifestations in both adults and newborns are now well-documented. To experimentally determine whether SARS-CoV-2 could replicate in and affect human brain cells, we infected iPSC-derived…</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>Ubiquitination of SARS-CoV-2 ORF7a Prevents Cell Death Induced by Recruiting BclXL To Activate ER Stress</strong> - Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which has emerged in the last 2 years. The accessory protein ORF7a has been proposed as an immunomodulating factor that can cause dramatic inflammatory responses, but it is unknown how ORF7a interacts with host cells. We show that ORF7a induces cell apoptosis by recruiting the prosurvival factor BclXL to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) via the exposed C-terminal 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><em>In silico</em> approaches and <em>in vitro</em> assays identify a coumarin derivative as antiviral potential against SARS-CoV-2</strong> - COVID-19, a disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, was declared a pandemic in 2020 and created a global crisis in health systems, with more than 545 million confirmed cases and 6.33 million deaths. In this sense, this work aims to identify possible inhibitors of the SARS-CoV-2 RdRp enzyme using in silico approaches. RdRp is a crucial enzyme in the replication and assembly cycle of new viral particles and a critical pharmacological target in the treatment of COVID-19. We performed a virtual screening…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Elucidating Design Principles for Engineering Cell-Derived Vesicles to Inhibit SARS-CoV-2 Infection</strong> - No abstract</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>Inhalation of Low Molecular Weight Heparins as Prophylaxis against SARS-CoV-2</strong> - New SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern and waning immunity demonstrate the need for a quick and simple prophylactic agent to prevent infection. Low molecular weight heparins (LMWH) are potent inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 binding and infection in vitro. The airways are a major route for infection and therefore inhaled LMWH could be a prophylactic treatment against SARS-CoV-2. We investigated the efficacy of in vivo inhalation of LMWH in humans to prevent SARS-CoV-2 attachment to nasal epithelial cells in…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Lupus anticoagulant-hypoprothrombinemia syndrome with severe bleeding diathesis after coronavirus disease 2019: a case report</strong> - Acquired antibodies against factor II (prothrombin) are rare and most commonly associated with severe liver disease or vitamin K antagonist treatment. In very rare cases, these antibodies and associated hypoprothrombinemia are found in patients with lupus anticoagulant (LAC), an antiphospholipid antibody that inhibits phospholipid-dependent coagulation tests. This uncommon entity, called lupus anticoagulant-hypoprothrombinemia syndrome (LAHPS), may cause both severe, life-threatening bleeding…</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>HLA-C</em> dysregulation as a possible mechanism of immune evasion in SARS-CoV-2 and other RNA-virus infections</strong> - One of the mechanisms by which viruses can evade the host’s immune system is to modify the host’s DNA methylation pattern. This work aims to investigate the DNA methylation and gene expression profile of COVID-19 patients, divided into symptomatic and asymptomatic, and healthy controls, focusing on genes involved in the immune response. In this study, changes in the methylome of COVID-19 patients’ upper airways cells, the first barrier against respiratory infections and the first cells…</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>Betting on Elections Can Tell Us a Lot. Why Is It Mostly Illegal?</strong> - The only such market of any size in the U.S. is on the verge of being shut down—even though studies suggest that such markets may predict elections better than polls do. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-political-scene/betting-on-elections-can-tell-us-a-lot-why-is-it-mostly-illegal">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>The Shoddy Conclusions of the Man Shaping the Gun-Rights Debate</strong> - John Lott is the most influential pro-gun researcher in the country. But his methods and findings have been repeatedly debunked. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/a-reporter-at-large/the-shoddy-conclusions-of-the-man-shaping-the-gun-rights-debate">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>I’ve Got a Bad Case of Election Dread</strong> - Whether or not there’s a red wave, it’s clear where this thing is going. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/letter-from-bidens-washington/ive-got-a-bad-case-of-election-dread">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Iran Arms Russia in the War in Ukraine</strong> - Tehran has deepened its alliance with Putin amid widespread protests at home. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/iran-arms-russia-in-the-war-in-ukraine">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Chuck Schumer’s Final Call</strong> - The Senate Majority Leader navigated one of the most sweeping legislative sessions in memory—why haven’t voters seemed to notice? - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-political-scene/chuck-schumers-final-call">link</a></p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-vox">From Vox</h1>
<ul>
<li><strong>Biden’s hugely consequential high-tech export ban on China, explained by an expert</strong> -
<figure>
<img alt="Semiconductor Wafer Manufacturing In Huai’an" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/eDw0gUpUpNygRwRPgjmexJMqDmI=/1182x0:6451x3952/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71588113/1428277847.0.jpg"/>
<figcaption>
An employee works on the production line of semiconductors at a factory in Huai’an, China, on September 27. | VCG/VCG via Getty Images
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The ban on semiconductor exports to China is one of the most consequential policy moves of the year — and could set off a geopolitical quake.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="LM0lDK">
One month ago, the US Commerce Department issued an exceptionally broad set of <a href="https://www.bis.doc.gov/index.php/documents/about-bis/newsroom/press-releases/3158-2022-10-07-bis-press-release-advanced-computing-and-semiconductor-manufacturing-controls-final/file">prohibitions</a> on exports to China of semiconductor chips and other high-tech equipment.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="vAUwyE">
The very technical nature of the export controls might obscure just how consequential this new policy could be — perhaps among the most important of this administration.<strong> </strong>
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="gGFME1">
The new rules appear to mark a major shift in the Biden administration’s China strategy, and present a substantial threat to high-tech industries in China, including military technology and artificial intelligence. Washington think tank CSIS <a href="https://www.csis.org/analysis/choking-chinas-access-future-ai">called</a> the White House’s new approach to the Chinese tech sector “strangling with an intent to kill.” A Chinese American tech entrepreneur <a href="https://mobile.twitter.com/jordanschnyc/status/1580889341265469440">tweeted</a> that China’s chip businesses fear “annihilation” and “industry-wide decapitation.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="IfKwqN">
Dominance across cutting-edge technologies has long been a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/27/opinion/china-america-chip-tech-war.html">centerpiece</a> of Beijing’s vision for the country’s future. China can already compete with industry leaders across a <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/essay/u-s-china-technology-competition/">range</a> of leading-edge technologies, but global semiconductor production is still <a href="https://www.csis.org/analysis/choking-chinas-access-future-ai">dominated</a> by a few corporations, none of them Chinese. China is dependent on foreign chips; the country spends <a href="https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3191682/chinas-semiconductor-imports-continue-contract-amid-economic">more per year</a> importing chips <a href="https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202204/1259198.shtml">than oil</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="pItcvB">
But the new <a href="https://www.bis.doc.gov/index.php/documents/about-bis/newsroom/press-releases/3158-2022-10-07-bis-press-release-advanced-computing-and-semiconductor-manufacturing-controls-final/file">export controls</a> ban the export to China of cutting-edge chips, as well as chip design software, chip manufacturing equipment, and US-built components of manufacturing equipment. Not only do the prohibitions cover exports from American firms, but also apply to any company worldwide that uses US semiconductor technology — which would cover all the world’s leading chipmakers. The new rules also forbid US citizens, residents, and green-card holders from working in Chinese chip firms.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Lr29Hq">
In short, the Biden administration wants to prevent China from buying the world’s best chips and the machines to make them. These top chips will power not only the next generations of military and AI technologies, but also self-driving vehicles and the surveillance tech that Beijing relies on to monitor its citizens.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="aCkDpT">
What are the stakes of the Biden administration’s move? How will China respond? Where does this geopolitical drama go next? To find out, I spoke with Jordan Schneider, a senior analyst for China and technology at the Rhodium Group, a research firm. A transcript of our conversation follows, edited for length and clarity.
</p>
<h4 id="8auHPz">
Michael Bluhm
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="E7rPJ3">
What is the Biden administration hoping to achieve with these export controls?
</p>
<h4 id="LfEd5z">
Jordan Schneider
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="zlxtpb">
In a <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2022/09/16/remarks-by-national-security-advisor-jake-sullivan-at-the-special-competitive-studies-project-global-emerging-technologies-summit/">speech</a> in September, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan gave a new justification for US thinking about export controls of emerging technologies in China. He made the case that certain technologies are “<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2022/09/16/remarks-by-national-security-advisor-jake-sullivan-at-the-special-competitive-studies-project-global-emerging-technologies-summit/">force multipliers</a>,” and so important to future economic and national security eventualities that the US needs to do whatever it can to increase the gap between American and Chinese capabilities.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="qfk8ty">
Because of that, you now see these path-breaking and very aggressive tech controls on semiconductors. The goal is to maintain, for certain foundational technologies, as large a lead as possible for the rest of the world ahead of China.
</p>
<h4 id="4Kz76i">
Michael Bluhm
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="HXoV6B">
Observers in both the US and China have said that this is a tremendously important move by the Biden administration, for both technology and geopolitics. How big of a deal is this?
</p>
<h4 id="f2GYVU">
Jordan Schneider
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="2MKnBn">
It’s a big deal for the Chinese semiconductor industry. It’s a big deal for the global semiconductor industry. When you’re weighing its importance in the entirety of US policy, it is a relatively niche thing, but it’s important because it’s an inflection point.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="1wE617">
It’s the first manifestation of this new doctrine that Jake Sullivan put forward, and it’s likely to play out across a number of different technologies. Alan Estevez, the undersecretary of commerce who leads the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security, said in late October that the US is <a href="https://www.nextgov.com/emerging-tech/2022/10/us-and-allies-developing-deal-export-controls-targeting-chinas-chip-access/379016/">not necessarily going to stop at semiconductors</a>. They’re going to go down the list of the potential, emerging technologies that will define the next few decades of the global economic and technological landscape, and then figure out what the US can do to try to constrain domestic Chinese capabilities.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="eKF8jW">
The export controls are an important fulcrum for a number of reasons. First, during these first two years of the Biden administration, it wasn’t clear that they would land where they did: taking much more aggressive steps to constrain Chinese technological development.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="SfNkym">
Second, it’s a milestone on a very long arc. In the early 1980s, the US was trying to boost Chinese technology, to balance against the Soviet Union. We brought China into the World Trade Organization. And now, the conclusion by a centrist Democrat president — which would be ramped up and amplified if a Republican took office — is that China can’t be trusted with frontier tech.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="fgnLsq">
That’s because of China’s place in the world, and in particular because of the centrality of civil-military fusion in [Chinese President Xi Jinping’s] vision — the idea that the Chinese state is hoping to use civilian companies to directly increase Chinese military capabilities.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="HARJE4">
The restrictions are a very dramatic decision by the Biden administration, and if US-China competition weren’t already baked in, this is really a point of no return for the relationship.
</p>
<h4 id="9FKNk0">
Michael Bluhm
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Zx8IlF">
This seems like a dramatic geopolitical moment. And this relationship, at least according to some analysts, might define global politics in the 21st century. How might the export controls affect dynamics between the US and China?
</p>
<h4 id="ccVhra">
Jordan Schneider
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="udEPGr">
It’s important to recognize that this is a dynamic environment. The Chinese government will have its say, too. With the Chinese Communist Party’s <a href="https://www.vox.com/2022/10/23/23419022/xi-jinping-third-term-communist-party-china-congress">recent Party Congress</a>, we had a dramatic manifestation of just how much Xi has consolidated power and how his vision of China’s future will dominate the People’s Republic for years.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="UT6znV">
The Biden administration spent its first two years saying to China, “Let’s do some stuff on climate change. Maybe we can collaborate on some public-health issues<em>.”</em> Time after time, the Chinese government has just not been interested in pursuing the positive-sum activities that the Biden administration came in thinking that it might be able to pursue.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="6o3TUC">
The Biden administration would have liked a slightly more even balance between the competitive, collaborative, and adversarial parts of the US-China relationship, but that’s not where Xi wants to take it.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="P3iNqq">
The administration has come to the conclusion that the types of collaboration that Xi is particularly interested in — such as the transfer to China of foreign technologies — doesn’t play to the US advantage in the long term. There’s a completely merited lack of trust, in the Biden administration, for where Xi wants to take China.
</p>
<h4 id="SA4mKY">
Michael Bluhm
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="RqWKYl">
You began your answer by making the point that China has agency here, too— and by noting Xi’s increasing political dominance. So how are China’s leaders responding to the export controls?
</p>
<h4 id="tQ4FK3">
Jordan Schneider
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="r0XbD0">
We haven’t heard a lot in the past few weeks, for understandable reasons. The Party Congress is the largest political event every five years, and it definitely led to less decision-making bandwidth for senior leaders.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="PZr9el">
Given some <a href="https://www.reuters.com/technology/china-holds-emergency-talks-with-chip-firms-after-us-curbs-bloomberg-news-2022-10-20/">recent reporting from Bloomberg</a> about a conversation that officials from China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology had with senior executives in the Chinese semiconductor industry, it seems like they’re still processing what this means for the future of their industry. They will soon find, if they haven’t already, that this is a really devastating blow for the future of Chinese firms trying to develop frontier tech in the chip space.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="GQ6p8H">
They have a number of potential paths ahead. They could double down on manufacturing lagging-edge tech, which means well-established technologies that are still widely used in countless products. They could try to punish the US by retaliating against leading electronics firms. They could retaliate directly against the semiconductor supply chain by making moves on the <a href="https://www.mining-technology.com/analysis/china-rare-earths-dominance-mining/">rare earth minerals</a> necessary to make chips, or on packaging — areas where China has a considerable place in the global market. They could do something as escalatory as a cyber-attack on some leading-edge American chipmaker.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ABjBGb">
Given how core this vision of creating a self-reliant tech ecosystem is to China’s leaders, I don’t think they’re going to look at these export controls and say, “Okay, maybe we should give up and focus somewhere else<em>.”</em> The long-term goal of creating leading-edge capacity in China has been such a core part of Xi’s vision that I find it hard to imagine them not taking this as a challenge.
</p>
<h4 id="cSAbnm">
Michael Bluhm
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="MmYiNZ">
Building a cutting-edge tech industry is a critical part of Xi’s strategy, as you say, but the US is also working to move some chip manufacturing onshore. The pandemic made clear to many in both parties that the US was dependent on fragile supply chains for many of the most critical technologies.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="pKreFK">
The <a href="https://www.vox.com/recode/2022/7/27/23277664/chips-act-solve-chip-shortage-biden-manufacturing">CHIPS Act</a> passed in July with bipartisan support in the Senate, and it aims to support research and production of semiconductor chips in America. But how realistic is it to build a substantial chip manufacturing industry in the United States?
</p>
<h4 id="GP9bQ4">
Jordan Schneider
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="CER62c">
It’s definitely realistic. For a long time, America manufactured most of these chips. It’s unrealistic to do what China is now going to have to do: create leading-edge chips in China by localizing thousands of different steps in the supply chain.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Agut8q">
The CHIPS Act and the broader push to restore semiconductor fabrication to the US has a number of different aims. The Commerce Department outlined four goals in its <a href="https://www.nist.gov/document/chips-america-strategy">strategy document</a>: to invest in American production of strategically important chips, particularly leading-edge chips; to make the global supply chain more sustainable, particularly for national security purposes; to support American R&amp;D; and make the American semiconductor workforce more diverse and vibrant.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="2yvwZI">
Those aims are achievable, though it’s unclear whether the funding in the act is going to be enough. Given the worries about <a href="https://www.vox.com/recode/2022/9/28/23375712/chips-semiconductors-china-taiwan-conflict">potential disruption of chip manufacturing in Taiwan</a>, this is a bit of an insurance policy for any eventuality there.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="WgYmL7">
There is also a broader justification in industrial strategy, because this is and will continue to be one of the most important industries. Without this support, it’s unlikely that much new semiconductor <a href="https://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia/term/fab">fabrication</a> capacity would come online at all within the US, because it’s competing against Taiwan, Singapore, Japan, China, and South Korea, all of which subsidize domestic manufacturers.
</p>
<h4 id="EcZejT">
Michael Bluhm
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="2JzSVs">
In the end, how seriously do you think this could damage the Chinese high-tech industry?
</p>
<h4 id="H218w6">
Jordan Schneider
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="wzqQVm">
This is essentially freezing in place the level to which these Chinese fabrication firms have advanced today. There’s a ton of fabrication capacity in lagging-edge tech in China. They’ll be able to continue business as usual, making hundreds of millions of chips that go into electronics sold all over the world. But they won’t be able to make the highest-end, highest performance, most power-efficient chips, which the US government has identified as being important — particularly for WMD, but also in the coming artificial intelligence revolution. These are the chips that are going to be running the AI models that are going to shape our lives militarily and economically.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="SvBDwV">
The advancement that you would expect Chinese firms to make is now largely closed off to them. The international technology and suppliers that they would need to advance to where Intel, TSMC, and Samsung currently are, is now blocked off to them, thanks to these new regulations.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Sm7NgY">
<em>Michael Bluhm is a senior editor at </em><a href="https://www.thesgnl.com/"><em><strong>The Signal</strong></em></a><em>. He was previously the managing editor at the Open Markets Institute and a writer and editor for the Daily Star in Beirut.</em>
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="LbOCe4">
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Sqb1Bu">
</p></li>
<li><strong>Why Democrats have the blue-state blues</strong> -
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/MVD9ZN1hm3t7P8dZxaDkaKFDN4c=/433x0:3900x2600/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71587962/GettyImages_1244469793.0.jpg"/>
<figcaption>
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul speaks during a Get Out The Vote event at Barnard College in New York City on November 3. | Anthony Behar/Sipa/Bloomberg via Getty Images
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
How Democrats let blue states become GOP targets in the midterms.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="y9H4ix">
If Republicans have a good night on Tuesday and win a big majority in the House of Representatives, their gains won’t necessarily come from the swing districts that have been perennial battlegrounds in recent elections. Instead, much of a “red wave” could come from blue states, with Republicans poised to pick up multiple seats in states like Oregon and New York, while Democrats in states that are less favorable political terrain might hold on.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="xZ0eDu">
It’s a surprising turn of events that’s largely rooted in self-inflicted injuries. The 2020 census meant this election cycle was the first with new congressional maps, and while Republicans were able to successfully gerrymander many of the states they controlled to their advantage, Democrats mostly failed to do the same.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="cyK0QM">
Similarly, Democrats thought focusing on abortion rights would pay off in the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s <em>Dobbs </em>decision in June reversing <em>Roe v. Wade,</em> particularly after they won special elections in upstate New York and Alaska. However, in states where abortion rights are protected under state law, the issue hasn’t resonated with voters. Instead, Democrats have suffered as Republicans focused on issues like the economy and crime.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="bizGtA">
Finally, the party is losing a number of lawmakers due to attrition. That’s not anyone’s fault, really — incumbents leave Congress every cycle for a variety of reasons. Some reasons are political: they run for higher office or lose their primaries. Others are personal: they want to make money in the private sector or are sick of being an elected official. But first-time candidates always start at a disadvantage. This year, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/31/us/politics/democrats-house-open-seats-republicans.html">19 open seats</a> are considered competitive, and a majority of them were previously held by Democrats.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="2puuZf">
All that is adding up to a difficult cycle for Democrats. The <a href="https://www.cookpolitical.com/ratings/house-race-ratings">nonpartisan Cook Political Report</a> has rated 10 seats currently held by the party as leaning or likely Republican (and the GOP needs to net only five for control of the House).
</p>
<h3 id="pM4Vu1">
Redistricting didn’t go Democrats’ way — and that’s partly their fault
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="f6csYN">
Willie Sutton famously said he robbed banks because “that’s where the money is.” Blue states are where the swing districts are this cycle.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="SWkssD">
A large part of that is because districts in many of these states are not gerrymandered. While many Democrats have been vocal supporters of redistricting reform — particularly after Republicans used gerrymandered maps in states like Pennsylvania and Texas to cement their control of Congress in the 2010s — it’s led to them being politically disadvantaged in some states, with independent commissions drawing maps in states like Colorado, where Democrats control the governor’s mansion and both chambers of the state house.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="iHrnNP">
In Virginia, the nonpartisan process put in place by a 2020 ballot measure ended after legal wrangling with two incumbents who suffered under the new maps. As a result, Democratic Rep. <a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2022/11/2/23434760/elaine-luria-january-6-midterms">Elaine Luria</a> was put in a more Republican district and Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger’s district became more Democratic, though much of it was territory that she had not previously represented before.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="GoT5jk">
In New York and Maryland, court cases against partisan gerrymanders have hurt Democrats. In Maryland, a legal battle meant Republican Rep. Andy Harris got a safe seat and Democratic Rep. David Trone will face a competitive race. In New York, a legal loss has led to disaster for Democrats. A carefully crafted gerrymander that would have given Democrats 22 of the state’s 26 congressional seats was thrown out by the courts, and a replacement map drawn by a special master created chaos, pitting incumbents against each other in primaries and creating a host of competitive races. According to the <a href="https://www.cookpolitical.com/ratings/house-race-ratings">Cook Political Report</a>, five congressional seats in the state are currently toss-ups, four of which are currently held by Democrats.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="mSPnib">
In contrast, in Illinois, a state where a gerrymander was left in place, Democrats are in much better shape, and Republicans are likely to be left with only three or four seats.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="A4aNEL">
Republican-held states managed to have far more efficient partisan gerrymandering processes. Republicans are likely to pick up at least four seats due to gerrymandering in Florida, whereas in Texas, the state legislature shored up vulnerable incumbents by preserving a gerrymander that gave the GOP dominance in the state’s congressional delegation.
</p>
<h3 id="i3k3yI">
Abortion wasn’t the silver bullet Democrats thought it would be
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="GboeR6">
Tip O’Neill reportedly said, “All politics is local.” That’s been true this time around.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="mVFDq6">
Nationally, Democrats believed abortion access would supercharge engagement, and in some states, <a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/23290714/kansas-abortion-referendum-primary-turnout-charts">like Kansas</a>, that seemed to be the case. But abortion is a less notable issue in some blue states because voters feel more complacent about the issue in a state where there are legal protections in place.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="GG94FP">
Although Democrats in races across the country have harped on proposals from national Republicans like South Carolina’s Sen. Lindsey Graham to pass federal restrictions, the issue has proved less successful in motivating voters in blue states.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="kqF08n">
It has been salient in places where abortion rights are at risk. In Kansas, where voters rejected a ballot question that would allow the state legislature to restrict abortion, two-term incumbent Democratic Rep. Sharice Davids is <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/10/27/upshot/times-siena-toplines-house-polls.html">ahead by 15 points</a>, according to a poll from Siena College and the New York Times, in a district that Trump won in 2016.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="8OS0y2">
But it isn’t helping candidates like <a href="https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2021/08/andrew-cuomo-impeachment-is-kathy-hochul-ready.html">New York Gov. Kathy Hochul</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="hWb6Vn">
In New York, <a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/23433184/crime-midterms-oz-fetterman-pennsylvania-senate">as in other states</a>, concerns <a href="https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2022/10/how-the-bail-reform-fight-stung-kathy-hochul.html">about rising crime</a> are helping Republican gubernatorial hopeful Lee Zeldin at the top of the ticket against Hochul. The incumbent Democrat, who became governor after Andrew Cuomo’s resignation, has run a lackluster campaign and has only recently <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTowZlqCUmQ">started to refocus</a> her campaign on addressing crime and public safety. Zeldin’s strong performance is helping boost the fortunes of Republican candidates running outside of New York City on Long Island and upstate.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="BeNOxd">
A similar scenario is playing out in Oregon, where Republican Christine Drazan <a href="https://www.semafor.com/article/10/19/2022/democrats-have-run-oregon-for-decades-their-time-may-be-running-out">is neck and neck</a> with Democrat Tina Kotek in a state where incumbent Democratic Gov. Kate Brown’s inability to address rising crime and homelessness in Portland has become a key campaign issue.
</p>
<h3 id="AhnMej">
Democrats have an incumbency shortage
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="4t8sGq">
One advantage of incumbency is that Democrats in more competitive seats are better candidates and more prepared for tough races. Incumbents like Reps. Matt Cartwright in northeastern Pennsylvania or Jared Golden in Maine can’t be caught napping because every campaign is competitive for them regardless of the national political environment. Democrats are facing especially tough races in tight districts this year thanks to recent history. Republicans flipped <a href="https://www.politico.com/2020-election/results/house/">14 Democratic-held seats in 2020</a>, picking up some of the lowest-hanging fruit in red states like Utah and South Carolina.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="hHde20">
In contrast, many of the opportunities for Republicans in blue states are coming in open seats like the two on Long Island or three in Oregon. Democrats in those races don’t have incumbents’ built-in advantage in running for Congress — high name ID, large war chests, and an easy primary. That’s left them more susceptible to negative ads by their GOP opponents and to national trends, like increased Republican momentum.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="qdaZN6">
Again, the GOP only needs five seats for a majority. Taking even some of these open swing districts in blue states would put them well on the path to getting there.
</p></li>
<li><strong>Mass layoffs and general chaos: How Elon Musk is changing Twitter</strong> -
<figure>
<img alt="Elon Musk stands in front of a striped background." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/1ypzvjak6s1JSUrT9PajzXkDyUs=/169x0:2974x2104/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71584032/GettyImages_1239416791.0.jpg"/>
<figcaption>
Elon Musk has been making major changes to Twitter’s workforce, company culture, and product roadmap after buying the company in late October. | Patrick Pleul/AFP via Getty Images
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
In his first full week as CEO, Musk is already drastically reshaping the social media platform.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="IPSpB3">
Elon Musk has only been in charge of Twitter since late October. But already, he’s turned the company and its platform upside down.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="UqOJxj">
In the days after Musk took over, he booted top executives, slashed rank-and-file headcount, pushed engineers to work harder, and began fast-tracking a hodgepodge of potentially revenue-generating features, including charging users to get or keep a verification check mark.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="esQwrs">
And while Musk didn’t immediately change any of Twitter’s policies against offensive content, in the hours after Musk took over there was a notable <a href="https://www.montclair.edu/school-of-communication-and-media/2022/10/29/study-finds-hate-speech-increases-on-twitter-after-elon-musk-acquisition/">surge</a> in <a href="https://www.montclair.edu/school-of-communication-and-media/2022/10/29/study-finds-hate-speech-increases-on-twitter-after-elon-musk-acquisition/">hate speech</a> on the app. <a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/jgpkqb/elon-musk-twitter-neo-nazis">Some of the users</a> posting felt emboldened by Musk’s “<a href="https://www.vox.com/recode/23042878/elon-musk-twitter-free-speech">free speech absolutist”</a> attitude, and actively tried to test the limits of what they could say on Twitter under the company’s new leadership.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="3bVT4k">
Many <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/10/20/musk-twitter-acquisition-staff-cuts/">current and former employees</a>, <a href="https://www.theinformation.com/articles/elon-musks-management-style-is-a-threat-to-global-democracy">social media academics</a>, and <a href="https://www.reuters.com/technology/human-rights-groups-raise-hate-speech-concerns-after-musks-takeover-twitter-2022-04-25/">human rights advocates</a> are concerned that Musk could change Twitter for the worse, turning it into an even more intense cesspool of negative content than it already is. But others hope Musk can breathe new life into a platform that was already <a href="https://www.reuters.com/technology/exclusive-where-did-tweeters-go-twitter-is-losing-its-most-active-users-internal-2022-10-25/">bleeding its most prolific users</a> and, <a href="https://money.cnn.com/2016/03/21/technology/twitter-10th-anniversary/index.html">for years</a>, has struggled to turn a profit.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="NiAF4D">
Here are some of the most significant ways Musk has changed the company so far.
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<h3 id="S4oefm">
Gutting Twitter’s staff
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="BiAV15">
Musk <a href="https://www.vox.com/recode/2022/10/27/23424938/elon-musk-own-twitter-deal-closes-what-will-change-superapp-layoffs-free-speech-parag-agrawal">began his reign as Twitter’s chief by firing top executives</a>. Within hours of the deal closing, CEO Parag Agrawal, CFO Ned Segal, and head of legal policy, trust, and safety Vijaya Gadde were shown the door.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="0Q8r0f">
The week after he took over, Musk continued firing executives, including Twitter’s ad chief, general manager of core tech, and chief marketing officer Leslie Berland (who just a few days earlier sent a cheery note announcing that Musk was visiting the San Francisco offices). He also <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/10/31/elon-musk-has-pulled-more-than-50-tesla-engineers-into-twitter.html">pulled in more than 50 Tesla engineers</a> to work for Twitter and assembled his own circle of trusted advisers.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="WUqLb5">
Now, Musk is moving on to gutting Twitter’s rank-and-file staff. He has reportedly <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-11-02/musk-plans-to-eliminate-half-of-twitter-jobs-in-cost-cut-drive">laid off an estimated 50 percent</a> — upward of 3,700 employees — from the company. Twitter informed its staff that layoffs would happen by 9 am PT on Friday in a company-wide email. By late Thursday evening, several employees told Recode or posted publicly on Twitter that they had already been <a href="https://twitter.com/shiringhaffary/status/1588370886612373504">locked out of their work email</a> and Slack accounts without any formal notice of whether they had been laid off.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="dIC4B1">
These cuts are the largest in Twitter’s history, and several current and former employees Recode spoke with are concerned that as a result Twitter’s operations as a platform could be at risk. Musk has also reportedly planned to slash $1 billion from Twitter’s infrastructure costs, such as server space, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/technology/musk-orders-twitter-cut-infrastructure-costs-by-1-bln-sources-2022-11-03/">according to a report from Reuters</a>, furthering those concerns.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="z0Ft7B">
While Musk hasn’t addressed employees directly about the cuts, on Friday afternoon Musk discussed the layoffs at an investor conference. He framed the layoffs as necessary because before the deal, “Twitter was having pretty serious revenue challenges and cost challenges,” <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/04/technology/elon-musk-twitter-layoffs.html">according to the New York Times</a>.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="OGc7hS">
Ahead of the layoffs, some employees were fighting to keep their jobs and prove their value to the company by working on special high-priority projects, many of them at Musk’s direction.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="rnSBU7">
Several Twitter employees told Recode that some colleagues worked 12-hour shifts over the weekend and slept on sofas in the office in order to make Musk’s grueling deadlines.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="6OFnxP">
“We’re trying to shoot our shot,” said one Twitter employee.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="L76Cxn">
But many employees who were pulled into special projects and worked grueling shifts were still laid off, sources told Recode.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="AS7mVv">
One Twitter employee described the morale at the company after the layoffs as low, and said that many colleagues who survived this round of cuts wish they had gotten laid off and gotten severance instead. Twitter is giving many laid-off employees full pay and benefits through at least January, although it’s not clear if this applied to all employees, particularly those outside the US, sources said.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="dtPE6W">
Shortly after the cuts, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/twitter-sued-layoffs-days-elon-musk-purchase-rcna55619">a group of five employees sued Twitter</a> in a class-action lawsuit, alleging the company failed to notify them of the impending layoffs as required by the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, or WARN Act, that requires certain employers to give a 60-day notice for mass layoffs in the US.
</p>
<h3 id="b04P9J">
Emboldening the trolls
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="x4xg4i">
Musk has said his primary reason for buying Twitter was to make it a haven for free speech. He’s <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/05/10/elon-musk-slams-left-wing-bias-in-twitter-censorship/">echoed conservatives’ longstanding concerns</a> that Twitter is politically biased against right-wing speech despite the <a href="https://www.techdirt.com/2022/04/18/fascinating-new-study-suggests-again-that-twitter-moderation-is-biased-against-misinformation-not-conservatives/">lack of evidence of that bias</a>.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="b8HNpg">
Conservative politicians like former president Donald Trump, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) <a href="https://time.com/6226238/twitter-elon-musk-right-wing-influencers-politicians-celebrate/">have celebrated Elon Musk’s ownership of Twitter</a> as a major win, with Trump saying he’s happy that Twitter “will no longer be run by Radical Left Lunatics and Maniacs.”
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="FzuW43">
But Musk’s more laissez-faire philosophy on content moderation has also caused another group of people to celebrate: trolls spreading racist, sexist, and otherwise hateful speech.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="JyBqZY">
One example: There was a 500 percent increase in uses of the n-word on Twitter in the 12 hours after Musk’s deal was completed, according to a study from the <a href="https://twitter.com/ncri_io/status/1586007698910646272">Network Contagion Research Institute</a>, even though none of Twitter’s rules have changed on the matter.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="9S2E0x">
Twitter has said it’s working on reducing the visibility of these posts. But data points like this have spooked several major advertisers that don’t want their brand affiliated with offensive content, including <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/10/28/gm-temporarily-suspends-advertising-on-twitter-following-elon-musk-takeover.html">General Motors</a>, <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/companies-suspending-ads-twitter-elon-113912694.html">Volkswagen, Audi, and Pfizer</a> — who have are waiting to see more about what direction the company will take under Musk’s leadership before they resume ads.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="fDcA1i">
Musk has tried to calm down advertiser concerns by tweeting a public note saying that he doesn’t want Twitter to turn into a “free-for-all hellscape.” On Thursday, Musk spoke with <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/11/02/twitter-owner-elon-musk-sees-pressure-from-civil-rights-leaders.html">leaders of civil rights groups</a> like the NAACP, the Anti-Defamation League, and Color of Change, promising them that Twitter takes hate speech seriously, and that he won’t reinstate any banned accounts (e.g., Trump) until after he sets up a content moderation advisory council, which he said will at least take several weeks.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="3gm7s5">
Musk also told civil rights leaders he would <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-11-02/musk-agrees-to-restore-twitter-content-moderation-tools-this-week?sref=qYiz2hd0">reverse his decision</a> to limit the amount of staff who can access content moderation systems, another one of their concerns.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="KIAtUN">
But by Friday morning, civil rights leaders organizing under the banner “#StopToxicTwitter Coalition” <a href="https://twitter.com/shiringhaffary/status/1588566637661540353">said that Musk had failed</a> to hold true to his promises — and ramped up their demands for major advertisers to pause all ads on the platform, Musk <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1588538640401018880">tweeted</a> on Friday that Twitter had a “massive drop in revenue” due to “activist groups” who he accused of trying to “destroy free speech in America.”
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="GNadxU">
It’s not just advertisers that are leaving Twitter because of Elon; there are also early signs that Elon’s takeover and the resulting negativity are causing some users to leave.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="99ZVmf">
One report in MIT Technology Review <a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/2022/11/03/1062752/twitter-may-have-lost-more-than-a-million-users-since-elon-musk-took-over">estimated some 877,000 accounts</a> were deactivated in the week after Musk’s deal closed. That’s more than double the usual number in that same time period, according to data from the firm Bot Sentinel that MIT Tech Review cited.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Lg0a2z">
Of course, these are all estimates, and only from a short window of time. Twitter has also been losing its most valuable “heavy tweeters” in droves for a while now, according to a <a href="https://www.reuters.com/technology/exclusive-where-did-tweeters-go-twitter-is-losing-its-most-active-users-internal-2022-10-25/">leaked internal report covered by Reuters</a>, and that predates Musk’s takeover. But time will tell whether Musk exacerbates Twitter’s existing problem of users fleeing the platform.
</p>
<h3 id="uog7d5">
Shaking up Twitter’s internal culture
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="tXGpJn">
Musk has been running Twitter in his own way, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-management-leadership-style-at-tesla-spacex-2022-4">similar to how he runs his other companies</a>: in an ad hoc and intense fashion. Rather than talking to his employees first, Musk often tweets whatever he’s thinking, including his plans for the company.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ZE3DtS">
Twitter staff have received little official communication, such as emails or corporate-wide Slack messages, so far from Twitter’s executive leadership since Musk officially took over. One employee who spoke with Recode on the condition of anonymity called it an “information vacuum.”
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That’s <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/11/03/elon-musk-twitter-layoffs-silence-blind/">been an adjustment for many Twitter employees</a> who are used to a more measured, communicative, and structured work culture. One anonymous Twitter employee told <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/11/03/elon-musk-twitter-layoffs-silence-blind/">the Washington Post</a> that the work atmosphere under Elon was like “working in Trump’s White House.”
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="KjPDor">
Employees are turning to private or anonymous communication platforms like Blind, Signal, and Discord to commiserate, several employees told Recode, since they no longer feel they can be candid on internal Slack or email.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="imvuFq">
Another major change Elon is making to Twitter’s internal culture is to drastically ramp up the pace at which new features are developed.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="56fnvP">
Normally, product changes like the ones that Musk is proposing — such as charging users for verification — would take months or even years to implement at Twitter. Now, employees are being asked to execute them almost overnight.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="znL7zN">
This could drive the kind of innovation that Twitter, a money-losing business, might need. But it could also leave staff demoralized, or worse, compromise the reliability and security the app provides to its hundreds of millions of users. Twitter already has existing problems on this front: Former Twitter head of security and internal whistleblower Peiter Zatko <a href="https://abc7chicago.com/whistleblower-testifies-twitter-misleading-lawmakers-regulators/12226613/">warned that the platform</a> “was over a decade behind industry security standards” in September.
</p>
<h3 id="mJwE9Q">
Making people pay for blue check marks
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Qt9UuE">
The first official product change that Musk confirmed after taking over Twitter was to start <a href="https://www.reuters.com/technology/musk-says-twitter-will-charge-8-blue-tick-2022-11-01/">charging $8 per month for “blue check marks”</a> — or the verification badges that Twitter currently gives to public figures like journalists, politicians, and celebrities.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Ejno1p">
The idea is that verification would be part of a premium “Twitter Blue” subscription that people pay for, which includes other benefits like fewer ads and more visibility for your Twitter replies to other people’s threads. Musk wants to open up verification to more people — not just journalists, politicians, and celebrities — as long as they’re willing to pay that price.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="xFHPz0">
This has caused major debate among people who are currently verified — many of whom said they aren’t willing to pay to keep their verification. After the famous <a href="https://twitter.com/StephenKing/status/1587042605627490304">author Stephen King</a> complained about the original $20-a-month price tag being floated around, Musk jumped in his replies to negotiate down to $8. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (D-NY) <a href="https://twitter.com/AOC/status/1587647032457449473">gave her own critique</a> of the plan, mocking Musk’s “power to the people” framing of what’s ultimately a paid feature.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="C8NhiR">
Twitter verification <a href="https://www.vox.com/recode/2022/11/4/23438917/twitter-verifications-blue-check-elon-musk">was designed to make sure people really are who they say they are</a> online. This does a service to Twitter’s user base by reducing scams, helping to verify trusted news sources, and stopping people from falling for impersonations. Musk’s plan to let anyone pay their way into verification (and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/03/technology/elon-musk-twitter-money-finances.html">per the New York Times</a>, Twitter is considering getting rid of ID checks, so that anyone can be whoever they want) could run the risk of undermining the trust verification is supposed to provide.
</p>
<h3 id="LQb4xI">
Throwing other ideas at the wall
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Mhv3jE">
Aside from charging for Twitter verification, Musk has been planning a whole new set of changes to the platform. While none of these are confirmed yet, they’re reportedly in the works or being tested.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="pOKT6P">
Those changes include making people pay for certain types of <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/11/01/elon-musk-twitter-paywalled-video/">“high risk” video content</a> (many are speculating it would be adult video content), <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/11/01/elon-musk-twitter-paywalled-video/">according to the Washington Post</a>; bringing back Vine, the short-form <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/11/01/elon-musk-might-bring-back-vine-a-predecessor-of-tiktok-shut-down-by-twitter.html">video app Twitter acquired and later shuttered</a>; changing the <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2022/10/30/23430008/elon-musk-twitter-homepage-subscriptions-changes">login page to the explore page</a>; and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/03/technology/elon-musk-twitter-money-finances.html">charging people for sending DMs</a> to high-profile users.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="kvh2I7">
For now, it seems like Elon is throwing a bunch of ideas out to see which ones work. As one investor in Musk’s deal, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/binance-ceo-says-elon-musk-new-twitter-features-will-fail-2022-11">Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao</a>, said at the Web Summit conference in November, he expects only 10 percent of Musk’s ideas “will stick.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Zx0CS7">
So far, many of Musk’s ideas (<a href="https://www.theverge.com/2016/10/28/13456208/why-vine-died-twitter-shutdown">like Vine</a> and <a href="https://www.theverge.com/23327809/twitter-onlyfans-child-sexual-content-problem-elon-musk">paid videos</a>) are old ones that Twitter has already tried — and failed at.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="W8U5JZ">
Over time, it will become clear if Musk will be able to successfully resurrect these old ideas — and his new ones, like paying for a check mark — with a very different work culture and staff than Twitter had before.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="F7S4Ds">
We’ll keep updating this post as Musk continues to shape Twitter, for better or worse.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="rit9y1">
<em><strong>Update, November 4, 6 pm ET:</strong></em><em> This story has been updated with new details about the Twitter layoffs. </em>
</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>Taimur shines</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>Forseti, Inyouwebelieve, Aldgate, Sofiya, Angel Bliss and Never Give In 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>Clinical approach need of the hour: Ashwin</strong> - Fast bowlers have set the tone, says India’s ace spinner</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>India has a few formalities to complete as it takes on Zimbabwe today</strong> - Rohit &amp; Co. have moved on from the setback against South Africa, but will be well aware of the perils of complacence against opponents perceived to be weak</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>Hope Rohit and his men win the World T20 this time, says Roger Binny</strong> - Binny said, “The Powerplay is one of the important areas. I think the openers have to give us a good start.”</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>Food poisoning reported in Kasturba Gandhi Residential School</strong> - Some students taken home by parents; Special Officer, five others suspended</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>Prospects of first pumped storage hydel project in TS brighten</strong> - A 1,200 MW project proposed in Nirmal district with water drawn from Swarna river</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>Rise in enrolment in government schools unabated in Telangana</strong> - The number of government schools has gone up marginally in State</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>Navy chiefs of Quad countries meet in Japan ahead of Malabar multilateral exercise</strong> - Chinese research vessel ‘Yuan Wang-6’ enters Indian Ocean</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>Bahurupi national theatre fest in December</strong> -</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>Kostroma: Deadly fire in Russian bar started by ‘flare gun’</strong> - Authorities say 13 people died in a club in Kostroma after a man fired a flare gun on the dance floor.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Ukraine war: Putin endorses evacuations from occupied Kherson</strong> - The Russian leader approves of civilians leaving “dangerous” areas of a key city in southern Ukraine.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Russians said they’d take my baby: A medic’s story</strong> - A Ukrainian woman suffered months of poor treatment and conditions while pregnant in a Russian prison.</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>‘We know where your family live’ - Ukrainian fighters face online death threats</strong> - A BBC investigation finds that Ukrainian soldiers and pro-Ukrainian activists are being targeted on Telegram.</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>TikTok influencer cleans people’s homes for free</strong> - Professional cleaner Auri from Finland cleans the homes of people in need.</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>Age of Empires is 25 years old and fans are shaping the franchise</strong> - A chat with Xbox CEO Phil Spencer and Worlds’s Edge Studio chief Michael Mann. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1895192">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>IceCube neutrino analysis pegs possible galactic source for cosmic rays</strong> - Physicists re-analyzed 10 years of data and found a tantalizing excess of 79 neutrinos. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1894039">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Herzog and Žižek become uncanny AI bots trapped in endless conversation</strong> - New site provides all the finest points of nonsense philosophy, verbalized forever. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1895474">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>HBO cancels Westworld before what was to be its final season</strong> - Reasons given include high production costs and declining viewership. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1895497">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Bivalent booster is 4x better against BA.5 in older adults, Pfizer says</strong> - But the shots are only effective if people actually get them. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1895502">link</a></p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-jokes-subreddit">From Jokes Subreddit</h1>
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<li><strong>A farmer goes to the market to sell his horse for $2000, and a man buys it from him.</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
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The farmer says he’ll deliver it to to man in 1 week’s time, but halfway through the week the horse dies.
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The farmer offers to refund the man’s money, but the man chooses to buy it anyway.
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The next week the farmer sees and asks the man what he did with the dead horse.
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The man says ’Oh I held a lucky draw, $50 for a chance to win a horse. 100 people entered, and I collected $5000.
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The farmer, shocked, asks ‘But wasn’t anyone upset with the horse?’ The man replies
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‘Oh yes, only the winner, but I refunded him his $50.’
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/lgbbbbb"> /u/lgbbbbb </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/ymm75e/a_farmer_goes_to_the_market_to_sell_his_horse_for/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/ymm75e/a_farmer_goes_to_the_market_to_sell_his_horse_for/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><strong>Two guys, one old timer and one in his mid 20’s, are pushing their carts around Lowe’s when they collide.</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
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The old timer says to the young guy, “Sorry about that. I’m looking for my wife, and I guess I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going.”
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The young guy says, “That’s a funny coincidence. I’m looking for my wife, too. I can’t find her and I’m getting a little desperate.”
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The old guy says, “Well, maybe we can help each other. What does your wife look like?”
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The young guy says, “Well, she is 24 yrs old, tall, with blonde hair, big blue eyes, long legs, big boobs, and she’s wearing tight white shorts, a halter top and no bra. What does your wife look like?”
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The old timer says, “Doesn’t matter–let’s look for yours.”
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/cooterbrwn"> /u/cooterbrwn </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/ym2x5o/two_guys_one_old_timer_and_one_in_his_mid_20s_are/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/ym2x5o/two_guys_one_old_timer_and_one_in_his_mid_20s_are/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><strong>Bragging About Sex</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
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Three guys were sitting at the bar begin to brag about their sex life….
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First guy said “You all have nothing on me. I come to the bar and bring home a different woman every night. Not only that but I drive a sports car into work everyday and have a 8 inch penis. I have slept with more than 1,000 women”
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Second guy said “Oh yeah? Well I’m the top gynecologist at the most highly rated hospital in the world. I make $1Mil a year, have patients and nurses who have sex with me every hour while I’m at work. All the women compliment me on my 12 inch penis. I have slept with well over 5,000 women.”
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The Third friend stands up and says, “I have you all beat. I fucked over all the Redditors who were expecting a punchline to this joke.”
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/LionsBlitz"> /u/LionsBlitz </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/ymqt8n/bragging_about_sex/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/ymqt8n/bragging_about_sex/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><strong>The Worst Way to Die</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
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It got crowded in heaven, so, for one day it was decided only to accept people who had really had a bad day on the day they died. St. Peter was standing at the pearly gates and said to the first man, <em>“Tell me about the day you died.”</em>
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The man said, <em>“Oh, it was awful. I was sure my wife was having an affair, so I came home early to catch her with him. I searched all over the apartment but couldn’t find him anywhere. So I went out onto the balcony, we live on the 25th floor, and found this man hanging over the edge by his fingertips. I went inside, got a hammer, and started hitting his hands. He fell, but landed in some bushes. So, I got the refrigerator and pushed it over the balcony and it crushed him. The strain of the act gave me a heart attack, and I died.”</em>
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St. Peter couldn’t deny that this was a pretty bad day, and since it was a crime of passion, he let the man in.
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He then asked the next man in line about the day he died. <em>“Well, sir, it was awful,”</em> said the second man. <em>“I was doing aerobics on the balcony of my 26th floor apartment when I twisted my ankle and slipped over the edge. I managed to grab the balcony of the apartment below, but some maniac came out and started pounding on my fingers with a hammer. Luckily I landed in some bushes. But, then the guy dropped a refrigerator on me!”</em>
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St. Peter chuckled, let him into heaven and decided he could really start to enjoy this job.
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<em>“Tell me about the day you died?”</em>, he said to the third man in line. <em>“OK, picture this, I’m naked, hiding inside a refrigerator….”</em>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/The_Critical_Cynic"> /u/The_Critical_Cynic </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/ymkao2/the_worst_way_to_die/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/ymkao2/the_worst_way_to_die/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><strong>What do you call a Russian with Covid?</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
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Kalashnicough
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/GMEthLoopring"> /u/GMEthLoopring </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/ym7xd0/what_do_you_call_a_russian_with_covid/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/ym7xd0/what_do_you_call_a_russian_with_covid/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
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