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<title>14 May, 2023</title>
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<h1 data-aos="fade-down" id="covid-19-sentry">Covid-19 Sentry</h1>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" data-aos-anchor-placement="top-bottom" id="contents">Contents</h1>
<ul>
<li><a href="#from-preprints">From Preprints</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-clinical-trials">From Clinical Trials</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-pubmed">From PubMed</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-patent-search">From Patent Search</a></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-preprints">From Preprints</h1>
<ul>
<li><strong>From Collection to Analysis: A Comparison of GISAID and the Covid-19 Data Portal</strong> -
<div>
We analyse ongoing efforts to share genomic data about SARS-COV-2 through a comparison of the characteristics of the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data and the Covid-19 Data Portal with respect to the representativeness and governance of the research data therein. We focus on data and metadata on genetic sequences posted on the two infrastructures in the period between January 2020 and January 2023, thus capturing a period of acute response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Through a variety of data science methods, we compare the extent to which the two portals succeeded in attracting data submissions from different countries around the globe and look at the ways in which submission rates varied over time. We go on to analyse the structure and underlying architecture of the infrastructures, reviewing how they organise data access and use, the types of metadata and version tracking they provide. Finally, we explore usage patterns of each infrastructure based on publications that mention the data to understand how data reuse can facilitate forms of diversity between institutions, cities, countries, and funding groups. Our findings reveal disparities in representation between the two infrastructures and differing practices in data governance and architecture. We conclude that both infrastructures offer useful lessons, with GISAID demonstrating the importance of expanding data submissions and representation, while the COVID-19 data portal offers insights into how to enhance data usability.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.05.13.540634v1" target="_blank">From Collection to Analysis: A Comparison of GISAID and the Covid-19 Data Portal</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Large-scale template-based structural modeling of T-cell receptors with known antigen specificity reveals complementarity features.</strong> -
<div>
T-cell receptor (TCR) recognition of foreign peptides presented by the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) initiates the adaptive immune response against pathogens. A large number of TCR sequences specific to different antigens are known to date, however, the structural data describing the conformation and contacting residues for TCR:antigen:MHC complexes is relatively limited. In the present study we aim to extend and analyze the set of available structures by performing highly accurate template-based modeling of TCR:antigen:MHC complexes using TCR sequences with known specificity. Using the set of 29 complex templates (including a template with SARS-CoV-2 antigen) and 732 specificity records, we built a database of 1585 model structures carrying substitutions in either TCR or TCR{beta} chains with some models representing the result of different mutation pathways for the same final structure. This database allowed us to analyze features of amino acid contacts in TCR:antigen interfaces that govern antigen recognition preferences and interpret these interactions in terms of physicochemical properties of interacting residues. Our results provide a methodology for creating high-quality TCR:antigen:MHC models for antigens of interest that can be utilized to predict TCR specificity.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.03.29.533758v3" target="_blank">Large-scale template-based structural modeling of T-cell receptors with known antigen specificity reveals complementarity features.</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Moving online: Experiences and potential benefits of digital dance for older adults and individuals with Parkinson’s disease</strong> -
<div>
Background. Dance is found to provide a range of beneficial effects for older adults including individuals with age-related neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease (PD). The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the development of at-home dance programs delivered digitally through live and pre-recorded media, but little is known about how participants may engage with and benefit from these resources. Objective. This study explored experiences and potential benefits of digital dance resources among healthy older adults and individuals with neurological conditions. Methods. An online survey consisting of fixed-choice and open questions was designed in collaboration with dance program providers and distributed between June and November 2020. Results. High levels of engagement in at-home dance programs were found among healthy older adults (N = 149) and individuals with PD (N = 178). Sensorimotor outcomes (e.g., balance, posture) were more widely reported among individuals with PD, while older adults reported similar numbers of sensorimotor and non-motor (e.g., mood, confidence) outcomes. The use of strategies (imagery and vocalising) during participation were differentially associated with outcomes in older adults and PD groups. At-home dance was found to offer convenience and flexibility, but participants missed the interaction, support and routine of in-person classes. The majority expressed a preference to continue with both digital and in-person participation in the future. Qualitative analysis of participants’ comments reinforced the quantitative findings, while also revealing that online dance could help to maintain connection and well-being, and identifying further considerations for improving accessibility and facilitating digital engagement. Conclusions. At-home dance programs appear to be accessible and engaging for older adults, including individuals with PD, although potential barriers to participation need to be addressed. Digital resources for home-based activities will be increasingly important to enable cost-effective, large-scale provision of therapeutic activities for older adults.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://psyarxiv.com/954f2/" target="_blank">Moving online: Experiences and potential benefits of digital dance for older adults and individuals with Parkinson’s disease</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Dance at home for people with Parkinson’s during COVID-19 and beyond: Participation, perceptions and prospects</strong> -
<div>
Emerging evidence shows that dance can provide both physical and non-physical benefits for people living with Parkinson’s disease (PD). The suspension of in-person dance classes during the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a transition to remote provision via live and recorded digital media. An online survey explored accessibility of and engagement with these home-based dance programs, as well as perceived benefits. The survey was co-developed by researchers and dance program providers, with input from people with PD and physiotherapists. Responses were collected from 276 individuals, including 178 current users of home-based programs, the majority of whom were participating at least once per week. Among respondents not currently using digital resources, lack of knowledge and motivation were the primary barriers. Most participants (94.9%) reported that home based practice provided some benefits, including physical (e.g., balance, posture) and non-physical (e.g., mood, confidence) improvements. Participants valued the convenience and flexibility of digital participation, but noted limitations including reductions in social interaction, support from instructors and peers, and routine. There was a strong preference (70.8%) for continuing with home-based practice alongside in-person classes in the future. The results indicate that at-home dance is accessible and usable for people with PD, and that some of the previously-reported benefits of dance may be replicated in this context. While COVID-19 expedited the development of digital programs, these will likely remain a key element of future provision for people with PD. The findings will inform the further development of resources and research into outcomes of home-based dance participation.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://psyarxiv.com/4wep9/" target="_blank">Dance at home for people with Parkinson’s during COVID-19 and beyond: Participation, perceptions and prospects</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Regulation of coronavirus nsp15 cleavage specificity by RNA structure</strong> -
<div>
SARS-CoV-2, the etiologic agent of the COVID-19 pandemic, has had an enduring impact on global public health. However, SARS-CoV-2 is only one of multiple pathogenic human coronaviruses (CoVs) to have emerged since the turn of the century. CoVs encode for several nonstructural proteins (NSPS) that are essential for viral replication and pathogenesis. Among them is nsp15, a uridine-specific viral endonuclease that is important in evading the host immune response and promoting viral replication. Despite the established function of nsp15 as a uridine-specific endonuclease, little is known about other determinants of its cleavage specificity. In this study we investigate the role of RNA secondary structure in SARS-CoV-2 nsp15 endonuclease activity. Using a series of in vitro endonuclease assays, we observed that thermodynamically stable RNA structures were protected from nsp15 cleavage relative to RNAs lacking stable structure. We leveraged the s2m RNA from the SARS 3'UTR as a model for our structural studies as it adopts a well-defined structure with several uridines, two of which are unpaired and thus high probably targets for nsp15 cleavage. We found that SARS-CoV-2 nsp15 specifically cleaves s2m at the unpaired uridine within the GNRNA pentaloop of the RNA. Further investigation revealed that the position of uridine within the pentaloop also impacted nsp15 cleavage efficiency, suggesting that positioning within the pentaloop is necessary for optimal presentation of the scissile uridine and alignment within the nsp15 catalytic pocket. Our findings indicate that RNA secondary structure is an important determinant of nsp15 cleavage and provides insight into the molecular mechanisms of recognition of RNA by nsp15.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.05.12.540483v1" target="_blank">Regulation of coronavirus nsp15 cleavage specificity by RNA structure</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Rapid cloning-free mutagenesis of new SARS-CoV-2 variants using a novel reverse genetics platform</strong> -
<div>
Reverse genetic systems enable engineering of RNA virus genomes and are instrumental to study RNA virus biology. With the recent outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, already established methods were challenged by the large genome of SARS-CoV-2. Herein we present an elaborated strategy for the rapid and straightforward rescue of recombinant plus-stranded RNA-viruses with high sequence fidelity, using the example of SARS-CoV-2. The strategy called CLEVER (CLoning-free and Exchangeable system for Virus Engineering and Rescue) is based on the intracellular recombination of transfected overlapping DNA fragments allowing the direct mutagenesis within the initial PCR-amplification step. Furthermore, by introducing a linker fragment (harboring all heterologous sequences) viral RNA can directly serve as template for manipulation and rescue of recombinant mutant virus, without any cloning-step needed. Overall, this strategy will facilitate recombinant SARS-CoV-2 rescue and accelerate its manipulation. Using our protocol, newly emerging variants can quickly be engineered to further elucidate its biology.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.05.11.540343v1" target="_blank">Rapid cloning-free mutagenesis of new SARS-CoV-2 variants using a novel reverse genetics platform</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Researching COVID to enhance recovery (RECOVER) pediatric study protocol: Rationale, objectives and design</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Importance: The prevalence, pathophysiology, and long-term outcomes of COVID-19 (post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 [PASC] or “Long COVID”) in children and young adults remain unknown. Studies must address the urgent need to define PASC, its mechanisms, and potential treatment targets in children and young adults. Observations: We describe the protocol for the Pediatric Observational Cohort Study of the NIH’s REsearching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER) Initiative. RECOVER-Pediatrics is an observational meta-cohort study of caregiver-child pairs (birth through 17 years) and young adults (18 through 25 years), recruited from more than 100 sites across the US. This report focuses on two of five cohorts that comprise RECOVER-Pediatrics: 1) a de novo RECOVER prospective cohort of children and young adults with and without previous or current infection; and 2) an extant cohort derived from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study (n=10,000). The de novo cohort incorporates three tiers of data collection: 1) remote baseline assessments (Tier 1, n=6000); 2) longitudinal follow-up for up to 4 years (Tier 2, n=6000); and 3) a subset of participants, primarily the most severely affected by PASC, who will undergo deep phenotyping to explore PASC pathophysiology (Tier 3, n=600). Youth enrolled in the ABCD study participate in Tier 1. The pediatric protocol was developed as a collaborative partnership of investigators, patients, researchers, clinicians, community partners, and federal partners, intentionally promoting inclusivity and diversity. The protocol is adaptive to facilitate responses to emerging science. Conclusions and Relevance: RECOVER-Pediatrics seeks to characterize the clinical course, underlying mechanisms, and long-term effects of PASC from birth through 25 years old. RECOVER-Pediatrics is designed to elucidate the epidemiology, four-year clinical course, and sociodemographic correlates of pediatric PASC. The data and biosamples will allow examination of mechanistic hypotheses and biomarkers, thus providing insights into potential therapeutic interventions.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.04.27.23289228v2" target="_blank">Researching COVID to enhance recovery (RECOVER) pediatric study protocol: Rationale, objectives and design</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Post-16 students’ experience of practical science during the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact on students’ self-efficacy in practical work</strong> -
<div>
This paper presents the findings from a detailed study investigating UK undergraduate students’ experience of practical science in their post-16 studies during the COVID-19 pandemic. It also examines the perceived confidence and preparedness of the students in relation to areas of practical science skills at the start of their degree courses. The study employed an exploratory sequential mixed methods design, with the findings from focus groups with students at the end of their post-16 studies used to support the development of a comprehensive quantitative survey for incoming undergraduate students. Survey data were collected in September and October 2021 from 275 students commencing Biological Science/Life Science, Chemistry, Physics and Natural Science degrees at two universities in England. The research is significant for its finding that although almost all students had the opportunity to undertake practical work as part of their post-16 studies during the COVID-19 pandemic, there was significant variation in students’ experiences. The data indicate that students’ self-efficacy in relation to practical science was impacted by the closures of post-16 education establishments, ongoing social distancing and the removal of the assessment criteria for students to have ‘routinely and consistently’ undertaken each of the practical assessment requirements. The research presents important considerations which are relevant for educators supporting students’ transition from post-16 to Higher Education.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://edarxiv.org/gx2jh/" target="_blank">Post-16 students’ experience of practical science during the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact on students’ self-efficacy in practical work</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Healthcare resource utilisation and costs of hospitalisation and primary care among adults with COVID-19 in England: a population-based cohort study</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Objectives To quantify healthcare resource utilisation (HCRU) and costs to the National Health Service (NHS) associated with acute COVID-19 in adults in England. Design Population-based retrospective cohort study, using Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) Aurum primary care electronic medical records linked when available to Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) secondary care administrative data. Setting Patients registered to primary care practices in England. Population 1,706,368 adults with a positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR or antigen test from August 2020 to January 2022 were included; 13,105 within the hospitalised cohort indexed between August 2020 and March 2021, and 1,693,263 within the primary care cohort indexed between August 2020 and January 2022. Main outcome measures Primary and secondary care HCRU and associated costs during the acute phase of COVID-19 (≤4 weeks following positive test), stratified by age group, risk of severe COVID-19 and immunocompromised status. Results Among the hospitalised cohort, average total length of stay, as well as in critical care wards, was longer in older adults. Median healthcare cost per hospitalisation was higher in those aged 75 - 84 (£8,942) and ≥85 years (£8,835) than in those aged &lt;50 years (£7,703). Whilst few (6.0%) patients in critical care required mechanical ventilation, its use was higher in older adults (50 - 74 years: 8.3%; &lt;50 years: 4.3%). HCRU and associated costs were often greater in those at higher risk of severe COVID-19 when compared to the overall cohort, although minimal differences in HCRU were found across the three different high-risk definitions implemented. Among the primary care cohort, GP or nurse consultations were more frequent among older adults and the immunocompromised. Conclusions COVID-19 related hospitalisations in older adults, particularly critical care admissions, were the primary drivers of high resource use of COVID-19 in England. These findings may inform health policy decisions and resource allocation in the prevention and management of COVID-19.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.05.10.23289557v2" target="_blank">Healthcare resource utilisation and costs of hospitalisation and primary care among adults with COVID-19 in England: a population-based cohort study</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Broad and Durable Humoral Responses Following Single Hydrogel Immunization of SARS-CoV-2 Subunit Vaccine</strong> -
<div>
Most vaccines require several immunizations to induce robust immunity, and indeed, most SARS-CoV-2 vaccines require an initial two-shot regimen followed by several boosters to maintain efficacy. Such a complex series of immunizations unfortunately increases the cost and complexity of populations-scale vaccination and reduces overall compliance and vaccination rate. In a rapidly evolving pandemic affected by the spread of immune-escaping variants, there is an urgent need to develop vaccines capable of providing robust and durable immunity. In this work, we developed a single immunization SARS-CoV-2 subunit vaccine that could rapidly generate potent, broad, and durable humoral immunity. We leveraged injectable polymer-nanoparticle (PNP) hydrogels as a depot technology for the sustained delivery of a nanoparticle COVID antigen displaying multiple copies of the SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding-domain (RBD NP), and potent adjuvants including CpG and 3M052. Compared to a clinically relevant prime-boost regimen with soluble vaccines formulated with CpG/Alum or 3M052/Alum adjuvants, PNP hydrogel vaccines more rapidly generated higher, broader, and more durable antibody responses. Additionally, these single-immunization hydrogel-based vaccines elicited potent and consistent neutralizing responses. Overall, we show that PNP hydrogels elicit improved anti-COVID immune responses with only a single administration, demonstrating their potential as critical technologies to enhance our overall pandemic readiness.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.12.12.520166v3" target="_blank">Broad and Durable Humoral Responses Following Single Hydrogel Immunization of SARS-CoV-2 Subunit Vaccine</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Impacts of vaccination and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 variants Alpha and Delta on Coronavirus Disease 2019 transmission dynamics in four metropolitan areas of the United States</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
To characterize Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) transmission dynamics in each of the metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) surrounding Dallas, Houston, New York City, and Phoenix in 2020 and 2021, we extended a previously reported compartmental model accounting for effects of multiple distinct periods of non-pharmaceutical interventions by adding consideration of vaccination and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants Alpha (lineage B.1.1.7) and Delta (lineage B.1.617.2). For each MSA, we found region-specific parameterizations of the model using daily reports of new COVID-19 cases available from January 21, 2020 to October 31, 2021. In the process, we obtained estimates of the relative infectiousness of Alpha and Delta as well as their takeoff times in each MSA (the times at which sustained transmission began). The estimated infectiousness of Alpha ranged from 1.1x to 1.4x that of viral strains circulating in 2020 and early 2021. The estimated relative infectiousness of Delta was higher in all cases, ranging from 1.5x to 2.4x. The estimated Alpha takeoff times ranged from February 10 (for New York City, which was evidently impacted much earlier than the other regions) to March 23, 2021. The estimated Delta takeoff times were more tightly clustered, ranging from June 8 to June 24, 2021. Estimated takeoff times are consistent with genomic surveillance data.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.10.19.21265223v3" target="_blank">Impacts of vaccination and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 variants Alpha and Delta on Coronavirus Disease 2019 transmission dynamics in four metropolitan areas of the United States</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS AND COVID-19 TESTING RATES: SPATIO-TEMPORAL PATTERNS AND IMPACT OF TEST ACCESSIBILITY IN SWEDEN</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Background: Diagnostic testing is essential for disease surveillance and test-trace-isolate efforts. Here, we aimed to investigate if residential area sociodemographic characteristics and test accessibility were associated with COVID-19 testing rates. Methods: We included information on 421 542 patient-initiated COVID-19 PCR tests from Uppsala County in Sweden from 24 June, 2020 to 9 February, 2022. Using Poisson regression analyses, we investigated whether the Care Need Index (CNI; median 1.0, IQR 0.8, 1.4), a composite measure of sociodemographic factors used in Sweden to allocate primary healthcare resources, was associated with aggregated COVID-19 daily testing rates after adjustments for community transmission. We further assessed if distance to the nearest testing station influenced testing. Lastly, we performed a difference-in-difference analysis of the opening of a testing station targeting a disadvantaged neighbourhood. Results: We observed that CNI, i.e. primary healthcare need, was negatively associated with COVID-19 testing rates in inhabitants aged 5-69 years. More pronounced differences were noted across younger age groups and in Uppsala City, with test rate ratios in children (5-14 years) ranging from 0.56 (95% CI 0.47-0.66) to 0.88 (95% CI 0.81-0.95) across the three pandemic waves. Longer distance to testing station was linked to lower testing rates, foremost in less densely populated areas. Furthermore, the opening of the targeted testing station was associated with increased testing, including twice as high testing rates in individuals aged 70-105, supporting an intervention effect. Conclusions: Ensuring accessible testing across all residential areas constitutes a promising tool to decrease differences and inequalities in testing.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.12.15.20248247v2" target="_blank">SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS AND COVID-19 TESTING RATES: SPATIO-TEMPORAL PATTERNS AND IMPACT OF TEST ACCESSIBILITY IN SWEDEN</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Biorefinery Innovation in Increasing the Effectiveness of COVID-19 Vaccine Production</strong> -
<div>
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of innovation in the fight against infectious diseases. Biorefinery offers a promising platform for the production of vaccines that is more cost-effective, efficient, and scalable than traditional methods. By using advanced fermentation and purification techniques and genetic engineering, biorefinery can improve the efficacy of vaccines and enable their production on a large scale. While there are challenges that need to be addressed, biorefinery has the potential to revolutionize the way we produce vaccines and other bioproducts, and contribute to a more sustainable and resilient future.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://osf.io/6tuh7/" target="_blank">Biorefinery Innovation in Increasing the Effectiveness of COVID-19 Vaccine Production</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Metabolic alterations unravel the materno fetal immune responses with disease severity in pregnant women infected with SARS-CoV-2</strong> -
<div>
Background: Pregnancy being immune compromised state, COVID-19 disease poses a high risk of premature delivery and threat to fetus. Plasma metabolome regulates immune cellular responses and we aimed to analyze the plasma secretome, metabolome, and immune cells in COVID-19-positive pregnant mothers and cord blood. Methods: COVID-19 RT-PCR positive pregnant females (n=112) asymptomatic (n=82), or with mild (n=21) or moderate (n=9) disease and control healthy pregnant (n=10) females were included. Mothers blood and cord blood (n=80) was analyzed for untargeted metabolome profiling and plasma cytokines by high-resolution mass spectrometry (MS) and multiplex cytokine bead array. Immune scan in mothers was done using flow cytometry. Results: In asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection, the amino acid metabolic pathways such as glycine, serine, L-lactate, and threonine metabolism was upregulated, riboflavin and tyrosine metabolism, downregulated. In mild to moderate disease, the pyruvate and NAD+ metabolism (energy metabolic pathways) were mostly altered. In addition to raised TNF-alpha, IFN-alpha, IFN-gamma, IL-6 cytokine storm, IL-9 was increased in both mothers and neonates. Pyruvate and NAD+ metabolic pathways along with IL-9 and IFN-gamma had an impact on non-classical monocytes, increased CD4 T cells and B cells but depleted CD8+ T cells. Cord blood mimicked the mothers metabolomic profiles by showing altered valine, leucine, isoleucine, glycine, serine, threonine in asymptomatic and NAD+ and riboflavin metabolism in mild and moderate disease subjects. Conclusions: Our results demonstrate a graduated immune-metabolomic interplay in mother and fetus in pregnant females with different degrees of severity of COVID-19 disease. IL-9 and IFN- gamma regulated pyruvate, lactate TCA metabolism, and riboflavin metabolism with context to disease severity are hallmarks of this materno-fetal metabolome.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.05.10.540101v1" target="_blank">Metabolic alterations unravel the materno fetal immune responses with disease severity in pregnant women infected with SARS-CoV-2</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>D614G and Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variant spike proteins differ in the effects of N-glycan modifications on spike expression, virus infectivity, and neutralization by some therapeutic antibodies</strong> -
<div>
The SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein has 22 potential N-linked glycosylation sites per monomer that are highly conserved among diverse variants, but how individual glycans affect virus entry and neutralization of Omicron variants has not been extensively characterized. Here we compared the effects of specific glycan deletions or modifications in the Omicron BA.1 and D614G spikes on spike expression, processing, and incorporation into pseudoviruses, as well as on virus infectivity and neutralization by therapeutic antibodies. We found that loss of potential glycans at spike residues N717 and N801 each conferred a loss of pseudovirus infectivity for Omicron but not for D614G or Delta variants. This decrease in infectivity correlated with decreased spike processing and incorporation into Omicron pseudoviruses. Oligomannose-enriched Omicron pseudoviruses generated in GnTI- cells or in the presence of kifunensine were non-infectious, whereas D614G or Delta pseudoviruses generated under similar conditions remained infectious. Similarly, authentic SARS-CoV-2 grown in the presence of kifunensine decreased titers more for the BA.1.1 variant than Delta or D614G variants relative to their respective, untreated controls. Finally, we found that loss of some N-glycans, including N343 and N234, increased the maximum percent neutralization by the class 3 S309 monoclonal antibody against D614G but not BA.1 variants, while these glycan deletions altered the neutralization potency of the class 1 COV2-2196 and Etesevimab monoclonal antibodies without affecting maximum percent neutralization. The maximum neutralization by some antibodies also varied with the glycan composition, with oligomannose-enriched pseudoviruses conferring the highest percent neutralization. These results highlight differences in the interactions between spike glycans and residues among SARS-CoV-2 variants that can affect spike expression, virus infectivity, and susceptibility of variants to antibody neutralization.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.05.10.540228v1" target="_blank">D614G and Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variant spike proteins differ in the effects of N-glycan modifications on spike expression, virus infectivity, and neutralization by some therapeutic antibodies</a>
</div></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-clinical-trials">From Clinical Trials</h1>
<ul>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>The Standard of Care Combined With Glucocorticoid in Elderly People With Mild or Moderate COVID-19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Drug: Glucocorticoid<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Huashan Hospital<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Arginine Replacement Therapy in COVID-19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Drug: Arginine Hydrochloride<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Emory University<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Effectiveness of a Second COVID-19 Vaccine Booster in Chinese Adults</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Biological: Intramuscularly administered Ad5-nCoV vaccine;   Biological: Aerosolized Ad5-nCoV;   Biological: DelNS1-2019-nCoV-RBD-OPT1;   Biological: SYS6006<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Jiangsu Province Centers for Disease Control and Prevention<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Long COVID-19 Syndrome Lifestyle Intervention Study</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Long COVID-19 Syndrome<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Dietary Supplement: Low carbohydrate diet intervention<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   University of Southern California<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 Pilot Study Evaluating the Efficacy of the Vielight Neuro RX Gamma in the Treatment of Post COVID-19 Cognitive Impairment</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Post COVID-19 Cognitive Impairment<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Device: Vielight Neuro RX Gamma active device;   Device: Vielight Neuro RX Gamma sham device<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Vielight Inc.<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>PAxlovid loNg cOvid-19 pRevention triAl With recruitMent In the Community in Norway</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>:   Post COVID-19 Condition, Unspecified;   SARS-CoV2 Infection;   COVID-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Drug: Nirmatrelvir/ritonavir;   Drug: Placebo<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   Haukeland University Hospital;   University of Bergen<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>Working Towards Empowered Community-driven Approaches to Increase Vaccination and Preventive Care Engagement</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Other: mHealth Outreach;   Other: Care Coordination<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   University of California, San Diego;   San Ysidro Health Center<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>Role of Vit-D Supplementation on BioNTech, Pfizer Vaccine Side Effect and Immunoglobulin G Response</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19 Respiratory Infection<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Combination Product: Vitamin-D<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Sulaimany Polytechnic university<br/><b>Completed</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Safety, Tolerability and Immunogenicity of Alveavax-v1.2, a BA.2/Omicron-optimized, DNA Vaccine for COVID-19 Prevention</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Sars-CoV-2 Infection<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Drug: Alveavax-v1.2;   Drug: Janssen Ad26.COV2.S<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Alvea Holdings, 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>Post Covid-19 Dysautonomia Rehabilitation Randomized Controlled Trial</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>:   Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome;   Dysautonomia<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Procedure: Rehabilitation;   Procedure: Standard of Care<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   Evangelismos Hospital;   National and Kapodistrian University of Athens;   LONG COVID GREECE;   414 Military Hospital of Special Diseases<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>COVID-19 Vaccination Detoxification in LDL-C</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>:   COVID-19 Stress Syndrome;   COVID-19 Vaccine Adverse Reaction;   COVID-19-Associated Thromboembolism;   COVID-19 Post-Intensive Care Syndrome;   COVID-19-Associated Stroke;   COVID-19 Respiratory Infection<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Combination Product: Atorvastatin Calcium Tablets<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Yang I. Pachankis<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>Exercise for Health in Patients With Post-acute Sequelae of COVID-19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Long COVID<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Other: Rehabilitation program<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   Campus docent Sant Joan de Déu-Universitat de Barcelona;   Hospital de Mataró;   University of Barcelona<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>Digital Multimodal Rehabilitation for People With Post-acute COVID-19 Syndrome.</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Post-COVID Syndrome<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Behavioral: RehabCovid_Telematic;   Behavioral: RehabCovid_ImmersiveVR;   Behavioral: Control_Condition<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   Consorci Sanitari de Terrassa;   University of Barcelona;   Universitat de Girona;   Unitat Assistencial i Preventiva de l’Esport- Centre d’Alt rendiment;   Politecnic University of Catalonia;   Corporación Fisiogestión<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>A Study in Healthy Volunteers to Evaluate the Safety, Tolerability, Pharmacokinetics, and Drug-Drug Interaction Potential of Single and Multiple Doses of ALG-097558</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Drug: ALG-097558;   Drug: Placebo;   Drug: Midazolam;   Drug: Itraconazole;   Drug: Carbamazepine;   Drug: ALG-097558 in solution formulation;   Drug: ALG-097558 in tablet formulation<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Aligos Therapeutics<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>Immunoadsorption Study Mainz in Adults With Post-COVID Syndrome</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>:   Post-COVID-19 Syndrome;   Post-COVID Syndrome;   Post COVID-19 Condition<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Device: Immunoadsorption;   Device: Sham-apheresis<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   University Medical Center Mainz<br/><b>Recruiting</b></p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-pubmed">From PubMed</h1>
<ul>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Glycolytic stress deteriorates 229E virulence to improve host defense response</strong> - Viral infection treatment is a difficult task due to its complex structure and metabolism. Additionally, viruses can alter the metabolism of host cells, mutate, and readily adjust to harsh environments. Coronavirus stimulates glycolysis, weakens mitochondrial activity, and impairs infected cells. In this study, we investigated the efficacy of 2-DG in inhibiting coronavirus-induced metabolic processes and antiviral host defense systems, which have not been explored so far. 2-Deoxy-d-glucose…</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 Omicron subvariant spike N405 unlikely to rapidly deamidate</strong> - The RGD motif on the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein has been suggested to interact with RGD-binding integrins αVβ3 and α5β1 to enhance viral cell entry and alter downstream signaling cascades. The D405N mutation on the Omicron subvariant spike proteins, resulting in an RGN motif, has recently been shown to inhibit binding to integrin αVβ3. Deamidation of asparagines in protein ligand RGN motifs has been demonstrated to generate RGD and RGisoD motifs that permit binding to RGD-binding integrins. Two…</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>Impact of anesthetic management on catheter ablation for premature ventricular complexes: insights during the COVID-19 outbreak</strong> - CONCLUSION: Ablation of PVC under LA presented significantly higher AAS rate compared to GA. The procedure under GA might be complicated by PVC inhibition (after catheter insertion/during mapping) and PVC disinhibition post-extubation.</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>Viricidal Activity of Thermoplastic Polyurethane Materials with Silver Nanoparticles</strong> - The use of diverse Ag-based nanoparticulated forms has shown promising results in controlling viral propagation. In this study, a commercial nanomaterial consisting of ceramic-coated silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) was incorporated into thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) plates using an industrial protocol, and the surface composition, ion-release dynamics and viricidal properties were studied. The surface characterization by FESEM-EDX revealed that the molar composition of the ceramic material was…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Computational and Enzymatic Studies of Sartans in SARS-CoV-2 Spike RBD-ACE2 Binding: The Role of Tetrazole and Perspectives as Antihypertensive and COVID-19 Therapeutics</strong> - This study is an extension of current research into a novel class of synthetic antihypertensive drugs referred to as “bisartans”, which are bis-alkylated imidazole derivatives bearing two symmetric anionic biphenyltetrazoles. Research to date indicates that bisartans are superior to commercially available hypertension drugs, since the former undergo stronger docking to angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). ACE2 is the key receptor involved in SARS-CoV-2 entry, thus initiating COVID-19…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>In Vitro and In Vivo Therapeutic Potential of 6,6’-Dihydroxythiobinupharidine (DTBN) from <em>Nuphar lutea</em> on Cells and K18-<em>hACE2</em> Mice Infected with SARS-CoV-2</strong> - We have previously published research on the anti-viral properties of an alkaloid mixture extracted from Nuphar lutea, the major components of the partially purified mixture found by NMR analysis. These are mostly dimeric sesquiterpene thioalkaloids called thiobinupharidines and thiobinuphlutidines against the negative strand RNA measles virus (MV). We have previously reported that this extract inhibits the MV as well as its ability to downregulate several MV proteins in persistently MV-infected…</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 Binding and Neutralization Properties of Peptides Derived from N-Terminus of Human ACE2</strong> - The binding properties of synthetic and recombinant peptides derived from N-terminal part of ACE2, the main receptor for SARS-CoV-2, were evaluated. Additionally, the ability of these peptides to prevent virus entry in vitro was addressed using both pseudovirus particles decorated with the S protein, as well as through infection of Vero cells with live SARS-CoV-2 virus. Surprisingly, in spite of effective binding to S protein, all linear peptides of various lengths failed to neutralize the viral…</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>AI-Driven De Novo Design and Molecular Modeling for Discovery of Small-Molecule Compounds as Potential Drug Candidates Targeting SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease</strong> - Over the past three years, significant progress has been made in the development of novel promising drug candidates against COVID-19. However, SARS-CoV-2 mutations resulting in the emergence of new viral strains that can be resistant to the drugs used currently in the clinic necessitate the development of novel potent and broad therapeutic agents targeting different vulnerable spots of the viral proteins. In this study, two deep learning generative models were developed and used in combination…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>In Vivo Efficacy and Toxicity of an Antimicrobial Peptide in a Model of Endotoxin-Induced Pulmonary Inflammation</strong> - SET-M33 is a synthetic peptide that is being developed as a new antibiotic against major Gram-negative bacteria. Here we report two in vivo studies to assess the toxicity and efficacy of the peptide in a murine model of pulmonary inflammation. First, we present the toxicity study in which SET-M33 was administered to CD-1 mice by snout inhalation exposure for 1 h/day for 7 days at doses of 5 and 20 mg/kg/day. The results showed adverse clinical signs and effects on body weight at the higher dose,…</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>Deciphering the Relationship between SARS-CoV-2 and Cancer</strong> - Some viruses are known to be associated with the onset of specific cancers. These microorganisms, oncogenic viruses or oncoviruses, can convert normal cells into cancer cells by modulating the central metabolic pathways or hampering genomic integrity mechanisms, consequently inhibiting the apoptotic machinery and/or enhancing cell proliferation. Seven oncogenic viruses are known to promote tumorigenesis in humans: human papillomavirus (HPV), hepatitis B and C viruses (HBV, HCV), Epstein-Barr…</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>Different In Silico Approaches Using Heterocyclic Derivatives against the Binding between Different Lineages of SARS-CoV-2 and ACE2</strong> - Over the last few years, the study of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and its mutations has become essential in understanding how it interacts with human host receptors. Since the crystallized structure of the spike protein bound to the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor was released (PDB code 6M0J), in silico studies have been performed to understand the interactions between these two proteins. Specifically, in this study, heterocyclic compounds with different chemical characteristics…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Anti-COVID-19 Potential of Ellagic Acid and Polyphenols of <em>Punica granatum</em> L</strong> - Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) is a rich source of polyphenols, including ellagitannins and ellagic acid. The plant is used in traditional medicine, and its purified components can provide anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity and support of host defenses during viral infection and recovery from disease. Current data show that pomegranate polyphenol extract and its ellagitannin components and metabolites exert their beneficial effects by controlling immune cell infiltration, regulating…</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>Computer Analysis of the Inhibition of ACE2 by Flavonoids and Identification of Their Potential Antiviral Pharmacophore Site</strong> - In the present study, we investigated the antiviral activities of 17 flavonoids as natural products. These derivatives were evaluated for their in vitro antiviral activities against HIV and SARS-CoV-2. Their antiviral activity was evaluated for the first time based on POM (Petra/Osiris/Molispiration) theory and docking analysis. POM calculation was used to analyze the atomic charge and geometric characteristics. The side effects, drug similarities, and drug scores were also assumed for the…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Anxiolytic-like Effects and Quantitative EEG Profile of Palmitone Induces Responses Like Buspirone Rather Than Diazepam as Clinical Drugs</strong> - Anxiety is a mental disorder with a growing worldwide incidence due to the SARS-CoV-2 virus pandemic. Pharmacological therapy includes drugs such as benzodiazepines (BDZs) or azapirones like buspirone (BUSP) or analogs, which unfortunately produce severe adverse effects or no immediate response, respectively. Medicinal plants or their bioactive metabolites are a shared global alternative to treat anxiety. Palmitone is one active compound isolated from Annona species due to its tranquilizing…</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>Novel Therapeutic Target Critical for SARS-CoV-2 Infectivity and Induction of the Cytokine Release Syndrome</strong> - We discovered a novel therapeutic target critical for SARS-CoV-2, cellular infectivity and the induction of the cytokine release syndrome. Here, we show that the mammalian enzyme neuraminidase-1 (Neu-1) is part of a highly conserved signaling platform that regulates the dimerization and activation of the ACE2 receptors and the Toll-like receptors (TLRs) implicated in the cytokine release syndrome (CRS). Activated Neu-1 cleaves glycosylated residues that provide a steric hindrance to both ACE2…</p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-patent-search">From Patent Search</h1>
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<h1 data-aos="fade-down" id="daily-dose">Daily-Dose</h1>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" data-aos-anchor-placement="top-bottom" id="contents">Contents</h1>
<ul>
<li><a href="#from-new-yorker">From New Yorker</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-vox">From Vox</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-the-hindu-sports">From The Hindu: Sports</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-the-hindu-national-news">From The Hindu: National News</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-bbc-europe">From BBC: Europe</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-ars-technica">From Ars Technica</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-jokes-subreddit">From Jokes Subreddit</a></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-new-yorker">From New Yorker</h1>
<ul>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>What Bluesky Tells Us About the Future of Social Media</strong> - The new platform aims to be a decentralized alternative to Twitter. The vibe there is mostly like that of a Portland coffee shop. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/what-bluesky-tells-us-about-the-future-of-social-media">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>The Parents Who Fight the City for a “Free Appropriate Public Education”</strong> - Children with disabilities have a constitutional right to accommodation in public schools. Securing those rights can bring their families to a breaking point. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/annals-of-education/the-parents-who-fight-the-city-for-a-free-appropriate-public-education">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Don’t Say You Haven’t Been Warned About Trump and 2024</strong> - CNN’s awful town hall with the former President heralds a disastrous election year to come. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/letter-from-bidens-washington/dont-say-you-havent-been-warned-about-trump-and-2024">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>W.G.A. Strike: Why Your Favorite Shows Could Go Dark</strong> - Michael Schulman talks with Laura Jacqmin, a veteran TV writer and a Writers Guild strike captain. Plus, the comedian and essayist Samantha Irby in conversation with Doreen St. Félix. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/podcast/the-new-yorker-radio-hour/wga-strike-why-your-favorite-shows-could-go-dark">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A Supreme Court Ruling the Fossil-Fuel Industry Doesn’t Like</strong> - Communities can now sue in state courts for compensation for the costs of climate change—something oil companies have fought against for years. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/a-supreme-court-ruling-the-fossil-fuel-industry-doesnt-like">link</a></p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-vox">From Vox</h1>
<ul>
<li><strong>Post-graduation advice you’ll actually use</strong> -
<figure>
<img alt="A young person walks through an open door into a spacious, blank, pink room. " src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/MbMm7OPVvdRNkhQKzGdNYM9RB9o=/0x0:7697x5773/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72278996/GettyImages_1303781768.0.jpg"/>
<figcaption>
Getty Images
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Set a budget, don’t center your life around work, and other advice for graduates.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="PrMLgt">
Graduation season can be one of both opportunity and existential dread. You’re about to embark on a new chapter of your life and have seemingly endless possibilities ahead of you, whether you’re graduating from undergrad, are beginning your career straight out of high school, or have taken a non-traditional path. All that promise and potential can be just as liberating as it is terrifying.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="SMl070">
Almost everyone has well-wishes for new college graduates, advice ranging from trite (“Find a job you love and you’ll never work a day in your life!”) to the ill-advised (any platitude with the word “hustle” in it; anyone who recommends you sacrifice sleep to be more productive).
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="w6gNd4">
However, professors who actually work with students, financial experts, and people who’ve been at the crossroads of life say otherwise. Their advice for new graduates is all about relationships: your relationship with your job, your money, and yourself. If you’re looking for a little bit of guidance post-graduation, try a tip or two.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="zafONm">
Responses have been edited and condensed for clarity.
</p>
<h3 id="TSIGrA">
Think about work as something that supports your life, not the other way around
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="BjQvJS">
“Rather than think of your job as the central axis around which your post-grad life will orbit, start with your vision of a life well-lived, and then consider how your work can support that vision. There’s no shame in prioritizing your career or life outside of work — you’ll likely have seasons of each — but it’s important to be intentional about your choice. If you consider what you value and what the market values, you’ll avoid the trap that exists by over-indexing on just one.” —Simone Stolzoff, author of <a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.amazon.com_Good-2DEnough-2DJob-2DReclaiming-2DLife_dp_059353896X_&amp;d=DwMFaQ&amp;c=7MSjEE-cVgLCRHxk1P5PWg&amp;r=zK6GEaHp1cYylhbtFMZXMaHMIEGBSH07mU3SnR8g7d0&amp;m=jGxfTLzPWsTWMBZCPkuye34bSPqiLr8mfM5PppAACcd8LBbxOMGYKi63kyxe7FIQ&amp;s=MYbimuwQMfepS8dqlTKGxJ-sGcg4avj1pURpZJ7vF0E&amp;e="><em>The Good Enough Job: Reclaiming Life from Work</em></a>
</p>
<h3 id="IgyhF8">
Remember that your job will never love you back
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="qqzigb">
“A company is not your friend! Don’t be fooled at a first job into doing so much work you exhaust yourself or burn out because you’re thinking of your boss or the company as a buddy. Protect yourself and join a union if you can. Make sure you’re getting all you can from the job: 401(k) matching, HR benefits, anything they offer. It’s for you. Do not be afraid to ask and get.” —<a href="https://www.gabydunn.com/">Gabe Dunn</a>, host of the podcast <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bad-with-money-with-gabe-dunn/id1144712710"><em>Bad With Money</em></a>
</p>
<h3 id="n7sS1S">
Consider how you’ll make a mark on the world
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Cs7fgX">
“‘Find your <a href="https://www.vox.com/even-better/23653236/how-to-find-life-purpose-values-talent">purpose in life</a>’ is a common refrain at graduation ceremonies. If only it were that simple. A purpose in life is cultivated, not found. We cultivate purpose by taking the time to consider what we want out of our lives. What do we hope to accomplish? What matters to us? We cultivate purpose by reflecting on our strengths. What special skills or talents do we possess? What do we enjoy doing? We cultivate purpose by considering how we want to give back. How do we want to contribute? How do we want to leave our mark?
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="UU2WZa">
“Reflecting on these questions is a process rather than a one-time event, and it takes time. If we remain attentive, though, we will begin to notice that the answers to these questions draw us in a consistent direction, a direction that allows us to contribute to the world in a personally meaningful way. The world desperately needs the skills we each have to offer.” —<a href="https://www.cgu.edu/people/kendall-cotton-bronk/">Kendall Cotton Bronk</a>, a professor of psychology at Claremont Graduate University
</p>
<h3 id="lCRigI">
Have constant conversations about money
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="crurzL">
“Ask for a raise annually. If you don’t ask, you don’t get. Talk to your friends about money. We’ve been told for far too long that it is rude, tacky, and taboo to talk about how much we make, how much we spend, and whether or not we invest. But staying silent only benefits corporations — not us. You know your BFF’s deepest, darkest secret, why don’t you know how much they get paid?” —<a href="https://www.yourrichbff.com/">Vivian Tu</a>, former Wall Street trader, personal finance expert, and host of the podcast <a href="https://www.yourrichbff.com/podcast"><em>Networth and Chill</em></a>
</p>
<div class="c-float-right">
<aside id="cDgMKT">
<q>“Create your own curriculum at the University of You, and whenever someone makes you feel like you’re doing life wrong, just remember that they’re in another major at another school”</q>
</aside>
</div>
<h3 id="Mudm0o">
Accept that plans will change
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="r6XxRW">
“The advice that I wish I’d taken — and still remind myself of every day, if we’re being honest — is staying open to the idea that your path, your interests, your needs, and your ambitions will change. And that’s a good thing. There can be a lot of pressure to find the ‘right’ path and stick to that plan, so venturing off a so-called track is spun as failure rather than growth or curiosity. Sometimes it’s not giving up, it’s changing direction. It’s not failing at a dream, it’s meeting a new version of yourself and embracing new ones. Letting yourself change ensures your work and ambition grow as you do. And it means that doing what you can, and learning as you go, is enough.” —<a href="https://rainesfordstauffer.com/">Rainesford Stauffer</a>, author of <a href="https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/rainesford-stauffer/all-the-gold-stars/9780306830334/"><em>All The Gold Stars: Reimagining Ambition and the Ways We Strive</em></a>
</p>
<h3 id="93pRLv">
Continue your education at the University of You
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="7rDDWI">
“When faced with the seemingly endless abyss of your post-grad future, break up that future into smaller ‘semesters’ and decide for yourself what the focus of each semester will be for you. Speaking up more in meetings? Taking a creative writing class? Pivoting your career? Spending time with family and friends? One of the hardest things about life after school is figuring out what you want to be doing with your life, and not just what others — parents, professors, coaches — have mapped out for you.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="6IKkmm">
“The sudden disappearance of the structure of school creates a vacuum. If you don’t designate goals for yourself and your life, you will get sucked into someone else’s goals and end up living someone else’s life. So create your own curriculum at the University of You, and whenever someone makes you feel like you’re doing life wrong, just remember that they’re in another major at another school.” —<a href="https://cecexie.com/">Cece Xie</a>, privacy and tech lawyer, lecturer at Yale, and author of the forthcoming book <em>Big Bad Law</em>
</p>
<h3 id="bvU1wm">
Don’t compare yourself with others at work
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="osyy9P">
“My first piece of advice has to do with your mindset: Remember that the only competition you have at work is with yourself. My second piece of advice is understanding that comparison is the thief of joy. You and your colleagues might work at the same place, but you have your own goals, dreams, and values. I suggest that you give yourself permission to take the time to assess what your career goals are in this season of your life. Be careful and intentional with the stories you tell yourself, because sometimes we put pressure on ourselves to over-perform.” —<a href="https://www.mindaharts.com/">Minda Harts</a>, workplace equity consultant and author of <a href="https://www.sealpress.com/titles/minda-harts/the-memo/9781580058452/"><em>The Memo: What Women of Color Need to Know to Secure a Seat at the Table</em></a>
</p>
<h3 id="yRvqhT">
Set a budget immediately
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="GJW8tb">
“It might be exciting to enter the corporate world and have a salary, but it’s never too early to learn how your compensation breaks down into net versus gross income. Be sure to <a href="https://www.vox.com/even-better/23400558/life-skills-adult-budget-phone-call-health-insurance-adulting">implement a budget</a> so you know that you have enough money to cover all your expenses and save some for a rainy day (read: unexpected emergencies and fun adventures). There are plenty of budgeting formats and ideas, so try them out to see what works best for you.” —Alyssa Mairanz, founder of the online platform and e-course <a href="https://adultingintherealworld.com/">Adulting in the Real World</a>
</p>
<h3 id="lsrFz4">
Break larger goals into smaller ones
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="tNe8jM">
“As you prepare to graduate, please know that it’s normal to feel overwhelmed by the sudden shift into a career and the pressure to have everything together. The key is to break down the big picture into smaller, more achievable snapshots. As soon as you get out of bed in the morning, ask yourself, ‘What’s one thing I can do today to bring me closer to my goal?’ By committing to one small task at a time, you’ll be building up your mental muscles while you make progress. Over time, you’ll find it easier to make better choices that support your dreams.” —Joanna Grover, co-author of <a href="https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/joanna-grover-lcsw/the-choice-point/9780306830273/?lens=hachette-go"><em>The Choice Point: The Scientifically Proven Method to Push Past Mental Walls and Achieve Your Goals</em></a>
</p></li>
<li><strong>Is Seinfeld’s Elaine Benes canonically hot?</strong> -
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/zejGhW6NiQRzwnPsUIqASIEau5k=/0x254:2097x1827/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72278876/138425153.0.jpg"/>
<figcaption>
Julia Louis-Dreyfus in <em>Seinfeld</em> as Elaine Benes, a canonical baddie. | J. Delvalle/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The unconventional, revolutionary hotness of Elaine.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Su2A0S">
For one reason (Netflix) or another (Netflix), I found myself re-watching <em>Seinfeld</em> over the last couple of weeks, revisiting a show that I first encountered as a kid. I’m now roughly the age of <em>Seinfeld’</em>s leads, and it’s been a humbling experience to slowly relate to and giggle at the characters that I once dismissed as middle-aged dweebs.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="DOzCjk">
Which is how, in a roundabout way, I’ve found myself thinking about Elaine Benes.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="CJFwJa">
Is <em>Seinfeld</em>’s best character hot? Obviously Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who played Elaine Benes for nine seasons, is a certifiably gorgeous woman, but that’s not the question. Is Elaine herself canonically hot? If she is, why is she hanging out with these dorks? Is she a hot woman doing dorky things? Or is she a dorky woman who happens to be extremely hot? Are hotness and dorkiness mutually exclusive properties?
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="IOjo7u">
After an episode (season seven’s <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0697771/">“The Secret Code,”</a> more commonly known as the “Bosco” episode) in which she pursues a man who can’t seem to remember her, I realized that how attractive one finds Elaine is crucial to the text.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="5U3aiH">
If Elaine is an average-looking woman, the kind who shouldn’t make George Costanza (Jason Alexander) pull the remains of his hair out just to be in the same room as her, then her forgettability is one thing. No one likes to be forgotten. But if she is, as she appears to be, stunning, then her pursuit of Fred, an aggressively below-average man, is much funnier. Elaine isn’t a woman clawing her way up to win the affection of a man, she’s a beautiful woman sinking to subterranean depths.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="yTph46">
Sitcoms, especially those from the ’80s and ’90s, are a strange animal. There’s a baseline level of attractiveness that people, especially women, need to get on television, and sitcoms usually depict what are supposed to be “regular” people. Also, when I first watched <em>Seinfeld</em>, I was 8, and gay — Elaine’s attractiveness eluded me.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="aDmkAu">
Elaine’s canonical hotness might seem clear to modern, adult eyes, but there are reasons to question it.
</p>
<h3 id="vV7qQa">
<strong>The scant evidence that Elaine isn’t hot</strong>
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="7YxS3i">
Here’s some evidence that Elaine wasn’t created specifically as a capital-B beautiful woman, but an appealing everygal. Before Elaine became Elaine, there was Claire (Lee Garlington), a down-to-earth waitress who filled in as “woman” in the pilot. When the role was reconceived, comedian Rosie O’Donnell was among those considered, and the character is rumored to be based on <em>Seinfeld</em> writer <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/13/fashion/weddings/carol-leifer-seinfeld-lori-wolfe.html">Carol Leifer</a> (who later had her own one-season sitcom, <em>Alright Already</em>). Leifer, O’Donnell, and Garlington are all attractive — they got to be on TV, and those are the rules of TV — but they are not women who were cast as bombshells. It seems that when Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David considered a female character for their foursome, they didn’t want her hotness to be paramount. Perhaps this is why <em>Seinfeld</em>’s men regularly acted like Elaine was, at best, average-looking.
</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="Kramer, Jerry, and George all look at Elaine." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/zmT5rliWITWX0T0LwsvF61AFz7U=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24653570/138428664.jpg"/> <cite>NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images</cite>
<figcaption>
A scene from “The Tape” episode, one of the rare times Elaine’s friends realize she’s a bombshell.
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="IK2WU9">
<em>Seinfeld</em> operates on the conceit that this friend group is equally hyper-observant and blazingly neurotic. In each episode, Jerry (Jerry Seinfeld), George (Jason Alexander), Kramer (Michael Richards), and Elaine home in on the small things in their lives (marble rye, a bank code), have what is essentially a group gossip session about it, and for Seinfeld’s three men, one of the topics is often beautiful women: Bette Midler’s understudy, the naked woman across the street, Marla the virgin, the nurse giving sponge baths in the same hospital room as George’s mother, the cop who gives Jerry a <em>Melrose Place </em>polygraph test, the woman with the big hands. Yet these men, who are terminally obsessed with both wooing beautiful women and analyzing how they’re perceived by beautiful women, don’t react to Elaine in the same way.
</p>
<div id="XAKj7H">
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0; padding-bottom: 56.25%;">
</div>
</div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="37FshF">
Some of this is explained away by <em>Seinfeld</em> lore. Jerry dated Elaine and both were mature enough to continue a platonic friendship (except for a brief “friends with benefits” dalliance in season two’s “The Deal”). George and Kramer, out of deference for Jerry, would respect that.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="sOHytR">
In re-watching the show, I understood that it also makes for a tighter story. Once you address the elephant in the room — the pachyderm being Elaine’s beauty — then it changes the dynamic of the friend group and the show. Had it gone in that direction, with Jerry and friends being attracted to Elaine, <em>Seinfeld</em> would be more like <em>Friends</em> or maybe a prototype of <em>The Big Bang Theory</em>. The show’s chemistry would’ve been irreparably altered.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="U0GGSN">
“I can tell you this, which is that I know that the writers made it clear that they were not doing that<em>,</em>” said <a href="https://jenniferkarmstrong.com/">Jennifer Keishin Armstrong</a>, a<em> Seinfeld </em>expert and author of<em> Seinfeldia: How a Show About Nothing Changed Everything. </em>The “that” in question would be a “will they or won’t they” type of tension between Jerry, or any of the men, and Elaine. <em>Seinfeld</em>’s writers didn’t want their show to hinge on their leads getting romantically involved.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="UdALTe">
“The network was always harassing them to recreate a Sam and Diane on <em>Cheers</em> thing with Elaine and Jerry. And then finally just said, ‘No. We’re not doing that, because we’re not a normal sitcom,’” Armstrong added.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="nEPUvS">
So looking directly at Elaine’s hotness would be, for the show, like looking directly at the sun — but there are moments when the men briefly realize that they’re in the presence of greatness.
</p>
<h3 id="fW85E3">
<strong>The overwhelming proof that Elaine is real pretty</strong>
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="jgwRZC">
There are a number of indicators that Elaine indeed looks like Julia Louis-Dreyfus: All three men snap out of it in “The Tape” (season three, episode eight) when she records a sexy message on Jerry’s tape recorder, and in episodes like <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0697775/">“The Shoes”</a> (season four, episode 16) and <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0697705/">“The Gum” </a>(season seven, episode 10), other men are so distracted by Elaine’s attractiveness that they forget what they’re supposed to be doing. But perhaps the clearest confirmation that Elaine Benes is canonically beautiful is by the transitive property of the men she dates. A few principles of a working theory:
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="wgZhOY">
<strong>The Jerry theorem:</strong> Jerry only dates beautiful women. Throughout the span of the show, there have been a reported<a href="https://www.vulture.com/2013/04/composite-of-all-of-jerry-seinfelds-girlfriends-richard-prince.html"> 73 different women</a> that Jerry has dated, and they’ve been played by the likes of objectively beautiful actresses like Lauren Graham, Kristin Davis, Courteney Cox, Marlee Matlin, and Teri Hatcher, among others. Elaine dated Jerry. Ergo, Elaine is beautiful.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="LwsPgP">
<strong>The law of Puddy:</strong> Elaine’s longest relationship on the show is with on-again, off-again boyfriend David Puddy (Patrick Warburton). Empirically, Puddy and Elaine are not a match. He is all id and she, like her friends, is all ego. But the pertinent thing to remember here is that Puddy, who also presents as a hunk, would never date a woman that wasn’t physically beautiful. Puddy dates Elaine, hence Elaine is beautiful.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="6v8hTN">
<strong>The famous man thesis:</strong> In<em> Seinfeld</em>’s New York City, men are constantly dating women out of their league. That implication is that the women are often settling and the dating pool in this universe is advantageous toward men. The exceptions to this rule are celebrities like the late JFK Jr. (name-dropped in <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0697679/">“The Contest”</a>; season four, episode 11) and New York Mets all-star Keith Hernandez (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9z2tW-_7oM">season three, episode 17</a>) who are implied to be the catch. They are so famous, especially in New York City, that they could date any woman they want. Both of them are interested in Elaine. Elaine is beautiful.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="8LhbES">
<strong>The beard proposition:</strong> In <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0697654/">“The Beard” </a>(season 16, episode 6) a gay man named Robert strategically enlists Elaine to help him. Robert asks Elaine to go see <em>Swan Lake</em> with him, to give the illusion that he’s straight to his conservative boss. In choosing Elaine, it’s suggested that she, at the least, is impressive to straight people. In the <em>Seinfeld</em> universe, presumably, a gay man would not choose any average-looking woman to impress a straight male boss. Elaine also has a one-night fling with Robert where she thinks she gets him to change “teams” but that’s short-lived. Elaine is beautiful, but not beautiful enough to alter men’s sexuality.
</p>
<div id="RhSBbc">
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0; padding-bottom: 56.25%;">
</div>
</div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="C5Lgdu">
<strong>The clunker paradox: </strong>There have been times when Elaine has gone out on dates with men who may not be up to her standard, like the aforementioned Fred (“The Secret Code,” season seven, episode seven). She acknowledges it herself in that episode, admitting that she only went out with him because he had trouble remembering her. This isn’t an indication that Elaine is somehow physically unattractive but rather a sly commentary on the dire dating scene for New York City women in the ’90s. Elaine dates clunkers but is still beautiful.
</p>
<h3 id="47F0Ay">
<strong>Elaine’s hotness only makes the jokes at her expense funnier</strong>
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="eTUjqi">
Arguably the best Elaine-centered joke of the entire series is her aesthetically unpleasant dancing which debuts in “The Little Kicks,” the fourth episode of the eighth season. George accompanies Elaine to a company party in which Elaine gives a toast and, moved by the spirit and Earth Wind &amp; Fire’s “Shining Star,” she begins to dance.
</p>
<div id="EdD0pU">
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0; padding-bottom: 75%;">
</div>
</div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="blWAXO">
Elaine’s dance perturbs her friends. The way she moves haunts them, terrorizes their sense of beauty. It’s like watching an ancient, forbidden horror, and after seeing it, no one’s life is ever the same. “It was like a full body dry heave set to music,” George tells Jerry, who consoles him by saying that he too has witnessed the assassination of rhythm by one Elaine Benes.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Rr7edO">
“No one knows how to tell her to stop or what to say. Everyone is just like <em>oh no,</em>” Armstrong, the <em>Seinfeld </em>expert, explained to me. The disturbing movements Elaine produces are at odds with how beautiful she is, and that’s the joke. “And it’s totally opposed to how it would play if it was like, ‘Hey that’s just dorky Elaine,’<em>” </em>Armstrong added.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Oe2ouT">
Having Elaine play against type is what Armstrong cherishes about the character, and what makes the show singular. Allowing Elaine to be inelegant, messy, and crass was a radical thing.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="cXRHeV">
“I think that it was just really unusual to see this all together — she was beautiful, and smart and successful, and was allowed to be funny, as funny as the guys,” Armstrong explained. “She was actually allowed to be as everything as the guys, like funny and gross. And, you know, even as awful! I would say they’re four pretty awful people and she was equal in that. And that was a revolutionary thing for us.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="jF5QeB">
The idea of allowing a beautiful female character to be crass and goofy and semi-rotten and having that be championed as a revolutionary act can seem silly if not bleak — rebellion built on what are essentially crumbs of representation.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="fzA3iW">
As Armstrong pointed out, however, Elaine’s predecessors — like Mary Tyler Moore’s Mary — were rarely allowed to be funny and pretty at the same time. Elaine’s peers were often stuck being wives or love interests (see: <em>Friends</em>), and if they were allowed to be sexy, it often came with an apology — something to be laughed at for being tacky (Fran Fine) or uncouth (Peg Bundy). The <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/09/arts/television/kevin-sitcom-attractive-wife.html">sitcom trope</a> where a beautiful woman is married to the most aggressively average of dudes exists for a reason.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="UWYRld">
“<em>Seinfeld </em>is a show with this beautiful, absolutely huge, unmissable woman who is given complete equality — a woman in the middle of this very like male comedy experiment. I have to give them credit for that,” Armstrong said.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="dWxNRi">
Elaine being unapologetically sexy is crucial to the character’s legacy in mapping out what funny women are allowed to do, how they behave, and the problems they have. She’s crucial to <em>Seinfeld</em>’s enduring brilliance. And like the guys in that one episode, I cannot stop thinking about her.
</p></li>
<li><strong>Pakistan’s political turmoil over Imran Khan’s arrest, explained</strong> -
<figure>
<img alt="Protesters holding a flag" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/E-mHAQgWSQKZv5oFuqekPSJs6MQ=/41x0:4393x3264/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72278165/1253791769.0.jpg"/>
<figcaption>
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party activists and supporters of Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan celebrate after Supreme Court declared Khan’s arrest ‘illegal’, in Peshawar on May 11, 2023.  | Photo by Hussain Ali/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The former prime minister’s arrest reveals Pakistan at a turning point.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="U28ifU">
Pakistan is in turmoil after <a href="https://www.vox.com/politics/2023/5/9/23717293/imran-khan-arrested-pakistan-protest-prime-minister">the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan</a> earlier this week, and though he’s since been released, the country’s future remains deeply uncertain.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="CJpWbe">
After Khan was arrested by paramilitary officers on Tuesday on <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/what-is-corruption-case-against-pakistans-khan-2023-05-09/#:~:text=ISLAMABAD%2C%20May%209%20(Reuters),tycoon%20through%20a%20charitable%20trust.">charges of corruption</a> for allegedly receiving a bribe in the form of land, mass protests broke out across the country (sometimes violently). <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/pakistan-court-indicts-ex-pm-imran-khan-geo-news-2023-05-10/">Internet service was reportedly suspended in many regions</a>, and at least <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/pakistan-pm-sharif-orders-those-involved-violence-tracked-down-arrested-2023-05-13/">2,800 people were arrested</a> and eight have died.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="EmD62k">
This political crisis is, in one sense, a year in the making after Khan was <a href="https://www.vox.com/23016679/pakistan-political-crisis-imran-khan-parliament">forced out of the prime ministership in April 2022</a>. But it’s also a reckoning for the country’s democracy, and an indictment of Pakistan’s military, which has played an outsized role in the country’s politics — when it’s not actively running the government.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="wIKrF7">
Though Khan is out of jail, that doesn’t mean the unrest has died down. The military has been deployed in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, as well as the capital, Islamabad, since Wednesday to try and calm the protests. Interim Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/pakistan-islamabad-united-kingdom-government-shahbaz-sharif-ca339f52b70dc040b579c465d322f85a">himself the subject of corruption charges</a>, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/pakistan-pm-sharif-orders-those-involved-violence-tracked-down-arrested-2023-05-13/">said Saturday that protesters who engaged in violence would be charged in anti-terrorism courts</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ZgEc0f">
Khan was already a legend in Pakistan before entering politics, but the uproar over his arrest is about much more than his days as his country’s top cricketer. Rather, Khan’s populist rhetoric and open conflict with the military have struck a chord with younger Pakistanis in particular — a constituency he’s long been courting. And with record inflation, ethnic and jihadi violence, and serious class inequality defining life for many Pakistanis, it’s no surprise that Khan’s claims of political purity and his purported willingness to stand up to the military are inspiring <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/may/13/pakistan-democracy-imran-khan-return-home-arrest">unprecedented displays of loyalty</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="UqqKhJ">
“Although public consciousness about the military’s political role precedes the rise of Imran Khan, supporters of no Pakistani political party have thronged to military establishments as well as the military’s headquarters to protest the victimization of their leaders,” Muhammad Salman, a faculty member in Habib University’s comparative humanities department in Karachi, told Vox. “This represents a new consciousness in Pakistan regarding the problematic political role of the military as well as a desire that it must end now.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="LQFnPQ">
Pakistan’s democracy has been fragile since its founding in 1947, defined by multiple military coups interspersed with political dynasties widely seen as corrupt. Khan, who came to power in 2018 and was initially closely allied with the military, also positioned himself as an outsider who would root out the corruption of the political class before being ousted. This week’s saga has essentially cemented his political comeback.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="3Pnf2E">
The saga has also presented Pakistan with an unimaginably challenging and possibly existential dilemma: stick with the old cycle of military repression and malfeasance by corrupt political families, or side with a populist openly and violently disrupting the status quo, who has himself been accused of corruption and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/may/13/pakistan-democracy-imran-khan-return-home-arrest">whose anti-establishment posturing may be more about politics than principle</a>?
</p>
<h3 id="AfLhF2">
How did Pakistan get here?
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ksRtGz">
Khan has been involved in politics for decades, founding his own political party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), in 1996. He initially stood behind Pakistan’s military, even<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/oct/31/imran-khan-acclaim-pakistan"> supporting the coup of</a> <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/reaction-death-former-pakistan-president-musharraf-2023-02-05/">General Pervez Musharraf</a> in 1999. He came to power in 2018, and the military returned the favor in the initial years of Khan’s tenure, but the relationship soured when Khan asserted his independence, <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-new-yorker-interview/imran-khans-double-game">refusing to promote the military’s preferred leaders</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="9IrnAn">
Allegations that Khan aimed to install an ally as army chief against the wishes of the military establishment <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1688271">were reported in the country’s press</a> last spring, leading to a vote of no confidence. A parliamentary coalition comprising of smaller parties and the parties of the Bhutto and Sharif political dynasties ousted him from the prime ministership.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="G8iuzb">
“The events leading up to Khan’s ouster suggest that the withdrawal of military support had indeed taken place, although the military claimed ‘neutrality,’” Salman said. “However, the events preceding the vote of no confidence strongly suggested that the military had orchestrated Khan’s ouster. For instance, smaller parties susceptible to [the]<strong> </strong>military’s manipulation, such as MQM, PML-Q, BAP … withdrew their support of Khan’s government.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="qhIBnu">
Khan at the time <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/02/world/asia/imran-khan-pakistan-no-confidence.html">blamed his ouster on a conspiracy</a> between the opposition and the United States due to his growing cooperation with the Russian and Chinese governments, a claim US officials denied. He insisted that he would not adhere to the results of the vote and that the whole process was “discredited” and “completely marred.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="5AdjXq">
Since then, he’s been campaigning for the country to hold early elections and <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/21/asia/imran-khan-pakistan-election-commission-disqualified-intl-hnk/index.html">to be allowed to run in them</a>. That has involved increasingly vociferous attacks on the country’s military leaders.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="B9ixwl">
On Tuesday, paramilitary troops entered a courthouse in Islamabad and detained Khan on corruption charges, which he has denied. Pakistani officials have accused him of illegally buying land from a business tycoon while serving as prime minister, resulting in hundreds of millions of dollars in losses to the country’s treasury. These charges are on top of multiple other preexisting cases against Khan.<strong> </strong>Arrest warrants are also out for Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/12/asia/imran-khan-pakistan-court-army-intl-hnk/index.html">according to CNN</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ExzV3S">
Two days later, the country’s <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/pakistan-pm-sharif-orders-those-involved-violence-tracked-down-arrested-2023-05-13/">supreme court ruled that his arrest was “invalid and unlawful,”</a> and he was released on bail on Friday. In a virtual speech on Saturday from his hometown of Lahore, Khan asked supporters to continue protesting Sunday, signaling the turmoil is far from settled.
</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/UDNx3rdNMsS0D9IHVGFXuRJOy4k=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24655875/1244453561.jpg"/> <cite>Photo by ARIF ALI/AFP via Getty Images</cite>
<figcaption>
In this photograph taken on November 1, 2022, Khan speaks while taking part in an anti-government march in Gujranwala. Khan was shot in the foot at a political rally two days later.
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Ep4tlo">
Pakistan faces other significant issues in addition to this crisis.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="pWNncN">
Khan has repeatedly dodged allegations that he <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2018/07/27/did-pakistans-imran-khan-win-a-dirty-election-or-a-real-mandate/">won a rigged election in 2018</a>, and his tenure was far from successful,<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/24/opinion/pakistan-imran-khan-assassination-attempt.html"> as Abbas Nasir, a Pakistani journalist,</a> wrote in a New York Times op-ed last year.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="g2RCtW">
According to Nasir, Khan’s term in power “was defined by a disregard for civil liberties and independent press, the hounding of his opponents and ignoring procedures of parliamentary democracy. He failed to improve the economy, inflation rose and the <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/cash-strapped-pakistan-imf-agree-to-extend-stalled-bailout-package-increase-loan-size-to-8bn/articleshow/91055961.cms?from=mdr">International Monetary Fund</a> halted funding after his government refused to stick to its commitments.” Khan’s move toward China and Russia didn’t help either; not only did he damage Pakistan’s relationship with the US, but it didn’t pay off financially either, as “projects in the multibillion-dollar <a href="https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/528615-cpec-shelved">China-Pakistan Economic Corridor</a> remained more or less stalled.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="kKaqmS">
However, the ruling government has performed no better. Inflation is precipitously high, “the worst it’s ever been,” according to <a href="https://twitter.com/FarhanHSiddiqi">Farhan Hanif Siddiqi</a>, an associate professor at the School of Politics and International Relations, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, and Khan’s arrest has shown to be a serious political blunder. “Unprecedented inflation, the government not being able to deliver anything, combined with the embarrassment that has come [the government’s] way these last four days, is enforcing Imran Khan as the savior of this country.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="DSsumC">
The country’s next general election, whenever it is, will then likely mean deciding between business as usual and “the kind of populist politics that has been popular the world over,” as Siddiqi put it.
</p>
<h3 id="q8pwEA">
Pakistan’s future is deeply uncertain
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="nMQJoR">
Regardless of what happens next, Pakistanis’ view of their military has shifted dramatically, and that will likely have an effect on the government, too. “There was a time, for example, if you compare this with the politics that Pakistan faced in the 1990s, there was a moral authority that the military commanded, and the politicians were seen as corrupt and the military would make … indirect interventions in order to tell the people that they are the saviors of the country,” Siddiqi explained.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="xBfQUh">
The military has lost some of that sheen through its own actions. “In Pakistan, the role of the military during civilian governments is twofold: (a) to keep civilians in check, (b) to protect the military’s reserved domains,” Salman said. “The first is done by making and breaking political parties, influencing party-switching during electoral process and parliamentary voting, as well as initiating coercive action against political parties.” The military also owns or operates<a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1272211"> several businesses in the finance,</a> real estate, <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1742652">agriculture</a>, and fertilizer sectors, which it maneuvers to protect and promote, too.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="jZGBOi">
The Pakistani military also allegedly supports a number of violent actors that disrupt the daily lives of civilians, particularly in Balochistan against ethnic Baloch separatists, according to a report from the <a href="https://www.crisisgroup.org/327/asia/south-asia/pakistan/new-era-sectarian-violence-pakistan">International Crisis Group</a>. The Pakistani military has a history of supporting violent groups, including the <a href="https://thediplomat.com/2023/04/pakistan-and-the-afghan-taliban-friends-becoming-foes/">Afghan Taliban</a>, to further its own interests.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="nm4aG5">
There’s evidence that the military’s power is decreasing and stronger democratic institutions are taking hold, though: After Khan’s 2022 ouster, the military could have taken over the government as it has in the past. But “the space for the military is shrinking,” Salman said, as democratic institutions become more entrenched through<a href="https://ipc.gov.pk/SiteImage/Misc/files/Year%20Books/Final%20Report%20of%20Implementation%20Commission.pdf"> a raft of constitutional reforms</a> in 2010 after the fall of Musharraf.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="PhSrbJ">
The only way out of Pakistan’s political crisis now is to hold elections and let Pakistan’s people decide what direction they want the country to go in. Despite Khan’s popularity and the renewed energy behind his campaign, he’s more spectacle than substance, Siddiqi said. “There’s no talk about what his political program would be, what his ideological program or what is it that he would bring to the people. It’s just about his persona, his personality.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="FTn6Nz">
That puts Pakistani voters in the undesirable position of choosing between an entrenched and corrupt military-backed system and a civilian populist, as Uzair Younus, director of the Pakistan Initiative at the Atlantic Council <a href="https://twitter.com/UzairYounus/status/1656815436867026944">outlined in a Twitter thread</a> this week.
</p>
<div id="Ko3EyI">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" dir="ltr" lang="en">
Torn between a lot of conflicting views over the last few days.<br/><br/>On the one hand is a regime that has shown a blatant disregard for the constitution and rule of law in .<br/><br/>On the other is a party and leader who has a track record of the same.<br/><br/>How does one deal with this?
</p>
— Uzair Younus عُزیر یُونس (<span class="citation" data-cites="UzairYounus">@UzairYounus</span>) <a href="https://twitter.com/UzairYounus/status/1656815426548932612?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 12, 2023</a>
</blockquote></div></li>
</ul>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="u1Cstr">
“I’m a constitutionalist,” Younus wrote. “A person who yearns to see the rule of law, protection of basic freedoms, and expansion of free expression in the country of my birth. But I’m torn in terms of where I ought to stand today.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="AeqN9d">
</p>
<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>IOA’s decision to take charge of WFI is first step in our fight for justice: wrestlers</strong> - The country’s top wrestlers have been protesting at the Jantar Mantar for the last 22 days demanding the arrest of Brij Bhushan</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>Thailand para badminton: double crown for Pramod</strong> - Suhas also fetches a gold, while Sukant brings home a gold and silver</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>Star Symbol claims Madras Regimental Centre Challenge Trophy</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>Prraneeth is India’s 82nd Grandmaster</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>IPL 2023, RR vs RCB | Fifties by Maxwell and du Plessis take Bangalore to 171/5</strong> - Opting to bat, du Plessis (55 off 44) and Maxwell (54 of 33) stitched a 69-run partnership for the second wicket.</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>Sabarimala temple opens for monthly puja</strong> - Temple will close on May 19 and reopen for a day on May 29</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>Kerala CM to inaugurate pattaya mela in Palakkad on Monday</strong> - 17,845 title deeds to be distributed in the district</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>Central insurance schemes a boon for common people: NABARD official</strong> -</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>BJP should be taught Karnataka lesson in Madhya Pradesh, says Digvijaya Singh</strong> - Elections to the 230-member Madhya Pradesh Assembly are due by the year-end</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>Family donates land worth ₹10 crore for crucial road project in Tiruppur</strong> - The 20 cents of land donated by the family of Nataraj has accorded a significant thrust to the civic body to carry out the road project</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>Sweden’s Loreen wins Eurovision for the second time</strong> - Loreen is the first woman to win twice, but Mae Muller fails to replicate Sam Ryder’s success.</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 Eurovision act’s city Ternopil attacked before performance</strong> - Ternopil was hit by Russian missiles before Tvorchi took the stage in Liverpool, authorities say.</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>Turkey decides on future with or without Erdogan</strong> - Turks are voting in the most pivotal elections in their modern history.</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: Kyiv not attacking Russian territory - Zelensky</strong> - Ukraine’s president says in Germany that Kyiv is preparing to liberate its regions seized by Russia.</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: Russians in Germany split over Putin’s invasion</strong> - Many Germany-based Russians are repeating Kremlin disinformation about the invasion of Ukraine.</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>The challenges and promises of climate lawsuits</strong> - Suing governments and fossil fuel companies is a key tool in the climate change battle. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1938870">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>More evidence emerges that Saturn’s rings are much younger than the planet</strong> - ’In a way, we’ve gotten closure on a question that started with James Clerk Maxwell.” - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1938634">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Passkeys may not be for you, but they are safe and easy—here’s why</strong> - Answering common questions about how passkeys work. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1939003">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Google to pay $8M settlement for “lying to Texans,” state AG says</strong> - “If Google is going to advertise in Texas, their statements better be true.” - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1939110">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Bluetooth tags for Android’s 3 billion-strong tracking network are here</strong> - Third-party Bluetooth trackers plug in to Google’s massive Find My Device Network. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1938944">link</a></p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-jokes-subreddit">From Jokes Subreddit</h1>
<ul>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A Möbius strip walks into a bar, sobbing.</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF --></p>
<div class="md">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The bartender asks, “What’s wrong, buddy?” The Möbius strip replies, “Where do I even begin?”
</p>
</div>
<!-- SC_ON -->
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/Jim421616"> /u/Jim421616 </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/13h8sdw/a_möbius_strip_walks_into_a_bar_sobbing/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/13h8sdw/a_möbius_strip_walks_into_a_bar_sobbing/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>What is a Karen called in Europe?</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF --></p>
<div class="md">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
An American
</p>
</div>
<!-- SC_ON -->
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/HelpingHandsUs"> /u/HelpingHandsUs </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/13gpqd1/what_is_a_karen_called_in_europe/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/13gpqd1/what_is_a_karen_called_in_europe/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A man walks into a brothel</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF --></p>
<div class="md">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
A man walks into a brothel one day and says to the woman: “I’m here to enjoy an evening with a young woman. Is this a fine establishment?”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The woman replies “oh absolutely! This is the finest establishment that you’ll find within a 300 mile radius!”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The man states “great! I have a 12 inch dick and I’m looking for someone to be able to handle that. Who do you suggest?”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
“Oh the lady that you want will be up stairs and the first door on your left. I promise she’s everything you’re looking for.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The man heads up stairs and into the room, and sees the beautiful young woman laying on the bed, and he pulls out his dick, ready for action. The lady jumps up and screams, running out of the room and down the stairs, yelling “Oh no! You can’t make me! That’s too much for me!”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The man, confused, walks back down the stairs and to the woman at the counter. “I thought you said she was the perfect one?”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The woman replies “I apologize. We have a lot of men that come through here and state that they have a 12 inch dick and it’s never true. Forgive me, the woman you’ll want is the third door on your left up the stairs”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The man smiles and heads back up the stairs, ready to go. He enters the room to a gorgeous woman and drops his pants, in which the lady jumps up, screams and runs down the stairs yelling “oh no! That’s too much! Not even to pay off my student loans, no way!”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The man, angry, stomps back down the stairs and starts in on the woman at the counter. “Now listen here! You said this was the finest establishment around. So far I’ve had no luck or able to see it!”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The woman smiles and apologies “Sorry. I’m going to upgrade you to VIP. Follow me, I have the best for last.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The man, liking the idea of what he’s heard, follows the woman upstairs and to the last room in the very back. When entering, he sees this absolute divine, one of a kind woman and he drops his pants and jumps on the bed. He starts to pound into her over and over and over again, showing her no mercy and she’s taking it! Every single inch! The man starts to cum and sees that the lady is foaming at the mouth. The man jumps off of her and runs down the hallway, down the stairs, and out the door while screaming in fear.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The woman at the counter sighs heavily and turns to yell in the back:
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<em>”Tim… looks like the dead ones full again!”</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/Verothyn"> /u/Verothyn </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/13gzwdl/a_man_walks_into_a_brothel/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/13gzwdl/a_man_walks_into_a_brothel/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A guy goes to the doctor.</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF --></p>
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Guy: “Doctor, I have a problem. Put your ear next to my left thigh &amp; listen.”
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Doctor does this &amp; hears a tiny voice: “Lend me $20 please? I’ll pay it back next week.”
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Doctor: “How strange.”
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Guy: That’s nothing. Put your ear next to my left knee."
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The doctor obeys &amp; hears a tiny voice: “Lend me $10 please? I’ll pay it back next week.”
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Doctor: " Well that’s just weird!"
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Guy: “Now listen to my left ankle.”
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The doctor obeys again &amp; hears the tiny voice: “Lend me <span class="math inline">$5 please? I'll pay it back next week, honest I will.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;The doctor is totally shocked &amp;amp; says he'll consult his colleagues &amp;amp; medical journals.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;An hour later, he returns &amp;amp; says: &amp;quot;We've assessed the situation, but all we can determine is that your leg is BROKE ($</span>$$) IN THREE PLACES”
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(Ba-Dum-Tisssh)
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/DocRogue2407"> /u/DocRogue2407 </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/13h4c62/a_guy_goes_to_the_doctor/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/13h4c62/a_guy_goes_to_the_doctor/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>They say people who drive big cars have a small penis and people who wear small shoes have a small penis</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF --></p>
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So it’s no wonder why everyone is so afraid of clowns.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/DoctorModalus"> /u/DoctorModalus </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/13glsiv/they_say_people_who_drive_big_cars_have_a_small/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/13glsiv/they_say_people_who_drive_big_cars_have_a_small/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
</ul>
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