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<title>29 March, 2021</title>
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<title>Covid-19 Sentry</title><meta content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" name="viewport"/><link href="styles/simple.css" rel="stylesheet"/><link href="../styles/simple.css" rel="stylesheet"/><link href="https://unpkg.com/aos@2.3.1/dist/aos.css" rel="stylesheet"/><script src="https://unpkg.com/aos@2.3.1/dist/aos.js"></script></head>
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<h1 data-aos="fade-down" id="covid-19-sentry">Covid-19 Sentry</h1>
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<h1 data-aos="fade-right" data-aos-anchor-placement="top-bottom" id="contents">Contents</h1>
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<li><a href="#from-preprints">From Preprints</a></li>
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<li><a href="#from-clinical-trials">From Clinical Trials</a></li>
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<li><a href="#from-pubmed">From PubMed</a></li>
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<li><a href="#from-patent-search">From Patent Search</a></li>
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<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-preprints">From Preprints</h1>
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<li><strong>SARS CoV-2 Might Exploit Cells of the Innate Immune System to Induce the Novel Acute Immune Dysrhythmic Syndrome (n-AIDS) and Para COVID-19 Syndrome.</strong> -
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In this manuscript, we combine our insights towards COVID-19 to present a hypothesis that might explain its pathogenesis and complications while presenting an interesting case report of post COVID-19 allergic cell mediated (dysregulated) delayed type hypersensitivity. Moreover, we confirm our call to reclassify it as novel acute immune dysrhythmic syndrome (n-AIDS) to include both cytokine storm and we suggest to describe post or long COVID and other autoimmune complications as para COVID-19 syndrome. We suggest that SARS CoV-2 might exploit monocytes, macrophages and tissue resident macrophages including skin Langerhans cells to induce dysregulated cellular and humoral immune response through known and yet to be discovered cytokines and chemokines to ultimately induce the cytokine storm and/or autoimmune responses.
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://osf.io/4ufzy/" target="_blank">SARS CoV-2 Might Exploit Cells of the Innate Immune System to Induce the Novel Acute Immune Dysrhythmic Syndrome (n-AIDS) and Para COVID-19 Syndrome.</a>
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<li><strong>Infliximab is associated with attenuated immunogenicity to BNT162b2 and ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 SARS-CoV-2 vaccines</strong> -
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Background Delayed second-dose SARS-CoV-2 vaccination trades maximal effectiveness for a lower level of immunity across more of the population. We investigated whether patients with inflammatory bowel disease treated with infliximab have attenuated serological responses to a single-dose of a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. Methods Antibody responses and seroconversion rates in infliximab-treated patients (n=865) were compared to a cohort treated with vedolizumab (n=428), a gut-selective anti-integrin a4B7 monoclonal antibody. Our primary outcome was anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) antibody concentrations 3-10 weeks after vaccination in patients without evidence of prior infection. Secondary outcomes were seroconversion rates, and antibody responses following past infection or a second dose of the BNT162b2 vaccine. Findings Geometric mean [SD] anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody concentrations were lower in patients treated with infliximab than vedolizumab, following BNT162b2 (6.0 U/mL [5.9] vs 28.8 U/mL [5.4] P<0.0001) and ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (4.7 U/mL [4.9]) vs 13.8 U/mL [5.9] P<0.0001) vaccines. In our multivariable models, antibody concentrations were lower in infliximab- compared to vedolizumab-treated patients who received the BNT162b2 (fold change [FC] 0.29 [95% CI 0.21, 0.40], p<0.0001) and ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (FC 0.39 [95% CI 0.30, 0.51], p<0.0001) vaccines. In both models, age > 59 years, immunomodulator use, Crohn9s disease, and smoking were associated with lower, whilst non-white ethnicity was associated with higher, anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody concentrations. Seroconversion rates after a single-dose of either vaccine were higher in patients with prior SARS-CoV-2 infection and after two doses of BNT162b2 vaccine. Interpretation Infliximab is associated with attenuated immunogenicity to a single-dose of the BNT162b2 and ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. Vaccination after SARS-CoV-2 infection, or a second dose of vaccine, led to seroconversion in most patients. Delayed second dosing should be avoided in patients treated with infliximab. Funding Royal Devon and Exeter and Hull University Hospital Foundation NHS Trusts. Unrestricted educational grants: F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG (Switzerland), Biogen GmbH (Switzerland), Celltrion Healthcare (South Korea) and Galapagos NV (Belgium).
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.03.25.21254335v1" target="_blank">Infliximab is associated with attenuated immunogenicity to BNT162b2 and ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 SARS-CoV-2 vaccines</a>
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<li><strong>Emergence and spread of SARS-CoV-2 lineages B.1.1.7 and P.1 in Italy</strong> -
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Italy9s second wave of SARS-CoV-2 has hit hard, with more than 3 million cases and over 100,000 deaths, representing an almost ten-fold increase on the numbers reported by August 2020. Herein, we present the analysis of 6,515 SARS-CoV-2 sequences sampled in Italy between 29th January 2020 and 1st March 2021 and show how different lineages emerged multiple times independently despite lockdown restrictions. Virus lineage B.1.177 became the dominant variant in November 2020, when cases peaked at 40,000 a day, but since January 2021 this is being replaced by the B.1.1.7 9variant of concern9. In addition, we report a sudden increase in another documented variant of concern - lineage P.1 - from December 2020 onwards, most likely caused by a single introduction into Italy. We again highlight how international importations drive the emergence of new lineages and that genome sequencing should remain a top priority for ongoing surveillance in Italy.
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.03.24.21254277v1" target="_blank">Emergence and spread of SARS-CoV-2 lineages B.1.1.7 and P.1 in Italy</a>
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<li><strong>A unique SARS-CoV-2 spike protein P681H strain detected in Israel</strong> -
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Routine detection, surveillance and reporting of SARS-CoV-2 novel variants is important, as these threaten to hinder vaccination efforts. Herein we report a local novel strain that includes a non-synonymous mutation in the spike (S) protein - P681H and additional synonymous mutations. The P681H Israeli strain has not been associated with higher infection rates and was neutralized by sera from vaccinated individuals in comparable levels to the B.1.1.7 strain and a non-P681H strain from Israel.
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.03.25.21253908v1" target="_blank">A unique SARS-CoV-2 spike protein P681H strain detected in Israel</a>
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<li><strong>On the association between SARS-COV-2 variants and COVID-19 mortality during the second wave of the pandemic in Europe</strong> -
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BACKGROUND: Preliminary clinical evidence suggests an increased COVID-19 mortality associated with the variant of concern 20I/501Y.V1. The evidence outside the UK and a real-world comparison of variants spread and mortality is sparse. This study aims at investigating the association between COVID-19 mortality and SARS-COV-2 variants spread during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe. METHODS: For 38 European countries, publicly available data were collected on numbers of COVID-19 deaths, SARS-COV-2 variants spread through time using Nextstrain classification and countries demographic and health characteristics. The cumulative number of COVID-19 deaths and the height of COVID-19 daily deaths peak during the second wave of the pandemic were considered as outcomes. Pearson correlations and multivariate generalized linear models with selection algorithms were used. FINDINGS: The average proportion of 20I/501Y.V1 variant (B.1.1.7) was found to be a significant predictor of cumulative number of COVID-19 deaths within two months before the deaths peak and between 1 January - 25 February 2021, as well as of the deaths peak height when calculating the proportion during the second wave and the pre-peak period. The average proportion of 20A.EU2 variant (S:477N) was a significant predictor of cumulative COVID-19 deaths in the pre-peak period. INTERPRETATION: Our findings suggest that the spread of a new variant of concern 20I/501Y.V1 had a significant impact on the mortality during the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic in Europe and that proportions of 20A.EU2 and 20I/501Y.V1 variants were associated with increased mortality in the initial phase of that wave. KEYWORDS: COVID-19, mortality, SARS-COV-2 variants, variant of concern.
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.03.25.21254289v1" target="_blank">On the association between SARS-COV-2 variants and COVID-19 mortality during the second wave of the pandemic in Europe</a>
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<li><strong>Early experiences of rehabilitation for patients post-COVID to improve fatigue, breathlessness exercise capacity and cognition.</strong> -
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Patients with lasting symptoms of COVID-19 should be offered a comprehensive recovery programme. Patients that completed a six week, twice supervised adapted pulmonary rehabilitation programme demonstrated statistically significant improvements in exercise capacity, respiratory symptoms, fatigue and cognition. Participants improved by 112m on the Incremental Shuttle Walking Test and 544 seconds on the Endurance Shuttle Walking Test. There were no serious adverse events recorded, and there were no dropouts related to symptom worsening. COVID-19 rehabilitation appears feasible and significantly improves clinical outcomes.
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.03.25.21254293v1" target="_blank">Early experiences of rehabilitation for patients post-COVID to improve fatigue, breathlessness exercise capacity and cognition.</a>
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<li><strong>The new SARS-CoV-2 variant and reinfection in the resurgence of COVID-19 outbreaks in Manaus, Brazil</strong> -
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Manaus, a city of 2.2 million population, the capital of Amazonas state of Brazil was hit badly by two waves of COVID-19 with more than 10,000 severe acute respiratory syndrome deaths by the end of February 2021. It was estimated that the first wave infected over three quarters of the population in Manaus based on routine blood donor data, and the second wave was largely due to reinfection with a new variant named P1 strain. In this work, we revisit these claims, and discuss biological constraints. In particular, we model the two waves with a two-strain model without a significant proportion of reinfections.
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.03.25.21254281v1" target="_blank">The new SARS-CoV-2 variant and reinfection in the resurgence of COVID-19 outbreaks in Manaus, Brazil</a>
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<li><strong>A Chemical-Enhanced System for CRISPR-Based Nucleic Acid Detection</strong> -
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The CRISPR-based nucleic acid detection systems such as SHERLOCK, DETECTR and HOLMES have shown great potential for point-of-care testing of viral pathogens, especially in the context of COVID-19 pandemic. Here we optimize several key parameters of reaction chemistry and develop a Chemical Enhanced CRISPR Detection system for nucleic acid (termed CECRID). For the Cas12a/Cas13a-based signal detection phase, we determine buffer conditions and substrate range for optimal detection performance. By comparing several chemical additives, we find that addition of L-proline can secure or enhance Cas12a/Cas13a detection capability. For isothermal amplification phase with typical LAMP and RPA methods, inclusion of L-proline can also enhance specific target amplification as determined by CRISPR detection. Using SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus, we demonstrate CECRID has enhanced detection sensitivity over chemical additive-null method with either fluorescence or lateral flow strip readout. Thus, CECRID provides an improved detection power and system robustness towards practical application of CRISPR-based diagnostics.
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.03.28.437376v1" target="_blank">A Chemical-Enhanced System for CRISPR-Based Nucleic Acid Detection</a>
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<li><strong>How unequal vaccine distribution promotes the evolution of vaccine escape</strong> -
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Health officials warn that SARS-CoV-2 vaccines must be uniformly distributed within and among countries if we are to quell the ongoing pandemic. Yet there has been little critical assessment of the underlying reasons for this warning. Here, we explicitly show why vaccine equity is necessary. Perhaps counter-intuitively, we find that vaccine escape mutants are less likely to come from highly vaccinated regions where there is strong selection pressure favoring vaccine escape and more likely to come from neighboring unvaccinated regions where there is no selection favoring escape. Unvaccinated geographic regions thus provide evolutionary reservoirs from which new strains can arise and cause new epidemics within neighboring vaccinated regions and beyond. Our findings have timely implications for vaccine rollout strategies and public health policy.
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.03.27.21254453v2" target="_blank">How unequal vaccine distribution promotes the evolution of vaccine escape</a>
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<li><strong>Development and validation of a clinical and genetic model for predicting risk of severe COVID-19</strong> -
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Clinical and genetic risk factors for severe COVID-19 are often considered independently and without knowledge of the magnitudes of their effects on risk. Using SARS-CoV-2 positive participants from the UK Biobank, we developed and validated a clinical and genetic model to predict risk of severe COVID-19. We used multivariable logistic regression on a 70% training dataset and used the remaining 30% for validation. We also validated a previously published prototype model. In the validation dataset, our new model was associated with severe COVID-19 (odds ratio per quintile of risk=1.77, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.64, 1.90) and had excellent discrimination (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve=0.732, 95% CI=0.708, 0.756). We assessed calibration using logistic regression of the log odds of the risk score, and the new model showed no evidence of over- or under-estimation of risk (α=−0.08; 95% CI=−0.21, 0.05) and no evidence or over-or under-dispersion of risk (β=0.90, 95% CI=0.80, 1.00). Accurate prediction of individual risk is possible and will be important in regions where vaccines are not widely available or where people refuse or are disqualified from vaccination, especially given uncertainty about the extent of infection transmission among vaccinated people and the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern.
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.03.09.21253237v2" target="_blank">Development and validation of a clinical and genetic model for predicting risk of severe COVID-19</a>
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<li><strong>Timeliness of U.S. mortality data releases during the COVID-19 pandemic: delays are associated with electronic death registration system and weekly mortality</strong> -
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All-cause mortality counts allow public health authorities to identify populations experiencing excess deaths from pandemics, natural disasters, and other emergencies. Further, delays in the completeness of mortality counts may contribute to misinformation because death counts take weeks to become accurate. We estimate the timeliness of all-cause mortality releases during the Covid-19 pandemic for the dates April 3-September 5, 2020 by estimating the number of weekly data releases of the NCHS Fluview Mortality Surveillance System until mortality comes within 99% of the counts in the March 19, 2021 provisional mortality data release. States9 mortality counts take 5 weeks at median (interquartile range 4–7 weeks). The fastest states were Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Utah, Idaho, and Hawaii. States that hadn9t adopted the electronic death registration system (EDRS) were 4.8 weeks slower to achieve complete mortality counts, and each weekly death per hundred million (range 1-10, median 2) was associated with a 0.8 week delay. Emergency planning should improve the timeliness of mortality data by improving state vital statistics digital infrastructure.
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.01.07.21249401v2" target="_blank">Timeliness of U.S. mortality data releases during the COVID-19 pandemic: delays are associated with electronic death registration system and weekly mortality</a>
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<li><strong>Family Demands and Satisfaction with Family Life During the COVID-19 Pandemic</strong> -
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Based upon theories that describe the process of family stress adaptation, we model changes in family demands and satisfaction with family life during the COVID-19 pandemic among a sample of n = 1,042 respondents from Germany. Moreover, based on ecological perspectives on the role of family context, we consider partnership status and parental status as predictors of changes in these variables over time. Using a longitudinal research design, we model co-occurring trajectories of changes in family demands and satisfaction with family life between early April 2020 and early September 2020 using unconditional and conditional multivariate latent growth curve modeling. Results suggest that, on average, both family demands and satisfaction with family life increased across this time period and that having minor children ≤ 17 years of age was associated with decreases in satisfaction with family life across time. Moreover, an exploratory analysis suggests that partnership status may help offset the positive relationship between parental status and family demands. These findings have implications for future research on family life during a crisis and suggest that single parents of young children should be the focus of interventions to reduce family-related stressors and increase levels of family wellbeing during times of crisis.
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://psyarxiv.com/8a3gx/" target="_blank">Family Demands and Satisfaction with Family Life During the COVID-19 Pandemic</a>
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<li><strong>Characterizing the incidence of adverse events of special interest for COVID-19 vaccines across eight countries: a multinational network cohort study</strong> -
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As large-scale immunization programs against COVID-19 proceed around the world, safety signals will emerge that need rapid evaluation.1,2 We report population-based, age- and sex-specific background incidence rates of potential adverse events of special interest (AESI) in eight countries using thirteen databases. This multi-national network cohort study included eight electronic medical record and five administrative claims databases from Australia, France, Germany, Japan, Netherlands, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States, mapped to a common data model. People observed for at least 365 days before 1 January 2017, 2018, or 2019 were included. We based study outcomes on lists published by regulators: acute myocardial infarction, anaphylaxis, appendicitis, Bell s palsy, deep vein thrombosis, disseminated intravascular coagulation, encephalomyelitis, Guillain-Barre syndrome, hemorrhagic and non-hemorrhagic stroke, immune thrombocytopenia, myocarditis/pericarditis, narcolepsy, pulmonary embolism, and transverse myelitis.3 We calculated incidence rates stratified by age, sex, and database. We pooled rates across databases using random effects meta-analyses. We classified meta-analytic estimates into Council of International Organizations of Medical Sciences categories: very common, common, uncommon, rare, or very rare.4 We analyzed 126,661,070 people. Rates varied greatly between databases and by age and sex. Some AESI (e.g., myocardial infarction, Guillain-Barre syndrome) increased with age, while others (e.g., anaphylaxis, appendicitis) were more common in young people. As a result, AESI were classified differently according to age. For example, myocardial infarction was very rare in children, rare in women aged 35-54 years, uncommon in men and women aged 55-84 years, and common in those aged ≥85 years. We report robust baseline rates of prioritized AESI across 13 databases. Age, sex, and variation between databases should be considered if background AESI rates are compared to event rates observed with COVID-19 vaccines.
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.03.25.21254315v2" target="_blank">Characterizing the incidence of adverse events of special interest for COVID-19 vaccines across eight countries: a multinational network cohort study</a>
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<li><strong>Vaccine escape in a heterogeneous population: insights for SARS-CoV-2 from a simple model</strong> -
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As a counter measure to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic there has been swift development and clinical trial assessment of candidate vaccines, with subsequent deployment as part of mass vaccination campaigns. However, the SARS-CoV-2 virus has demonstrated the ability to mutate and develop variants, which can modify epidemiological properties and potentially also the effectiveness of vaccines. The widespread deployment of highly effective vaccines may rapidly exert selection pressure on the SARS-CoV-2 virus directed towards mutations that escape the vaccine induced immune response. This is particularly concerning whilst infection is widespread. By developing and analysing a mathematical model of two population groupings with differing vulnerability and contact rates, we explore the impact of the deployment of vaccine amongst the population on R, cases, disease abundance and vaccine escape pressure. The results from this model illustrate two insights (i) vaccination aimed at reducing prevalence could be more effective at reducing disease than directly vaccinating the vulnerable; (ii) the highest risk for vaccine escape can occur at intermediate levels of vaccination. This work demonstrates a key principle that the careful targeting of vaccines towards particular population groups could reduce disease as much as possible whilst limiting the risk of vaccine escape.
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.03.14.21253544v2" target="_blank">Vaccine escape in a heterogeneous population: insights for SARS-CoV-2 from a simple model</a>
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<li><strong>Perceptions on undertaking regular asymptomatic self-testing for COVID-19 using lateral flow tests: A qualitative study of university students and staff</strong> -
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Background There has been an increased interest from governments in implementing mass testing for COVID-19 of asymptomatic individuals using Lateral Flow Tests (LFTs). Successful implementation of such programmes depends on several factors, including feasibility, acceptability and how people act on test results. There is a paucity of studies examining these issues. Objective We aimed to examine experiences of university students and staff with experience of regular asymptomatic self-testing using LFTs, and their subsequent behaviours. Methods We invited people who were participating in a weekly testing feasibility study. We conducted semi-structured remote interviews between December 2020 and January 2021. Additional qualitative data from a survey were also analysed. Data were analysed thematically. Results We interviewed 18 and surveyed 214 participants. Participants were motivated to regularly self-test as they wanted to know whether or not they were infected with SARS-CoV-2. Most reported that a negative test result did not change their behaviour but it did provide them with reassurance to engage with permitted activities. In contrast, some participants reported making decisions about visiting other people when they would not have done so otherwise, because they felt reassured by a negative test result. Participants valued the test training but some participants still doubted their ability to carry out the test. Participants were concerned about safety of attending test sites with lots of people and reported home testing was most convenient. Conclusions If governments want to increase uptake of LFT use, clear messages highlighting the benefits of regular testing for family, friends and society in identifying asymptomatic cases are needed. This should be coupled with transparent communication about accuracy of LFTs and how to act on either a positive or negative result. Concerns about safety, convenience of testing, and ability to do tests need to be addressed to ensure successful scaling up asymptomatic testing.
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.03.26.21254337v1" target="_blank">Perceptions on undertaking regular asymptomatic self-testing for COVID-19 using lateral flow tests: A qualitative study of university students and staff</a>
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<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-clinical-trials">From Clinical Trials</h1>
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<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Pilot Trial of XFBD, a TCM, in Persons With COVID-19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>: Covid19<br/><b>Interventions</b>: Drug: Xuanfei Baidu Granules; Other: Placebo<br/><b>Sponsor</b>: Darcy Spicer<br/><b>Recruiting</b></p></li>
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<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Safety and Tolerability of Emricasan in Symptomatic Outpatients Diagnosed With Mild-COVID-19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>: Covid19<br/><b>Interventions</b>: Drug: Emricasan; Other: Placebo<br/><b>Sponsor</b>: Histogen<br/><b>Recruiting</b></p></li>
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<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Efficacy of Reinforcing Standard Therapy in COVID-19 Patients With Repeated Transfusion of Convalescent Plasma</strong> - <b>Condition</b>: Covid19<br/><b>Interventions</b>: Other: Convalescent Plasma with antibody against SARS-CoV-2.; Other: Standard treatment for COVID-19<br/><b>Sponsors</b>: Hospital Son Llatzer; Fundació d’investigació Sanitària de les Illes Balears<br/><b>Recruiting</b></p></li>
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<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>SERUR: COVID-19 Serological Survey of Staff From the University Reims-Champagne Ardennes</strong> - <b>Condition</b>: Covid19<br/><b>Intervention</b>: Diagnostic Test: Anti-SARS-CoV2 Serology<br/><b>Sponsor</b>: Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne<br/><b>Completed</b></p></li>
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<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>ANTIcoagulation in Severe COVID-19 Patients</strong> - <b>Condition</b>: Severe COVID-19 Pneumonia<br/><b>Interventions</b>: Drug: Tinzaparin, Low dose prophylactic anticoagulation; Drug: Tinzaparin, High dose prophylactic anticoagulation; Drug: Tinzaparin,Therapeutic anticoagulation<br/><b>Sponsor</b>: Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
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<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Study to Evaluate the Viral Load Reduction of a Single Dose of Plitidepsin in Adult Patients With COVID-19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>: COVID-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>: Drug: Plitidepsin; Drug: Symptomatic Treatment<br/><b>Sponsors</b>: PharmaMar; Apices Soluciones S.L.<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
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<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Neuromodulation in COVID-19 Patients</strong> - <b>Condition</b>: COVID-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>: Device: Transcranial direct-current stimulation; Device: Sham Transcranial direct-current stimulation<br/><b>Sponsors</b>: D’Or Institute for Research and Education; Rio de Janeiro State Research Supporting Foundation (FAPERJ); Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico; Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior.<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
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<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Immunogenicity and Safety of Recombinant COVID-19 Vaccine (CHO Cells)</strong> - <b>Condition</b>: COVID-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>: Biological: a middle-dose recombinant COVID-19 vaccine (CHO Cell) (18-59 years) at the schedule of day 0, 28, 56; Biological: a high-dose recombinant COVID-19 vaccine (CHO Cell) (18-59 years) at the schedule of day 0, 28, 56; Biological: a middle-dose recombinant COVID-19 vaccine (CHO Cell) (60-85 years) at the schedule of day 0, 28, 56; Biological: a high-dose recombinant COVID-19 vaccine (CHO Cell) (60-85 years) at the schedule of day 0, 28, 56; Biological: a middle-dose placebo (18-59 years) at the schedule of day 0, 28, 56; Biological: a high-dose placebo (18-59 years) at the schedule of day 0, 28, 56; Biological: a middle-dose placebo (60-85 years) at the schedule of day 0, 28, 56; Biological: a high-dose placebo (60-85 years) at the schedule of day 0, 28, 56<br/><b>Sponsors</b>: Jiangsu Province Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Academy of Military Medical Sciences，Academy of Military Sciences，PLA ZHONGYIANKE Biotech Co, Ltd. LIAONINGMAOKANGYUAN Biotech Co, Ltd<br/><b>Recruiting</b></p></li>
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<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Off-the-shelf NK Cells (KDS-1000) as Immunotherapy for COVID-19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>: Covid19<br/><b>Interventions</b>: Biological: KDS-1000; Other: Placebo<br/><b>Sponsor</b>: Kiadis Pharma<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
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<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Clinical Decision Support System Based on Non-invasive Tele-monitoring of COVID-19 Patients</strong> - <b>Condition</b>: COVID-19<br/><b>Intervention</b>: Device: Clinical decision support system based on non-invasive multimodal monitoring<br/><b>Sponsors</b>: Increase-Tech; Hospital Clínico Universitario de Valladolid; University of Valladolid; Sanidad de Castilla y León<br/><b>Active, not recruiting</b></p></li>
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<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 Syndrome and the Gut-lung Axis</strong> - <b>Condition</b>: Covid19<br/><b>Interventions</b>: Dietary Supplement: Omni-Biotic Pro Vi 5; Dietary Supplement: Placebo<br/><b>Sponsors</b>: Medical University of Graz; CBmed Ges.m.b.H.<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
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<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 Self-Testing Through Rapid Network Distribution</strong> - <b>Condition</b>: Covid19<br/><b>Interventions</b>: Behavioral: COVID-19 self-test; Behavioral: COVID-19 test referral<br/><b>Sponsors</b>: University of Pennsylvania; Public Health Management Corporation<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
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<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>STOP-COVID19: Superiority Trial Of Protease Inhibition in COVID-19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>: Covid19<br/><b>Interventions</b>: Drug: Brensocatib; Drug: Placebo<br/><b>Sponsors</b>: University of Dundee; NHS Tayside; Insmed Incorporated<br/><b>Completed</b></p></li>
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<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Monitoring of COVID-19 Seroprevalence Among GHdC Staff Members</strong> - <b>Condition</b>: Covid19<br/><b>Intervention</b>: Diagnostic Test: Serology to determine SARS-CoV-2 infection<br/><b>Sponsor</b>: Grand Hôpital de Charleroi<br/><b>Recruiting</b></p></li>
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<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>UNITE Study (UCSD-SW) for COVID-19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>: Covid19<br/><b>Intervention</b>: Device: Splenic Ultrasound<br/><b>Sponsors</b>: Imanuel Lerman; SecondWave Systems Inc.; MCDC (Unites States Department of Defense)<br/><b>Recruiting</b></p></li>
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</ul>
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<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-pubmed">From PubMed</h1>
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<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Antimalarial Quinacrine and Chloroquine Lose Their Activity by Decreasing Cationic Amphiphilic Structure with a Slight Decrease in pH</strong> - Quinacrine (QC) and chloroquine (CQ) have antimicrobial and antiviral activities as well as antimalarial activity, although the mechanisms remain unknown. QC increased the antimicrobial activity against yeast exponentially with a pH-dependent increase in the cationic amphiphilic drug (CAD) structure. CAD-QC localized in the yeast membranes and induced glucose starvation by noncompetitively inhibiting glucose uptake as antipsychotic chlorpromazine (CPZ) did. An exponential increase in…</p></li>
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<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Cathepsin L plays a key role in SARS-CoV-2 infection in humans and humanized mice and is a promising target for new drug development</strong> - To discover new drugs to combat COVID-19, an understanding of the molecular basis of SARS-CoV-2 infection is urgently needed. Here, for the first time, we report the crucial role of cathepsin L (CTSL) in patients with COVID-19. The circulating level of CTSL was elevated after SARS-CoV-2 infection and was positively correlated with disease course and severity. Correspondingly, SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus infection increased CTSL expression in human cells in vitro and human ACE2 transgenic mice in…</p></li>
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<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Intracortical GABAergic dysfunction in patients with fatigue and dysexecutive syndrome after COVID-19</strong> - CONCLUSIONS: The present study documents for the first time reduced GABAergic inhibition in the M1 in patients who recovered from COVID-19 with neurological complications and manifested fatigue and dysexecutive syndrome.</p></li>
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<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Attenuation of 7-ketocholesterol- and 7β-hydroxycholesterol-induced oxiapoptophagy by nutrients, synthetic molecules and oils: potential for the prevention of age-related diseases</strong> - Age-related diseases for which there are no effective treatments include cardiovascular diseases; neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease; eye disorders such as cataract and age-related macular degeneration; and, more recently, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV-2). These diseases are associated with plasma and/or tissue increases in cholesterol derivatives mainly formed by auto-oxidation: 7-ketocholesterol, also known as 7-oxo-cholesterol, and 7β-hydroxycholesterol. The…</p></li>
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<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Glycyrrhizin prevents SARS-CoV-2 S1 and Orf3a induced high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) release and inhibits viral replication</strong> - Efforts to understand host factors critical for COVID-19 pathogenesis have identified high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) to be crucial for regulating susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2. COVID-19 disease severity is correlated with heightened inflammatory responses, and HMGB1 is an important extracellular mediator in inflammation processes.In this study, we evaluated the effect of HMGB1 inhibitor Glycyrrhizin on the cellular perturbations in lung cells expressing SARS-CoV-2 viral proteins. Pyroptosis in…</p></li>
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<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Neutralizing and protective human monoclonal antibodies recognizing the N-terminal domain of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein</strong> - Most human monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) neutralizing SARS-CoV-2 recognize the spike (S) protein receptor-binding domain and block virus interactions with the cellular receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2. We describe a panel of human mAbs binding to diverse epitopes on the N-terminal domain (NTD) of S protein from SARS-CoV-2 convalescent donors and found a minority of these possessed neutralizing activity. Two mAbs (COV2-2676 and COV2-2489) inhibited infection of authentic SARS-CoV-2 and…</p></li>
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<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Essentials in saline pharmacology for nasal or respiratory hygiene in times of COVID-19</strong> - CONCLUSIONS: Saline interacts at various levels relevant to nasal or respiratory hygiene (nasal irrigation, gargling or aerosol). If used from the onset of common cold symptoms, it may represent a useful add-on to first-line interventions for COVID-19. Formal evaluation in mild COVID-19 is desirable as to establish efficacy and optimal treatment regimens.</p></li>
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<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Dual inhibition of CB(1) R and iNOS as a potential novel approach to the pharmacological management of acute and long COVID-19</strong> - COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) causes multiple inflammatory complications, resulting not only in severe lung inflammation but also in harm to other organs. While current focus is on the management of acute COVID-19, there is growing concern about long term effects of COVID-19 (Long Covid), such as fibroproliferative changes in lung, heart and kidney. Therefore, identifying therapeutic modalities is needed not only for the management of acute COVID-19 but also for preventing Long Covid, which could…</p></li>
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<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>The Renin-Angiotensin System, Hypertension, and SARS-CoV-2 Infection: a Review</strong> - PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This review focuses on the associations between the renin-angiotensin system, hypertension, and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-COV-2) infection. A brief prelude on the current state of affairs with COVID-19 is given. In addition to an overview of ACE2, Ang II, and Ang (1-7), this review presents a brief statement on hypertension, including the function of enzymes involved in the control of hypertension, cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, and other…</p></li>
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<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Possible Therapeutic Use of Natural Compounds Against COVID-19</strong> - The outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has led to coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19); a pandemic disease that has resulted in devastating social, economic, morbidity and mortality burdens. SARS-CoV-2 infects cells following receptor-mediated endocytosis and priming by cellular proteases. Following uptake, SARS-CoV-2 replicates in autophagosome-like structures in the cytosol following its escape from endolysosomes. Accordingly, the greater endolysosome pathway…</p></li>
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<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>D-Limonene Is a Potential Monoterpene to Inhibit PI3K/Akt/IKK-alpha/NF-kappaB p65 Signaling Pathway in Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pulmonary Fibrosis</strong> - At the time of the prevalence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), pulmonary fibrosis (PF) related to COVID-19 has become the main sequela. However, the mechanism of PF related to COVID (COVID-PF) is unknown. This study aimed to explore the key targets in the development of COVID-PF and the mechanism of d-limonene in the COVID-PF treatment. The differentially expressed genes of COVID-PF were downloaded from the GeneCards database, and their pathways were analyzed. d-Limonene was molecularly…</p></li>
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<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Plant Products as Inhibitors of Coronavirus 3CL Protease</strong> - Background: The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has created an alarming situation due to extensive loss of human lives and economy, posing enormous threat to global health security. Till date, no antiviral drug or vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 has reached the market, although a number of clinical trials are under way. The viral 3-chymotrypsin-like cysteine protease (3CL^(pro)), playing pivotal roles in coronavirus replication and polyprotein processing, is essential for its life cycle. In fact, 3CL^(pro)…</p></li>
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<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>In silico investigation of critical binding pattern in SARS-CoV-2 spike protein with angiotensin-converting enzyme 2</strong> - Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a newly-discovered coronavirus and responsible for the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). SARS-CoV-2 infected millions of people in the world and immediately became a pandemic in March 2020. SARS-CoV-2 belongs to the beta-coronavirus genus of the large family of Coronaviridae. It is now known that its surface spike glycoprotein binds to the angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE2), which is expressed on the lung epithelial…</p></li>
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<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 infection rewires host cell metabolism and is potentially susceptible to mTORC1 inhibition</strong> - Viruses hijack host cell metabolism to acquire the building blocks required for replication. Understanding how SARS-CoV-2 alters host cell metabolism may lead to potential treatments for COVID-19. Here we profile metabolic changes conferred by SARS-CoV-2 infection in kidney epithelial cells and lung air-liquid interface (ALI) cultures, and show that SARS-CoV-2 infection increases glucose carbon entry into the TCA cycle via increased pyruvate carboxylase expression. SARS-CoV-2 also reduces…</p></li>
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<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Generation of SARS-CoV-2 reporter replicon for high-throughput antiviral screening and testing</strong> - Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) research and antiviral discovery are hampered by the lack of a cell-based virus replication system that can be readily adopted without biosafety level 3 (BSL-3) restrictions. Here, the construction of a noninfectious SARS-CoV-2 reporter replicon and its application in deciphering viral replication mechanisms and evaluating SARS-CoV-2 inhibitors are presented. The replicon genome is replication competent but does not produce progeny…</p></li>
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<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-patent-search">From Patent Search</h1>
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<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>5-(4-TERT-BUTOXY PHENYL)-3-(4N-OCTYLOXYPHENYL)-4,5-DIHYDROISOXAZOLE MOLECULE (C-I): A PROMISING DRUG FOR SARS-COV-2 (TARGET I) AND BLOOD CANCER (TARGET II)</strong> - The present invention relates to a method ofmolecular docking of crystalline compound (C-I) with SARS-COV 2 proteins and its repurposing with proteins of blood cancer, comprising the steps of ; employing an algorithmto carry molecular docking calculations of the crystalized compound (C-I); studying the compound computationally to understand the effect of binding groups with the atoms of the amino acids on at least four target proteins of SARS-COV 2; downloading the structure of the proteins; removing water molecules, co enzymes and inhibitors attached to the enzymes; drawing the structure using Chem Sketch software; converting the mol file into a PDB file; using crystalized compound (C-I) for comparative and drug repurposing with two other mutated proteins; docking compound into the groove of the proteins; saving format of docked molecules retrieved; and filtering and docking the best docked results. - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=IN320884617">link</a></p></li>
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<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>USING CLINICAL ONTOLOGIES TO BUILD KNOWLEDGE BASED CLINICAL DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR NOVEL CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) WITH THE ADOPTION OF TELECONFERENCING FOR THE PRIMARY HEALTH CENTRES/SATELLITE CLINICS OF ROYAL OMAN POLICE IN SULTANATE OF OMAN</strong> - - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=AU320796026">link</a></p></li>
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<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Peptides and their use in diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection</strong> - - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=AU319943278">link</a></p></li>
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<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A PROCESS FOR SUCCESSFUL MANAGEMENT OF COVID 19 POSITIVE PATIENTS</strong> - - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=AU319942709">link</a></p></li>
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<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>IN SILICO SCREENING OF ANTIMYCOBACTERIAL NATURAL COMPOUNDS WITH THE POTENTIAL TO DIRECTLY INHIBIT SARS COV 2</strong> - IN SILICO SCREENING OF ANTIMYCOBACTERIAL NATURAL COMPOUNDS WITH THE POTENTIAL TO DIRECTLY INHIBIT SARS COV 2Insilico screening of antimycobacterial natural compounds with the potential to directly inhibit SARS COV2 relates to the composition for treating SARS-COV-2 comprising the composition is about 0.1 – 99% and other pharmaceutically acceptable excipients. The composition also treats treating SARS, Ebola, Hepatitis-B and Hepatitis–C comprising the composition is about 0.1 – 99% and other pharmaceutically acceptable excipients. - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=IN320777840">link</a></p></li>
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<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Sars-CoV-2 vaccine antigens</strong> - - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=AU318283136">link</a></p></li>
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<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>SARS-COV-2 BINDING PROTEINS</strong> - - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=AU318004130">link</a></p></li>
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<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Bildschirmgerät mit verbesserter Wirkung bei der Befestigung von UV-Entkeimungslampen</strong> -
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</p><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">Ein Bildschirmgerät mit verbesserter Wirkung bei der Befestigung von UV-Entkeimungslampen, umfassend: ein Bildschirmgerät, das einen Umfang hat; eine UV-Entkeimungslampe, die sich am Umfang des Bildschirmgeräts befindet; eine Stromquelle, die elektrisch mit der UV-Entkeimungslampe verbunden ist; eine Steuerschaltung, die elektrisch mit der UV-Entkeimungslampe verbunden ist; und eine Befestigungsvorrichtung, durch die die UV-Entkeimungslampe am Umfang des Bildschirmgeräts befestigbar ist, wobei die Befestigungsvorrichtung einen Sitzkörper, eine erste Klemmplatte und eine zweite Klemmplatte aufweist, wobei der Sitzkörper mit der UV-Entkeimungslampe versehen ist, wobei die erste Klemmplatte und die zweite Klemmplatte beabstandet am Sitzkörper gleitbar angeordnet sind, wodurch ein Klemmabstand zwischen der ersten Klemmplatte und der zweiten Klemmplatte besteht, wobei ein elastisches Element zwischen der zweiten Klemmplatte und dem Sitzkörper angeordnet ist, um die zweite Klemmplatte dazu zu zwingen, sich der ersten Klemmplatte zu nähern.</p></li>
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<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=DE320246402">link</a></p></li>
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<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Schublade mit antiepidemischer Wirkung</strong> -
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</p><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">Schublade mit antiepidemischer Wirkung, mit einem Schrank (1); mindestens einer Schublade (2), die in dem Schrank (1) angeordnet ist, wobei jede Schublade (2) einen Schubladenraum (25) aufweist; einer UV-Sterilisationsvorrichtung (3), die an der Schublade (2) angeordnet ist; einer Stromquelle (4), die elektrisch mit der UV-Sterilisationsvorrichtung (3) verbunden ist; einer Steuerschaltung (5), die elektrisch mit der Stromquelle (4) und der UV-Sterilisationsvorrichtung (3) verbunden ist; und einem Sensor (6), der elektrisch mit der Steuerschaltung (5) verbunden ist.</p></li>
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<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=DE320246401">link</a></p></li>
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<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Gerät zur Unterstützung und Verstärkung natürlicher Lüftung</strong> -
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</p><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">Lüftungssystem für einen mit öffnbaren Fenstern (16) ausgestatteten Gebäuderaum, gekennzeichnet dadurch, dass es ein Gehäuse (18) und einen Ventilator (20) aufweist, wobei durch das Gehäuse eine vom Ventilator erzeugte Luftströmung strömen kann, wobei das Gehäuse dafür eine Einströmöffnung (24) für Luft und eine Ausströmöffnung (22) für Luft enthält, wobei eine der beiden Öffnungen der Form eines Öffnungsspalts (26) zwischen einem Fensterflügel (12) und einem Blendrahmen (14) des Fensters (16) angepasst ist.</p></li>
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<li><a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=DE319927546">link</a></li>
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<title>Daily-Dose</title><meta content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" name="viewport"/><link href="styles/simple.css" rel="stylesheet"/><link href="../styles/simple.css" rel="stylesheet"/><style>*{overflow-x:hidden;}</style><link href="https://unpkg.com/aos@2.3.1/dist/aos.css" rel="stylesheet"/><script src="https://unpkg.com/aos@2.3.1/dist/aos.js"></script></head>
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<h1 data-aos="fade-down" id="daily-dose">Daily-Dose</h1>
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<h1 data-aos="fade-right" data-aos-anchor-placement="top-bottom" id="contents">Contents</h1>
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<ul>
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<li><a href="#from-new-yorker">From New Yorker</a></li>
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<li><a href="#from-vox">From Vox</a></li>
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<li><a href="#from-the-hindu-sports">From The Hindu: Sports</a></li>
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<li><a href="#from-the-hindu-national-news">From The Hindu: National News</a></li>
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<li><a href="#from-bbc-europe">From BBC: Europe</a></li>
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<li><a href="#from-ars-technica">From Ars Technica</a></li>
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<li><a href="#from-jokes-subreddit">From Jokes Subreddit</a></li>
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</ul>
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<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-new-yorker">From New Yorker</h1>
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<ul>
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<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>The Presidential Press Conference in the Biden Era Is as Awful as Ever</strong> - Under Trump, we had to listen. But now? There must be a better way. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/letter-from-bidens-washington/the-presidential-press-conference-in-the-biden-era-is-as-awful-as-ever">link</a></p></li>
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<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>The Return of Mass Shootings</strong> - Will there be a way forward this time? - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/the-return-of-mass-shootings">link</a></p></li>
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<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Two Georgia Churches Grapple With the Shootings in Atlanta</strong> - Members of a Korean Baptist congregation reflected on the persistence of racism. The church where the gunman belonged insisted that he alone was responsible. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/us-journal/two-georgia-churches-grapple-with-the-shootings-in-atlanta">link</a></p></li>
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<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>The Movement to Exclude Trans Girls from Sports</strong> - The opposition is cast as one between cis-girl athletes on the one hand and a vast liberal conspiracy on the other. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/the-movement-to-exclude-trans-girls-from-sports">link</a></p></li>
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<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>The Historians Under Attack for Exploring Poland’s Role in the Holocaust</strong> - To exonerate the nation of the murders of three million Jews, the Polish government will go as far as to prosecute scholars for defamation. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/the-historians-under-attack-for-exploring-polands-role-in-the-holocaust">link</a></p></li>
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</ul>
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<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-vox">From Vox</h1>
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<ul>
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<li><strong>Joe Biden’s coming infrastructure push, explained</strong> -
|
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<figure>
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/7O3_dYoTeH65z8o5ToigsAMKYFk=/0x0:2667x2000/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69041543/GettyImages_1227817855.0.jpg"/>
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<figcaption>
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President Biden is preparing to unveil his next big economic swing his “Build Back Better” plan which includes an approximately $3 trillion infrastructure package. | Mark Makela/Getty Images
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</figcaption>
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</figure>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
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Biden’s massive infrastructure plan is also a climate plan.
|
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="4vZcUs">
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The White House is preparing for its next big swing on the economy.
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ovKwR1">
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Shortly after passing his $1.9 trillion Covid-19 relief package, President Joe Biden is preparing to <a href="https://twitter.com/elwasson/status/1374765736573435907?s=21">unveil his “Build Back Better” plan</a> Wednesday during a public address in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The White House discussed an approximately $3 trillion infrastructure package on a call last week with Senate Democrats, but the price tag and final details are still under discussion, a person familiar with the plan told Vox.
|
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="vKfv76">
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Those close to the Biden White House underscore this is a key part of the president’s agenda, and his goal of steering America’s economy toward clean energy and manufacturing. Biden and Democrats see an infrastructure package as the best way to tackle climate change and get the country to net-zero electricity emissions by 2035, by installing more electric vehicle charging stations on the nation’s roads, modernizing the electrical grid, and incentivizing more wind and solar projects. It could be financed at least in part with higher taxes on corporations and the wealthiest Americans.
|
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="LRPWYd">
|
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“I think they’re obsessed with 2035,” former Obama climate adviser John Podesta told Vox in a recent interview, speaking about the Biden White House. “If you stand back and think about buildings, efficiency, transportation, electrification of vehicles, it’s all built on the idea that you’re running clean electrons through that system.”
|
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="GkljOJ">
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|
In addition to using infrastructure to tackle climate change, administration officials are planning to introduce a second package that deals with the care economy, including child care and paid family leave, universal pre-kindergarten, and free community college tuition, the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/22/business/biden-infrastructure-spending.html">New York Times first reported</a> and White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki <a href="https://twitter.com/seungminkim/status/1376161634209644544">confirmed</a> this weekend.
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Lz2tSl">
|
||||||
|
The Covid-19 pandemic showed an acute need to create more of a child care safety net in the US, but the fact that the administration appears to be breaking the two packages apart could be a signal they think the infrastructure and clean energy proposals have a greater chance of passing through a closely divided Congress and getting support from moderate Democrats, including Senate swing vote Joe Manchin (WV).
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="FUQg2R">
|
||||||
|
No matter what, the process of coming up with a final infrastructure package will be long and fraught. Democrats are planning to kick off a bipartisan process, but could rely on budget reconciliation to pass major portions of an infrastructure package that Republicans don’t support. And it’s likely only one more big spending bill can pass this year under budget reconciliation.
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="3YJBqo">
|
||||||
|
“I hope it will be the largest infrastructure package in American history,” Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA), the chair of Congress’s Joint Economic Committee, told Vox. Speaking about a $1.5 trillion infrastructure package House Democrats passed in 2019, Beyer said, “To me, that seems it should be the floor, and we should go up from that.”
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
<h3 id="N7UW23">
|
||||||
|
There are many infrastructure bills in Congress right now
|
||||||
|
</h3>
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="5nqu3R">
|
||||||
|
It will likely take a bit more time for the White House to release its blueprint for an infrastructure plan, and lawmakers are starting a two-week recess. But there are a lot of infrastructure bills floating around Congress that the Biden administration could incorporate.
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="o2BKGk">
|
||||||
|
Last year, the House passed its own $1.5 trillion infrastructure package, the <a href="https://transportation.house.gov/imo/media/doc/Fact%20sheet%20HR%202%20Moving%20Forward%20Act%20FINAL.pdf">Moving Forward Act</a>. The bill invested in traditional roads and bridges infrastructure, but also put money toward revitalizing America’s rail system, aging school buildings, and spotty broadband infrastructure. Here are the <a href="https://transportation.house.gov/imo/media/doc/Fact%20sheet%20HR%202%20Moving%20Forward%20Act%20FINAL.pdf">key points of the Moving Forward Act</a>:
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
<ul>
|
||||||
|
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Dafvy2">
|
||||||
|
$300 billion for fixing existing roads and bridges, including tens of thousands of structurally deficient bridges
|
||||||
|
</li>
|
||||||
|
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="xQrTGS">
|
||||||
|
$100 billion for transit funding, including putting more zero-emission buses on the roads and upgrading roads to be friendlier to pedestrians and bicyclists
|
||||||
|
</li>
|
||||||
|
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="9u3ApW">
|
||||||
|
$1.4 billion for alternative fuel charging infrastructure, like electric vehicle charging stations, and tripling funding for Amtrak to $29 billion
|
||||||
|
</li>
|
||||||
|
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="za9Q7g">
|
||||||
|
$130 billion for school infrastructure, to improve aging school buildings that were built with hazardous materials like asbestos and lead pipes
|
||||||
|
</li>
|
||||||
|
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="4dLaCO">
|
||||||
|
$100 billion for affordable housing infrastructure to either create or preserve 1.8 million affordable homes
|
||||||
|
</li>
|
||||||
|
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="mTGfsE">
|
||||||
|
$100 billion for broadband internet infrastructure to unserved and underserved rural, suburban, and urban communities, prioritizing those in “persistent poverty”
|
||||||
|
</li>
|
||||||
|
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="PRyOjF">
|
||||||
|
$40 billion for new wastewater infrastructure, and over $25 billion for the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund
|
||||||
|
</li>
|
||||||
|
</ul>
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="l0puUm">
|
||||||
|
Also in the mix is a surface transportation bill that funds roads and bridges and is up for its five-year reauthorization this year. The reauthorization bill is something that Republicans and Democrats alike see as having the potential for the most bipartisan compromise, and there has been some talk on Capitol Hill about passing a bipartisan roads and bridges infrastructure bill, and then putting the more ambitious pieces of Biden’s infrastructure plan into a budget reconciliation bill.
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="3VvaMw">
|
||||||
|
The House and Senate are starting in different places on the surface transportation reauthorization bill. The House bill is close to $500 billion, and the Senate passed a bipartisan $287 billion highway funding bill in 2019. Now that Democrats are in the majority, the top-line figure is likely to increase when the committee proposes an updated bill. Still, negotiations over the surface transportation bill could be overshadowed by Biden’s larger infrastructure plan.
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
<figure class="e-image">
|
||||||
|
<img alt=" " src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/y4kw5WZYlHXvD9Us2tREnf-Alxw=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22397990/GettyImages_1256159709.jpg"/> <cite>Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images</cite>
|
||||||
|
<figcaption>
|
||||||
|
Biden and Democrats see an infrastructure package as the best way to tackle climate change and get the country to net-zero electricity emissions by 2035.
|
||||||
|
</figcaption>
|
||||||
|
</figure>
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="MPt2Rz">
|
||||||
|
A spokesperson for the House Transportation Committee said the surface transportation bill would be part of a larger push. “While decisions about the size and scope of a broader jobs and economic recovery plan get hammered out, Chair [Peter] DeFazio is working as we speak to advance an ambitious surface transportation reauthorization bill through his Committee later this spring, which is expected to serve as a major component of a broader infrastructure package,” committee spokesperson Kerry Arndt told Vox in a statement.
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="rNuJH8">
|
||||||
|
Beyond the main infrastructure bills in Congress, there are plenty of other bills that could be incorporated into a larger budget package. The House Energy and Commerce Committee has the CLEAN Future Act, which would put forward a <a href="https://www.vox.com/22337863/joe-manchin-biden-climate-change-senate-clean-energy-standard">clean electricity standard</a> and lay out a pathway to decarbonize the US electricity sector by 2035. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL) have a bill to create a dedicated Passenger Rail Trust Fund that would serve as a primary funding stream for Amtrak, rather than the appropriations money the rail system now receives.
|
||||||
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</p>
|
||||||
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ErwL5g">
|
||||||
|
On the community infrastructure side, House Committee on Education and Labor Chair Bobby Scott (D-VA) has a school infrastructure bill to repair toxic and ancient school buildings, particularly in poorer and underserved communities. And Assistant Speaker of the House Katherine Clark (D-MA) has a “Child Care Is Infrastructure” bill that would authorize $10 billion over five years to invest in child care infrastructure in the US.
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="r9zyhy">
|
||||||
|
“The Biden administration understands this and has made a care agenda one of their top priorities,” Clark told Vox in a recent interview.
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
<h3 id="KjttgQ">
|
||||||
|
Infrastructure isn’t as bipartisan as it seems
|
||||||
|
</h3>
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="AzJVM1">
|
||||||
|
Infrastructure is sometimes talked about in Washington like it’s the most bipartisan issue in town.
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="7P7ljH">
|
||||||
|
Indeed, legislation funding fixes to the nation’s roads and bridges are relatively noncontroversial and bipartisan, as is the need for better broadband access in states and cities. But the main disagreement between Republicans and Democrats on infrastructure is how big a package should be, what exactly should be in it, and perhaps most importantly — how to pay for it.
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="JuolYC">
|
||||||
|
Republicans want a smaller infrastructure package to deal mainly with roads and bridges, and they want to get that done without raising taxes. Democrats see things differently, viewing infrastructure as a key opportunity to transition the US economy toward clean energy, as well as strengthening “human infrastructure” with better schools, more generous child care, and free community college.
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
<div class="c-float-right c-float-hang">
|
||||||
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<aside id="T7jEWY">
|
||||||
|
<q>“I hope it will be the largest infrastructure package in American history,” Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA)</q>
|
||||||
|
</aside>
|
||||||
|
</div>
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="a0vTcV">
|
||||||
|
“Climate and infrastructure are closely linked,” a person familiar with the Biden recovery plan told Vox. Biden campaigned on a $2 trillion climate and clean energy plan that seeks to get the US to net zero emissions by 2050, and by 100 percent clean electricity by 2035. Biden’s campaign plan sought to create 1 million new jobs in the American auto industry, domestic auto supply chains, and auto infrastructure.
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="RUmffT">
|
||||||
|
“Are [Republicans] willing to invest the amount of funding that’s required to make sure the US automaker retool and the incentives are there to make sure American consumers move toward electric vehicles?” said founder of the Climate and Energy Program at the centrist think tank Third Way Josh Freed. “It’s not at all clear that can be the case.”
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="g2iXu8">
|
||||||
|
Then there’s the debate of how a massive infrastructure bill, coming on the heels of an already passed and signed $1.9 trillion Covid stimulus law, will be paid for. As <a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/22336892/joe-biden-tax-hike">Vox’s Emily Stewart has detailed</a>, Biden has already floated upping the corporate tax rate, raising taxes on households making $400,000, and adjusting the estate tax and capital gains taxes.
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="bM0DXh">
|
||||||
|
Importantly, these tax proposals have the support of moderate Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, who <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/manchin-calls-enormous-infrastructure-package-paid-new-taxes-n1261949">has told reporters</a> he wants an “enormous” infrastructure bill. But Manchin also wants the tax increases and larger package to be bipartisan — which will be much more difficult.
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="C3Amai">
|
||||||
|
Podesta told Vox he’s certain the Biden White House will introduce a bold package with some audacious goals. How those goals are shaped by the demands of an unpredictable Congress is the bigger unknown.
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="QaF0kX">
|
||||||
|
“The question there is really what’s going to make it through the legislative process,” Podesta said. “The only thing I’m certain of is they’re going to push for big investments, in both power production and transmission.”
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
<h3 id="pbgVap">
|
||||||
|
Passing an infrastructure package could take much of the year
|
||||||
|
</h3>
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="rWafgg">
|
||||||
|
The process of drafting and passing an infrastructure bill that the White House, the Senate, and the House all agree on will likely be far more drawn out than Biden’s $1.9 trillion Covid relief package; the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has a September deadline to pass the approximately $500 billion five-year surface transportation bill. But that bill isn’t likely to drive the debate around infrastructure.
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="6O98kJ">
|
||||||
|
Democrats want to pass many more components throughout the summer. Democrats are saying that they want the process to be bipartisan and include Republican input, but under current Senate rules, they also have one more shot to use budget reconciliation to pass an infrastructure and climate bill<strong> </strong>with 51 votes.
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="fEHTA2">
|
||||||
|
Earmarks — provisions in a spending bill directing money toward projects in various congressional districts — are potentially making a comeback, after past controversies over accusations of waste. With this kind of “pork” spending, some Democrats hope they can entice Republicans to lend bipartisan support to the next big budget bill.
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
<figure class="e-image">
|
||||||
|
<img alt=" " src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/BIOVqPYwaK3k1Vu9ap_l9KfSlW8=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22397996/GettyImages_1227722604.jpg"/> <cite>Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images</cite>
|
||||||
|
<figcaption>
|
||||||
|
The main disagreement between Republicans and Democrats on infrastructure is how big a package should be, what exactly should be in it, and perhaps most importantly — how to pay for it.
|
||||||
|
</figcaption>
|
||||||
|
</figure>
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="O55XFD">
|
||||||
|
Earmarks may mean there’s more of a deal to be had on infrastructure, but they’ll also ensure the process could be messier — with lawmakers jockeying to get their district’s priorities some money.
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="egIQpk">
|
||||||
|
During the Covid-19 bill process, lawmakers were told to hold off on putting their individual wants and needs into the first budget bill, because time and quick passage were of the essence to combat the pandemic. Now, it’s going to be open season.
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="TvyJL6">
|
||||||
|
“Every single member has a bunch of stuff they want to do they were told they could not do in the first package,” a Democratic congressional aide told Vox. “Truly, every senator’s pet project who hasn’t been in the majority before, now has an opening.”
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="fTGtYY">
|
||||||
|
Biden and Democrats in Congress have months of strategic decisions ahead of them. The choices they make — whether or not to work with Republicans, whether to split up the package or keep it as one, how much to indulge the pet projects of lawmakers through earmarks — will shape a crucial piece of Biden’s legacy.
|
||||||
|
</p></li>
|
||||||
|
<li><strong>Amazon started a Twitter war because Jeff Bezos was pissed</strong> -
|
||||||
|
<figure>
|
||||||
|
<img alt="Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/UjMEJo21rrgUbzLP213CVsov_tE=/167x0:2834x2000/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69039798/Jeff_Bezos_this_big.0.jpg"/>
|
||||||
|
<figcaption>
|
||||||
|
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos | Alex Wong/Getty Images
|
||||||
|
</figcaption>
|
||||||
|
</figure>
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||||||
|
Snarky tweets targeting Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren came after the CEO told execs they weren’t pushing back hard enough on critics.
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="XZOoP3">
|
||||||
|
Amazon has long been at odds with Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren over their criticisms of the company’s labor and business practices. But the discord reached a new height last week when Amazon aggressively went after both on Twitter in an unusual attack for a large corporation. With each new snarky tweet from an Amazon executive or the company’s official Twitter account, insiders and observers alike asked a version of the same question: “What the hell is going on?”
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="hy2XfT">
|
||||||
|
Turns out that Amazon leaders were following a broad mandate from the very top of the company: Fight back.
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="x9Q6PW">
|
||||||
|
Recode has learned that Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos expressed dissatisfaction in recent weeks that company officials weren’t more aggressive in how they pushed back against criticisms of the company that he and other leaders deem inaccurate or misleading. What followed was a series of snarky and aggressive tweets that ended up fueling their own media cycles.
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="MXJNwx">
|
||||||
|
The timing was likely not coincidental. Bezos and other Amazon leaders are on edge as the company is facing <a href="https://www.vox.com/recode/22311708/amazon-union-alabama-vote-explained">the largest union election in its history at its Bessemer, Alabama warehouse</a>. Election results will be tallied early this week, and Amazon officials understand that if a majority of the employee voters vote to unionize, it could set off a chain reaction at other facilities, with the potential to force the e-commerce giant to overhaul how it manages its hundreds of thousands of front-line US workers. There was terror inside the executive ranks of Amazon the last time a union election was held at a US Amazon facility — and that was<strong> </strong>only a small subset of a warehouse’s workforce, <a href="https://www.vox.com/2014/1/15/11622392/amazon-warehouse-workers-vote-against-joining-union">the majority of whom voted against unionization</a>. That vote happened in early 2014, and consisted of just 27 technicians and mechanics at an Amazon warehouse in Delaware. In Alabama, though, the stakes are much higher with nearly 6,000 workers eligible to vote. Bezos knows all of this well.
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
<div class="c-float-right">
|
||||||
|
<div id="dnSXXj">
|
||||||
|
<div>
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
</div>
|
||||||
|
</div>
|
||||||
|
</div>
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="i8hutE">
|
||||||
|
So when news broke last week that Sanders was planning to visit Alabama in the final days of voting, top Amazon executive Dave Clark fired off a Twitter thread that started with the following post.
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="EzzYeW">
|
||||||
|
“I welcome<a href="https://twitter.com/SenSanders"> <span class="citation" data-cites="SenSanders">@SenSanders</span></a> to Birmingham and appreciate his push for a progressive workplace,” Clark’s account posted on Wednesday. “I often say we are the Bernie Sanders of employers, but that’s not quite right because we actually deliver a progressive workplace.”
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
<div id="y7NBnw">
|
||||||
|
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" dir="ltr" lang="en">
|
||||||
|
1/3 I welcome <a href="https://twitter.com/SenSanders?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"><span class="citation" data-cites="SenSanders">@SenSanders</span></a> to Birmingham and appreciate his push for a progressive workplace. I often say we are the Bernie Sanders of employers, but that’s not quite right because we actually deliver a progressive workplace <a href="https://t.co/Fq8D6vyuh9">https://t.co/Fq8D6vyuh9</a>
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
— Dave Clark (<span class="citation" data-cites="davehclark">@davehclark</span>) <a href="https://twitter.com/davehclark/status/1374853182484963332?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 24, 2021</a>
|
||||||
|
</blockquote></div></li>
|
||||||
|
</ul>
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="8pVPqr">
|
||||||
|
A few hours later, the official “Amazon News” media relations Twitter account, with more than 170,000 followers, snapped back against House Rep. Mark Pocan, who had questioned Clark’s “progressive workplace” assertion by alluding to stories of Amazon’s pace of work being so demanding that workers have to “urinate in water bottles.”
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="r8PlPH">
|
||||||
|
“You don’t really believe the peeing in bottles thing, do you?” the official Amazon News account tweeted. “If that were true, nobody would work for us.”
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
<div id="81oEE4">
|
||||||
|
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" dir="ltr" lang="en">
|
||||||
|
1/2 You don’t really believe the peeing in bottles thing, do you? If that were true, nobody would work for us. The truth is that we have over a million incredible employees around the world who are proud of what they do, and have great wages and health care from day one.
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
— Amazon News (<span class="citation" data-cites="amazonnews">@amazonnews</span>) <a href="https://twitter.com/amazonnews/status/1374911222361956359?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 25, 2021</a>
|
||||||
|
</blockquote>
|
||||||
|
</div>
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="UyWvtb">
|
||||||
|
And after a back-and-forth with Sen. Elizabeth Warren that began with her criticizing the company’s tax payments, the same Amazon account “quote-tweeted” Warren with this message:
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
<div id="G5OVta">
|
||||||
|
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" dir="ltr" lang="en">
|
||||||
|
This is extraordinary and revealing. One of the most powerful politicians in the United States just said she’s going to break up an American company so that they can’t criticize her anymore. <a href="https://t.co/Nt0wcZo17g">https://t.co/Nt0wcZo17g</a>
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
— Amazon News (<span class="citation" data-cites="amazonnews">@amazonnews</span>) <a href="https://twitter.com/amazonnews/status/1375529101931520007?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 26, 2021</a>
|
||||||
|
</blockquote>
|
||||||
|
</div>
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="2tOwpZ">
|
||||||
|
An Amazon spokesperson did not reply to a request for comment.
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="1vj9WX">
|
||||||
|
If Bezos wanted the news cycle off of the union drive for a bit, it sort of worked. But instead of talking about the union, media outlets and industry observers have been focused on the rarity and judgment of a trillion-dollar company sparring with powerful lawmakers on Twitter. Amazon’s pushback on the congressman’s comment about workers peeing in bottles also ignited a new news cycle after <a href="https://theintercept.com/2021/03/25/amazon-drivers-pee-bottles-union/">The Intercept revealed internal Amazon communications acknowledging that contractors who deliver Amazon packages sometimes defecate in bags and urinate in bottles</a>.
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="isUyHS">
|
||||||
|
Amazon warehouse workers who’ve spoken to Recode over the years say it is indeed rare to hear of a warehouse employee — as opposed to a delivery driver — urinate in bottles at work. But the bigger point many make is that it’s not uncommon for workers to take other measures, such as limiting how much they drink, to reduce their need to use the bathroom for fear of missing their production quotas or getting written up by supervisors for too much “time off task,” as Amazon calls it.
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="T4v21S">
|
||||||
|
Inside of Amazon, rank-and-file employees were also perplexed by the company’s Twitter approach. “Suspicious activity on <span class="citation" data-cites="amazonnews">@amazonnews</span> Twitter account,” was the title of one internal support ticket — called a trouble ticket inside the company<strong> —</strong> filed by an Amazon security engineer last week, according to a screenshot viewed by Recode.
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="fvSVWE">
|
||||||
|
“Over the past two days, there have been two threads by <span class="citation" data-cites="amazonnews">@amazonnews</span> in response to comments made by US Government officials that have received considerable attention,” the ticket reads. “The tweets in question do not match the usual content posted by this account.”
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="W8ixy7">
|
||||||
|
The security engineer noted that the tweets were posted using Twitter’s web app rather than Sprinklr, the social media management software typically used by the Amazon News account to post tweets.
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="2ufj9K">
|
||||||
|
The tweets, according to the security engineer, “are unnecessarily antagonistic (risking Amazon’s brand) and may be a result of unauthorized access.”
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="KGB9eR">
|
||||||
|
The support ticket was closed without action, according to a source.
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
<ul>
|
||||||
|
<li><strong>How a $25 million donation to help students got ensnared in politics</strong> -
|
||||||
|
<figure>
|
||||||
|
<img alt="Children playing on a playground wearing masks" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/YiT0ovxiBQBxaEQXPsdgECfdOkk=/0x4:4784x3592/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69035829/1264952187.0.jpg"/>
|
||||||
|
<figcaption>
|
||||||
|
Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images
|
||||||
|
</figcaption>
|
||||||
|
</figure>
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||||||
|
San Francisco is once again fighting over billionaires’ philanthropic power.
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="iuiQf7">
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="3W0mph">
|
||||||
|
Billionaire philanthropy is once again on the defense in San Francisco, the home of many a tech billionaire.
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="BHNP9V">
|
||||||
|
The latest backlash centers on a city proposal to get 20,000 schoolchildren some in-person teaching and playtime this summer, after city public schools have been closed for more than a year during the pandemic. But a liberal lawmaker has temporarily derailed the initiative to raise questions about the involvement of a volunteer group that she worries is pushing a political agenda.
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="KjG6TQ">
|
||||||
|
The saga is another flashpoint in the debate over the proper role of billionaire philanthropists — and their affiliated nonprofits — in society. And it is a window into how the city that is home to tech wealth is increasingly suspicious of civic projects from those tech leaders. Late last year, San Francisco officially condemned Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg for his errors at Facebook after he and his wife, Priscilla Chan, <a href="https://www.vox.com/recode/2020/12/3/22151273/mark-zuckerberg-general-hospital-san-francisco-naming-vote">donated $75 million to a local hospital.</a>
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="lcQfhV">
|
||||||
|
Here’s what happened: Earlier this month, <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/education/article/Here-s-how-20-000-San-Francisco-kids-could-16013276.php">San Francisco announced </a>that a foundation called Crankstart, funded by famous Sequoia venture capitalist Mike Moritz and his wife, Harriet Heyman, was donating $25 million to help start a city initiative to offer free summer school or day care programs to kids. The program would be aided by an outside advocacy group called TogetherSF that was formed last year to work on civic projects in the city and has also, separately, been funded by Crankstart. Crankstart brokered the arrangement between TogetherSF and the summer school program.
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="y5ycCE">
|
||||||
|
But TogetherSF’s involvement has become controversial — and is being cast by one San Francisco supervisor, Hillary Ronen, as a possible political play by <a href="https://www.vox.com/2014/6/16/5810438/11-facts-about-americas-teachers-and-schools">education reformers</a>. And Ronen this week <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/local-politics/article/Vote-on-funding-for-free-San-Francisco-summer-16048508.php">convinced the board</a>, on a 10-1 vote, to delay approving the program to educate San Francisco students until she could investigate TogetherSF and its political ties.
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="0zjlyT">
|
||||||
|
Ronen is suspicious in part because Together SF is not a typical nonprofit organization that is a 501(c)3 group, but is instead organized as part of a bigger lobbying or advocacy organization, a 501(c)4. The group is also co-led by a former aide to multiple San Francisco lawmakers. And Ronen believes that the group may have loyalties to activists who push for school privatization and charters schools, which are lightning rod issues in urban education policy.
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="cV4DCV">
|
||||||
|
Ronen conceded she didn’t have any hard proof of ties from Crankstart or TogetherSF’s ties to the education reform movement, but said based on its 501(c)4 structure and her limited research, it “looks and smells like” they are seeking to promote a “political agenda.” She is concerned, for instance, that the group could seek to use the volunteers it recruits for future political campaigns in support of anti-union candidates.
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="N3aNO0">
|
||||||
|
“There has to be, in my book, unprecedented transparency and agreement that funders of this initiative are doing so because they’re very concerned about children — and aren’t trying to advance some alternative privatization, charter agenda that is meant to dismantle our public schools,” Ronen told Recode.
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="TJRhg5">
|
||||||
|
Together SF’s founders, Kanishka Cheng and Griffin Gaffney, say their work is non-political and that they merely are seeking to mobilize a network of volunteers to serve their hometown in crisis. They are helping the city with work like collecting donations from private employers and creating a website for the program.
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="aF5Led">
|
||||||
|
“We’re incredibly surprised by it, honestly. This is the first we’re hearing about this privatization, charter agenda come up as a reason to question the program and our involvement,” Cheng told Recode. “It’s not at all what Together SF has been involved in.”
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="SlKTZ4">
|
||||||
|
For now, Ronen has just delayed the vote on the program by two weeks. She told Recode she doesn’t expect it to jeopardize the summer program, but that she was open to voting against it if her investigation revealed new information. But regardless of the final vote, some observers are concerned that the conflict — along with the high-profile Zuckerberg censure in the spring — could dissuade more and more wealthy philanthropists from donating money if it only brings them more scrutiny. The city is also about to <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/education/article/Calling-all-billionaires-S-F-plans-to-ask-15862836.php">embark on a $2 billion fundraising drive, </a>also led by Ronen, when it will need more money from wealthy people.
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="tcUdZc">
|
||||||
|
Moritz, a former board member of Google, and his wife Heyman, an award-winning novelist, have long made local causes a focus of Crankstart, which has a private profile but is one of the Bay Area’s biggest foundations by total assets at almost $2 billion. Crankstart has donated over $50 million to San Francisco nonprofits in 2020, funding efforts during the pandemic that <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/heatherknight/article/S-F-goes-begging-to-fund-crucial-COVID-19-15598906.php">paid San Francisco essential workers </a>to quarantine if sick and local <a href="https://missionlocal.org/2021/03/a-year-in-as-covid-19-food-insecurity-soared-the-mission-fed-thousands/">efforts to feed the hungry. </a>
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="o92XPu">
|
||||||
|
Moritz told Recode that he was trying to help local schoolchildren “and nothing beyond that.”
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="SO26es">
|
||||||
|
“All we want to do is to help people who don’t necessarily have a great, wonderful ticket for a great education to get that ticket. That’s all,” he said. “Does it pass the litmus test of is this good for San Francisco, or for a portion of San Francisco? I think the answer is yes.”
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="gSjytJ">
|
||||||
|
Moritz is technically the funder of TogetherSF’s parent company, Civic Action Labs, which runs TogetherSF and a second organization that has also <a href="https://missionlocal.org/2021/01/who-is-funding-here-say-media-the-founders-refuse-to-say/">faced tough questions about its political ties</a>. That organization is Here / Say Media, a new media publication focused on San Francisco news that has drawn raised eyebrows from journalism ethicists because it is owned by the 501(c)4 parent company. Almost all nonprofit newsrooms are traditionally structured as 501(c)3 groups rather than as “dark money” political groups, as 501(c)4 organizations are sometimes called.
|
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|
</p>
|
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|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="RejI6X">
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|
What unites these two stories is that Here/Say Media, which is also run by Cheng and Gaffney, originally declined to disclose its donors — and that <a href="https://missionlocal.org/2021/01/who-is-funding-here-say-media-the-founders-refuse-to-say/">troubled media observers</a>. But then on March 9th — the day before the city of San Francisco announced the involvement of Cheng and Gaffney in the summer program — Here/Say <a href="https://heresaymedia.org/about/">quietly updated its website</a> to disclose that Crankstart was a funder.
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
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|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="LS8F8j">
|
||||||
|
“We knew the [summer] program was launching. We’d be more visible. So we wanted to be more transparent about that,” Cheng said when asked about the timing.
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
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|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="1HlkAi">
|
||||||
|
Cheng and Gaffney are trying to unwind the intertwined controversies; They are in the process of trying to turn Together SF into a new 501(c)3 organization, which will theoretically reduce suspicions about their political agenda. They said that they will also spin out Here / Say Media into a new, to-be-determined, non-political structure, too.
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
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|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="d20XEs">
|
||||||
|
But political critics of San Francisco government — which is managing several concurrent crises, including one involving <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/education/article/S-F-school-board-approves-no-confidence-vote-on-16054193.php">its school board over racist tweets</a> — are concerned that the damage has already been done. And that philanthropists will find other things to fund with their billions rather than a city that makes their life difficult.
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="4VdKFa">
|
||||||
|
Asked if this brinkmanship sent a bad message to private philanthropists who want to get involved in city life, Moritz said “actions speak much louder than words.”
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="KlMJ2A">
|
||||||
|
“We live in a bit of a political cauldron, and so you know it’s just part of life,” Moritz said. “It certainly won’t deter us if people who don’t even know us, people we’ve never even talked to, ascribe various motives to us.”
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="j9viu8">
|
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|
Ronen, though, insists it is merely about transparency.
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="5enprN">
|
||||||
|
“If their investments is free and clear, and don’t involve a political agenda — fantastic, that’s very generous and wonderful,” Ronen said. “But if they involve an agenda, no thanks. We don’t want your investment. You have enough power as it is.”
|
||||||
|
</p></li>
|
||||||
|
</ul>
|
||||||
|
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-the-hindu-sports">From The Hindu: Sports</h1>
|
||||||
|
<ul>
|
||||||
|
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Ibrahimovic adapts to mentor role with Sweden after comeback</strong> - At 39 years old, Ibrahimovic is about more than just goals at this stage of his career</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>I’ve had many humbling moments on ‘The Apprentice’, says Niraj Puran Rao</strong> - Competing in ‘The Apprentice ONE Championship’, which combines business and martial arts, Pune-based Niraj Puran Rao talks about representing India and why ‘biz talk’ in sports should be highlighted</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>Tokyo Olympics 2021 | Overseas ticket holders may get only partial refunds</strong> - Tokyo organizers said about 600,000 Olympic tickets have been sold to people outside Japan</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>Thisara Perera becomes first Sri Lankan to hit six sixes in an over</strong> - He achieved the feat batting for Sri Lanka Army against Bloomfield Cricket and Athletic Club in at the Army Ground in Panagoda town</p></li>
|
||||||
|
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Hardik, Krunal, Suryakumar join Mumbai Indians squad in Mumbai</strong> - The three were on national duty for the ODI series against England.</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>Assam Assembly elections | Why did BJP spend crores on ads if it is confident of winning: Congress</strong> - “There is no unanimity among the BJP leaders on the number of seats they are expected to win as they want to mislead people and hide their failure,” says Assam Congress chief Ripun Bora</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>Somanna confident of convincing dissidents in Basavakalyan</strong> - Taking note of the unrest in the Basavakalyan unit of BJP after the party ticket was denied to the local aspirants and given to Kalaburagi-based Shara</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>Mumbai HC mulls special masks for disabled</strong> - Plea calls for transparency in use and collection of fines from protocol violators</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>Only 5.4% of houses under Centre’s flagship scheme reached completion so far this year</strong> - Advent of pandemic caused long delays at every stage, says Rural Development Ministry</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>Final decision on pay revision of RTC staff soon, says Savadi</strong> - He appeals to employees union to drop the plan of going on indefinite strike from April 7</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>Mediator drug: French pharmaceutical firm fined over weight loss pill</strong> - The drug was authorised for overweight diabetics but is believed to have killed hundreds of people.</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: Barcelona hosts large gig after testing crowd</strong> - The pilot project aims to see if mass Covid testing will allow the return of big events.</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>Coronavirus: UK vaccine offer to Ireland ‘a runner’, says Arlene Foster</strong> - Arlene Foster says she will again ask Boris Johnson to offer vaccines to the Republic of Ireland.</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 jab: One dose in care homes gives ‘substantial’ protection</strong> - A study suggests 62% of residents are protected by a single dose of the vaccines used in the UK.</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: Two found after people flee Dublin hotel quarantine</strong> - Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney says it is “not ideal” that people absconded from quarantine.</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>SpaceX targeting Monday for Starship launch, but weather is iffy [Updated]</strong> - This rocket rolled to the launch pad less than three weeks ago. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1752419">link</a></p></li>
|
||||||
|
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A ship, wrecked: HBO’s The Last Cruise chronicles COVID-19’s infamous cruise ship</strong> - A staffer sums it up (before knowing the damage): “The walking dead, a dystopian situation.” - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1752075">link</a></p></li>
|
||||||
|
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Ars Technica’s non-fungible guide to NFTs</strong> - Is blockchain item authentication a speculative fad or a technological sea change? - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1752094">link</a></p></li>
|
||||||
|
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Meet Boston Dynamics’ next commercial robot, Stretch</strong> - It can unload trucks, build pallets, and will fit anywhere a pallet fits. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1752127">link</a></p></li>
|
||||||
|
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Activision releases online-only PC game without online content, cracked in one day</strong> - Game’s console versions don’t require online connection; all lack online content. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1752804">link</a></p></li>
|
||||||
|
</ul>
|
||||||
|
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-jokes-subreddit">From Jokes Subreddit</h1>
|
||||||
|
<ul>
|
||||||
|
<li><strong>Alright guys, the Suez Canal jokes are getting a bit old now.</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
|
||||||
|
<div class="md">
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||||||
|
That ship has sailed.
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
</div>
|
||||||
|
<!-- SC_ON -->
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/reeram"> /u/reeram </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/mfiskf/alright_guys_the_suez_canal_jokes_are_getting_a/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/mfiskf/alright_guys_the_suez_canal_jokes_are_getting_a/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
|
||||||
|
<li><strong>My neighbor is a 90 year old with Alzheimer’s, I see him every morning and he asks me if I’ve seen his wife.</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
|
||||||
|
<div class="md">
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||||||
|
Every day I have to tell this poor man that his wife died 20 years ago. I could have moved to another house or even ignore his question. But the look of joy in his eyes whenever I answer him is worth the world.
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
</div>
|
||||||
|
<!-- SC_ON -->
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/YZXFILE"> /u/YZXFILE </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/mfemzn/my_neighbor_is_a_90_year_old_with_alzheimers_i/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/mfemzn/my_neighbor_is_a_90_year_old_with_alzheimers_i/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
|
||||||
|
<li><strong>What do you do with a drunken sailor? What do you do with a drunken sailor? What do you do with a drunken sailor early in the morning?</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
|
||||||
|
<div class="md">
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||||||
|
Don’t let him drive that cargo freighter,
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||||||
|
don’t let him steer that cargo freighter,
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||||||
|
don’t let him near that cargo freighter,
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||||||
|
early in the morning.
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
</div>
|
||||||
|
<!-- SC_ON -->
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/superbob201"> /u/superbob201 </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/mf246a/what_do_you_do_with_a_drunken_sailor_what_do_you/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/mf246a/what_do_you_do_with_a_drunken_sailor_what_do_you/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
|
||||||
|
<li><strong>A German Shepherd, a Doberman, and a cat died.</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
|
||||||
|
<div class="md">
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||||||
|
In Heaven, all three faced God, who wanted to know what they believed in.
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||||||
|
The German Shepherd said, “I believe in discipline, training, and loyalty to my master.”
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||||||
|
“Good!” said God. “Sit at my right side.” Then God asked, “Doberman, what do you believe in?”
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||||||
|
The Doberman answered, “I believe in the love, care, and protection of my master.”
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||||||
|
“Aha,” said God, “you may sit on my left.”
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||||||
|
Then God looked at the cat and asked, “And what do you believe in?”
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||||||
|
“I believe,” replied the cat, “that you are sitting in my seat.”
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
</div>
|
||||||
|
<!-- SC_ON -->
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/JDPip"> /u/JDPip </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/mfc8mv/a_german_shepherd_a_doberman_and_a_cat_died/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/mfc8mv/a_german_shepherd_a_doberman_and_a_cat_died/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
|
||||||
|
<li><strong>A father whale and his son are swimming when the son whale asks his father “where did I come from.” The father whale replies “from my penis son.” The son rolls his eyes and says “thanks dad” To which the father whale replies…</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
|
||||||
|
<div class="md">
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||||||
|
“You’re whale cum son, you’re whale cum.”
|
||||||
|
</p>
|
||||||
|
</div>
|
||||||
|
<!-- SC_ON -->
|
||||||
|
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/chewymacaron"> /u/chewymacaron </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/mfhfqv/a_father_whale_and_his_son_are_swimming_when_the/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/mfhfqv/a_father_whale_and_his_son_are_swimming_when_the/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
|
||||||
|
</ul>
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
<script>AOS.init();</script></body></html>
|
||||||
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Reference in New Issue