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<title>15 October, 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>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" data-aos-anchor-placement="top-bottom" id="contents">Contents</h1>
<ul>
<li><a href="#from-preprints">From Preprints</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-clinical-trials">From Clinical Trials</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-pubmed">From PubMed</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-patent-search">From Patent Search</a></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-preprints">From Preprints</h1>
<ul>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Who are the Masked Unvaccinated and the Unmasked Vaccinated? Concern, Trust, and Demographic Features relating to Mask-wearing and Vaccination Status</strong> -
<div>
In mid-August 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (C.D.C.) issued a recommendation for both vaccinated and unvaccinated Americans to begin wearing masks in public again, particularly in places experiencing outbreaks of COVID-19, driven by the Delta variant. Further compounding this concern is the lower propensity of unvaccinated individuals to wear masks. For example, a report from July 2021 found that unvaccinated Americans, on average, tended to wear masks less than vaccinated Americans by a margin of 25 percentage points. Given the link between mask-wearing and vaccination, discussions of behaviors relating to COVID-19 often lump people into two categories: those who behave in ways that prevent the spread of COVID-19 and those who do not. However, doing so misses the complexity of who engages or doesn’t engage in behaviors that stem the spread of COVID-19, or why they do so. Vaccination and mask-wearing are two different means to the same end: preventing infection. They are, in part, driven by the same factor, concern over infection. But they are also partial substitutes, aimed at the same target, preventing infection. In our data, we find that 30% of the population is either vaccinated and unmasked; or unvaccinated and masked. Indeed, most unvaccinated individuals report wearing masks. Understanding this complexity is significant in getting people vaccinated, and in getting people to wear masks - particularly those who are unvaccinated. In this report, we divide Americans into four categories and investigate the tendencies of each group: (1) those who report wearing masks and who are unvaccinated (“the masked unvaccinated”), (2) those who report wearing masks and who are vaccinated (“the masked vaccinated”), (3) those who report not wearing masks and who are unvaccinated (“the unmasked unvaccinated”), and (4) those who report not wearing masks and who are vaccinated (“the unmasked vaccinated”).
</div></li>
</ul>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://osf.io/4cr7a/" target="_blank">Who are the Masked Unvaccinated and the Unmasked Vaccinated? Concern, Trust, and Demographic Features relating to Mask-wearing and Vaccination Status</a>
</div>
<ul>
<li><strong>Heterologous SARS-CoV-2 Booster Vaccinations: Preliminary Report</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Background: While Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccines are highly effective, breakthrough infections are occurring. Booster vaccinations have recently received emergency use authorization (EUA) for certain populations but are restricted to homologous mRNA vaccines. We evaluated homologous and heterologous booster vaccination in persons who had received an EUA Covid-19 vaccine regimen. Methods: In this phase 1/2 open-label clinical trial conducted at ten U.S. sites, adults who received one of three EUA Covid-19 vaccines at least 12 weeks prior to enrollment and had no reported history of SARS-CoV-2 infection received a booster injection with one of three vaccines (Moderna mRNA-1273 100-mcg, Janssen Ad26.COV2.S 5x10<sup>10</sup> virus particles, or Pfizer-BioNTech BNT162b2 30-mcg; nine combinations). The primary outcomes were safety, reactogenicity, and humoral immunogenicity on study days 15 and 29. Results: 458 individuals were enrolled: 154 received mRNA-1273, 150 received Ad26.CoV2.S, and 154 received BNT162b2 booster vaccines. Reactogenicity was similar to that reported for the primary series. Injection site pain, malaise, headache, and myalgia occurred in more than half the participants. Booster vaccines increased the neutralizing activity against a D614G pseudovirus (4.2-76-fold) and binding antibody titers (4.6-56-fold) for all combinations; homologous boost increased neutralizing antibody titers 4.2-20-fold whereas heterologous boost increased titers 6.2-76-fold. Day 15 neutralizing and binding antibody titers varied by 28.7-fold and 20.9-fold, respectively, across the nine prime-boost combinations. Conclusion: Homologous and heterologous booster vaccinations were well-tolerated and immunogenic in adults who completed a primary Covid-19 vaccine regimen at least 12 weeks earlier.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.10.10.21264827v2" target="_blank">Heterologous SARS-CoV-2 Booster Vaccinations: Preliminary Report</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>The impact of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination on Alpha and Delta variant transmission</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Background Pre-Delta, vaccination reduced SARS-CoV-2 transmission from individuals infected despite vaccination, potentially via reducing viral loads. While vaccination still lowers the risk of infection, similar viral loads in vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals infected with Delta question how much vaccination prevents transmission. Methods We performed a retrospective observational cohort study of adult contacts of SARS-CoV-2-infected adult index cases using English contact testing data. We used multivariable Poisson regression to investigate associations between transmission and index case and contact vaccination, and how these vary with Alpha and Delta variants (classified using S-gene detection/calendar trends) and time since second vaccination. Results 54,667/146,243(37.4%) PCR-tested contacts of 108,498 index cases were PCR-positive. Two doses of BNT162b2 or ChAdOx1 vaccines in Alpha index cases were independently associated with reduced PCR-positivity in contacts (aRR, adjusted rate ratio vs.  unvaccinated=0.32[95%CI 0.21-0.48] and 0.48[0.30-0.78] respectively). The Delta variant attenuated vaccine- associated reductions in transmission: two BNT162b2 doses reduced Delta transmission (aRR=0.50[0.39-0.65]), more than ChAdOx1 (aRR=0.76[0.70-0.82]). Variation in Ct values (indicative of viral load) explained 7-23% of vaccine- associated transmission reductions. Transmission reductions declined over time post-second vaccination, for Delta reaching similar levels to unvaccinated individuals by 12 weeks for ChAdOx1 and attenuating substantially for BNT162b2. Protection in contacts also declined in the 3 months post-second vaccination. Conclusions Vaccination reduces transmission of Delta, but by less than the Alpha variant. The impact of vaccination decreased over time. Factors other than PCR Ct values at diagnosis are important in understanding vaccine-associated transmission reductions. Booster vaccinations may help control transmission together with preventing infections.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.09.28.21264260v2" target="_blank">The impact of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination on Alpha and Delta variant transmission</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Soluble angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 as a prognostic biomarker for disease progression in patients infected with SARS-CoV-2</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Background: There is a need for better prediction of disease severity in patients infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Soluble angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (sACE2) arises from shedding of membrane ACE2 (mACE2) that is known to be a receptor for the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2; however, its value as a biomarker for disease severity is unknown. This study evaluated the predictive value of sACE2 in the context of other known biomarkers of inflammation and tissue damage (C-reactive protein [CRP], growth/differentiation factor-15 [GDF-15], interleukin-6 [IL-6], and soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 [sFlt-1]) in patients with and without SARS-CoV-2 with different clinical outcomes. Methods: For univariate analyses, median differences between biomarker levels were calculated for the following patient groups classified according to clinical outcome: reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 positive (Groups 1 – 4); RT-PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 negative following previous SARS-CoV-2 infection (Groups 5 and 6); and RT-PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 negative controls (Group 7). Results: Median levels of CRP, GDF-15, IL-6, and sFlt-1 were significantly higher in patients with SARS-CoV-2 who were admitted to hospital compared with patients who were discharged (all p&lt;0.001), whereas levels of sACE2 were significantly lower (p&lt;0.001). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis of sACE2 provided cut-offs for the prediction of hospital admission of ≤0.05 ng/mL (positive predictive value: 89.1%) and ≥0.42 ng/mL (negative predictive value: 84.0%). Conclusion: These findings support further investigation of sACE2, either as a single biomarker or as part of a panel, to predict hospitalisation risk and disease severity in patients infected with SARS-CoV-2.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.10.13.21264901v1" target="_blank">Soluble angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 as a prognostic biomarker for disease progression in patients infected with SARS-CoV-2</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>ONTdeCIPHER: An amplicon-based nanopore sequencing pipeline for tracking pathogen variants</strong> -
<div>
Motivation: Amplicon-based nanopore sequencing is increasingly used for molecular surveillance during epidemics (e.g. ZIKA, EBOLA) or pandemics (e.g. SARS-CoV-2). However, there is still a lack of versatile and easy-to-use tools that allow users with minimal bioinformatics skills to perform the main steps of downstream analysis, from quality testing to SNPs effect to phylogenetic analysis. Results: Here, we present ONTdeCIPHER, an amplicon-based Oxford Nanopore Technology (ONT) sequencing pipeline to analyze the genetic diversity of SARS-CoV-2 and other pathogenes. Our pipeline integrates 13 bioinformatics tools. With a single command line and a simple configuration file, users can pre- process their data and obtain the sequencing statistics, reconstruct the consensus genome, identify variants and their effects for each viral isolate, infer lineage and, finally perform multi-sequence alignments and phylogenetic analyses.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.10.13.464242v1" target="_blank">ONTdeCIPHER: An amplicon-based nanopore sequencing pipeline for tracking pathogen variants</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Disparities in SARS-CoV-2 exposure: evidence from a citywide seroprevalence study in Holyoke, Massachusetts, USA</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Background: Seroprevalence studies are important tools to estimate the prevalence of prior or recent SARS-CoV-2 infections, identifying hotspots and high-risk groups and informing public health responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. We conducted a city-level seroprevalence study in Holyoke, Massachusetts, USA to estimate the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and risk factors for seropositivity. Methods: We invited inhabitants of 2,000 randomly sampled addresses between November 5 and December 31, 2020. Participants completed questionnaires measuring sociodemographic and health characteristics, and COVID-19 exposure history, and provided dried blood spots for measurement of SARS-CoV-2 IgG and IgM antibodies. We calculate total and subgroup seroprevalence estimates based on presence of IgG antibodies using a Bayesian procedure that incorporates uncertainty in antibody test sensitivity and specificity. We account for clustering by household and weighting based on demographic characteristics to ensure estimates represented the citys population. Findings: We enrolled 280 households including 472 individuals. 328 underwent antibody testing. The citywide seroprevalence estimate of SARS-CoV-2 IgG was 13.1% (95%CI 6.9-22.3) compared to 9.8% based on publicly reported case counts. Seroprevalence was 16.1% (95%CI 6.2-31.8) among individuals identifying as Hispanic compared to 9.4% (95%CI 4.6-16.4) among those identifying as non-Hispanic white. Seroprevalence was higher among Spanish speaking households (21.9%; 95% CI 8.3-43.9) compared to English speaking households (10.2%; 95% CI 5.2-18.0) and among individuals living in high vulnerability areas (14.4%; 95% CI 7.1-25.5) compared to low vulnerability areas (8.2%; 95% CI 3.1-16.9). Interpretation: The measured SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence of IgG antibodies in Holyoke was only 13.1% during the second surge of SARS-CoV-2 in this region, far from accepted thresholds for herd immunity. Already vulnerable communities were at highest risk of prior infection. Implementation of local serosurveys in tandem with proactive public health interventions that address disparities in SARS-CoV-2 exposure are crucial to ensure at-risk communities have appropriate educational materials and access to vaccines, testing, and timely treatment.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.10.13.21264975v1" target="_blank">Disparities in SARS-CoV-2 exposure: evidence from a citywide seroprevalence study in Holyoke, Massachusetts, USA</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Mechanism of optimal time-course COVID-19 vaccine prioritization based on non-Markovian steady-state prediction</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Vaccination is essential for controlling the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. An effective time-course strategy for the allocation of COVID-19 vaccines is crucial given that the global vaccine supply will still be limited in some countries/regions in the near future and that mutant strains have emerged and will continue to spread worldwide. Both asymptomatic and symptomatic transmission have played major roles in the COVID-19 pandemic, which can only be properly described as a typical non-Markovian process. However, the prioritization of vaccines in the non-Markovian framework still lacks sufficient research, and the underlying mechanism of the time-course vaccine allocation optimization has not yet been uncovered. In this paper, based on an age-stratified compartmental model calibrated through clinical and epidemiological data, we propose optimal vaccination strategies (OVS) through steady-state prediction in the non-Markovian framework. This OVS outperforms other empirical vaccine prioritization approaches in minimizing cumulative infections, cumulative deaths, or years of life lost caused by the pandemic. We found that there exists a fast decline in the prevention efficiency of vaccination if vaccines are solely administered to a selected age group, which indicates that the widely adopted strategy to continuously vaccinate high-risk group is not optimal. Through mathematical analysis of the model, we reveal that dynamic vaccine allocations to combinations of different age groups is necessary to achieve optimal vaccine prioritization. Our work not only provides meaningful references for vaccination in countries currently lacking vaccines and for vaccine allocation strategies to prevent mutant strains in the future, but also reveals the mechanism of dynamic vaccine allocation optimization, forming a theoretical and modelling framework empirically applicable to the optimal time-course prioritization.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.10.11.21264836v1" target="_blank">Mechanism of optimal time-course COVID-19 vaccine prioritization based on non-Markovian steady-state prediction</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>A monoclonal antibody that neutralizes SARS-CoV-2 variants, SARS-CoV, and other sarbecoviruses</strong> -
<div>
The repeated emergence of highly pathogenic human coronaviruses as well as their evolving variants highlight the need to develop potent and broad-spectrum antiviral therapeutics and vaccines. By screening monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) isolated from COVID-19-convalescent patients, we found one mAb, 2-36, with cross-neutralizing activity against SARS- CoV. We solved the cryo-EM structure of 2-36 in complex with SARS-CoV-2 or SARS-CoV spike, revealing a highly conserved epitope in the receptor-binding domain (RBD). Antibody 2-36 neutralized not only all current circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants and SARS-COV, but also a panel of bat and pangolin sarbecoviruses that can use human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) as a receptor. We selected 2-36-escape viruses in vitro and confirmed that K378T in SARS-CoV-2 RBD led to viral resistance. Taken together, 2-36 represents a strategic reserve drug candidate for the prevention and treatment of possible diseases caused by pre-emergent SARS-related coronaviruses. Its epitope defines a promising target for the development of a pan-sarbecovirus vaccine.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.10.13.464307v1" target="_blank">A monoclonal antibody that neutralizes SARS-CoV-2 variants, SARS-CoV, and other sarbecoviruses</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Increased mTOR signaling, impaired autophagic flux and cell-to-cell viral transmission are hallmarks of SARS-CoV-2 infection.</strong> -
<div>
The COVID-19 disease caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has two characteristics that distinguish it from other viral infections. It affects more severely people with pre-existing comorbidities and viral load peaks prior to the onset of the symptoms. Investigating factors that could contribute to these characteristics, we found increased mTOR signaling and suppressed genes related to autophagy, lysosome, and vesicle fusion in Vero E6 cells infected with SARS-CoV-2. Transcriptomic data mining of bronchoalveolar epithelial cells from severe COVID-19 patients revealed that COVID-19 severity is associated with increased expression of genes related to mTOR signaling and decreased expression of genes related to au-tophagy, lysosome function, and vesicle fusion. SARS- CoV-2 infection in Vero E6 cells also re-sulted in virus retention inside the cells and trafficking of virus-bearing vesicles between neighboring cells. Our findings support a scenario where SARS-CoV-2 benefits from compromised autophagic flux and inhibited exocytosis in individuals with chronic hyperactivation of mTOR signaling, which might relate to undetectable proliferation and evasion of the immune system.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html- link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.10.13.464225v1" target="_blank">Increased mTOR signaling, impaired autophagic flux and cell-to-cell viral transmission are hallmarks of SARS-CoV-2 infection.</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Variable inhibition of unwinding rates of DNA catalyzed by the SARS-Cov-2 (COV19) helicase nsp13 by structurally distinct single DNA lesions.</strong> -
<div>
The SARS 2 (Covid 19) helicase nsp13 plays a critically important role in the replication of the Corona virus by unwinding double-stranded RNA (and DNA) with a 5 prime to 3 prime strand polarity. Here we explored the impact of single, structurally defined covalent DNA lesions on the helicase activity of nsp13 in aqueous solutions, The objectives were to derive mechanistic insights into the relationships between the structures of DNA lesions, the DNA distortions that they engender, and the inhibition of helicase activity. The lesions included two bulky stereoisomeric N2-guanine adducts derived from the reactions of benzo[a]pyrene diol epoxide with DNA. The trans-adduct assumes a minor groove conformation, while the cis-product adopts a base-displaced intercalated conformation. The non-bulky DNA lesions included the intra-strand cross-linked thymine dimers, the cis-syn-cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer, and the pyrimidine (6-4) pyrimidone photoproduct. All four lesions strongly inhibit the helicase activity of nsp13, The UV photolesions feature a 2 - 5-fold smaller inhibition of the nsp13 unwinding activity than the bulky DNA adducts, and the kinetics of these two pairs of DNA lesions are also different. The connections between the structural features of these four DNA lesions and their impact on nsp13 unwinding efficiencies are discussed.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html- link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.10.13.464299v1" target="_blank">Variable inhibition of unwinding rates of DNA catalyzed by the SARS-Cov-2 (COV19) helicase nsp13 by structurally distinct single DNA lesions.</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Which anxious adolescents are most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic?</strong> -
<div>
Although the COVID-19 pandemic caused significant stress and anxiety among many, individuals’ experiences varied. We examined if specific forms of anxiety predicted distinct trajectories of anxiety, perceived stress, and COVID-related worries during three early months of the pandemic. In a longitudinal study (N = 291), adolescents’ (n = 194) social and generalized anxiety levels were assessed via parent- and self-reports and clinical diagnostic interviews. In young adulthood (n = 164), anxiety, stress, and COVID-related worries were assessed thrice during the pandemic. Pre- pandemic generalized anxiety predicted higher initial levels and maintenance of anxiety, stress, and COVID-related worries during the pandemic. In contrast, pre-pandemic social anxiety predicted lower initial levels of anxiety, stress, and COVID-related worries, but this initial effect on anxiety and stress was offset over time by social anxiety’s positive effect on the slope. Our results highlight the importance of understanding how pre-pandemic factors influence individuals’ experiences during the pandemic.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://psyarxiv.com/27sgp/" target="_blank">Which anxious adolescents are most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic?</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infections in 620,000 U.S. Veterans, February 1, 2021 to August 13, 2021</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
National data on COVID-19 vaccine breakthrough infections is inadequate but urgently needed to determine U.S. policy during the emergence of the Delta variant. We address this gap by comparing SARS CoV-2 infection by vaccination status from February 1, 2021 to August 13, 2021 in the Veterans Health Administration, covering 2.7% of the U.S. population. Vaccine protection declined by mid-August 2021, decreasing from 91.9% in March to 53.9% (p&lt;0.01, n=619,755). Declines were greatest for the Janssen vaccine followed by PfizerBioNTech and Moderna. Patterns of breakthrough infection over time were consistent by age, despite rolling vaccine eligibility, implicating the Delta variant as the primary determinant of infection. Findings support continued efforts to increase vaccination and an immediate, national return to additional layers of protection against infection.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.10.13.21264966v1" target="_blank">Breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infections in 620,000 U.S. Veterans, February 1, 2021 to August 13, 2021</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Modelling airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 using CARA: Risk assessment for enclosed spaces</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The global crisis triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for a proper risk assessment of respiratory pathogens in indoor settings. This paper documents the COVID Airborne Risk Assessment (CARA) methodology, to assess the potential exposure of airborne SARS-CoV-2 viruses, with an emphasis on the effect of certain virological and immunological factors in the quantification of the risk. The proposed model is the result of a multidisciplinary approach linking physical, mechanical and biological domains, benchmarked with clinical and experimental data, enabling decision makers or facility managers to perform risk assessments against airborne transmission. The model was tested against two benchmark outbreaks, showing good agreement. The tool was also applied to several everyday-life settings, in particular for the cases of a shared office, classroom and ski cabin. We found that 20% of infected hosts can emit approximately 2 orders of magnitude more viral-containing particles, suggesting the importance of super-emitters in airborne transmission. The use of surgical-type masks provides a 5-fold reduction in viral emissions. Natural ventilation through the opening of windows at all times are effective strategies to decrease the concentration of virions and slightly opening a window in the winter has approximately the same effect as a full window opening during the summer. Although vaccination is an effective protection measure, non-pharmaceutical interventions, which significantly reduce the viral density in the air (ventilation, masks), should be actively supported and included early in the risk assessment process. We propose a critical threshold value approach which could be used to define an acceptable risk level in a given indoor setting.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.10.14.21264988v1" target="_blank">Modelling airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 using CARA: Risk assessment for enclosed spaces</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Effects of Side-Effect Risk Framing Strategies on COVID-19 Vaccine Intentions in the United States and the United Kingdom: A Randomized Controlled Trial</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Vaccination rates have stagnated in the United States and the United Kingdom leading to the continuing spread of COVID-19. Fear and concern over vaccine side-effects is one of the main drivers of hesitancy. Drawing from behavioral science and health communication theory, we conducted a randomized controlled trial among 8998 adults to determine whether the way COVID-19 vaccine side-effects are framed and presented to individuals can influence their willingness to take a vaccine. We presented participants information on a hypothetical future COVID-19 vaccine – including information on its side-effect rate – and then examined the effect of three side-effect framing strategies on individuals stated willingness to take this vaccine: adding a qualitative risk label next to the numerical risk, adding comparison risks, and for those presented with comparisons, framing the comparison in relative rather than absolute terms. Based on a pre-registered and published analysis plan, we found that adding a simple descriptive risk label (very low risk) next to the numerical side-effect increased participants9 willingness to take the COVID-19 vaccine by 3.0 percentage points (p = 0.003). Providing a comparison to motor vehicle mortality increased COVID-19 vaccine willingness by 2.4 percentage points (p = 0.051). These effects were independent and additive: participants that received both a qualitative risk label and comparison to motor-vehicle mortality were 6.1 percentage points (p &lt; 0.001) more likely to report willingness to take a vaccine compared to those who did not receive a label or comparison. Taken together, our results reveal that despite increasingly strong vaccination hesitancy and exposure to large amounts of vaccine misinformation, low-cost side-effect framing strategies can meaningfully affect vaccination intentions at a population level.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.10.12.21264877v1" target="_blank">Effects of Side-Effect Risk Framing Strategies on COVID-19 Vaccine Intentions in the United States and the United Kingdom: A Randomized Controlled Trial</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Deep phylogenetic-based clustering analysis uncovers new and shared mutations in SARS-CoV-2 variants as a result of directional and convergent evolution</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Nearly two decades after the last epidemic caused by a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), newly emerged SARS-CoV-2 quickly spread in 2020 and precipitated an ongoing global public health crisis. Both the continuous accumulation of point mutations, owed to the naturally imposed genomic plasticity of SARS-CoV-2 evolutionary processes, as well as viral spread over time, allow this RNA virus to gain new genetic identities, spawn novel variants and enhance its potential for immune evasion. Here, through an in-depth phylogenetic clustering analysis of upwards of 200,000 whole-genome sequences, we reveal the presence of not previously reported and hitherto unidentified mutations and recombination breakpoints in Variants of Concern (VOC) and Variants of Interest (VOI) from Brazil, India (Beta, Eta and Kappa) and the USA (Beta, Eta and Lambda). Additionally, we identify sites with shared mutations under directional evolution in the SARS-CoV-2 Spike-encoding protein of VOC and VOI, tracing a heretofore-undescribed correlation with viral spread in South America, India and the USA. Our evidence-based analysis provides well-supported evidence of similar pathways of evolution for such mutations in all SARS-CoV-2 variants and sub-lineages. This raises two pivotal points: the co-circulation of variants and sub-lineages in close evolutionary environments, which sheds light onto their trajectories into convergent and directional evolution (i), and a linear perspective into the prospective vaccine efficacy against different SARS-CoV-2 strains (ii).
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.10.14.21264474v1" target="_blank">Deep phylogenetic-based clustering analysis uncovers new and shared mutations in SARS-CoV-2 variants as a result of directional and convergent evolution</a>
</div></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-clinical-trials">From Clinical Trials</h1>
<ul>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Randomized Study to Evaluate Intranasal Dose of STI-2099 (COVI-DROPS™) in Outpatient Adults With Mild COVID-19 Infection</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Biological: COVI-DROPS;   Drug: Placebo<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc.<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Evaluating Safety, Tolerability, and Potential Efficacy of Intranasal AD17002 in Adults With Mild COVID-19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Covid19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Biological: AD17002;   Biological: Placebo (Formulation buffer)<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Advagene Biopharma Co. Ltd.<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Efficacy of Home Inspiratory Muscle Training in Post-covid-19 Patients: a Randomized Clinical Trial</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Covid19<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Device: Inspiratory muscle training<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:  <br/>
Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte<br/><b>Recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Lymphatic Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine to Enhance Coronavirus (COVID-19) Vaccination Efficacy</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Other: Lymphatic OMM;   Other: Light Touch<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Rowan University<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Efficacy and Safety of Ergoferon for COVID-19 Prevention During Vaccination Against SARS-CoV-2</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Immunization Against COVID-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Drug: Ergoferon;   Drug: Placebo<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Materia Medica Holding<br/><b>Recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Safety and Immunogenicity of SARS-CoV-2 Protein Subunit Recombinant Vaccine</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Covid19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Biological: SARS-CoV-2 Protein Subunit Recombinant Vaccine;   Biological: SARS-CoV-2 Inactivated Vaccine<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   PT Bio Farma;   Fakultas Kedokteran Universitas Indonesia;   National Institute of Health Research and Development, Ministry of Health Republic of Indonesia<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A Ph 2 Trial With an Oral Tableted COVID-19 Vaccine</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Drug: VXA-CoV2-1.1-S;   Other: Placebo Tablets<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Vaxart<br/><b>Recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Pulmonary Function in Patients Recovering From COVID19 Infection : a Pilot Study</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Diagnostic Test: diaphragm ultrasonography<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   University Hospital, Limoges<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A Safety and Tolerability Study of BDB-001 in Mild, Moderate COVID-19 Patients</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Drug: BDB-001 injection<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:  <br/>
Staidson (Beijing) Biopharmaceuticals Co., Ltd;   Beijing Defengrui Biotechnology Co. Ltd<br/><b>Completed</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Acetylsalicylic Acid in COVID-19 (ASA-SARS)</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>:   SARS-CoV2 Infection;   Covid19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Drug: Low-dose acetylsalicylic acid;   Drug: Placebo<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   Barcelona Institute for Global Health;   Hospital Universitario de Torrejón,Madrid;   Hospital Universitario Infanta Leonor;   Fundació Institut de Recerca de l’Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau;   Hospital del Mar;   Hopsital Central de Maputo, Mozambique<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Telerehabilitation in COVID-19 Survivors</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>:   COVID-19;   Telerehabilitation<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Other: telerehabilitation;   Other: home exercise program;   Other: informed program<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Bandırma Onyedi Eylül University<br/><b>Recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Clinical Trial on Sequential Immunization of Recombinant COVID-19 Vaccine (CHO Cells,NVSI-06-08) and Inactivated COVID-19 Vaccine (Vero Cells) in Population Aged 18 Years and Above</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>:   COVID-19 Pneumonia;   Coronavirus Infections<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Biological: Recombinant COVID-19 Vaccine (CHO cell，NVSI-06-08);   Biological: COVID-19 vaccine (Vero cells);   Biological: 3 doses Recombinant COVID-19 Vaccine (CHO cell，NVSI-06-08)<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   National Vaccine and Serum Institute, China;   China National Biotec Group Company Limited;   Lanzhou Institute of Biological Products Co., Ltd<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Phase 3 Booster Vaccination Against SARS-CoV-2</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>:   COVID-19;   Sars-CoV-2 Infection<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Biological: CoronaVac<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Health Institutes of Turkey<br/><b>Recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>SARS-CoV-2 Buccal Screening Evaluation Using an RT-PCR Assay and a Rapid ELISA Test Among Symptomatic and Asymptomatic Patients</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>:   SARS-CoV-2;   COVID-19<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Diagnostic Test: ELISA POCT vs RT-PCR<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   Centre Scientifique de Monaco;   Department of Health Affairs, Monaco<br/><b>Recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Study on COVID-19 Vaccine Effectiveness Among Health Workers in Azerbaijan</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>:   Vaccine Refusal;   Covid19<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Biological: COVID-19 vaccine Observation of individuals who receive the COVID-19 vaccine<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   Public health and reforms Center of Ministry of Health;   World Health Organization;   Ministry of Health of Azerbaijan Republic<br/><b>Recruiting</b></p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-pubmed">From PubMed</h1>
<ul>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Integrin activation is an essential component of SARS-CoV-2 infection</strong> - SARS-CoV-2 infection depends on binding its spike (S) protein to angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). The S protein expresses an RGD motif, suggesting that integrins may be co-receptors. Here, we UV-inactivated SARS-CoV-2 and fluorescently labeled the envelope membrane with octadecyl rhodamine B (R18) to explore the role of integrin activation in mediating cell entry and productive infection. We used flow cytometry and confocal microscopy to show that SARS- CoV-2^(R18) particles engage…</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>Investigating Lipid-Modulating Agents for Prevention or Treatment of COVID-19: JACC State-of-the-Art Review</strong> - Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) is associated with systemic inflammation, endothelial activation, and multiorgan manifestations. Lipid-modulating agents may be useful in treating patients with COVID-19. These agents may inhibit viral entry by lipid raft disruption or ameliorate the inflammatory response and endothelial activation. In addition, dyslipidemia with lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and higher triglyceride levels portend worse outcomes in patients with COVID-19. Upon a…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Possible Benefits of Zinc supplement in CVD and COVID-19 Comorbidity</strong> - As far as comorbidity is concerned, cardiovascular diseases (CVD) appear to be accounted for the highest prevalence, severity, and fatality among COVID 19 patients. A wide array of causal links connecting CVD and COVID-19 baffle the overall prognosis as well as the efficacy of the given therapeutic interventions. At the centre of this puzzle lies ACE2 that works as a receptor for the SARS-CoV-2, and functional expression of which is also needed to minimize vasoconstriction otherwise would lead…</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>Nasal delivery of single-domain antibody improves symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 infection in an animal model</strong> - The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that causes the disease COVID-19 can lead to serious symptoms, such as severe pneumonia, in the elderly and those with underlying medical conditions. While vaccines are now available, they do not work for everyone and therapeutic drugs are still needed, particularly for treating life- threatening conditions. Here, we showed nasal delivery of a new, unmodified camelid single-domain antibody (VHH), termed K-874A, effectively inhibited…</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>Lung epithelial and endothelial damage, loss of tissue repair, inhibition of fibrinolysis, and cellular senescence in fatal COVID-19</strong> - [Figure: see text].</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>Therapeutic strategies for Covid-19 based on molecular docking and dynamic studies to the ACE-2 receptors, Furin, and viral spike proteins</strong> - SARS-CoV-2 is a pandemic virus that caused infections and deaths in many world countries, including the Middle East. The virus-infected human cells by binding via ACE-2 receptor through the Spike protein of the virus with Furin’s help causing cell membrane fusion leading to Covid-19-cell entry. No registered drugs or vaccines are triggering this pandemic viral disease yet. Our present work is based on molecular docking and dynamics simulation that performed to spike protein-ACE-2 interface…</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>Surface Glycan Modification of Cellular Nanosponges to Promote SARS-CoV-2 Inhibition</strong> - Cellular binding and entry of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are mediated by its spike glycoprotein (S protein), which binds with not only the human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor but also glycosaminoglycans such as heparin. Cell membrane-coated nanoparticles (“cellular nanosponges”) mimic the host cells to attract and neutralize SARS-CoV-2 through natural cellular receptors, leading to a broad-spectrum antiviral strategy. Herein, we show that…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Inhibition of Receptor-Binding Domain - ACE2 interaction after two doses of Sinovac’s CoronaVac or AstraZeneca/Oxford’s AZD1222 SARS-CoV-2 vaccines</strong> - Practical laboratory proxies that correlate to vaccine efficacy may facilitate trials, identify non-responders and inform about boosting strategies. Among clinical and laboratory markers, assays that evaluate antibodies that inhibit receptor-binding domain ligation to angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 receptor (RBI) may provide a surrogate for viral neutralization assays. We evaluated RBI before and after a median of 34 days (IQR 33-40) of the second dose of SARS- CoV-2 Sinovac’s CoronaVac (CN) or…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Computational and in vitro experimental analyses of the anti-COVID-19 potential of Mortaparib and MortaparibPlus</strong> - Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus has become a global health emergency. Although new vaccines have been generated and being implicated, discovery and application of novel preventive and control measures are warranted. We aimed to identify compounds that may possess the potential to either block the entry of virus to host cells or attenuate its replication upon infection. Using host cell surface receptor…</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>Purinergic receptor ligands: the cytokine storm attenuators, potential therapeutic agents for the treatment of COVID-19</strong> - The coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19), at first, was reported in Wuhan, China, and then rapidly became pandemic throughout the world. Cytokine storm syndrome (CSS) in COVID-19 patients is associated with high levels of cytokines and chemokines that cause multiple organ failure, systemic inflammation, and hemodynamic instabilities. Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), a common complication of COVID-19, is a consequence of cytokine storm. In this regard, several drugs have been being…</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>Structure-Based Virtual Screening and Identification of Potential Inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 S-RBD and ACE2 Interaction</strong> - The emergence and rapid spread of SARS-CoV-2 have caused a worldwide public health crisis. Designing small molecule inhibitors targeting SARS-CoV-2 S-RBD/ACE2 interaction is considered as a potential strategy for the prevention and treatment of SARS-CoV-2. But to date, only a few compounds have been reported as SARS-CoV-2 S-RBD/ACE2 interaction inhibitors. In this study, we described the virtual screening and experimental validation of two novel inhibitors (DC- RA016 and DC-RA052) against…</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>Five-Decade Update on Chemopreventive and Other Pharmacological Potential of Kurarinone: a Natural Flavanone</strong> - In the present article we present an update on the role of chemoprevention and other pharmacological activities reported on kurarinone, a natural flavanone (from 1970 to 2021). To the best of our knowledge this is the first and exhaustive review of kurarinone. The literature was obtained from different search engine platforms including PubMed. Kurarinone possesses anticancer potential against cervical, lung (non-small and small), hepatic, esophageal, breast, gastric, cervical, and prostate…</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>Lessons in self-defence: inhibition of virus entry by intrinsic immunity</strong> - Virus entry, consisting of attachment to and penetration into the host target cell, is the first step of the virus life cycle and is a critical ‘do or die’ event that governs virus emergence in host populations. Most antiviral vaccines induce neutralizing antibodies that prevent virus entry into cells. However, while the prevention of virus invasion by humoral immunity is well appreciated, considerably less is known about the immune defences present within cells (known as intrinsic immunity)…</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>Selective Inhibition of the Interaction between SARS-CoV-2 Spike S1 and ACE2 by SPIDAR Peptide Induces Anti- Inflammatory Therapeutic Responses</strong> - Many patients with coronavirus disease 2019 in intensive care units suffer from cytokine storm. Although anti- inflammatory therapies are available to treat the problem, very often, these treatments cause immunosuppression. Because angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) on host cells serves as the receptor for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), to delineate a SARS-CoV-2-specific anti-inflammatory molecule, we designed a hexapeptide corresponding to the spike…</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>Correction: Clinical impact of COVID-19 on patients with cancer treated with immune checkpoint inhibition</strong> - No abstract</p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-patent-search">From Patent Search</h1>
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<h1 data-aos="fade-down" id="daily-dose">Daily-Dose</h1>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" data-aos-anchor-placement="top-bottom" id="contents">Contents</h1>
<ul>
<li><a href="#from-new-yorker">From New Yorker</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-vox">From Vox</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-the-hindu-sports">From The Hindu: Sports</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-the-hindu-national-news">From The Hindu: National News</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-bbc-europe">From BBC: Europe</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-ars-technica">From Ars Technica</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-jokes-subreddit">From Jokes Subreddit</a></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-new-yorker">From New Yorker</h1>
<ul>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>The Republicans Running to Support Donald Trump</strong> - Don Bolduc, a retired Army general and candidate for Senate in New Hampshire, is one of many political aspirants who believe that the 2020 election was stolen. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a/the-republicans-running-to-support-donald-trump">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>The Return-to-Office Quandary</strong> - Ambiguous plans are good for executives but bad for other employees. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/culture/office-space/the-return-to-office-quandary">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>The Mysterious Case of the COVID-19 Lab-Leak Theory</strong> - Did the virus spring from nature or from human error? - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/science/elements/the-mysterious-case-of-the-covid-19-lab-leak-theory">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>The Trump Presidency Is Still an Active Crime Scene</strong> - It’s hard to consign the Trump years to the history books when we remain in the middle of the crisis that it sparked. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/letter-from-bidens-washington/the-trump-presidency-is-still-an-active-crime-%20scene">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>William Shatner Reacts to a Real Space Trip as Only He Can</strong> - Shatner, who played Captain James T. Kirk on “Star Trek,” has had a long life in the public relations of space. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/william-shatner-reacts-to-a-real-space-trip-as-only-he-can">link</a></p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-vox">From Vox</h1>
<ul>
<li><strong>Americans are ready to tax the rich</strong> -
<figure>
<img alt="Demonstrators stand on the lawn in front of the US Capitol holding a banner that reads “hold
the line.”" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/s8GnrVpmw58WPVXqGWzGPur9yjc=/109x0:2798x2017/1310x983/cdn.vox-
cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69998665/GettyImages_1343307477.0.jpg"/>
<figcaption>
A September MoveOn “Hold the Line” rally encourages members of Congress to pass President Joe Biden’s entire Build Back Better recovery package. | Paul Morigi/Getty Images for MoveOn
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
It’s not always clear what the public wants. But a new poll shows strong support for taxing the rich to pay for Democrats’ Build Back Better Act.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Qfhwbi">
As debate over Democrats’ <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/budget-reconciliation-bill-build-back-
better-act/">Build Back Better Act</a> has intensified, the $3.5 trillion social spending bill has remained strikingly popular. That may be both a blessing and a curse for lawmakers because it’s now clear that the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/us-policy/2021/10/12/pelosi-biden-democrats-spending/">bill will need to shrink to pass</a>. And like Congress, Americans don’t all agree on which of its big-ticket items are most important.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="bQeXA6">
But at least one thing seems clear from public polling: People want to pay for the bill by <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/democrats-taxes-poll_n_6149eebae4b00171834144d5">taxing the rich</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="oypzim">
A <a href="https://www.filesforprogress.org/datasets/2021/10/dfp-vox-bbb-oct12-toplines.pdf">Vox and Data for Progress poll</a>, conducted October 8-12, found that 71 percent of voters support raising taxes on the wealthiest 2 percent of Americans to pay for the bill. Eighty-six percent of Democrats and 50 percent of Republicans backed the idea. Other tax provisions focused on the wealthy that could be included in the bill — such as tax increases on corporations and capital gains — found 65 percent or more support overall.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="8JIfjX">
Sixty-three percent of voters in the poll said they supported the $3.5 trillion overall plan that includes spending on health care, long-term care, child care, and clean-energy jobs.
</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="Chart: “Majorities of likely
voters support raising taxes on the wealthy and large corporations to pay for the Build Back Better Plan”" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/1cZ7kzenqVLCDNNTxBFG0o09xnw=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-
cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22926396/image__21_.png"/> <cite>Ethan Winter/Data for Progress</cite></figure></li>
</ul>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="JjKU1m">
It’s less clear which priorities voters most want to spend that money on. When asked to choose the <a href="https://www.filesforprogress.org/datasets/2021/10/dfp-bbb-maxdiff-priorities-toplines.pdf">most and least important parts of the Build Back Better Act</a>’s many policies, taxing the rich was most frequently cited as a top priority, with 13 percent of respondents choosing the measure. (The poll surveyed 1,224 likely voters and had a sampling margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.)
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="i9TH2s">
Expanding Medicare benefits to cover dental, vision, and hearing also showed strong support, with 12 percent of respondents ranking it the highest priority, and another 12 percent picked policies to increase access to long-term care for older adults and people with disabilities.<strong> </strong>Republicans were especially supportive of the provisions for health care and long-term care for older adults, compared to Democrats, who most frequently cited the tax increases and clean-energy measures as top priorities.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="l6308g">
Democrats <a href="https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/paulmcleod/build-back-better-
reconciliation-cuts-congress">face tough choices</a> in keeping a promise of <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/us-
policy/2021/10/12/pelosi-biden-democrats-spending/">“transformative”</a> policies in the Build Back Better Act: Do programs <a href="https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2021/10/democrats-shouldnt-half-ass-joe-bidens-agenda.html">need to be made permanent</a>, increasing their price tag? Should funding <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/13/upshot/of-
four-family-policies-in-democrats-bill-which-is-most-important.html">child care or prekindergarten</a> win out over expanding Medicare benefits? How fast must the country move to cut fossil fuels and fight climate change?
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Q41w0G">
This is Democrats’ first chance in years at crafting major legislation not directly tied to the pandemic — and given the electoral map’s skew toward Republicans, it could be their last for another decade.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="wMvpVv">
The popularity of the Build Back Better Act may or may not make it easier for lawmakers to get the bill over the finish line. In the Vox/Data for Progress poll, voters were presented with arguments for and against removing a particular provision to reduce costs, such as Medicare benefits expansion or clean-energy policy. Only about a third of voters or fewer supported the cuts. And respondents showed a diversity of opinion on what’s most important in the bill.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="EFnTG8">
That likely reflects the fact that Democrats’ big bill touches on important issues for people at various stages of life, said Ethan Winter, a senior analyst for Data for Progress.
</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<pre><code> &lt;img alt="Chart: “Voters see raising taxes, expanding Medicare, and investing in long-term care as the most </code></pre>
important parts of the Build Back Better Plan”" src=“https://cdn.vox- cdn.com/thumbor/<em>y6Qp4bfKZKvSHMnTBS_7E5giAo=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox- cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22928612/Screen_Shot_2021_10_14_at_9.35.46_AM<strong>1</strong>_1</em>.png” /&gt; <cite>Ethan Winter/Data for Progress</cite>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Sjlafe">
Winter noted that a policy like free prekindergarten would be especially favored by a young parent, while expanding Medicare benefits appeals more to older adults — who make up a larger swath of the electorate. The somewhat stronger support for tax increases on the wealthy and spending on care for older adults suggests those ideas are a core appeal of Democratic politics, for both<strong> </strong>the party’s base and swing voters.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="81Ismw">
“People elect Democrats because they will raise taxes on the rich to do modest economic redistribution, and [policies] for seniors are always very popular,” Winter said.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="UQa7AM">
Polls have shown <a href="https://www.dataforprogress.org/blog/voters-want-the-government-to-continue-to-invest-in-job-
creation">solid majority support for most pieces of the bill</a> as standalone policies. (The child tax credit expansion has seen <a href="https://www.filesforprogress.org/datasets/2021/10/fighting-chance-ctc-support-
oct1-toplines.pdf">majority approval</a> but <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/575491-1-in-3-want-expanded-child-
tax-credits-to-be-made-permanent-poll">seems to fare worse in polling</a> when voters are explicitly asked about making the expansion permanent.)
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Vk0is7">
The bill’s popularity could shift as Americans learn more about it and are exposed to partisan messaging; an <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/democrats-build-back-better-americans-dont-
know-opinion-poll/">October CBS News poll</a> found that few Americans say they know much about what’s in the bill, and only a third think it will affect them directly, despite many provisions focused on helping middle- and lower-income families.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="0SBj8Y">
On climate issues, 63 percent of voters in the Vox/Data for Progress poll expressed support for the <a href="https://www.vox.com/22579218/clean-energy-standard-electricity-infrastructure-democrats">clean electricity program that is a key component</a> of the bill’s climate crisis strategy. Fifty-seven percent said tax credits for electric cars in the Build Back Better plan would make them more likely to purchase one.
</p>
<h3 id="5KsHo8">
Democrats’ bill is popular. So why are they shrinking it?
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="yRfQMI">
Americans largely like the Build Back Better Act. Most <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/poll-reconciliation-bill-trillion-dollar-
infrastructure_n_611c481ee4b0c696810276c1">don’t seem fazed by the $3.5 trillion price tag</a>. The strong support for tax increases on the rich — after big tax breaks for the wealthy and corporations under President Donald Trump — suggests <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/oct/10/kyrsten-sinema-arizona-senate-senator-infrastructure-
spending-biden-democrats">skeptical centrist Democrats</a> may have <a href="https://observer-reporter.com/opinion/op-
eds/op-ed-reconciliation-and-build-back-better/article_09c75618-2855-11ec-93e6-4f55bb523e50.html">other concerns</a> in backing cuts to the bill.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="6Ke4fm">
The precariousness of the bill largely comes down to Democrats’ very thin majorities in the House and Senate. That gives Joe Manchin, a senator from a Trump-voting coal state, the power to <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/10/14/democrats-central-climate-program-is-trouble/">dictate demands on climate provisions</a> as well as the overall size of the bill.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="tVgxh6">
It also means another centrist senator, Kyrsten Sinema, is a key figure in the negotiations, even though it’s not totally clear what she wants in the bill — and she left this week for <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/13/us/politics/kyrsten-sinema-fundraising-
europe.html">Europe on a fundraising tour</a>. (While Manchin’s approval in his home state of West Virginia has remained fairly steady overall, Sinema’s resistance to the legislation has caused her approval rating to <a href="https://morningconsult.com/2021/10/04/sinema-manchin-approval-rating/">plummet among Democrats</a> and prompt stirrings of a <a href="https://www.dataforprogress.org/blog/2021/10/14/kyrsten-sinema-poised-to-lose-democratic-
primary-in-2024">primary challenge</a> in Arizona, a state more evenly split between Republicans and Democrats.)
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="pL2bxc">
Manchin, Sinema, and other moderate Democrats have sometimes appeared at odds with each other on <a href="https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2021/10/manchin-sinema-demands-biden-build-back-better-deal.html">how to pay for the bill</a>, making things even more complicated.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="VrxbBy">
At New York magazine, <a href="https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2021/09/why-are-there-so-many-democrats-to-joe-bidens-right.html">Eric Levitz chalks</a> pushback by some House Democrats<strong> </strong>up to America’s skewed representation in Congress and the decline of labor as a lobbying force. Plus, perhaps, old-fashioned stubbornness: Many Democrats in Congress came of political age in the era of Bill Clinton, deficit reduction, and welfare reform. “I think that’s why we can’t have ($3.5 trillion worth of) nice things: Labor is weak, Congress is malapportioned, and some old rich Democrats have annoying beliefs,” Levitz wrote.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Ke4Rk8">
No matter what happens with the Build Back Better Act, it won’t end debates around <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/08/opinion/democrats-david-shor-education-polarization.html">what pursuing popular policies really means</a>. Even if the final bill is embraced by the public, it <a href="https://www.vox.com/22711083/biden-reconciliation-build-back-better-polls-infrastructure">might not lead Democrats to electoral victory</a>, either.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="cdu5Kh">
But if Democrats are just looking for legislation that most Americans want, taxing the rich to pay for policies that help families, seniors, and the planet seems like a safe bet.
</p>
<ul>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Dave Chappelle vs. trans people vs. Netflix</strong> -
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-
cdn.com/thumbor/Iry4lLTmq0YWVMscmTRYx4Ljp0s=/1901x344:4285x2132/1310x983/cdn.vox-
cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69996445/2021_MathieuBittonT1080954.0.jpg"/>
<figcaption>
Dave Chappelle performs during his Netflix standup special <em>The Closer</em>. | Mathieu Bitton/Netflix
</figcaption>
</figure></li>
</ul>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Chappelle’s latest Netflix special, The Closer, may be a tipping point for trans people.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Ym2PXw">
For the past several years, comedian Dave Chappelle has been locked in a vicious cycle of anti-<a href="https://www.vox.com/22384308/cancel-culture-free-speech-accountability-debate">cancel-culture</a> standup comedy. Over six Netflix specials, Chappelle has <a href="https://www.vox.com/2019/8/29/20835637/dave-chappelle-netflix-special-
hidden-ending-cancel-culture">lashed out at</a> what he views as progressive attempts to cancel him for his incendiary comedy — all while mocking the queer and transgender communities and the Me Too movement and generally doubling, tripling, and sextupling down on the offensive jokes and reactionary politics that people took issue with in the first place.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="HjZQS3">
It’s a fatiguing ouroboros.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="xfpDA9">
Chappelle’s latest special <em>The Closer</em> is possibly his last for the streaming service, and with it, the discourse around his comedy has intensified. In the special, released October 5, Chappelle’s humor is <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/dave-chappelle-says-hes-a-terf-
and-is-quitting-lgbtq-jokes-in-netflixs-the-closer">more openly transphobic than ever</a>. Many trans viewers feel Chappelle’s comedy has escalated into overt hate — and they’ve been <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=trans%20(to%3Anetflix)&amp;src=typed_query&amp;f=live">voicing</a> their complaints directly to Netflix. Moreover, Netflix recently <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2021/10/11/22720724/netflix-suspends-
trans-employee-tweeted-dave-chappelle-the-closer">suspended a trans employee</a> who tweeted about the special’s transphobia. Netflix has said the employee was suspended not for her viral tweets, but for attending a director-level business meeting without an invitation. (The company has since lifted the suspension.)
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="bJ9tFW">
Despite the uproar, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2021/10/11/22720724/netflix-suspends-trans-
employee-tweeted-dave-chappelle-the-closer">defended Chappelle and his comedy</a>. “We don’t allow titles on Netflix that are designed to incite hate or violence, and we don’t believe <em>The Closer</em> crosses that line,” he wrote in an internal email on October 8.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="VhcgfJ">
But with Chappelle <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/dave-
chappelle-says-hes-a-terf-and-is-quitting-lgbtq-jokes-in-netflixs-the-closer">platforming</a> a position of gender essentialism onstage, and declaring that he’s “team TERF” — thereby aligning himself with trans-exclusionary radical feminists who <a href="https://www.vox.com/identities/2019/9/5/20840101/terfs-radical-feminists-gender-critical">argue that trans women aren’t women</a><strong> </strong>— many Netflix viewers and employees disagree. Netflix’s approach to the whole situation has triggered employee resignations, backlash, and now, a <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2021/10/12/22723592/netflix-trans-employees-walkout-statements-ceo">planned walkout</a> of the company’s trans employee resource group.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="YO1FaL">
Complicating the situation even further is an uncomfortable wedge that has only exacerbated the polarization around Chappelle: the suicide of Daphne Dorman, a trans woman who defended and befriended Chappelle, then became a willing subject of his comedy herself in his 2019 Netflix special <em>Sticks and Stones</em>. Following her death shortly after the special came out, she became a focal point of the debate around whether Chappelle’s comedy is harmful to trans people.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ErTxMo">
That Chappelle discusses her again in his newest special is a heated point of contention between those who believe trans viewers are bullying Chappelle and his friends — including Dorman — and those who believe Chappelle’s humor makes it harder for trans people like Dorman to safely exist.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="zYQa4f">
It’s a tangled, unpleasant mess, but it’s an important moment, both for Netflix and for the increasingly vocal trans audience that’s fed up with Chappelle.
</p>
<h3 id="l0NjLo">
Yes, Chappelle is being transphobic
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ANUS4t">
To be extremely clear: Dave Chappelle probably considers himself a trans ally. He’s said repeatedly that he supports trans people, and in <em>The Closer</em>, he speaks out against North Carolina’s notorious <a href="https://www.vox.com/2016/6/3/11842988/bathroom-bills-consequence">anti-trans bathroom law</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="zBQyxp">
He seems to be at pains to use his offstage support of trans people to justify his overtly transphobic onstage comedy. To be equally clear, however, his comedy has <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2010/3/4/843117/-">always</a> <a href="https://newrepublic.com/article/141550/dave-chappelles-problem-gay-people">been</a> <a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/538k7k/a-study-of-how-dave-chappelle-isnt-nailing-2017">transphobic</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Kzwb8J">
As Vulture’s Craig Jenkins <a href="https://www.vulture.com/article/dave-chappelle-the-closer-comedy-
review.html">sums up</a>, “How much you enjoy <em>The Closer</em> will depend on whether you’re able or willing to believe the comic and the human are separate entities and to buy that the human loves us all, and the comic is only performing spitefulness for his audience.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="TuUfkF">
Chappelle insists his jokes — in which he has derisively referred to the LGBTQ community as “the alphabet people,” “gross,” and “confusing,” among other things — have been misconstrued by angry progressives.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="3ppsfI">
Yet <em>The Closer</em>’s fixation on trans people drastically escalates the tone of his previous comedy, veering into outright anti-science arguments about gender while continuing his fixation on the anatomy of trans people. Many viewers were disturbed and upset to see Chappelle declare himself “team TERF” in the new special, along with defending <a href="https://www.vox.com/culture/21285396/jk-rowling-
transphobic-backlash-harry-potter">J.K. Rowling</a> for identifying with TERF ideology. “They canceled J.K. Rowling,” Chappelle opines, ignoring that Rowling is still a bestselling author with millions of fans. “Effectually she said gender was fact, the trans community got mad as shit, they started calling her a TERF.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="uYdRDe">
“Gender is fact” seems to be Chappelle’s way of implying that gender is binary and biologically determined. Science <a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-science-health-gender-identity-biology-2a67da6515aa48e68e56cd97817b097a">says otherwise</a>. Chappelle also fails to mention in <em>The Closer</em> that Rowling has <a href="https://www.vox.com/identities/2019/12/19/21029874/jk-rowling-transgender-tweet-terf">openly befriended</a> and <a href="https://www.vox.com/culture/2019/12/19/21029852/jk-rowling-terf-transphobia-history-timeline">amplified</a> the voices of TERFs on social media, and that she penned a long manifesto expressing the pernicious TERF ideology that trans women might actually be male sexual predators in disguise. Rowling’s transphobia, in other words, is far more involved than what Chappelle presents as a simple statement.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="TrTRBo">
After downplaying the danger of Rowling’s actions, Chappelle proceeds to downplay his own, even while <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/dave-chappelle-says-
hes-a-terf-and-is-quitting-lgbtq-jokes-in-netflixs-the-closer">luridly describing</a> the invalidity of trans female anatomy and repeatedly expressing gender-essentialist views. He also seems to think the gay and trans communities consist only of white people, <a href="https://twitter.com/RaquelWillis_/status/1446516464794710017">as though the concerns</a> of Black and LGBTQ communities are entirely separate and might never overlap. He even compares being trans to wearing blackface, an alarming reframing of the insidious idea that trans people make a mockery of gender.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="3PJdxA">
As the ultimate defense of his viewpoint, Chappelle then goes on to discuss Dorman, a trans comedian whom Chappelle worked with, befriended, and discussed in his Grammy-winning 2019 special <a href="https://www.vox.com/2019/8/29/20835637/dave-chappelle-netflix-special-hidden-ending-cancel-culture"><em>Sticks and Stones</em></a>. Like <em>The Closer, Sticks and Stones</em> saw Chappelle dropping a litany of transphobic remarks, then holding up his friendship with Dorman as an example of his tolerance toward trans people. Chappelle joked about making out with her — while inspecting her anatomy.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Yoh3Qz">
Initially, Dorman was thrilled by Chappelle’s recognition. But following the special, she received backlash from other trans people, some of whom <a href="https://twitter.com/WhatTheTrans/status/1166374171414282247">had argued</a> that Chappelle was just using her as a way of excusing his transphobia.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="PV4Q4u">
Barely two months after the 2019 special, <a href="https://deadline.com/2019/10/transgender-activist-mentioned-in-dave-chappelles-sticks-and-stones-netflix-special-
dies-1202759052/">Dorman died by suicide</a>. Shortly before Dorman’s death, she <a href="https://www.nme.com/news/comedian-and-transgender-activist-daphne-dorman-dies-aged-44-2556788">posted an apology note</a> to Facebook. “To those of you who are mad at me: please forgive me,” she wrote. “To those of you feel like I failed you: I did and I’m sorry and I hope you’ll remember me in better times and better light.”
</p>
<div class="c-float-right">
<div id="5mK0W6">
<div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="U5scjk">
It’s important to acknowledge the uncomfortable reality that Dorman was <a href="https://twitter.com/Cyr_cryptid/status/1166529134391988224">criticized</a> and harassed by other trans people and allies. But focusing on this framing turns Dorman into a martyr for the cause of defending Chappelle, who uses Dorman’s suicide and the bullying narrative to defend and justify his reactionary position in <em>The Closer</em>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="VuddFl">
Dorman, he tells his audience at the end of his set, went against “her tribe” (i.e., the trans community) in order to defend him, after which they “dragged that bitch all over Twitter.” (For the record, there’s very little toxicity and not even very much dissent <a href="https://twitter.com/search?f=live&amp;q=(to%3Adaphnedorman)%20until%3A2019-10-31%20since%3A2019-08-26&amp;src=typed_query">in the extant replies</a> to Dorman from that period.) “It wasn’t the jokes,” he says. “I don’t know what was going on in her life … but I bet [the trans community] dragging her didn’t help.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="HFcQ6q">
For their part, Dorman’s family have also <a href="https://deadline.com/2021/10/dave-chappelle-the-closer-defended-by-sisters-his-trans-friend-
daphne-dorman-1234853511/">continued to defend</a> Chappelle, referring to him as an “LGBTQ ally.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="b6fUzn">
Yet Dorman’s death reflects another uncomfortable reality: Trans people are at an extremely high risk of dying by <a href="https://www.mentalhealthcommission.ca/wp-
content/uploads/drupal/2019-05/Transgender%20people%20and%20suicide%20fact%20sheet.pdf">suicide</a> or <a href="https://www.advocate.com/crime/2021/3/23/trans-people-four-times-likely-face-violent-crime-cis">transphobic violence</a>. Chappelle’s latest double down arrives just as trans people are currently living through what might turn out to be the most violently transphobic period <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jun/14/us-trans-
transgender-deaths-2021">in recorded history</a>. To attribute Dorman’s death to bullying from “woke scolds” erases the reality that as a trans woman, Dorman was extremely vulnerable to bullying and harassment because of her gender identity, as well as mental health struggles and becoming a victim of hate crimes or other acts of violence.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="nEafLF">
These are all arguably the kinds of transphobia that can escalate when a prominent comedian with a potential audience the size of Netflix’s <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/21/netflix-massive-viewership-numbers-proves-it-
owns-pop-culture.html">180 million</a> subscribers treats trans identity like a quirky made-up fantasy.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="FvvFeQ">
In fact, <a href="https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-021-11107-x">study</a> <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007%2F978-3-319-96334-1_24">after</a> <a href="https://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/96/1/17-197251.pdf">study</a> has shown a direct connection between the type of perceptions of gender identity Chappelle is performing and anti-trans violence. Even if you believe “Chappelle, the offstage human” is a decent and supportive trans ally, “Chappelle, the onstage comic” is promoting bigotry and amplifying gender essentialism in a way that contributes to making trans people deeply unsafe. Additionally, despite Chappelle’s reluctance to admit the overlap between Black and trans interests, Black trans women are the most susceptible group, <a href="https://harvardcrcl.org/americas-war-on-black-trans-women/">by orders of magnitude</a>, to the harmful impact of rhetoric like Chappelle’s.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="YkOImZ">
Little wonder, then, that Chappelle has drawn sustained backlash from queer and trans communities. Over the weeks since <em>The Closer</em>’s release, that backlash has only grown more intense — and Netflix’s reaction hasn’t helped.
</p>
<h3 id="iMCpxi">
Chappelle’s transphobia is now a problem for Netflix
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="aI7kgC">
In addition to drawing overwhelmingly negative responses to the transphobic material from critics as well as many <a href="https://www.wtvq.com/ky-lgbtq-community-members-speak-out-against-dave-
chappelles-netflix-special/">queer viewers</a>, <em>The Closer</em> swiftly drew repudiations from advocacy groups around the nation, including the National Black Justice Coalition.
</p>
<div id="NUwFrE">
<blockquote class="twitter- tweet">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" dir="ltr" lang="en">
“It is deeply disappointing that Netflix allowed Dave Chappelle’s lazy and hostile transphobia and homophobia to air on its platform.” -David J. Johns<br/><br/>Read the full article on his special with the link <a href="https://t.co/KKvm78ZOqE">https://t.co/KKvm78ZOqE</a> <a href="https://t.co/Le6AfxMZJc">pic.twitter.com/Le6AfxMZJc</a>
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">— NBJC (<span class="citation" data-cites="NBJContheMove">@NBJContheMove</span>) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBJContheMove/status/1446104437500620804?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 7, 2021</a></p>
</blockquote>
</div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="AvVMDT">
Anger and disappointment have also come from within the larger Netflix organization. <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-features/dave-chappelle-netflix-special-controversy-
trans-lgbtq-1235028904/"><em>Dear White People</em></a> co-showrunner Jaclyn Moor, who is trans, decided to stop collaborating with the company in response to its decision to stand by <em>The Closer</em>. “It is much easier to commit violence against someone that you think is immoral or a liar or … someone not worthy of your respect,” <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-features/dave-chappelle-netflix-special-controversy-trans-
lgbtq-1235028904/">Moor told the Hollywood Reporter</a>, referring to the way Chappelle’s rhetoric endangers trans people. “That makes it much easier to hurt me. … I just want to not be killed.”
</p>
<div id="PC25US">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" dir="ltr" lang="en">
I told the story of my transition for <a href="https://twitter.com/netflix?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"><span class="citation" data-cites="netflix">@netflix</span></a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/Most?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"><span class="citation" data-cites="most">@most</span></a>’s Pride week. It’s a network that’s been my home on <a href="https://twitter.com/DearWhitePeople?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"><span class="citation" data-cites="DearWhitePeople">@DearWhitePeople</span></a>. I’ve loved working there. <br/><br/>I will not work with them as long as they continue to put out and profit from blatantly and dangerously transphobic content.
</p>
— Jaclyn Moore (<span class="citation" data-cites="JaclynPMoore">@JaclynPMoore</span>) <a href="https://twitter.com/JaclynPMoore/status/1445912662093729793?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 7, 2021</a>
</blockquote>
</div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="tlasPu">
Equally poignant was the backlash Netflix received from its own employees, particularly the staff behind the Twitter account <a href="https://twitter.com/Most/"><span class="citation" data-cites="Most">@Most</span></a>, which promotes the company’s queer content. In an unusually raw thread, the staff running the account told its followers that the week following <em>The Closer</em>’s release had “fucking suck[ed].”
</p>
<div id="J1IPMQ">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" dir="ltr" lang="en">
To be clear: As the queer and trans people who run this account, you can imagine that the last couple of weeks have been hard. We can’t always control what goes on screen. What we can control is what we create here, and the POV we bring to internal conversations.
</p>
— Most (<span class="citation" data-cites="Most">@Most</span>) <a href="https://twitter.com/Most/status/1448421747309498372?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 13, 2021</a>
</blockquote>
</div>
<div id="jT7qu0">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" dir="ltr" lang="en">
ok you can go back to yelling at us now
</p>
— Most (<span class="citation" data-cites="Most">@Most</span>) <a href="https://twitter.com/Most/status/1448421749100453888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 13, 2021</a>
</blockquote>
</div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="0zBSin">
In response to a flurry of internal questions about <em>The Closer</em> and Netflix’s responsibility not to air transphobic views, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos issued a company-wide email on October 8, obtained by <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2021/10/11/22720724/netflix-suspends-trans-employee-tweeted-
dave-chappelle-the-closer">the Verge</a>. Reiterating that Netflix would not be removing <em>The Closer</em> from its library, he expressed pride in the company’s partnership with Chappelle and praised <em>Sticks and Stones</em> for winning awards and attracting views. He placed <em>The Closer</em> in the same category as other highly controversial Netflix releases, including <a href="https://www.vox.com/culture/21431237/cuties-cancel-netflix-controversy-
explained"><em>Cuties</em></a> and <a href="https://www.vox.com/culture/2019/5/3/18522559/13-reasons-why-netflix-youth-
suicide-rate"><em>13 Reasons Why</em></a>, both works of fiction that have been accused of creating real-world harm.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="OAzYDa">
Rather than engage the sticky question of whether Chappelle’s persona is another work of artistic license or whether he’s straightforwardly promoting transphobia to the masses, Sarandos denied that <em>The Closer</em> was transphobic at all. “We don’t allow titles on Netflix that are designed to incite hate or violence, and we don’t believe <em>The Closer </em>crosses that line,” he wrote, before adding that “some people find the art of stand-up to be mean-spirited but our members enjoy it.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="VnXaxE">
He further suggested that Netflix was commendable for ensuring that “under-represented communities are not defined by the single story,” seemingly implying that Chappelle’s ridicule of trans people might even be a win for diversity.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="YTfKUx">
But the issue of acceptance of trans identity is much more than an issue of “mean-spirited” comedy — as the high rates of trans violence indicate, it’s very literally life or death.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="mz0Ag7">
Terra Field, a senior software engineer at Netflix, <a href="https://twitter.com/RainofTerra/status/1445914236668895236">posted</a> a viral Twitter thread about Chappelle the day after <em>The Closer</em>’s release, making it very clear what the stakes are for trans people. “Promoting TERF ideology (which is what we did by giving it a platform yesterday) directly harms trans people, it is not some neutral act,” she wrote. “This is not an argument with two sides. It is an argument with trans people who want to be alive and people who don’t want us to be.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="JGORVK">
Netflix subsequently suspended Field, who is trans. Although the news quickly grabbed attention, both Netflix and Field acknowledged that she and two other employees were suspended for attending Netflix’s quarterly business meeting without an invitation, not for speaking out about <em>The Closer</em>. “Our employees are encouraged to disagree openly and we support their right to do so,” a company spokesperson <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2021/10/11/22720724/netflix-suspends-trans-employee-tweeted-dave-chappelle-the-
closer">told the Verge</a>. Field was <a href="https://twitter.com/RainofTerra/status/1448097310026747908">reinstated</a> on October 12. Another employee reportedly resigned in protest over <em>The Closer</em> and Netflix’s response.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="iyfW6P">
Sarandos tried again in <a href="https://variety.com/2021/film/news/ted-sarandos-dave-chappelle-defense-1235088647/">a follow-up company memo</a> issued October 11. This time, he noted that “With ‘The Closer,’ we understand that the concern is not about offensive-to-some content but titles which could increase real world harm (such as further marginalizing already marginalized groups, hate, violence etc.),” he wrote.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="lGEYaQ">
Still, Sarandos reaffirmed the company’s decision to stand by <em>The Closer</em>, arguing that “we have a strong belief that content on screen doesn’t directly translate to real-world harm.” Given the direct link between cultural transphobia and real-world violence, and given the connection between Chappelle’s previous Netflix special and Dorman’s suicide, it’s a troubling defense.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="CiUX6W">
Netflix is coming into this controversy amid a time of triumph. September’s smash hit <a href="https://www.vox.com/22704474/squid-game-games-korean-references-symbols"><em>Squid Game</em></a> became the <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/tv/squid-game-reaches-111m-viewers-becoming-netflix-s-biggest-
debut-n1281415">most-viewed series in Netflix history</a> and <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/paultassi/2021/10/01/squid-game-is-so-popular-its-driving-netflix-stock-to-new-
highs/">caused the company’s stock to hit record highs</a>. With a windfall like that at the streaming giant’s back, upsetting trans viewers might seem like a relatively minor problem.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="BdHxUc">
Still, Netflix clearly hasn’t had the last word. More Netflix employees are gearing up for an even larger protest: a company-wide walkout spearheaded by the staff’s trans employee resource group. The demonstration, which will occur on October 20, is planned not only in protest over Netflix’s decision to release and retain Chappelle’s special, but also to call out the lack of positive trans content on the platform and demand a better ongoing response from the company to trans concerns. “As we’ve discussed through Slack, email, text, and everything in between,” the ERG organizers wrote in an internal memo <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2021/10/12/22723592/netflix-trans-employees-walkout-statements-ceo">obtained by the Verge</a>, “our leadership has shown us they do not uphold the values to which we are held.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="RWqJ0l">
Perhaps ironically, <em>The Closer</em> was supposed to be Chappelle’s “last” special for Netflix; during the show, the comedian also professed himself “done talking about” queer and transgender issues and said he won’t be joking about the communities again “until we are both sure that we are laughing together.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="zja80Q">
But if Chappelle intended to go out on a note of admonishment and hope for reconciliation, he seems to have missed his target. If anything, <em>The Closer</em> seems to have bonded members of the trans community in a groundswell of anger and activism, aimed at not only Chappelle but also the streaming giant that has empowered the worst aspects of his comedy for years. If <em>The Closer</em> has proven anything, ultimately it’s that Chappelle, Netflix, and its trans audiences won’t be laughing together anytime soon.
</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Why so many new buildings are covered in rectangles</strong> -
<figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/UE64pOaOngTU-
cHuSmLzlHmyJic=/240x0:1680x1080/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69995218/thumbchorusclean.0.jpg"/></p>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
These panels are everywhere — and they’re part of a hidden system.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="rO5Nxt">
If you’ve seen new construction around your city, you’ve probably seen these distinctive rectangular panels. Sometimes plain, sometimes multi-colored, they’re absolutely everywhere. The video above explains how they conceal an entire system that helps protect buildings.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="wcmG9f">
Over the course of the 20th century, building technology changed to allow the exterior of a building to be separate from the structure holding it up. Now there’s rainscreen cladding — the enclosure system that ends up being used in so many of those distinctive panels. By creating a small air gap between the exterior wall and the structure, it gives water an opportunity to dry, saving our modern buildings from rot and decay.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="N1dn4a">
Building enclosure is an entire field with lots of intense debate, associations, and academic research. If you’re looking for a way into the world of rainscreens, you can listen to <a href="https://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/article/the-bs-beer-show-all-about-rainscreens">this podcast with John Straube</a> or check out <a href="https://www.rdh.com/technical-library/">his technical papers</a>, found at RDH.
</p></li>
</ul>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="tRL7mE">
You can find this video and the entire library of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLXo7UDZvByw2ixzpQCufnA"><strong>Vox’s videos on YouTube</strong></a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="DPxdRc">
</p>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-the-hindu-sports">From The Hindu: Sports</h1>
<ul>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Sandman shines</strong> - Sandman shone when the horses were exercised here on Friday (Oct. 15) morning.Sand track:600m: Empower (T.S. Jodha), Winstar (P. Shinde) 41. Pair eas</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>Apsara Star and Gallantry impress</strong> - Apsara Star and Gallantry impressed when the horses were exercised here on Friday (Oct. 15). Outer sand: 800m: Anastasia (Yash Narredu) 1-1, 600/46.5</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>Curtly Ambrose is as much an achiever as Gayle and entitled to his opinion: Vivian Richards</strong> - Ambrose questioned Gayle’s selection in the West Indies T20 World Cup squad, for which Gayle reacted by saying he no longer respected Ambrose like he used to earlier</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>Husband arrested in killing of Olympic runner Agnes Tirop</strong> - Police said he went on the run after making a tearful phone call to his family confessing he had done something terrible</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>Evacuated over 100 football family members from Afghanistan after complex negotiations: FIFA</strong> - The evacuees were brought to Doha aboard a Qatar Airways charter flight from Kabul.</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>Amit Shah visits cellular jail in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, pays homage to VD Savarkar</strong> - On Wednesday, Mr Shah will undertake an aerial survey of various development initiatives</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>Explained | Enhanced powers of Border Security Force</strong> - The operational writ of BSF was different in different border States, the fresh notification ends this anomaly.</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>Dasara illumination in Mysuru extended for nine more days: CM</strong> - The illumination stretches up to 102 km and includes 40 junctions</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>Shiv Sena’s Goa vice president Rakhi Naik resigns</strong> - Ms. Naik, who had been associated with the party for the last four years, is also the party’s state spokesperson.</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>Pampa de-silting: Union ministry seeks counsel</strong> - Expert panel formed after suo moto action by NGT on The Hindu report</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>Covid: Italy port workers strike over Covid pass rules</strong> - About 2,000 workers are outside Trieste port, angry that the widely used pass is now mandatory.</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>Kongsberg attack: Norway probes bow and arrow suspect’s sanity</strong> - Psychiatrists examine a man suspected of killing five people with a bow and arrows in Norway.</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>Kongsberg attack: Norwegian town left asking questions after murders</strong> - The innocence of a quiet town outside Oslo is shattered and residents are demanding answers.</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>Brexit: Lord Frost and Šefčovič to discuss NI Protocol in Brussels</strong> - Lord Frost will meet EU counterpart Maros Šefčovič to discuss the new trade proposals.</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>Migrants face expulsion at Polish border under new law</strong> - Human rights groups accuse Poland of wanting to legalise migrant pushbacks on its border with Belarus.</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>Rocket Report: Virgin Galactic stands down, SpaceX faces environmental lawsuit</strong> - “Will I be able to break ground tomorrow? No. Do I want to break ground tomorrow? Yeah.” - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1804402">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Metroid Dread developer leaves names out of credits, ex-staffers say</strong> - “Why do I not appear on the game’s credits? Is it some kind of mistake?” - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1804368">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Seminal Michael Faraday paper digitally stored in fluorescent dyes</strong> - The dyes are cheap to make, but they can’t be read without a special microscope. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1804233">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>FDA advisors unanimously green-light Moderna boosters for people 65+, high-risk</strong> - Moderna boosters are recommended for the same groups eligible for a Pfizer booster. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1804360">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Missouri gov. calls journalist who found security flaw a “hacker,” threatens to sue</strong> - Governor also threatens to sue paper for finding flaw that exposed teachers’ SSNs. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1804306">link</a></p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-jokes-subreddit">From Jokes Subreddit</h1>
<ul>
<li><strong>What do you call a teenage boy who doesn’t masturbate?</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
<div class="md">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
A liar.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SC_ON -->
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/Animex_Shadow"> /u/Animex_Shadow </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/q8j66h/what_do_you_call_a_teenage_boy_who_doesnt/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/q8j66h/what_do_you_call_a_teenage_boy_who_doesnt/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><strong>A sadist, a masochist, a murderer, a necrophile, a zoophile and a pyromaniac are all sitting on a bench in a mental institution.</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
<div class="md">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
“Let’s have sex with a cat?” asked the zoophile.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
“Let’s have sex with the cat and then torture it,” says the sadist.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
“Let’s have sex with the cat, torture it and then kill it,” shouted the murderer.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
“Let’s have sex with the cat, torture it, kill it and then have sex with it again,” said the necrophile.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
“Let’s have sex with the cat, torture it, kill it, have sex with it again and then burn it,” said the pyromaniac.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
There was silence, and then the masochist said:
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
“Meow.”
</p>
</div>
<!-- SC_ON -->
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/TheBoringRogue"> /u/TheBoringRogue </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/q89ds8/a_sadist_a_masochist_a_murderer_a_necrophile_a/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/q89ds8/a_sadist_a_masochist_a_murderer_a_necrophile_a/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><strong>If I had a dollar for every girl that found me unattractive</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
<div class="md">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
They’d eventually find me attractive
</p>
</div>
<!-- SC_ON -->
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/dandan_56"> /u/dandan_56 </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/q8liub/if_i_had_a_dollar_for_every_girl_that_found_me/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/q8liub/if_i_had_a_dollar_for_every_girl_that_found_me/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><strong>A mother, father, and 6-year-old son go to a zoo..</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
<div class="md">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
where they stop to see the elephant. While the father’s in the bathroom, the son notices one elephant has a rather large erection. Curious, he gets his mom’s attention. “Mommy, what’s that hanging from the elephant?” “Oh, that’s its trunk honey.” “No, further back!” “Ah, you mean its tail!” “No, between its legs! That, what is that?” The mother goes red. “Oh, that’s… that’s nothing, honey.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The father returns and the mother goes off to use the bathroom. Still curious, the sons asks his dad: “Daddy, what’s that hanging from the elephant?” “His trunk, son.” “No, further back!” “You mean his tail?” “No, that thing! Between his legs!” “Oh, that! Well, that’s the elephant’s penis.” “Oh!… Why did Mommy say it was nothing?” “Son, I have SPOILED that woman.”
</p>
</div>
<!-- SC_ON -->
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/kad143"> /u/kad143 </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/q8hmge/a_mother_father_and_6yearold_son_go_to_a_zoo/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/q8hmge/a_mother_father_and_6yearold_son_go_to_a_zoo/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><strong>Two nuns were riding their bikes together on their way to church one Sunday.</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
<div class="md">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The first nun says to the second nun, “I’ve never come this way before”. The second nun says, “Yeah, it’s the cobblestone”.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SC_ON -->
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/bushbabybawbag"> /u/bushbabybawbag </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/q81k6b/two_nuns_were_riding_their_bikes_together_on/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/q81k6b/two_nuns_were_riding_their_bikes_together_on/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
</ul>
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