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<title>23 January, 2023</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><strong>Assessing the effectiveness of portable HEPA air cleaners for reducing particulate matter exposure in King County, Washington homeless shelters during the COVID-19 pandemic: implications for community congregate settings</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Over four thousand portable air cleaners (PACs) with high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters were distributed by Public Health - Seattle &amp; King County to homeless shelters during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to evaluate the real-world effectiveness of these HEPA PACs in reducing indoor particles and understand the factors that affect their use in homeless shelters. Four rooms across three homeless shelters with varying geographic locations and operating conditions were enrolled in this study. At each shelter, multiple PACs were deployed based on the room volume and PAC′s clean air delivery rate rating. The energy consumption of these PACs was measured using energy data loggers at 1-min intervals to allow tracking of their use and fan speed for three two-week sampling rounds, separated by single-week gaps, between February and April 2022. Total optical particle number concentration (OPNC) was measured at 2-min intervals at multiple indoor locations and an outdoor ambient location. The empirical indoor and outdoor total OPNC were compared for each site. Additionally, linear mixed-effects regression models (LMERs) were used to assess the relationship between PAC use time and indoor/outdoor ratios of total OPNC (I/O<sub>OPNC</sub>). Based on the LMER models, one percent increase in the hourly, daily and total time PACs were used significantly reduced I/O<sub>OPNC</sub> by 0.34 [95% CI: 0.28, 0.40], 0.51 [95% CI: 0.20, 0.78], 2.52 [95% CI: 1.50, 3.28], respectively, indicating that keeping PACs on resulted in significantly lower I/O<sub>OPNC</sub> or relatively lower indoor total OPNC than outdoors. The post-hoc survey suggested that keeping PACs on and running was the main challenge when operating them in shelters. These findings suggested that HEPA PACs were an effective short-term strategy to reduce indoor particle levels in community congregate living settings during non-wildfire seasons and the need for formulating practical guidance for using them in such an environment.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.01.20.23284493v1" target="_blank">Assessing the effectiveness of portable HEPA air cleaners for reducing particulate matter exposure in King County, Washington homeless shelters during the COVID-19 pandemic: implications for community congregate settings</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>ONE ASSAY TO TEST THEM ALL: COMPARING MULTIPLEX ASSAYS FOR EXPANSION OF RESPIRATORY VIRUS SURVEILLANCE</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Background: Molecular multiplex assays (MPAs) for simultaneous detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in a single RT-PCR reaction reduce time and increase efficiency to identify multiple pathogens with overlapping clinical presentation but different treatments or public health implications. Methods: Clinical performance of XpertXpress SARS-CoV-2/Flu/RSV (Cepheid, GX), TaqPathTM COVID-19, FluA/B, RSV Combo kit (Thermo Fisher Scientific, TP), and PowerChekTM SARS-CoV-2/Influenza A&amp;B/RSV Multiplex RT-PCR kit II (KogeneBiotech, PC) was compared to individual Standards of Care (SoC). Thirteen isolates of SARS-CoV-2, human seasonal influenza, and avian influenza served to assess limit of detection (LoD). Then, positive and negative residual nasopharyngeal specimens, collected under public health surveillance and pandemic response served for evaluation. Subsequently, comparison of effectiveness was assessed. Results: The three MPAs confidently detect all lineages of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza viruses. MPA-LoDs vary from 1-2 Log10 differences from SoC depending on assay and strain. Clinical evaluation resulted in overall agreement between 97% and 100%, demonstrating a high accuracy to detect all targets. Existing differences in costs, testing burden and implementation constraints influence the choice in primary or community settings. Conclusion: TP, PC and GX, reliably detect SARS-CoV-2, influenza and RSV simultaneously, with reduced time-to-results and simplified workflows. MPAs have the potential to enhancediagnostics, surveillance system, and epidemic response to drive policy on prevention and control of viral respiratory infections.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.01.19.23284806v1" target="_blank">ONE ASSAY TO TEST THEM ALL: COMPARING MULTIPLEX ASSAYS FOR EXPANSION OF RESPIRATORY VIRUS SURVEILLANCE</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Evaluation of Potential Adverse Events Following COVID-19 mRNA Vaccination Among Adults Aged 65 Years and Older: A Self-Controlled Study in the U.S.</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Background Our near-real-time safety monitoring of 16 adverse events (AEs) following COVID-19 mRNA vaccination identified potential elevations in risk for six AEs following primary series and monovalent booster dose administration. The crude association with AEs does not imply causality. Accordingly, we conducted robust evaluations of the potential associations. Methods We conducted self-controlled case series studies of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines (BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273) in U.S. Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 years and older. Adjusted incidence rate ratio (IRRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated following primary series doses for acute myocardial infarction (AMI), pulmonary embolism (PE), immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC); and following booster doses for AMI, PE, ITP, Bells Palsy (BP) and Myocarditis/Pericarditis (Myo/Peri). Results Among 3,360,981 individuals who received 6,388,542 primary series doses and 6,156,100 individuals with monovalent booster doses of either BNT162b2 or mRNA-1273, AE counts were: AMI (3,653 primary series, 16,042 booster), inpatient PE (2,470 primary, 5,085 booster), ITP (1,085 primary, 88 booster), DIC (254 primary), BP (3,268 booster), and Myo/Peri (1,295 booster). The IRR for inpatient PE cases following BNT162b2 primary series and booster was 1.19 (95% CI: 1.03 to 1.38) and 0.86 (95% CI: 0.78 to 0.95), respectively; and for mRNA-1273 primary series and booster, 1.15 (95% CI: 0.94 to 1.41) and 0.87 (95% CI: 0.79 to 0.96), respectively. The IRR for BP following BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273 booster was 1.17 (95% CI: 1.06 to 1.29) and 1.16 (95% CI: 1.05 to 1.29), respectively. Conclusion In these two studies of the U.S. elderly we did not find an increased risk for AMI, ITP, DIC, and Myo/Peri; the results were not consistent for PE; and there was a small elevated risk of BP after exposure to COVID-19 mRNA vaccines. These results support the favorable safety profile of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines administered in the elderly.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.01.19.23284803v1" target="_blank">Evaluation of Potential Adverse Events Following COVID-19 mRNA Vaccination Among Adults Aged 65 Years and Older: A Self-Controlled Study in the U.S.</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>THE INFLUENCE OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON THE QUALITY OF NURSING SERVICES IN SURGERY AND INTERNAL DISEASE CARE ROOMS IN 2021 BAUBAU CITY HOSPITAL</strong> -
<div>
Service quality must start from customer needs and end with customer satisfaction and positive perceptions of the services provided. However, the challenge is that the customer’s assessment of the service they receive is more subjective. To increase the utilization of health facilities, it is necessary to make corrections to public perceptions so that they are able to meet the expectations of consumers. If the customer is satisfied with good service, then the consumer will show a great opportunity to make a repeat purchase. COVID19 Worker Health Promotion must be regulated in terms of changes, from the implementation of COVID19 management instructions, new guidelines must be made, changes in nurse-patient interaction, with personal protective equipment (PPE), Covid19 fear or transmitting fear or transmitting. This new habit can affect the quality of care services The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of the Covid 19 pandemic on the quality of nursing services in the Surgical and Disease Treatment rooms in the Baubau City Hospital in 2021. This type of research is a descriptive study using a cross-sectional approach. Therefore, it is a type of investigation that emphasizes measuring time only once at this point. The results showed that there was no influence between the Covid-19 pandemic on the quality of nursing services in the internal medicine and surgery rooms at Baubau Hospital in 2021, with a p-value = 0.230 or greater than a = 0.05, It is hoped that the hospital will maintain the quality standards provided by nurses in the surgical treatment room and those related to diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic so that patient satisfaction during the COVID-19 pandemic always feels pleasant.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://osf.io/qhe29/" target="_blank">THE INFLUENCE OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON THE QUALITY OF NURSING SERVICES IN SURGERY AND INTERNAL DISEASE CARE ROOMS IN 2021 BAUBAU CITY HOSPITAL</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>THE INFLUENCE OF WORKLOAD ON NURSE WORK STRESS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN FLAMBOYAN AND INTERNA ROOMS AT RSUD KOTA BAUBAU 2021</strong> -
<div>
Job stress is a condition in which there is interaction between humans and work and is characterized by human changes that prevent it from having an impact on normal functioning. all professional employees in the hospital are at risk of experiencing stress, but nurses have a higher level of stress The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of workload on nurses’ work stress during the Covid-19 pandemic in the Flamboyan and Interna Rooms at the Baubau City Hospital. This type of investigation uses analytical investigations to find out how and why phenomena occur. A cross-sectional design simultaneously studying the two independent variables was adopted. The purpose of this study was to find out whether workload had an impact on the work pressure of Flamboyán and nurses at the Baubau City Hospital during the Covid19 pandemic. The results of the study showed that the most interviewees were moderate workload and moderate work stress, namely 25 people (17.80) and 8 respondents who had work stress (18.50). As long as people with high workloads with 8 types of heavy work stress (18.50). Based on the results of the Kruskal Wallis H-Test analysis with a value of &amp; agr; 0.016 (α &lt; 0.05). Therefore, it can be concluded that there is an effect of burden on nurses’ work stress.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://osf.io/8zt2y/" target="_blank">THE INFLUENCE OF WORKLOAD ON NURSE WORK STRESS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN FLAMBOYAN AND INTERNA ROOMS AT RSUD KOTA BAUBAU 2021</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Assessment of mobilization strategies in the Philippines to address repeated public hesitancy on COVID-19 vaccine</strong> -
<div>
The objective of this scoping review is to understand the extent and type of evidence in relation to the current mobilization strategies in the country to address repeated public hesitancy on COVID-19 vaccine.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://osf.io/a2jvq/" target="_blank">Assessment of mobilization strategies in the Philippines to address repeated public hesitancy on COVID-19 vaccine</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Comparative effectiveness of Paxlovid versus sotrovimab and molnupiravir for preventing severe COVID-19 outcomes in non-hospitalised patients: observational cohort study using the OpenSAFELY platform</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Objective: To compare the effectiveness of Paxlovid vs. sotrovimab and molnupiravir in preventing severe COVID-19 outcomes in non-hospitalised high-risk COVID-19 adult patients. Design: With the approval of NHS England, we conducted a real-world cohort study using the OpenSAFELY-TPP platform. Setting: Patient-level electronic health record data were obtained from 24 million people registered with a general practice in England that uses TPP software. The primary care data were securely linked with data on COVID-19 infection and therapeutics, hospital admission, and death within the OpenSAFELY-TPP platform, covering a period where both Paxlovid and sotrovimab were first-line treatment options in community settings. Participants: Non-hospitalised adult COVID-19 patients at high risk of severe outcomes treated with Paxlovid, sotrovimab or molnupiravir between February 11, 2022 and October 1, 2022. Interventions: Paxlovid, sotrovimab or molnupiravir administered in the community by COVID-19 Medicine Delivery Units. Main outcome measure: COVID-19 related hospitalisation or COVID-19 related death within 28 days after treatment initiation. Results: A total of 7683 eligible patients treated with Paxlovid (n=4836) and sotrovimab (n=2847) were included in the main analysis. The mean age was 54.3 (SD=14.9) years; 64% were female, 93% White and 93% had three or more COVID-19 vaccinations. Within 28 days after treatment initiation, 52 (0.68%) COVID-19 related hospitalisations/deaths were observed (33 (0.68%) treated with Paxlovid and 19 (0.67%) with sotrovimab). Cox proportional hazards model stratified by region showed that after adjusting for demographics, high-risk cohort categories, vaccination status, calendar time, body mass index and other comorbidities, treatment with Paxlovid was associated with a similar risk of outcome event as treatment with sotrovimab (HR=1.14, 95% CI: 0.62 to 2.08; P=0.673). Results from propensity score weighted Cox model also showed comparable risks in these two treatment groups (HR=0.88, 95% CI: 0.45 to 1.71; P=0.700). An exploratory analysis comparing Paxlovid users with 802 molnupiravir users (11 (1.37%) COVID-19 related hospitalisations/deaths) showed some evidence in favour of Paxlovid but with variation in the effect estimates between models (HR ranging from 0.26 to 0.61). Conclusion: In routine care of non-hospitalised high-risk adult patients with COVID-19 in England, no substantial difference in the risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes was observed between those who received Paxlovid and sotrovimab between February and October 2022, when different subvariants of Omicron were dominant.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.01.20.23284849v1" target="_blank">Comparative effectiveness of Paxlovid versus sotrovimab and molnupiravir for preventing severe COVID-19 outcomes in non-hospitalised patients: observational cohort study using the OpenSAFELY platform</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Overcrowded Housing Reduces COVID-19 Mitigation Measures and Lowers Emotional Health Among San Diego Refugees from September to November of 2020</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Refugee communities are vulnerable to housing insecurity, which drives numerous health disparity outcomes in a historically marginalized population. The COVID-19 pandemic has only worsened the ongoing affordable housing crisis in the United States while continuing to highlight disparities in health outcomes across populations. We conducted interviewer-administered surveys with refugee and asylum seekers in San Diego County at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic to understand the social effects and drivers of COVID-19 in one of the largest refugee communities in the United States. Staff from a community-based refugee advocacy and research organization administered the surveys from September - November 2020. 544 respondents participated in the survey, which captured the diversity of the San Diego refugee community including East African (38%), Middle Eastern (35%), Afghan (17%), and Southeast Asian (11%) participants. Nearly two-thirds of respondents (65%) reported living in overcrowded conditions (&gt; 1 individual per room) and 30% in severely crowded conditions (&gt; 1.5 individuals per room). Respondents living in affordable housing units or receiving section 8 housing vouchers had a 66% lower probability of living in severely crowded settings (aOR:0.34, 95% CI:0.19 - 0.61). Refugees living in overcrowded and severely overcrowded housing had more than twice the odds to have not accessed COVID-19 testing since the pandemic began (OR: 2.28, 95% CI: 1.38 - 3.78) and had nearly 4 times the odds to report lower emotional health (OR: 3.90, 95% CI: 2.62 - 5.82). Longer United States residency was associated with a 7% reduction in the odds of living in crowded housing per additional year (aOR:0.93, 95% CI:0.90 - 0.97). Overcrowding housing is a structural burden that reduces COVID-19 risk mitigation behaviors. Improved access to affordable housing units or receiving vouchers could reduce overcrowded housing in vulnerable refugee communities.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.01.20.23284851v1" target="_blank">Overcrowded Housing Reduces COVID-19 Mitigation Measures and Lowers Emotional Health Among San Diego Refugees from September to November of 2020</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Safety of bivalent omicron-containing mRNA-booster vaccines: a nationwide cohort study</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Background: Safety data to support bivalent omicron-containing mRNA-booster vaccination are lacking. Methods: In a Danish nationwide cohort study from 1 January 2021 to 10 December 2022, we examined the association between bivalent omicron-containing mRNA-booster vaccination as a fourth Covid-19 vaccine dose and risk of adverse events in individuals aged ≥50 years. Using incidence rate ratios estimated with Poisson regression, we compared the rates of hospital visits for 27 different adverse events in a 28-day main risk period following vaccination with a bivalent omicron-containing mRNA-booster vaccine as a fourth dose to reference period rates from day 29 after the third or fourth vaccine dose and onward. Secondary analyses included stratifying by sex, age, and vaccine type and assessing the associations using self-controlled case series and observed vs. expected cohort analyses. Results: 1,740,417 individuals (mean age 67.8 years, standard deviation 10.7) received a bivalent omicron-containing mRNA-booster vaccine as a fourth dose. Fourth dose vaccination with a bivalent omicron-containing booster did not statistically significantly increase the rate of any of the 27 adverse outcomes within 28 days, nor when analyzed according to age, sex, vaccine type, or using alternative analytical approaches. However, post-hoc analysis detected signals for myocarditis (statistically significantly so in females), although the outcome was very rare and findings were based on few cases. No risk of cerebrovascular infarction was found. Conclusions: Bivalent omicron-containing mRNA-booster vaccination as a fourth dose was not associated with an increased risk of 27 different adverse events in 50+-year-olds.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.01.21.23284855v1" target="_blank">Safety of bivalent omicron-containing mRNA-booster vaccines: a nationwide cohort study</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Seeing One Another: The Creation of The Sawubona Healing Circles</strong> -
<div>
In 2020, The Association of Black Psychologists (ABPsi) drew attention to how the history of racism in the U.S. had created and exacerbated extant medical racial inequities to the detriment of Black people. In recognition that solutions based solely in Western frameworks cannot fully address the mental health needs of Black people, ABPsi began devoting collaborative efforts to develop culturally-grounded healing responses for the unique experiences of race-based invisibility and trauma. Amid the pandemic, people of African-descent also experienced a number of other mass racial traumas, including a wave of widely publicized police violence. Beginning with COVID-19, these intersecting pandemics of racism elucidated the need for healing, particularly culturally-grounding healing. In consultation with the Black Family Summit, ABPsi developed a pilot investigation, the Sawubona Healing Circle (SHC) initiative, which are culturally-grounding healing circles to support Black first-responders. Using an African-centered worldview, the circles recognize and validate the specific constellation of anti- Black traumas and stressors, and equip them with African-centered healing methods. This paper outlines the theory, development, implementation, and initial evaluation of the SHC intervention.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://psyarxiv.com/hwn6x/" target="_blank">Seeing One Another: The Creation of The Sawubona Healing Circles</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Whole transcriptome profiling of placental pathobiology in SARS-CoV-2 pregnancies identifies a preeclampsia-like gene signature</strong> -
<div>
Pregnant people infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus have shown a higher incidence of “preeclampsia-like syndrome”. Preeclampsia is a systematic syndrome that affects 5% of people worldwide and is the leading cause of maternal mortality. It is characterised by placental dysfunction, leading to poor placental perfusion, maternal hypertension and neurological disturbances. Here, we used whole-transcriptome, spatial profiling of placental tissues to analyse the expression of genes between placentae from pregnant participants who contracted SARS-CoV-2 and those prior to the pandemic. Our analysis of the trophoblast and villous core stromal cell populations revealed tissue-specific pathways enriched in the SARS-CoV-2 placentae that align with a pre-eclampsia signature. Most notably, we found enrichment of pathways involved in vascular tension, blood pressure, inflammation, and oxidative stress. This study illustrates how spatially resolved transcriptomic analysis can aid in understanding the underlying pathogenic mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 in pregnancy that are thought to induce “preeclampsia-like syndrome”. Our study highlights the benefits of spatial profiling to map the crosstalk between trophoblast and villous core stromal cells linked to pathways involved in “preeclampsia-like syndrome.”
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.01.20.524893v1" target="_blank">Whole transcriptome profiling of placental pathobiology in SARS-CoV-2 pregnancies identifies a preeclampsia-like gene signature</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Management of Covid-19 booster mRNA vaccines with Colchicine and NSAIDS</strong> -
<div>
An opinion article on the management and prophylaxis of cardiac inflammation during covid19 booster vaccinations in populations at risk. Some jurisdictions have decided on mixing several vaccines to bypass risks posed by one vaccine or the other.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://osf.io/na2ep/" target="_blank">Management of Covid-19 booster mRNA vaccines with Colchicine and NSAIDS</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Drug design of anti-covid19 agents</strong> -
<div>
The first step to drug development that precedes formulation is drug design. In this commentary the specific design of antiviral agents for Covid19 and future viruses, which can be achieved with different strategies, is highlighted. An extended release type of formulation would be ideal for site-specific antivirals however early in vitro or toxicology screening is very important. A lot of preparations are already available to be exploited. Conversely, some are available for pediatric use, i.e lung surfactants, which understandably the supply of is aimed at premature children. New lung surfactant design for adults could however be also incentivised which may help re-establishing autonomous respiration (autonomically mediated) post-covid19 infection of the individual. The surfactants could also help counteract dyspnea which is sometimes a known side effect of antiviral agents.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://osf.io/jcy96/" target="_blank">Drug design of anti-covid19 agents</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>COVID-19 mutation variant mechanism</strong> -
<div>
The UK government has recently announced how the Covid19 virus has mutated, causing a surge in the cases in Essex, and other parts of England, however, this mutation had already been observed later in the Summer 2020 in a population of Minks and in Denmark. A “prescient” analysis of the mutation is explored in this short paper. Potential symptoms may involve not just high fever but more infections due to major cough expulsion from increased hydrosolubility of the viral proteins.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://osf.io/3e5rv/" target="_blank">COVID-19 mutation variant mechanism</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>The effectiveness of masks and modern sterilization strategies being forgotten in current pandemic</strong> -
<div>
Short communication written on 3rd April 2020 while essentially travelling amid the Covid-19 epidemic.
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<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://osf.io/4x2re/" target="_blank">The effectiveness of masks and modern sterilization strategies being forgotten in current pandemic</a>
</div></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-clinical-trials">From Clinical Trials</h1>
<ul>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Digital Tools to Expand COVID-19 Testing in Exposed Individuals in Cameroon</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Other: Digital based contact tracing<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation;   Find<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>Evaluation of the Outcome of COVID-19 Patients Discharged Home on Oxygen Therapy</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Other: Phone satisfaction questionnaire<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Centre Hospitalier René Dubos<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>Postural Changes and Severe COVID-19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Behavioral: Postural interventions based on pulmonary imaging<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Wuhan Union Hospital, China<br/><b>Recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A Chatbot to Enhance COVID-19 Knowledge</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Device: chatbot;   Other: Printed educational booklet<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Sun Yat-sen 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>Awaken Prone Positioning Ventinlation in COVID-19 Patients</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Procedure: Awaken prone positioning ventilation<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Southeast University, China<br/><b>Enrolling by invitation</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 of SHEN26 Capsule in Patients With Mild to Moderate COVID-19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Drug: SHEN26 dose 1;   Drug: SHEN26 dose 2;   Drug: SHEN26 placebo<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Shenzhen Kexing Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.<br/><b>Recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Bright Light Therapy for Post-COVID-19 Fatigue</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Post COVID-19 Condition<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Device: Bright light therapy;   Device: Dim red light therapy<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Chinese University of Hong Kong<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Study on the Safety and Efficacy of Meplazumab for Injection Patients COVID-19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Biological: Meplazumab foe injection;   Other: Normal saline<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Jiangsu Pacific Meinuoke Bio Pharmaceutical 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>Study on the Safety and Efficacy of Meplazumab for Injection in Severe Patients With COVID-19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Biological: Meplazumab for injection;   Other: Normal saline<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Jiangsu Pacific Meinuoke Bio Pharmaceutical Co Ltd<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A Phase 2 Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of QLS1128 Orally in Symptomatic Participants With Mild to Moderate COVID-19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Drug: QLS1128;   Drug: Placebo<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Qilu Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.<br/><b>Recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Oropharyngeal Immunoprophylaxis With High Polyphenolic Olive Oil as Clinical Spectrum Mitigating Factor in COVID-19.</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Dietary Supplement: High polyphenolic olive oil. (Early harvest olive oil).<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Hospital General Nuestra Señora del Prado<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>A Randomized, Phase I Study of DNA Vaccine OC-007 as a Booster Dose of COVID-19 Vaccine</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>:   COVID-19 Respiratory Infection;   COVID-19 Vaccine Adverse Reaction<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Biological: DNA vaccine OC-007;   Other: Placebo<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Matti Sällberg<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>Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of FB2001 for Inhalation in Patients With Mild to Moderate COVID-19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Mild to Moderate COVID-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Drug: FB2001;   Drug: FB2001 placebo<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Frontier Biotechnologies Inc.<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>UC-MSCs in the Treatment of Severe and Critical COVID-19 Patients</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>:   Mesenchymal Stem Cell;   COVID-19 Pneumonia<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Biological: umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells;   Drug: paxlovid<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Shanghai East Hospital<br/><b>Recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A Study of Positive Emotions With Long COVID-19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Behavioral: Microdosing of mindfulness<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   University of California, Davis<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-pubmed">From PubMed</h1>
<ul>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Valproate Coenzyme-A Conjugate Blocks Opening of Receptor Binding Domains in the Spike Trimer of SARS-CoV-2 through an Allosteric Mechanism</strong> - The receptor-binding domains (RBDs) of the SARS-CoV-2 spike trimer exhibit “up” and “down” conformations often targeted by neutralizing antibodies. Only in the “up” configuration can RBDs bind to the ACE2 receptor of the host cell and initiate the process of viral multiplication. Here, we identify a lead compound (3-oxo-valproate-coenzyme A conjugate or Val-CoA) that stabilizes the spike trimer with RBDs in the down conformation. Val-CoA interacts with three R408 residues, one from each RBD,…</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>Causal associations of tea intake with COVID-19 infection and severity</strong> - Tea ingredients can effectively inhibit SARS-CoV-2 infection at adequate concentrations. It is not known whether tea intake could impact the susceptibility to COVID-19 or its severity. We aimed to evaluate the causal effects of tea intake on COVID-19 outcomes. We performed Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses to assess the causal associations between tea intake (N = 441,279) and three COVID-19 outcomes, including SARS-CoV-2 infection (122,616 cases and 2,475,240 controls), hospitalized COVID-19…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>SARS-CoV-2 N protein mediates intercellular nucleic acid dispersion, a feature reduced in Omicron</strong> - The coronavirus nucleocapsid (N) protein is known to bind to nucleic acids and facilitate viral genome encapsulation. Here we report that N protein can mediate RNA or DNA entering neighboring cells through ACE2-independent, receptor (STEAP2)-mediated endocytosis, and achieve gene expression. The effect is more pronounced for the N protein of wild-type SARS-CoV-2 than that of Omicron variant and other human coronaviruses. This effect is enhanced by RANTES (CCL5), a chemokine induced by N protein,…</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>6-Shogaol Exhibits Anti-viral and Anti-inflammatory Activity in COVID-19-Associated Inflammation by Regulating NLRP3 Inflammasomes</strong> - Recent global health concern motivated the exploration of natural medicinal plant resources as an alternative target for treating COVID-19 infection and associated inflammation. In the current study, a phytochemical, 6-shogaol [1-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)dec-4-en-3-one; 6-SHO] was investigated as a potential anti-inflammatory and anti-COVID-19 agent. In virus release assay, 6-SHO efficiently (94.5%) inhibited SARS-CoV2 replication. When tested in the inflammasome activation model, 6-SHO…</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>Is the information on infection prevention measures against COVID-19 reaching the target audience? A cross-sectional survey among eating and drinking services in Tokyo, Japan</strong> - CONCLUSION: Current information dissemination methods for information on COVID-19 infection control may not successfully convey information or reach their target populations. This study indicates the need for specific expressions and layouts to effectively share information on COVID-19. Also, special means of communication must be established to cater to individuals aged 60 and above.</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>Bionics design of affinity peptide inhibitors for SARS-CoV-2 RBD to block SARS-CoV-2 RBD-ACE2 interactions</strong> - Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), has already posed serious threats and impacts on the health of the population and the country’s economy. Therefore, it is of great theoretical significance and practical application value to better understand the process of COVID-19 infection and develop effective therapeutic drugs. It is known that the receptor-binding structural domain (SARS-CoV-2 RBD) on the spike protein of the novel coronavirus directly mediates its interaction with the host 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>Potential inhibitory properties of structurally modified quercetin/isohamnetin glucosides against SARS-CoV-2 Mpro; molecular docking and dynamics simulation strategies</strong> - Concerned organizations and individuals are fully engaged in seeking appropriate measures towards managing Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SAR-CoV-2) infection because of the unprecedented economic and health impact. SAR-CoV-2 Main protease (SARS-CoV-2 Mpro) is unique to the survival and viability of the virus. Therefore, inhibition of Mpro can block the viral propagation. Thirty (30) derivatives were built by changing the glucosides in the Meta and para position of quercetin…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>COVID-19 inhibits spermatogenesis in the testes by inducing cellular senescence</strong> - Introduction: COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) has been linked to organ damage in humans since its worldwide outbreak. It can also induce severe sperm damage, according to research conducted at numerous clinical institutions. However, the exact mechanism of damage is still unknown. Methods: In this study, testicular bulk-RNA-seq Data were downloaded from three COVID-19 patients and three uninfected controls from GEO to evaluate the effect of COVID-19 infection on spermatogenesis. Relative expression of…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Evaluation of the relationship between acute kidney injury and renin angiotensin system inhibition in COVID-19 patients</strong> - CONCLUSION: COVID-19 may cause renal injury represents a risk factor for mortality. Therefore, detection of renal injury has a particular prognostic importance.</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>Functional changes in cytotoxic CD8+ T-cell cross-reactivity against the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant after mRNA vaccination</strong> - Understanding the T-cell responses involved in inhibiting COVID-19 severity is crucial for developing new therapeutic and vaccine strategies. Here, we characterized SARS-CoV-2 spike-specific CD8^(+) T cells in vaccinees longitudinally. The BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine can induce spike-specific CD8^(+) T cells cross-reacting to BA.1, whereas the T-cell receptor (TCR) repertoire usages decreased with time. Furthermore the mRNA vaccine induced spike-specific CD8^(+) T cells subpopulation expressing…</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>From disgusting and complicated to simple and brilliant: Implementation perspectives and lessons learned from users and rejectors of mail-in SARS-CoV-2 gargle tests</strong> - CONCLUSION: User-driven insights on how to streamline testing include: consider communication, first impressions of tests and information as key for successful mail-in testing; pay attention to the role of mutual trust between those taking and administering tests; implement gargle self-sampling as a pleasant alternative to swab testing; offer multiple test methods to increase test up-take.</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 delta (B.1.617.2) spike protein adjuvanted with Alum-3M-052 enhances antibody production and neutralization ability</strong> - CONCLUSION: Alum-3M-052 rapidly increased the titer of anti-SARS-CoV-2 (B.1.617.2) spike protein neutralizing antibodies and enhanced the neutralization ability against pseudoviruses and variants. This study provided evidence for the application of Alum-3M-052 as an adjuvant in COVID-19 vaccines production.</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 Spike protein activates TMEM16F-mediated platelet procoagulant activity</strong> - Thrombosis of the lung microvasculature is a characteristic of COVID-19 disease, which is observed in large excess compared to other forms of acute respiratory distress syndrome and thus suggests a trigger for thrombosis that is endogenous to the lung. Our recent work has shown that the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein activates the cellular TMEM16F chloride channel and scramblase. Through a screening on &gt;3,000 FDA/EMA approved drugs, we identified Niclosamide and Clofazimine as the most effective…</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>Caudatin attenuates inflammatory reaction by suppressing JNK/AP-1/NF-κB/caspase-1 pathways in activated HMC-1 cells</strong> - One of the interfering factors in Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is the cytokine storm, which contributes to hyperinflammation. Mast cells cause COVID-19 hyperinflammation by increasing inflammatory cytokine levels. We investigated whether caudatin, an active compound of Cynanchum auriculatum, could suppress inflammatory response signaling in human mast cell line, HMC-1 cells. Caudatin suppressed activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and activator protein-1 (AP-1) in HMC-1 cells….</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>Efficient Targeted Delivery of Bifunctional Circular Aptamer-ASO Chimera to Suppress the SARS-CoV-2 Proliferation and Inflammation</strong> - Inhibition of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and excessive inflammation is the current task in the prevention and treatment of corona vireus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Here, a dual-function circular aptamer-ASO chimera (circSApt-NASO) is designed to suppress SARS-CoV-2 replication and inflammation. The chemically unmodified circSApt-NASO exhibits high serum stability by artificial cyclization. It is also demonstrated that the SApt binding to spike protein…</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>There’s Only One Thing to Call Biden’s New Scandal: Political Malpractice</strong> - And that’s assuming things don’t get worse. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/letter-from-bidens-washington/theres-only-one-thing-to-call-bidens-new-scandal-political-malpractice">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Why Is Columbia Kicking Out a Beloved Preschool?</strong> - The Red Balloon is part of the university’s progressive history, but it may not have a future. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/annals-of-education/why-is-columbia-kicking-out-a-beloved-preschool">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A Hotter Planet Takes Another Toll on Human Health</strong> - A new hypothesis about heat waves, redlining, and kidney stones. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/a-hotter-planet-takes-another-toll-on-human-health">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>The Spectre of Anti-Asian Violence in the Monterey Park Shooting</strong> - Waiting for details to emerge, there was the familiar apprehension experienced by so many Asian Americans since attacks against them began to soar during the pandemic. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/the-spectre-of-anti-asian-violence-in-the-monterey-park-shooting">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Republican Debt-Ceiling Madness Is About to Begin Again</strong> - Holding the debt limit hostage could have dire economic consequences for Americans. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/republican-debt-ceiling-madness-is-about-to-begin-again">link</a></p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-vox">From Vox</h1>
<ul>
<li><strong>The uphill battle to end puppy mills</strong> -
<figure>
<img alt="A Shiba Inu dog standing in a wire cage." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/qD1T96T0uUe0ugnlQ0RNupCNTiU=/347x0:1787x1080/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71895805/Yoder_2.0.jpg"/>
<figcaption>
A Shiba Inu breeding dog at a puppy mill in Oklahoma. | Companion Animal Protection Society
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Hundreds of cities — and even some states — have banned pet stores from selling dogs. Is it shutting down puppy mills?
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="aMb6wa">
Ten days before Christmas last month, New York state <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/15/nyregion/pet-store-ban-ny.html">passed a law</a> that bans pet stores from selling some of the most popular pets in the country: dogs, cats, and rabbits. Just a week prior, Clark County, Nevada — which encompasses the city of Las Vegas — passed a <a href="https://www.nevadacurrent.com/2022/12/06/clark-county-declares-pets-are-not-products-bans-sale-from-pet-stores/">similar law</a> (which also forbids selling potbellied pigs), and this month, Washington, DC, <a href="https://lims.dccouncil.gov/Legislation/B24-0560">did the same</a>, covering almost every pet except fish (the law, like all DC legislation, now awaits approval from Congress).
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="iGURAS">
The new policies represent some of the biggest advancements yet for animal welfare groups in the decades-long campaign against <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/the-dog-factory-inside-the-sickening-world-of-puppy-mills-112161/">“puppy mills”</a> — operations that confine breeding dogs in cages and pens to churn out puppies, many of which are shipped off to pet stores to fetch hundreds or even thousands of dollars. And New York state, DC, and Clark County aren’t anomalies: Since 2010, more than <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ST__hm2bc5_CRCcOgNxjHuPs7dHoBRbPBIiSfc3y4pw/edit#gid=0">440 cities, counties, and states</a> have prohibited the retail sale of dogs, including the states of California and Illinois and the cities of Philadelphia and Houston. (Pet store retail laws still allow pet stores to work with shelters and rescue organizations to adopt out animals, something that pet store giant <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/petsmart-charities-celebrates-10-millionth-pet-adoption-301545019.html">PetSmart</a> has done for decades.)
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="16kdyP">
But pet store laws are just one part of a larger campaign to crack down on puppy mills. Some states that are home to puppy mills, such as <a href="https://news.stlpublicradio.org/show/st-louis-on-the-air/2021-12-02/missouri-was-the-nations-puppy-mill-capital-but-advocates-fought-back">Missouri</a>, <a href="https://www.inquirer.com/philly/blogs/pets/Corbett-replaces-dog-law-chief-overhauls-bureau.html">Pennsylvania</a>, and <a href="https://www.daytondailynews.com/news/ohio-law-strict-puppy-mills-but-enformcent-new-standards-questioned/IAgXh6w77n9LFFci14052O/">Ohio</a>, have passed laws that seem modest on the surface — marginally improving conditions for breeding dogs — but have been restrictive enough to cause many breeders in those states to breed fewer dogs or even close up shop altogether.
</p>
<div id="UHIBoa">
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0; padding-bottom: 56.25%;">
</div>
</div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="aFMxDt">
The two types of laws appear to be having an effect. The number of <a href="https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/33002-4-SF.pdf">USDA-licensed breeders</a> in the wholesale pet trade fell from 4,604 in 2008 to 2,916 in 2022. (These numbers cover all pet breeders, including those that raise fish, cats, and other animals, but dog breeders account for most of them).
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="y47kZq">
According to the Humane Society of the United States, the average number of dogs at operations licensed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is falling too, from 87 in 2012 to an estimated 57 in 2022. The organization also says the number of pet stores selling dogs fell from around 900 in early 2016 to 600 today. But pet store laws don’t touch the vast majority of dog breeding operations: An <a href="https://www.humanesociety.org/sites/default/files/docs/puppy-mills-facts-and-figures.pdf">estimated three-fourths</a> of dog breeders aren’t required to be licensed and inspected because they’re small or only sell in-person, unlike licensed operations that trade wholesale to pet stores or brokers, or ship puppies to customers sight unseen. (Disclosure: I worked at the Humane Society of the United States on a different animal welfare issue from 2012 to 2017.)
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="8fGVG0">
While the fight against puppy mills is one of the few bright spots in what is often an otherwise grim effort against animal cruelty, scores of <a href="https://aphis-efile.force.com/PublicSearchTool/s/inspection-reports">inspection reports</a> and <a href="https://www.caps-web.org/investigation-reports/">investigations</a> have revealed that many operations still keep dogs in cramped, filthy conditions, and it’s not uncommon to find dogs suffering from disease, starvation, or untreated illnesses. We may love our dogs — one survey found that Americans <a href="https://money.com/spending-on-pets/">spend</a> around $1,200 a year on average on their pups — but far more work needs to be done to clean up an industry that often treats man’s best friend as little more than a four-legged widget in a factory.
</p>
<h3 id="prlSWp">
The rise of puppy mills and the obstacles to shutting them down
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="EFDmIP">
Pets symbolize our morally inconsistent relationship to animals — we love our cats and dogs at home and have crafted laws <a href="https://www.lawyers.com/legal-info/criminal/animal-law/animal-cruelty-laws-in-new-york.html">designed specifically to protect them</a>, yet we eat animals from farms <a href="https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/22287530/chicken-beef-factory-farming-plant-based-meats">by the billions</a> and largely <a href="https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2022/3/9/22967328/animal-cruelty-laws-state-federal-exemptions-pennsylvania-martin-farms-dairy-calves-dehorning">ignore their mistreatment</a>. But the first puppy mills originated <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/the-dog-factory-inside-the-sickening-world-of-puppy-mills-112161/">on farms</a>. In the 1950s, pig and chicken farmers began retrofitting some of their barns to house breeding dogs as an extra revenue stream, a practice the USDA <a href="https://aglawjournal.wp.drake.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2016/09/agVol14No3-Tushaus.pdf">encouraged</a> at the time. Some judges have even <a href="https://www.wgbh.org/news/news/2021/01/28/are-puppies-livestock-mass-judge-says-they-are">ruled</a> that breeding dogs are livestock, and in most states, breeding operations are regulated by the state’s department of agriculture.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="9HtGxL">
Perhaps not coincidentally, more than anything else, puppy mills resemble industrialized egg farms: Breeding dogs are kept in pens or cages, sometimes stacked atop one another. Under the federal <a href="https://rt.cto.mil/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Animal-Welfare-Act-and-Regulations.pdf">Animal Welfare Act</a>, breeding operations are only required to give caged dogs six inches of space on each side of their body, though most exceed that minimum.<strong> </strong>On the smaller end, a commercial dog breeding operation will have a couple dozen dogs, while a larger one will have hundreds.
</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="A woman holds a puppy next to a row of cages." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/xKbS4Jwm8NVqqfmhhAe67UJLGQA=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24374311/NATL_Puppy_Mill_USDA_Licensed_IA__04Nov2021_2138.jpg"/> <cite>ASPCA</cite>
<figcaption>
An ASPCA staff member cares for a dog rescued from a puppy mill in Iowa.
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="T62nh7">
At around 8 months old, female dogs become sexually mature and go on to produce two litters a year until their productivity wanes — after around six pregnancies — and the owner will kill them, or more rarely adopt them out, according to John Goodwin, senior director of the Humane Society of the United States’ campaign against puppy mills.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="yBli3Y">
Breeding dogs kept in puppy mills are denied the opportunity to express their most basic, natural behaviors of running and playing to anything like the degree they would get in a normal home environment. Breeders are required to give dogs regular exercise, but “regular” is up to the discretion of a veterinarian and is hard to enforce, and operations can be exempted from exercise requirements if caged dogs are given twice the amount of required minimum space. Technically, in most states, a dog can stay in a cage or pen from birth to death — except when they’re nursing puppies — if they have one foot of space on each side and above them.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Etlwsa">
“USDA standards are based on survival,” said Bob Baker, executive director of the Missouri Alliance for Animal Legislation and a 40-year veteran in the field. “They’re not humane standards.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="kMu8Oo">
Despite those anemic standards, Mike Bober of the Pet Advocacy Network, which lobbies for pet stores, admitted there are “definitely bad breeders out there,” but that he believes the vast majority of USDA-licensed breeders do well by their dogs.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="9BbV9w">
Jennie Lintz, director of the ASPCA’s anti-puppy mill campaign, strongly disputes that notion. “They’re producing puppies in a wholesale environment, which tends to mean you’re focusing on quantity first, and using the least amount of resources possible to increase your profits,” Lintz said. “These animals are not pets. They’re there to breed animals to be shipped and sold to pet stores or on the internet.”
</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="Dogs housed in a row of small cages." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/MckbveVSHA_gjw1V0Zo-DCCHJkY=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24374327/Margaret_Manning_in_Pocahontas__AR.png"/> <cite>The Humane Society of the United States</cite>
<figcaption>
Dogs at a puppy mill in Arkansas.
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="cqocPa">
But some states have gone beyond federal standards. In 2008, Pennsylvania <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/18/us/18dogs.html">passed a law</a> to increase the minimum cage size and exercise periods, require twice-annual veterinary exams, and ban wire cage flooring. Almost <a href="https://www.inquirer.com/philly/blogs/pets/Corbett-replaces-dog-law-chief-overhauls-bureau.html">80 percent</a> of breeders in the state downsized or exited the industry after the law was passed.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="kxe8RG">
In 2010, voters in Missouri — <a href="https://www2.ljworld.com/news/2009/apr/07/missouri-tries-shed-reputation-puppy-mill-capital/">“the puppy mill capital of America”</a> — narrowly <a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/life/lifestyle/missouris-puppy-mill-politics-dog-breeders-outmaneuver-animal-rights-movement/">passed a ballot measure</a> to improve the welfare of breeding dogs in puppy mills. After pressure from the state’s dog breeders, the Democratic governor at the time — Jay Nixon — <a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/life/lifestyle/missouris-puppy-mill-politics-dog-breeders-outmaneuver-animal-rights-movement/">signed legislation</a> to repeal the ballot measure and approved new legislation to replace it. The new law eliminated some parts of the original law, such as a cap on the number of breeding dogs and the number of pregnancies in an 18-month period, and instituted a longer phase-in period. But the new law also required more space and exercise access, and added prosecutorial powers that resulted in stronger enforcement. From 2010 to 2022, the number of puppies sold from licensed breeders in the state fell from 265,000 to about 100,000.
</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/7pPgCx2m0br_R_Ot_w8VxCgeKIo=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24374449/UdLK3_missouri_s_2011_puppy_mill_law_cut_the_number_of_puppies_produced_in_the_state_by_more_than_half__1_.png"/>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="fzPqry">
But Baker says that for all their successes, working on a state-by-state method is “like playing whack-a-mole. … You knock ’em down in one area and they spring up in other states.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="pNZTD1">
Puppy mill operators might move to another state or sell on the internet, Baker said, which makes up a growing source of sales of dogs from puppy mills. Many dogs are sold through informal channels, like on Craigslist or at flea markets, while others are sold through websites like Puppies.com, which advertise individual dogs and then drive or ship them to the buyer’s home or arrange pick-up at a public location like a parking lot. If a breeder has fewer than five female breeding dogs or sells in-person, they’re not required to obtain a USDA license.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="0kfX7C">
“They don’t want you to see the facility,” Baker said. “And that’s the big warning sign. … [If] they don’t let you see the parents of your puppy, then walk away — that’s a clear sign that it’s not a good facility.”
</p>
<h3 id="uZFssE">
Weak laws, weak enforcement
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="fGbuX0">
Though federal protections for breeding dogs are weak to begin with, activists — and parts of the federal government — say they’re also grossly under-enforced. In a damning <a href="https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/33002-4-SF.pdf">2010 report</a>, the USDA Inspector General (OIG), a federal office charged with investigating and auditing USDA programs, said the USDA’s enforcement was ineffective and that more than half of the 4,250 violators in a two-year period repeatedly violated the law after re-inspection. In the 2010s, the USDA started and stopped <a href="https://www.akc.org/legislative-alerts/usda-aphis-removes-guidance-allowed-licensees-self-report-noncompliance/">one scheme</a> that allowed dog breeders to avoid citation for a violation if they self-reported and addressed it, and another that excluded <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/teachable-moments-policy-canceled-usda-animal-welfare">minor violations</a> from public inspection reports.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="1uDLch">
In a follow-up <a href="https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/audit-reports/33601-0002-31_final_distribution.pdf">2021 report</a>, the OIG said the USDA “did not consistently address or adequately document 145 of the 322 complaints we reviewed,” and that the USDA is “not able to ensure the overall health and humane treatment of animals at these facilities.” In response to the 2021 report, the USDA told Vox it has since fixed its documentation and response issues.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="DoJW5t">
Critics say that many bad actors maintain their licenses despite repeated violations. <a href="https://www.aspca.org/news/20-violations-over-five-years-how-usda-keeps-bad-puppy-mills-business">One Missouri breeding operation</a> racked up 20 violations over a few years, including reports of cutting off dogs’ tails, starving Weimaraner puppies, one Shiba Inu who couldn’t move or lift the front part of his body, and two Mastiffs caged together who couldn’t turn about freely. And yet that operation continually had its license renewed and wasn’t required to pay any fines. (The puppy mill wasn’t a lone bad apple; the Humane Society’s annual <a href="https://www.humanesociety.org/sites/default/files/docs/HSUS_Horrible-Hundred-2022.pdf">“Horrible Hundred” report</a> on some of the worst puppy mills in the country is chock full of equally depressing findings.)
</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="Dogs in a row of cages elevated off the ground." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/S3hF3Baji_vnuxHiZ5irbgc2JFk=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24374459/Debra_Deters_in_Centralia__KS.png"/> <cite>The Humane Society of the United States</cite>
<figcaption>
Dogs at a puppy mill in Kansas.
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="6zjc4J">
<a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/toothless-and-paltry-critics-slam-usda-fines-for-animal-welfare-violations?loggedin=true&amp;rnd=1673975678410">According to the ASPCA</a>, the USDA didn’t collect any fines from breeders or confiscate any dogs from fiscal year 2018 to 2022, despite the agency documenting hundreds of violations — sometimes over 1,000 — in some years over the last decade.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Bf1ebp">
“The United States Department of Agriculture is absolutely captured and beholden to political and financial interests,” said Jessica Blome, who enforced Missouri’s puppy mill law in the early 2010s when she worked in the Missouri attorney general’s office. “It doesn’t enforce, it doesn’t do anything.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="k5JwLf">
In response, a USDA spokesperson told Vox: “[The USDA] takes the welfare of animals very seriously. Our investigative process for individuals and/or businesses found out of compliance with the AWA [Animal Welfare Act] may lead to an enforcement action. If deficiencies remain uncorrected at subsequent inspections, [USDA] considers legal action. Repeat non-compliances and serious incidents may warrant enforcement actions such as letters of warning, monetary penalties, license suspensions and revocations.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="iLAnCz">
While animal advocates have found real success through cracking down on retail pet outlets, they represent a relatively small proportion of pet sales overall, making up around <a href="https://humanepro.org/page/pets-by-the-numbers">9 percent</a> of dogs sold in stores. Cracking down on the growing number of online sellers is challenging, as is passing laws in states that host the bulk of puppy mills. In recent years the USDA has made only <a href="https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalwelfare/sa_regulated_businesses/new-licensing-rule/watering-standards">minor changes</a> to its standards.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="mYqvPx">
But advocates say the few state welfare laws and the wave of pet store laws, combined with old-fashioned educational efforts, are turning people off from buying puppies. Many groups like the Humane Society aren’t opposed to small-scale, high-end dog breeding, but they tout adoption as the most humane option as it prevents one more dog from being euthanized in a shelter.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="pGniGf">
That message has penetrated public consciousness. Consider these staggering <a href="https://wellbeingintl.org/pet-dog-supply-and-demand-in-the-united-states/#:~:text=In%20other%20words%2C%20the%20US,the%20number%20of%20pet%20dogs.">estimates</a>: In 1973, when there were around 35 million dogs in the US, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5981279/">7 million dogs</a> were euthanized in animal shelters; in 2019, <a href="https://www.aspca.org/helping-people-pets/shelter-intake-and-surrender/pet-statistics">390,000 dogs were euthanized</a> in shelters out of a total population of <a href="https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/reports-statistics/us-pet-ownership-statistics">80 million</a> dogs.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="VQhbbz">
“I think I can see a distant light at the end of the tunnel,” says the Humane Society’s Goodwin. “But by no means does that mean that this is gonna be done in one or two years or that we should take the foot off the gas.”
</p></li>
<li><strong>Ukraine has a new cache of weapons on the way — but not German tanks</strong> -
<figure>
<img alt="Defense Minister visits Slovakia" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/IH1-IykS9p9F-j5p_EC1zuJ-VYo=/480x0:8160x5760/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71894289/1245728644.0.jpg"/>
<figcaption>
Kay Nietfeld/picture alliance via Getty Images
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Some allies are becoming frustrated with Germany; Poland has said it will find a workaround to send its tanks.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="HToswe">
Ukraine has managed to rally the West once again to supply weapons, including Bradley fighting vehicles, self-propelled Howitzers, and more, a month ahead of the war’s one-year anniversary. Though there’s been an enthusiastic response from many nations, Germany is still holding out on supplying the Leopard 2A$ tank, which Ukraine says could be key for a spring offensive — and which is causing frustration for NATO allies.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="TGSGiT">
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius <a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/ukraine-war-tank-leopard-2-conflict-weapons-pistorius-russia-kyiv-zelenskyy-putin-nato/">on Friday at Ramstein Air Base in Germany</a> told reporters that his government had not yet agreed to send the tanks or allow third-party nations that own the German-made vehicles to send them to Ukraine for a possible spring offensive. Defense ministers from allied countries met at the US military base Friday to discuss further weapons packages for Ukraine.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="jSTWnc">
Throughout the war there’s been a high level of coordination between NATO and other allies, not just about weapons packages, but on applying sanctions to Russia and other forms of aid for Ukraine as well. Coordination on weapons packages requires diplomacy, and there are laws and regulations surrounding weapons transfers — hence the meeting at Ramstein and <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/eleven-nato-countries-pledge-new-military-aid-ukraine-2023-01-19/">a Thursday confab in Estonia</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="8XPHqI">
However, calls for the Leopards — and disappointment with Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz for <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/19/world/europe/tanks-ukraine-germany-us.html">refusing to allow their release</a> — have overshadowed news of the weapons packages which are coming as a result of coordination <a href="http://vhttps://www.npr.org/2023/01/20/1150264976/u-s-nato-countries-announce-massive-weapons-package-for-ukraine">by some 50 different countries</a>. <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/01/21/russia-ukraine-war-latest-updates/">On Saturday, the Baltic states</a> — Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania — released a statement urging Germany to provide the tanks immediately. “Germany as the leading European power has special responsibility in this regard,” the statement said in part.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="rqyIf3">
On Thursday, the <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/european-states-estonia-pledge-weapons-ukraine-2023-01-19/">nine nations meeting in Estonia</a> — Denmark, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, the UK, Lithuania, Poland, the Netherlands, and Slovakia — all pledged their support for the larger package announced from Ramstein Friday. Those promises include training, ammunition, man-portable air-defense systems (MANPADS, namely the Stinger missile), helicopters, and anti-aircraft weapons, among other systems.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="3HQCx1">
“This is a crucial moment,” U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said <a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/ukraine-war-tank-leopard-2-conflict-weapons-pistorius-russia-kyiv-zelenskyy-putin-nato/">at the Ramstein meeting Friday</a>. “Russia is regrouping, recruiting and trying to re-equip,” after successful Ukrainian campaigns in Kharkiv and Kherson this fall, he said, adding that “this is not a moment to slow down — it’s a time to dig deeper.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="gAIhww">
As Austin noted, Russia could be planning a spring offensive building on this past fall’s mobilization efforts. And after pulling out of Kharkiv and Kherson regions, the Russian military — notably the <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/russias-wagner-unit-claims-control-of-town-near-bakhmut-11674135176">Wagner Group mercenary unit </a>and <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/01/20/wagner-group-sanctions/">newly-designated transnational criminal organization</a> — has been pushing back in a crushing battle over the city of Bakhmut in the Donetsk region.
</p>
<h3 id="pAjpdx">
A coordinated weapons package indicates continued Western support
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="jOHl4z">
Throughout the war Western and NATO support for the war effort in Ukraine has remained resolute, despite the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/10/11/biden-ukraine-winter-gas-prices/">potential for strain</a> <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-01-08/warm-winter-helps-europe-overcome-the-worst-of-russia-s-energy-squeeze">over rising fuel prices</a> caused by sanctions on Russian energy, among other possible pain points. European nations and the US have supplied Ukraine with billions of dollars in weapons systems, training, equipment, ammunition, and humanitarian aid in the 11 months since the war broke out, <a href="https://www.ifw-kiel.de/topics/war-against-ukraine/ukraine-support-tracker/">spearheaded by US leadership</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="gyowjf">
In the latest package — announced just two weeks after the US pledged its <a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-biden-politics-germany-united-states-government-1fa253e2142150fc1791f7ca4a048ffb">largest-ever tranche of aid to Ukraine </a>— NATO and other partners pledged increased air defenses, like <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-62002218">Patriot launchers and missiles</a> from the Netherlands and Germany, in addition to what the US <a href="https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3252782/185-billion-in-additional-security-assistance-for-ukraine/">pledged December 21</a>. Those systems intercept incoming missiles like the kind Russia has been using to bombard Ukrainian critical infrastructure.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="D1kgFw">
<a href="https://www.state.gov/significant-new-u-s-military-assistance-to-ukraine/">The US</a> will also send additional Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, as well as <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/20/world/europe/stryker-vehicles-pentagon-ukraine.html">Stryker armored personnel carriers</a>, <a href="https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/3273940/defense-leaders-pledge-new-ukraine-support/">mine-resistant ambush protected vehicles (MRAPs), and Humvees</a> — all of which will assist with greater battlefield mobility, particularly as Russian forces <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/russian-landmines-ukraine-psychological-warfare/">utilize landmines</a>, even in civilian areas.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="0OnR8W">
<a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/sweden-to-send-archer-artillery-to-ukraine-war-russia/">Sweden</a> is sending its <a href="https://www.baesystems.com/en/feature/archer--the-development-of-wheeled-artillery-with-a-new-purpose">Archer </a>artillery system, a type of howitzer which is extremely precise, easy to use, and allows for rapid redeployment of weaponry. These weapons systems fire long-range projectiles, and the Archer in particular is highly mobile, meaning it can deploy and move quickly. Denmark and Estonia are also <a href="https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/3273940/defense-leaders-pledge-new-ukraine-support/">donating howitzers</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="DKGYUt">
The UK also pledged <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-64274755">14 of its Challenger 2 tanks</a> — the first Western-style tanks sent to Ukraine during the conflict. Partners had previously provided Ukraine with Soviet-built tanks of its own and from <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/04/29/urkaine-russian-soviet-weapons/">former Warsaw Pact nations</a> which have been decimated after a year of fighting. The new vehicles not only offer Ukraine modern tanks, but they also put some pressure on other partners to provide tanks of their own.
</p>
<h3 id="WTX35b">
What’s the holdup in Germany?
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="dEHOoD">
Despite the significant new packages partner countries have announced, Germany’s reluctance to provide or allow other partner nations to send the Leopard 2 has become a major point of contention within the partnership.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Hyzwch">
Germany is refusing to send the Leopard 2 <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/berlin-wont-allow-exports-of-german-tanks-to-ukraine-unless-u-s-sends-own-tanks-officials-say-11674069352">unless the US first sends the M-1 Abrams</a>, with Scholz saying Germany won’t “<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/20/world/europe/ukraine-germany-us-tanks.html">go it alone</a>” on weapons decisions. <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/pentagon-looks-shift-dynamic-ukraine-war-without-abrams-tanks-2023-01-18/">Critics</a> of that calculus say that Leopards and Challengers are the only vehicles that are suited to the current battlefield, readily available in large numbers and easily maintained with current supply lines.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Cav39p">
“The Leopards are in Europe, they are easy to get to Ukraine and several European countries use them, so they are readily available,” Minna Ålander, a research fellow at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs, told the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/19/world/europe/leopard-2-tanks-ukraine.html">New York Times</a> Thursday. “Logistics and maintenance would be easier. Spare parts and know-how are here in Europe, so the training of Ukrainians would be easier.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="zsa67S">
The Leopard 2 tank, first introduced in 1979, is in use in 13 countries. There are about 2,000 of them spread across those European nations, all with different tweaks, levels of upgrade, and battle readiness, a September blog post from the <a href="https://ecfr.eu/article/the-leopard-plan-how-european-tanks-can-help-ukraine-take-back-its-territory/">European Council on Foreign Relations</a> noted. Germany’s more cautious post-World War-II <a href="https://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/the-bad-news-bundeswehr-an-examination-of-the-truly-dire-state-of-germany-s-military-a-df92eaaf-e3f9-464d-99a3-ef0c27dcc797">military culture</a> has been a source of blame for Berlin’s hesitance to send the weapons.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="2sl2x5">
While a large number of tanks would be important for Ukraine’s battlefield efforts — Kyiv initially requested 88 Leopard 1 tanks and 100 Marder-type infantry fighting vehicles, another product of the German defense industry — the small number of Challenger tanks coming from Britain won’t be a deciding factor in how and whether Ukraine is able to make major gains against Russia. Tanks offer both protection and firepower, and are able to maneuver in challenging conditions. However, “This isn’t really about one single platform,” Austin said Friday, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-politics-military-technology-joint-chiefs-of-staff-lloyd-austin-1b505c88a5a6f331cd482762c62fa29c">according to the Associated Press</a>, noting that the armored and fighting vehicles the US is sending will give Ukraine new battlefield capabilities.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="X635KX">
US politicians, including <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/us-senators-visiting-kyiv-blast-delays-supplying-tanks-ukraine-2023-01-20/">Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-SC)</a> and House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2023/01/22/mccaul-ukraine-tanks-germany-russia-00078894">Michael McCaul</a> have both called on the US to send at least one Abrams to Ukraine in order to force Germany’s hand.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="vm7ORp">
Poland, too, is pushing back, saying it could figure out a way to send its Leopards with or without German approval. “Consent is of secondary importance here, we will either obtain this consent quickly, or we will do what is needed ourselves,” <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/poland-could-send-leopard-tanks-ukraine-without-german-ok-pm-suggests-2023-01-19/">Prime Minister Morawiecki</a> told broadcaster Polstat News Wednesday. Finland is also on board to send its Leopards, Morawiecki on Sunday said that his nation <a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/poland-ready-to-build-smaller-coalition-to-send-tanks-to-ukraine-without-germany-war-russia/">would go around Germany</a> to build a smaller coalition of partners willing to send their tanks. “We will not passively watch Ukraine bleed to death,” he said.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="9JCKs5">
Poland, Finland and the Baltic states as frontline countries — some of whom, like the Baltic states, were part of the Soviet Union or were subject to Russian and Soviet invasion, like Finland — have tended to urgently sound the alarm about the need to fend off Russian aggression. “The war is here and now,” Moriawicki said Sunday. “Do the Germans want to keep [the Leopards] in storage until Russia defeats Ukraine and is knocking on Berlin’s door?”
</p></li>
<li><strong>America’s unique, enduring gun problem, explained</strong> -
<figure>
<img alt="TOPSHOT-US-SHOOTING" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Vcbk4bD1mkDgfo63nmdRiJeK8OA=/500x0:4301x2851/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/70913181/1246436659.30.jpg"/>
<figcaption>
Police patrol the scene in Monterey Park, California, on January 21, 2023, where a gunman opened fire, killing at least 10 people and inuring 10 more. | Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The factors that lead to tragedies like the one in Monterey Park are deeply ingrained in US politics, culture, and law.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="F0meQd">
A shooter opened fire at a ballroom dance studio, <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-01-22/la-me-monterey-park-mass-shooting">killing at least 10</a> and injuring as many more on Saturday night in the city of Monterey Park, a near suburb of Los Angeles. The shooting happened shortly after the conclusion of a nearby celebration of the Chinese Lunar New Year. The gunman is still at large and a motive has not been determined.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="KBSsmP">
The Monterey incident is the 33rd such mass shooting — <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/third-straight-year-america-hits-grim-milestone-600-multiple-victim-sh-rcna58230">an incident during which four or more people are shot</a>, as defined by the Gun Violence Archive — that have taken place in the US already since the beginning of this year. It follows shootings at an <a href="https://www.tcpalm.com/story/news/local/2023/01/17/fort-pierce-martin-luther-king-day-mass-shooting-united-states/69814693007/">MLK Day celebration</a> in Fort Pierce, Florida, and a shooting that <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/16/us/shooting-goshen-california.html">killed 6 people in Goshen</a>, California on that same day. The Monterey shooting also follows numerous such events last year including at a <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/11/23/walmart-shooting-chesapeake-virginia/">Walmart in Chesapeake, Virginia</a>, at an <a href="https://www.vox.com/2022/11/20/23469086/shooting-at-colorado-lgbtq-club-colorado-springs-gun-violence">LGBTQ nightclub</a> in Colorado Springs, Colorado, a shooting on a school bus allegedly targeting members of the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-63651168">University of Virginia football team</a>, a Fourth of July parade in <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/07/04/us/highland-park-shooting-july-4-parade?smid=nytcore-ios-share">Highland Park, Illinois</a> last summer; at a <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/02/us/tulsa-hospital-shooting-thursday/index.html">hospital</a> in Tulsa, Oklahoma in June; at an elementary school in <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2022/11/01/uvalde-911-dispatch-recordings/">Uvalde, Texas</a> in May; and at a supermarket in <a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2022/5/17/23104692/buffalo-shooting-red-flag-gun-new-york">Buffalo, New York in May.</a>
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="jyTPem">
No other high-income country has suffered such a high death toll from <a href="https://www.vox.com/22382180/supreme-court-uvalde-guns-violence-second-amendment-heller-scalia">gun violence</a>. Every day, <a href="https://everytownresearch.org/report/gun-violence-in-america/">more than 110</a> Americans die at the end of a gun, including suicides and homicides, an average of 40,620 per year. Since 2009, there has been an annual average of <a href="https://everytownresearch.org/maps/mass-shootings-in-america/">19 shootings</a> in which at least four people are killed. The US gun homicide rate is as much as <a href="https://everytownresearch.org/report/gun-violence-in-america/">26 times</a> that of other high-income countries; its gun suicide rate is nearly <a href="https://everytownresearch.org/report/gun-violence-in-america/">12 times higher</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="HenahQ">
<a href="https://www.vox.com/2018/2/27/17029680/gun-owner-nra-mass-shooting-political-identity-political-science">Gun control opponents</a> have typically framed the gun violence epidemic in the US as a symptom of a broader mental health crisis.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ENmMAE">
But every country has people with mental health issues and extremists; those problems aren’t unique. What is unique is the US’s expansive view of civilian gun ownership, ingrained in politics, in culture, and in the law since the nation’s founding, and a national political process that has so far proved incapable of changing that norm.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="3i7Vh4">
“America is unique in that guns have always been present, there is wide civilian ownership, and the government hasn’t claimed more of a monopoly on them,” said David Yamane, a professor at Wake Forest University who studies American gun culture.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="DqqRM9">
Last year,<strong> </strong>Congress reached a <a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2022/6/23/23180893/senate-gun-control-bipartisan-bill-2022-pass">deal on limited gun reforms</a> for the first time in nearly 30 years. But the recent shootings underscore just how embedded gun violence is in the US.
</p>
<h3 id="r8kFVU">
The US has a lot of guns, and more guns means more gun deaths
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Fsyzjk">
It’s hard to estimate the number of <a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/23141964/america-gun-violence-epidemic-chart">privately owned guns in America</a> since there is no countrywide database where people register whether they own guns, and there is a <a href="https://www.everytown.org/issues/gun-trafficking/">thriving black market</a> for them in the absence of strong federal gun trafficking laws.
</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/wKr0e_jSfA8X1_7WP0GUeDGfZ0U=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24196225/3PzPV_the_us_has_more_guns_than_its_peers_it_also_has_more_gun_violence_.png"/>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="3LYzOy">
One estimate from the Small Arms Survey, a Swiss-based research project, found that there were approximately <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-41488081">390 million guns</a> in circulation in the US in 2018, or about 120.5 firearms per 100 residents. That number has likely climbed in the years since, given that <a href="https://www.norc.org/NewsEventsPublications/PressReleases/Pages/one-in-five-american-households-purchased-a-gun-during-the-pandemic.aspx">one in five households</a> purchased a gun during the pandemic. But even without accounting for that increase, US gun ownership is still well above any other country: Yemen, which has the world’s second-highest level of gun ownership, has only 52.8 guns per 100 residents; in Iceland, it’s 31.7.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="7JSFpM">
American guns are concentrated in a tiny minority of households: just 3 percent own about half the nation’s guns, according to a 2016 Harvard and Northeastern University <a href="https://news.northeastern.edu/2016/09/study-70m-more-firearms-added-to-us-gun-stock-over-past-20-years/">study</a>. They’re called “<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/sep/19/us-gun-ownership-survey">super owners</a>” who have an average of 17 guns each. Gallup, using a different methodology, found that <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/1645/guns.aspx">42 percent of American households</a> overall owned guns in 2021.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="msivY6">
Researchers have found a clear link between gun ownership in the US and gun violence, and some argue that it’s causal. One 2013 Boston University-led study, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3828709/">for instance</a>, found that for each percentage point increase in gun ownership at the household level, the state firearm homicide rate increased by 0.9 percent. And states with weaker gun laws have higher rates of gun-related homicides and suicides, according to a <a href="https://everytownresearch.org/rankings/">January study</a> by the gun control advocacy group Everytown for Gun Safety.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="hu5sDi">
The link between gun deaths and gun ownership is much stronger than the link between violence and mental health issues. If it were possible to cure all schizophrenia, bipolar, and depressive disorders, violent crime in the US would <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/myth-vs-fact-violence-and-mental-health">fall by only 4 percent</a>, according to a <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=v4oSb2Na4nQC&amp;lpg=PP1&amp;pg=PA101#v=onepage&amp;q=swanson&amp;f=false">study</a> from Duke University professor Jeffrey Swanson, who examines policies to reduce gun violence.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="8WRO9O">
There’s still a pervasive idea, pushed by gun manufacturers and gun rights organizations like the <a href="https://www.vox.com/2022/5/25/23140519/uvalde-school-shooting-nra-texas-good-guy-gun">National Rifle Association</a>, that further arming America is the answer to preventing gun violence — <a href="https://www.vox.com/2022/5/25/23140519/uvalde-school-shooting-nra-texas-good-guy-gun">the “good guy with a gun” theory</a>. But a 2021 <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2776515">study</a> from Hamline University and Metropolitan State University found that the rate of deaths in 133 mass school shootings between 1980 and 2019 was 2.83 times greater in cases where there was an armed guard present.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="JYJVAl">
“The idea that the solution to mass shootings is that we need more guns in the hands of more people in more places so that we’ll be able to protect ourselves — there’s no evidence that that’s true,” Swanson said.
</p>
<div class="c-wide-block">
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/QmzhQxAA8wONbEcfiam-wiWK7Y4=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23589857/GettyImages_1240896795.jpg"/> <cite>Allison Dinner/AFP via Getty Images</cite>
<figcaption>
Church members after a Mass at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Uvalde, Texas, on May 25, one day after a gunman in body armor killed 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School.
</figcaption>
</figure>
</div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="a2KyR0">
The prevalence of the self-defense narrative is part of what sets apart the gun rights movement in the US from similar movements in places like Canada and Australia, according to Robert Spitzer, a professor at SUNY Cortland who studies the politics of gun control.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="r72eri">
Self-defense has become by far the <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/09/13/key-facts-about-americans-and-guns/">most prominent reason</a> for gun ownership in the US today, eclipsing hunting, recreation, or owning guns because they’re antiques, heirlooms, or work-related. That’s also reflected in <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/17/us/politics/gun-manufacturing-atf.html">ballooning handgun sales</a>, since the primary purpose of those guns isn’t recreational, but self-defense.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="jrdsFg">
American gun culture “brings together the hunting-sporting tradition with the militia-frontier tradition, but in modern times the hunting element has been eclipsed by a heavily politicized notion that gun carrying is an expression of freedom, individuality, hostility to government, and personal self-protection,” Spitzer said.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="9qcyXn">
That <a href="https://www.vox.com/2016/6/20/11975850/ar-15-owner-orlando">culture of gun ownership in the US</a> has made it all the more difficult to explore serious policy solutions to gun violence after mass shootings. In high-income countries lacking that culture, mass shootings have historically galvanized public support behind gun control measures that would seem extreme by US standards.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="VIl5kp">
Canada <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/03/23/mass-shootings-response-other-countries-gun-laws/">banned military-style assault weapons</a> two weeks after a 2020 mass shooting in Nova Scotia. In 2019, less than a month after the Christchurch massacre, New Zealand lawmakers passed a gun buyback scheme, as well as restrictions on AR-15s and other semiautomatic weapons, and they later established a firearms registry. The 1996 Port Arthur massacre in Australia spurred the government to <a href="https://www.vox.com/2015/8/27/9212725/australia-buyback">buy back 650,000 firearms</a> within a year, and murders and suicides plummeted as a result.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="5mL5s2">
By contrast, nearly a decade passed after the 2012 school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, before Congress passed a new gun control law. The <a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2022/6/23/23180893/senate-gun-control-bipartisan-bill-2022-pass">Bipartisan Safer Communities Act</a>, the law passed in June 2022, was relatively limited: it did not ban any types of weapons, instead incentivizing states to enact new measures meant to limit who can access guns.
</p>
<div class="c-wide-block">
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/lWo0KpSDuPpD5l_xQ_b9EYOexL0=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23589886/GettyImages_1240907270.jpg"/> <cite>Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images</cite>
<figcaption>
People gather at Sacred Heart Catholic Church to pray for the victims of the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, on May 25.
</figcaption>
</figure>
</div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="rNgOhz">
“Other countries look at this problem and say, ‘People walking around in the community with handguns is just way too dangerous, so we’re going to broadly limit legal access to that and make exceptions on the margins for people who might have a good reason to have a gun,’” Swanson said. “Here we do just the opposite: We say that, because of the way that the Supreme Court interpreted the Second Amendment, everybody has the right to a gun for personal protection, and then we tried to make exceptions for really dangerous people, but we can’t figure out who they are.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="irgpOC">
<a href="https://iop.harvard.edu/get-involved/harvard-political-review/vast-majority-americans-support-universal-background-checks">While the majority of Americans</a> support more gun control restrictions, <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/09/13/key-facts-about-americans-and-guns/">including universal background checks,</a> a vocal Republican minority unequivocally opposes such laws — and is willing to put pressure on GOP lawmakers to do the same. Alongside the NRA, and a well-funded gun lobby, this contingent of voters sees gun control as a deciding issue, and one that could warrant a primary challenge for a lawmaker who votes for it.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="8wKCli">
The gun lobby has the advantage of enthusiasm. “​​Despite being outnumbered, Americans who oppose gun control are more likely to contact public officials about it and to base their votes on it,” Barnard College’s Matthew Lacombe <a href="https://barnard.edu/news/break-down-gun-politics-america">explained in 2020</a>. “As a result, many politicians believe that supporting gun regulation is more likely to lose them votes than to gain them votes.”
</p>
<div class="c-wide-block">
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/4GydjTdAdiaBKCa_H0KbFrhc9EA=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23589843/GettyImages_1240906006.jpg"/> <cite>Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images</cite>
<figcaption>
American flags are seen at half-staff surrounding the Washington Monument, in front of the US Capitol, on May 25. President Joe Biden ordered flags at the White House, federal buildings, and military posts to be flown at half-staff for the victims of the deadly shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.
</figcaption>
</figure>
</div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="9iSGMJ">
Congress in June passed a bipartisan gun safety bill for the first time since the 1990s. But the new law — which incentivized states to pass red flag laws, enhanced background checks for gun buyers under 21, and closed the “boyfriend loophole” which allowed some people with domestic violence convictions to purchase guns — is not sufficient to fully address the causes of mass shootings. Certain studies suggest that even truly universal background checks <a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/2/27/18224727/house-universal-background-checks-gun-violence-congress">may have limited effects on gun violence</a>.
</p>
<h3 id="x5gwWU">
The Supreme Court has made it impossible to cure America’s gun violence epidemic
</h3>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Ykbshx">
In 2008, the Supreme Court effectively wrote NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre’s “good guy with a gun” theory into the Constitution. The Court’s 5-4 decision in <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/07-290.ZO.html"><em>District of Columbia v. Heller</em></a> (2008) was the first Supreme Court decision in American history to hold that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to possess a firearm. But it also went much further than that.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="WX1KE9">
<em>Heller</em> held that one of the primary purposes of the Second Amendment is to protect the right of individuals — good guys with a gun, in LaPierre’s framework — to use firearms to stop bad guys with guns. As Justice Antonin Scalia wrote in <em>Heller</em>, an “inherent right of self-defense has been central to the Second Amendment right.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="opuCPY">
As a matter of textual interpretation, this holding makes no sense. The Second Amendment provides that “<a href="https://constitutioncenter.org/interactive-constitution/amendment/amendment-ii">a well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State</a>, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="UYD0Q1">
We don’t need to guess why the Second Amendment protects a right to firearms because it is right there in the Constitution. The Second Amendment’s purpose is to preserve “a well-regulated Militia,” not to allow individuals to use their weapons for personal self-defense.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="BN4EwY">
For many years, the Supreme Court took the first 13 words of the Second Amendment seriously. As the Court said in <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/307/174"><em>United States v. Miller</em></a><em> </em>(1939), the “obvious purpose” of the Second Amendment was to “render possible the effectiveness” of militias. And thus the amendment must be “interpreted and applied with that end in view.” <em>Heller</em> abandoned that approach.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="iVvOgG">
<em>Heller</em> also reached another important policy conclusion. Handguns, according to Scalia, are “overwhelmingly chosen” by gun owners who wish to carry a firearm for self-defense. For this reason, he wrote, handguns enjoy a kind of super-legal status. Lawmakers are not allowed to ban what Scalia described as “the most preferred firearm in the nation to ‘keep’ and use for protection of one’s home and family.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Zbm2Hq">
This declaration regarding handguns matters because this easily concealed weapon is responsible for far more deaths than any other weapon in the United States — and it isn’t close. In 2019, for example, a <a href="https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2019/crime-in-the-u.s.-2019/tables/expanded-homicide-data-table-8.xls">total of 13,927 people were murdered in the US</a>, according to the FBI. Of these murder victims, at least 6,368 — just over 45 percent — were killed by handguns.
</p>
<div class="c-wide-block">
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/zuxWanJjGt4IpihFJwuTpvTv6cA=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23589874/GettyImages_1240908247.jpg"/> <cite>Allison Dinner/AFP via Getty Images</cite>
<figcaption>
A woman holds a photo of Nevaeh Bravo, who was killed in the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School, during a vigil for the victims in Uvalde, Texas, on May 25.
</figcaption>
</figure>
</div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="cBczrr">
Earlier this year, the Supreme Court made it even harder for federal and state lawmakers to combat gun violence. In its decision in <a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/21pdf/20-843_7j80.pdf"><em>New York State Rifle &amp; Pistol Association v. Bruen</em></a><em>,</em><em><strong> </strong></em>it massively expanded the scope of the Second Amendment, abandons more than a decade of case law governing which gun laws are permitted by the Constitution, and replaces this case law with a new legal framework that, as Justice Stephen Breyer writes in dissent, “imposes a task on the lower courts that judges cannot easily accomplish.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="3q3oKS">
The immediate impact of <em>Bruen</em> is that handguns — which are responsible for the <a href="https://www.vox.com/22382180/supreme-court-uvalde-guns-violence-second-amendment-heller-scalia">overwhelming majority of gun murders</a> in the United States — could proliferate on many American streets. That’s because <em>Bruen</em> strikes the types of laws that limit who can legally carry handguns in public, holding that “the Second and Fourteenth Amendments protect an individual’s right to carry a handgun for self-defense outside the home.”
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One silver lining for proponents of gun regulation is that the majority opinion, written by Justice Clarence Thomas, embraces language that first appeared in <em>Heller</em>, which permits some gun laws such as prohibitions on “dangerous and unusual weapons.” Nevertheless, it placed an emphasis on historical analogies that could endanger many laws that enjoy broad bipartisan support. The future of firearm regulation looks grim for anyone who believes that the government should help protect us from gun violence.
</p>
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<em><strong>Update, January 22, 9:40 am: </strong></em><em>This story, originally published on May 26, 2022 has been updated with details from the Monterey Park, Chesapeake, Virginia; Colorado Springs, Colorado; and University of Virginia shootings.</em>
</p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-the-hindu-sports">From The Hindu: Sports</h1>
<ul>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Pride’s Angel and Alpha Gene please</strong> -</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Mary Kom to lead Oversight Committee to probe allegations against WFI president</strong> - The government-appointed Committee will also run the day-to-day affairs of WFI for the next one month</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>Ind vs NZ, 3rd ODI | Middle order in focus as India eye series sweep against New Zealand</strong> - India is aware that despite enjoying an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series against New Zealand, Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma have been the only two batters among runs for the hosts</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>Isnt She Beautiful, La Reina, Siege Perilous and Winmylove excel</strong> -</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Hockey World Cup | We let ourselves down by giving the ball away too easily: Graham Reid</strong> - After losing against New Zealand in penalty shootouts on Sunday, India bowed out of the FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup 2023</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>Policy address reiterates Kerala’s stand on new dam at Mullaperiyar</strong> - The Water Resources department plans to establish an ‘Irrigation Museum’ at Cheruthoni, Idukki</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>Onam kits’ distribution portrays govt.’s pro-people approach: Governor</strong> - As many as 85,69,583 kits containing 14 essential items, including cloth bags prepared by Supplyco, distributed</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>Corruption behind transfer of controversial employees: BJP</strong> -</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Kerala Startup Mission to implement ‘Startup Infinity’ in select countries and cities</strong> - Governor’s policy address at the Kerala Assembly highlights State’s strides in IT sector; IT parks add 258 new companies and registers a revenue growth of ₹2,993 crores</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>BJP seeks assistance to turmeric farmers</strong> -</p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-bbc-europe">From BBC: Europe</h1>
<ul>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Ukraine war: Germany won’t block export of its Leopard 2 tanks, foreign minister says</strong> - The country has been under increasing international pressure to send its Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Russia orders Estonian ambassador to leave country</strong> - Moscow accuses Estonia of “total Russophobia” after Tallinn reduced its diplomat numbers.</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>Spain gang bust: Ukrainians exploited in illegal tobacco operation</strong> - Spanish police say Ukrainian refugees worked long hours to mass-produce fake cigarettes.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Ukraine war: Resilient civilians return to liberated town of Lyman</strong> - Ukrainian civilians are returning to Lyman, close to the front line, despite the threat of strikes.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Turkey condemns ‘vile’ Sweden Quran-burning protest</strong> - Turkey earlier called off a visit by Sweden’s defence minister Pal Jonson over the planned protest.</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>Kyle and Andrew sneak through The Last of Us’ by-the-book second episode</strong> - After more than 2 hours, it feels like the show is finally done setting things up. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1911556">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Archaeologists discovered a new papyrus of Egyptian Book of the Dead</strong> - Dubbed the “Waziri papyrus,” scholars are currently translating the text into Arabic. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1911466">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>The weekend’s best deals: The newest MacBook Pros, Kindle Kids, iPad Air, and more.</strong> - Dealmaster also has gaming peripherals, portable storage, and Microsoft Surface. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1911644">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Musk testifies in fraud trial, points out that not everyone believes what he says</strong> - Musk denies impact on Tesla stock price in case over false “funding secured” tweet. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1911612">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>US school runs lights 24/7/365: The smart lights have been broken since 2021</strong> - “We’ve been doing everything we can to fix this,” says school official. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1911551">link</a></p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-jokes-subreddit">From Jokes Subreddit</h1>
<ul>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A couple, both age 76, went to a sex therapist’s office. The doctor asked, “What can I do for you?”</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF --></p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The man said, “Will you watch us have sexual intercourse?” The doctor looked puzzled, but agreed.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
When the couple finished, the doctor said, “There’s nothing wrong with the way you have intercourse,” and charged them $80. This happened several weeks in a row. The couple would make an appointment, have intercourse with no problems, pay the doctor, then leave.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Finally, the doctor asked, “Just exactly what are you trying to find out?”
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The old man said, “We’re not trying to find out anything. She’s married and we can’t go to her house, I’m married and we can’t go to my house. The Holiday Inn charges $120; the Hilton charges $150. We do it here for $80 and I get $64 back from my health plan.”
</p>
</div>
<!-- SC_ON -->
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/javadintaiwan"> /u/javadintaiwan </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/10j5elo/a_couple_both_age_76_went_to_a_sex_therapists/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/10j5elo/a_couple_both_age_76_went_to_a_sex_therapists/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A Republican Senator and a Democratic Senator are drowning and you can only save one. Do you…</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF --></p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
A: Have lunch.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
B: Browse reddit.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SC_ON -->
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/BanditSixActual"> /u/BanditSixActual </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/10io72n/a_republican_senator_and_a_democratic_senator_are/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/10io72n/a_republican_senator_and_a_democratic_senator_are/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>First day as a vampire hunter: Wow this is easy</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF --></p>
<div class="md">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
First night as a vampire hunter: Oh no
</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/zelgadiss44"> /u/zelgadiss44 </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/10iiwep/first_day_as_a_vampire_hunter_wow_this_is_easy/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/10iiwep/first_day_as_a_vampire_hunter_wow_this_is_easy/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Doctor, I came to pick up my wife’s results…</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF --></p>
<div class="md">
<ul>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Well… I had a little problem with the results. I accidentally scrambled them with another patient, we don’t know if she has aid or alzheimers.
</p>
</li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
What should I do now?
</p>
</li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Leave her in the middle of the forest, if she comes back, don’t fuck her.
</p>
</li>
</ul>
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<!-- SC_ON -->
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/xXGaboFihi007Xx"> /u/xXGaboFihi007Xx </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/10j49gt/doctor_i_came_to_pick_up_my_wifes_results/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/10j49gt/doctor_i_came_to_pick_up_my_wifes_results/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>2 mafia members are walking through the woods, late at night</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF --></p>
<div class="md">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
2 mafia members are walking through the woods, late at night
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The first guy says to the other: “I’m gonna be honest, this place is scaring the shit out of me”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
With a snort, the second guy chuckles and says “You’re scared? I gotta walk back alone!”
</p>
</div>
<!-- SC_ON -->
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/awesomeness1024"> /u/awesomeness1024 </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/10ip9kk/2_mafia_members_are_walking_through_the_woods/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/10ip9kk/2_mafia_members_are_walking_through_the_woods/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
</ul>
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