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Proviso Suburbs Are Regulating Unscheduled Buses As Migrant Crisis Enters Harsh Winter – Village Free Press |

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Migrants in tents outside of the 15th District Chicago Police station in the citys Austin community in October 2023. The city has since relocated the migrants, but now suburban officials are taking measures to regulate unscheduled buses that may be unsafely dropping the asylum-seekers off in municipalities. | File

Monday, January 15, 2024 || By Michael Romain || michael@wearejohnwilk.com

Suburbs across Proviso Township have recently enacted legislation to address the wave of buses carrying migrants to various points across the Chicago area and burdening resource-strapped municipalities.

The villages of Bellwood, Broadview, Hillside and Westchester are among the municipalities whose boards have voted on ordinances or whose mayors have issued executive orders since December designed to introduce fines, penalties and restrictions for buses illegally dropping off passengers.

The primary aim is to safeguard the health and safety of both residents and bus occupants, Hillside village officials explained in a statement posted to the villages website on Dec. 29.

The Village lacks the resources to adequately support these migrants, Hillside officials added. Collaborative efforts with Local, State, County, and regional authorities are underway to address these concerns.

CNN reported in December that since April 2022, Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has sent more than 90,000 asylum-seeking migrants from Latin America to various Democratic-run sanctuary cities, including Chicago.

Border authorities encountered more than 225,000 migrants along the US-Mexico border in December alone, marking the highest monthly total recorded since 2000, according to preliminary Homeland Security statistics shared with CNN, the outlet reported.

In their various ordinances and executive orders, Proviso-area village officials explained that the legislation regulating unscheduled buses is time-sensitive due to the onset of the frigid winter weather.

Entities sending such charter buses know, or should know, that the passengers on such buses are likely to seek emergency shelter and other immediate services from the municipality upon or soon after arrival in the municipality, reads the ordinance the Westchester village board unanimously passed on Jan. 9.

Local police departments have been tasked with enforcing the new regulations. In a statement shared with WGN 9, Broadview Mayor Katrina Thompson said that any violation of her executive order by any bus company or bus driver, regardless of origin or destination, authorizes the seizure and impoundment of the bus by the Broadview Police Department as well as criminal charges to be filed against the company and driver.

Broadview Police Chief Thomas Mills said his department is requesting bus companies notify us five days in advance, adding that they need to know how many people are coming under the age of 18 (and) how many adults so we know how many are arriving in the Village of Broadview, WGN reported.

Mayor Thompson issued her executive order in December. The Broadview village board is poised to vote on a series of ordinances regulating unscheduled buses at a regular meeting on Jan. 16.

State opens migrant shelter

Earlier this month, Capitol News Illinois reported that another migrant shelter opened in Chicago on Jan. 10, the states latest step in dealing with an influx of more than 30,000 asylum seekers sent to Illinois from states on the southern U.S. Border since summer 2022.

The recently opened shelter is located in a former CVS in Chicagos Little Village neighborhood and is expected to host about 220 migrants. The shelter is part of a $160 million state spending plan for migrant assistance that Gov. JB Pritzker announced in November, Capitol News Illinois reported.

The new site is one of several that houses migrants, mostly from Venezuela, that have arrived in Chicago over the past year. Roughly 250 migrants are currently staying at OHare International Airport and another 280 people slept in city buses at a so-called landing zone facility in the South Loop.

Possible causes of the Venezuelan migrant crisis

Most of the migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border into the United States come from Venezuela. According to data from the Inter-Agency Coordination Platform for Refugees and Migrants from Venezuela, roughly 8 million Venezuelans have fled their homes since the countrys economy collapsed in 2014. Most of those refugees have settled in about two dozen Caribbean and Latin America countries.

Critics of Venezuelas left-wing government have argued that the countrys economic collapse was due to corruption and economic mismanagement.

According to the nonpartisan Council on Foreign Relations, a Washington, D.C. think tank, Venezuela is an example of a petrostate, where the government is highly dependent on fossil fuel income, power is concentrated, and corruption is widespread.

Petrostates are vulnerable to what economists call Dutch disease, in which a government develops an unhealthy dependence on natural resource exports to the detriment of other sectors.

When the price of oil plunged from more than $100 per barrel in 2014 to under $30 per barrel in early 2016, Venezuela entered an economic and political spiral, and despite rising prices since then, conditions remain bleak, the Council argued.

But other experts argue that the United States foreign policy also plays a critical role in the Latin American countrys collapse.

Last year, Juan Gonzlez, a reporter and senior fellow at the Great Cities Institute at the University of Illinois at Chicago, told WBEZ that the influx of Venezuelan migrants to the United States is a relatively new phenomenon. Its only really happened in the last three or four years. But now Venezuelans have become the fastest growing group of the Latino community in the United States.

Gonzlez said that economic sanctions lodged by the United States against Venezuela constituted an economic war against the country. The sanctions have been under Presidents Obama, Trump and Biden, he said.

The result has been an almost complete economic collapse of the country. Besides perhaps war, it is difficult to think of a tool of foreign policy that today causes more economic and humanitarian destruction than economic sanctions, Gonzlez told WBEZ.

For instance, Citgo petroleum, a major petroleum company in this country, is a Venezuelan-owned company, he added. The Trump administration froze all the assets of Citgo. The company takes in about $24 billion in oil revenues in the United States. None of that money, though, can go to Venezuela, which is its owner.

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Proviso Suburbs Are Regulating Unscheduled Buses As Migrant Crisis Enters Harsh Winter - Village Free Press |

NASA and Russia will keep launching each other’s astronauts to ISS until 2025: report – Space.com

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NASA and Russia have agreed to keep launching American astronauts and Russian cosmonauts on each other's spacecraft, media reports suggest.

Roscosmos announced both it and NASA will continue the International Space Station launches with each other's crew members through at least 2025, "to maintain the reliability of the ISS as a whole," according to multiple reports including the Moscow Times.

A NASA spokesperson confirmed the agreement in an email to Space.com. "NASA and Roscosmos have amended the integrated crew agreement to allow for a second set of integrated crew missions in 2024 and one set of integrated crew missions in 2025," the spokesperson wrote. "For continued safe operations of the space station, the integrated crew agreement helps ensure that each crewed spacecraft docked to the station includes an integrated crew with trained crew members in both the Russian and U.S. Operating Segment systems."

NASA and Roscosmos have an existing agreement to launch crew members on each other's spacecraft, to allow for independent launch access for both nations and backup in case of trouble. Right now the manifest includes SpaceX Dragon for NASA missions, and Soyuz for Russia. (When Boeing Starliner is ready, presumably it will be included too for U.S. missions.)

The ISS is manifested to last until at least 2030, as most of the international coalition has agreed to stick with it. Russia will remain until 2028 or so, based on the most recent reports; the country is working on a different set of space plans in the future.

Related: NASA working to get private space stations up and running before ISS retires in 2030

Though NASA and Russia are the chief ISS partners alongside the European Space Agency, Japan and Canada, relations changed in 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine to the condemnation of most of the world. Most space partnerships were severed with Russia aside from the ISS, which remains for space policy reasons.

Russia and NASA operate different segments of the space station with different operational responsibilities. They also send up cargo ships for resupply missions and interface with the crew in independent mission controls.

Since 2022, Russia has teamed up with China to launch a moon-facing alliance. NASA also has its own group, under the Artemis Accords, a coalition of 30-plus nations that themselves promise peaceful space exploration norms with a subset of countries also participating in moon exploration.

The Artemis Accords aim to put astronauts on the moon no earlier than 2025 with Artemis 3, and have already launched Artemis 1 (uncrewed) in 2022 around the moon. Artemis 2, with four astronauts on board, should launch around the moon in 2024 or so.

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NASA and Russia will keep launching each other's astronauts to ISS until 2025: report - Space.com

Covid Has Resurged, but Scientists See a Diminished Threat – The New York Times

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The holidays have come and gone, and once again Americans are riding a tide of respiratory ailments, including Covid. But so far, this winters Covid uptick seems less deadly than last years, and much less so than in 2022, when the Omicron surge ground the nation to a halt.

Were not seeing the signs that would make me think that were heading into another severe wave, said Caitlin Rivers, an epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. So far, were in relatively good shape.

Still, there are few masks in sight, and just a fraction of the most vulnerable people have received the latest Covid shots, she noted.

Its not too late, Dr. Rivers added. We have not even reached peak yet for Covid, and once you reach peak, you still have to get down the other side. That leaves plenty of time for the vaccine to provide some protection.

Federal officials are relying on limited data to measure this years spread. After the end of the public health emergency in May, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stopped tracking the number of Covid infections. The agency now has only partial access to information from states about vaccination rates.

But trends in wastewater data, positive tests, emergency department visits, hospitalization rates and deaths point to a rise in infections in all regions of the nation, according to the C.D.C. These patterns have prompted many hospitals to reinstate mask policies, after initially resisting a return to them this fall.

As in previous years, the numbers have steadily been rising all winter, and are expected to increase further after holiday travel and get-togethers.

Many of the infections are caused by a new variant, JN.1, which has rapidly spread across the world in recent weeks. I think that theres no doubt its helping drive, pretty substantially, this winter wave, said Katelyn Jetelina, a public health expert and author of a widely read newsletter, Your Local Epidemiologist.

Unfortunately, its coming at the same exact time as us opening up our social networks due to the holidays, she said, so theres kind of a perfect storm going on right now.

Some scientists have pointed to rising levels of the virus in sewage samples as an indicator that infections are at least as high this year as they were at this time last year. But Dr. Rivers urged caution in interpreting wastewater data as a proxy for infections and said hospitalizations were a more reliable metric.

In the week that ended on Dec. 23, hospitalizations rose by nearly 17 percent from the previous week. There were about 29,000 new hospital admissions, compared with 39,000 the same week last year and 61,000 in 2021.

And weekly hospitalizations are increasing more slowly than in previous years, Dr. Rivers said.

Covid is still claiming at least 1,200 lives per week. But that number is about one-third the toll this time last year and one-eighth that in 2021.

We are in this pretty big infection surge right now, but whats really interesting is how hugely hospitalizations have and continue to decouple from infections, Dr. Jetelina said.

She said she worried most about hospitals buckling under the weight of multiple epidemics at once. Even in years before the pandemic, outbreaks of just influenza and respiratory syncytial virus could strain hospitals; rising Covid rates now overlap both illnesses, adding to the burden.

The C.D.C. estimates that so far this season, there have been at least 7.1 million illnesses, 73,000 hospitalizations and 4,500 deaths from the flu.

While Covid tends to be mild in children and young adults, influenza and R.S.V. are most risky for young children and older adults. All three diseases are particularly dangerous for infants.

Emergency department visits for Covid are highest among infants and older adults. While R.S.V. has leveled off in some parts of the country, hospitalization rates remain high among young children and older adults.

The JN.1 variant accounts for nearly half of all Covid cases in the United States, nearly six times the prevalence just a month ago. The variant has one mutation that gives it a greater ability to sidestep immunity than its parent, BA.2.86, which was limited in its spread.

JN.1 may in fact be less transmissible than previous variants. But its immune evasiveness, coupled with the disappearance of preventive measures like masks, may explain its exponential growth worldwide, said Dr. Abraar Karan, an infectious disease physician and postdoctoral researcher at Stanford University.

Still, JN.1 does not appear to cause more severe illness than previous variants, and the current vaccines, tests and treatments work well against all of the current variants.

Experts urged all Americans including those not at high risk of severe illness to opt for vaccines against both Covid and flu, to use masks and air purifiers to prevent infections, to be tested and treated and to stay home if they become ill.

Even those who do not become severely sick run the risk of long-term complications with every new viral infection, researchers noted.

Im not at high risk, to be honest Im young and vaccinated, Dr. Rivers said. But I continue to take precautions in my own life because I do not want to deal with that disruption, and the risk that I could develop a longer-term illness.

But few Americans are following that advice. As of Dec. 23, only 19 percent of adults had received the latest Covid vaccine, and about 44 percent had opted for the annual flu shot. Just over 17 percent of adults aged 60 and older had received the vaccine for R.S.V.

Even among those 75 and older, who are at highest risk from Covid, only about one in three have received the latest shot, according to the C.D.C.

Many people dont realize that shots that protect against the newest variants are available, or that they should be vaccinated even if they are not at high risk, said Gigi Gronvall, a biosecurity expert at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.

Even if the Covid vaccine does not prevent infection, it can shorten the duration and severity of illness, and minimize the risk of long-term symptoms, including brain fog, fatigue, movement problems and dizziness collectively known as long Covid.

Im sure also there are plenty of people who are actively hostile to the idea, but most of the people I encounter, they just dont even know about it, Dr. Gronvall said.

Poor availability of the shots, particularly for children and older adults, has also limited the vaccination rates.

Dr. Gronvall struggled to find a Covid vaccine for her teenage son. Dr. Jetelina has yet to find any for her young children. She said her grandparents, who are both in their mid-90s, also had an incredibly challenging time.

One of them is in a nursing home and still hasnt been immunized because she happened to be sick the one day the vaccines were offered.

Many nursing home residents and staff members remain unvaccinated, because the staff doesnt understand the benefits, said Dr. Karan, who worked with nursing facilities in Los Angeles County.

Financial incentives can improve vaccine coverage, but the lack of awareness about the benefits is a major problem, he said.

Experts also urged people who develop symptoms to take a test and ask for antiviral drugs Tamiflu for influenza, Paxlovid for Covid especially if they are at high risk of complications.

Paxlovid is still available free of charge to most people, but many patients and even doctors avoid it out of a mistaken belief that it causes Covid symptoms to rebound, experts said. Recent studies did not find a relationship between antiviral drugs and symptom rebound.

For many viruses, including the flu, we know that earlier use of antivirals is going to be beneficial, Dr. Karan said. You stop viral replication quickly, you have less of an immune dysregulation thereafter.

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Covid Has Resurged, but Scientists See a Diminished Threat - The New York Times

The death rate of COVID-19 infection in different SARS-CoV-2 variants was related to C-reactive protein gene … – Nature.com

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The findings of this comprehensive study demonstrate considerable evidence that there are associations between two polymorphisms of the CRP gene (rs1205 and rs1800947) with COVID-19 mortality.

CRP levels were statistically significantly higher in deceased patients than in recovered patients, as shown in this study. Several studies have found that CRP can be used as a biomarker for COVID-19 infection severity and mortality8,19. Angiotensin II converting enzyme (ACE2) can produce CRP when it interacts with SARSCoV220. The production of CRP by hepatocytes is stimulated by cytokines like interleukin6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor- (TNF-) during COVID-19 development21. In one sense, CRP is responsible for activating the complement system, which contributes to inflammation. In contrast, severe COVID-19 patients will significantly damage their alveolar epithelial and endothelial barriers. The alveolar macrophages and epithelial cells are capable of producing a variety of cytokines and chemokines during an infection with SARS-CoV-2. In this phase, adaptive immunity is challenged by the significant decreases in lymphocytes and the T-cell-mediated immunosuppression. Therefore, in the context of COVID-19, uncontrolled SARS-CoV-2 infection could result in considerable macrophage infiltration, exacerbating acute lung damage22,23.

A number of SNPs are associated with plasma levels of CRP on the CRP gene. In addition to rs1205 and rs1800947 in the 3- and 5-flanking regions, rs1417938 is present in the intron, and rs1800947 appears in exon 224,25.

Currently, this is the first study to evaluate the relationship between CRP rs1205 and rs1800947 and COVID-19 mortality. COVID-19 death rates were significantly higher in patients with the CRP rs1205 T allele. In all patients, the MAF (T allele) was 0.42, which was lower in recovered patients (0.30) than in died patients (0.55). In other regions, the T allele was found in 0.597 Asians, 0.609 East Asians, 0.342 South Asians, 0.545 other Asians, 0.332 Europeans, 0.333 Latin Americans, and 0.201 Africans, as reported in the NCBI dbSNP database (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/snp/rs1205).

Several studies have demonstrated that CRP levels are functionally influenced by the rs1205 SNP. CRP is a major component of the innate immune system, so this SNP may have an impact on SARS-Co-2 pathogenesis. A genome-wide association meta-analysis found that an intron variant (rs67579710) was associated with COVID-19 hospitalizations in 24,741 cases and 2,835,201 controls. Due to its location within the thrombospondin-3 gene, this variant may affect thrombosis related to COVID-19 rather than inflammatory pathways26,27.

According to the current study, all three variants of CRP rs1205 T allele were correlated with COVID-19 mortality. Several studies have found that CRP rs1205 affects both clinical outcomes and vaccination outcomes. It has been suggested that the frequency of rs1205 T allele was significantly higher in patients with community-acquired pneumonia compared with healthy controls, and T allele was associated with an increased risk of infection. Furthermore, the rs1205 CT and TT genotypes were substantially more common in patients with severe community-acquired pneumonia than those with non-severe community-acquired pneumonia18.

As shown in our study, numerous studies with different diseases have shown that the rs1205 T allele is associated with lower serum CRP levels18,28. Since the rs1205 TT genotype results in lower serum CRP levels and is associated with lymph node metastasis in this form of cancer, rs1205 may be associated with thoracic esophageal squamous cell cancer, myocardial infarction, systemic lupus erythematosus and lupus nephritis29,30. In studies with higher baseline CRP levels, pre-eclampsia risk is positively correlated with CRP genotypes. In contrast, as in the current study, CRP genotypes (including the rs1205 T allele) associated with lower CRP levels and have been correlated with greater infectious load. There may have been balanced selection on CRP polymorphisms during evolution because of these disparate effects18,31,32.

In this study, patients with the CRP rs1800947 G allele had a significantly higher death rate from COVID-19. In all patients, the MAF (G allele) was 0.47, with recovery patients having a lower value (0.40) than dying patients having a higher value (0.54). A study in Iran found that the frequency of G-allele was 0.45, which is similar to what we found in our study33. According to NCBI dbSNP database (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/snp/rs1800947), Asians and East Asians were most likely to have the G allele 0.036, South Asians 0.000, other Asians 0.040, Europeans 0.056, Latin Americans 0.024, and Africans 0.010, respectively.

According to our results, the COVID-19 mortality rate was correlated with CRP rs1800947 GG genotype in all three variants, as well as with CRP rs1800947 CG genotype in the Alpha and Delta variants of the gene.

There is a strong association between the CRP rs1800947 and CRP expression and it has been shown to be associated with heart disease, diabetes, and cancer33,34,35. In contrast to the results of this study, previous reports have demonstrated that C-allele carriers have lower plasma levels of CRP than GG genotype. Clinical diagnosis and severity assessment of community-acquired pneumonia and COVID-19 are based on serum CRP levels19,36,37. The high mortality rate in deceased people infected with COVID-19 with GG genotype could be due to their higher serum CRP levels.

There is no correlation between the majority of SNPs and diseases or functional issues. In contrast, if SNPs are located on genes or regulatory regions such as promoters, enhancers, they may influence the function of genes involved in disease mechanisms36. CRP rs1800947 may have different effects. Since the rs1800947 SNP is silent, the mechanism behind expressed CRP levels could be linkage disequilibrium between the rs1800947 polymorphism and other functional SNPs both inside and outside the CRP gene. There is also the possibility that this polymorphism alters the kinetics of CRP translation, causing variable levels of CRP throughout the body38.

In this study, several limitations were observed that should be considered in future studies. Because there were no healthy controls in this study, the outcomes were not compared with healthy controls. This study should be confirmed with more research on other ethnic groups in Iran, since this country has a variety of ethnicities.

In conclusion, this study showed that COVID-19 mortality rate was correlated with CRP rs1205 TT genotypes and CRP rs1800947 GG genotypes across all three variants. In addition, higher CRP levels were observed in individuals with the CRP rs1205 CC genotype and the CRP rs1800947 GG genotype. To verify these findings, further research should be conducted in other regions.

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The death rate of COVID-19 infection in different SARS-CoV-2 variants was related to C-reactive protein gene ... - Nature.com

A new COVID variant is dominant in the US: Know these symptoms – Yahoo News

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A heavily mutated, fast-spreading new COVID-19 variant called JN.1 is on the rise in the United States. Last month, JN.1 swept the country and quickly overtook other variants of the coronavirus to become the dominant strain nationwide.

The highly contagious omicron subvariant now accounts for over 60% of all infections in the U.S., and it's expected to continue driving an increasing number of cases as the country approaches peak respiratory virus season. In fact, data show and some experts say the country is currently in its second-largest COVID wave, smaller than only the omicron surge in late 2021 and early 2022.

JN.1 is also gaining speed in other parts of the world. On Dec. 18, the World Health Organization classified JN.1 as a variant of interest due to its rapidly increasing spread globally.

In the U.S., the share of cases caused by the JN.1 variant has nearly doubled in recent weeks. JN.1 is currently considered the fastest-growing variant in the country, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

During a two-week period ending on Dec. 23, JN.1 accounted for about 44% of cases in the U.S., per the CDCs latest data. This was a steep increase from the previous two-week period ending on Dec. 9, when JN.1 made up 21% of cases.

After JN.1, the next most common strain in the U.S. right now is the HV.1 subvariant, which comprised about 22% of cases as of Dec. 23.

Scientists around the world have been closely monitoring JN.1, which has sparked some concern due to its rapid growth and large number of mutations. However, the new variant is closely related to a strain we've seen before: BA.2.86, aka "Pirola," which has been spreading in the U.S. since the summer.

JN.1 has one additional mutation compared to BA.2.86, which has more than 30 mutations that set it apart from the omicron XBB.1.5 variant. XBB.1.5 was the dominant strain for most of 2023 and it's the variant targeted in the updated COVID-19 vaccines, TODAY.com previously reported.

All of the COVID-19 variants that have gained dominance in the U.S. in the last year are descendants of omicron, which began circulating in late 2021. Since emerging, JN.1 has overtaken its parental strain BA.2.86, as well as HV.1, EG.5 or Eris and XBB.1.16, aka Arcturus.

JN.1's growth comes as COVID hospitalizations rise, influenza continues to spread and RSV activity remains high in many places, according to a Dec. 14 update from the CDC. The agency warned that at the end of the month, emergency rooms and hospitals could become strained, similarly to last year, especially in the South.

Will JN.1 cause a COVID-19 surge? Does JN.1 have different symptoms and is it still detected by COVID tests? Does it respond to vaccines and treatments? Here's what experts know about JN.1 so far.

JN.1 was first reported in August 2023 and it has spread to at least 41 countries so far, according to the WHO. It was first detected in the U.S. in September, the CDC said.

Just like the other newer variants, JN.1 is part of the omicron family.

"Think of (the variants) as children and grandchildren of omicron. They're part of the same extended family, but they each have their own distinctive personalities," Dr. William Schaffner, professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, tells TODAY.com.

JN.1 descended from BA.2.86, which is a sublineage of the omicron BA.2 variant, TODAY.com previously reported that's what sets JN.1 and BA.2.86 apart from the other prevailing variants like HV.1 and EG.5, which descended from omicron XBB.

When its parent BA.2.86 emerged, everybody was worried because it had a lot of mutations and looked like it was going to evade a lot of the immunity from vaccines and infection in the population, Andrew Pekosz, Ph.D., professor and vice chair in the Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, tells TODAY.com. But (BA.2.86) sort of fizzled out, he adds.

Laboratory data suggest that Pirola is less contagious and immune-evasive than scientists once feared, NBC News reported.

JN.1, however, picked up an additional mutation in its spike protein called L455S, says Pekosz. Spike proteins help the virus latch onto human cells and play a crucial role in helping SARS-CoV-2 infect people, per the CDC. This mutation may affect JN.1's immune escape properties, says Pekosz.

"Now it's circulating and growing at a really fast rate compared to other variants, as well as the parent its derived from (BA.2.86), says Pekosz.

In early November, JN.1 accounted for fewer than 1% of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. Several weeks later, it was driving over 20% of cases, Dr. Michael Phillips, chief epidemiologist at NYU Langone Health, tells TODAY.com. Now, it's the dominant strain in the U.S.

Its not known whether JN.1 causes different symptoms from other variants, according the CDC.

Right now, theres nothing that says that JN.1 infection is any different from previous COVID variants in terms of disease severity or symptoms, but were paying close attention, says Pekosz.

The symptoms of JN.1 appear to be similar to those caused by other strains, which include:

According to the CDC, the type and severity of symptoms a person experiences usually depends more on a persons underlying health and immunity rather than the variant which caused infection.

While severe infections do still occur, overall (COVID-19) is causing a lot of milder illness, says Schaffner.

Some doctors have reported that upper respiratory symptoms seem to follow a pattern of starting with a sore throat, followed by congestion and a cough, NBC News previously reported.

The virus is adapting. ... I think its getting better at infecting humans and evading pre-existing immunity in the population ... but its not changing symptomology too much, says Pekosz.

At this time, theres no evidence that JN.1 causes more severe infection, the experts note.

One of the things these (omicron variants) have in common is that they are highly contagious, and as new variants crop up, they seem to be as contagious or even more contagious than the previous variants, says Schaffner.

According to the CDC, the continued growth of JN.1 suggests that the variant is either more transmissible or better at evading our immune systems.

Its probably a little bit more transmissible than its parental virus because weve seen an increase in case numbers that we didnt with (BA.2.86), says Pekosz. However, it is too early to tell how exactly JN.1's transmissibility or immune escape properties compare to other variants, such as HV.1, the experts note.

Many of the newer strains, including JN.1, have another mutation that affects how strongly the spike protein binds to cells in the respiratory tract, says Pekosz. We know that its probably helping the virus become better at replicating and helping the virus evade more of that pre-existing immune response, he adds.

JN.1 does not pose an increased public health risk compared to other variants currently in circulation, the CDC and WHO said.

The genetic changes in JN.1 could give it an advantage over other variants, but its unclear how that will affect cases in the coming months. So far, there doesnt seem to be a massive increase in transmission. ... We would be concerned if there was a huge surge in cases, says Pekosz.

Right now, JN.1 is increasing in terms of the percentage of COVID-19 cases its causing, and theres also been a slight increase in total cases," says Pekosz.

Test positivity, an early indicator of case levels, is also on the rise, says Phillips the rate was 12.7% during the week ending on Dec. 23, up from about 12% the week prior, per the CDC. (The CDC no longer tracks the total number of cases in the U.S.).

Hospitalizations have also risen by 17% and ICU admissions by 16.4% in the last two weeks, according to an NBC News analysis.

"The good news is that as of yet we're not seeing severe disease or hospitalizations going up significantly, and ICU admissions are still very low, but we're going to watch these carefully," says Phillips.

COVID-19 activity was expected to rise around this time as the U.S. enters winter and respiratory virus season, the experts note. In recent years, the virus has followed a pattern of increasing and peaking around new year, according to the CDC.

"Right now, we do not know to what extent JN.1 may be contributing to these increases or possible increases through the rest of December," the CDC said. Only time will tell whether JN.1 or another variant will cause a surge in infections this winter.

All COVID-19 diagnostic tests including rapid antigen tests and PCR tests are expected to be effective at detecting JN.1, as well as other variants, according to the CDC.

Testing is an important tool to protect yourself and others from COVID-19, especially ahead of indoor gatherings, says Schaffner.

The symptoms of COVID-19 are often indistinguishable from those caused by other viruses spreading right now, the experts note. These include respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), influenza and rhinovirus, which causes the common cold.

The experts urge anyone who becomes ill or is exposed to COVID-19 to take a test, especially people at higher risk of severe disease, such as people over the age of 65, who are immunocompromised and who have underlying health conditions.

Every American can order four free at-home COVID-19 tests from the government, which will be delivered by mail via the U.S. Postal Service. To order your free tests, go to COVIDTests.gov.

"Get tested because, whether it's COVID or flu, we have treatment available," says Schaffner. Current treatments are also expected to be effective against JN.1, the CDC said.

"JN.1 should be just as sensitive to the antivirals available as any other variants," says Pekosz, adding that antivirals like Paxlovid are most effective when taken within the first few days after infection.

The new, updated COVID-19 vaccines, recommended for everyone 6 months and older, are expected to increase protection against JN.1, as well as other variants, the CDC said.

Although the shots target omicron XBB.1.5, which has since been overtaken by HV.1, JN.1, EG.5 and others, there is still evidence that it will protect against new strains circulating this winter, TODAY.com previously reported.

Data from laboratory studies show that the vaccine appears to generate a strong immune response against JN.1's parent strain, BA.2.86, Schaffner notes.

The new vaccines also protect against severe disease, hospitalization and death, the experts emphasize. So even if you get COVID-19 after vaccination, the infection will likely be milder and it can keep you out of the hospital, Phillips adds.

However, uptake of the updated booster among the U.S. population has been low so far, the experts say. As of Dec. 22, only about 18% of adults and 7% of children have gotten the updated vaccine, according to the latest CDC data on vaccination trends.

On Dec. 14, CDC officials issued an alert to warn about low vaccination rates against COVID-19, flu and RSV in the U.S.

Now is the best time to get vaccinated if you haven't already, the experts say. "The sooner you get vaccinated, the sooner you'll be protected and it does take seven to 10 days for protection to build up to the maximum," says Schaffner.

Phillips recommends everyone, especially high-risk individuals, to get the seasonal influenza shot, as well. Hospitalizations for flu increased 200% over the past month, according to the CDC's Dec. 14 warning.

"Getting vaccinated is the best present you can give yourself and your family this holiday season," Schaffner adds.

Every day, but especially during respiratory virus season, people can take steps to protect themselves and others from COVID-19.

The experts encourage everyone to:

Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines.

Test if you have symptoms.

Isolate if you have COVID-19.

Avoid contact with sick people.

Improve ventilation.

Wear a mask in crowded, indoor spaces.

Wash your hands with soap and water.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com

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A new COVID variant is dominant in the US: Know these symptoms - Yahoo News

COVID increases risk of schizophrenia? Read what a new study has found – IndiaTimes

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COVID cases are increasing globally. India recorded more than 4,400 COVID cases as on Friday. Cases of COVID have been increasing in the country ever since the first case of JN.1 variant was detected in Kerala. The JN.1 variant, an offshoot of the BA.2.86 variant is currently responsible for more than 60% of COVID cases in the US. In view of the emerging variants of the COVID-causing coronavirus, it is essential to know about the effects of the virus on the human body. A new study has shed light on the effect of COVID on the cognitive function of the brain. The study, not peer-reviewed yet, found a substantial increase in the likelihood of being diagnosed with a schizophrenia spectrum and psychotic disorder (SSPD) after experiencing moderate to severe illness due to SARS-CoV-2 infection, in comparison to a group of individuals who had non-Covid Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS). Our study is consistent with the known neurotropism of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and other reports of increased risk of major psychiatric disorders following Covid-19 infection, said Asif Rahman, from the Department of Industrial & Management Systems Engineering, West Virginia University. Further research is required to identify specific characteristics of populations and individuals who may be at a particularly high risk of developing SSPD and potentially other significant psychiatric conditions following Covid-19 infection. Understanding these psychiatric risks associated with Covid-19 is an essential component of our strategy to address the evolving landscape of long-Covid, added Rahman, in the paper posted on a preprint site. Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder characterized by distorted thinking, disrupted emotions, and abnormal perceptions of reality. It typically manifests in early adulthood, impacting a person's ability to function in daily life. Common symptoms include hallucinations (false sensory perceptions), delusions (false beliefs resistant to reason), disorganized thinking, and impaired social or occupational functioning. Long-term high fat diets linked to increased risk of COVID, finds study The exact cause of schizophrenia is unclear, but a combination of genetic, environmental, and neurobiological factors likely contribute. Genetic predisposition, neurotransmitter imbalances (particularly involving dopamine), and structural brain abnormalities are implicated. Subtypes of schizophrenia exist, with paranoid, disorganized, catatonic, residual, and undifferentiated forms identified. Treatment often involves antipsychotic medications to manage symptoms, therapy to enhance coping skills and social functioning, and support from mental health professionals, family, and friends. While medication can help control symptoms, the course of schizophrenia varies, and individuals may experience periods of remission and relapse. Early intervention and ongoing support are crucial for managing the condition. Stigma surrounding schizophrenia persists, highlighting the importance of education and understanding to promote empathy and effective mental health care.

How did the researchers find this correlation? Different from other studies, the team took acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and COVID lab negative cohorts as control groups to accurately gauge the impact of COVID on SSPD. Data from 19,344,698 patients were methodically filtered to create propensity-matched cohorts: ARDS, Covid-positive, and Covid-negative. They analyzed the hazard rate of new-onset SSPD across three distinct time intervals: 0-21 days, 22-90 days, and beyond 90 days post-infection. COVID positive patients consistently exhibited a heightened hazard ratio across all intervals, the findings showed. These are notably higher than both ARDS and Covid-19 lab-negative patients, the team said. Intriguingly, our data indicated that younger individuals face a heightened risk of SSPD after contracting Covid-19, a trend not observed in the ARDS and Covid-negative groups, they added.

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COVID increases risk of schizophrenia? Read what a new study has found - IndiaTimes

The Dutch Under Nazi Rule: German WWII Occupation of the Netherlands – The Collector

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Despite the fact that the Netherlands was a neutral country, it formed a strategically vital target for the Germans, who invaded on May 10, 1940. Five days later, after the bombing of Rotterdam, the Dutch surrendered.

The occupation lasted almost five years; for the Dutch, it was the most difficult period in their countrys history.

Dutch resolve, however, was not broken, and resistance continued amid brutal reprisals, starvation, and mass deportations that would see the Netherlands lose three-quarters of its Jewish population.

On May 10, 1940, Germany launched an invasion of the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Belgium as part of Operation Fall Gelb (Operation Case Yellow) without any formal declaration of war. Clearly unprepared for modern styles of warfare, the Netherlands fell quickly.

It was one of the first examples of using paratroopers to seize objectives before the advance of the main ground forces. For the Germans, the entire operation was a stunning success.

The German advances were overwhelming, and the bombing of Rotterdam left incredible destruction. The Dutch knew that further resistance would be futile and only leave more destruction in its wake.

By May 14, the Dutch army had surrendered, although a small contingent in Zeeland continued fighting until May 17.

Queen Wilhelmina fled the country and formed a government-in-exile in the United Kingdom. Many believed that she had abandoned her country, but she was adamant that she would never become a puppet ruler under the Germans, and today, her flight is seen as a pragmatic move. She continued to address the Dutch people via radio throughout the war. The rest of her family escaped to Canada. The escape of the Dutch royal family was achieved with the assistance of the British, who led a rescue mission.

At the beginning of the Second World War, the Dutch had remained neutral in the hopes that they could avoid the conflict, but after the invasions of Denmark and Norway, it became clear to most that the Netherlands was likely a prime target. Hasty preparations were made, but it was not enough.

There was a significant amount of denial within the country, with many people expecting Germany to leave the Netherlands alone. Nevertheless, for those who were more pragmatic and for those living in hope, the reaction was the same. Outrage swept the country.

A few days later, the fighting was over, and the emotion of outrage was joined with relief, humiliation, and a sense of abandonment, as many Dutch felt that the French and British should have stationed troops in the Netherlands to protect it from German invasion.

From the German perspective, the Dutch constituted fellow Aryans, and the Germans intended to treat the Dutch people a lot better than the citizens of many other conquered areas of Europe. From the Dutch perspective, they didnt expect to be treated well, as they had a significant distrust of the Germans.

For a minority of Dutch people, the invasion was a blessing. The Dutch Nationaal-Socialistische Beweging (National-Socialist movement / NSB) welcomed the German occupation as it brought the members of this right-wing movement significant power. Its leader, Anton Mussert, had expected to be installed as the ruler of a Dutch state allied to the Germans, but in reality, the occupation was under the control of the Austrian politician Arthur Seyss-Inquart, who served as the Reichskommissar of the Netherlands from May 29, 1940, to May 7, 1945.

The distrust of the Germans was exacerbated by the immediate effects of the German occupation in terms of food. The Germans blockaded the ports and effectively ended the importation of foodstuffs from abroad. Instead, the Dutch people would be fed by the Germans with careful rationing. The food that was distributed was healthy and based on modern dietary needs. It was low in fat, and the Dutch, who were used to a high-fat diet, began to lose weight; many assumed the Germans were starving them. This turned out not to be the case, at least not at this point in the occupation. Later on, as the Germans became more harsh towards the Dutch people, the threat of famine would turn into a reality.

Many Dutch people believed the occupation would be short-lived, some expecting it to be over by Christmas. Until then, they adopted a policy of conforming to the desires of the occupiers, or at least the appearance of conformity.

While the German soldiers, on the whole, treated the Dutch well during the beginning of the occupation, German leadership took control of all aspects of society and the economy, banning free speech and propagating Nazi ideology among the populace of the Netherlands. Naturally, most Dutch people saw this as an attempt to convert the country. While the NSB saw some initial growth, swelling to around 100,000 members, it remained a fringe group in terms of the total population and was utterly despised by the rest of Dutch society.

Before the war, Dutch society had been fractured and split along social, religious, and political lines. With the exception of the small minority of those who supported the NSB and the Nazis, the vast majority of the Dutch population found itself with a common enemy, and as such, a sense of unity thrived.

Around 5% of the Dutch people joined the resistance. While this may (or may not) have been a relatively small percentage, this was the section of society that went into hiding and used violent tactics to strike at German assets. Other forms of resistance were common and were much less active. The Dutch people took to hiding those wanted by the Germans. In particular, Jewish people found hope and protection in the families that secreted them away in the attics of houses. The famous Anne Frank was one of these Jews who were looked after by compassionate and brave Dutch people.

When those in the Dutch resistance were caught and executed, the Dutch were horrified. Given the initial attitude of the Germans towards the Dutch at the beginning of the occupation, it came as a shock. Especially since in the Netherlands, the death penalty had been outlawed for many decades, and the Dutch were not used to anybody being executed.

It was also not just Jewish people who the Nazi occupiers were after. Communists and outspoken critics of the regime were targeted, as well as people with mental disabilities.

Life was tough for everybody under Nazi occupation. Forced labor was implemented, and adult men were drafted to work in German factories, which were often targeted by Allied bombing runs.

After the German conquest of the Netherlands, a Joodse Raad was created, a council that acted as a liaison between the Jews and the Nazi occupiers. The Raad was run by Abraham Asscher and David Cohen, supplied the Germans with information, and was responsible for organizing and selecting Jews for deportation. Asscher and Cohen were both tried for collaboration by the Jewish Community in the Netherlands after the war but were exonerated. Many Jews found themselves in difficult situations, being forced to collaborate on pain of death.

For their part, the Dutch did not sit quietly and do nothing. With the first waves of antisemitic policies came pushback in the form of protests and strikes from the Dutch populace. In February 1941, a strike was met with violent suppression by the Nazi regime, which tried thereafter to limit the amount of violence dealt to non-Jewish Dutch people.

This situation of being forced to collaborate was not just a situation for the Jews. Many Dutch people, especially those in the government and the police, were compelled to perform heinous acts in order to protect themselves and their families. Forced collaboration was an incredibly difficult issue that raised many questions, especially after the war, when people were put on trial for their assistance to the Nazi regime.

The outcome of the Nazi policies in the Netherlands was that over 70% of Dutch Jews were deported. This was a higher proportion than in any other German-occupied territory in Western Europe.

Not all collaboration was forced, however. Some elements of Dutch society supported the Nazis and did so openly. Up to 25,000 Dutch men even volunteered to join the German army and the Waffen-SS.

Hope became a reality in September 1944 with the beginning of Operation Market Garden. Although the operation achieved very limited gains, it represented the beginning of the collapse of German resistance. In the following months, the Netherlands was freed from German control bit by bit. The Allies, however, concentrated their efforts on Germany, not the Netherlands, and Berlin fell before Amsterdam was liberated. Many parts of the Netherlands were only free of German occupation once the Germans had officially surrendered.

However, the months in which liberation was achieved were not as happy as they could have been. The Germans cut off supply to the western region of the country where 4.5 million people lived, and as a result of the Hongerwinter (Hunger Winter), around 18,000 Dutch people starved to death, with relief only arriving as late as May 1945, with the complete surrender of the German forces in Europe.

By the end of the war, 205,901 Dutch people had died from war-related causes. Just over half of them were victims of the Holocaust. This total represented 2.36% of the entire Dutch population at the time and was the highest proportion in Western Europe.

For Dutch people today, the occupation of their country represents an awful time in their history. Generally being a liberal people who value freedom, the five years of Nazi governance is seen as a time that flew directly in the face of Dutch beliefs.

Not only did it aggravate Dutch ways of life, but it humiliated the Dutch people, who, for the most part, did what they could to resist.

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The Dutch Under Nazi Rule: German WWII Occupation of the Netherlands - The Collector

War, Talmud, and agriculture – opinion – The Jerusalem Post

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Variations on the words unity and togetherness have become common in Israeli discourse since October 7. The slogan together we will win is evident everywhere, although apparently not in ultra-orthodox neighborhoods, in which military service is negligible to non-existent. Nevertheless, politicians from that segment of the population draw on unity in their comments and interviews. I have recently seen such by Yitzchak Goldknopf and Arye Deri, leaders of Ashkenazi and Sephardi ultra-Orthodox parties, respectively.

Let me use this platform to suggest how they may express that very unity that they praise. My suggestion will enable them to generate goodwill among the general public, which at this time is doubly sensitive to unequal burden-sharing. This is not about large matters such as compulsory military service or the absence of basic schooling but about small things. How small? From an avocado to an orange, through a cucumber, and onto radishes.

It is no secret that the agricultural sector is in a severe crisis. Farmers and their laborers were murdered while others were evacuated; access to fields was limited by the army; and foreign workers have left. Volunteers attempt to fill this void. Young and old, they pick, pack, and prepare for the next cycle. They attempt to assist the landowners, both private and communal, while helping prevent a rise in the cost of living, which affects us all.

No one expects an unqualified yeshiva student to show up on the frontline and shed his blood. Instead, they could shed some sweat. About a third of some 30,000 foreign workers in the agricultural sector have left the country since October 7. There are about 150,000 full-time students in yeshivot. If they would each allocate one day a week, perhaps not all of them but most, even every fortnight, possibly only on Friday, which is a day off, they could fill the gap, at least until more workers arrive from abroad.

They would thus become a link in a historical chain of tillers of soil, headed by our patriarch Isaac, who sowed in Gerar (apparently between Netivot and Ofakim, not far from Gaza) and reaped a hundredfold. Archeology and our sources testify to our agrarian roots. True, there were limits on land ownership in the Diaspora. But the impression that our forefathers saw produce only in the market is wrong.

Thus, in Hungary last century, my late grandfather owned a threshing machine, which supplemented his earnings as a Talmud teacher, and my late father subsidized his yeshiva studies by pressing grapes for wine. As an added value, such involvement would allow yeshiva students to understand the practical meaning of many agriculture-focused discussions that they see on the page.

They cannot be expected to be as proficient as professional laborers, and work would be adapted to the personal abilities of each one. True, such an enterprise would require a little slowing of their studies. In that, they would join all Israeli students who were called up on October 7 and those whose studies have been interrupted.

Initiatives along these lines, such as those of Karlin Hassidim, are to be applauded, but they are not enough. An extensive and systematic effort by the entire sector will prove to the Israeli public that among the ultra-orthodox and the politicians who represent them, unity is not a theoretical concept that applies to others but applies to them too, as part of the nation as it faces unprecedented challenges.

The writer was Israels first ambassador to the Baltic republics after the disintegration of the Soviet Union, ambassador to South Africa, and congressional liaison officer at the embassy in Washington. She is a graduate of Israels National Defense College.

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War, Talmud, and agriculture - opinion - The Jerusalem Post

Supercomputer Ramanujan Universe to enable engineering students to pursue qualitative research in AI and ML … – Education Times

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The Ramanujan Universe - a supercomputer was inaugurated at Jaypee Institute of Information Technology (JIIT) to help the Engineering students pursue cutting edge research in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML). The supercomputing facility was inaugurated by Rajive Kumar, member secretary, AICTE on the National Mathematics Day.

This newly developed High Performance Supercomputing Center(HPC) facility has eight A 100Graphics Processing Unit(GPU) cards accelerated nodes, six compute nodes, more than 3500 GB RAM and 100 GB InfiniBand connectivity. The supercomputer has been developed with the help of technical expertise provided by Dell. The cost ofRs10crore has been incurred to develop this high computing facility.

Speaking to Education Times, on the sidelines of launch event, BR Mehta, vice-chancellor, JIIT, Noida, says, Introduction of the supercomputer will enable undergraduate, postgraduate and PhD students to solve complex mathematical problems, algorithms and more. Several students involved in AI and ML research can use the supercomputer. In addition to the regular curriculum, we would encourage the students to use the supercomputer for research in healthcare, data analysis, data Science and cyber security."

The needfor supercomputer was felt for long and itslaunchwill fulfil requirementof AI programmerstodevelop diversesoftware applicationscatering to differentindustries.This supercomputer cancalculatewithing fraction of secondsandenable processing of complex tasks and simulations at incredibly high speed.In the era of AI and ML, this facility will play a crucial role in advancing scientific research, technological innovation, and solving complex real- world problems in the areas of AI, Robotics, and many more by harnessing the power of high-speed computation and data processing.

Rajive Kumar, member secretary, AICTE, says, The supercomputing facility will be beneficial to all Engineering students as computing is the major component of their curricula. Besides the computer engineering students, students from mechanical stream can use this to create Computer Aided Design and Drafting technology (CADD) technology. Students can take the help of this supercomputer to complete their online internships and projects. This high-powered supercomputing facility will revolutionise the engineering education in the country. This is the second college which has introduced a facility of high-powered supercomputing after IIT Delhi in North India.

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Supercomputer Ramanujan Universe to enable engineering students to pursue qualitative research in AI and ML ... - Education Times

Liechtenstein extends online gambling ban until 2028, partners with Switzerland to exchange player information – Yogonet International

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The government of Liechtenstein has extended the ban on online gambling until the end of 2028. The decision to delay online operators from obtaining licenses means the continuing inaccessibility of iGaming in the country, despite the legalization of gambling in 2010.

Furthermore, Liechtenstein has entered into an agreement with Switzerland for sharing information on banned players, aiming to ensure" effective cross-border player protection." This agreement is expected to be implemented next year.

Despite the online ban, physical casinos in Liechtenstein have been successful. However, a new measure was introduced in 2022, restricting the licensing of new casinos, in an attempt to moderate the growth of gambling in the country.

Earlier in the year, a referendum posed a question to the population of Liechtenstein regarding a total ban on casinos until 2028. The majority of voters, 73.3% of the 70% who participated, voted against the ban, choosing to keep the casinos open. This decision came despite concerns over potential damage to Liechtenstein's reputation and the risk of increased gambling addiction.

Casinos have been a significant source of revenue for Liechtenstein's economy. In 2018, the country's two casinos generated CHF 53.5 million ($53.6 million) in revenue and paid CHF 19.9 million ($23 million) in taxes and gambling fees, as a result of an effective tax rate of 34.5%.

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Liechtenstein extends online gambling ban until 2028, partners with Switzerland to exchange player information - Yogonet International

ARGENTINA SNUBS BRICS AS ITS FIREBRAND POPULIST LEADER TAKES POWER – The Sunday Guardian

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Milei has already begun to backtrack on some of the key proposals of complete dollarisation and shutting down Argentinas central bank, arguing that it will take time to achieve given the economic crisis.

LONDON

Well, that didnt last long. We will not join the BRICS, said Diana Mondino, who will serve as Argentinas top diplomat in the government of President-elect Javier Milei when he is sworn into office today. Only last August at the summit in Johannesburg, members of the bloc consisting of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South America invited Argentina, along with five other countries, to become new members. It was planned that Argentinas membership would have taken effect three weeks tomorrow, along with Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates. Now the expanded BRICS will consist of ten countries on 1 January 2024 instead of the planned eleven. Although Mondinos announcement appeared to be a bolt from the blue, no-one who followed the far-right populist Mileis election campaign would have been surprised. During the campaign he criticised Brazilian leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva many times, labelling him an angry communist and socialist with a totalitarian vocation. Brazil is Argentinas biggest trading partner. Milei also harshly criticised China, comparing the government to an assassin and threatening to cut off ties. I would not promote relations with communists, whether its Cuba, Venezuela, North Korea, Nicaragua, or China, he said in an August interview on Bloomberg Television. China has been a major investor in the Argentine economy and Beijing had been concerned that an anti-China administration in Buenos Aires could harm Chinas extensive interests in the country, ranging from mining to a secretive space station China operates in Argentina. Knowing Mileis anti-Beijing stance, President Xi Jinping had bet heavily on the Peronists candidate, former Economic Minister Sergio Massa, even releasing a $6.5 billion in yuan into the two countries bilateral currency swap account just before voting took place, hoping to help prop up the Argentine economy and prevent further currency devaluation prior to the election. It turned out to be a bad bet by Xi.

In the event, Javier Milei won by a surprisingly large margin of twelve points in the presidential election on 19 November. Now the big question is whether he can turn around the countrys crisis-stricken economy. Milei campaigned on the promise of deep spending cuts and dollarisation, the idea of replacing the Argentinian peso with the US dollar. In promising shock therapy for Argentina, Milei also campaigned on plans to shut the central bank and slash spending. But all this will be hard to implement given the countrys political and economic realities. After the result of the poll was announced, Milei made his customary defiant speech. The model of decadence has come to an end and theres no going back, he declared. He then raised the challenges that faced the country: we have monumental problems aheadinflation, lack of work and poverty. The situation is critical and theres no place for tepid half-measures. In fact, Mileis challenges are even greater than monumental. Government coffers are empty and theres also the not-so-small matter of a $44 billion debt program with the International Monetary Fund. The country has a dizzying array of capital controls and a humongous inflation rate nearing 150 percent. In an attempt to curb the runaway inflation, in October Argentinas central bank had raised the benchmark rate of interest to an astonishing 118 percent. Mileis victory marked a profound rupture in Argentinas system of political representation. The 53-year-old economist and former TV personality shattered the hegemony of the two leading political forces that have dominated the countrys politics since the 1940s: the Peronists on the left and Together for Change on the right. His opponent, the 51-year-old Peronist candidate and experienced wheeler-dealer, Sergio Massa, had sought to appeal to voter fears about Mileis plans to cut back the size of the state as well as his volatile character. In the early part of the campaign Milei outrageously carried a chainsaw as a symbol of his planned cuts, but decided to shelve it in the weeks before voting took place in order to help boost his moderate image. Massas appeal went unheeded.

So now the hard work begins. In recent years, Argentina has lurched from one profound economic crisis to another. The country is also currently in recession, fuelled by a three-year drought that has done much damage to agricultural exports. The harvest of soybeans, one of the nations biggest exports, is barely one-third of five years ago. All this is exacerbating the cost of living crisis, which has already driven poverty levels above forty percent. Meanwhile, Argentina holds the unenviable position of being number one on the debtor list of the IMF. Stringent currency controls have made it hard to move money out of the country, which has led to a black market in pesos whose value has also been falling sharply. During election debates, Milei argued that by stopping the central bank from printing more money, which it has relied on to finance public spending, and replacing the peso with the US dollar, inflation would be cured. Sceptical critics claimed that this would be impractical as the central bank would lose control over monetary policy, and in any case Argentina has insufficient currency reserves to implement the plan. Mileis dollarisation plan is also a worry for economists; but political opposition and Argentinas lack of foreign reserves make the chances of that happening narrow at best. As so often when populists meet reality, since his victory Milei has already begun to backtrack on some of the key proposals of complete dollarisation and shutting down Argentinas central bank, arguing that it will take time to achieve this given the economic crisis. His pragmatism is also likely to extend to foreign policy.

While Mileis control over Argentinas economic fate is limited, hell have an element of free reign over the countrys foreign policy. During the campaign he announced some very large shifts in Argentinas relationships with other countries. The outgoing President Alberto Fernandez had pursued a foreign policy aligned with many of his leftist counterparts in South America, including Brazilian President Lula da Silva and Colombian President Gustavo Petro. Fernandez built political alliances through the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States and recently convinced the BRICS member states to make Argentina one of the countries included in the organisations first expansion. The far-right populist Milei plans to undo all that.

During the election campaign, Milei insisted that his foreign policy would strengthen ties with the free world and avoid contact with communist countries. After the primaries, he indicated that he would freeze official trade relations with China, but his campaign rhetoric is already giving way to pragmatism. Since his win, Milei has softened his stance on Beijing in view of China being Argentinas second largest trade partner, accounting for nearly ten percent of all Argentinian exports. He has also sought to mend fences with Brazils President Lula by inviting him to todays inauguration, an invitation which Lula snubbed by nominating his Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira in his place. Maybe its also because Lulas arch rival, former Argentine President Jair Bolsonaro, has accepted an invitation to attend. Javier Milei is hardly the first of that countrys leaders to come to power boldly promising a cure for Argentinas extensive economic and social problems. For decades, new leaders on both left and right of the political spectrum have come to power with a radical reform programme breaking with the past. None of them have had more than temporary success in taking the country out of the malaise that has characterised most of its modern history. Will the libertarian populist Milei break the mould? Probably not. He might even change his mind and decide to join the expanded BRICS!

John Dobson is a former British diplomat, who also worked in UK Prime Minister John Majors office between 1995 and 1998. He is currently Visiting Fellow at the University of Plymouth.

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ARGENTINA SNUBS BRICS AS ITS FIREBRAND POPULIST LEADER TAKES POWER - The Sunday Guardian