
<h2 id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>UBS Group AG has struck a deal to buy Credit Suisse—a rival Swiss bank rocked by financial turmoil—for over $3 billion, the <a href="https://www.ubs.com/global/en/media/display-page-ndp/en-20230319-tree.html?caasID=CAAS-ActivityStream" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">two</a> <a href="https://www.credit-suisse.com/about-us-news/en/articles/media-releases/credit-suisse-and-ubs-to-merge-202303.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">banks</a> announced Sunday, as bank executives and Swiss officials sprint to contain a crisis sparked in part by the collapse of two major U.S. banks last week.</p>



<h2 id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>UBS ultimately agreed to pay $3.2 billion (or 3 billion Swiss Francs) in an all-share deal, with Credit Suisse investors receiving one UBS share for every 22.48 Credit Suisse shares held, up from a $1 billion initial offer that Credit Suisse&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-03-19/credit-suisse-said-to-push-back-against-ubs-s-1-billion-offer?srnd=premium&amp;sref=h6OFVeND" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reportedly</a>&nbsp;viewed as too low.</p>



<p>The deal represents a large discount compared to Credit Suisse’s market capitalization just two days ago: UBS says the acquisition will cost the equivalent of $0.82 (or 0.76 Swiss Francs) per share, less than half Credit Suisse’s $2.01 share price when markets closed Friday.</p>



<p>The combined company will have over $5 trillion in total invested assets, and UBS expects to make $8 billion in cost cuts over the next four years, UBS said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ubs.com/global/en/media/display-page-ndp/en-20230319-tree.html?caasID=CAAS-ActivityStream" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">statement</a>&nbsp;late Sunday.</p>



<p>The Swiss government helped broker the deal, with an apparent goal of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/ubs-offers-1-billion-to-take-over-credit-suisse-bfac51fa" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">completing the merger</a>&nbsp;before Asian markets open Monday morning.</p>



<p>As part of the agreement, the Swiss National Bank—the country’s central bank—offered Credit Suisse and UBS up to $108 billion in liquidity assistance loans, it said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.snb.ch/en/mmr/reference/pre_20230319/source/pre_20230319.en.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">statement</a>.</p>



<p>The Swiss government is also expected to speed the deal up by waiving the six-week waiting period normally required before a merger, according to the&nbsp;<em>New York Times</em>, and Swiss authorities are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ubs.com/global/en/media/display-page-ndp/en-20230319-tree.html?caasID=CAAS-ActivityStream" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">not requiring UBS</a>&nbsp;to get shareholder approval.</p>



<h2 id="h-crucial-quote">CRUCIAL QUOTE</h2>



<p>“With the takeover of Credit Suisse by UBS, a solution has been found to secure financial stability and protect the Swiss economy in this exceptional situation,” the Swiss National Bank said.</p>



<h2 id="h-big-number">BIG NUMBER</h2>



<p>$54 billion. That’s how much Credit Suisse borrowed from the Swiss National Bank on Thursday. The central bank&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianbushard/2023/03/15/credit-suisse-turmoil-swiss-central-bank-will-support-troubled-bank-if-necessary/?sh=28fe408b7619">offered to provide liquidity</a>&nbsp;to Credit Suisse “if necessary” hours earlier, but the bank’s share price still slid almost 7% the following day.</p>



<h2 id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>Shares of Credit Suisse have plummeted in recent weeks, and trading was halted Wednesday after the share price&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2023/03/15/credit-suisse-stock-plunges-to-record-low-as-bank-concerns-grow/#:~:text=Trading%20in%20Credit%20Suisse%20shares,weaknesses%E2%80%9D%20in%20its%20financial%20reporting.">fell up to 21%</a>. On Tuesday, the bank said it had found “material weaknesses” in its 2021 and 2022 financial reporting processes. In response, its biggest backer, the Saudi National Bank, said it wouldn’t buy any more shares in Credit Suisse. The recent collapses of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank in the U.S., triggered partially by rising interest rates, caused uncertainty about wider vulnerabilities in the banking system worldwide—concerns that intensified after warning signs appeared at Credit Suisse. But the bank’s downfall wasn’t directly caused by SVB and Signature, and its problems predate the current crisis, as it ended the 2022 fiscal year with a loss of nearly $8 billion. The bank itself and some executives and advisors have also recently been linked to scandals, including alleged fraud and failing to prevent money laundering.</p>



<h2 id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2023/03/16/whats-happening-with-credit-suisse-explained-embattled-bank-rattles-stock-market-as-banking-crisis-deepens/?sh=68b78b3f35a2">What&#8217;s Happening With Credit Suisse, Explained: Embattled Bank Rattles Stock Market As Banking Crisis Deepens</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.ft.com/content/ec4be743-052a-4381-a923-c2fbd7ea9cfd" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UBS offers to buy Credit Suisse for up to $1bn | Financial Times</a>&nbsp;(Financial Times)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/19/business/ubs-credit-suisse.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UBS Nears Deal to Buy Credit Suisse &#8211; The New York Times</a>&nbsp;(New York Times)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-03-19/credit-suisse-said-to-push-back-against-ubs-s-1-billion-offer?srnd=premium&amp;sref=h6OFVeND" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Credit Suisse Said to Push Back Against UBS’s $1 Billion Offer</a>&nbsp;(Bloomberg)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/ubs-offers-1-billion-to-take-over-credit-suisse-bfac51fa?st=xgxhbro7darct8y&amp;reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UBS Offers $1 Billion to Buy Credit Suisse</a> (Wall Street Journal)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/marisadellatto/"></a><em><strong>By Marisa Dellatto, Forbes Staff</strong></em></p>


Deutsche Bank AG Headquarters As Lender To Shrink Workforce By About 26,000

UBS Buying Rival Credit Suisse In $3.2 Billion Rescue Deal


<h2>Topline</h2>



<p>A woman appears to have been cured of HIV after receiving a transplant of stem cells from umbilical cord blood, scientists announced Thursday, joining only a handful of people cured from the virus following a novel procedure that increases the odds of making a cure available to a more racially diverse group of people than would be possible using other treatments.</p>



<h2 id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>A middle-aged, mixed-race woman—called the “New York patient” to protect privacy—appears to have been cured from HIV after receiving a stem cell transplant to treat leukemia, researchers wrote in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(23)00173-3" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">medical case report&nbsp;</a>published in&nbsp;<em>Cell</em>.</p>



<p>The patient, who has been living without HIV since 2017 and is no longer taking drugs to suppress the virus, could be the first woman to be cured of the virus, though the researchers conservatively describe her case as one of long-term remission.</p>



<p>Just&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-00479-2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">three</a>&nbsp;people have been confirmed clear of HIV—another in long-term&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/jul/28/hiv-aids-stem-cell-transplant-oldest-patient-cured" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">remission</a>&nbsp;is expected to join this group—all of whom beat the virus after receiving bone marrow transplants from donors naturally resistant to HIV.</p>



<p>As the mutation conferring HIV resistance is rare—though less so among white people—and stem cell donors must be carefully matched to patients, including by race and ethnicity, researchers said it is very difficult finding suitable, HIV-resistant donors for patients of color.</p>



<p>Stem cells from umbilical cord blood are both more readily available and do not need to be matched as closely as adult cells do, which “broadens the opportunities” for people of all racial backgrounds living with HIV to be cured, said study coleader Yvonne Bryson, a professor of pediatrics at UCLA.</p>



<p>Though certainly a game changer for people who need a transplant already, the researchers stressed that stem cell transplants are not a realistic cure for HIV on their own given the procedure’s risky, highly invasive nature and brutal side effects.</p>



<h2 id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>Barring the unique circumstances of a very small number of people, there is no cure for HIV. Historically, an HIV diagnosis was a death sentence, but today those living with the virus can expect to live long, healthy lives on par with their HIV-negative peers if they receive prompt treatment with antiviral drugs. Such treatment, inevitably lifelong, can reduce the virus to undetectable levels in the body, keeping it in check and preventing it from being passed on to others. These drugs can also prevent infection if taken by someone without HIV—a technique called PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis)—which has been hailed as a major public health breakthrough in efforts to combat the virus. Unfortunately, drugs used to treat or prevent HIV are often beyond the reach of many people in poorer countries who are at risk of infection or living with the virus, and it is still a major contributor to death and disease worldwide.</p>



<h2 id="h-tangent">TANGENT</h2>



<p>Experts are working hard to develop ways of curing, treating and preventing HIV infection, but it is a uniquely challenging virus to fight. Its biology means scientists have to approach it differently than other pathogens like measles, polio and influenza. It mutates rapidly, can hide from the immune system and sets up viral reservoirs during the earliest stages of infection that can activate years later, all of which complicate efforts to treat or prevent infection. The virus also targets the immune cells normally responsible for fighting invaders, weakening and destroying immune defenses over time, which can progress to Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, or AIDS. Additionally, and unlike many other viruses, HIV is not naturally cleared by the body once established, meaning any vaccine must meet a higher bar of preventing it from gaining a foothold in the body.</p>



<h2 id="h-what-to-watch-for">WHAT TO WATCH FOR</h2>



<p>Scientists have been trying to create an HIV vaccine for decades. Efforts have not panned out so far, most recently when a promising candidate&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/18/health/hiv-vaccine-janssen.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">failed</a>&nbsp;in late-stage clinical trials this year. One candidate tested in the 2000s even&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nature.2013.13971" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">appeared</a>&nbsp;to increase the risk of contracting the virus. Despite the setbacks, experts are still trying to develop one and are pushing ahead with new approaches, such as using the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/nih-launches-clinical-trial-three-mrna-hiv-vaccines" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">mRNA</a>&nbsp;technology behind Moderna and Pfizer’s successful Covid vaccines.</p>



<h2 id="h-big-number">BIG NUMBER</h2>



<p>40.1 million. That’s how many people have died from AIDS-related illnesses since the start of the HIV epidemic,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.unaids.org/en/resources/fact-sheet" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according</a>&nbsp;to UNAIDS.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/themes/hiv-aids" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">According</a>&nbsp;to the World Health Organization, some 38.4 million people were living with the virus in 2021. An estimated 1.5 million people acquired HIV that year and some 650,000 people died from AIDS-related illnesses, the agency said.</p>



<h2 id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/14/health/pepfar-hiv.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The U.S. Program That Brought H.I.V. Treatment to 20 Million People</a>&nbsp;(NYT)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/18/health/hiv-vaccine-janssen.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Only H.I.V. Vaccine in Advanced Trials Has Failed. What Now?</a> (NYT)</p>



<p><strong><em>By Robert Hart, Forbes Staff</em></strong></p>


Medical technician preparing a human sample for HIV testing

New York Woman Cured Of HIV With New Treatment


<h2 id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>A lethal, skin-eating fungus has been rapidly spreading across African wildlife since the turn of the century, scientists warned Wednesday, shedding light on an unnoticed amphibian plague that has driven more species to extinction or near-extinction than any other pathogen and now risks wiping out even more across the African continent.</p>



<h2 id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>Bd—<em>Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis</em>—is a highly infectious fungus that kills frogs, toads, salamanders and other amphibians by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.1176765?adobe_mc=MCMID%3D55427380907147007360115305422850798293%7CMCORGID%3D242B6472541199F70A4C98A6%2540AdobeOrg%7CTS%3D1678810677" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">attacking</a>&nbsp;the skin and triggering heart attacks, and likely existed for&nbsp;<a href="https://cisr.ucr.edu/invasive-species/chytrid-fungus" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">decades</a>&nbsp;in amphibian populations before human activity, most&nbsp;<a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.2018.360.6389.twis?adobe_mc=MCMID%3D55427380907147007360115305422850798293%7CMCORGID%3D242B6472541199F70A4C98A6%2540AdobeOrg%7CTS%3D1678842504" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">likely the wildlife trade</a>, accidentally&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/amphibian-apocalypse-frogs-salamanders-worst-chytrid-fungus" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">spread</a>&nbsp;it around the world.</p>



<p>Though Bd,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2019/03/bd-frogs-apocalypse-disease/585862/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">described</a>&nbsp;as the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/amphibian-apocalypse-frogs-salamanders-worst-chytrid-fungus" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">worst</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/28/science/frogs-fungus-bd.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">disease</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/amphibians-decline-frogs-chytrid-fungi-bd-animals-science" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ever</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/fungal-disease-linked-decline-500-amphibian-species-worlds-deadliest-pathogen-180971831/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">recorded</a>, has wiped out hundreds of amphibian species around the world and caused the decline of hundreds more, species living in Africa were thought to have been spared the scourge.</p>



<p>To the contrary,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcosc.2023.1069490/full" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">research</a>&nbsp;published Wednesday in&nbsp;<em>Frontiers in Conservation Science</em>&nbsp;suggests Bd is already firmly established across Africa and has simply gone unnoticed.</p>



<p>Though scattered cases of Bd could be detected from the early 1930s, the fungal infection really began to spread across the continent in 2000 and around a decade later more than 20% of samples tested positive for the infection, rising as high as 74% in some regions.</p>



<p>The researchers said the findings—which coincide with some reports of amphibian die-offs and extinctions—indicate the fungus has been overlooked, rather than absent, and point to a grave threat for Africa’s diverse array of amphibian species, with those in central, eastern and western regions of Africa at the greatest risk.</p>



<p>In areas where the fungus has been monitored more thoroughly, Bd has driven hundreds of amphibian species to extinction or near-extinction and caused population declines in more than 500&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/amphibian-apocalypse-frogs-salamanders-worst-chytrid-fungus" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">species</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.science.org/content/article/fungus-has-wiped-out-more-species-any-other-disease" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">making</a>&nbsp;it the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/amphibians-decline-frogs-chytrid-fungi-bd-animals-science" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">worst</a>&nbsp;pathogen in history in terms of biodiversity.</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicholasreimann/2023/03/13/mcconnell-released-from-hospital-after-broken-rib-and-concussion/?traffic_source=Connatix">McConnell Released From Hospital AfterBroken Rib And Concussion</a></p>



<h2 id="h-what-to-watch-for">WHAT TO WATCH FOR</h2>



<p>Amphibians matter more than most people realize and losing them could have major consequences. Foremost, amphibians are keystone species in many ecosystems, meaning their loss can dramatically change the environment for the worse. These downstream consequences can have a big impact, such as&nbsp;<a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/ac8e1d" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">driving</a>&nbsp;malaria cases up dramatically as there are fewer frogs to keep mosquitos in check. Biodiversity is also an important&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/oct/09/how-biodiversity-loss-is-jeopardising-the-drugs-of-the-future" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">driver</a>&nbsp;of innovation, notably medicine, and the more species that are lost the fewer opportunities we have to learn from them. For example, salamanders—which&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6679358/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">possess</a>&nbsp;the remarkable&nbsp;<a href="https://ec.europa.eu/research-and-innovation/en/horizon-magazine/limb-regenerating-fire-god-salamander-central-wound-repair-quest" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ability</a>&nbsp;to regrow tissues, organs or even limbs—are being studied with a view to unlocking new ways of treating serious wounds.</p>



<h2 id="h-what-we-don-t-know">WHAT WE DON’T KNOW</h2>



<p>It’s not clear why Bd only started to take off in Africa from 2000, much later than other continents and decades after other parts of the world had reported major Bd outbreaks. It could just be chance, said study author Vance Vredenburg, a professor at San Francisco State University and the University of California Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, Berkeley. Increased air travel of humans and cargo, which could help transport and spread the fungus, “is also a culprit,” Vredenburg suggested. Climate change could also play a role, Vredenburg said, possibly by making amphibians more susceptible to infection or making the environment more hospitable for the fungus.</p>



<h2 id="h-crucial-quote">CRUCIAL QUOTE</h2>



<p>The rapid surge of Bd in 2000 could signal that the fungus is already driving down amphibian populations in Africa, Vredenburg said. “Extinctions of amphibians may already be occurring in Africa without anyone knowing about it,” Vredenburg added. Though eliminating the pathogen will be impossible, Vredenburg said knowing more about how and when it spreads could save afflicted amphibian species. Given that it “appears to be moved globally by humans, we have a moral imperative to get involved and try to manage and mitigate whenever possible,” Vredenburg said.</p>



<h2 id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2023/01/16/the-last-of-us-zombie-infection-is-real-heres-what-scientists-say-about-the-threat-to-humans/?sh=16251fbc2a6e">‘The Last Of Us’ Zombie Infection Is Real—Here’s What Scientists Say About The Threat To Humans</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2023/02/08/the-last-of-us-zombie-fungus-pandemic-is-fiction-but-experts-warn-fungi-are-a-major-and-growing-health-threat/?sh=32552424780f">The ‘Last Of Us’ Zombie Fungus Pandemic Is Fiction, But Experts Warn Fungi Are A Major—And Growing—Health Threat</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/amphibian-apocalypse-frogs-salamanders-worst-chytrid-fungus" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Amphibian &#8216;apocalypse&#8217; caused by most destructive pathogen ever</a>&nbsp;(National Geographic)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2019/03/bd-frogs-apocalypse-disease/585862/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Worst Disease Ever Recorded</a> (Atlantic)</p>



<p><strong><em>By Robert Hart, Forbes Staff</em></strong></p>


Frog in pond

A Skin-Eating Fungal Plague Is Silently Tearing Through Wildlife Across Africa, Scientists Warn


<h2 id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>Companies like Uber and Lyft can continue to treat their California-based drivers as independent contractors, a state appeals court ruled on Monday, mostly upholding a ballot measure called Proposition 22 that carved out special exceptions for ride hailing and delivery services from a 2019 California labor law that would have forced them to provide benefits to their drivers.</p>



<h2>KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>The San Francisco Appeal Court’s ruling overturned a 2021 lower court verdict that deemed Proposition 22 as unenforceable and unconstitutional under California law.</p>



<p>Appellate court’s decision means that drivers working for app-based ride hailing and delivery platforms like Uber, Lyft and Postmates will not be entitled to benefits like paid sick leave and health insurance from the companies.</p>



<p>The companies, however, will not be able to stop their drivers from joining a labor union to collectively bargain for better pay and benefits, the court ruled.</p>



<p>Monday’s ruling could still be appealed to the California Supreme Court.</p>



<h2>CHIEF CRITIC</h2>



<p>Reacting to the verdict, Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher, the leader of the California Labor Federation,&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/CaliforniaLabor/status/1635421272795643904" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">said</a>: “Today the Appeals Court chose to stand with powerful corporations over working people, allowing companies to buy their way out of our state’s labor laws and undermine our state constitution. Our system is broken. It would be an understatement to say we are disappointed by this decision.”</p>



<h2>KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>In 2019, California lawmakers passed a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/faq_independentcontractor.htm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">law</a>—then known as Assembly Bill 5—which placed limits on companies treating workers as independent contractors over employees. Under this law drivers working for platforms such as Uber, Lyft, GrubHub, Postmates and others would be classified as employees and entitled to benefits. The app-based companies opposed this law and backed a ballot measure in the November 2020 elections that would grant them special exemption from the law, pouring $204 million in funding to back it. The measure, known as Proposition 22, offered some benefits to the drivers including a minimum wage and a healthcare stipend if they averaged more than 25 hours of work a week. The measure&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/rachelsandler/2020/11/04/uber-lyft-drivers-in-california-to-remain-independent-contractors-after-prop-22-victory/?sh=cb172a3677ab">passed</a>&nbsp;with 58% of votes in its favor, delivering a major victory for the company. In 2021, the Service Employees International Union and three drivers&nbsp;<a href="https://techcrunch.com/2021/01/12/gig-workers-seiu-file-lawsuit-alleging-prop-22-is-unconstitutional/?guccounter=1&amp;guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&amp;guce_referrer_sig=AQAAALOvrCaQyr1EporszS-F1FtFlgBgm5Ws_Bk2av6G3Fqo7ISDu3JN9WSqkwWAsHjYXE7QRB7J3dA1hoGjwmu2YvOI2x7zl5oJFvh32_s-Fl6L8DLJ9j1Jfy90MepTHQlnW1NUUYB8dUcFgHvrFhNNFfTIySPhjPY7cJbKVbaKaWEp" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sued</a>&nbsp;to overturn the measure, calling it unconstitutional.</p>



<h2>FURTHER READING</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/03/13/california-uber-lyft-proposition-22-contractors/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Uber, Lyft can treat drivers as contractors, California court says</a>(Washington Post)</p>



<p><strong><em>By Siladitya Ray, Forbes Staff</em></strong></p>


Top Earning Tech Companies

Uber And Lyft Can Treat Drivers As Independent Contractors, California Court Rules


<p><strong>Flora Duffy, gold medallist in the women’s triathlon at the last Olympics in Tokyo, is determined to repeat the feat again next yea</strong>r. </p>



<p>The mountains that surround Stellenbosch are a veritable paradise for sportspeople, offering the perfect challenge for both serious and recreational trainers.</p>



<p>And there is no shortage of takers. Any day, and throughout the daylight hours, the roads around the town heading up either the Drakenstein, Jonkershoek, Simonsberg or Stellenbosch mountains are filled with cyclists and runners.</p>



<p>For part of the year, among their number is Flora Duffy, gold medallist in the women’s triathlon at the last Olympics in Tokyo and determined to repeat the feat again next year.</p>



<p>The name of the 35-year-old might not immediately jump out at followers of South African sport and there is a good reason why.</p>



<p>Duffy hails from Bermuda, as far as you can get from the Cape winelands on the tip of the southern African continent. The tiny island lies some 1,000km off the US into the Atlantic and is a British overseas territory, renowned more for its pink beaches and the semi-formal knee length short pants.</p>



<p>She is royalty on the island; their only ever gold medallist and most famous sports person.</p>



<p>She ran to glory in the rain, having swum churning seas, and cycled in the wet before surging away from the field in Tokyo for a triumph that was decades in the making. Duffy has been an aspiring triathlete from before her 10th birthday and was competing at her fourth Olympics, having first gone to Beijing in 2008 at the age of 21.</p>



<p>She had paid her dues on the international triathlon circuit, winning the first of four world championships in 2016, and meeting fellow triathlete, South African Dan Hugo, who had success also on the world tour. The two married in 2017, and he has since become her coach and manager and hence the Stellenbosch connection.</p>



<p>“Stellenbosch has played a very big role in my preparations every single year. This is my 10th summer here,” Duffy tells FORBES AFRICA at her home in the quiet suburbs, where she starts her pre-season training which this year is very much focused on the defence of her Olympic title in just over 12 months’ time.</p>



<p>“A lot of people locally have really helped me, whether it&#8217;s to train with me or to help with a bit of coaching medically. Yeah, I have a really great team here. So when I come back in December/January, I can slot right back in and I have this community that&#8217;s very supportive.</p>



<p>“And yeah, there were are crucial people that have played important roles on my journey, building up towards Tokyo. So when I came back here, after Tokyo, there was some very meaningful people that I wanted to show the medal to and celebrate with,” says Duffy, engaging, affable and welcoming when FORBES AFRICA comes to visit.</p>



<p>The Olympic medal might have been a dream from early but Duffy admits the reaction to it – particularly on her island – was way more than she anticipated.</p>



<p>“I couldn&#8217;t believe how much. I planned so much about the race in Tokyo and performing my best to win. I never thought about the after and what it would mean to so many people in Bermuda, I just did not think of that all through,” he explains.</p>



<p>“So my world felt like it changed in an instant. And it was incredible to see the response and see how meaningful and how impactful winning Bermuda’s first-ever gold medal was to everyone back home. It was incredibly special and it felt like it was more than just this sport. And I think that&#8217;s a really powerful place to be.</p>



<p>“In some ways, being Olympic champion does change your life. But then I think my daily life is still the same thing. At the beginning of the season, I&#8217;m quite unfit. I turn up to training and I get hammered in the pool. And I&#8217;m like, ‘oh yeah, I am the Olympic champion but I&#8217;m also just a normal human in a way’.”</p>



<p>But Duffy wants to be anything but normal come July next year in Paris when she defends her gold.</p>



<p>“After winning in Tokyo, the start of the 2022 season was pretty tricky for me because I think for the first time I was sort of hit with, ‘well, why am I doing this? What now, I&#8217;ve achieved my biggest goal?’ And here I’m still training. So I really had to rethink it and kind of reframe why I&#8217;m still doing it.</p>



<p>“But then there&#8217;s this other part of me that obviously loves the Olympics, I&#8217;m still doing well, I&#8217;m still enjoying it for the most part. And being in Tokyo, everything went perfectly from a race point of view. But I didn&#8217;t have my friends, my family, my sponsors, that sort of Olympic experience, because of all the COVID protocols that were in place,” Duffy adds.</p>



<p>“So that&#8217;s really a big motivation, to go back to Paris and to have everyone there, almost regardless of the outcome, just to see it as sort of a celebration of my career, getting to race at the Olympics, as a defending champion in front of everybody.”</p>


IMG_5443

From Being Bermuda’s First-Ever Olympic Triathlete Champion To Celebrating Success In A South African Wine Town


<h2 id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>Kenya is experiencing a nationwide power blackout following a “system disturbance,” according to a statement Saturday from the nation’s lone electricity provider, as efforts to restore power continue—though the company has provided little information about the outage.</p>



<h2>KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>Kenya Power, which provides a bulk of its power through Kenya Electricity Generating Company, said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/KenyaPower_Care/status/1632042740035862530" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">statement</a>&nbsp;Saturday it had “lost bulk power supply to various parts of the country due to a system disturbance.”</p>



<p>Power has been restored to some parts of Eldoret, Kisumu and Nakuru, the company&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/KenyaPower_Care/status/1632064951056465925" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">added</a>, and said initial reports indicated a fault on the company’s high-voltage power transmission line caused the outage.</p>



<p>A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.the-star.co.ke/business/kenya/2023-03-03-ethiopia-saves-kenya-from-power-rationing/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">report</a>&nbsp;by the Kenyan news agency The Star earlier this week suggests Kenya has faced a high demand amid a low supply of electricity over the last year, citing sources from Kenya Power.</p>



<p>The company noted it was working “to restore normalcy within the shortest time possible.”</p>



<h2>SURPRISING FACT</h2>



<p>This is not the first time Kenya has faced a nationwide blackout. Kenya Power attributed a “system disturbance” during a blackout in November, 10 months after another blackout was caused by a severed high-voltage transmission line connection between its capital, Nairobi, and a hydroelectric dam,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/system-disturbance-causes-power-outage-across-parts-kenya-distributor-2022-11-24/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according&nbsp;</a>to Reuters.</p>



<h2>BIG NUMBER</h2>



<p>56.2 million. That’s the estimated population of Kenya, <a href="https://www.unfpa.org/data/world-population/KE" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according</a> to the United Nations. The nation’s largest city, Nairobi, last reported an estimated population of 4.3 million people in 2019.</p>



<h2>TANGENT</h2>



<p>South African President Cyril Ramphosa declared a nationwide “state of disaster” last month as that country also faces an electricity crisis, causing it to endure daily power outages of up to 10 hours,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/09/world/africa/south-africa-power-energy-crisis.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according</a>&nbsp;to the&nbsp;<em>New York Times</em>.</p>



<h2>FURTHER READING</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/kenya-hit-by-nationwide-power-outage-2023-03-04/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Kenya Hit By Nationwide Power Outage</a> (<em>Reuters</em>)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/tylerroush/"></a><strong><em>By Ty Roush, Forbes Staff</em></strong></p>


Silhouette Skyscrapers Against Orange Sky

This African Country Of Millions Is Without Power—Here’s What We Know


<p>To be the leader of Nigeria, Africa’s biggest and most populous nation, there are several political nuances to be borne in mind. Firstly, Nigeria with an estimated population of about 210 million people, is made up of tribes with over 500 languages. That means to assume power, one has to be able to have a wide base of support and in the past that support has shifted between the majority Christian South and the predominantly Muslim North.</p>



<p>In order words, if a southern (Christian) leader emerges, he strategically appoints a Northern (Muslim) Vice President and vice versa, in order to increase the amount of support needed to facilitate a peaceful rule.</p>



<p>So, when Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a Muslim political godfather and someone widely considered as instrumental in the fight for Nigeria’s democracy, decided to run for the country’s top political position under the All Progressives Congress Party (APC) by appointing another Muslim second in command, there was uproar across the political ecosystem in Nigeria.</p>



<p>Many believed that the strategic blunder would prove to be his undoing but against all odds, Tinubu has emerged victorious in the recently concluded election amassing 37% of the total votes with over 8.8 million votes. His closest competition, Atiku Abubakar under Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) secured 29% of the votes with 6.9 million votes and the surprise entry of Peter Obi under the Labour Party coming in at third place with 25% of votes accounting for 6.1 million.</p>



<p>However, the win is currently being disputed by the opposing parties.</p>



<p>There were widespread reports of many Nigerians not being able to vote due to late starts and violence in several polling stations. Furthermore, the new innovative solution introduced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) reportedly did not work. The Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), which was meant as a solution to remove election rigging and provide transparency in the voting system, was allegedly not working across several polling stations.</p>



<p>In all, 93 million Nigerians were registered to vote and out of those, 87 million people collected their voting cards ahead of the elections. However, INEC reports the lowest voter turnout since 1999.</p>



<p>“So where did all the people who queued for hours to collect their voter cards go? Some spent over five hours in lines just so they could vote and you mean to tell me they went through all that problem only to not vote? Impossible. The problem was the disruptions at the polling stations,” says Tonye Bello, an MBA student in Lagos.</p>



<p>“Like many other elections, this election has many setbacks, ranging from the snatching of ballot boxes, stuffing of ballot papers to the inability of INEC staff to upload results at the polling units. This last reason has made many to doubt the independent electoral umpire,” says Paul Alaje, a Senior Economist and Partner with SPM Professionals.</p>



<p>Despite these concerns, there are also many who believe the results are not that far-fetched. Tinubu is not new to politics or governance for that matter. He brought widespread innovation and growth under his tenure as a two-term governor of Lagos State. Widely respected as a political strategist, he was instrumental in securing the Presidency for outgoing Muhammadu Buhari and one of the few leaders who have made friends across the Niger.</p>



<p>“The just-concluded presidential election was not without setback for Senator Tinubu even though he won the majority vote, he didn&#8217;t win the absolute majority as declared by INEC. This is because Senator Tinubu is a Muslim from the South who chose another Muslim as his Vice President from the North; this has affected the usual practice of Christian-Muslim, Muslim-Christian president and vice president in Nigeria,” says Alaje.</p>



<p>The Christian-Muslim population in Nigeria is almost 50% of the entire population. This was perhaps why it was not a surprise when Tinubu lost his strongest hold, Lagos State, a place that he has always won elections since 1999, to Peter Obi.</p>



<p>In any case, if the win is upheld by the Electoral Commission, Tinubu has his work cut out for him. He must immediately grapple with declining economic growth in Nigeria as well as insecurity across many parts of the country alongside unprecedented youth unemployment. The general opinion of Nigeria’s youth is that a younger president would have been preferred instead of the political old guards who are wealthy and as a result out of touch with the needs of the everyday Nigerian.</p>



<p>“As this announcement was made, many lovers and believers of Tinubu, as well as his party celebrated his win, however the critical stakeholders have kept mute till now. The Nigerian youth and business communities have not made any official comments regarding this victory. At best we can say, victory has been declared depending on each person&#8217;s perspectives and political affiliation,” says Alaje.</p>



<p>The coming weeks will be critical to see if this win is upheld or Nigerians are made to return to the polls for a second time.</p>


Election In Nigeria

Tinubu Declared Winner In Africa’s Biggest Economy But Victory Disputed


<h2 id="h-topline"><a href="https://policies.google.com/privacy" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"></a>TOPLINE</h2>



<p>FBI Director Christopher Wray told Fox News on Tuesday he believes the Covid-19 pandemic was likely the result<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/marisadellatto/2023/02/26/covid-likely-originated-from-lab-leak-energy-department-reportedly-finds-but-biden-aide-says-theres-no-definitive-answer/?sh=14ba5c281109">&nbsp;of a laboratory leak</a>&nbsp;in Wuhan, China, backing up recent reports that two federal agencies—the FBI and the Department of Energy—now believe the once widely dismissed conclusion.</p>



<h2>KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>Wray told Fox News’ Bret Baier the FBI “has for quite some time now” assessed that Covid was caused by a lab leak.</p>



<p>Wray did not go into details about how the assessment was made, claiming, “there&#8217;s not a whole lot of details I can share that aren&#8217;t classified.”</p>



<p>The conclusion was reached without the cooperation of the Chinese government, which “has been doing its best to try to thwart and obfuscate the work here,” Wray said</p>



<h2>CRUCIAL QUOTE</h2>



<p>“You&#8217;re talking about a potential leak from a Chinese government-controlled lab that killed millions of Americans,” Wray told Fox News.</p>



<h2>KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>The<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/covid-origin-china-lab-leak-807b7b0a?mod=hp_lead_pos1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">&nbsp;</a><a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/covid-origin-china-lab-leak-807b7b0a?mod=hp_lead_pos1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Wall Street Journal</em></a>&nbsp;reported Sunday that the FBI and Energy Department had both determined a lab leak to be the most likely origin, though the FBI finding was of “moderate confidence” and the Energy Department’s confidence was “low.” The FBI reached that determination in 2021, the&nbsp;<em>Journal&nbsp;</em>reported. At least four other agencies reportedly believe Covid spread naturally from animals to humans, but their findings are also of low confidence, while the CIA and one other unnamed agency have not reached a determination yet. None of the findings so far indicate Covid was leaked deliberately as part of any biological weapons program, according to the&nbsp;<em>Journal</em>—a theory that was dismissed in a 2021&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dni.gov/files/ODNI/documents/assessments/Declassified-Assessment-on-COVID-19-Origins.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">National Intelligence Council report</a>. The scientific community had coalesced around the idea that Covid likely spread from an animal to humans, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2023/02/28/covid-lab-leak-theory-some-government-agencies-believe-it-heres-why-most-scientists-dont/">many scientists still believe</a>&nbsp;a natural origin is the most likely scenario, but the origins have long been unclear as China has resisted working with international investigators. What is generally agreed upon is that the virus emerged in late 2019 in Wuhan, which was the site of the first major outbreak. Wuhan is the site of the Wuhan Institute of Virology—a Chinese government facility dedicated to studying viruses, and coronaviruses in particular.</p>



<h2>CONTRA</h2>



<p>Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said Monday the U.S.<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2023/02/27/china-responds-to-lab-leak-report-says-us-is-politicizing-search-for-covid-origins/?sh=7fb931845156">&nbsp;is “politicizing” Covid’s origins</a>&nbsp;as part of a “smear” campaign.</p>



<h2>FURTHER READING</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/marisadellatto/2023/02/26/covid-likely-originated-from-lab-leak-energy-department-reportedly-finds-but-biden-aide-says-theres-no-definitive-answer/?sh=14ba5c281109">Covid Likely Originated From Lab Leak, Energy Department Reportedly Finds—But Biden Aide Says There’s No ‘Definitive Answer’</a> (Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2023/02/27/china-responds-to-lab-leak-report-says-us-is-politicizing-search-for-covid-origins/?sh=7fb931845156">China Responds To Lab Leak Report—Says U.S. Is ‘Politicizing’ Search For Covid Origins</a> (Forbes)</p>



<p><em><strong>By Nicholas Reimann, Forbes Staff</strong></em></p>


gettyimages-1201569878-594×594

FBI Director Says Covid Likely Spread From Wuhan Lab


<h2 id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>Shares of Novavax fell more than 25% in after-hours trading Tuesday, following a dismal fourth quarter earnings report and a<a href="https://ir.novavax.com/2023-02-28-Novavax-Reports-Fourth-Quarter-and-Full-Year-2022-Financial-Results-and-Operational-Highlights" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> warning</a> from the Covid vaccine maker that uncertainty over future funding for coronavirus shots has prompted “substantial doubt” about its ability to stay in business.</p>



<h2>KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>The company’s stock price rose more than 6.8% to $9.26 before the market closed Tuesday but plummeted some 25.7% to $6.88 following the after-hours earnings report.</p>



<p>Novavax reported fourth quarter losses of $182 million after only posting $357 million in sales—well below expectations of $383 million.</p>



<p>Its statement about future financial framework was even more troubling, saying, “substantial doubt exists regarding our ability to continue” over the next year.</p>



<p>The company stated it believes it has enough capital to run for another year, but the forecast is of low confidence, in part because the Biden Administration is expected to<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/02/04/us-plans-to-stop-buying-covid-shots-in-the-fall-what-that-means.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> stop</a> buying Covid vaccines and distributing them to Americans for free at some point this year.</p>



<h2>WHAT TO WATCH FOR</h2>



<p>Novavax will likely cut some jobs to reduce its “hot rate” of spending, CEO John Jacobs told<a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/novavax-raises-doubts-about-its-ability-remain-business-2023-02-28/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">&nbsp;Reuters</a>. The company says it has more than 1,500 employees.</p>



<h2>CRUCIAL QUOTE</h2>



<p>&#8220;We&#8217;re in the process of assessing the global footprint of Novavax, rationalizing our supply chain, rationalizing the portfolio and rationalizing the company structure and our infrastructure,&#8221; Jacobs told Reuters.</p>



<h2>SURPRISING FACT</h2>



<p>Novavax’s Covid-19 vaccine was the first product the 36-year-old company brought to the market. It was<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/16/health/coronavirus-vaccine-novavax.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">&nbsp;reportedly</a>&nbsp;nearing collapse in 2020 before the Trump Administration awarded it a $1.6 billion contract to develop a vaccine as part of Operation Warp Speed.</p>



<h2>KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>Novavax’s stock traded at more than $300 at times in 2021 as investors put high hopes in its development of a protein-based vaccine, a more traditional method compared with Pfizer and Moderna’s mRNA approach. Continued manufacturing problems led to a delay in winning regulatory approval, and by the time<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/carlieporterfield/2022/07/13/fda-authorizes-novavaxs-covid-19-vaccine-for-adults/?sh=31d2d61e54f3">&nbsp;Novavax’s shot became available</a>&nbsp;in July 2022, Americans’ initial rush to get<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/covid-vaccine-tracker-global-distribution/#us" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">&nbsp;vaccinated</a>&nbsp;was long over. Novavax’s vaccine was the fourth to reach the U.S. market, entering U.S. arms more than a year after Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson &amp; Johnson. Only about 80,000 Novavax shots have reportedly been given in the U.S., compared to hundreds of millions of Pfizer and Moderna doses. Novavax<a href="https://ir.novavax.com/2022-02-23-Novavax-Announces-Shipments-of-its-COVID-19-Vaccine-to-European-Union-Member-States" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">&nbsp;won</a>&nbsp;approval in the European Union several months before its U.S. rollout, but it was still well behind competitors, and its international campaign has not been enough to overcome a slow rate of uptake in the United States.</p>



<h2>FURTHER READING</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/carlieporterfield/2022/07/13/fda-authorizes-novavaxs-covid-19-vaccine-for-adults/?sh=31d2d61e54f3">FDA Authorizes Novavax’s Covid-19 Vaccine For Adults</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/16/health/coronavirus-vaccine-novavax.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">How a Struggling Company Won $1.6 Billion to Make a Coronavirus Vaccine</a> (New York Times)</p>



<p><strong><em>By Nicholas Reimann, Forbes Staff</em></strong></p>


Vaccinations at Egoli Township as Omicron Cases Spread

Novavax Stock Plunges 25% As Vaccine Maker Has ‘Substantial Doubt’ About Staying In Business


<h2 id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>After a slew of data showing the economy in a much more precarious position than previously believed, the stock market could be poised for another forceful plunge in March, according to Morgan Stanley’s investment chief, who notes that the last month of the quarter has been difficult for stocks over the year, as investors gear up for a fresh round of negative earnings reports.</p>



<h2>KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>Though high inflation and Federal Reserve interest rate hikes have fueled much of the fears driving the ongoing stock weakness, the depth and length of most bear markets are determined by the trend in earnings projections, the Morgan Stanley team led by Michael Wilson told clients in a Monday note.</p>



<p>Over the past year, stocks have rallied as corporate earnings come out, but then plunged in the month leading up to new reports, which have consistently shown companies cutting profit expectations.</p>



<p>After surging more than 16% since October and then abruptly falling 3% last week, the S&amp;P 500 is at a “critical” level, cautions Wilson, saying there’s a “high risk” the bear market could induce a forceful stock plunge in March (the last month of the quarter)—particularly since earnings are expected to take another hit once reports start trickling in.</p>



<p>“Ultimately, we think this rally is a bull trap,” he notes, positing the S&amp;P &#8220;may have one last stand&#8221; but then could plunge as much as 13% more until earnings projections stop falling—which the analyst believes won’t happen for “several more months, if not quarters.”</p>



<p>The Fed’s “relentless” efforts to slow down the economy will “inevitably” hurt earnings and push stocks to a new multi-year low, says Principal Asset Management’s Seema Shah, who is telling investors to brace for increased volatility since it’s become increasingly clear this year that the Fed is not yet finished with its rate hikes.</p>



<h2>SURPRISING FACT</h2>



<p>After a &#8220;particularly tough&#8221; year for stocks and a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.morningstar.com/articles/1139572/why-are-bonds-selling-off-again" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Fed-induced</a>&nbsp;global bond market selloff, yields on the ten-year Treasury are now more than twice the S&amp;P’s estimated dividend yield—bad news for stocks but an opportunity for investors looking to lock in income with a less volatile asset, says Shah.</p>



<h2>TANGENT</h2>



<p>Texas factory activity fell in February for the first time since May 2020, according to the Dallas Fed’s manufacturing survey&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dallasfed.org/research/surveys/tmos/2023/2302" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">released</a>&nbsp;Monday. “February has been a slow month—it is hard to know why, but our outlook has worsened for both our business and retail activity in general,” one respondent said, while another posited, “We are not sure if it’s the Fed jacking with interest rates or some sort of cyclical slowdown, but it feels like business has ground to a halt.”</p>



<h2>KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>After hitting a near two-year low in October, stocks rallied as signs that inflation was slowing started to abound, but this month has shown the journey to normal price levels may be much longer than many hope. On Friday, the Commerce Department&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bea.gov/news/2023/personal-income-and-outlays-january-2023" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a>&nbsp;the prices consumers paid for goods and services last month edged up 5.4% from a year ago—up from 5.3% one month prior despite expectations calling for a decline. Though it’s unclear when the Fed will stop raising rates, analysts at Goldman and Bank of America added another rate hike to their forecasts following another hotter-than-expected inflation reading earlier this month. They now expect the central bank will raise rates to a top level of 5.5%, potentially hitting the highest level in more than 20 years.</p>



<h2>FURTHER READING</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jonathanponciano/2023/02/24/dow-falls-400-points-as-surprisingly-hot-inflation-data-threatens-more-aggressive-fed-policy/">Dow Falls 400 Points As Surprisingly Hot Inflation Data Threatens More Aggressive Fed Policy</a> <em>(Forbes)</em></p>



<p><strong><em>By Jonathan Ponciano, Forbes Staff</em></strong></p>


Markets Open After Falling More 800 Points On Tuesday

Stock Market At ‘Critical’ Level And Braced For ‘High Risk’ Of Collapse In March—Here’s What Investors Should Know


<h2 id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>The Supreme Court considers how responsible major social media platforms—Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, especially—are for their most dangerous posts, challenging broad protections that tech companies claim are necessary to keep the Internet from turning into a bleak wasteland, but that critics claim go too far.</p>



<h2>KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>The Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2022/10/03/supreme-court-to-consider-whether-tech-companies-like-google-facebook-can-be-held-liable-for-content-recommendations/?sh=7afbc97f3c5c">will hear</a>&nbsp;oral arguments Monday in the case (Gonzalez v. Google) where family members of a victim in the 2015 Paris terrorist attacks sued Google, alleging YouTube (a Google company) should be held liable after its algorithm recommended ISIS recruitment videos to potential supporters, and hear arguments Wednesday in Twitter v. Taamneh, which takes similar aim against social media companies over their role in a 2017 terrorist attack in Turkey.</p>



<p>The first case challenges whether YouTube can be held liable for the recommendations it makes under <a href="https://www.theverge.com/21273768/section-230-explained-internet-speech-law-definition-guide-free-moderation" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Section 230</a> of the Communications Decency Act of 1996, which shields social media platforms and other Internet companies from legal liability by saying they’re not legally responsible for third-party content posted on their platform.</p>



<p>Tech platforms including Google, Meta, Twitter, Microsoft, Yelp, Reddit, Craigslist, Wikipedia and others have argued in filings that a court ruling saying YouTube can be held liable would have disastrous consequences, resulting in online platforms broadly restricting any content that could possibly be considered legally objectionable—or taking the opposite approach and leaving everything up with no filtering of obviously problematic content.</p>



<p>First Amendment advocacy groups including the ACLU and Knight Foundation have warned such restrictions could chill free speech, and if tech platforms are forced to get rid of recommendation algorithms, Google argued the Internet could turn into a “disorganized mess and a litigation minefield.”</p>



<p>The Twitter case, which also involves Facebook and Google, doesn’t concern Section 230, but instead asks if social media companies can be held responsible under the Anti-Terrorism Act, which allows lawsuits against anyone who “aids and abets” an act of international terrorism.</p>



<p>After a lower court found that merely knowing terrorists were among the company’s users would be enough grounds for a lawsuit, Twitter argued a ruling against it would also result in “particularly broad liability” for social media companies, and Facebook and Google suggested that could extend to other organizations who may have to work, even indirectly, with terrorists, including humanitarian groups that work on the ground in countries like Syria.</p>



<h2>CHIEF CRITIC</h2>



<p>The plaintiffs who sued Google rejected the dire predictions made by tech companies in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/21/21-1333/254251/20230207191257813_GonzalezRepyMeritsPrinted.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">brief</a>&nbsp;to the court, arguing they’re overbroad and “largely unrelated to the specific issues” in the case. “Predictions that a particular decision of this Court will have dire consequences are easy to make, but often difficult to evaluate,” the petitioners argued, noting that while social media companies still have other legal safeguards in place to protect them like the First Amendment, there’s “no denying that the materials being promoted on social media sites have in fact caused serious harm.”</p>



<h2>CONTRA</h2>



<p>The Biden Administration has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/21/21-1333/249441/20221207203557042_21-1333tsacUnitedStates.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">argued</a>&nbsp;the Supreme Court should narrow the scope of Section 230 to make it more possible to sue social media platforms, warning against an “overly broad reading” of the statute that could “undermine the importance of other federal statutes.” The White House argued Section 230 does not protect YouTube from lawsuits against harmful recommendations its algorithm makes, given that its recommendations are created by the company and not content from third parties. Supporters of the plaintiffs have also&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/google-case-heads-to-supreme-court-with-powerful-internet-shield-law-at-stake-e548e241?mod=e2tw" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">suggested</a>&nbsp;a ruling against Google could help social media platforms clean up algorithms that have resulted in harmful recommendations for minors, with the Electronic Privacy Information Center&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/21/21-1333/249376/20221207151042885_21-1333%20Electronic%20Privacy%20Information%20Center%20Amicus%20Brief%20in%20Support%20of%20Neither%20Party.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">arguing</a>&nbsp;social media companies take advantage of Section 230’s broad nature and “use Section 230 as a shield instead of making their products safer.”</p>



<h2>CRUCIAL QUOTE</h2>



<p>“Denying Section 230(c)(1)’s protection to YouTube’s recommendation display could have devastating spillover effects,” Google argued to the court in a brief, arguing that gutting Section 230 “would upend the internet and perversely encourage both wide ranging suppression of speech and the proliferation of more offensive speech.”</p>



<h2>WHAT TO WATCH FOR</h2>



<p>Rulings in the two cases will come by the time the Supreme Court’s term wraps up in late June or early July. It’s also possible the court won’t issue a sweeping ruling on when social media companies can be held liable under Section 230: Google argued if the court throws out the Twitter case by saying the victim’s family didn’t have grounds to sue, it could also dismiss the Google case on the same grounds without getting into Section 230 at all.</p>



<h2>KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>The Google case comes to the Supreme Court after lower district and appeals courts have both sided with the social media platform, ruling it’s protected by Section 230 and can’t be sued. The case was heard together with the Twitter case before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, but the appeals court ruled against the social media platforms in the Twitter case, holding that Twitter, Facebook and Google could all be held liable under anti-terrorism laws even as it separately upheld Section 230’s protections. The social media cases come to the Supreme Court as the increasing power of Big Tech and platforms’ failure to successfully moderate harmful content have come under fire from both sides of the political aisle, and the Supreme Court took up the cases after conservative-leaning Justice Clarence Thomas suggested the court should&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/04/05/984440891/justice-clarence-thomas-takes-aims-at-tech-and-its-power-to-cut-off-speech" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">consider</a>&nbsp;the issue of Section 230.</p>



<h2>TANGENT</h2>



<p>Republican lawmakers have particularly&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/04/15/house-republicans-outline-principles-for-reforming-section-230.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">taken aim</a>&nbsp;at Section 230 and sought to hold social media companies more legally accountable, as they’ve accused social media companies of chilling conservatives’ speech. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) led 11 GOP lawmakers in filing a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/21/21-1333/249351/20221207133438524_Gonzalez%20Amicus%2020221207%20FINAL.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">brief</a>arguing for the Supreme Court to narrow the scope of Section 230, arguing social media companies have used the broad interpretation of the statute to “[not be] shy about restricting access and removing content based on the politics of the speaker.”</p>



<h2>FURTHER READING</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2022/10/03/supreme-court-to-consider-whether-tech-companies-like-google-facebook-can-be-held-liable-for-content-recommendations/?sh=7afbc97f3c5c">Supreme Court To Consider Whether Tech Companies—Like Google, Twitter—Can Be Held Liable For Content Recommendations</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.theverge.com/21273768/section-230-explained-internet-speech-law-definition-guide-free-moderation" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Everything you need to know about Section 230</a>&nbsp;(The Verge)</p>



<p><a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2023/02/18/tech/section-230-explainer/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">These 26 words ‘created the internet.’ Now the Supreme Court may be coming for them</a> (CNN)</p>



<p><strong><em>By Alison Durkee, Forbes Staff</em></strong></p>


Twitter And Elon Musk Photo Illustrations

Should YouTube, Twitter Be More Responsible For Dangerous Content? Supreme Court Considers Tech Critics


<h2 id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>The FDA is expected to make a decision on RSV vaccine approval by the fall in anticipation for the winter—and here are some of the top contenders that have shown promising signs in trials.</p>



<h2>KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a common respiratory infection that typically causes mild, cold-like symptoms, but can lead to serious lung infections—children, older adults and those with underlying health conditions are the most susceptible,&nbsp;<a href="https://medlineplus.gov/respiratorysyncytialvirusinfections.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according</a>&nbsp;to MedlinePlus.</p>



<p>The virus gained momentum during the winter season, causing 47.9 for every 100,000 <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/research/rsv-net/dashboard.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">hospitalizations</a> during the 2022-2023 season, and over 126,000 detected <a href="https://www.contemporarypediatrics.com/view/rsv-surges-early-in-2022-but-appears-to-make-early-retreat" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cases</a> between October 2022 and November 2022.</p>



<p>Prominent&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/about/symptoms.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">symptoms</a>&nbsp;include a runny nose, cough, fever, wheezing, decrease in appetite and sneezing, but infants may only show irritability, have breathing difficulties or decreased activity.</p>



<p>No RSV vaccine has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration, but the first&nbsp;<a href="https://www.who.int/teams/health-product-policy-and-standards/standards-and-specifications/vaccine-standardization/respiratory-syncytial-virus-disease" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">attempt</a>&nbsp;was made in the 1960s, which was unsuccessful as it led to severe and lethal cases of lung inflammatory response in infants.</p>



<p><a href="https://www.path.org/resources/rsv-and-mab-trial-tracker/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">According</a> to public health nonprofit PATH, there are 11 RSV vaccines being studied in trials—four are designed for infants and seven are for older adults.</p>



<h2>SURPRISING FACT</h2>



<p>Almost all children will have had an RSV infection by their second birthday, and most infections go away on their own,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/about/symptoms.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according</a>&nbsp;to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.</p>



<h2>CRUCIAL QUOTE</h2>



<p>Dr. Barney Graham, a senior adviser for global health equity at Morehouse School of Medicine, told NBC News he believes all the vaccines “are going to work well enough to be approved, depending on the side effect profiles.”</p>



<h2>VACCINES FOR OLDER ADULTS (60 AND UP)</h2>



<ul>
<li><strong>GLAXOSMITHKLINE’S</strong>&nbsp;phase three trial&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2209604" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a>&nbsp;on the GSK vaccine’s efficiency, as published in the<em>&nbsp;New England Journal of Medicine&nbsp;</em>on Wednesday, found the shot lowered the risk of severe illness by 94% and of symptomatic illness by 83% in adults 60 years and older. Participants with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/arthritis/data_statistics/comorbidities.htm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">comorbidities</a>&nbsp;(having more than one disease or illness at a time), who are at an increased risk of severe outcome from RSV, also saw positive results from the vaccine. The most common adverse events from the shot were pain at injection site, fatigue, headache and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/myalgia" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">myalgia</a>&nbsp;(muscle aches and pain). A previous&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gsk.com/en-gb/media/press-releases/gsk-s-older-adult-respiratory-syncytial-virus-rsv-vaccine-candidate/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a>&nbsp;published in October 2022 reported the vaccine had an overall vaccine efficiency of 82.6% in adults 60 years and older.</li>



<li><strong>Johnson &amp; Johnson’s</strong>&nbsp;vaccine phase two trial&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2207566" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">report</a>&nbsp;published in the&nbsp;<em>New England Journal of Medicine&nbsp;</em>on Wednesday saw an 80% vaccine efficiency rate in adults 65 years and older. The study’s main goal was preventing the occurrence of lower respiratory tract infection as a result of RSV, and the protection ranged from 80% in preventing lower respiratory tract infections, and 70% for milder cases. Serious adverse events were reported in 4.6% of vaccine participants and 4.7% of the placebo group.</li>



<li><strong>Moderna’s</strong>&nbsp;vaccine for older adults is a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-00126-w" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">messenger RNA</a>(mRNA) vaccine, similar to its Covid shot. The vaccine uses mRNA, which helps give instructions to the body’s cells, allowing them to create small parts of the RSV virus that creates an immune response in the body. In January, Moderna&nbsp;<a href="https://investors.modernatx.com/news/news-details/2023/Moderna-Announces-mRNA-1345-an-Investigational-Respiratory-Syncytial-Virus-RSV-Vaccine-Has-Met-Primary-Efficacy-Endpoints-in-Phase-3-Trial-in-Older-Adults/default.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">announce</a>d findings from a trial, which found the vaccine to be 83.7% effective at protecting against RSV-related lower respiratory tract infection. The FDA&nbsp;<a href="https://investors.modernatx.com/news/news-details/2023/Moderna-Granted-FDA-Breakthrough-Therapy-Designation-for-mRNA-1345-An-Investigational-Respiratory-Syncytial-Virus-RSV-Vaccine-Candidate/default.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">granted</a>&nbsp;the shot breakthrough therapy designation at the end of January.</li>
</ul>



<h2>VACCINES FOR THE ELDERLY AND INFANTS</h2>



<ul>
<li><strong>Pfizer</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pfizer.com/news/press-release/press-release-detail/pfizer-announces-positive-top-line-data-phase-3-trial-older" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reports</a>&nbsp;its RSV vaccine reduced the risk of severe illness in older adults by 86%. In November 2022, the company&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pfizer.com/news/press-release/press-release-detail/pfizer-announces-positive-top-line-data-phase-3-global" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">announced</a>&nbsp;findings from a trial that instead administered the shot to pregnant people. The vaccine was 82% effective against severe illness in infants during their first 90 days of life, and 69% effective for up to six months. Pfizer is the only company preparing an RSV vaccine for older adults and for infants through maternal immunization. The FDA accepted Pfizer&#8217;s bid for priority review of its RSV vaccine in December 2022.</li>
</ul>



<h2>VACCINES/TREATMENT FOR INFANTS</h2>



<ul>
<li><strong>Sanofi and AstraZeneca’s</strong>&nbsp;injection isn’t technically a vaccine, however, it would work the same. It is a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/monoclonal-antibody" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">monoclonal antibody injection</a>&nbsp;(a lab made protein used to bind to certain targets of the body to fight infection) for infants up to 24 months. The vaccine (labeled as Beyfortus and generic name nirsevimab)&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sanofi.com/en/media-room/press-releases/2023/2023-01-05-07-00-00-2583365" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">showed</a>&nbsp;an 80% protection rate against severe illness in babies. It was granted&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sanofi.com/en/media-room/press-releases/2022/2022-11-04-07-00-00-2548492" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">approval</a>&nbsp;by the European Commission in November 2022, and the FDA&nbsp;<a href="https://www.astrazeneca.com/media-centre/press-releases/2023/nirsevimab-us-regulatory-submission-accepted-for-the-prevention-of-rsv-lower-respiratory-tract-disease-in-infants-and-children.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">accepted</a>&nbsp;its submission for biologics license application in January.</li>



<li><strong>SOBI’s</strong>&nbsp;monoclonal antibody injection Synagis (generic name palivizumab) is similar to Sanofi and AstraZeneca because it also technically isn’t a vaccine, though it’s administered to high risk infants to protect against RSV. It was&nbsp;<a href="https://cms.centerwatch.com/directories/1067-fda-approved-drugs/listing/4243-synagis-palivizumab" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">approved</a>&nbsp;by the FDA in 1998 while it was still manufactured by AstraZeneca (the company&nbsp;<a href="https://www.astrazeneca.com/media-centre/press-releases/2018/astrazeneca-to-divest-us-synagis-rights-to-sobi131120180.html#modal-historic-confirmation" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">transferred</a>&nbsp;vaccine rights to SOBI in 2019). Infants are only&nbsp;<a href="https://www.synagis.com/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">qualified</a>&nbsp;for treatment if they meet at least one of these requirements: they were born prematurely and are six months old or less at the start of RSV season, they were born with certain types of heart conditions and are 24 months or less at the start of RSV season, or they have a chronic lung condition called bronchopulmonary dysplasia, that needed medical attention within the last six months and they are 24 months or less at the start of RSV season.</li>
</ul>



<h2>FURTHER READING</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/rsv-vaccine-candidates-timeline-fda-approval-rcna70777" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The race to an RSV vaccine could soon be over, decades after the first attempt</a>&nbsp;(NBC News)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.everydayhealth.com/lung-respiratory/first-fda-approved-rsv-vaccines-expected-within-months/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">First FDA-Approved RSV Vaccines Expected Within Months</a>&nbsp;(Everyday Health)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ninashapiro/2022/11/01/who-can-receive-the-currently-available-rsv-vaccine/?sh=693027a444f3">Who Can Receive The Currently Available RSV ‘Vaccine’?</a> (Forbes)</p>



<p><strong><em>By Arianna Johnson, Forbes Staff </em></strong></p>


Human respiratory syncytial virus inoculation

First FDA-Approved RSV Vaccines Expected Later This Year: The Top Vaccines And Their Effectiveness


<h2 id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>Two separate recent studies found high amounts of cadmium and lead—two toxic heavy metals—in big name dark and milk chocolate brands, but experts believe chocolate can still be safely consumed within moderation.</p>



<h2 id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>A December Consumer Reports&nbsp;<a href="https://www.consumerreports.org/health/food-safety/lead-and-cadmium-in-dark-chocolate-a8480295550/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a>&nbsp;tested the amount of heavy metals in 28 dark chocolates and found cadmium and lead in all of them—Trader Joe’s and Hershey chocolates had the highest levels of both metals.</p>



<p>As You Sow released a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.asyousow.org/environmental-health/toxic-enforcement/toxic-chocolate#chocolate-tables" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">report</a>&nbsp;that tested lead and cadmium levels in 22 milk chocolates and found three with higher levels of either metal (Hershey accounted for two of the chocolates).</p>



<p>Cadmium is an extremely toxic, malleable, soft metal used in products like batteries, plastics and pigments, and is found in cigarette smoke,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.osha.gov/cadmium" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according</a>&nbsp;to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.</p>



<p>Lead is a naturally occurring, toxic element found in the Earth’s crust and can be found in soil, water, the air and in homes,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.epa.gov/lead/learn-about-lead" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according</a>&nbsp;to the United States Environmental Protection Agency.</p>



<p>Both heavy metals are found in cacao beans—what chocolate is made from—but dark chocolate has higher levels of the metals than milk chocolate because it has a&nbsp;<a href="https://health.clevelandclinic.org/dark-chocolate-health-benefits/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">higher concentration</a>&nbsp;of cocoa.</p>



<p>Heavy metals are found in other foods—a&nbsp;<em>Nature&nbsp;</em><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-91554-z" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a>&nbsp;found levels of cadmium and lead in several fruits and vegetables like frozen strawberries and frozen raspberries; fresh beetroots; frozen carrots and frozen tomatoes; sweet potatoes and spinach.</p>



<h2 id="h-crucial-quote">CRUCIAL QUOTE</h2>



<p>The Consumer Reports study recommends treating chocolate as a treat, eating it every so often. “Having a serving a few days a week, especially with a product that has lower levels, means you can eat dark chocolate without worrying unduly,” Tunde Akinleye, a researcher over the study, said.</p>



<h2 id="h-comments">COMMENTS</h2>



<p>According to the National Confectioners Association—which&nbsp;<a href="https://candyusa.com/nca-members/manufacturer-members/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">represents</a>&nbsp;chocolate manufacturers mentioned in both studies like Hershey, Lindt, Mars, Frankford, Godiva and Ghirardelli— “the products cited in this study are in compliance with strict quality and safety requirements, and the levels provided to us by Consumer Reports testing are well under the limits established by our settlement,” the company&nbsp;<a href="https://candyusa.com/news/nca-statement-on-consumer-reports-chocolate-and-cocoa-study/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">said,</a>&nbsp;in reference to the Consumer Reports study. Following a suit As You Sow brought against top chocolate brands for the presence of heavy metals in chocolate, the parties reached a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.asyousow.org/press-releases/2018/2/14/court-establishes-guidelines-for-chocolate-sold-in-california" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">settlement</a>&nbsp;in 2018.</p>



<h2 id="h-big-number">BIG NUMBER</h2>



<p>$2.5 billion. That’s how much chocolate was&nbsp;<a href="https://candyusa.com/cst/valentines-day-sets-new-record-in-2022/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">bought</a>&nbsp;during the 2022 Valentine’s Day season, contributing to over half of the $4.1 billion spent on Valentine’s candy. Chocolate sales grew by 8.7% from the 2021 Valentine’s Day season.</p>



<h2 id="h-health-risks-of-heavy-metals">HEALTH RISKS OF HEAVY METALS</h2>



<p>According to the Consumer Reports study, eating an ounce a day of 23 of the dark chocolates tested would put an adult over the limit public health officials deem safe for consumption, though it’s “unlikely to cause any immediate harm.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/biomonitoring/Cadmium_FactSheet.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">warn</a>&nbsp;eating large amounts of cadmium can cause vomiting and diarrhea, and long-term exposure can lead to cancer, kidney issues, reproductive issues, nervous system problems or even death. Certain levels of lead are allowed in specific foods based on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/environmental-contaminants-food/lead-food-foodwares-and-dietary-supplements" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">measures</a>&nbsp;put in place by the Food and Drug Administration (i.e. if young children will consume the product). Children and pregnant people are the most vulnerable to heavy metals. Exposure to heavy metals in children has been&nbsp;<a href="https://www.consumerreports.org/health/food-safety/heavy-metals-in-baby-food-a6772370847/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">linked</a>&nbsp;to lower IQ scores, behavioral problems and an increased chance of developing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or autism. For pregnant people, heavy metal exposure can&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/repro/heavymetals.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">lead</a>&nbsp;to miscarriage, stillbirth or birth defects in children.</p>



<h2 id="h-is-chocolate-safe-to-consume">IS CHOCOLATE SAFE TO CONSUME?</h2>



<p>Although lead and cadmium were found in all of the dark chocolates tested, five had safe levels of the heavy metals. Ghirardelli, Mast, Valrhona and Taza Chocolate had bars with cadmium and lead levels under California’s maximum allowable dose level (<a href="https://oehha.ca.gov/media/downloads/crnr/cadmium20madl.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MADL</a>). And 18 of the milk chocolate bars As You Sow tested had safe levels of lead and cadmium, with Hershey, Ghirardelli, Nestle, Dove and Mars being among the top brands. Heavy metals are&nbsp;<a href="https://cocoasupply.com/blog/current-us-regulations-cadmium-other-heavy-metals-and-elements-in-cacao/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">found</a>&nbsp;in cocoa solids, which is one component of the cacao used to make chocolate. Because Dark chocolate&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/food-features/dark-chocolate/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">contains</a>&nbsp;more cocoa than milk chocolate, it has higher levels of heavy metals—Consumer Reports recommends alternating between the two. However, because milk chocolate has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/dark-chocolate" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">more sugar</a>&nbsp;than dark chocolate, neither should be consumed every day.</p>



<h2 id="h-tangent">TANGENT</h2>



<p>Multiple lawsuits have been brought against chocolate makers for misleading consumers about the presence of lead and cadmium in their products. Hershey and Trader Joe’s (whose dark chocolate had the highest levels of heavy metals in the Consumer Report study) are being separately&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nyed.490463/gov.uscourts.nyed.490463.1.0.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sued</a>&nbsp;by two New York consumers, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2023/01/05/report-on-unsafe-lead-in-dark-chocolate-sparks-new-lawsuits-against-trader-joes-hershey/?sh=51e07baa1b1d"><em>Forbes</em></a>&nbsp;reporting. The lawsuits accuse the companies of participating in deceptive practices by not disclosing the amount of heavy metals in their products to consumers. As You Sow&nbsp;<a href="https://www.asyousow.org/reports/expert-investigation-related-to-cocoa-and-chocolate" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sued</a>&nbsp;top chocolate manufacturers after their research found high levels of heavy metals in their products. The case reached a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.asyousow.org/press-releases/2018/2/14/court-establishes-guidelines-for-chocolate-sold-in-california" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">settlement</a>&nbsp;in 2018, which&nbsp;<a href="https://www.asyousow.org/our-work/environmental-health/toxic-enforcement/lead-and-cadmium-in-food/lead-and-cadmium-in-food-faqs" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">established</a>&nbsp;concentration levels of cadmium and lead and required warning labels if the levels were surpassed.</p>



<h2 id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.consumerreports.org/health/food-safety/lead-and-cadmium-in-dark-chocolate-a8480295550/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Lead and Cadmium Could Be in Your Dark Chocolate</a>&nbsp;(Consumer Reports)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.asyousow.org/environmental-health/toxic-enforcement/toxic-chocolate" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Toxins in Chocolate</a>&nbsp;(As You Sow)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2023/01/05/report-on-unsafe-lead-in-dark-chocolate-sparks-new-lawsuits-against-trader-joes-hershey/?sh=51e07baa1b1d">Report On ‘Unsafe’ Lead In Dark Chocolate Sparks New Lawsuits Against Trader Joe’s, Hershey</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/12/30/1146254933/hersheys-lawsuit-dark-chocolate-heavy-metals-lead" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hershey&#8217;s faces a lawsuit over heavy metals in its dark chocolate bars</a> (NPR)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/"></a><em><strong>By Arianna Johnson, Forbes Staff</strong></em></p>


Valentines Day aisle, heart shaped gift boxes of Chocolates, Target, Queens, New York

Is That Valentine’s Day Chocolate Safe? Here’s What Experts Say About The Dangers Of Cadmium And Lead


<h2 id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>Health authorities in Equatorial Guinea detected the west African country’s first cases of the rare but highly-infectious Marburg virus, the World Health Organization confirmed on Monday, months after another outbreak in Ghana, as experts work to contain an outbreak of the deadly virus.</p>



<h2>KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>The WHO&nbsp;<a href="https://www.afro.who.int/countries/equatorial-guinea/news/equatorial-guinea-confirms-first-ever-marburg-virus-disease-outbreak" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">confirmed</a>&nbsp;the virus had spread to the country of 1.6 million people on Africa’s Atlantic coast after receiving preliminary results of a test from the country’s Kie Ntem province, where nine people had died last week of a viral fever.</p>



<p>It comes after officials <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/cameroon-restricts-movement-along-equatorial-guinea-border-after-several-2023-02-10/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">quarantined</a> more than 200 residents and restricted residents’ movement last week following a series of deaths stemming from hemorrhagic fever.</p>



<p>Marburg—a virus in the same family as Ebola, which is typically spread by fruit bats and can spread from human-to-human through direct contact with bodily fluids—is highly virulent, leading to hemorrhagic fever within a week, according to WHO Africa Regional Director Matshidiso Moeti.</p>



<p>In addition to the nine deaths recorded in Equatorial Guinea, officials in the country also recorded 16 suspected cases of the virus, with symptoms including fatigue, fever, diarrhea and “blood-stained vomit.”</p>



<p>The WHO said it has deployed emergency health workers to help control the outbreak, with teams of health care workers conducting contact tracing to determine isolation policies.</p>



<p>The organization also <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/events/detail/2023/02/14/default-calendar/who-urgent-marburg-meeting" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">announced</a> on Monday it plans to convene an “urgent meeting” on Tuesday to address the outbreak.</p>



<h2>BIG NUMBER</h2>



<p>88%. That’s the fatality rate of the Marburg virus, according to the WHO. By comparison, the death rate from Covid-19 in the U.S. is 1.1%,&nbsp;<a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/data/mortality" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according to</a>&nbsp;researchers at Johns Hopkins University.</p>



<h2>CONTRA</h2>



<p>There are no approved vaccines or antiviral treatments against Marburg, though rehydration, including by intravenous fluids, can boost survival rates, according to the WHO. Detecting the outbreak in Equatorial Guinea has become complicated, however, because symptoms, including fever, chills, headache and muscle weakness, often appear to be similar to those of other infectious diseases, including malaria and typhoid fever or viral fevers like Ebola,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vhf/marburg/symptoms/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according to</a>&nbsp;the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.</p>



<h2>KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>Marburg was first detected in 1967 in Germany and the former Yugoslavia, with 31 cases—and seven deaths—primarily linked to lab monkeys. Small outbreaks were detected in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s in South Africa, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which recorded 154 cases and 128 deaths, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vhf/marburg/outbreaks/chronology.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CDC</a>. Another 252 people tested positive for the virus in Angola in 2004, with 227 of them dying of the contagious virus. Last June, health officials in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2022/07/18/what-is-marburg-what-you-need-to-know-about-the-deadly-virus-detected-in-ghana/?sh=1d377bc121b1">Ghana</a>advised people to avoid caves and thoroughly cook meat after they detected three more positive cases, including two deaths.</p>



<h2>TANGENT</h2>



<p>In a promising sign, a vaccine being developed by researchers at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases showed a “long-lasting” immunity and “no serious adverse events” among humans in a clinical trial, according to a paper published late last month in the scientific journal&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/marburg-vaccine-shows-promising-results-first-human-study" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>The Lancet</em></a>—though the vaccine is still in its trial phase, with further trials planned in Ghana, Kenya, Uganda and the U.S.</p>



<h2>FURTHER READING</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/judystone/2022/07/17/marburg-monkeypox-and-other-viruses-emerging-from-africa/?sh=6bf7dd5778c7">Marburg, Monkeypox, And Other Viruses Emerging From Africa</a>(Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2022/07/18/what-is-marburg-what-you-need-to-know-about-the-deadly-virus-detected-in-ghana/?sh=1d377bc121b1">What Is Marburg? What You Need To Know About The Deadly Virus Detected In Ghana</a> (Forbes)</p>



<p><strong><em>By Brian Bushard, Forbes Staff</em></strong></p>


Blood samples with infected virus

Lethal Ebola-Like Marburg Virus Detected In Equatorial Guinea


<h2 id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>The Turkish government detained more than 100 building contractors and others who may be responsible for the collapsed buildings and deaths this week, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/11/world/middleeast/turkey-syria-earthquake.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according</a> to the <em>New York Times</em>, as the death toll from the earthquake that hit the region Monday surpassed 28,000.</p>



<h2>KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>Turkey’s justice ministry established the “Earthquake Crimes Investigation Units,” according to the state-run Anadolu News Agency, resulting in more than 100 being detained this week for having failed to meet construction codes.</p>



<p>Turkey’s health ministry estimates the death toll from the 7.8 magnitude earthquake reached <a href="https://twitter.com/anadoluagency/status/1624514684190687233" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">24,617</a> Saturday.</p>



<p>The death toll in government-controlled regions in northern Syria remains at&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/SANAEnOfficial/status/1623713825609469955" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">1,347</a>, with 2,295 others injured, according to Syria’s health ministry—though the office has not updated its estimates since February 9.</p>



<p>A death toll for the country’s rebel-held area in the northwest—where residents have relied on humanitarian aid because of Syria’s decade-long civil war—has increased to 2,167,&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/SyriaCivilDefe/status/1624469962503999489" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according</a>&nbsp;to the Syrian Civil Defense.</p>



<p>While discussing humanitarian relief efforts, United Nations aid chief Martin Griffiths said the earthquake is the “worst event in 100 years in this region,” <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/un-aid-chief-says-earthquake-is-regions-worst-event-100-years-2023-02-11/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according</a> to Reuters.</p>



<p>The U.S. military began deploying forces to assist with relief efforts Friday, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/02/10/turkey-earthquake-us-navy-marine-corps/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according</a> to the <em>Washington Post</em>, following an <a href="https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/3293241/us-aids-turkey-after-devastating-quakes/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">announcement</a> by Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder Wednesday.</p>



<h2>BIG NUMBER</h2>



<p>13 million. That’s how many people have been affected by the earthquake across 10 provinces in Turkey, according to Anadolu’s estimates.</p>



<h2>SURPRISING FACT</h2>



<p>In a separate set of arrests Saturday, Turkish officials detained 98 suspects for alleged looting and for prank calling affected victims, sources told&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aa.com.tr/en/turkiye/turkish-security-teams-crack-down-on-looters-in-quake-ravaged-areas/2816253" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Anadolu</a>, after seizing at least $14,700 in stolen cash among other goods, including laptops, guns and jewelry.</p>



<h2>KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>The earthquake—the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/emilywashburn/2023/02/08/worst-earthquakes-and-where-turkeys-fits-in-the-10-deadliest-and-10-strongest-ones-since-1950/?sh=4d573eca57d1">deadliest</a>&nbsp;in the world since 2011—toppled residential buildings, shopping centers, mosques and offices just after 4 a.m. Monday morning, with an epicenter about 20 miles east of Gaziantep. Nearly 26,000 search and rescue workers in Turkey—in addition to added support from more than a dozen countries—are on the ground searching for survivors,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.afad.gov.tr/kahramanmarasta-meydana-gelen-depremler-hk-basin-bulteni-20" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according</a>&nbsp;to Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority. The World Health Organization warned the death toll could reach above 20,000 in an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2023/02/07/turkey-syria-earthquake-who-estimates-death-toll-may-cross-20000-as-freezing-weather-and-aftershocks-slow-rescue-efforts/?sh=33c19a167133">announcement</a>Tuesday, an estimate that was eclipsed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianbushard/2023/02/09/biggest-disaster-in-the-last-century-turkey-syria-earthquake-death-toll-crosses-20000/?sh=302f308b5e94">Wednesday</a>.</p>



<h2>FURTHER READING</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianbushard/2023/02/09/biggest-disaster-in-the-last-century-turkey-syria-earthquake-death-toll-crosses-20000/?sh=302f308b5e94">Turkey’s ‘Biggest Disaster In The Last Century’: Earthquake Death Toll Crosses 21,000</a>&nbsp;(<em>Forbes</em>)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/emilywashburn/2023/02/08/worst-earthquakes-and-where-turkeys-fits-in-the-10-deadliest-and-10-strongest-ones-since-1950/?sh=32f4035757d1">Worst Earthquakes—And Where Turkey’s Fits in: The 10 Deadliest And 10 Strongest Ones Since 1950</a> (<em>Forbes</em>)</p>



<p><strong><em>By Ty Roush, Forbes Staff</em></strong></p>


Turkey-Syria quake

Turkey-Syria Earthquake: Death Toll Approaches 30,000 And Over 100 Detained As Government Targets Building Contractors


<p><strong>At this year’s World Economic Forum gathering at Davos, Switzerland, in a quiet corner of the famed European town set in the mountains, where power courts purpose, a closed luncheon gathered to inaugurate a new vision of African development.</strong></p>



<p><strong><em>By Marie Shabaya</em></strong></p>



<p>African development has been the subject of international attention in recent months. From US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen’s recent Africa tour on the heels of similar state visits from Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, and his Chinese counterpart, Qin Gang, in January — the continent’s progress presents a ripe opportunity. However, past talks within this vein seem to have borne little fruit for the continent and its people.</p>



<p>A new movement, seeded at this year’s winter gathering of the World Economic Forum in Davos, named the Africa Coalition; framed by its conveners, The Digital Economist, a strategic advisory based in Washington D.C., and its Center of Excellence on Human-Centered Global Economy, along with institutional partners seeks to “&#8230;bring together African nations with innovators, visionaries and investors to kickstart game-changing non-extractive development initiatives.”</p>



<p>Only recently, at COP27, hosted by Egypt in late 2022, Africa’s ‘special needs and circumstances’ on climate action were redacted from the meeting agenda. In November, a groundbreaking resolution was made at the United Nations in New York on international tax cooperation led by a strong Nigerian delegation. However, this milestone grew from a setback. Similar talks on reforming the global tax system in favor of African countries started and faltered at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which had been leading the conversation on international tax issues. These two instances reflect the failure of the international community to act on African interests – and the Coalition believes that more must be done to elevate the continent’s concerns on the global stage.</p>



<p>“Africa is the most resource-rich continent. It has been exploited throughout history and indeed it is time for the voices of the Global South to find their clearest expression in Africa itself! If the continent is enabled and empowered to benefit from the value of its resources and – above all – its human potential, African societies can achieve the wealth, stability and wellbeing that are their fundamental rights,” iterates Satya Das, Head of the Center of Excellence on Human-Centered Global Economy at The Digital Economist.</p>



<p>The Africa Coalition received heavy attention among the Davos set – more than 700 of the most influential voices and players in African business, policy and civil society from around the world signaled interest. Eventually, only 150 were accommodated for the closed door session. It was standing room only when the roundtable discussions began. In the room were over 100 impact-driven organizations looking to shape this new African narrative, including representatives from BMW’s iVentures, the Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation, the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) and the Binance cryptocurrency exchange.</p>



<p>Among the delegates was Jackie Ugokwe, of the Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation, who emphasized the need for more collaboration in realizing this new African story of development. “It was a good combination of people across various sectors and various organizations [who got] together and [thought] about the challenges that Africa is facing; and the opportunities. One thing we seek at the Foundation is to find the opportunities to solve [these] challenges.”</p>



<p>With the continent now attracting interest from investors from around the world, members of the Africa Coalition are also advocating for more equitable platforms that focus on the empowerment of Africans. “We heard [about] the need to develop people and skills, independently. With technological advancement in Africa, this is the way forward,” says Kenyan-born Alexia Muteke-Ceppi, a business development leader in the Swiss hospitality sector. Tourism and hospitality remain a major industry</p>



<p>for much of the continent. Following the shocks of the Covid-19 pandemic, new avenues will be required to rebuild these sectors and technology will undoubtedly be a key lever.</p>



<p>Equivalent sentiments were shared by Jaan Altosaar, CEO of the One Fact Foundation, which is focused on building open source medical technology for the developing world. “We are committed to ensuring that the free AI we have built is implemented in healthcare systems in low- and middle-income countries. For example, this technology has been instrumental in our work detecting fractures in children’s X-Rays. We have already identified potential partners to help validate this technology in Malawi,” he explains.</p>



<p>The discussion also touched on often overlooked African industries. Kartik Ram, an investment professional with an eye on the continent, believes that a second glance at their production potential may be needed. “It’s important, in my opinion, to move beyond vanity metrics of population, poverty and parity to a more substantial analysis of specific economic sectors where Africa could be a valuable trading partner. African art is a prescient theme which remains underexplored and has global relevance. Africa as a sourcing partner for fashion and retail is another vertical opportunity where the continent can punch above its weight.”</p>



<p>The Africa Coalition will require sustained and growing momentum to achieve its founding ambitions. Convening these voices for change has been no small feat, but the work is just beginning.</p>



<p>“We are honored to act on the years-long calls for a more equitable platform during the World Economic Forum week at Davos,” says Navroop Sahdev, CEO of The Digital Economist, which will continue to drive the movement as it develops.</p>


Screenshot 2023-02-10 at 20.24.29

An African Coalition In Davos


<h2>Topline</h2>



<p>With South Africa’s consistent rolling blackouts, President Cyril Ramaphosa at his annual State of the Nation Address (SONA) held in Cape Town yesterday said that the country is in the “grip of a profound energy crisis, the seeds of which were planted many years ago”. Ramaphosa announced last night at SONA that plans have been put in place to appoint a Minister of Electricity to address the increasing power cuts in the country. Experts, organizations and the people are weighing in on this decision, with some calling it a “joke” and “a bad idea”.</p>



<h2>Key Facts</h2>



<p>For almost a year now, South Africa&#8217;s primary electricity supplier, Eskom, has been effecting rolling blackouts, known as load-shedding, jumping between stage 3 (a power outage of two hours) to stage 6 (no power up four hours).</p>



<p>In Ramaphosa’s address to the nation, the president stated that the National Disaster Management Centre has classified the energy crisis and its impact as a disaster.</p>



<p>“We are therefore declaring a national state of disaster to respond to the electricity crisis and its effects,” Ramaphosa said. “The state of disaster will enable us to provide practical measures that we need to take to support businesses in the food production, storage and retail supply chain, including for the rollout of generators, solar panels and uninterrupted power supply.”</p>



<p>This then led to his announcement to “fundamentally transform the electricity sector to achieve long-term energy security” by appointing a minster of electricity. Ramaphosa told all those in attendance that experts have agreed that this plan is the most realistic route to end load-shedding.</p>



<p>The minister, according to Ramaphosa, will work with the Eskom board and management on ending load-shedding and ensuring that the Energy Action Plan is implemented without delay.</p>



<p>“We cannot undo the mistakes that were made in the past, the capacity that was not built, the damage that was done to our power plants due to a lack of maintenance, or the effects of state capture on our institutions. What we can do is to fix the problem today, to keep the lights on tomorrow and for generations to come.”</p>



<p>Business Unity South Africa (Busa), a non-profit representing cross-cutting organized business interests in South Africa, said in a statement they “are not convinced that declaring a State of Disaster will help address the crisis”.</p>



<p>“It must be seen as a low point in the life of our society that mismanagement and lack of governance has created circumstances in which a State of Disaster has to be declared,” said Cas Coovadia, BUSA CEO, in the statement. “We believe the appointment of a Minister for Electricity in the office of the President is a bad idea that will add to the confusion and turf wars rather than solve the problem. It is yet another example of failure to take bold decisions and opting instead for the soft but expensive option of adding another ministry rather than holding those ministers responsible for the crisis accountable.”</p>



<p>The crisis has already had a big knock-on effect on businesses which, according to expert Chris Blair, has an impact on the productivity of employees which subsequently has a negative effect on their income.</p>



<p>Blair, the CEO of 21st Century, a remuneration and HR consulting company in Africa, adds in a statement that South Africa currently is losing R900 million ($50 million) per day because of power outages.</p>



<p>“One of the most immediate impacts of inconsistent power on the South African economy is decreased productivity,” Blair says. “Power outages and fluctuations can lead to significant downtime for businesses and industries, particularly those that rely heavily on technology and machinery, such as manufacturing and tech companies.”</p>



<p>Blair says that right now, it is essential that government and other stakeholders take steps to ensure that power systems are reliable and consistent, to protect the economy and the wellbeing of citizens.</p>



<p>“By prioritizing the development and maintenance of reliable power systems and educating citizens on energy conservation, we can work to mitigate the effects of inconsistent power and create a more stable and prosperous economy for all.”</p>



<p>Distraught South Africans immediately took to Twitter to express their views on the president&#8217;s announcement: </p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/StateofTheNationAddress2023?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#StateofTheNationAddress2023</a>  Minister of Electricity already at work <a href="https://t.co/f09zOug9Dp">pic.twitter.com/f09zOug9Dp</a></p>&mdash; Trinet Loverboy (@trinet12) <a href="https://twitter.com/trinet12/status/1623918709676060672?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 10, 2023</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Tutjourn2023?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Tutjourn2023</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/StateofTheNationAddress2023?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#StateofTheNationAddress2023</a> <br>Electric cars? Minister of electricity? While some people couldn’t even watch sona because of loadshedding. What difference will it make vele? <a href="https://t.co/uQu6HZEyDE">pic.twitter.com/uQu6HZEyDE</a></p>&mdash; unokwanda_journ (@obendalo04) <a href="https://twitter.com/obendalo04/status/1623920529907539968?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 10, 2023</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I’m chilling here with minister of my heart . We are shook . We will have a Minister of Electricity??? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SONA2023?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SONA2023</a> .</p>&mdash; Solomzi Thandubuntu (@Solphendukaa) <a href="https://twitter.com/Solphendukaa/status/1623750544115347456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 9, 2023</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Minister of Electricity? What a joke my darlings🫠SONA2023</p>&mdash; MaMiya🌼 (@Phumla_N) <a href="https://twitter.com/Phumla_N/status/1623751969373319174?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 9, 2023</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



<h2>A transition to a low-carbon economy that could cost up R1.5 trillion</h2>



<p>In his speech, the President also announced plans that fall part of the process to ensure energy security.</p>



<p>“Through the Just Energy Transition Investment Plan, R1.5 trillion ($845 billion) will be invested in our economy over the next five years in new frontiers such as renewable energy, green hydrogen and electric vehicles,” Ramaphosa says.</p>



<h2 id="h-key-quotes">Key Quotes</h2>



<p>“The energy crisis is an existential threat to our economy and social fabric&#8230;”</p>



<p>“We will emerge from this crisis with an electricity system that is more efficient, more reliable and more competitive.”</p>


2023 State Of The Nation Address In Cape Town

Social Media Reacts To Ramaphosa Appointing New Minister Of Electricity Amid South Africa’s Disastrous Energy Crisis


<h2 id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>Disney+ lost over two million subscribers, while Netflix gained over 7 million and ESPN+ and Hulu have made slow but steady gains—here’s where the major streaming services stand with subscribers, as of December 31, 2022.</p>



<h2>KEY FACTS</h2>



<p><strong>Netflix:&nbsp;</strong>230.75 million subscribers, up 7.66 million from September.</p>



<p><strong>Disney+:</strong>&nbsp;161.8 million subscribers, down 2.4 million from September.</p>



<p><strong>Hulu:</strong>&nbsp;48 million subscribers, an increase of 800,000 from September.</p>



<p><strong>ESPN+:</strong> 24.9 million subscribers, an increase of 600,000 from September.</p>



<p><strong>Peacock</strong>: More than 20 million subscribers, up from over 15 million in September.</p>



<h2>WHAT TO WATCH FOR</h2>



<p>Warner Bros. Discovery, which owns HBO Max and Discovery+, has not yet reported its most-recent subscriber numbers. Viacom, which owns Paramount+, will announce its earnings and subscribers on February 16.</p>



<h2>WHAT WE DON’T KNOW</h2>



<p>AppleTV+ and Amazon Prime Video do not make it publicly known how many subscribers they have.</p>



<h2>BIG NUMBER</h2>



<p>38.1% That’s how much of total TV usage streaming represented in December, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nielsen.com/insights/2023/streaming-services-remain-most-popular-destination-for-tv-viewing-in-december/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Neilsen</a>. Of streaming usage, 8.7% was attributed to YouTube and YouTube TV, 7.5% was Netflix, 3.4% was Hulu, 2.7% was Prime Video, 1.9% was Disney+, 1.4% was HBO Max, 1% was Peacock and 0.8% was Pluto TV. The remaining 10.7% was other streaming platforms.</p>



<h2>KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>Netflix could see its subscriber count increase this year as it rolls out measures to prevent sharing accounts outside of households. The company said 100 million households share passwords, and on Wednesday it launched initiatives in Canada, New Zealand, Portugal and Spain to combat the problem. Similar tactics will be used in the U.S. after the first quarter of this year. Major changes are also coming to Discovery+ and HBO Max. Last year, Warner Bros. Discovery said the two streaming platforms would be combined into one unified service, launching sometime this year. However, the <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/warner-bros-discovery-to-keep-discovery-in-strategy-shift-11675859633" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Wall Street Journal</em></a>reported Wednesday that Discovery+ will remain a standalone service, and the new service will feature both HBO content and most, but not all, of the content also found on Discovery+. Executives have changed course in an attempt to maintain the app’s roughly 20 million subscribers, who may not want to pay a higher fee for the new platform, sources said.</p>



<h2>FURTHER READING</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/anafaguy/2023/02/08/netflix-password-crack-down-begins-in-canada-new-zealand-portugal-spain/?sh=5ddf4d7b2f34">Netflix Password Crack Down Begins In Canada, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/dereksaul/2023/02/08/disney-will-reinstate-dividends-cut-7000-jobs-as-bob-iger-hones-in-on-bottom-line/?sh=7098520a40cd">Disney Will Reinstate Dividends, Cut 7,000 Jobs As Bob Iger Hones In On Bottom Line</a> (Forbes)</p>



<p><strong><em>By Marisa Dellatto, Forbes Staff</em></strong></p>


Streaming – Disney+

Disney+ Loses Subscribers As Netflix Gains: Where All The Major Streaming Services Stand


<h2 id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>Twitter massively<a href="https://twitter.com/Twitter/status/1623411536243965954?s=20&amp;t=wHgK-etn97RQrNcUtNXo9g" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">&nbsp;expanded</a>&nbsp;its tweet length limit for U.S.-based Twitter Blue subscribers Wednesday, marking just the second time in the company’s 16-year history it has tweaked its character count as it reportedly struggles to attract a paying user base.</p>



<h2 id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>The character limit for subscribers in the U.S. is now 4,000—more than 14 times the existing 280-character limit, which remains in place for all non-subscribers and Twitter Blue users outside of the United States.</p>



<p>Users scrolling through their timelines will see 280-character snippets of lengthy tweets, with an option to expand—similar to formats on other social media platforms, like Facebook.</p>



<p>The move comes just two days after technology news outlet the<a href="https://www.theinformation.com/articles/musks-twitter-has-just-180-000-u-s-subscribers-two-months-after-launch" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">&nbsp;Information</a>&nbsp;reported Twitter Blue only had about 180,000 subscribers as of mid-January, accounting for less than 0.2% of monthly active users, who pay $8 a month for the service.</p>



<h2 id="h-surprising-fact">SURPRISING FACT</h2>



<p>Twitter’s only other character length expansion came in 2017, when it doubled its initial 140-character limit to 280.</p>



<h2 id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>Nascent company owner and CEO Elon Musk has repeatedly suggested a significant increase in Twitter Blue users is the only way for Twitter to remain financially solvent in the long-term, warning staff shortly after he took over the company: “Without significant subscription revenue, there is a good chance<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2022/11/10/musk-reportedly-bans-remote-work-at-twitter-and-warns-of-difficult-times-in-internal-email/?sh=2370b81a6031">&nbsp;Twitter will not survive</a>&nbsp;the upcoming economic downturn.” But Musk’s top selling points for Twitter Blue—limited ads, priority replies and a blue verification check mark—do not seem to be connecting for many users. Musk has also largely backed down from an early vow of forcing all users verified prior to his takeover to pay for a subscription to keep their blue check marks. Older verified accounts are now instead tagged as “legacy verified,” and include a disclaimer stating they “may or may not be notable.” Twitter’s financial problems have been compounded by a sizable drop in advertising revenue due to many<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicholasreimann/2022/11/28/musk-says-apple-cutting-twitter-ads-here-are-the-other-companies-rethinking-their-ties/?sh=1a4550237032">&nbsp;prominent advertisers pulling funding</a>&nbsp;after Musk loosened some moderation guidelines and reinstated several banned accounts, including<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2022/11/20/elon-musk-reinstates-donald-trumps-twitter-account-after-users-vote-to-bring-him-back/?sh=359596357b60">&nbsp;former President Donald Trump’s</a>.</p>



<h2 id="h-tangent">TANGENT</h2>



<p>Musk appeared to spontaneously come up with the<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicholasreimann/2022/11/01/twitter-will-sell-coveted-blue-checkmark-for-8-a-month-musk-says-but-benefits-still-unclear/?sh=677ddf4f5ac2">&nbsp;$8-a-month price</a>&nbsp;for Twitter Blue subscriptions during a bizarre exchange with horror fiction author Stephen King last year, after King complained about reports that Twitter was considering a $20-per-month subscription. “We need to pay the bills somehow! Twitter cannot rely entirely on advertisers. How about $8?” Musk replied.https://embedly.forbes.com/widgets/media.html?type=text%2Fhtml&amp;key=3ce26dc7e3454db5820ba084d28b4935&amp;schema=twitter&amp;url=https%3A//twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1587312517679878144%3Fs%3D20%26t%3DQX7r2kWdRuxghDWqQJQZQA&amp;image=https%3A//i.embed.ly/1/image%3Furl%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fabs.twimg.com%252Ferrors%252Flogo46x38.png%26key%3D3ce26dc7e3454db5820ba084d28b4935</p>



<h2 id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.theinformation.com/articles/musks-twitter-has-just-180-000-u-s-subscribers-two-months-after-launch" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Musk’s Twitter Has Just 180,000 U.S. Subscribers, Two Months After Launch</a>&nbsp;(The Information)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2022/11/10/musk-reportedly-bans-remote-work-at-twitter-and-warns-of-difficult-times-in-internal-email/?sh=2370b81a6031">Musk Reportedly Bans Remote Work At Twitter And Warns Of ‘Difficult Times’ In Internal Email</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2022/11/20/elon-musk-reinstates-donald-trumps-twitter-account-after-users-vote-to-bring-him-back/?sh=359596357b60">Elon Musk Reinstates Donald Trump’s Twitter Account After Asking Users To Vote</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicholasreimann/2022/11/01/twitter-will-sell-coveted-blue-checkmark-for-8-a-month-musk-says-but-benefits-still-unclear/?sh=677ddf4f5ac2">Twitter Will Sell Coveted Blue Checkmark For $8 A Month, Musk Says—But Benefits Still Unclear</a> (Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicholasreimann/"></a><strong><em>By Nicholas Reimann, Forbes Staff</em></strong></p>


Photo Illustrations

Twitter Boosts Character Limit To 4,000 For Twitter Blue Subscribers


<p>Two earthquakes struck 12 hours apart near Turkey&#8217;s border with Syria on Monday, with the death toll rising to 11,000 as of Wednesday, as rescuers continue to dig through thousands of collapsed buildings.</p>



<p>At around 4AM, the first earthquake of 7.8 in magnitude shook the city of Gaziantep, while 80 miles north in the Kahramanaras province, the second measured 7.7, according the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre’s (EMSC) preliminary data.</p>



<p>With rescuers searching in the bitter cold of winter, this humanitarian crisis is putting pressure on an area already burdened with economic adversity and displacement due to the war in Syria. Hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees in Turkey lived in areas now destroyed by the earthquake.</p>



<p>A citadel in Aleppo, Syria – which has stood for centuries – has sustained serious damage, indicating the intensity of seismic activity. Aleppo is one of the worst-hit areas in north-western Syria.</p>



<p>The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee has called for the lifting of sanctions, stating: “Lifting of sanctions will open the doors for additional and supplemental aid that will provide immediate relief to those in need.”</p>



<p>The International Rescue Committee has called for increased funding for humanitarian aid, saying that many people have already been displaced up to 20 times, and health facilities were already “stretched beyond capacity, not just because of conflict, but also as a result of a recent cholera outbreak.”</p>



<p>President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan says that Turkey has been offered international aid by NATO, the EU, and 45 other countries following the quake.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/GettyImages-1246862294.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-57476" width="577" height="385" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/GettyImages-1246862294.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/GettyImages-1246862294-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/GettyImages-1246862294-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 577px) 100vw, 577px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"> Photo: Anas Alkharboutli/dpa (Photo by Anas Alkharboutli/picture alliance via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>


<p>The Gift of The Givers has a presence in Syria and Turkey, and awoke to a “terrifying tremor at 04h10” on Monday morning, rapidly evacuating the children from their Bayt Kareem Child Care Centre in Gaziantep.</p>



<p>“The casualties in both countries are expected to increase exponentially. Freezing cold, rain, and snow are hampering search and rescue efforts,” reports the Gift of The Givers.</p>



<p>The organization only responds if a call is made by the affected country for international assistance. They have reportedly been contacted by the Turkish Ambassador to South Africa, Aysegul Kandas, and by the Consul General in Cape Town, Sinan Yesildag, as well as the South African Ambassador to Turkey, Dipuo Letsatsi-Duba, requesting intervention. The Turkish government made a level 4 call for international community aid.</p>



<p>Further assistance of search and rescue and medical teams with specialized equipment flew out on Tuesday evening, with Turkish Airlines facilitating the transport.</p>



<p>Medical supplies, equipment, consumables, tents, blankets, food and other humanitarian aid will be purchased in Turkey by Gift of The Givers.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="763" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/GettyImages-1246862587.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-57478" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/GettyImages-1246862587.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/GettyImages-1246862587-300x224.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/GettyImages-1246862587-768x572.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A man stands still in the snow in Malatya, Turkey on Feb. 7, 2023, a day after a powerful earthquake hit southern Turkey and neighboring Syria. (Photo by Kyodo News via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>


<p>“The scale of this disaster as you already know is unprecedented and requires all of us to play whatever role in trying to assist the people of Turkey,” says South Africa’s Ambassador to Turkey, Dipuo Letsatsi-Duba to FORBES AFRICA.</p>



<p>Letsatsi-Duba says knowing their professionalism, capacity and experience, she thought the Gift of The Givers could represent South Africa in helping them, while following protocols regarding assistance from the government.</p>



<p>“We hope that their participation in this mammoth task will go a long way in saving lives and providing much more needed relief aid to the people who are badly affected,” Letsatsi-Duba concludes.</p>



<p>In 1999, an earthquake of similar magnitude in Izmit, Turkey, killed more than 17,000. Turkey sits on the Anatolian tectonic plate, where the North Anatolian fault line and the East Anatolian fault line create an extremely seismically active zone. The North Anatolian fault line borders the Eurasia tectonic plate, and the East Anatolian fault line borders the Arabian plate – where Syria is located.</p>



<p>The 1939 earthquake of similar magnitude killed around 30,000 people, and the population then was</p>



<p>17 million. Now, Turkey has a population of almost 87 million.</p>



<p>As search and rescue continues to dig through rubble and many places remain inaccessible due to damaged roads, the number of deceased will continue to rise. In the first 24 hours, rescuers have found nearly 8,000 people alive, reports <em>AlJazeera</em>.</p>


Turkey-Syria Earthquake Death Toll Rises: ‘Scale Of Disaster Unprecedented’, Says South Africa’s Ambassador To Turkey


<h2 id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>The highly anticipated Harry Potter video game debuts this week, but it’s been plagued by controversy and boycotts as players grapple with whether to support J.K. Rowling’s franchise in light of her history of comments widely seen as transphobic.</p>



<h2>KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>Hogwarts Legacy, a role-playing game set in the Harry Potter universe developed by Avalanche Software and published by Warner Bros. Games, will be&nbsp;<a href="https://variety.com/2023/digital/news/hogwarts-legacy-transgender-character-jk-rowling-harry-potter-wizarding-world-1235514416/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">released</a>&nbsp;February 10 on PlayStation 5, PC, and Xbox Series X/S.</p>



<p>The game has garnered largely&nbsp;<a href="https://www.metacritic.com/search/all/hogwarts%20legacy/results" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">positive reviews</a>&nbsp;on aggregator Metacritic, and has climbed the bestseller list of online vendors like Amazon and the Epic Store thanks to pre-orders.</p>



<p>However, some fans and gamers are boycotting the game in protest of J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter novel series who has a history of making comments offensive to the transgender community and stands to earn&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/danidiplacido/2023/01/12/the-hogwarts-legacy-debate-explained/?sh=af6fa126a32b">royalties</a>&nbsp;from game sales (though she was not involved in the game’s creation).</p>



<p>Some popular game review sites like Kotaku, Polygon and Eurogamer have not yet reviewed Hogwarts Legacy despite the review embargo lifting Monday, while others have denounced J.K. Rowling’s comments and voiced support for transgender people in their reviews.</p>



<p>Jessie Earl, a trans YouTuber and writer,&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/jessiegender/status/1603942028555210752" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">tweeted</a>&nbsp;in December that unlike consuming previously owned Harry Potter books or films, purchasing Hogwarts Legacy while Rowling is “using her ongoing platform to target and also justify her continued targeting of trans people is harmful to trans people” (Rowling responded, accusing her of “purethink”).</p>



<p>Some streamers on Amazon-owned Twitch video platform—including&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/Will_Overgard/status/1614874335839420416" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Will Overgard</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/NikatinePrime/status/1622312576897138688?s=20&amp;t=rb02d41dK_8NpoRZc_sefA" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nikatine</a>—have publicly voiced opposition to the game.</p>



<p>Nikatine, whose name is Veronica Ripley, posted a&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/NikatinePrime/status/1622312576897138688?s=20&amp;t=rb02d41dK_8NpoRZc_sefA" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">statement</a>&nbsp;to Twitter announcing a boycott of Twitch—which is known for its video game-related content—for hosting ads for Hogwarts Legacy, urging streamers to join in halting use of the platform until the ad campaign is suspended.</p>



<p>Hogwarts Legacy is set to feature the first&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/07/entertainment/harry-potter-legacy-trans-character-cec/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">transgender woman character</a>&nbsp;in the Harry Potter universe, though her name, Sirona Ryan, has attracted some&nbsp;<a href="https://www.thegamer.com/hogwarts-legacy-sirona-ryan-trans-character-name/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">criticism</a>&nbsp;for allegedly&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dailydot.com/unclick/hogwarts-legacy-trans-character-name-sirona-ryan/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sounding masculine</a>(beginning with the prefix “Sir” and ending with common male name “Ryan”)—but others&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/07/entertainment/harry-potter-legacy-trans-character-cec/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">noted</a>&nbsp;the name&nbsp;<a href="https://www.names.org/n/sirona/about" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sirona</a>&nbsp;refers to a Celtic goddess of healing and rebirth.</p>



<h2>KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>J.K. Rowling has regularly come under fire in recent years for her views on biological sex and the transgender community, which many have criticized as transphobic. In June 2020, she ridiculed an article headline for using the phrase “people who menstruate” (“I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?” she&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/jk_rowling/status/1269382518362509313?s=20&amp;t=g0g80nrjW_NbQJgWZOhDbQ" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">tweeted</a>), inspiring backlash from critics who said her tweet excludes transgender people. In response to backlash, she&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/jk_rowling/status/1269389298664701952?s=20&amp;t=HvsofpXgAxn_rNRjnApwxQ" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">tweeted</a>“if sex isn’t real, the lived reality of women globally is erased,” adding that she knows and loves transgender people but criticized the alleged erasing of the concept of sex. She also published an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jkrowling.com/opinions/j-k-rowling-writes-about-her-reasons-for-speaking-out-on-sex-and-gender-issues/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">essay</a>&nbsp;on her website, calling it unsafe to allow “any man who believes or feels he’s a woman” into changing rooms and bathrooms, and she’s since stirred controversy for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/08/31/1120299781/jk-rowling-new-book-the-ink-black-heart" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">authoring</a>&nbsp;a book about a character who is killed after facing accusations of transphobia and for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-63162533" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">calling</a>&nbsp;Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who supported a bill making it easier for transgender people to be legally recognized as their preferred gender, a “destroyer of women’s rights.” Her comments have been criticized as transphobic by LGBTQ rights organizations including the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hrc.org/news/hrc-president-alphonso-david-responds-to-j-k-rowlings-latest-transphobic-b" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Human Rights Campaign</a>, and actors from the Harry Potter films have&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2022/01/18/harry-potter-stars-comments-author-j-k-rowling/6565240001/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">voiced support</a>&nbsp;for transgender people in response.</p>



<h2>HOGWARTS LEGACY REVIEWS</h2>



<p>Early reviews for the Harry Potter game have been almost uniformly positive, though some publications have declined to review the game or have included statements critical of Rowling or in support of the transgender community in their reviews. Gamespot, a popular gaming website which has not yet reviewed Hogwarts Legacy, has instead published an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gamespot.com/articles/how-to-help-trans-people-by-donating-to-charity/1100-6511097/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">article</a>&nbsp;listing charities in support of trans people, along with an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gamespot.com/articles/jk-rowlings-anti-transgender-stance-and-hogwarts-legacy/1100-6501632/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">analysis</a>&nbsp;of Rowling’s comments and rising anti-LGBTQ legislation and protests worldwide, the latter authored by Earl. In a positive&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/hogwarts-legacy-review-harry-potter-ps5-xbox-pc" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">review</a>, IGN included a statement titled “Concerning J.K. Rowling,” affirming the publication’s support for human rights and stating the publication’s purpose is to “answer the question of whether or not we find Hogwarts Legacy to be fun to play and why; whether it’s ethical to play is a separate but still very important question.” Canadian outlet TheGamer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/02/06/hogwarts-legacy-jk-rowling-launch" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">said</a>&nbsp;it<em>&nbsp;</em>will not review Hogwarts Legacy or create any online guides for the game.</p>



<h2>CONTRA</h2>



<p>Though the game’s release has inspired vocal critics, it’s still on track to sell well and has plenty of supporters who believe Rowling’s controversy can be separated from the game. Popular streamer xQc, who has more than 11 million Twitch&nbsp;<a href="https://www.twitch.tv/xqc" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">followers</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dexerto.com/hogwarts-legacy/xqc-slams-hogwarts-legacy-boycotters-after-making-streamer-cry-on-twitch-2054609/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">criticized</a>&nbsp;people for making others feel bad for purchasing a video game, claiming “people fund all sorts of evil with their purchases across the board in way worse ways.” It’s already a hit on Twitch, where users who have early access are streaming the game; Hogwarts Legacy has more than one million viewers and 120,000 followers on the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.twitch.tv/directory/game/Hogwarts%20Legacy" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">platform</a>.</p>



<h2>CRUCIAL QUOTE</h2>



<p>“If you are not willing to give up a piece of entertainment in solidarity against the harm J.K. Rowling continues to enact; then how can trans people feel assured you’ll be willing to fight for us in more important areas, such as anti-trans violence, be it physical, mental, personal, systemic or legislative, especially as the discrimination continues to rise?” Jessie Earl wrote in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gamespot.com/articles/jk-rowlings-anti-transgender-stance-and-hogwarts-legacy/1100-6501632/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Gamespot</a>&nbsp;essay.</p>



<h2>FURTHER READING</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/video-games/2023/01/23/hogwarts-legacy-jk-rowling-trans/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Why the new game ‘Hogwarts Legacy’ is roiling the LGBTQ community</a>(<em>The Washington Post</em>)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.gamespot.com/articles/jk-rowlings-anti-transgender-stance-and-hogwarts-legacy/1100-6501632/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">JK Rowling&#8217;s Anti-Transgender Stance And Hogwarts Legacy</a>(Gamespot)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/07/entertainment/harry-potter-legacy-trans-character-cec/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">‘Hogwarts Legacy’ game appears to introduce ‘Harry Potter’s’ first trans character</a>&nbsp;(CNN)</p>



<p><strong><em>By Conor Murray, Forbes Staff</em></strong></p>


“Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore” World Premiere – Arrivals

‘Hogwarts Legacy’ Video Game Controversy: Boycotts And J.K. Rowling’s Comments On Transgender Community, Explained


<h2 id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>The death toll from the powerful earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria on Monday could rise above 20,000, a World Health Organization official warned late Monday, as ongoing efforts to rescue people trapped under collapsed buildings were impeded by freezing temperatures and a multitude of aftershocks hitting the affected region.</p>



<h2>KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>Catherine Smallwood, WHO’s senior emergency officer for Europe&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2023/feb/06/turkey-earthquake-2023-live-updates-quake-tremor-latest-news?page=with:block-63e192968f08ba2ef0b72647#block-63e192968f08ba2ef0b72647" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">told AFP</a>&nbsp;that the final death toll may see an “eight-fold increase”—a statement made when the official death toll was at 2,600.</p>



<p>On Tuesday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the chances of finding survivors are diminishing “every minute, every hour that passes.”</p>



<p>More than 5,000 people have died as of Tuesday morning, with a further 25,000 people injured.</p>



<p>Turkish government officials&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/TRTWorldNow/status/1622878605121290242" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pegged</a>&nbsp;the latest death toll in the country at 3,419, while in Syria, at least&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/SyrianArabNewsAgencySana/posts/pfbid0sG8gGiKjxAksfT2hBHRQx6rH8uNHG6iSYBVdJw3jRQjWNMhPdhqD9LtAY3gqSD5Ll" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">812 people</a>&nbsp;have died in parts of the country under the Assad regime’s control and at least&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/SyriaCivilDef/status/1622865296762478592" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">790 more</a>&nbsp;were killed in rebel-held areas.</p>



<p>As rescuers continue to search for survivors stuck under collapsed buildings, their efforts have been impeded by below-freezing temperatures of 23 degrees Fahrenheit.</p>



<p>Rescue efforts have also been&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/TRTWorldNow/status/1622878605121290242" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">hampered</a>&nbsp;by at least 312 aftershocks that have rattled the region—including some above a 6.0 magnitude.</p>



<h2>WHAT TO WATCH FOR</h2>



<p>If the estimates are accurate, Monday’s earthquake is on course to become the world’s deadliest natural disaster since the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan.</p>



<h2>TANGENT</h2>



<p>A massive fire that broke out in the Turkish port city of Iskenderun on Monday is still ablaze a day later, local media&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/TRTWorldNow/status/1622887893269110784" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a>. Drone footage of the fire showed several shipping containers engulfed in flames, with large plumes of smoke rising from the area. According to earlier reports, the fire broke out after some of the containers were toppled by the earthquake. Efforts to control the fire are still underway and it is unclear if any casualties are linked to the fire.</p>



<h2>KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>Early on Monday morning, a<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2023/02/07/at-least-1300-dead-after-powerful-earthquake-strikes-turkey-and-syria/?sh=77417bb578ba">&nbsp;powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake</a>&nbsp;caused devastation in southern Turkey and northern Syria with tremors being felt in Egypt, Cyprus, Lebanon and Israel. The epicenter of the tremblor was located just 20 miles from the major Turkish city of Gaziantep,&nbsp;<a href="https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us6000jllz/executive" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according to</a>&nbsp;the United States Geological Survey. About nine hours after the earthquake, the region was&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/05/world/europe/earthquake-aftershock-turkey-syria.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">struck</a>&nbsp;by a 7.5 magnitude aftershock. In Turkey alone, the earthquake caused the collapse of at least 6,000 buildings. Across the border in Syria, details about the extent of the devastation were still emerging as control of the affected areas is split between the Bashar al-Assad-led Syrian government and anti-Assad rebel forces. The disaster is likely to stretch the country’s already limited healthcare resources, which have been decimated by an ongoing 12-year civil war.</p>



<h2>SECTION TITLE</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2023/02/07/at-least-1300-dead-after-powerful-earthquake-strikes-turkey-and-syria/?sh=77417bb578ba">Death Toll From Earthquake Nears 5,000 In Turkey And Syria</a> (Forbes)<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/"></a></p>



<p><strong><em>By Siladitya Ray, Forbes Staff</em></strong></p>


Powerful earthquake hits Syria and Turkey

Turkey-Syria Earthquake: WHO Estimates Death Toll May Cross 20,000 As Freezing Weather And Aftershocks Slow Rescue Efforts


<h2 id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>Google<a href="https://blog.google/technology/ai/bard-google-ai-search-updates/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> announced</a> plans Monday to publicly launch its highly anticipated chatbot, which will be integrated with its marquee search engine as Big Tech companies race to deliver artificial intelligence products to the public after Open AI’s<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2022/12/07/heres-what-to-know-about-openais-chatgpt-what-its-disrupting-and-how-to-use-it/?sh=589138bc2643"> ChatGPT captivated millions</a>.</p>



<h2>KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>CEO Sundar Pichai said in a blog post it will unveil its chatbot—called Bard—to the public “in the coming weeks.”</p>



<p>One of its primary features will be providing snippets of information in response to searches that have no obvious answer, such as the question, “is the piano or guitar easier to learn, and how much practice does each need?”</p>



<p>Google—through its parent company, Alphabet—has spent more money than any other business on artificial intelligence, putting more than $31 billion toward research and development in 2021, according to the<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/big-tech-is-spending-billions-on-ai-research-investors-should-keep-an-eye-out-11646740800" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> <em>Wall Street Journal</em></a>.</p>



<h2>CRUCIAL QUOTE</h2>



<p>“Soon, you’ll see AI-powered features in Search that distill complex information and multiple perspectives into easy-to-digest formats, so you can quickly understand the big picture,” Pichai said.</p>



<h2>KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>The race is on for tech companies to roll out chatbots following the immense accomplishments of ChatGPT, which has attracted some 100 million monthly average users since it publicly launched at the end of November. Investors have been hungry to latch onto the chatbot hype, with BuzzFeed’s<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/dereksaul/2023/01/26/buzzfeed-shares-shoot-up-nearly-200-as-company-goes-all-in-on-chatgpt-craze/?sh=6db88c2e71e6">&nbsp;stock more than doubling</a>&nbsp;in a single trading day last month after the company said it would start using ChatGPT to create content. Google also found itself under increasing pressure to launch its chatbot after Microsoft made a multibillion dollar investment in OpenAI as part of an agreement to integrate ChatGPT into its own search engine, Bing. OpenAI—a small, San Francisco-based startup founded in 2015—was reportedly in discussions last month to sell shares valuing the<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicholasreimann/2023/01/05/chatgpt-creator-openai-discussing-offer-valuing-company-at-29-billion-report-says/?sh=e070e6311e04">&nbsp;company at $29 billion</a>.</p>



<h2>WHAT TO WATCH FOR</h2>



<p>The availability of chatbots has prompted numerous ethical questions about their place in society, leading many large school districts<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2023/01/18/chatgpt-in-schools-heres-where-its-banned-and-how-it-could-potentially-help-students/?sh=3f320fbe6e2c">&nbsp;to ban their use</a>, citing cheating concerns.</p>



<h2>FURTHER READING</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2022/12/07/heres-what-to-know-about-openais-chatgpt-what-its-disrupting-and-how-to-use-it/?sh=589138bc2643">Here’s What To Know About OpenAI’s ChatGPT—What It’s Disrupting And How To Use It</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/dereksaul/2023/01/26/buzzfeed-shares-shoot-up-nearly-200-as-company-goes-all-in-on-chatgpt-craze/?sh=6db88c2e71e6">BuzzFeed Shares Shoot Up 120% As Company Goes All In On ChatGPT Craze</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2023/01/18/chatgpt-in-schools-heres-where-its-banned-and-how-it-could-potentially-help-students/?sh=3f320fbe6e2c">ChatGPT In Schools: Here’s Where It’s Banned—And How It Could Potentially Help Students</a> (Forbes)</p>



<p><strong><em>By Nicholas Reimann, Forbes Staff</em></strong></p>


gettyimages-1173599543-594×594

Google To Release Chatbot Following ChatGPT Frenzy


<h2>Topline</h2>



<p>Heading into the 65th Grammy Awards yesterday, Africa already celebrated the nine artists who had been nominated for the prestigious music awards. However, the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles saw four artists take home a Grammy in their respective categories which had the continent continuing the celebrations last night.</p>



<h2>Key Facts</h2>



<p>By far the biggest buzz on social media has been for 27-year-old Nigerian singer Tems who won a Grammy Award in the Best Melodic Rap Performance category for her contribution to the hit song Wait for U – a collaboration of musicians Future and Drake. This win has made her the second female artist from Nigeria to win the award.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/GettyImages-1463258592.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-57459" width="579" height="386" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/GettyImages-1463258592.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/GettyImages-1463258592-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/GettyImages-1463258592-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 579px) 100vw, 579px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">(Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>


<p>“It’s incredible,” Temilade “Tems” Openiyi told Rolling Stone Magazine last night. “I get to work with people that five years ago were on my playlist. I was jamming to them and now I am working with them&#8230;and I feel like this is only the beginning.”</p>



<p>Openiyi has quite the busy year as the singer has also just been nominated for the 2023 Oscars for co-writing Lift Me Up, one of the songs in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.</p>



<p>South African artists Zakes Bantwini, Nomcebo Zikode and Wouter Kellerman took home a Grammy for Best Global Music Performance for their collaboration Bayethe.</p>



<p>“I think the beautiful story is we met with Wouter chatting about this at the South African Music Awards,” Bantwini said after winning the Grammy about how he met Kellerman at the South African Music Awards. “So we met at the awards in South Africa talking about this particular moment, and today we’re at the Grammys. Come on!”</p>



<p>“This award is not just for us, it’s for everyone back home,” Bantwini said in a statement. “This moment is testament to the fact that our dreams are valid and we can accomplish anything we set our minds on.</p>



<p>“I want every young kid in the ghetto in South Africa to dream big and believe that we deserve to be recognized on the biggest stages in the world.”</p>



<h2 id="h-big-night-for-africa">Big Night For Africa</h2>



<p>The awards were hosted by South African comedian and former The Daily Show host, South Africa’s Trevor Noah for the second time (the first time being in 2022).</p>



<p>Although not every African musician won in their category but in total the artists presented made up 11 nominations at the Grammys this year.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center"><strong>Artist</strong> </td><td><strong>Country</strong></td><td><strong>Category</strong> </td><td><strong>Result</strong></td></tr><tr><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Temilade “Tems” Openiyi<br></td><td>Nigeria</td><td><strong>Best Melodic Rap Performance: </strong><em>&#8220;WAIT FOR U&#8221;</em> — Future featuring Drake &amp; Tems</td><td>Won</td></tr><tr><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Temilade “Tems” Openiyi</td><td>Nigeria</td><td><strong>Rap Song</strong>: &#8220;<em>WAIT FOR U</em>” — Future featuring Drake &amp; Tems</td><td>Nominated</td></tr><tr><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Temilade “Tems” Openiyi</td><td>Nigeria</td><td><strong>Album of The Year</strong>: Beyonce’s <em>Renaissance</em> (As a featured artist)</td><td>Nominated</td></tr><tr><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu- Burna Boy</td><td>Nigeria</td><td><strong>Best Global Music Album</strong>: <em>Love, Damini</em></td><td>Nominated</td></tr><tr><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu- Burna Boy</td><td>Nigeria</td><td><strong>Global Music Performance:</strong> &#8220;<em>Last Last</em>&#8220;</td><td>Nominated</td></tr><tr><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Angélique Kidjo</td><td>Benin</td><td><strong>Best Global Music Album</strong>: <em>Queen of Sheba</em></td><td>Nominated</td></tr><tr><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Angélique Kidjo</td><td>Benin</td><td><strong>Best Song Written for Visual Media</strong>: <em>The Woman King.</em></td><td>Nominated</td></tr><tr><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Edrisah Musuuza-Eddy Kenzo</td><td>Uganda</td><td><strong>Best Global Performance</strong>:<em> Gimme Love</em></td><td>Nominated</td></tr><tr><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Rocky Dawuni</td><td>Ghana</td><td><strong>Best Global Performance</strong>: Featuring Blvk H3ro &#8211; Neva Bow Down</td><td>Nominated</td></tr><tr><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Wouter Kellerman</td><td>South Africa</td><td><strong>Best Global Music Performance</strong> <em>Bayethe</em> by Wouter Kellerman, Zakes Bantwini and Nomcebo Zikode</td><td>Won</td></tr><tr><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Nomcebo Zikode</td><td>South Africa</td><td><strong>Best Global Music Performance</strong> <em>Bayethe</em> by Wouter Kellerman, Zakes Bantwini and Nomcebo Zikode</td><td>Won</td></tr><tr><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Zakes Bantwini</td><td>South Africa</td><td><strong>Best Global Music Performance</strong> <em>Bayethe</em> by Wouter Kellerman, Zakes Bantwini and Nomcebo Zikode</td><td>Won</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>


65th GRAMMY Awards – Red Carpet

Another Historic Night For African Music: Nigeria’s ‘Tems’ Wins Big


<h2 id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>The global use of antibiotics and other antimicrobial drugs in animals will rise by the end of the decade, according to <a href="https://journals.plos.org/globalpublichealth/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgph.0001305" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">research</a>published Wednesday in <em>PLOS Global Public Health</em>, a move that could help render the lifesaving drugs useless and accelerate the spread of hard-to-treat, resistant superbugs.</p>



<h2>KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>Some 107,500 tons of antimicrobial drugs—medicine used to kill or impede microorganisms including fungi, bacteria, viruses and parasites—will be used on farmed pigs, chickens, cows and sheep by 2030, researchers projected.</p>



<p>The figure, estimated using data on current trends, marks an 8% increase from 2020.</p>



<p>Agriculture uses the vast majority of the world’s antimicrobials—<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7766021/pdf/antibiotics-09-00918.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">estimates</a> put figures higher than 70%—and the projected jump comes despite global efforts to foster more responsible use of the drugs in a bid to curb the spread of resistant infections.</p>



<p>Antimicrobial resistance emerges when organisms like bacteria, fungi and viruses defeat the drugs used to treat them and it can make infections very difficult, or even impossible, to treat.</p>



<p>Farming often deploys the drugs—including many medically important ones like tetracyclines, amphenicols and penicillins—in healthy animals to keep livestock healthy and prevent disease, a strategy that helps promote resistance.</p>



<p>The researchers said China, Brazil, India, the U.S. and Australia are expected to retain their 2020 positions as the five countries using the most antimicrobials in 2030, having accounted for nearly 60% of global use at the start of the decade.</p>



<h2>KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>Antimicrobials are among the most important tools in medicine. They are vital for treating a litany of infections, make invasive surgery possible and cut the risks of immune system-dampening treatments for conditions like cancer. Resistance threatens to wipe them out, possibly returning us to a time when now-easily treatable conditions—or even a papercut—can kill. A growing number of infections, including MRSA, gonorrhea, salmonellosis, tuberculosis and pneumonia are becoming harder to treat as the antibiotics used to combat them become less effective. The pipeline of new antimicrobials is weak, especially for new classes using new mechanisms to attack microbes, as there are few incentives for pharmaceutical firms to fund costly work in the field and resistance often emerges rapidly once a new drug hits the market. Health experts and agencies, including the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/national-estimates.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CDC</a> and <a href="https://www.who.int/health-topics/antimicrobial-resistance" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">WHO</a>, describe the problem as one of the most pressing threats to public health facing humanity. In the U.S. alone, the CDC <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/biggest-threats.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">estimates</a> there are more than 2.8 million antimicrobial resistant infections each year, killing more than 35,000. The agency puts the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/national-estimates.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">national cost of treating</a> infections caused by the six superbugs commonly found in healthcare settings at more than $4.6 billion a year. Though the evolution of resistant superbugs is natural and expected over time, the misuse and overuse of antibiotics in both humans and animals is accelerating this process.</p>



<h2>SURPRISING FACT</h2>



<p>Profligate use of the drugs in agriculture, particularly to promote growth and prevent disease in healthy animals, is a key driver of resistance. In some countries, the sector is responsible for approximately 80% of total consumption for medically important antibiotics, the WHO&nbsp;<a href="https://www.who.int/news/item/07-11-2017-stop-using-antibiotics-in-healthy-animals-to-prevent-the-spread-of-antibiotic-resistance" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">estimates</a>.</p>



<h2>BIG NUMBER</h2>



<p>10 million. That’s how many people will die each year from antimicrobial resistant infections by 2050, experts&nbsp;<a href="https://amr-review.org/sites/default/files/160518_Final%20paper_with%20cover.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">estimate</a>. Most of these deaths are projected to be in poorer countries and many due to infections we could once treat.</p>



<h2>WHAT TO WATCH FOR</h2>



<p>Experts&nbsp;<a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/01/19/struggle-superbugs-antimicrobial-resistance" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">warn</a>&nbsp;the excessive and inappropriate use of antibiotics during the Covid-19 pandemic has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(22)00796-4/fulltext#%20" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">erased years&nbsp;</a>of progress combating antimicrobial resistance in countries around the world. In the U.S., the CDC&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/pdf/covid19-impact-report-508.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">estimates</a>&nbsp;antibiotic resistant infections and deaths rose from 2019 to 2020, largely due to a 15% jump in infections acquired in hospitals. In a foreword to the report, agency director Dr. Rochelle Walensky described resistance as one of our “greatest public health concerns prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, and it remains so.”</p>



<h2>WHAT WE DON’T KNOW</h2>



<p>The nature of evolution and the biology of microorganisms, as well as its inherently global nature and intersection at numerous different areas of health, can make resistance&nbsp;<a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1002184" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">hard to monitor</a>&nbsp;and predictions on how it will emerge and spread difficult. Data suggests the scale of the problem may already be beyond the estimate of 10 million deaths by 2050. Some 1.27 million&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2022/01/19/antibiotic-resistance-killed-12-million-people-in-2019-study-finds-a-leading-cause-of-death/?sh=2287500b3963">people died worldwide</a>&nbsp;as a direct result of antibiotic resistant bacterial infections in 2019, according to a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(21)02724-0/fulltext" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">report</a>published last year in the&nbsp;<em>Lancet</em>. The death toll—which only considers bacterial infections—is based on the most&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2022/01/19/antibiotic-resistance-killed-12-million-people-in-2019-study-finds-a-leading-cause-of-death/?sh=2287500b3963">comprehensive estimate</a>&nbsp;to date from before the Covid-19 pandemic. It already exceeds deaths from major killers like HIV/AIDS and malaria. Antimicrobial resistant infections played a role in an additional 5 million deaths that year, the report estimated.</p>



<h2>FURTHER READING</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/chloesorvino/2022/08/24/the-whole-foods-label-says-the-meat-is-free-of-antibiotics-but-a-lawsuit-claims-thats-not-always-true/?sh=17496e81a80f">The Whole Foods Label Says The Meat Is Free Of Antibiotics, But A Lawsuit Claims That’s Not Always True</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2023/1/8/23542789/big-meat-antibiotics-resistance-fda" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Big Meat just can’t quit antibiotics</a>&nbsp;(Vox)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2022/01/19/antibiotic-resistance-killed-12-million-people-in-2019-study-finds-a-leading-cause-of-death/?sh=2287500b3963">Antibiotic Resistance Killed 1.2 Million People In 2019, Study Finds, A Leading Cause Of Death</a> (Forbes)</p>



<p><strong><em>By Robert Hart, Forbes Staff</em></strong></p>


Pigs in the pasture

Antibiotics Use In Farm Animals Is Growing—Here’s Why It Could Pose A Danger To Humans


<h2>Topline</h2>



<p>As Nigeria gears up for elections on February 25, the question its over 200 million inhabitants will be desperately seeking an answer to will be, which presidential aspirant has what it takes to move the country out of its current economic crisis – defined by high inflation, diminishing foreign reserves, high insecurity in the North and falling oil prices. The country has not recovered post-pandemic.</p>



<p>For millions of voters affected by the economic hardships, the elections present an opportunity to find a candidate who can finally move the country forward and usher in a new age of prosperity. The 2023 elections to determine the President and Vice President have become more significant than ever.</p>



<p>In her speech honoring the country’s 62nd Independence Day last year, Nigeria’s First Lady Dr Aisha Muhammadu Buhari apologized for the harsh economic realities, saying “the regime might have not been the perfect one”.</p>



<h2 id="h-key-facts">Key Facts</h2>



<p>Of the 18 potential presidential candidates, only three hopefuls reportedly stand a realistic chance of getting the top seat. Nigeria’s top two parties are the All Progressives Congress (APC) and People’s Democratic Party (PDP), who have traded power since Nigeria’s first democratic elections in 1999. The frontrunners are Bola Ahmed Tinubu, 70, for APC and Atiku Abubakar, 76, for the PDP.</p>



<p>Both candidates have years of experience in Nigerian politics. Tinubu, widely known as the godfather of Nigerian politics and kingmaker, was a former governor of Lagos State as well as a former senator of the federal republic of Nigeria. Abubakar was also the former Vice President of Nigeria during Olusegun Obasanjo’s presidency.</p>



<p>And hoping to upset these two candidates is Peter Obi, 61.</p>



<p>A wealthy businessman who exited the PDP party last year, Obi is running under the relatively unknown Labour Party (LP) and has been focused on galvanizing Nigeria’s teeming youth population by leveraging social media as a key strategy. He is also a former Governor for Anambra State. His experience in the business world and understanding of the Nigerian political landscape make him the perfect candidate for the job, according to his supporters.</p>



<p>And while many believe it will be a tall order to unseat the two leading political parties, the anger, frustration and dire economic outlook faced by the Nigerian youth that account for about 70% of the population, according to recent figures from Worldometer, makes Obi a viable candidate to potentially upset the power dynamics in Africa’s most populous economy.</p>


Election In Ondo State

The Nigerian Elections Coming Up This Month: Quick Facts


<h2 id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>According to a new <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.53590?utm_source=For_The_Media&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=ftm_links&amp;utm_term=013023" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a>, Covid placed in the top 10 leading causes of death for children of all age groups, but there are several precautions (like vaccines, masks and isolation), which effectively protect against the virus.</p>



<h2>KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>The study, published in the&nbsp;<em>JAMA Network&nbsp;</em>on Monday, found Covid was a leading cause of death in children and adolescents and caused more deaths than any other vaccine-preventable disease.</p>



<p><a href="https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/brief/covid-19-leading-cause-of-death-ranking/#Total%20deaths%20in%20the%20United%20States%20from%20COVID-19%20and%20other%20leading%20causes,%202020-2022" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">According</a> to the Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker, Covid was the third- leading cause of death in the U.S. each year from 2020 to 2022, and according to the <em>JAMA</em> study, Covid mortality between August 1, 2021 and July 31, 2022 ranked in the top 10 leading causes of death for the age group between infants and 19-year-olds.</p>



<p>Between January 2020 and January 21, there have been 1,098,583 Covid-related deaths in the U.S., with children (Americans 18 and under) making up over 1,600 of those cases,&nbsp;<a href="https://data.cdc.gov/NCHS/Provisional-COVID-19-Deaths-Focus-on-Ages-0-18-Yea/nr4s-juj3" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according</a>&nbsp;to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.</p>



<p>TangentA <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanam/article/PIIS2667-193X(22)00222-8/fulltext" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a> published in the <em>Lancet </em>found although Covid infections due to the omicron variant (the most wide-spread Covid strain) were more transmissible among children, they were less deadly than infections caused by the previous variant.</p>



<h2>COVID VACCINES AND BOOSTERS APPROVED FOR CHILDREN</h2>



<p>The CDC&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2022/s0618-children-vaccine.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">included</a>&nbsp;children ages six months to five years in their recommendation for Covid vaccines in June 2022. Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna are the only vaccines&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/stay-up-to-date.html?s_cid=11368:what%20age%20can%20covid%20vaccine%20be%20given:sem.ga:p:RG:GM:gen:PTN:FY21" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">authorized and approved</a>&nbsp;for use in children aged six months and older by the Food and Drug Administration. However, those 12 and up can receive the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/emergency-preparedness-and-response/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/novavax-covid-19-vaccine-adjuvanted" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Novavax</a>vaccine. The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/info-by-product/janssen/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Johnson &amp; Johnson</a>&nbsp;vaccine is only approved for people 18 years and up. Bivalent boosters (booster shot that protect against the original Covid variant and the now dominant omicron variant) became available for anyone six months and older in December 2022. Bivalent boosters are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.11.17.516898v1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">proven</a>&nbsp;to be more effective at protecting against Covid, severe symptoms and hospitalization than the original monovalent vaccines. Kids aged 6 months through four years who completed a Moderna vaccine series are eligible to receive a Moderna bivalent booster two months after their second dose, and kids five and up who completed the Moderna series can receive either the Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech bivalent booster two months after their second dose. Those aged six months through five years who are completing a Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine series can only get a Pfizer-BioNTech bivalent vaccine as their third dose. Children six years and up who completed a Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine series can receive either the Pfizer-BioNTech bivalent booster two months after their second dose. Children 12 to 17 years of age who got the Novavax vaccines can get either the Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines two months after completing their second dose.</p>



<h2>OTHER PRECAUTIONS</h2>



<ul>
<li><strong>Isolation:</strong>&nbsp;Self isolation at home for at least five days for those who test positive for Covid is recommended, as infectious levels are the highest during this time. If someone has to go out in public or be around others in the household, a high-quality mask is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2022/p0811-covid-guidance.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">advised</a>&nbsp;by the CDC. If symptoms are improving and a fever isn’t present for 24 hours without the use of medicine after the five day period is up, isolation can end and the use of a high quality mask should continue until day 10. However, being around high risk individuals should be avoided until day 11.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/coronavirus/coronavirus-and-covid19-who-is-at-higher-risk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">High risk</a>&nbsp;individuals include those over the age of 65, those with a weakened immune system, those with underlying conditions (like obesity, heart disease and cancer) and pregnant people. The CDC&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/tribal/social-distancing.html#SocialDistancing" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">recommends</a>&nbsp;those who aren’t vaccinated to practice social distancing in public, remaining at least six feet away from others. According to a 2022&nbsp;<a href="https://bmcinfectdis.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12879-022-07636-4" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a>, self-isolation and stay-at-home orders were essential in preventing the spread of the virus during the early phases of the pandemic.</li>



<li><strong>Masks:</strong>&nbsp;A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2014564118" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a>&nbsp;found masks were effective at slowing the spread of Covid. The CDC breaks down&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/covid-by-county.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2F2019-ncov%2Fscience%2Fcommunity-levels.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">mask guidelines</a>&nbsp;based on Covid community levels. For those living in low level communities (places where Covid cases are minimal), masks are not required indoors in public. For medium level communities, it’s recommended high risk people wear high-quality masks or respirators (like the N95) indoors in public. For high level communities, all people should wear high-quality masks indoors in public. Regardless of community level, people with symptoms, those who’ve tested positive for Covid or have come in contact with a positive person should wear a mask indoors. As of April, the CDC no longer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/masks-public-transportation.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">requires</a>&nbsp;the use of masks on public transportation. However, it still recommends the use of masks in indoor public transportation situations.</li>
</ul>



<h2>FURTHER READING</h2>



<p><a href="https://kdhnews.com/living/health/odds-of-severe-covid-19-disease-lower-for-children-during-omicron-predominance/article_3f1f3d1f-a0b5-5497-9830-a2ba6c0f2323.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Odds of Severe COVID-19 Disease Lower for Children During Omicron Predominance</a>&nbsp;(Killeen Daily Herald)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2023/01/26/covid-vaccines-heres-evidence-they-work-despite-persistent-misinformation-along-with-side-effects-and-common-misconceptions/?sh=5a8235b047c3">Covid Vaccines: Here’s Evidence They Work—Despite Persistent Misinformation—Along With Side Effects And Common Misconceptions</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>


Booster COVID-19 Vaccination In Colombia

Study Finds Covid A Leading Cause Of Death Among Children And Adolescents. Here’s How To Stay Safe


<h2 id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>Weeks after Nelson Mandela’s granddaughter was quoted as saying Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were “using” his legacy for profit in their new Netflix documentary series, Ndileka Mandela insisted Saturday she had been misquoted, and applauded the couple for “the inspiration that Harry and Meghan take from my grandfather’s legacy for their social activism.”</p>



<h2>KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>Netflix&nbsp;<a href="https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/live-to-lead-release-date-cast-news#:~:text=The%20inspiring%20docuseries%2C%20produced%20by,Sussex%2C%20showcases%20global%20justice%20activists.&amp;text=Inspired%20by%20Nelson%20Mandela%20and,their%20lives%20to%20social%20justice." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">said</a>&nbsp;the series was “inspired by Nelson Mandela,” and shortly after it was released the&nbsp;<em>Australian&nbsp;</em><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/carlieporterfield/2023/01/04/nelson-mandelas-granddaughter-claims-harry-and-meghan-are-using-grandfathers-legacy-in-new-netflix-series/?sh=31ce7cff4d8f">quoted</a>&nbsp;Ndileka Mandela saying people “have used” her grandfather’s “legacy because they know his name sells—Harry and Meghan are no different from them,” adding Harry “needs to be authentic and stick to his own story. . . .&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/world/nelson-mandelas-granddaughter-speaks-out-on-prince-harry-and-meghan-markle-netflix-series/news-story/77dd59baa8f7725b109db72e8596b808" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">What relevance</a>&nbsp;does grandad’s life have with his?”</p>



<p>However, in <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/prince-harry-meghan-markle-nelson-mandela-b2270406.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">an essay</a> published Saturday in<em> The Independent</em>, Mandela said she never claimed Harry and Meghan were “‘profiteering’ from my grandfather’s name,” and the people who actually did this were the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s “critics, who falsely exploited my grandfather’s name to attack <em>them</em>.”</p>



<p>Mandela said she is “mortified” to see how her comments to the<em>Australian</em>—a large Rupert Murdoch-controlled paper—about “my genuine concerns about the commercial exploitation of my grandfather’s legacy” were twisted, and how they were “misused to attack a woman of colour who was, effectively, hounded out of the British royal family.”</p>



<p>Mandela wrote the same people who “impugn Harry and Meghan want to silence the rest of us who are still fighting for the values my grandfather stood for,” namely those who do not acknowledge Britain’s role in the Atlantic slave trade and other “atrocities,” and those who believe the realities of institutional racism shouldn’t be taught in schools.</p>



<p>Mandela said that ripples of colonialism and the apartheid still linger in South Africa, and the British royal family still benefits from “exploitative structures” and laws that allow them to conceal the scope of their wealth.</p>



<p>The Sussexes “are widening the boundaries of acceptable discourse, bringing to light the unsavoury realities of a cherished British institution that remains at the heart of racialised global inequalities,” Mandela wrote.</p>



<p><em>Forbes</em> has reached out to News Corp Australia for comment.</p>



<h2>CRUCIAL QUOTE</h2>



<p>“I greatly admire Prince Harry and Meghan Markle for their courageous commitment to defending those less privileged than them – vulnerable people, women, and people of colour,” Madela wrote.</p>



<h2>KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>Last month, Harry and Meghan debuted a documentary interview series on Netflix called&nbsp;<em>Live To Lead</em>, which Harry said was inspired by Nelson Mandela, the anti-apartheid activist and former president of South Africa.&nbsp;<em>Live To Lead</em>&nbsp;features interviews from Greta Thunberg and the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, among others. The series was done in partnership with the Nelson Mandela Foundation, and Mandela said in her Independent piece she &#8220;greatly admire[s]&#8221; this partnership. She previously told Fox News Digital she did not criticize the couple, saying &#8220;I just think that people are making a … mountain out of a mole hill, and they’re wanting to persecute Meghan and Harry for no reason, honestly.” She had also published an essay in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/01/nelson-mandela-name-prince-harry-meghan-markle/672762/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Atlantic</a>about being misquoted.</p>



<h2>FURTHER READING</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/carlieporterfield/2023/01/04/nelson-mandelas-granddaughter-claims-harry-and-meghan-are-using-grandfathers-legacy-in-new-netflix-series/?sh=48b5db1a4d8f">Nelson Mandela’s Granddaughter Claims Harry And Meghan Are ‘Using’ Grandfather’s Legacy In New Netflix Series</a> (Forbes)</p>



<p><em><strong>By Marisa Dellatto, Forbes Staff</strong></em></p>


The Duke And Duchess Of Sussex Attend The Endeavour Fund Awards

Nelson Mandela’s Granddaughter Applauds Harry And Meghan For Invoking Grandfather’s Legacy—And Says Criticism Was Misquoted


<h2 id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>Boeing pleaded not guilty in an arraignment on Thursday over charges the manufacturer deceived federal authorities over the safety of its 737 MAX jets following two deadly crashes in 2018 and 2019, <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-01-26/boeing-pleads-not-guilty-in-fraud-case-over-737-max-crashes?srnd=premium" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bloomberg</a> reported, after a judge ruled the families of the victims have standing to challenge a massive $2.5 billion settlement the company agreed to in 2021.</p>



<h2>KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>Representatives from Boeing appeared in a federal court in Fort Worth, Texas, on Thursday over a criminal charge of conspiracy to defraud the Department of Justice over claims it had made that its 737 MAX commercial jets are safe.</p>



<p>It comes just over two years after Boeing made a <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/boeing-charged-737-max-fraud-conspiracy-and-agrees-pay-over-25-billion" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">$2.5 billion</a> plea agreement with the Department of Justice in 2021, admitting to conspiring to defraud the Federal Aviation Administration’s evaluation agency over the safety of its 737 MAX planes, in return for being immunized from prosecution if it met the terms of its deal.</p>



<p>Federal District Court Judge Reed O’Connor&nbsp;<a href="https://docs-cdn-prod.news-engineering.aws.wapo.pub/publish_document/c5b3a8a4-db15-4a7e-84c8-03bae6cca2dd/published/c5b3a8a4-db15-4a7e-84c8-03bae6cca2dd.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ruled</a>&nbsp;last October, however, that the 346 people killed in the two crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia are crime victims, and that the Department of Justice failed to inform the families about the department’s negotiations with Boeing, violating the federal Crime Victims’ Rights Act.</p>



<p>Lawyers representing the relatives of some of the passengers killed in the two crashes had <a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-us-department-of-justice-texas-business-fraud-57db69f33fda9f62785e1fe5d3b2f538?utm_source=homepage&amp;utm_medium=TopNews&amp;utm_campaign=position_10" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">accused</a> the company of the “deadliest corporate crime in U.S. history,” in a brief filed on Wednesday.</p>



<p>Families of the victims are requesting a monitor chosen by the court to evaluate whether Boeing is making safety improvements in the wake of the crashes and that the company be “prosecuted to the hilt,” families’ attorney Paul G. Cassell said, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-us-department-of-justice-texas-business-fraud-57db69f33fda9f62785e1fe5d3b2f538" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">multiple</a> <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/737-max-crash-victims-families-seek-monitor-for-boeing-11674742032" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">outlets</a> reported.</p>



<h2>KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>Boeing launched its 737 MAX commercial jet in 2017, but was forced to ground its fleet worldwide after a deadly crash in Ethiopia in March 2019 killed 157 people on board. That crash came five months after another flight on a Boeing 737 MAX jet left 189 people dead—with both crashes stemming from a failure in the planes’ flight control system, pushing the nose of the plane sharply downwards, according to a technical review. The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jemimamcevoy/2020/11/18/boeing-737-max-cleared-to-fly-again-after-nearly-two-years/?sh=17fb8561704e">FAA cleared</a>&nbsp;the 737 MAX jets for flights nearly two years later, in November 2020, deeming the planes safe for passengers.</p>



<h2>TANGENT</h2>



<p>In addition to the $2.5 billion settlement in 2021, Boeing’s board of directors also agreed to pay the company&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/joewalsh/2021/11/05/boeing-directors-settle-shareholder-lawsuit-over-737-max-crashes-for-2375-million/?sh=15506f8b344b">$237.5 million</a>&nbsp;in a settlement last April to resolve a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.osc.state.ny.us/press/releases/2020/08/new-york-state-comptroller-dinapoli-fire-and-police-pension-association-colorado-announce-appointment" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">lawsuit</a>&nbsp;from shareholders—led by New York state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli and the Police Pension Association of Colorado—alleging Boeing’s board of directors “abdicated their obligation to monitor safety to the extent it was no longer even a topic of discussion in board meetings.” Boeing also agreed to pay&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianbushard/2022/09/22/boeing-will-pay-200-million-after-sec-says-it-misled-investors-about-737-max-crashes/?sh=5dd1406730d1">$200 million</a>last September to settle charges from the Securities and Exchange Commission that it had allegedly misled investors with “materially misleading public statements” following the two deadly crashes of its 737 MAX airplane, and that it knew the first of the two crashes was at least partly caused by a malfunction of its flight control feature. Boeing had instead told the public the crash was the result of pilot error and insufficient aircraft maintenance, and failed to publicly disclose the results of an internal safety review that found an “airplane safety issue,” according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sec.gov/news/press-release/2022-170" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">SEC</a>.</p>



<h2>FURTHER READING</h2>



<p><a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-us-department-of-justice-texas-business-fraud-57db69f33fda9f62785e1fe5d3b2f538?utm_source=homepage&amp;utm_medium=TopNews&amp;utm_campaign=position_10" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Boeing to be arraigned in court over two Max jet crashes</a>&nbsp;(The Associated Press)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianbushard/2022/09/22/boeing-will-pay-200-million-after-sec-says-it-misled-investors-about-737-max-crashes/?sh=5dd1406730d1">Boeing Will Pay $200 Million After SEC Says It Misled Investors About 737 MAX Crashes</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.npr.org/2023/01/26/1151565489/boeing-criminal-charge-fraud-deadly-737-max-crashes" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Boeing faces a criminal charge of fraud related to deadly 737 Max crashes</a> (NPR)</p>



<p><strong><em>By Brian Bushard, Forbes Staff</em></strong></p>


US-AIRPLANE-TRAVEL-TRANSPORT

Boeing Pleads Not Guilty In 737 Max Crash Fraud Case


<h2 id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>False claims that Covid-19 vaccines cause spasms have gone viral on social media, with many users — even language education company Duolingo — making an even more viral joke out of the misinformation.</p>



<h2>KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>Anti-vaxxers are spreading videos on social media of people appearing to seize or spasm, falsely claiming these to be Covid-19 vaccine side effects — but in many cases the videos are years old, unrelated to the Covid-19 vaccine and have been debunked by fact-checkers.</p>



<p>Spasms and seizures are not listed as either <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/expect/after.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">common side effects</a> or <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/safety/adverse-events.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">adverse side effects</a> of the Covid-19 vaccine, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the CDC <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/safety/safety-of-vaccines.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">emphasizes</a> the vaccines are safe and effective.</p>



<p>One&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/healthbyjames/status/1616142878723407894?s=20&amp;t=PnM3jv9-_e2R5xhE7kFShg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">video</a>&nbsp;shared by James Cintolo, who claims in his Twitter bio to be a medical expert, shows a woman convulsing — he called the video “urgent” despite a Twitter fact-checking label noting the video is two years old — and it racked up 25 million views on the platform, inspired widespread mockery and a note from Twitter’s fact-checking team noting it “has been debunked by multiple news outlets and local and Federal health officials, showing no association … with the COVID vaccine,” according to multiple news outlets including a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wired.co.uk/article/covid-vaccine-misinformation-facebook" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Wired</em></a><em>&nbsp;</em>investigation.</p>



<p>Twitter users quickly turned these fake vaccine side effects into a meme: Many tweets, some simply captioned “Thanks Pfizer”—the&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/AngeliaDesselle/status/1522948044043468800" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">caption</a>&nbsp;from a widely derided Twitter video by Angelia Desselle labeled as misinformation that has been viewed more than 23 million times)—show a video like Steve Carrell’s character from&nbsp;<em>The Office&nbsp;</em>doing a&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/theofficereacs/status/1617249097240436738" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">bizarre dance</a>, or Dua Lipa simply&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/theashrb/status/1616921840135426048" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">swaying</a>&nbsp;side to side, garnering millions of views and hundreds of thousands of likes this week.</p>



<p>Brands made their own jokes, too: Duolingo <a href="https://twitter.com/duolingo/status/1617619591303421953" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">shared a video</a> of its mascot dancing, captioning it “Thanks Pfizer” (the company also <a href="https://twitter.com/duolingo/status/1618004237576994817" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">shared a tweet</a> with a link to the CDC website, urging people to stay informed about the vaccine and assuring people “twerking is not a side effect”).</p>



<h2>KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>Videos of people appearing to convulse after receiving a dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, which are used to intentionally spread misinformation, date back at least two years but have recently resurfaced on social media. Angelia Desselle’s January 2021 video was reshared last week on Twitter by user Cintolo, who regularly posts false and misleading information about Covid-19 and the vaccine. Desselle’s case was debunked by media outlets; A CDC spokesperson&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wired.co.uk/article/covid-vaccine-misinformation-facebook" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">told&nbsp;<em>Wired</em></a><em>&nbsp;</em>in January 2021 it had “no adverse event data regarding a case of this nature out of Louisiana,” where Desselle is from. A Louisiana Department of Health spokesperson&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wired.co.uk/article/covid-vaccine-misinformation-facebook" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">told&nbsp;<em>Wired</em></a><em>&nbsp;</em>in January 2021 only one adverse vaccine reaction had led to hospitalization at that time — the person, who experienced gastrointestinal distress and lightheadedness, was released and recovered. Cintolo frequently posts such bogus videos, falsely claiming that the vaccine is dangerous, and several of his tweets have been&nbsp;<a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/anti-vax-movement-new-misinformation-injuries-deaths-1234666611/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">debunked</a>&nbsp;by media outlets and are branded with fact-checks on Twitter. His false tweets come as anti-vaccine propaganda&nbsp;<a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/anti-vax-movement-new-misinformation-injuries-deaths-1234666611/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">surges</a>, particularly the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2023/01/died-suddenly-documentary-covid-vaccine-conspiracy-theory/672819/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">“died suddenly” conspiracy theory</a>, which was peddled in a documentary of the same name and prompted Rep. Marjorie Taylor-Greene to&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/RepMTG/status/1616940625152057345?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1616940625152057345%7Ctwgr%5E3265c464fd431cb9b25bb7b031586f05c05ccedd%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rollingstone.com%2Fculture%2Fculture-features%2Fanti-vax-movement-new-misinformation-injuries-deaths-1234666611%2F" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">demand</a>&nbsp;an investigation into the vaccines.</p>



<h2><strong>“THANKS PFIZER” MEMES</strong></h2>



<p>Duolingo has garnered nearly 300,000 likes and more than 8 million views on their “Thanks Pfizer” meme&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/duolingo/status/1617619591303421953" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">tweet</a>, which the language learning company posted on Monday. Other tweets taking part in the viral joke include a&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/iwishyouwoulds/status/1617370708862173184" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">video</a>&nbsp;of Taylor Swift dancing in her video for “Delicate” and a&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/machinegumkiss/status/1617520447373078535" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">video</a>&nbsp;of comedian Nathan Fielder dancing to Shakira’s “Hips Don’t Lie” — both captioned “Thanks Pfizer.” “My friend Brenda got her vaccine and this started happening in the middle of movie night thanks Pfizer,” one user captioned a&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/seanybrams/status/1618103835700125696" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">satirical tweet</a>, paired with a video of Regina Hall’s character having a seizure in&nbsp;<em>Scary Movie 3.</em>&nbsp;Subjects of the meme aren’t always human — some Twitter users joked the vaccine was to blame for why apps on their&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/yannhatchuel/status/1617302132058910721" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">iPhone</a>, a&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/jennaep7/status/1617216745315483648" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">shopping cart</a>&nbsp;or a&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/joshleonn/status/1616386609762521090" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Halloween decoration</a>were shaking or twitching.</p>



<h2><strong>WHAT ARE THE ACTUAL VACCINE SIDE EFFECTS?</strong></h2>



<p>The most common vaccine side effects — which tend to be mild and temporary — in adults include pain, redness and swelling in the arm, as well as tiredness, headache, muscle pain, chills, fever and nausea,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/expect/after.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according to the CDC</a>. Booster shot side effects may include fever, headache, fatigue, and pain at the injection site.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/safety/adverse-events.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Adverse effects</a>&nbsp;of the vaccine are rare, and the CDC emphasizes the vaccines are safe and effective. Five cases per one million vaccine doses have been linked to anaphylaxis and four cases per one million doses of the Johnson &amp; Johnson/Janssen vaccine have been linked to thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome. Seizures or spams are not listed among the adverse effects of any Covid-19 vaccine on the CDC website.</p>



<h2><strong>FURTHER READING</strong></h2>



<p><a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/anti-vax-movement-new-misinformation-injuries-deaths-1234666611/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Claims of Covid Vaccine Injuries and Deaths Revive Protest Movement</a>(<em>Rolling Stone</em>)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.wired.co.uk/article/covid-vaccine-misinformation-facebook" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">They claimed the Covid-19 vaccine made them ill. Then they went viral</a>(<em>Wired</em>)</p>



<p><strong><em>By Conor Murray, Forbes Africa</em></strong></p>


Category: Current Affairs