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TOP STORY
TOP STORY
‘Far right’ poised for state election victory
Preliminary results show the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) has come top in a state election in Germany.
Voters in the former communist east expressed dissatisfaction with Germany’s mainstream political parties, putting the AFD in the top spot in Thuringia, with 32.8% of the vote, and second place in Saxony, with 30.6%.
Alice Weidel, the AfD’s co-leader, said: “It is a historic success for us. It is the first time we have become the strongest force in a state election. It is a requiem for this coalition [in Berlin].”
German chancellor Olaf Scholz called the results “bitter” and “worrying.” He said: “The AfD is damaging Germany. It is weakening the economy, dividing society and ruining our country’s reputation.”
The results in Saxony and Thuringia proved disastrous for the three ruling parties in Scholz’s centre-left-led federal government, each scoring single-digit percentage shares of the vote in both states one year before Germany holds its next general election.
Over three decades since national reunification, eastern voters are dissatisfied with the lingering impact of structural decline, depopulation and lagging economic performance, compounding a sense they are still viewed as second-class citizens.
POLITICS
POLITICS
Harris surges ahead of Trump in latest poll
Democrat Kamala Harris has surged ahead of Republican Donald Trump 48%–43%, a USA Today/Suffolk University Poll finds.
The poll reflects an eight-point turnaround in the presidential race from late June when Trump had led President Joe Biden in the survey by nearly four points.
Harris has succeeded in doing what Biden never could this year: lead Trump. Her advantage is within the survey's margin of error, and the poll was taken after the Democratic National Convention.
Voters 18–34 moved from supporting Trump by 11 points to supporting Harris by 13 points, 49%–36%. Hispanics moved from supporting Trump by two points to supporting Harris by 16 points, 53%-37%.
Black voters, traditionally one of the most overwhelmingly Democratic groups, moved from supporting Biden by 47 points to supporting Harris by 64 points, 76%–12%.
At 59, Harris is a generation younger than Trump, the former president, who is 78, and Biden, who is 81.
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LAW
LAW
Oregon recriminalizes hard drug possession
Possessing hard drugs in Oregon will once again be a criminal offense after the state recriminalized possession.
Oregon became the first state to decriminalize possession of small amounts of hard drugs such as fentanyl, heroin and meth in response to a 2020 ballot.
The new law, HB4002, which took effect on Sunday, will give those caught with small amounts the ability to choose between a charge of possession or treatment programs.
Personal-use possession will be a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail, while the law encourages, but does not mandate, counties in the state to set up treatment alternatives to divert offenders away from the criminal justice system.
The law is seen to make it easier for police to crack down on drug use in public, a problem that has become widespread in some parts of the state over the last few years.
ENTERTAINMENT
ENTERTAINMENT
Film festival welcomes Pitt and Clooney
George Clooney and Brad Pitt returned to the Venice Film Festival on Sunday for the world premiere of “Wolfs.”
The film is described as an old-school action thriller directed by Jon Watts, in which they play lone wolf fixers unhappy to have been hired for the same job to cover up a bloody mess involving a district attorney (played by Amy Ryan).
The film will have a limited theatrical release starting Sept. 20 before hitting Apple TV+ on Sept. 27. Apple TV+ acquired “Wolfs” in a competitive bidding war, beating out both traditional studios and rival streaming services.
Clooney confirmed that they did forfeit some of their salaries to guarantee a theatrical release and that it’s a “bummer” that it won’t be wider than a few hundred theaters.
Far from being anti-streaming, Clooney said that everyone is simply finding their way during this revolution. There are bumps and mistakes, but there’s also much more opportunities for actors, he said.
Pitt added: “I think we’ll always be romantic about the theatrical experience, but at the same time, I love the existence of streamers … it’s a delicate balance. It’ll right itself.”
HEALTH
HEALTH
Covid vaccine updated amid summer surge
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted emergency use authorization for an updated Novavax Covid vaccine.
The version, permitted for people 12 years of age and older, “more closely targets” variants circulating nationwide, providing more protection against “serious consequences” of the virus, the agency said.
The FDA’s approval of the vaccine comes after giving the green light to Pfizer’s and Moderna’s updated Covid shots, which target the KP.2 strain of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
Coronavirus variants circulating this summer primarily cause chills, fever, runny nose and stuffiness. Medical experts say there is no longer a pandemic, but Covid is unlikely to go away soon.
SCIENCE
SCIENCE
Scientists discover how memories stick
Scientists have discovered how two molecules in the brain work together to help keep long-term memories.
Researchers found that the molecules PKMzeta and KIBRA help strengthen connections in the brain to store memories. If this teamwork is blocked, memories are disrupted.
PKMzeta is critical for keeping memories, while KIBRA helps it find the right spots in the brain. The study clears up confusion from earlier research that suggested other molecules might take over when PKMzeta is missing.
KIBRA helps guide PKMzeta to specific brain connections, explaining why boosting PKMzeta can strengthen old memories. The finding might help create treatments for memory-related problems like Alzheimer's or PTSD.
The research has determined that there is no single “memory molecule.” Some types of memory, such as the association of a location with fear, do not depend on PKMzeta.
Study co-author Andre Fenton said identifying individual molecules isn’t as crucial as “identifying the molecular logic that allows us to look for the right elements and interactions.”
OFFBEAT
OFFBEAT
Tiny homes to help the homeless
A man is making tiny homes on wheels to shelter unhoused people—inspired after his brother became homeless.
Ryan Donais started building the portable homes in July, concerned about the homelessness in his city of Toronto, Canada, where he was seeing a huge growth in “tent towns.”
The 37-year-old construction manager spent 100 hours on the prototype and two months building the first unit. It is made from fiberglass-reinforced plastic and features a bed, desk, sink and camping toilet.
Ryan says he came up with the idea of building it after his brother became homeless five years ago, having struggled with addiction for 20 years.
The mini homes are insulated, weatherproof and watertight, use solar power for the lights and fan, and come with a window and door. The bed turns into a sofa, with 12 cubic feet of storage underneath for personal items.
“My goal is to raise $100,000 to scale production, with each unit costing around $5000.” Donais hopes his initiative proves to be an “awakening program” for governments to house the homeless.
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