Wednesday, May 31 — 5 significant news stories

First, big project news.

Yesterday I made the biggest update to the scoring algorithm since the start of the project. The new algorithm is much better at several things simultaneously:

• the ranking is better with more interesting stories making the top,

• titles are clearer with less sensationalism, clickbait, and slang,

• deduplication is more robust with fewer false positives and false negatives.

The new algorithm shifts the distribution of scores a bit. The newsletter will now feature news with a score of 7 or higher, and the lowest score the news can get is 1 (not 0).

Now that it’s done, I’ll have more time to focus on things you’ve all been asking for — weekly and monthly editions, and personalized newsletters.

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Thank you!
Vadim

Today ChatGPT read 1206 top news stories and gave 6 of them a significance score over 7.

After removing duplicates and repeats, here is today’s significant news:

[7.9] A deal to raise US debt ceiling faces opposition from hardline Republicans, risking global financial crisis — The New York Times, The Conversation

A bipartisan deal to increase the US debt ceiling until after the 2024 presidential election, reached between the White House and the Republican Speaker of the House, is facing significant opposition from hardline Republican lawmakers, including the rightwing congressman from Pennsylvania who leads the House Freedom Caucus. The agreement includes conditions such as a two-year cap on discretionary spending, changes to some social programs, reduced funding for tax collection, and expedited permissions for large energy and infrastructure projects. However, some Republicans prefer an alternative proposal that includes steep spending cuts and reverses certain policies implemented by President Biden. Meanwhile, the Florida Governor, a potential presidential candidate, is also voicing his objection to the agreement, arguing that it will not prevent the country from heading towards bankruptcy. The deal must be approved by both the House and the Senate before it can become law, a necessity before the government's money runs out on June 5.

[7.7] Researchers reveal protein cleavage process in SARS-CoV-2, supporting development of more efficient COVID-19 drugs — Mirage News

Researchers at Penn State University have been studying how the COVID-19 virus multiplies. They discovered that the virus creates a long chain of proteins, which is then cut into separate proteins by a specific enzyme. This step is crucial for the virus to spread in our bodies. Some current COVID-19 drugs, like PAXLOVID, work by blocking this enzyme's action. Using a high-tech microscope, the scientists figured out that the way the enzyme knows where to cut might be based on the structure of the protein chain. This important finding could aid in the development of more effective COVID-19 drugs. The research was published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.

[7.2] Study links obesity to increased risk of mental disorders, with women at higher risk than men — News-Medical.Net

The research, conducted by the Complexity Science Hub and the Medical University of Vienna, analysed a population-wide national registry of inpatient hospitalisations in Austria from 1997 to 2014 to determine the relative risks of comorbidities in obesity and identify statistically significant sex differences. This extensive study found that an obesity diagnosis significantly enhances the likelihood of a wide range of mental disorders across all age groups, including depression, nicotine addiction, psychosis, anxiety, eating, and personality disorders. It was also revealed that women are at higher risk than men for most of these disorders.

[7.2] Ukrainian drone causes fire at Russian oil refinery, escalating conflict — Reuters

A Ukrainian drone caused a fire at an oil refinery in southern Russia, while shelling hit a Russian town close to the border, damaging buildings and injuring four people, according to Russian officials. The attacks come after Russia accused Ukraine of sending drones to attack buildings in Moscow, and as Ukraine prepares a counter-offensive to drive Russian forces out of territory they have occupied since their full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Air attacks by both sides have intensified as a stalemate endures on the ground with Russian forces entrenched along an extended line in Ukraine's east and south.

[7.1] Tobacco use remains a significant health and economic burden worldwide — The Conversation

Tobacco use is responsible for a significant health and economic burden worldwide, with about 8 million deaths attributable to smoking in 2019. While tobacco use has been declining in most high-income countries, it has been stable or rising in most low- and middle-income countries, where more than 80% of the world's smokers live. In most countries, tobacco use is disproportionately prevalent among the poor, who can least afford the healthcare and financial costs associated with it. A study of eight sub-Saharan African countries found that the people most likely to try and succeed at quitting were wealthier and better-educated individuals, highlighting the need for governments to support socio-economically disadvantaged smokers in their efforts to stop using tobacco. The World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control provides guidelines for governments to follow, including offering help to quit and taxing tobacco products.

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