Crash Course: The TikTok time bomb

Plus: Is delta causing stillbirths? none Your daily update from [Salon](~/AASU4wA~/RgRj0RnSP0QWaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tL1cDc3BjQgph4NOU7mGV2NIPUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~). Written by [Brett Bachman](~/AASU4wA~/RgRj0RnSP0QhaHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0dGVyLmNvbS9CcmV0dEFCYWNobWFuVwNzcGNCCmHg05TuYZXY0g9SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~). none Is the delta variant causing stillbirths? Remember the delta variant? Well, it hasn't gone anywhere — despite news of the new omicron variant pushing it off the front page and largely out of mind. New research into the strain is also revealing some startling findings: The delta variant may cause inflammation in the placenta of pregnant women, leading to a greater likelihood of stillbirth. Salon's Nicole Karlis reports: Andrea Edlow, a maternal-fetal medicine specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital, and her colleagues analyzed the nasal swabs, umbilical cord blood, and placentas of three women who had COVID-19 late in their pregnancies. Two of the women had stillbirths, and the third woman's fetus experienced distress and was delivered by an emergency cesarean birth. None of these women had been vaccinated against the COVID-19.The researchers found in the blood samples that all the women had detectable levels of delta in their nasal swabs, and in their placentas. Viral sequencing confirmed that each woman was infected with the delta variant."All the moms had detectable virus in the bloodstream. All had high levels of detectable virus in their nasal swabs. All had infected placentas," Edlow said. "This was definitely different from what we saw with the ancestral strain of SARS-CoV-2 during the first part of the pandemic." It's not exactly a new phenomenon, either. Suspicions that COVID-19 could pose a greater threat to pregnant women — especially unvaccinated ones — surfaced last year during the initial wave of delta infections. Flashback: [Unvaccinated pregnant women face a high risk of severe COVID-19](~/AASU4wA~/RgRj0RnSP0RzaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjEvMDgvMjUvdW52YWNjaW5hdGVkLXByZWduYW50LXdvbWVuLWZhY2UtYS1oaWdoLXJpc2stb2Ytc2V2ZXJlLWNvdmlkLTE5Lz91c2VyX2lkPSp8RU1BSUx8KlcDc3BjQgph4NOU7mGV2NIPUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) [Learn more](~/AASU4wA~/RgRj0RnSP0R3aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDEvMjMvdGhlLWRlbHRhLXZhcmlhbnQtaXMtaW5mZWN0aW5nLXBsYWNlbnRhcy1saWtlbHktY2F1c2luZy1zdGlsbGJpcnRocy8_dXNlcl9pZD0qfEVNQUlMfCpXA3NwY0IKYeDTlO5hldjSD1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo). none none The TikTok time bomb The past few years have sent the American public scrambling for a salve to ease the pain of endless culture war and pandemic politics — and more than anything else, they're turning to one place for that comfort: TikTok. But the app is a wholly inadequate, and possibly even harmful tool where important information and entertainment are all flattened into one endless scroll, turning everything into bite-size pieces of junk. A group of researchers at the media watchdog organization "Project Censored" reports for Salon this weekend that TikTok lights up the same part of the brain as gambling through a process called "random reinforcement," which now has millions of Americans hooked on its own version of what they call "junk food news." In this way, TikTok closely resembles the corporate press. TikTok's algorithm divides viewers into specific groups, much as corporate media news outlets like Fox News and CNN divide and conquer audiences. According to a recent study by the Pew Research Center, there are consistent ideological divides between groups of Americans based on where they go to get their news about what is going on in the world. In other words, the Gorilla Glue story wasn't the only one people were getting stuck to: many Americans also like to get stuck to particular news outlets, where they can tune in to their favorite sources to feed their political confirmation biases.This market-driven division impacts the information that spreads among various demographics in society, which in turn is reflected across social media — creating an echo chamber of poorly informed people and often resulting in the mass circulation of half-truths and misinformation. [Read the full analysis](~/AASU4wA~/RgRj0RnSP0SFaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDEvMjMvdGhlLXRpa3Rvay10aW1lLWJvbWItdGhlLW5hc2NlbnQtc29jaWFsLW1lZGlhLWFwcC1pcy1mZWVkaW5nLXVzLWp1bmstbmV3cy1ub25zdG9wLz91c2VyX2lkPSp8RU1BSUx8KlcDc3BjQgph4NOU7mGV2NIPUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~). (Photo via Getty Images) none - Bill Barr [spoke with Jan. 6 committee](~/AASU4wA~/RgRj0RnSP0R8aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDEvMjMvYmlsbC1iYXJyLXNwb2tlLXdpdGgtamFuLTYtY29tbWl0dGVlLWFib3V0LXBsYW4tdG8tc2VpemUtdm90aW5nLW1hY2hpbmVzLz91c2VyX2lkPSp8RU1BSUx8KlcDc3BjQgph4NOU7mGV2NIPUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) about Trump White House plan to seize voting machines - We are all [the “Fraggle Rock” Trash Heap](~/AASU4wA~/RgRj0RnSP0RLaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDEvMjMvZnJhZ2dsZS1yb2NrLXRyYXNoLWhlYXAvP3VzZXJfaWQ9KnxFTUFJTHwqVwNzcGNCCmHg05TuYZXY0g9SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) now, Salon's Alison Stine writes - After Roe v. Wade: Now the fight for reproductive justice [moves to the states](~/AASU4wA~/RgRj0RnSP0R_aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDEvMjMvYWZ0ZXItcm9lLXYtd2FkZS1ub3ctdGhlLWZpZ2h0LWZvci1yZXByb2R1Y3RpdmUtanVzdGljZS1tb3Zlcy10by10aGUtc3RhdGVzLz91c2VyX2lkPSp8RU1BSUx8KlcDc3BjQgph4NOU7mGV2NIPUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) - The curse of James Garfield: [A history lesson](~/AASU4wA~/RgRj0RnSP0SBaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDEvMjMvdGhlLWN1cnNlLW9mLWphbWVzLWdhcmZpZWxkLWEtaGlzdG9yeS1sZXNzb24tZnJvbS1vbmUtb2YtYW1lcmljYXMtbW9zdC10cmFnaWMvP3VzZXJfaWQ9KnxFTUFJTHwqVwNzcGNCCmHg05TuYZXY0g9SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) from one of America's most tragic presidents - Former Trump aide Boris Epshteyn [admits to fake elector scheme](~/AASU4wA~/RgRj0RnSP0SMaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDEvMjMvZm9ybWVyLWFpZGUtYm9yaXMtZXBzaHRleW4tYnJhemVubHktYWRtaXRzLXRvLWZha2UtZWxlY3Rvci1zY2hlbWUtb24tbmF0aW9uYWwtdHZfcGFydG5lci8_dXNlcl9pZD0qfEVNQUlMfCpXA3NwY0IKYeDTlO5hldjSD1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) on national TV - The [best garlic bread](~/AASU4wA~/RgRj0RnSP0R2aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDEvMjMvdGhlLWJlc3QtZ2FybGljLWJyZWFkLWhhcy1hLXNlY3JldC1pbmdyZWRpZW50LWFuZC10YWtlcy0xMC1taW51dGVzLz91c2VyX2lkPSp8RU1BSUx8KlcDc3BjQgph4NOU7mGV2NIPUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) has a secret ingredient and takes 10 minutes - Sunrise Movement's Varshini Prakash on [not losing hope](~/AASU4wA~/RgRj0RnSP0RwaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDEvMjMvdmFyc2hpbmktcHJha2FzaC10by10aGUtZW5kLWJ1aWxkLWJhY2stYmV0dGVyLWNsaW1hdGUtY2hhbmdlLz91c2VyX2lkPSp8RU1BSUx8KlcDc3BjQgph4NOU7mGV2NIPUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~)on climate change: "I'm still here fighting" - WATCH: [Trump plays Wordle](~/AASU4wA~/RgRj0RnSP0R9aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDEvMjMvd2F0Y2gtcGxheXMtd29yZGxlLW9uLWZveC1uZXdzLXNob3ctaW4tc2F0dXJkYXktbmlnaHQtbGl2ZS1vcGVuZXJfcGFydG5lci8_dXNlcl9pZD0qfEVNQUlMfCpXA3NwY0IKYeDTlO5hldjSD1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) on Laura Ingraham's Fox News show in Saturday Night Live opener - "Every Day in Kaimuki" filmmakers [speak with Salon](~/AASU4wA~/RgRj0RnSP0RiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDEvMjMvZXZlcnktZGF5LWluLWthaW11a2ktYWxpa2EtdGVuZ2FuLW5hei1rYXdha2FtaS8_dXNlcl9pZD0qfEVNQUlMfCpXA3NwY0IKYeDTlO5hldjSD1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) about questioning contentment: "Are you happy or is this just easy?" - South Dakota's Kristi Noem looks to Texas with [copycat abortion ban](~/AASU4wA~/RgRj0RnSP0R2aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDEvMjMvc291dGgtZGFrb3Rhcy1rcmlzdGktbm9lbS1sb29rcy10by10ZXhhcy13aXRoLWNvcHljYXQtYWJvcnRpb24tYmFuLz91c2VyX2lkPSp8RU1BSUx8KlcDc3BjQgph4NOU7mGV2NIPUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) - [Survival tips from TV](~/AASU4wA~/RgRj0RnSP0ReaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDEvMjMveWVsbG93amFja2V0cy1zdGF0aW9uLWVsZXZlbi1zdXJ2aXZhbC10aXBzLz91c2VyX2lkPSp8RU1BSUx8KlcDc3BjQgph4NOU7mGV2NIPUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) we didn't know we needed - Biden administration’s rapid-test rollout[doesn’t easily reach](~/AASU4wA~/RgRj0RnSP0SLaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDEvMjMvYmlkZW4tYWRtaW5pc3RyYXRpb25zLXJhcGlkLXRlc3Qtcm9sbG91dC1kb2VzbnQtZWFzaWx5LXJlYWNoLXRob3NlLW5lZWQtaXQtbW9zdF9wYXJ0bmVyLz91c2VyX2lkPSp8RU1BSUx8KlcDc3BjQgph4NOU7mGV2NIPUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) those who need it most - And, finally, try this [3-ingredient bean](~/AASU4wA~/RgRj0RnSP0SBaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDEvMjMveW91cmUtb25seS0zLWluZ3JlZGllbnRzLWFuZC0xMC1taW51dGVzLWF3YXktZnJvbS10aGUtaGVyYmllc3QtYmVhbi1zb3VwLWV2ZXIvP3VzZXJfaWQ9KnxFTUFJTHwqVwNzcGNCCmHg05TuYZXY0g9SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) soup that comes together in a flash Not a subscriber yet? [Sign up](~/AASU4wA~/RgRj0RnSP0QgaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tL25ld3NsZXR0ZXJXA3NwY0IKYeDTlO5hldjSD1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) to receive Crash Course. none none What happened to Boris Johnson? And can it happen to Donald Trump? Most people seem to accept the truism that British and American politics have developed roughly in lockstep — a phenomenon that many were quick to attribute when the U.K. got its own portly, orange leader with weird hair. But the similarities between the two countries are beginning to show following a particularly British scandal — over a garden party, no less — that seems incredibly strange to those watching American politics over the past few years. Salon's Andrew O'Hehir explains: The British Tories aren't even half as deranged as the contemporary Republicans, and never pretended that their loyalty to Johnson was more than instrumental. Perhaps most important of all, the U.K."s arcane political system, although weird and broken in its own special way, simply doesn't offer the same opportunities for anti-democratic subversion ...If the Tories are fleeing from Boris Johnson, it's because he suddenly looks like a loser — a classic case of the sinking ship leaving the rat. It's too early to know how things will play out amid all the backstage backstabbing in Westminster, and it would be entirely typical for Johnson to try to hang onto power until the next national election in 2024, even at risk of torpedoing his own party. Nonetheless, it seems reasonable to suggest that politics in the U.K. show signs of a possible return to "normal," something that has decidedly not happened here. [Learn more](~/AASU4wA~/RgRj0RnSP0SBaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDEvMjMvc28td2hhdC10aGUtaGVsbC1oYXBwZW5lZC10by1ib3Jpcy1qb2huc29uLS1hbmQtY2FuLWl0LWhhcHBlbi10by1kb25hbGQtdHJ1bXAvP3VzZXJfaWQ9KnxFTUFJTHwqVwNzcGNCCmHg05TuYZXY0g9SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~). (Photo via Getty Images) none - "If local journalism manages to survive, give Evan Smith some credit for it," [The Washington Post](~/AASU4wA~/RgRj0RnSP0RYaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL21lZGlhLzIwMjIvMDEvMjMvbWVkaWEtc3VsbGl2YW4tZXZhbi1zbWl0aC10ZXhhcy10cmlidW5lL1cDc3BjQgph4NOU7mGV2NIPUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) - "The Medical Tech Scandal That Was Worse Than Theranos," [New York Magazine](~/AASU4wA~/RgRj0RnSP0RtaHR0cHM6Ly9ueW1hZy5jb20vaW50ZWxsaWdlbmNlci8yMDIyLzAxL3dvcnNlLXRoYW4tdGhlcmFub3MuaHRtbD91dG1fc291cmNlPXR3JnV0bV9jYW1wYWlnbj1ueW0mdXRtX21lZGl1bT1zMVcDc3BjQgph4NOU7mGV2NIPUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) - "A Welcome Unfreedom: Quarantining with my mother in her homeland," [The New Yorker](~/AASU4wA~/RgRj0RnSP0RVaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubmV3eW9ya2VyLmNvbS9jdWx0dXJlL3BlcnNvbmFsLWhpc3RvcnkvYS13ZWxjb21lLXVuZnJlZWRvbS1pbi1zb3V0aC1rb3JlYVcDc3BjQgph4NOU7mGV2NIPUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) - "A Visionary Without a Country," [ProPublica](~/AASU4wA~/RgRj0RnSP0RAaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucHJvcHVibGljYS5vcmcvYXJ0aWNsZS9hLXZpc2lvbmFyeS13aXRob3V0LWEtY291bnRyeVcDc3BjQgph4NOU7mGV2NIPUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) - "Cryptocurrency Titans Newly Obsessed With Artificial Wombs," [VICE News](~/AASU4wA~/RgRj0RnSP0SMaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cudmljZS5jb20vZW4vYXJ0aWNsZS85M2JxOGUvY3J5cHRvY3VycmVuY3ktdGl0YW5zLW5ld2x5LW9ic2Vzc2VkLXdpdGgtYXJ0aWZpY2lhbC13b21icz91dG1fc291cmNlPVZJQ0VfVHdpdHRlciZ1dG1fbWVkaXVtPXNvY2lhbCtXA3NwY0IKYeDTlO5hldjSD1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) none none Trump: Send Don Jr. to jail, not Ivanka How's this for parenting: Michael Cohen, Donald Trump's former personal attorney, said on Saturday that the former president instructed him back in 2012 to try and work a case so that his namesake son would be the one going to prison — not his daughter, Ivanka Trump. "And Donald said it to me – I mean, I wouldn't say it if it wasn't said directly to me – he goes, 'if one or the other has to go to prison, make sure that it's Don because Don would be able to handle it, " Cohen said on MSNBC this weekend. The comments are newly relevant after Ivanka spurned a request to appear before the House select committee investigating the attempted Jan. 6 insurrection. Cohen's reply to that news? "Ivanka is only interested in Ivanka." [Learn more](~/AASU4wA~/RgRj0RnSP0SHaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDEvMjMvaW5zdHJ1Y3RlZC1taWNoYWVsLWNvaGVuLXRvLW1ha2Utc3VyZS1kb24tanItd2VudC10by1qYWlsLWluc3RlYWQtb2YtaXZhbmthX3BhcnRuZXIvP3VzZXJfaWQ9KnxFTUFJTHwqVwNzcGNCCmHg05TuYZXY0g9SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~). (Photo via Getty Images) Have a tip for Salon? Feedback on this newsletter? [Let us know](mailto:brett.bachman@salon.com). Our mailing address: 1000 N. 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