Good morning, it's Tuesday, Oct. 13. In a developing story, a second major COVID-19 vaccine trial has been paused after a participant developed an unspecified illness. Have feedback? Let us know at [email protected].

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NEED TO KNOW

Barrett in the Spotlight

The Senate Judiciary Committee began consideration of Judge Amy Coney Barrett's nomination to the Supreme Court yesterday, the first step in a sprint by Senate Republicans to a potential preelection confirmation. With a 53-47 edge, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has sufficient votes to approve Barrett, with the major question being timing.

Both sides used the hearing to raise election issues key to their base. Republicans touted Barrett's conservative credentials, while Democrats moved to frame Barrett as the deciding vote in a case—currently scheduled to be heard Nov. 10—that may determine the fate of the Affordable Care Act. For her part, Barrett pledged to interpret laws as written, reflecting her constitutional originalist philosophy. Watch her opening statement here.

The next two days will feature Q&A sessions, while Thursday will include outside panelists. A committee vote is expected Oct. 22, leaving one week for full Senate confirmation before the election. 

New UK Restrictions

United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson unveiled yesterday a three-tiered system in an effort to address localized hot spots of the coronavirus around the country. The new restrictions, likely to go into effect within days, were prompted by skyrocketing infection rates in northern cities. The city of Liverpool reported 600 cases per 100,000 people last week, more than eight times the country's average.

The restrictions fall short of lockdowns seen around the globe in March and April. In cities deemed to be very high risk, pubs and bars—which some studies suggest may play an outsized role in transmission—will be closed, along with gyms and casinos. Restaurants at low capacity may be exempt, and schools and retail will remain open.  

The rolling average of new daily cases across the UK has risen from around 1,000 in late August to more than 15,000 (see data). Deaths have risen by a factor of 10 over the same period.

The restrictions may not make a difference—a recent study showed just one in 10 residents quarantined after coming in contact with a known infected person, while just one in five self-isolate after developing symptoms. 

A Winning Bid

The Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences was awarded yesterday to Paul Milgrom and Robert Wilson of Stanford University for their work in improving auction theory and inventing more efficient auction formats. Much of their early work focused on how fear of the "winner's curse"—when the winning bid exceeds the intrinsic value of an item—drove the behavior of bidders. While seeming esoteric, the pair developed highly efficient auction formats used in everything including the allocation of radio frequencies, electricity markets, modern online ad sales, and more.   

Researchers from the US dominated the 2020 Nobel Prizes, the rest of which were announced last week (see list). Not counting the Peace Prize, awarded to the United Nations World Food Program, Americans accounted for seven of 11 winners.

Milgrom couldn't be reached by phone, and Wilson had to wake him up in person to deliver the news—the exchange was recorded via security camera (w/video).

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IN THE KNOW

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture

> Joe Morgan, Baseball Hall of Famer and two-time MVP, dies at 77 (More) | Tampa Bay Rays take 2-0 lead on Houston Astros in American League Championship Series (More) | Atlanta Braves take 1-0 lead over Los Angeles Dodgers in National League Championship Series (More)

> Tom Parker, member of multiplatinum-selling British boy band The Wanted, announces he has an inoperable brain tumor (More)

> An estimated 5.6 million viewers tuned in to Game 6 of NBA Finals, a record low and less than a third of the viewers of 2019’s Game 6 (More)

Science & Technology

> Facebook to ban posts denying the Holocaust or distorting its scale; CEO Mark Zuckerberg says a rise in anti-Semitism caused his thinking to evolve (More) | Comes amid growing concern over Holocaust awareness among young people (More)

> Stacked and twisted graphene displays rare form of magnetism, study finds; property arises not from individual electron spin, but the collective swirling of electrons (More) | What is graphene? (More) 

> Researchers demonstrate real-time monitoring of dopamine and serotonin levels with sub-second resolution, showing the neurotransmitters play a role in perception and cognitive functions (More)

Business & Markets

> Tech giants lead US stock markets surge (S&P 500 +1.6%, Dow +0.9%, Nasdaq +2.6%) (More) | Amazon kicks off 48-hour Prime Day today after pandemic-induced July postponement (More)

> Disney shares up 5% after announcing the restructuring of entertainment businesses to increase focus on streaming services (More)

> Apollo Global CEO Leon Black expresses remorse for relationship with Jeffrey Epstein in letter to investors (More)

Politics & World Affairs

> Election 2020: President Trump visits Florida, the first on-the-road campaign event since recovering from COVID-19 (More) | Joe Biden makes push in Ohio, once seen as a long shot (More) | With 21 days left, see poll averages in battleground states (More)

> Five men accused of plotting to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to make first appearance in federal court today (More)

> Belarus officials detain more than 700 people as widespread protests over election fraud by strongman President Alexander Lukashenko enter their ninth week (More)

IN-DEPTH

What if a Pill Could Change Your Political Beliefs?

Scientific American | Eddie Jacobs. A new mental health treatment based on psilocybin (pronounced sai-luh-SAI-bin), the active compound in magic mushrooms, is set to be licensed in the US next year. Some research has shown a long-term decrease in authoritarian leanings in patients even after treatment ends, posing intriguing medical and ethical questions. (Read)

The Horror Master's Humanity

The Ringer | Miles Surrey. While not a household name, Mike Flanagan—mastermind of Netflix's widely acclaimed "The Haunting of Hill House"—has become known for a style rarely seen in the horror genre: empathy, humanity, and judicious use of jump scares. (Read)

Editor's note: Just in time for Halloween, the sequel to the aforementioned hit series was released Friday. Watch the trailer here.

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ETCETERA

Watch LeBron James call his mom after winning the title.

What it costs per vote to become president. ($$, Quartz)

Watch a colorized snowball fight from 1896.

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The countries that consume the most coffee.

The late John McCain's mother, Roberta, dies at age 108.

Born without wisdom teeth? Blame microevolution.

When you buy a ghost town, but a pandemic forces you to live there.

The US Army tries out augmented reality for dogs.

Clickbait: The Catholic Church eyes its first millennial saint.

Historybook: Continental Navy established (1775); UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher born (1925); Italy declares war on Germany (1943); RIP television host Ed Sullivan (1974); 33 Chilean miners rescued after 69 days underground (2010).

"Being powerful is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are, you aren't."

- Margaret Thatcher

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