The US crackdown on Chinese economic espionage is a mess. We have the data to show it.

Will vaccines work against omicron? Does it transmit more easily? How bad is it?

Sponsored by JPMorgan Chase The Download Your daily dose of what's up in emerging technology A climate of fear 12.02.21 Good morning! Today: our blockbuster investigation uncovers the failings of the Department of Justice's "China Initiative." Also: it'll take weeks to work out how bad omicron is—we review the questions scientists want answers to. Get your friends to sign up here to get The Download every day. The US crackdown on Chinese economic espionage is a mess. We have the data to show it. The US Department of Justice started its China Initiative in 2018 to counter rising concerns about Chinese economic espionage and threats to US national security. It was a centerpiece of the Trump administration’s hardening stance against China. Now, an investigation by MIT Technology Review can show that it has strayed far from its initial mission. Instead of focusing on economic espionage and national security, the China Initiative now appears to be an umbrella term for cases with almost any connection to China. To date, only about a quarter of defendants charged under the initiative have been convicted, and about half of those defendants with open charges have yet to see the inside of an American courtroom.  Today, MIT Technology Review is publishing a searchable database of 77 cases and more than 150 defendants. While likely incomplete, the database represents the most comprehensive accounting of the China Initiative prosecutions to date. Our reporting and analysis showed that the climate of fear created by the prosecutions has already pushed some talented scientists to leave the United States and made it more difficult for others to enter or stay, endangering America’s ability to attract new talent in science and technology from China and around the world.  Lawmakers say our findings are “startling.” Read the full story for yourself. —Eileen Guo, Jess Aloe and Karen Hao Read more about how our reporters got their facts, and how the DOJ responded by changing its records, in this piece about the methodology behind the investigation.  Will vaccines work against omicron? Does it transmit more easily? How bad is it? Omicron has more than 30 mutations, some of which have previously been seen in other variants and are thought to make viral transmission faster. Others are alarming because researchers have no idea what they mean. The worry is that omicron might contain a dream team of nasty adaptations. But it’s going to take time before researchers can say whether omicron is a genuine problem. “A really important thing we have to keep in mind right now is that for most of the things we are trying to figure out, we don’t yet have a lot of data,” says Emma Hodcroft, a molecular epidemiologist in Bern who helps run a database of genetic information called Nextstrain. The big questions for scientists are whether vaccines will still work, whether omicron is transmitted more easily, and whether it causes more severe disease. Given the way things played out with past variants, like alpha and delta, we expect it to take about a month for scientists to find out. Read the full story. —Antonio Regalado We can still have nice things A place for comfort, fun and distraction in these weird times. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line or tweet 'em at me.)   + It’s the time of the year where I draw your attention to the excellent names of the gritters (that’s “salt spreaders” to Americans?) in Scotland.    + Who knows whether we’ll be able to travel abroad in 2022, but if we can, these are the places to visit.    + If you can imagine it, there’s probably an Instagram page for it… this one’s dedicated to parked cars in NYC.   + If you want to get into the festive spirit, try cooking some of these recipes.   + Would definitely buy coffee from this barista. (Thanks Amy!) Early Bird Savings are here (for a limited time).  EmTech Digital offers decision makers ideas, inspiration and practical guidance on the technical, ethical and strategic AI deployment issues facing organizations. Learn more. Sponsor Message JPMorgan Chase is more than a global financial institution It is one of the world's largest technology organizations. With over 50,000 technologists across 21 Global Technology Centers, JPMorgan Chase designs, builds and deploys technology that enables solutions that are transforming the financial services industry and beyond.  Learn more → The must-reads I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology. 1 The US has recorded its first omicron case—in San Francisco It’s unlikely this is truly the first case. It’s probably just the first one that’s been detected. (Ars Technica)   + The US is pretty much flying blind due to poor sequencing capabilities. (Axios)   + Newly-reported covid cases nearly doubled in South Africa yesterday. (WSJ $)   + Omicron is rapidly becoming the dominant strain of covid there. (The Guardian)   + The world is watching South Africa for clues of what’s coming. (FT $).    + WHO members are discussing a global treaty to strengthen the world’s pandemic defenses. (NYT $)   + An atom-level simulation of the coronavirus shows how it spreads. (NYT $)   + Inside 18 hours of omicron chaos at Schiphol Airport. (Wired $)   + We’re set to get a new type of covid vaccine. (NPR)   + The J&J vaccine might not offer as high protection as others, but it lasts way longer. (The Atlantic $)  2 Renewables are set to soar ☀️📈 You can thank declining costs and more aggressive action from nations to combat climate change. (TR)   3 That cute cat online? It might just be spreading misinformation These sorts of tactics are inevitable when platforms prize engagement above all else. (NYT $)   + How Facebook and Google fund global misinformation. (TR)   + China-based propagandists created a fake Swiss scientist to push covid disinformation, Facebook says. (NBC)  4 How Amazon built (and maintains) its Marketplace monopoly It’s taking a bigger and bigger cut of sellers’ earnings—leading to higher prices for you and me. (Recode)   5 African countries are increasingly reliant on Chinese tech And China may be getting more from the bargain than they realize. (Rest of World)   6 The latest NFT wheeze? Buying a tiny fragment of a Banksy Of course, it isn’t the Banksy you’re buying. Just a virtual piece of paper that says “I own 10,000th of this.” (NYT $)   + NFTs are great for laundering money, according to an official at China’s central bank. (South China Morning Post)  7 A new feature is coming to Android phones: an always-on camera NOPE. No thanks. (The Verge)    8 What should we be eating? 🍽️ Handily, the best diet for the planet seems to also be the one that’s best for our health. (Nature)   + Why people still starve in an age of abundance. (TR)   9 Instagram psychics say they’re being impersonated and scammed 🔮 Scams on scams. (LA Times)   10 The world’s first “AI casino” has been delayed by technical problems The aim is to address fraud. But it sounds like a terrible experience for customers. (FT $) Quote of the day “There isn’t a wrong answer.” —Worried you’re pronouncing “omicron” incorrectly? Peter Sokolowski, editor at large at Merriam Webster, has some good news for you, the New York Times reports. Top image credit: SELMAN DESIGN Please send Banksy fragments to hi@technologyreview.com. Follow me on Twitter at @charlottejee. Thanks for reading! —Charlotte Was this newsletter forwarded to you, and you'd like to see more? Sign up today Advancing the promise of technology Make MIT Technology Review your go-to resource for insights, analysis, and news about the world of technology. Get unlimited access when you subscribe today. Subscribe now Want to change how you receive these emails? You can *update your preferences or *unsubscribe from this list.  Subscription Information This message was sent to  Webmaster220 Bible Study Blog *the blog owner has deleted the hyperlink intentionally    Follow us: MIT Technology Review One Main Street Cambridge, MA 02142