Nation and world news — at a glance — for August 9
The Park fire is now the 4th largest in California history
(NYTimes) — The Park fire, the largest wildfire burning in the United States and the fourth largest in state history, has torn through more than 426,000 acres in Northern California in recent weeks and destroyed hundreds of homes and other structures. The fire ballooned in size in days, and it is the state’s largest this year. Thousands of firefighters and other personnel are battling the fire, which was 34% contained Wednesday. Forecasters say the coming days could bring lower temperatures and higher humidity levels in the fire zone. Unseasonably warm temperatures are expected to give way to highs in the 70s next week.
Engineered virus steals proteins from HIV, pointing to new therapy
(NYTimes) — Scientists have developed a new weapon against HIV: a molecular mimic that invades a cell and steals essential proteins from the virus. A study published in Science on Thursday reported that this viral thief prevented HIV from multiplying in monkeys. The therapeutic approach will soon be tested in people, the scientists said. Four or five volunteers with HIV will receive a single injection of the engineered virus. In a normal HIV infection, the virus slips into an immune cell and hijacks its host’s DNA to make copies of itself, which burst out of the cell. After a large number of cells have been infected, the immune system collapses, causing AIDS.
Veterans and lawmakers lobby in bipartisan push for MDMA therapy
(NYTimes) — More than a half-century after federal regulators banned most psychedelic compounds, the Food and Drug Administration is nearing a decision on a novel treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder that pairs talk therapy with MDMA, the drug commonly known as ecstasy. The decision has generated lobbying by veterans groups, researchers and members of Congress from both parties. Eighty lawmakers signed letters to the Biden administration this week, urging the FDA to approve the application by drug company Lykos Therapeutics. The campaign was prompted in part by an expert panel’s overwhelming rejection in June of Lykos’ application, because of what participants said were flaws in clinical trials and insufficient data.
Israel prepares for expected attacks by Iran and Hezbollah
(NYTimes) — Israel is girding for widely anticipated attacks by Iran and Hezbollah, telling people to stock up on food and water in fortified safe rooms, while hospitals prepare to move patients underground and search-and-rescue teams position themselves in major cities. The Israeli government’s security Cabinet convened Thursday night as speculation continued over how the country’s enemies might respond to the killing of a Hezbollah leader in Lebanon, and of Hamas’ top official while he was visiting Iran. Diplomats across the Middle East and elsewhere have tried to tamp down the tensions amid fears that the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip could broaden into a much bigger conflict.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
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