Three news stories summarized & contextualized by analytic journalist Colin Wright.

FDA approves first vaccine against mosquito-borne virus chikungunya

Summary: The US Food and Drug Administration has approved the first-ever vaccine for a mosquito-borne illness called chikungunya, which can cause intense joint pain and in some cases lead to death.

Context: Illnesses transmitted by mosquitoes have been increasingly worrisome for health experts, as mosquitoes have been moving to new areas as the planet’s climate bands have shifted, exposing new populations without any immunity to those diseases; chikungunya has already been tracked in more than 110 countries in Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas, and more than 2 million cases have been officially reported, globally, since 2005; this vaccine has been approved for people 18-years-old and older, is a single-dose shot, and grants recipients a protective level of antibodies—though the exact statistical level of protection isn’t yet known, as the vaccine was approved through the FDA’s accelerated approval process which speeds-up the otherwise sluggish treatment-approval pipeline for serious and life-threatening diseases after they’ve been shown to be safe and efficacious.

—The Washington Post

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Chile’s right wing presents draft conservative constitution

Summary: A new constitution, drafted by the furthest-right wing of Chile’s government, has been proposed and will be voted upon by the country’s citizenry on December 17.

Context: This new draft would replace the current constitution, which was produced under former Chilean dictator Pinochet, and would curb the right to collectively strike, threaten access to an abortion, and reduce the number of deputies in congress; it’s a stark contrast to the previous constitutional draft that was under consideration, which was sometimes glowingly, sometimes derisively called the most progressive constitution even proposed, and which was overwhelmingly voted down by Chileans late last year.

—The Guardian

FBI seizes Eric Adams’ phones as campaign investigation intensifies

Summary: Following a raid on New York Mayor Eric Adams’ chief fundraiser’s home, the FBI reportedly seized the mayor’s phones and tablet, returning them shortly thereafter, as part of an investigation into whether his 2021 campaign violated campaign finance law.

Context: This is an ongoing investigation, but the crux of it, at the moment, seems to be a possible conspiracy to funnel donations from the Turkish government into Adams’s campaign, alongside any potential quid-pro-quo granted to Turkey or a Turkish construction company, KSK Construction, which is apparently also under investigation; members of Adams’s inner-circle have come under official scrutiny for potential bribe-taking and illegal donation-funneling in the past, and the Mayor says that he’s cooperating with the investigation and is not aware of any illegal activity connected to his campaign.

—The New York Times

More than half of US citizens live in a state where marijuana is legal (or will be soon) following the recent success of a piece of legislation in Ohio that will allow for recreational use.

—Axios

$47 million

North American release-weekend box office haul for Marvel’s new The Marvels movie, which hit theaters last Friday.

That’s the worst-ever opening for a film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe—of which there have been 33—and though it brought in about $110 million globally, the film is reported to have cost nearly $275 million to produce.

The precursor Captain Marvel film that was released in 2019 debuted to $455 million in ticket sales, so this is being seen as a possible sign that so-called “superhero fatigue” at the box office has landed, in earnest.

—The Guardian

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