Blue-Sky Thinking: How Cities Can Keep Air Clean After Coronavirus
Have We Normalized the COVID-19 Death Toll? ; What ‘Nonlethal’ Weapons Can Do to the Body ; and More Picks
Have We Normalized the COVID-19 Death Toll? (DonkeyHotey)
From the Columbia Journalism Review: “As the toll continues to climb, it seems likely that the gaps between the numbers we consider round enough to note will grow ever larger.”
Amid Pandemic, Iran Doubles Down on Social Media ‘Modesty,’ Arrests Hundreds (Reader Steve)
The author writes, “Since 2009, Iranian women have been required by the Computer Crimes Law to adhere to strict guidelines for online conduct, which includes what they can wear. But in the years since, authorities have been inconsistent in defining what constitutes “deviant” online behavior and also in enforcing their rules.”
Video Shows Cops Slashing Tires Across Minneapolis During George Floyd Protests (Dana)
From Reason: “A spokesperson for the Minnesota Department of Public Safety says they were scared people would drive too fast.”
Eliminate School Police, LA Teachers Union Leaders Say (Reader Steve)
The author writes, “Leaders of United Teachers Los Angeles said Monday they support a movement to eliminate the Los Angeles School Police Department, a force of about 400 that serves the L.A. Unified School District and accounts for about $70 million of the district’s $7.9 billion budget.”
What a White Supremacist Coup Looks Like (Celia)
The author writes, “In Wilmington, North Carolina, in 1898, the victory of racial prejudice over democratic principle and the rule of law was unnervingly complete.”
From Tear Gas to Rubber Bullets: Here’s What ‘Nonlethal’ Weapons Can Do to the Body (Mili)
The author writes, “In some places, protesters are being met with tear gas, rubber bullets, stun guns, and other tactics intended to control crowds without taking lives. Known as nonlethal or less-lethal weapons, many of these tactics were originally pitched as a way to make warfare more humane by incapacitating a person or encouraging them to flee. Law enforcement agencies later adopted these weapons from the military as an alternative to using firearms. Yet people who study nonlethal weapons wonder if a reclassification is in order, as research continues to reveal their damaging ramifications on the body. When misused, these weapons break bones, burn the skin, and cause internal injuries that can be fatal.
Archaeologists Discover the Largest, Oldest Maya Monument Yet (Mili)
The author writes, “The structure, believed to have served as a ceremonial center 3,000 years ago, was discovered in Tabasco, Mexico.”
