Scientists Are Trying to Save Coral Reefs. Here’s What’s Working.
'Will We Fight for Black People to Live?' ; Sir Isaac Newton’s Toad Vomit Lozenge Scribblings ; and More Picks
US Outlines $4.6 Billion Plan to Protect Miami From Climate Impacts (Mili)
The author writes, “The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released a draft plan Friday calling for walls to protect the area from sea level rise that could reach about 13 feet (4 meters) in height. … The plan also calls for movable barriers at the mouths of three waterways, elevating and flood-proofing thousands of buildings throughout the county and restoring mangroves in vulnerable areas.”
Simi Councilman at Center of Controversy for Suggesting Using Septic Tanks on Rioters (Reader Steve)
The author writes, “[Mike] Judge, 56, began last week by sharing on his personal Facebook page a posting with the words, ‘Wanna stop the riots? Mobilize the septic tank trucks, put a pressure cannon on em … hose em down … the end.’”
A Dozen Texas GOP County Chairs Share Racist or Anti-Semitic Posts (Russ)
From the Texas Tribune: “On Friday morning, Texas’ top Republican officials, including Gov. Greg Abbott, had condemned four GOP chairs for proliferating conspiracy theories on Facebook. The posts, from chairs of some of the largest counties in Texas, suggested George Floyd’s death was staged to erode black support for President Donald Trump.”
Black Deaths at the Hands of Law Enforcement Are Linked to Historical Lynchings (Celia)
The author writes, “U.S. counties where lynchings were more prevalent from 1877 to 1950 have more officer-involved killings.”
‘Will We Fight for Black People to Live?’ (Laura)
From the Atlantic: “‘We don’t see any American dream,’ Malcolm X said in 1964. ‘We’ve experienced only the American nightmare.’ … Black Americans are constantly stepping into the toil and terror and trauma of other black Americans. Black Americans are constantly stepping into the souls of the dead. Because they know: They could have been them; they are them. Because they know it is dangerous to be black in America, because racist Americans see blacks as dangerous. To be black and conscious of anti-black racism is to stare into the mirror of your own extinction.”
Coronavirus: Hard-Hit Brazil Removes Data Amid Rising Death Toll (Dana)
The author writes, “Brazil has removed months of data on Covid-19 from a government website amid criticism of President Jair Bolsonaro’s handling of the outbreak. The health ministry said it would now only be reporting cases and deaths in the past 24 hours, no longer giving a total figure as most countries do.”
Sir Isaac Newton’s Prescription for Plague? Toad Vomit Lozenges (Mili)
The author writes, “When Newton returned to school in 1667, he threw himself into the medical works of Belgian physician Jan Baptist van Helmont, according to a statement from the Bonhams auction house. While working through van Helmont’s book on the plague, De Peste, the young scientist penned a proposed plague cure in his handwritten notes. Now, two pages of these previously unpublished scribblings are up for sale in Bonhams’ June manuscripts auction.”
