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29Nov

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POLITICS

Even As It Appears To Be In Dire Straits The NRA Could Be Winning Its Long Game

Robert Spitzer, State University of New York College at Cortland No observer of contemporary gun politics could fail to notice a jarring disconnect between the two very different trajectories of the gun rights movement today. On the one hand, more states are allowing Americans to carry weapons in public without permits, and the gun-rights movement could be on the verge of a major Supreme Court victory. On the other, the National Rifle Association, which advocates on behalf of gun owners, faces an existential crisis that’s mostly due to the NRA’s own missteps. As a political scientist who has studied gun politics and policy for over 30 years, I’m confident that there is no precedent for this contradictory situation. Moreover, there’s no reason to believe that the NRA’s problems will inf...

Guns At Home Extends To Carrying Them In Public Too – Supreme Court Appears To Suggest

Morgan Marietta, University of Massachusetts Lowell Faced with the question “does the constitutional right to possess a gun extend outside the home?” the majority of the Supreme Court appears to be heading toward the answer “yes.” On Nov. 3, 2012, justices heard oral arguments over New York’s restrictions on the carrying of firearms in public. Supreme Court watchers reported that conservative justices – who make up the bulk of the court – appeared to be of the view that the state’s laws contravene individuals’ right to self-defense outside of their own property. “Why isn’t it good enough to say I live in a violent area, and I want to be able to defend myself?” Justice Brett Kavanaugh wondered. The nine-member panel is far from the first to ponder such questions. The crux of the issue b...

CDC Says Vaccinated People Can Ditch Masks In Most Settings – Herd Immunity Appears Unlikely For COVID-19

When COVID-19 first began spreading, public health and medical experts began talking about the need for the U.S. to reach herd immunity to stop the coronavirus from spreading. Experts have estimated that between 60% and 90% of people in the U.S. would need to be vaccinated for that to happen. Only about 35% of the population has been fully vaccinated, and yet the CDC said on May 14, 2021 that fully vaccinated people can lose their masks in most indoor and outdoor settings. An important question now arises: What happens if we don’t reach herd immunity? Dr. William Petri is a professor of infectious diseases at the University of Virginia who helps lead the global program to achieve herd immunity for polio as the chair of the World Health Organization’s Polio Research Committee. He answers q...