public – Page 3

How a new biotech rule will foster distrust with the public and impede progress in science

1Jun

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

SCIENCE

How a new biotech rule will foster distrust with the public and impede progress in science

In May, federal regulators finalized a new biotechnology policy that will bring sweeping changes to the U.S. food system. Dubbed “SECURE,” the rule revises U.S. Department of Agriculture regulations over genetically engineered plants, automatically exempting many gene-edited crops from government oversight. Companies and labs will be allowed to “self-determine” whether or not a crop should undergo regulatory review or environmental risk assessment. Does CRISPR really make it easier for all scientists to produce gene edited crops and animals? Maywa Montenegro, CC BY-SA Initial responses to this new policy have followed familiar fault lines in the food community. Seed industry trade groups and biotech firms hailed the rule as “important to support continuing innovation.” Environmental and s...

Riot or resistance? How media frames unrest in Minneapolis will shape public’s view of protest

4Apr

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

IN OTHER NEWS

Riot or resistance? How media frames unrest in Minneapolis will shape public’s view of protest

A teenager held her phone steady enough to capture the final moments of George Perry Floyd’s life as he apparently suffocated under the weight of a Minneapolis police officer’s knee on his neck. The video went viral. What happened next has played out time and again in American cities after high-profile cases of alleged police brutality. Vigils and protests were organized in Minneapolis and around the United States to demand police accountability. But while investigators and officials called for patience, unrest boiled over. News reports soon carried images of property destruction and police in riot gear. The general public’s opinions about protests and the social movements behind them are formed in large part by what they read or see in the media. This gives journalists a lot of power w...

It’s a bad idea for journalists to censor Trump – instead, they can help the public identify what’s true or false

3Apr

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

IN OTHER NEWS, POLITICS

It’s a bad idea for journalists to censor Trump – instead, they can help the public identify what’s true or false

In times of mortal strife, humans crave information more than ever, and it’s journalists’ responsibility to deliver it. But what if that information is inaccurate, or could even kill people? That’s the quandary journalists have found themselves in as they decide whether to cover President Donald J. Trump’s press briefings live. Some television networks have started cutting away from the briefings, saying the events are no more than campaign rallies, and that the president is spreading falsehoods that endanger the public. “If Trump is going to keep lying like he has been every day on stuff this important, we should, all of us, stop broadcasting it,” MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow tweeted. “Honestly, it’s going to cost lives.” News decisions and ethical dilemmas aren’t simple, but withholding in...

Buyer beware: Counterfeit markets can flourish during a public health crisis

27Mar

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

IN OTHER NEWS

Buyer beware: Counterfeit markets can flourish during a public health crisis

Rapid acceleration of coronavirus-related infections and fatalities in countries like Italy, Spain and the United States has led to widespread bans on communal activities, global restrictions on travel and an increasing reliance on virtual interactions. The push to keep people indoors has lead to a substantial increase in e-commerce and internet-based activities, including video streaming, grocery shopping, food delivery and education. People are becoming increasingly reliant upon these services to provide life’s basic necessities – and counterfeiters are primed to take advantage of this unique opportunity. Counterfeiters have long preyed upon consumer vulnerability in order to make a quick profit. The current coronavirus crisis will likely be no different. However, what is unique about ...

Why public health officials sound more worried about the coronavirus than the seasonal flu

4Apr

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

COVID-19, HEALTH & WELLNESS, VIDEO REELS

Why public health officials sound more worried about the coronavirus than the seasonal flu

The spread of the new coronavirus, which has infected over 80,000 people worldwide and resulted in the death of more than 3,000, has raised alarms around the world. At the same time, the seasonal influenza, known as the flu, causes severe illness in between 3 million and 5 million people, with hundreds of thousands of deaths every year worldwide. With so many fewer cases than the flu, what explains the dramatic response to COVID-19 and worry around the globe? And how would a person know whether seasonal influenza-like symptoms are COVID-19? As an epidemiologist, here’s how I look at these questions. Difficult to distinguish The first thing to realize is that the emergence of the novel coronavirus isn’t a rare “black swan” event. Rather, this is a product of evolution; there have been ab...

Court upholds removal of cross-shaped monument on public land in Md.

5Mar

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

Journalism

Court upholds removal of cross-shaped monument on public land in Md.

A federal appeals court is standing by a ruling that calls for the removal or destruction of a cross-shaped, 40-foot monument on public land that has towered over a busy intersection for nearly 100 years. In a closely divided vote, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit refused to reconsider an earlier decision that found government funding for the 40-foot-tall memorial in suburban Prince George’s County, Maryland, to be an unconstitutional endorsement of religion. The 8-6 vote drew passionate dissents from several judges who said it puts other monuments on public grounds nationwide at risk. The case could end up before the Supreme Court, which has not provided clear guidance about displays of religion on government land. Supporters of the Peace Cross, who say it is a secular tr...