Rapid Tests, in Time for Fall Surge ; Half of Republicans Believe False Accounts of Deadly US Capitol Riot ; and More Picks 4/13
Rapid Tests, in Time for Fall Surge (Bethany)
From Harvard Magazine: “The first rapid, inexpensive, coronavirus tests were finally approved for home use by the Food and Drug Administration. These self-administered tests, which don’t require a physician’s prescription, can be used by anyone to determine whether they are infectious, in order to prevent asymptomatic spread of SARS CoV-2. The news was welcomed in particular by assistant professor of epidemiology Michael J. Mina, an immunologist who has been pushing for regulatory approval of such tests since the middle of last year, because they can help control outbreaks — including all those caused by novel variants of the virus — and prevent lockdowns. Even now, as more and more Americans are vaccinated daily, Mina foresees an important role for these antigen tests in what he predicts will be a November surge in infections.”
Half of Republicans Believe False Accounts of Deadly US Capitol Riot (DonkeyHotey)
The author writes, “Since the deadly Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, former President Donald Trump and his Republican allies have pushed false and misleading accounts to downplay the event that left five dead and scores of others wounded. His supporters appear to have listened. Three months after a mob of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol to try to overturn his November election loss, about half of Republicans believe the siege was largely a non-violent protest or was the handiwork of left-wing activists ‘trying to make Trump look bad,’ a new Reuters/Ipsos poll has found.”
Plan Would Return Beachfront Property Taken From Black Family in 1920s
The author writes, “Los Angeles County plans to return prime beachfront property to descendants of a Black couple who built a seaside resort for African Americans but suffered racist harassment and were stripped of it by local city leaders a century ago, a county official said Friday. … The decision in Los Angeles County, the nation’s most populous, comes at a time of national reckoning on race and discussions at the local, state and federal levels over reparations. It comes after multiple property transfers over the decades. Today, a county lifeguard training headquarters building sits on the property along some of the most coveted coastline in Southern California.”
Novel System Sequesters CO2 and Generates Electricity (Mili)
The author writes, “A recent study has unveiled a novel system, capable of producing hydrogen and electricity quickly and effectively while cutting carbon dioxide emissions significantly.”
The Hunt for Maine’s Dirigo Treasure (Dana)
From the Lincoln County News: “Somewhere in the state of Maine, $20,000 has been hidden. The search for this treasure, called Maine’s Dirigo Treasure, will engage players in a first-of-its-kind, real-world treasure hunt. The creators of the treasure hunt and the company behind the hunt, Dirigo Treasures LLC, are Newcastle residents Kurt and Kelly Stokes. Kurt, a grant accountant in the Research Service Center at the University of Southern Maine, and Kelly, director of special services for the Central Lincoln County School System, spent three years exploring and photographing locations around the state. ‘We created the game to celebrate Maine’s 200 years of statehood,’ Kurt said. ‘What better way to celebrate Maine than to get people out of the house, out of their town, and exploring parts of the state they never knew existed?’”
