How the Rich and Privileged Can Skip the Line for COVID-19 Vaccines ; Historic Churches of Naples Are at Risk From Sinkholes ; and More Picks 12/7
‘There Absolutely Will Be a Black Market’: How the Rich and Privileged Can Skip the Line for COVID-19 Vaccines (Russ)
The author writes, “Athletes, politicians, and other wealthy or well-connected people have managed to get special treatment throughout the pandemic, including preferential access to testing and unapproved therapies. Early access to coronavirus vaccines is likely to be no different, medical experts and ethicists told STAT. It could happen in any number of ways, they said: fudging the definition of ‘essential workers’ or ‘high-risk’ conditions, lobbying by influential industries, physicians caving to pressure to keep their patients happy, and even through outright bribery or theft.”
Trump’s Grievances Feed Menacing Undertow After the Election (Dan)
The authors write, “The last throes of Donald Trump’s presidency have turned ugly — even dangerous. Death threats are on the rise. Local and state election officials are being hounded into hiding. A Trump campaign lawyer is declaring publicly that a federal official who defended the integrity of the election should be ‘drawn and quartered’ or simply shot. Neutral public servants, Democrats and a growing number of Republicans who won’t do what Trump wants are being caught in a menacing postelection undertow stirred by Trump’s grievances about the election he lost.”
Historic Churches of Naples Are at Risk From Sinkholes (Dana)
From the Art Newspaper: “Many of the historic cathedrals, churches and chapels of Naples, Italy are at risk of vanishing into the earth, according to new research published in the Journal of Cultural Heritage. Combining map data with satellite imagery used to measure subtle changes in ground levels over time, a team of researchers from the University of Naples Federico II have identified which of the city’s places of worship are most at risk from sinkholes. The team revealed that nine are built over subterranean cavities, on ground affected by ‘ongoing deformation,’ making these areas highly susceptible to sudden collapse. These buildings require a ‘quick response,’ the team writes, including ongoing monitoring and checking the stability of the ground. They also say a further 57 places of worship lie above ‘potential future cavity collapses.’”
Periodic Table: Scientists Propose a New Way of Ordering the Elements (Mili)
The author writes, “The periodic table of the elements, principally created by the Russian chemist, Dmitry Mendeleev (1834-1907), celebrated its 150th anniversary last year. It would be hard to overstate its importance as an organising principle in chemistry — all budding chemists become familiar with it from the earliest stages of their education. Given the table’s importance, one might be forgiven for thinking that the ordering of the elements were no longer subject to debate. However, two scientists in Moscow, Russia, have recently published a proposal for a new order.”
Topless Women Now Allowed to Taunt Cops in East Lansing (Dana)
From City Pulse: “The nipple has been set free in the city of East Lansing. City ordinances in East Lansing [MI] have long described ‘disorderly conduct’ to include the willful public exposure of ‘buttocks or genitalia’ — as well as the female breast. But as of this week, bare breasts are no longer a crime. City Council members said the change was about equality. … The Council voted 5-0 on Tuesday to unanimously amend portions of its disorderly conduct laws, in part by removing a clause that specifically prohibited women from exposing their breasts. The idea: ensure women aren’t unfairly charged with crimes that men cannot commit.”
