Edition 15: Stories just as important as buying lysol wipes

(This newsletter was sent to email subscribers on March 13, 2020.)

Happy Friday, muggles. Former campaign staffers are getting in the Happy Hour spirit, as their Venmo accounts fill up with cash gifts as high as $100 — from none other than their former competition. With coronavirus precautions keeping us inside, let’s embrace #socialdistancing and share a virtual toast.

HEALTH

How Taiwan has slowed the spread of the coronavirus — and what we can learn from it

Tues Mar 3

Despite being just about 80 miles off the coast of mainland China with the most frequent flight routes between the two countries, Taiwan has managed to hold back the rampant spread of the coronavirus. As of Thursday afternoon, there have only been 49 cases (including one death) reported — compared to the 1,000+ confirmed cases and at least 31 deaths in the U.S. How has Taiwan been able to protect its 23 million residents? By planning ahead.

After the SARS epidemic in 2004, the Taiwanese government established the National Health Command Center as a point of contact for response teams, in preparation for the next outbreak. On December 31st, 2019, the day China told the World Health Organization (WHO) about the rise in flu-like cases in Wuhan, Taiwan began testing its suspicious cases. Officials have also managed to stave off mass panic with hourly public service broadcasts and by presenting a transparent, united front despite political differences.

Meanwhile, in the U.S.: Government officials have promised swift action, but many of their response measures are failing to produce results. Certain stats — such as the increased number of test kits in medical centers — sound great on paper, but they fail to accurately reflect the number of patients being tested and treated.

Doctors say they have cured HIV for the second time ever

Tues Mar 10

Thirty months after ending his anti-retroviral treatment for HIV, a London patient is still virus-free, making him the second person to ever be cured. How? Thanks to an aggressive stem-cell treatment — primarily used to treat the patient’s cancer. The donated stem cells contained a rare gene that prevents HIV from infecting the cells’ membranes.

Researchers are still a long way off from curing HIV patients altogether, as the treatment is too aggressive and high-risk to treat the disease on its own. Current HIV drugs allow for patients to manage the symptoms of the disease without disrupting their daily lives.

EDUCATION

FDA bans schools from using electric shock as a disciplinary measure

Fri Mar 6

A national ban just passed that prevents schools from using electric shock devices on their students. The ban was prompted by one Massachusetts school in particular that has practiced electric shock discipline since the 1970s — in some cases, without parental consent. The school serves children and adults with intellectual disabilities and other behavioral disorders, and has faced several lawsuits regarding its controversial methods. While many families of affected students wished the law passed sooner, some stand by the practice and tried to fight the ban.

Over 800 schools are losing thousands of dollars in federal funds

Sat Feb 29

Due to a minor “bookkeeping” change at the Department of Education (DOE), more than 800 school districts, many located in the most impoverished and isolated parts of the U.S., are about to lose tens of thousands of dollars in grant money.

How? The funding is given to districts where at least 20% of school-age children live in poverty. Census data is typically used to determine eligibility, but often undercuts rural populations. For this reason, districts were previously allowed to report their own percentages for students who qualify for free or subsidized meals.

The DOE has decided to only allow census data, inciting bipartisan outcries from lawmakers and advocates of these rural communities. The loss of these funds would be a huge blow for the affected districts, many of whom are *not* prepared for the drastic budget cuts to come. One Oklahoma district stands to lose $30,000 this year, and others may lose much more. Senators from Maine and Montana have written to Dept. Head Betsy DeVos, hoping to rectify this change before the affected schools lose their funding.

AGRICULTURE

Farmers sue USDA over lax qualifications for certifying organic produce

Tues Mar 3

Organic food growers are suing the USDA to stop the National Organic Program from approving hydroponically grown produce as being organic.

What does this mean? “Organic” isn’t simply a catch-all term for “healthy” — to qualify, the crops have to improve the long-term health of the soil they’re grown in through a combination of practices:

• Eliminating the use of synthetic pesticides or fertilizers
• Using animal or green manures (made from uprooted pieces of sown crops)
• Managing weeds, pests, and disease without the use of toxic chemicals

Under these guidelines, proponents of the lawsuit argue that hydroponic crops (which aren’t grown in soil at all) shouldn’t qualify, yet they are still being approved by the USDA as certified organic.

Why does this matter? Organic food sales reached $45.2 billion in 2017, and have been steadily growing in popularity in recent years. Soil-only advocates argue that hydroponic growers are reaping the benefits of an organic label without putting in the effort. It also muddles the value of the certification for environment- and health-conscious consumers, who may eventually perceive organic labels as insignificant — or not worth the extra cost.

Peruvian towns collect 200+ liters of fresh water from fog

Sun Feb 23

By stringing large sheets of mesh on hilltops, communities have found a unique way to collect water in Peru’s arid climate. These fog-catching nets, which each yield 200–400 liters per day, have been a game-changer for many residents. They are allowing agriculture to flourish in unlikely areas and saving poorer communities the expense of trucking in water from the closest city.

So far, over 2,000 fog-catching nets have been built in Peru, Colombia, Bolivia, and Mexico.

LABOR PRACTICES

Tech giants are benefiting from the forced labor of Uighur Muslims in China

Sat Mar 7

For the past four years, China has been forcing its Uighur Muslim population into re-education programs, presumably to erase their cultural ties. After “graduating” from these programs, many of these individuals are sent to work in factories — where they may be building products for major tech companies, such as Apple, Lenovo, Samsung, Dell, and HP.

Experts say these labor programs pursue China’s larger goal: to force Uighurs to assimilate into the predominant Han culture. In the factories, they are kept isolated from the other workers and forbidden from practicing their religion. Yet, these conditions seem better than the alternative: remaining in re-education centers where harrowing stories of physical and psychological abuse have been reported.

Nike has been reviewing its supply chain’s hiring practices after revelations of this forced labor practice surfaced last month. Many tech companies have either denied awareness of forced labor in their supply chains or have declined to comment.

Updates on last week’s stories

• Days after signing a peace deal with the U.S., the Taliban launched a new wave of attacks on our Afghan allies. On Wednesday, the U.S. responded with an airstrike against insurgents. (Original Story)

Heads up, California

Small communities in the Central Valley are experiencing severe water shortages, as industrial farms consume the area’s limited supply. In California’s rural communities, 95% of residents rely on private wells to pull water from nearby rivers. However, the effects of drought coupled with the insatiable demand of large farms have dried up residents’ wells, forcing families to go days without showering. Worse still, most of the water left has been poisoned by natural toxins in the soil from these farms, leaving over a million residents without clean drinking water. Residents are worried that the Affordable Drinking Water Fund, approved this past July, may not provide relief fast enough.

New legislation proposes employee-rights training for caregivers in the residential-care industry. The required material would cover topics like minimum wage standards and whistleblower protections. This is in response to a recent investigation, which revealed that many caregivers were:

• Paid as little as $2 an hour
• Charged for rent by employers (which often involved sleeping on floors or in garages)
• Victims of human trafficking

Lawmakers hope that this bill will serve as an important first step to eliminate these exploitative facilities. The bill has been sent for review, and will then be put to a vote on the Assembly floor.

Heads up, New York

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has announced plans to enlist prison inmates to produce free hand sanitizer for public use. As fear of the coronavirus spreads, hand sanitizer is in high demand — with sales skyrocketing over 300% during one week. The surge has forced many retailers to limit how much customers can buy per visit and has allowed for third-party sellers on Amazon to charge at least $50 for what normally would be a $4.50 bottle. Gov. Cuomo hopes that the plan to produce free hand sanitizer will ease the market’s demand.

That’s all for this week. Have a magical weekend.✨

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