Edition 59: a big battle over billboards in Pennsylvania
(This newsletter was sent to email subscribers on October 9, 2020.)
Happy Friday, muggles. Tasmanian devils are back to tear up the Australian outback after 3,000 years! The hope is that these little devils can not only thrive, but also help other animals under attack from feral cats. It’s unclear why the Tasmanian devil disappeared to begin with, but it’s likely a mix of overhunting and the introduction of the dingo. It’ll take some time for the marsupials to be fully reintroduced, but in the meantime, we want to introduce a few stories to you.
TECHNOLOGY
States finally start using coronavirus tracking technology
Sun Oct 4
It only took six months, but now 10 states are using technology from Apple and Google to help track coronavirus exposure. New York and New Jersey were the latest states to release a coronavirus alert app, which means about 20% of the U.S. population now has access to a virus tracking app.
How are Apple and Google involved?
In the beginning of the pandemic, Apple and Google teamed up to build a notification tool that interoperates with iOS and Android operating systems. The tool is a simple way for app developers to include contact tracing in their apps accurately and safely.
How do the apps work?
- Use bluetooth signals from phones to track close contact to other phones
- Push alerts to users who have come in contact with someone who tests positive for coronavirus
- Allow users to anonymously notify everyone they were in contact with if they test positive
While the technology itself has been available for months, building an app is now easier and cheaper because of the availability of open-source code from other countries’ apps who rolled out nation-wide technology. On top of that, the Association of Public Health Laboratories set up a national server that works with the notification tool, allowing tracking to continue across state lines.
What states currently have an app?
- Released: New York, New Jersey, Arizona, North Carolina, Florida, Delaware, Virginia, Nevada, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Alabama, Rhode Island, and Pennsylvania
- Testing: California
- Plan to launch their own: Colorado, Connecticut, Maryland, Oregon, Washington, and Washington D.C.
ENVIRONMENT
Wildfires can create toxic drinking water
Fri Oct 2
The 2020 wildfire season has been burning through the U.S., and these fires are affecting our water systems.
After two fires in California in 2017 and 2018, environmental engineers studied their effects and found…
- Drinking water had increased levels of toxic and carcinogenic pollutants, with some water sources unsafe for even bathing
- A loss of pressure in the water systems
- Fire hydrants, water pipes, and meter boxes were damaged and destroyed by the fires causing leaks and allowing chemicals to leach in
They discovered that toxic chemicals were released from a combination of burning brush, structures, and plastic materials.
What do we need to protect communities from the dangerous aftermath of wildfires?
- Upgraded building codes to prevent widespread contamination of drinking water following fire damage
- Aggressive action to protect against toxic exposure immediately after fires
- Better public education, advisories, and orders because many toxic chemicals are odorless and boiling water can sometimes speed up the release of harmful chemicals into the air
- Thorough chemical testing of water systems by agencies
SOURCES: The Conversation, The New York Times, Cal Matters
IMMIGRATION
ICE targets sanctuary policies with billboards in a swing state
Fri Oct 2
There’s a battle in Pennsylvania over big billboards, and it all started with sanctuary policies. Some cities were refusing to hold immigrants in their custody for longer than required by local laws. Despite these laws, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) made “detainer” requests to hold certain undocumented immigrants they believed were deportable and buy time to enforce their own detainment.
When cities rejected the requests, ICE took matters into their own hands. The agency recently launched six different billboards in the swing state of Pennsylvania, each featuring a different immigrant’s photo with the words “Wanted by ICE,” “CRIMINAL ALIEN,” and “Sanctuary Policies are a REAL DANGER.”
Critics are calling it inappropriate and politically motivated.
- Some are questioning its timing (one month before the election)
- U.S. Department of Homeland Security officials say the Trump administration is using this as a political message by politicizing immigration enforcement
- Some are also pointing out that the charges vary in severity from public intoxication to assault
Beyond billboards, other sanctuary cities may be seeing more of ICE. Last month, Trump’s administration began preparing for a “blitz” of target arrests, and just this this week, ICE arrested over 100 immigrants in California. The administration has even tried to sue uncooperative counties and strip them of their federal funds, but those efforts have been unsuccessful thus far.
SOURCES: BuzzFeed News, BuzzFeed News, CNN, CBS News, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, The Washington Post
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That’s all for today. Have a magical weekend.✨
