From Gun Control Strides to Rights of Nature Laws

Antibody tests for COVID-19 work far better in populations with high infection rates, as a three-minute ProPublica video details.

Say a test 100% accurately detects the presence of antibodies. But it has a 5% chance to report antibodies when none are there, giving a false positive reading. In a group of 1,000 people of whom about 4% have been infected—a representative percentage for non-hotspot U.S. populations—this test will produce more false positive readings than true positive readings.

For a group of 1,000 healthcare workers of whom 30% have had COVID-19, a positive test result is far more likely to be a true positive. But, as the World Health Organization points out, no evidence exists to confirm that individuals are safe from re-infection.

After growing pressure and increased media coverage, presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden issued a written statement and appeared on MSNBC denying that he sexually assaulted former Senate aide Tara Reade in 1993.

Biden “unequivocally” denied the assault and called on the Secretary of the Senate to “make available to the press” any complaints in the National Archive Reade filed, as she says she had. Common Dreams notes that Business Insider corroborated Reade’s story with her former neighbor this week.

Women’s sexual assault survivor advocacy group Time’s Up Now said Biden’s official address of the allegations shows a step in the right direction. While he treated the allegations more seriously than our current president has ever attempted, as a presidential candidate, he should have taken the opportunity to discuss more broadly how U.S. society treats sexual assault survivors.

Grist speaks with disease ecologists to understand the spread of COVID-19 and other animal-borne diseases.

Of the 800,000 estimated zoonic viruses in nature that could infect humans, 60% of new infectious diseases originate in domesticated animals and wildlife—often bats, rodents, or non-human primates.

With population growth and environmental destruction, humans have greater risk of contact and infection from zoonic diseases, a phenomenon called “spillover.”

A small group of ecologists, epidemiologists, and veterinarians have spent the last decade working towards pandemic prevention by catching and releasing wildlife to catalogue a huge number of animal-borne diseases.

Grassroots movements have sprung up across the country to deliver aid to those with the most need amid the coronavirus pandemic: elders, those with immunocompromised systems, the homeless, and those without healthcare or employment.

Colorlines lists community-based, self-organized groups offering mutual aid in cities from coast to coast. Groups that individuals can join or seek help from offer economic relief, food assistance, medical assistance, and housing assistance.

Self-isolation for many spurs hunger for arts and entertainment. To feed that hunger in a time of sparse engagement, the Indypendent compiles a weekly stay-home events calendar.

Concerts, film screenings, performances, conferences, talks, and galleries continue through virtual access. Some highlights include an exhibit of Georgia O’Keeffe’s artwork and another of Frida Kahlo’s wardrobe.

Free live talks and Q&As about the pandemic and life beyond offer options for human intellectual engagement.

As the Environmental Protection Agency fails to enforce federal environmental laws during the pandemic, Rights of Nature laws offer a future for protecting the Earth.

In These Times discusses steps in 2019, the movement’s most successful year so far, towards localized environmental protection, including actions by Native groups, the National Lawyers Guild, and state communities.

So far, 2020 looks promising too, with seven years of activism prompting the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection to revoke a frack waste injection well permit. Rights of Nature laws aim to empower communities to govern the purpose and behavior of corporations.