To the Bat Cave: In Search of Covid’s Origins, Scientists Reignite Polarizing Debate on Wuhan ‘Lab Leak’ May 20, 2021
Once dismissed as a conspiracy theory, the idea that the covid virus escaped from a Chinese lab is gaining high-profile attention. As it does, reputations of renowned scientists are at risk and so is their personal safety.
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At the center of the storm is Peter Daszak, whose EcoHealth Alliance has worked directly with Chinese coronavirus scientists for years. The scientist has been pilloried by Republicans and lost National Institutes of Health funding for his work. He gets floods of threats, including hate mail with suspicious powders. In a rare interview, he conceded that he can’t disprove that the deadly covid-19 virus resulted from a lab leak at the Wuhan Institute of Virology though he doesn’t believe it.
Homicides Surge In California Amid Covid Shutdowns Of Schools, Youth Programs Tuesday, May 18, 2021 | Sacramento, CA
By Phillip Reese
Amid a pandemic that left law enforcement agencies stretched thin and forced shutdowns that left young men with little to do, California registered a devastating surge in homicides in 2020 that hit especially hard in Black and Latino communities.
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The number of homicide victims in California jumped 27% from 2019 to 2020, to about 2,300, marking the largest year-over-year increase in three decades, according to preliminary death certificate data from the California Department of Public Health.
There were 5.8 homicides per 100,000 residents in 2020, the highest rate in California since 2008.
A recent report by the county s Department of Public Health found an 84% increase in overdoses among people experiencing homelessness in recent years. The DPH report made clear that drug overdoses are having a devastating impact on one of our most vulnerable communities, Kuehl said. This motion will expand proven programs and make sure that our unhoused residents can access them. It represents another step forward as we build a care first system for all of our residents.
While some people object to the idea of medicating addicts, research has shown that the use of FDA-approved medications such as methadone, coupled with counseling and behavioral therapy are effective in treating substance