Our picksLondon’s knife crime epidemic; Notre Dame Cathedral fire conspiracy theories; climate change & border crisis, and more
· U.S. measles outbreaks are the “new normal” thanks to Europe’s epidemic and anti-vaccine campaigns, experts say
· Measles outbreak drains resources we may need for a future epidemic or bioterrorist attack
· The four things London needs to do to fix its knife crime epidemic
· How Trump’s border crisis is driven by climate change
· The state of FirstNet, America’s public safety broadband network
· Trump administration to withhold bail from asylum seekers in latest border crackdown
· What’s driving the rise of the anti-vaxxers?
· Notre Dame Cathedral fire conspiracy theories flourish after investigators say there’s no proof of terrorism
· A timeline of how the Notre Dame fire was turned into an anti-Muslim narrative
· Culture of secrecy shields hospitals with outbreaks of drug-resistant infections
U.S. measles outbreaks are the “new normal” thanks to Europe’s epidemic and anti-vaccine campaigns, experts say (Dan Vergano, BuzzFeed News)
“Under-vaccinated areas in the U.S. are the kindling and the huge numbers of infections overseas are the spark that ignites outbreaks here.”
Measles outbreak drains resources we may need for a future epidemic or bioterrorist attack (Joe Lieberman and Tom Ridge, USA Today)
A devastating infectious disease pandemic could kill more people than nuclear war. Just 100 years ago, the Spanish flu killed 50 to 100 million people. Life-threatening diseases continue to place us at great risk. Ten years ago, it was H1N1 influenza. Today, it is the measles.
Last week, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio declared a public health emergency. Measles outbreaks are occurring in New York City and throughout the nation, with case counts rising at an alarming rate. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports 555 confirmed cases in 20 states so far this year. It is the second-highest total since measles, which is highly contagious, was declared eliminated in the Americas almost two decades ago.
This reemergence of measles teaches us two things. First, our public health system needs additional resources if it is to control the occurrence and spread of disease throughout the nation.
Second, since local governments — including New York City — are having to spend their limited public health resources to contain diseases like measles, they will not be sufficiently prepared for large-scale biological events such as a bioterrorist attack or an infectious disease pandemic. If measles draws down New York’s resources now, the city will be less able to withstand the next major biological event. Devastation could be vast and swift, followed quickly by an impact on the national economy that we cannot afford.
The four things London needs to do to fix its knife crime epidemic (Gary Slutkin, Wired)
Our reactions to violence often perpetuate the problem rather than stopping it. But studies show that treating violence like a contagious illness could halt its spread
