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The Beat<\/strong><\/p>\n America and guns: it\u2019s complicated<\/em><\/p>\n A comprehensive, 79-page publication from the Pew Research Centre aims<\/a> to quantify \u2018America\u2019s complex relationship with guns\u2019 (PDF<\/a>). The highlights<\/a> include findings that 30% of American adults own a gun; 44% of respondents personally knew somebody who\u2019d been shot; and around one-third of gun owners keep loaded guns within reach when at home.<\/p>\n Another study, this time from the Pediatrics<\/em> journal, identifies<\/a> gun violence as the third leading cause of death for 1\u201317 year-olds in America. That troubling statistic has led to renewed calls<\/a> to Congress and the demand that gun violence be addressed as a public health problem.<\/p>\n But, as Bloomberg<\/em> reports, it\u2019s probably a case of a \u2018new study, old story<\/a>\u2019. Despite the long-accumulating<\/a> weight of evidence, unambiguous data will have to contend with powerful vested interests, headed by lobbies like the National Rifle Association; the likelihood of policy change remains slim.<\/p>\n Root canal of all evil<\/em><\/p>\n Those of us who want to believe that dentistry is a modern evil will find that<\/em> The<\/em> New Yorker<\/em>\u2019s recent feature\u2014\u2018My dentist\u2019s murder trial<\/a>\u2019\u2014begins well. And as courtroom drama goes, there\u2019s something for everyone: fake CIA identities, erotic roleplay, spiked coffee and plenty of headlight-spread-pattern forensic analysis.<\/p>\n CT Scan <\/strong><\/p>\n France’s new counterterror law<\/em><\/p>\n Rather than end\u00a0France\u2019s 19-month temporary state of emergency<\/a>, the government announced a proposal to make some of its\u00a0far-reaching powers\u00a0permanent<\/a>, including the ability to temporarily close places of worship that allegedly promote extremism. President Macron announced the proposal in the wake of several attempted terrorist strikes\u2014one in Paris<\/a> and another in Brussels<\/a> which security officials argue may signal a new phase in Islamist terror<\/a>\u2014stating that the draft law would strip some oversight powers from judges and give security officials \u2018more latitude to act without judicial review\u2019. The announcement immediately came under fire from civil liberties advocates, who argued that the proposed measures undermine the rule of law<\/a>.<\/p>\n QLD dominates Origin but not CT\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n Speaking of curbing civil liberties, proposed CT laws<\/a> in Queensland advocate granting the police powers to search individuals\u2019 phones, laptops or vehicles following a terrorist attack. The emergency powers would require individuals to provide security codes to phones and laptops and allow police access to Facebook messages and data stored on the cloud. Perhaps Queensland could learn a thing or two from NSW<\/a> who recently launched a free, online counselling helpline, \u2018Step Together<\/a>\u2019. The hotline, designed in consulted with more than 240 community groups, is intended as a \u2018support line rather than a report line\u2019, working with concerned families and friends to combat extremism.<\/p>\n Checkpoint<\/strong><\/p>\n 2017 Trafficking in Persons Report<\/em><\/p>\n The US State Department released its 2017 Trafficking in Persons Report<\/a> (PDF) this week. The annual publication tracks international efforts to curb human trafficking, allocating countries to one of three tiers based on their performance against the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000<\/a>. As The Guardian<\/em><\/a> notes, China has been demoted to Tier 3, relegating it to the ranks of North Korea and South Sudan, for \u2018not making significant efforts\u2019 to address human trafficking, its use of forced labour and its repatriation of North Koreans. Surprisingly, Myanmar has climbed to the Tier 2 Watch List for its efforts against child soldier recruitment and enforcement of anti-trafficking laws. Human Rights Watch<\/a> has criticised the removal of Myanmar and Iraq from the Child Soldier Prevention Act List, given recent evidence of their links to the practice. Rex Tillerson apparently overruled<\/a> the State Department\u2019s recommendation against that decision on strategic and diplomatic grounds.<\/p>\n Filipino border security<\/em><\/p>\n As Marawi enters its fifth week of fighting<\/a>, the Philippines Bureau of Investigation is recruiting additional personnel<\/a> to be stationed at the country\u2019s southern borders in Mindanao and Palawan to help curb terrorist infiltration. The 36 new officers will coordinate with the Coast Guard, Navy and Philippine National Police Maritime Group, and will also apprehend human traffickers and people smugglers.<\/p>\n First Responder<\/strong><\/p>\n Landslide in China<\/em><\/p>\n Ten people have died<\/a> and 73 remain missing<\/a> after a landslide<\/a> in China\u2019s Sichuan province on Sunday. Though the authorities have sent 3,000 rescuers to the mountain village, experts say<\/a> there\u2019s now little chance of finding any survivors. Villagers have complained<\/a> about the government\u2019s response to the disaster and that authorities did nothing to help them move from an area known to be prone to landslides and earthquakes. This was the province\u2019s biggest landslide since the 2008 earthquake that killed nearly 70,000 people.<\/p>\n Predicting pandemics <\/em><\/p>\n Recent research<\/a> published in Nature <\/em>revealed<\/a> that bats\u2014especially those species endemic to northern South America\u2014are the most likely vector for future animal to human virus transmission. As explained by<\/a> Wired, <\/em>the research maps \u2018past, present and future virus-sharing between humans and other mammals,\u2019 with a view to improving pandemic predictions. Knowing where to prioritise prevention work could be the key to stopping the emergence of the next Ebola or Zika<\/a>. But the bats aren\u2019t entirely to blame\u2014human intrusions into animal habitats have created opportunities for viruses to \u2018jump\u2019 from animals to humans.<\/p>\n Climate Symphony<\/em><\/p>\n By using sound to report on climate data, Climate Symphony<\/a> aims to challenge people to engage emotionally with data. For a not-so-uplifting tune, have a listen<\/a> to \u2018the sound of a dying planet\u2019.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Beat America and guns: it\u2019s complicated A comprehensive, 79-page publication from the Pew Research Centre aims to quantify \u2018America\u2019s complex relationship with guns\u2019 (PDF). The highlights include findings that 30% of American adults own …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":596,"featured_media":32624,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[273,291,1427,1178,1449],"class_list":["post-32623","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general","tag-counterterrorism","tag-france","tag-guns","tag-natural-disaster","tag-trafficking"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n