Stranger Than Fiction

A brief daily note of things you might find interesting or useful

June 30, 2020

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  • China Passes Law Aimed at Crushing Hong Kong Protests “China’s legislature approved a sweeping new law aimed at quashing threats to national security in Hong Kong, rejecting Western criticism that Beijing’s efforts will curb people’s freedoms in the protest-torn city.” - WSJ

  • Regional Coronavirus Surges Force Changes in Plans Elsewhere in the U.S. “A surge in new coronavirus cases and rising hospitalization rates in states such as California and Texas are jeopardizing reopening plans elsewhere, while other countries are struggling to stop clusters of infections from spreading.” - WSJ

  • Trump Administration Draws Bipartisan Pressure Over Russia ‘Bounty’ Intelligence “Republican and Democratic lawmakers united around demands that the White House detail intelligence indicating Russia had paid bounties to insurgents to have American forces killed in Afghanistan, and explain why President Trump apparently wasn’t briefed on the threat to U.S. troops.” - WSJ

  • Health workers filed more than 4,000 complaints about protective gear. Some still died “Federal officials rapidly closed many complaints without issuing citations, raising new questions over government inaction.” - The Guardian

  • China study warns of possible new 'pandemic virus' from pigs “A new flu virus found in Chinese pigs has become more infectious to humans and needs to be watched closely in case it becomes a potential “pandemic virus”, a study said, although experts said there is no imminent threat.” - Reuters

WHAT I’M READING + WATCHING + LISTENING TO

THE COMMENT

“I took my son to the police station as a kindergartner because I wanted officers to understand more about autism and how he might react if they confronted him. Autistic people may be extra sensitive to light, sound and touch, or have difficulty following commands — especially if they are yelled. So to officers, their behavior can appear suspicious or aggressive. Confrontations between police and people with autism often escalate quickly. Police need better, and mandatory, training about people who are “different,” people like McClain or my son. Some departments use virtual reality programs to simulate interactions with someone who is autistic. A Florida-based organization that certifies theme parks as autism-friendly also provides training for first responders.” - Jackie Spinner

THE STRANGEST

THE AV ROOM