James “Doc” Dolan was a notorious criminal, dabbling in murder, arson, armed robbery, and various other cons. Murdered in 1984, this eye-opening article covers his son James’ attempts at seeking out the truth — of the circumstances of his death, and of what Doc’s life truly had been like. His leading suspicion is that Doc was killed by former associates after finding out that he’d taken up a deal to testify against them before a grand jury, seemingly trying to finally escape his life of crime. Read full article here
Societal Issues
To curb drug deaths, communities turn to Reddit, texts and wastewater
With drug overdose deaths on the rise, authorities are attempting to curb the epidemic by tracking and sharing information in real time. In one unique effort, a nonprofit in New York City is using drug-testing equipment and stamping or marking habits of dealers to identify drug batches that may endanger users. Other approaches are also being used, such as monitoring drug-related chatter on Reddit and analyzing local wastewater for opioid and other drug levels. With the combination of these efforts, researchers hope to put a dent in the opioid crisis and reduce overdose deaths. Read full article here
Merv
June 1, 2023
