THE INDEPENDENT VOICE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT SINCE 1896 • VOLUME CXXVIII, NO. 5 • dailycampus.com Thursday, September 2, 2021 CONFIRMED 2021 COVID-19 Current Residential Cases Cumulative Cumulative Cumulative CASES AT UCONN STORRS (positive/symptomatic) 4 Residential Cases* 4 Commuter Cases* 14 Staff Cases* as of 5:36 p.m. on Sept. 1 *positive test results 4 Climate change and microscopic marine life UCONN RESEARCHERS STUDY HOW COPEPODS, ESSENTIAL MEMBERS OF THE FOOD CHAIN, ADAPT TO RISING OCEAN ACIDITY by Jake Kelly few generations of copepods’ reac- recovered, and the researchers CAMPUS CORRESPONDENT tion to a single stressor. This can be- suspect there are some antagonis- [email protected] come problematic because copepods tic interactions at play, leading to A species of copepod, known as are too important to be subject to a tug of war situation between ad- Acartia tonsa, can survive in aquat- overly simplifi ed inferences. The re- aptation to warming and to acidi- ic areas aff ected by climate change search team’s new study on 25 gen- fi cation,” according to the UConn as discovered by a research team erations will take the time to focus Today article. from the University of Connecticut, on adaptation and actively consider James deMayo, co-author of the Jinan University in China and the ocean warming and acidifi cation. recently published research in Na- University of Vermont. pH is a measure of how acidic wa- ture Climate Change and a UConn Copepods are small crustaceans ter is, with water naturally varying Ph.D. student, added that ocean that exist in most marine habi- between about 6.5 and 8.5 on the pH warming and acidifi cation eff ects tats and are responsible for feed- scale. For reference, milk, tap water are not static but rather diff er for ing many organisms. Marine life and bottled water exist within a 6 to every generation or organism, es- has been impacted by alterations 8.5 range. pecially when generations of spe- resulting from climate change in Their research found that al- cies are located far apart. areas with increased ocean acidi- though the copepods adapted, after “While within intermediate gen- fi cation, which disrupts habitats, the fi rst studied generation exposed erations organisms might be very marine populations and food sup- to ocean warming and acidifi cation well adapted, in later generations, ply. lost over 50% of their population. the eff ects of warming and acidifi - Hans Dam, a UConn marine sci- By the 12th generation, there were cation start to behave diff erently on ences professor, pointed out in a re- more declines which were attribut- the population,” said deMayo. “It’s cent UConn Today article that “pre- ed to a lack of fi tness among the not a static, expected result for how vious studies showed [copepods] population. The copepods were organisms or their populations are are not particularly sensitive to pH never able to fully recover from the going to continue to grow.” changes,” and only “shows the abil- initial reduction. Although small, copepods sup- ity to acclimate rather than adapt.” “Though the copepods were able port the ocean’s food system and A copepod under the microscope. These small crustaceans feed on phytoplankton in saltwater and freshwater. Many small fish rely on This was due to studies being small to adapt, the adaptation was limit- suck out CO2. Without copepods, copepods for food. PHOTO VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS and only focusing on a single or a ed because fi tness was never fully the ocean only becomes more acidic. Judge conditionally approves Conn. to Purdue Pharma settlement launch digital AP — A federal bankruptcy judge He said that while he does not of Westampton, New Jersey, whose the people who are really strug- gave conditional approval Wednes- have “fondness for the Sacklers 18-year-old son died of an overdose gling with this disease.” day to a sweeping, potentially $10 or sympathy for them,” collecting nearly 20 years ago. “The Sacklers Purdue Pharma said in a state- licenses billion plan submitted by OxyCon- money from them through lawsuits are buying their immunity," he ment that the settlement averts tin maker Purdue Pharma to settle instead of a settlement would be said. “years of value-destructive litiga- THE APPLE PARTNERSHIP a mountain of lawsuits over its role complicated. But other families said they did tion” and "ensures that billions of in the opioid crisis that has killed The deal comes nearly two years not want to risk losing the money dollars will be devoted to helping INCLUDES EIGHT STATES a half-million Americans over the after the Stamford, Connecti- that will go toward treatment and people and communities who have past two decades. cut-based company fi led for bank- prevention. been hurt by the opioid crisis.” HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Con- Under the settlement, the Sack- ruptcy under the weight of some “If they gave me a million dol- The bankruptcy judge, based in necticut is teaming up with Apple to ler family will give up ownership 3,000 lawsuits from states and local lars, would it help bring back my White Plains, New York, had urged create a digital version of the state’s of the company and contribute $4.5 governments, individuals, Native son?” said Lynn Wencus, of Wren- the holdouts to work out an agree- driver’s license that can be stored on billion. But the Sacklers will be American tribes, hospitals, unions tham, Massachusetts. “Let’s help ment for the same reason. a user’s phone or watch, the compa- shielded from any future lawsuits and other entities. ny and Gov. Ned Lamont announced over opioids. They accuse Purdue Pharma of Wednesday. fueling the crisis by aggressively Connecticut is among eight states pushing sales of its best-selling pre- that will be partnering with Apple, “If they gave me scription painkiller. which will allow for the storage of the a million dollars, Under the settlement, the Sack- license in its Wallet application, much would it help bring lers were not given immunity from like a credit card, the company said. criminal charges, though there The data will be encrypted, and back my son?” have been no indications they will customers will be required to use bio- LYNNE WENCUS face any. metric authentication such as facial State and local governments came or fi ngerprint recognition to access to support the plan overwhelming- the license, the company said. The drugmaker itself will be re- ly, if grudgingly in many cases. But Arizona and Georgia will be the organized into a new company with nine states and others had opposed fi rst states to roll out the Apple ver- a board appointed by public offi - it, largely because of the protections sion of the digital license, with Con- cials and will funnel its profi ts into granted to the Sackler family. necticut, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, government-led eff orts to prevent The attorneys general of Con- Oklahoma and Utah to follow next and treat addiction. necticut, the District of Columbia year, the governor’s offi ce said. Also, the settlement sets up a and Washington state immediately The Transportation Security Ad- compensation fund that will pay announced they will either appeal ministration plans to allow the IDs some victims of drugs an expected the ruling or explore the possibility to be used at designated airport se- $3,500 to $48,000 each. of doing so. curity checkpoints, the governor’s After an all-day hearing in which The Sacklers “should not be al- offi ce said. Fake pill bottles with messages about OxyContin maker Purdue he analyzed the plan's pros and lowed to manipulate bankruptcy Pharma sit on display during a protest outside a courthouse in Other companies also are working cons for a nonstop 6 1/2 hours, U.S. laws to evade justice and protect White Plains, N.Y. on Aug. 9. A federal bankruptcy judge on Wednes- on making digital identifi cations for day gave conditional approval to a potentially $10 billion plan Bankruptcy Judge Robert Drain their blood money,” Connecticut's submitted Purdue Pharma to settle lawsuits over its role in the smartphones, including IDEMIA, said he would approve it as long as William Tong said. opioid crisis that has killed a half-million Americans over the past which has launched mobile ID apps two relatively small changes were Some families who lost loved two decades. in three states this year and expects made. If so, he said, he will formally ones to drugs also came out against PHOTOGRAPH BY SETH WENIG/AP to launch an additional seven before enter the decision on Thursday. the settlement, including Ed Bisch, 2021 ends. For more... dailycampus.com The_DailyCampus The_DailyCampus The Daily Campus Tweet of the Day The Chicks of Storrs COMMON SENSE | PAGE 4 ROUNDTABLE | PAGE 5 ROUNDTABLE | PAGE 12 @StorrsChicks Not all Latinos want to be called Favorite place to eat on campus The most shocking NFL roster only thing sylly about this week Latinx cut is how stressed I am already 02 Thursday, September 2, 2021 • DailyCampus.com News Afghans face hunger crisis, adding to Taliban’s challenges KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — “I did not expect it to be this won't make good on those pledg- The United Nations' stockpiles of quickly,” Payenda said. “Nobody es and are concerned that the na- food in Afghanistan could run out actually did.” tion's economic situation holds lit- this month, a senior offi cial warned Mohammad Sharif, a shopkeeper tle opportunity. Tens of thousands Wednesday, threatening to add a in the capital of Kabul, said shops sought to fl ee the country as a result hunger crisis to the challenges fac- and markets there have supplies, in a harrowing airlift.