By 2050, there'll be more plastic in the sea than fish

[The Scan] [The ocean, awash in chemicals oozed by plastic] December 13 — Tuesday Soda bottles, Pampers, instant noodle wrappers and plastic shopping bags are just some of the plastic goods littering the oceans. Throw a dirty spoon into the Java Sea, and it will float back, on the currents, within 25 years. All of this plastic lingers — it's disintegrating into toxic crumbs that are seeping into our bodies. Last year, Alyssa Ratkewitch of Brooklyn stepped into the role of caretaker of her community's historic mosque. It's often empty but the 31-year-old, a third-generation American of Lipka Tatar descent and the granddaughter of an imam, has ideas for turning it around. Plus, Feliciana Bernal, a teacher-turned interpreter in Guatemala, is helping indigenous women, who were brutally raped and tortured during the country's civil war 20 years ago, finally see justice. Also, some pop culture news: Vinyl was said to be dying decades ago, but this month in the UK, it surpassed digital downloads for the first time. And, the authors of a new book imagine a New York skyline that never made it off the drawing board. Read on for more. [Climate change, meet your apocalyptic twin: oceans poisoned by plastic] Here in this fishing village, on the island of Java, the surf teems with kaleidoscopic color. Each wave is littered with garish bibs and bobs. [Vinyl sales just beat out digital downloads in the UK] The demand is keeping record plants humming around the clock. [This interpreter is helping get justice for indigenous women raped and tortured in Guatemala’s civil war] ​December 2016 marks two decades since the signing of the Guatemalan peace accords. It officially ended a 36-year domestic armed conflict in which an estimated 200,000 people were killed and many more tortured and raped. Bringing war crimes perpetrators to justice has been slow, with convictions appealed and cases stalled. But many see victory in the trials themselves, and in their growing involvement of women. [Vinyl sales just beat out digital downloads in the UK] The demand is keeping record plants humming around the clock. [Remembering Esma Redžepova, the Romany queen of song] The Macedonian singer once told The World that she hoped the Balkans would become better known for the “beauty of its music than for the bitterness of its wars.” [In a break with Trump, GOP Senate leader calls for Congressional investigation into Russia's influence on US elections] The controversy surrounding Russia's intervention in the US election has now split Republicans, at least to some degree. Congressional Republicans are calling for an investigation, while President-elect Donald Trump has outrightly disregarded the allegations. [This interpreter is helping get justice for indigenous women raped and tortured in Guatemala’s civil war] ​December 2016 marks two decades since the signing of the Guatemalan peace accords. It officially ended a 36-year domestic armed conflict in which an estimated 200,000 people were killed and many more tortured and raped. Bringing war crimes perpetrators to justice has been slow, with convictions appealed and cases stalled. But many see victory in the trials themselves, and in their growing involvement of women. [They gave her the keys to the mosque — and now she wants to open its doors to the neighborhood] Ever so carefully, Alyssa Ratkewitch pulls out an old Quran from the shelf. She cracks it open, exposing the aging, fragile pages covered in handwritten Arabic script. Enjoying The Scan? Forward it to a friend! And if you're not getting it daily, it’s easy to subscribe. [Sign up here.] We also love feedback, so please [tell us how we're doing]. Today's newsletter was written by Anna Pratt. Find her on Twitter: [@annapratt.] [GlobalPost] [PRI] [Edit your subscription] | [Unsubscribe] The Scan is brought to you by GlobalPost and PRI - Public Radio International.