A tree-lined mural in Chicago reads, “Smile.” Photo by Dominic Gwinn
Good day, this is The Smoke Eater for Friday, March 27, 2020, and you're not alone.
Quick Hit
* Give a hoot, don't salute * There's still an election happening * Support local newspapers *
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Be Part Of The Solution
As death tolls and infection rates spiking at an exponential rate, doctors are literally updating their wills and making funeral arrangements for themselves in the event that they don't survive due to a lack of personal protective gear. Though a number of movements have sprung up to support healthcare workers all over the world with clapping and cheering, Joshua Weiner, a transplant surgeon in New York, opines that this #SolidarityAt8 campaign is the "perfect activity for the internet age" because it encourages hoarders to feel like they've done something. As the White House is loathe to use emergency powers to secure medical supplies in fear of being called socialists, Weiner is asking people hoarding masks, sanitizer and other medical supplies to donate them to area hospitals (or at least stop stealing them). "We do not need to be saluted," Weiner concludes, "To the contrary, the ancient gladiator refrain may be more appropriate: 'We who are about to die salute you.' We will fight for you because it is in our blood and it is what we trained to do. But would you please pass the soap?"
Stress baking has begun to cause disruptions in food supply chains as parents try to figure out how to entertain and educate their little booger eaters without going stir crazy. Laura Reiley reports for The Washington Post that things may get worse with Easter around the corner as parents scrape the bottom of their craft bins.
Hiroko Tabuchi writes for the New York Times that plastic industry groups are hoping to capitalize on the corona crisis by saying reusable shopping bags aren't safe, though science nerds say you'll be fine if you remember to wash your reusable cups and bags.
Are you sensing a pattern here? We don't need to start rationing food supplies (yet), but before you slap a steak on the grill or whip up confectionery treats, ask yourself if it's worth risking another trip to the grocery store. You're not exactly ripping loaves of bread from the hands of old ladies, but the extra milk, bread and eggs could feed a someone who just lost their job(s) for several days. Pay it forward.
The Neverending Story
Supporters of Sen. Bernie Sanders' presidential bid are waging one last desperate attempt to clench the 2020 Democratic nomination. With an almost insurmountable lead in pledged delegates, and the remaining states unlikely to favor Sanders, Dave Weigel writes for the Washington Post that Bernie’s quest for rules changes in the primary process after the 2016 election, and previous statements that the party should back the leader in pledged delegates, actually strengthens Biden's primary bid. Still, Sanders supporters are latching on to the idea that states with rescheduled primaries (Super Tuesday: Part Duex?) could deliver a come-from-behind win even as big labor groups deal major blows to Sanders candidacy by coalescing around Biden.
Both candidates have been dicking around their new home studios, with Sanders holding schlocky, 21st century fireside chats (wireside chats?) on social media while Biden tries not to stutter and/or cry when he surfaces for tepid, softball TV interviews. Some of Sanders' supporters believe they can shitpost their way across the finish line by retweeting the clips of Biden out of context, or at least keep Sanders in the race long enough to force the Democratic party to give them more than a measly participation trophy.
Everyone else is ready to move on and rebuild a their respective campaigns from the ground up in preparation for a general election that's likely to be waged remotely (thanks again, coronavirus). Politico's Anita Kumar reports Biden's camp was hoping to lock up the contest with the Georgia primary this past Tuesday, but the pandemic has left both candidates as an afterthought in the mind of most voters. Interestingly enough, Sanders and Biden have been hesitant to criticize one another; many politicos say this is due to a respect and friendship that developed during their respective years working together in Congress.
Weigel adds that the Bernie Bots don’t care about friendly fire, and argue their Twitter tantrums are perfectly justified as the GOP's mutually assured destruction pact with Trumpland is unlikely to yield anything less than a total war against Biden (and, for that matter, anyone not bending a knee to the rulers of Trumpland).
Down The Ballot
Georgia Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler might have flushed her chance at winning a special election down the toilet after it was revealed she dumped a bunch of stocks after learning about the threat of the coronavirus back in January, Jacquelyn Martin reports for McClatchy. Trumpland is hoping the quasi-scandal could to vault loyal backbench bomb-thrower Rep. Doug Collins ahead in the state's primary, but the GOP leadership fears a bitter fight between Loeffler and Collins could damage either candidate enough to lose in November.
One More Thing...
Margret Sullivan has a good piece in the Washington Post about how the coronvavirus is brutalizing local news. The seemingly bottomless pit the economy is sliding down threatens to suck up what local news outlets are left in America, and the world. Right now advertising revenues are plummeting while readership is spiking, and newsrooms -- even digital ones -- are being forced to lay off journalists at a moment when it's more important than ever to be informed at the local level.
Please, subscribe to your local newspaper. I love getting up and writing these digests for you all, and I'll write them as long as I can, but a steady gig in an honest-to-goodness newsroom would be amazing. Until then, I’ll keep begging for money.
OK, now here's a warm and fuzzy critter video: IT'S OWLKITTY!
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