A Father Figures

Trickle Down Hate, Weekend Whats, Feel Good Friday

The once hyped trickle down economy never really trickled down much. Sadly, the same can't be said for the hate spread by grandstanding politicians who use fear and cultural polarization to divide Americans in a cheap, transparent effort to get votes. That hate-driven exploitation, especially when it comes at the expense of the youngest of those who identify as LGBTQ, trickles through communities and school boards and all the way into living rooms across the country. These politicians aren't just pandering, they're actively fostering prejudice, fueling animosity, and propagating hostility, punching down at a small segment of the population because of who they choose to be or who they choose to love. Thankfully, some families are able to overcome the hate and see the fear-mongering for what it is. Here's a story of one father who eventually saw through the nonsense to find his daughter; a change that required a transition of his own. "Before his transgender daughter was suspended after using the girls’ bathroom at her Missouri high school. Before the bullying and the suicide attempts. Before she dropped out. Before all that, Dusty Farr was — in his own words — 'a full-on bigot.' By which he meant that he was eager to steer clear of anyone LGBTQ." AP: As his trans daughter struggles, a father pushes past his prejudice. "'It’s almost like a transgender person,' he says of his transformation. 'There’s the dead me. And then there’s the new me.'"

2

The Whole Shebang

"Gun manufacturers, gun stores and public officials have all faced civil suits. Parents are being scrutinized over how their children got access to firearms used in school shootings. And experts say the criminal charges against a Virginia school official are particularly striking, and could inspire more prosecutors to look deeply at the conduct of teachers or administrators in the wake of classroom massacres." WaPo (Gift Article): Amid relentless school shootings, scrutiny extends beyond the shooter. It's good to see the scrutiny extending beyond the shooters, but I'd rather see it spread to politicians than to principals and teachers.

+ "State Representative Don Wilson left a loaded, 9mm Glock handgun in a bathroom of the Colorado State Capitol on Tuesday, on the heels of a bill under consideration to prohibit firearms in sensitive spaces."

3

Lobster Role

"Maine has a lot of lobsters. It also has a lot of older people, ones who are less and less willing and able to catch, clean and sell the crustaceans that make up a $1 billion industry for the state." So what's the solution for the state with the oldest population in America? The same one that's driving much of the economic growth in the country: Immigrants. NYT (Gift Article): Immigrants in Maine Are Filling a Labor Gap. It May Be a Prelude for the U.S.

4

Weekend Whats

What to TV: I'm a sucker for romantic series that follow a couple's relationship over time. And I definitely enjoyed One Day on Netflix, which my daughter recommended and was kind enough to watch a second time. If you never saw it, Normal People on Hulu follows a similar pattern and was excellent (and launched the thenceforth soaring career of Paul Mescal and of the chain he wore in the show).

+ What to Watch: "In the wake of a string of anti-Semitic threats pointed in his direction online, standup comic Alex Edelman decides to go straight to the source; specifically, Queens, where he covertly attends a meeting of White Nationalists." That's the official description, but it doesn't do justice to the amazing one-man show for which Edelman received rave reviews. It's now on Max.

+ What to Book: The final installment of Don Winslow's Danny Ryan Trilogy is out. They read like a movie or a limited series, and they will undoubtedly be made into one.

5

Extra, Extra

Waiting for Iran: Things are (more) tense in Israel and at the White House as "Israel is bracing for a worst-case scenario that U.S. officials believe could materialize within just hours — the possibility of a direct attack on Israeli soil by Iran in retaliation for a strike almost two weeks ago that killed seven Iranian military officers. Iran has vowed to take revenge for Israel killing its commanders, who were hit by an April 1 strike on the Iranian embassy in Syria's capital." A top US general is in Israel and the Pentagon has moved additional assets to the region. Here's the latest from CNN.

+ Waiting for America: "Ukraine is now digging in to stop a collapse across the war’s front lines as Russian attacks and American delaysleave Kyiv and its allies to confront the possibility of a painful defeat."

+ Tastes Just Like Outsourcing: "A few New York City restaurants are experimenting with virtual staff members, who greet customers onscreen via Zoom from the Philippines." NYT (Gift Article): The Fried Chicken Is in New York. The Cashier Is in the Philippines.

+ Cohen's Head: Ahead of next week's start to the Trump trial in NYC, Ryan Lizza talks to star witness, Michael Cohen. "He’d be a horrible witness. You guys would all enjoy it because it would give you so much to talk about. 'Saturday Night Live' would pay Donald to get up on the witness stand; they wouldn’t have to write anything for then maybe the next three, four episodes."

+ Shohei Can You See? "Eventually, as with alcohol and cigarettes, the evidence of harm will become overwhelming, and policymakers will reign in the industry’s most predatory practices. Future generations will look at today’s gambling ads the same way we look at old cigarette ads, where paid doctors preached the benefits of smoking, and wonder how they were ever allowed. But we’re not there yet." WSJ (Gift Article): ‘Responsible Gambling’ Campaigns Always Fail. That’s the Point. They definitely didn't work for Ippei Mizuhara. Shohei Ohtani’s ex-translator Ippei Mizuhara turns himself in after allegedly stealing $16 million. The details of the betting and stealing in this story are truly amazing. Here are 5 of the most surprising revelations.

+ Liver Failure: "A Houston hospital is investigating whether a doctor altered a transplant list to make his patients ineligible for care. A disproportionate number of them have died while waiting for new organs." NYT (Gift Article): Texas Surgeon Is Accused of Secretly Denying Liver Transplants. Whoa.

+ Brush with Greatness: Why dentists say you shouldn’t rinse after brushing.

+ Show Me the Muni: "The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), which runs the city's Muni Metro light rail, claims to be the first US agency to adopt the train control system it currently uses, which has software run off floppy disks. But today, the SFMTA is eager to abandon its reliance on 5¼-inch floppy disks—just give it about six more years and a few hundred more million dollars."

6

Feel Good Friday

"On the third day of the 2022 draft, Brock Purdy's mom brought home cake and balloons as he waited to be picked. He immediately gave her his version of a dirty look, which is just a slightly raised eyebrow. 'Mom, I told you I don't want a party,' he said. 'I might not even get picked.' 'I know, I know,' Carrie Purdy said. 'This is just for us to celebrate a little after it's over. But if you do get picked...' 'You already told everybody in town to come over, didn't you?' Brock asked. Carrie smiled. He knows her too well. She told about 100 friends and neighbors in Maricopa County, Arizona, to hustle over if they saw Brock's name get called. 'I'll pop all the balloons and eat the cake myself if you don't get picked, OK?' she said. Brock laughed and nodded in agreement. He could live with that." ESPN: How Mr. Irrelevant became the most beloved underdog in sports.

+ "'We were playing nine ball, and I’d won the first two games for 30 bucks,' recalled Harris. 'Russ had only 10 bucks left, so he told me he’d play the last game for a kidney.' The laughs continued until the next morning, when the men had a flat tire on their way to the hospital." WaPo (Gift Article): They were bitter rivals. Then one of them needed a kidney.

+ President Joe Biden announced another batch of student loan forgiveness Friday for 277,000 borrowers. The canceled debt adds up to $7.4 billion.

+ 'Rosie the Riveters' awarded Congressional Gold Medal years after World War II.

+ "If that service had marked the end of her connection to the school system, it would have been a powerful closing scene to her story: her life honored in the place where she had spent much of it. But in recent days, those who knew Orlich as “Miss O” have learned that, even in death, she will continue to play an important role in the school system’s community." WaPo (Gift Article): She gave 67 years to working in schools. Then she gave $1 million.

+ "An effective ultrasound technology is now using FDA-approved artificial intelligence to help detect types of breast cancer faster -- and for some patients, more effectively."

+ Just 20 Minutes of Charles Schulz Drawing Peanuts Comics.