Since journalists like me are so fond of throwing around words like "truth," I figure that now and then we should delve a bit deeper into what we are talking about.
First of all, we are almost always only considering particular slices of a problem, i.e. pieces of truth. We rarely can get to the big picture.
So when it comes to writing about the pandemic, for example, or climate change, we're following the immediate day-to-day developments as opposed to the longer term impacts, or the historical aspects that could help place current events in a broader context.
With that said, two of the recent news headlines raise (for me at least) fascinating aspects of those two topics that may prove enduring.
One is the recent report in the San Francisco Chronicle that sparrows in the Bay Area are singing in tones — including in a “more seductive trill” — that researchers haven’t heard in decades. Could this be in response to climate change? To Covid-19?
The other is a report in the New York Times that as the crowds have disappeared from Times Square, there are fears that it will return to its former state, with pawn shops and porn shops and sleepy bars. So this would be another impact of Covid-19, right?
It may be harder to connect this directly to climate change, but perhaps in a larger sense, since humans are animals, it may be at work here as well.
One of my earliest thoughts as Covid struck was that it will probably turn out to be related to the rising temperatures that are part of the climate degradation that is the major issue of our time. So, if that theory is correct, both of these stories -- sparrows and the human microcosm that is Times Square -- are adaptations, or early warning signs of adaptations.
Of course, I'm just a one-man operation here and I can't parse every news development that tracks with this hypothesis but there are additional hints day after day, involving animals, cities and the planet.
Point is we are all adapting whether we realize it or not. And that has immediate, medium, and long-term consequences.
***
And the trouble with news is...
* The Justice Department is investigating a potential crime related to funneling money to the White House or related political committee in exchange for a presidential pardon, according to court records unsealed Tuesday in federal court. The case is the latest legal twist in the waning days of President Donald Trump's administration after several of his top advisers have been convicted of federal criminal charges and as the possibility rises of Trump giving pardons to those who've been loyal to him. (CNN)
* Trump says he will veto the annual national defense funding bill unless Section 230 is terminated. (AP, WSJ and WashPo)
* Attorney General William Barr said Tuesday the Justice Department has not uncovered evidence of widespread voter fraud that would change the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. His comments come despite President Donald Trump’s repeated claims that the election was stolen, and his refusal to concede his loss to President-Elect Joe Biden. (AP)
* The Long Darkness Before Dawn -- With vaccines and a new administration, the pandemic will be tamed. But experts say the coming months “are going to be just horrible. (NYT)
* Trump raises more than $150 million appealing to false election claims (WashPo)
* As coronavirus cases continue to spike, and as a number of economic relief provisions expire in the coming weeks, congressional leaders are hard at work assuring voters that a stimulus deal is right around the corner ― any day now, maybe, hopefully, probably not. Without congressional action, nearly 12 million people will lose federal unemployment benefits the day after Christmas. [HuffPost]
* Coronavirus Was In U.S. Weeks Earlier Than Previously Known, Study Says -- The discovery, uncovered after analyzing blood donations from nine states, strengthens evidence that the coronavirus was quietly spreading around the world before health officials were aware. (NPR)
* Google, Facebook and Amazon Gain as Pandemic Reshapes Ad Spending -- For the first time, more than half of U.S. advertising spending is set to go to digital platforms, the world’s largest ad buyer said, a reflection of marketers’ strategy shift as the pandemic pummeled the industry this year. (WSJ)
* Without Crowds, Is Times Square Really Times Square? -- The throngs of visitors have disappeared from New York City’s famous neighborhood, stirring fears that it could return to its 1970s self. (NYT)
* Country's oldest Chinatown fights for its life in San Francisco (WashPo / SFGate)
* Salesforce will buy Slack for $27.7 billion, the biggest bet this year by a tech company looking to capitalize on the shift to remote work. (NYT)
* A disproportionately large number of poor and minority students were not in schools for assessments this fall, complicating efforts to measure the pandemic’s effects on some of the most vulnerable students, a not-for-profit company that administers standardized testing said Tuesday. Overall, NWEA’s fall assessments showed elementary and middle school students have fallen measurably behind in math, while most appear to be progressing at a normal pace in reading since schools were forced to abruptly close in March and pickup online. (AP)
* Two promising vaccines head to FDA review, setting scientific speed records (WashPo)
* More Americans Pay Rent On Credit Cards As Lawmakers Fail To Pass Relief Bill --Many Americans who've lost income in the pandemic are falling deeper into debt — forced to pay bills or even their rent on credit cards. It's a sign of trouble ahead for the economy. (NPR)
* Black Friday, Cyber Monday sales disappoint, another sign the economic recovery is stumbling(WashPo)
* 1918 Germany Has a Warning for America -- Donald Trump’s “Stop the Steal” campaign recalls one of the most disastrous political lies of the 20th century. (NYT)
* At the White House, Capitol and Supreme Court, Trump goes on a spree of sabotage (WashPo)
* China Lands a Probe on the Moon as It Pursues Space Ambitions (WSJ)
* Angry Farmers Choke India’s Capital in Giant Demonstrations -- Tens of thousands have arrived in tractors and trailers, many traveling hundreds of miles, to block roads into New Delhi and protest recently passed pro-market agricultural policies. (NYT)
* Teaching in the Pandemic: ‘This Is Not Sustainable’ -- Teacher burnout could erode instructional quality, stymie working parents and hinder the reopening of the economy. (NYT)
* Most Republicans Say They Doubt the Election. How Many Really Mean It? -- Survey research tries to sort out the typical partisan reactions to a loss from an erosion of trust that may be more lasting. (NYT)
* A new telescope in Australia discovered a million new galaxies, opening the way to new findings. (Reuters)
* NORAD launched its Santa-tracking website on Dec. 1, giving kids access to games, music, videos and a countdown. (KTVU)
* Trump Reduced To Filing Lawsuit To Overturn Single Ballot In Placerville, Idaho (The Onion)
***
Can't deny the joy it brings
A dozen roses, diamond rings
Dreams for sale and fairy tales
It'll make you hear a symphony
And you just want the world to see
But like a drug that makes you blind
It'll fool ya every time
It can tear you up inside
Make your heart believe a lie
It's stronger than your pride
The trouble with love is
It doesn't care how fast you fall
And you can't refuse the call
See you've got no say at all
I played the game by all the rules
But now my world's a deeper blue
I'm sadder but I'm wiser too
I swore I'd never love again
I swore my heart would never mend
Said love wasn't worth the pain
But then I hear it call my name
It can tear you up inside
Make your heart believe a lie
It's stronger than your pride
The trouble with love is
It doesn't care how fast you fall
And you can't refuse the call
See you've got no say at all
I think I've got it all figured out
My heart keeps callin'
And I keep on fallin'
Over and over again
The sad story always ends the same
Me standin' in the pourin' rain
It seems no matter what I do
It tears my heart in two
It can tear you up inside
Make your heart believe a lie
It's stronger than your pride
The trouble with love is
It doesn't care how fast you fall
And you can't refuse the call
See you've got no say at all
-- Evan A. Rogers / Carl Allen Sturken / Kelly Briannne Clarkson
-30-
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