Universal Right to Know

What does citizen journalist Zhang Zhan know about the origin of Covid-19 that the Chinese government fears so much? She is reportedly on the verge of death in prison for “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” which is shorthand for exercising her right of free speech.

Zhang posted 122 YouTube videos based on what she saw in Wuhan in the early months of the pandemic.

According to the Post, "after she was detained in May 2020, Ms. Zhang went on a hunger strike and was force-fed through a tube. She is now reportedly eating very little, but not refusing food, to avoid being force-fed again. But her health has waned."

Freedom of speech and the press is perpetually under siege in most of the world, including its largest country. Meanwhile, Covid-19 is not a Chinese story, it is a global story. It affected all of us and all of us have a right to know what she knows.

In the words of the Post editorial board: "Ms. Zhang should be saluted for her intrepid attempts to record the chaos and cataclysm of Wuhan in those early weeks. She was a sentinel of a looming disaster. Her journalism was not a crime. She must not spend another moment behind bars. She must not be allowed to die."

***

Deciding which songs to insert into a feature film or documentary at the right point is a matter of genius. When the story is based in the past, finding appropriate songs is the work of creative people typically listed way down among the credits.

But great songs not only evoke the times in which they appeared, they remain universal in their appeal.

Today's lyrics belong to 80-year-old Irma Thomas, known as the "Soul Queen of New Orleans, an Aretha Franklin-quality musical genius who has never known great commercial success.

Locate her song and where it occurs in a recent film and you'll see what I mean.

***

THE HEADLINES:

* Few willing to change lifestyle to save the planet, climate survey finds (The Guardian)

* What the 14th Century Plague Tells Us About How Covid Will Change Politics -- Regions hit hardest by the Black Death in Europe looked more democratic centuries later. What does that mean for society coming out of this pandemic? (Politico)

* Countries’ climate pledges built on flawed data, Post investigation finds -- An examination of 196 country reports to the United Nations reveals a giant gap between what nations declare their emissions to be versus the greenhouse gases they are sending into the atmosphere. (WP)

* The U.S. lifted pandemic restrictions on travel from a long list of countries that include Mexico, Canada and most of Europe, clearing the way for tourists and family members to reconnect with loved ones after more than a year and a half apart. The U.S. will accept fully vaccinated travelers at airport and land borders. [AP]

* She told the truth about Wuhan. Now she is near death in a Chinese prison. (Edit Bd/WP)

* The U.S. Navy christened a ship named for slain California gay rights leader Harvey Milk. Milk is the first known member of the LGBTQ community to have a ship named after him. Milk, who served in the Korean War, received a “less than honorable” discharge from the service after being questioned about his sexual orientation. [HuffPost]

* Running Out of Time at the U.N. Climate Conference -- To really appreciate America’s fecklessness, you have to go back to the meeting that preceded all the bad COPs—the so-called Earth Summit, in 1992. (New Yorker)

* Nextdoor Completes Move to Go Public (WSJ)

* Israel escalates surveillance of Palestinians with facial recognition program (WP)

* Afghan Military Pilots, on the Run, Feel Abandoned by U.S. (NYT)

* Art Is Among the Hottest Markets on Earth -- Christie’s, Sotheby’s and Phillips get ready to sell off at least $1.6 billion worth of art, including works that could sell for 15 times their asking prices. (WSJ)

* Retailers Scramble to Attract Workers Ahead of the Holidays -- Signing bonuses, higher wages, even college tuition. Companies are using perks to entice new employees in an industry that has been battered by the pandemic. (NYT)

* In the supply chain battle of 2021, small businesses are losing out to Walmart, Amazon (WP)

* No COVID deaths in Japan for 1st time in 15 months (NHK)

* Nicaragua Descends Into Autocratic Rule as Ortega Crushes Dissent (NYT)

* Cost and controversy are limiting use of new Alzheimer's drug (NPR)

* How to Overcome Tribalism, the Shouty Minority and Facebook Toxicity -- The social psychologist Jonathan Haidt offers some prescriptions to soothe society in a new interview. (Politico)

* Emaciated children in Kabul hospital point to rising hunger (AP)

* Witnesses to the End -- The young Marines in Kabul were left to determine who was evacuated from Afghanistan and who was left behind. The cost was high. (NYT)

* Instagram: A blessing or a curse? (BBC)

* How did the enslaved workers of Pompeii live? A new discovery provides a rare glimpse (NPR)

* Nature Filmmaker Accused Of Staging Scene Where Bird Uses Tiny Fork To Twirl Worm Up Like Spaghetti (The Onion)

***

Straight From The Heart

Written and sung by Irma Thomas

Do you need me like I need you
Look at me I'm crying from yearning you

Make me forget the pain that you cause
Understanding it's a great thing
If it comes from the heart

If time will stand still
While I'm thinking of you
I think of all the pain that I wanted of you

Make me forget the pain that you cause
Understanding it's a great thing
If it comes from the heart

Picking up the pieces
Of my broken heart
It was real hard