Extra, Extra
Laden Voyage: In the early morning hours of May 28, 2021, a strange boat appeared in the Caribbean. As local fishermen approached it, they made a grisly discovery: Everyone aboard it was dead. The boat and its passengers’ origins were a mystery … For nearly two years, The Associated Press assembled puzzle pieces from across three continents to uncover the story of this boat — and the people it carried from hope to death.” A special report on one of the many lost boats and a few of the countless migrant deaths. Adrift.
+ Same as the Old Boss? “US asylum officers are frustrated by policy whiplash under President Joe Biden, and some are considering leaving their posts, as administration officials contemplate restarting controversial Trump-era border policies that would largely limit who could seek refuge in the United States.” CNN: It feels like Groundhog Day.
+ Friends and Foes: “Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, a Republican, signed an executive order on Tuesday aimed at streamlining and optimizing background checks for gun purchases in the state. The move comes two weeks after a 28-year-old shooter legally purchased seven firearms and killed three adults and three children at a private school in Nashville.” Tennessee governor who lost friends in Nashville shooting strengthens background checks. “Lee’s announcement comes a day after a shooter opened fire at a bank in Louisville, Kentucky, killing five people, including a ‘very close friend’ of Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear.”
+ Burn Notice: “A massive fire emitting toxic smoke from an eastern Indiana recycling plant described by the city’s mayor as a known ‘fire hazard’ has forced evacuation orders for about 2,000 people as the battle to put it out is expected to drag on for days.” Meanwhile (and this is not a headline from The Onion): Truck carrying 40,000 pounds of toxic soil from East Palestine train derailment overturns on highway.
+ Twitter Quitter: “NPR has announced that it will no longer use Twitter to distribute its content after the social media platform began labeling the network as ‘US state-affiliated media,’ putting it in the same category as government mouthpiece publications like RT and China Daily.” NPR becomes first major news organization to leave Twitter.
+ They’re Back: The second of “two Black Democrats expelled from the Republican-led Tennessee House will return to the Legislature after a Memphis commission voted to reinstate him Wednesday.” Both of the expelled lawmakers will have to win a special election to keep the spots they already earned.
+ Bali Chain: “Many in Bali are sick of the disrespect, the illegal work and the indecent social media posts from foreigners.” WaPo: ‘It’s disgusting’: Bali locals are fed up with bad tourists. (The photo that leads this article says it all…)
+ Animal Based Flu Spreads to Human in China? I should emphasize that this strain does not appear to spread between humans, but given our recent past, I’d be remiss if I didn’t report that “a Chinese woman has become the first person to die from a type of bird flu that is rare in humans.”
+ Token Aback: “Swiss photographer Willy Spiller was spellbound when he first saw the ‘great human menagerie’ in 1977. His dazzling images are now a time capsule for a lost, thrilling and dangerous world.” Soul train: An eight-year ride on the New York subway.