- Stranger Than Fiction
- Posts
- Stranger Than Fiction
Stranger Than Fiction
A brief daily note of things you might find interesting or useful
You can support the newsletter that you’re reading right now using PayPal, Venmo, CashApp, or purchase a subscription on Substack.Don’t forget to join us in the Stranger Slack for access to source documents and a running feed of news throughout the day. (this link was broken for awhile and has now been fixed)TOP NEWS
EU Leaders Agree on $2 Trillion Spending Plan for Recovery European “Union leaders agreed on a $2.06 trillion spending package aimed at containing an unprecedented economic downturn by resorting to new measures that could ultimately deepen the bloc’s economic integration.”
How Deadly Is Covid-19? Researchers Are Getting Closer to an Answer “Recent estimates suggest the new coronavirus is deadlier than the seasonal flu, though not as lethal as Ebola. Still, Covid-19 is killing more people than a number of deadlier diseases in part because it is more infectious.”
U.S. prepares to deploy federal agents to Chicago as Trump threatens action in other cities “The president defended the use of federal agents in Portland, Ore., where they have engaged in nightly clashes with racial justice protesters.”
Suspect in killing of federal judge’s son is found dead “Federal authorities identified a self-described “anti-feminist” lawyer as the “primary subject” in a shooting at a federal judge’s New Jersey home that also badly injured her husband.”
WHAT I’M READING + WATCHING + LISTENING TO
🎧 LISTEN: How the Coronavirus Created a City Budget CrisisThe pandemic has shredded city budgets across the U.S. Heather Gillers explains how years of accumulating debt have put many cities in an even tougher spot.
‘A very dark feeling’: Hundreds camp out in Oklahoma unemployment linesIn Oklahoma, where the jobless rate reached a record 14.7 percent in April, unemployment has pushed many to the point of desperation, with savings depleted, cars repossessed and homes being sold for cash.
Nearly 100 years ago, a man tried to blast off to Venus. Now the hunt for his rocket is on.Inventor Robert Condit speculated that the planet was run by naked, multi-limbed inhabitants — who would eventually become business partners with Earthlings.
THE COMMENT
“I last saw him in person on Valentine’s Day 2020, when I flew to D.C. to show him the final cut of the film. I brought chocolates (he had a sweet tooth) though I knew his staff would fuss about it. He answered the door to his home, dressed as always in slacks and a bright sweater. As we watched the film together, he kept saying, “It’s so powerful, so powerful,” to which I replied, “Congressman, it’s your life that is powerful.” These past few months I have watched his final battle from afar, knowing that he would face cancer with his uncommon strength. I learned so much from him these past few years, but the lesson I keep coming back to is this: You do not have to shout to be heard. True power can speak in the quietest voice.” - Dawn Porter
THE STRANGEST
THE AV ROOM