- 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
High Jobless Claims Point to Slowing Labor Market “Initial claims for jobless benefits have held roughly steady at more than 1.3 million a week since late June, according to the Labor Department. That halted what had been a swift decline from a peak of 6.9 million in late March, when the pandemic and business closures shut down parts of the U.S. economy. The level recorded in recent weeks remains well above the highest on record before this year, which was 695,000 in 1982.”
Beirut Explosion Leads to Growing Anger as Lebanon Searches for Victims “Lebanese authorities scrambled to clear the rubble left from this week’s massive explosion and search for victims, as the government continued its investigation into the causes of a blast that killed at least 137 people and injured thousands.”
Facebook, Twitter Take Down Trump Video “Facebook and Twitter removed a video posted by President Trump in which he said children are “almost immune” from Covid-19, a claim that the companies said ran afoul of their rules against harmful misinformation about coronavirus.”
With a deal on pandemic relief elusive, Trump threatens to act alone “The president said he would take executive action to extend an eviction moratorium, suspend collection of the payroll tax and boost unemployment aid unless a deal can be reached quickly with congressional Democrats.”
NY prosecutors have subpoenaed Deutsche Bank for its records related to Donald Trump and his businesses. Deutsche Bank has complied, providing extensive documents and other materials.
WHAT I’M READING + WATCHING + LISTENING TO
🎧 LISTEN: Beirut's Explosion and the AftermathMiddle East correspondent Dion Nissenbaum tells how he protected his daughter in the explosion and the impact on a country already struggling through an economic downturn.
Covid-19 vaccine trials have a problem: Many people who most urgently need vaccination, including Blacks and Latinos, don’t trust medical research and are unlikely to participate in clinical trials.
Legendary journalist and author Pete Hamill, a tabloid hero and teller of New York tales, dead at 85
THE COMMENT
“Lebanon was already grappling with an economic crisis with no solutions in sight. Years of mismanagement have led Lebanon to this tipping point, with politicians misusing public funds and using resources to tempt citizens into supporting them in the elections year after year. The coronavirus pandemic and ensuing lockdown only made the situation more dire, with hyperinflation and unprecedented levels of unemployment and poverty. Despite protests since October, the government has seemed more interested in discussing reforms than actually applying them. A few weeks ago, people reverted to trading goods as a means of shopping for essentials, with prices as much as doubling.” - Luna Safwan
THE STRANGEST
THE AV ROOM