It’s a Numbers Game
SANITY BREAK Joel Sartore leads National Geographic’s project. It’s mission is to document 15,000 species that are in captivity, and on the edge of extinction. His images are stunning and sad—given the looming loss of these beautiful creatures. The above is the Burmese Star Tortoise. Fewer than 5,000 are left in the world.
HEADLINES THAT MATTER PANDEMIC UPDATE: INDIA EDITION * A warns that cases in Delhi and Mumbai may peak between July and September—when the number of daily cases could range from around 8,000-24,000 in Mumbai and 12,000-35,000 in Delhi. * Speaking of Delhi, a sore throat and fever—and is in self-isolation until he is tested for Covid today. * Malls opened across the nation, but many of their shops remained shuttered. : retailers and restaurants are demanding drastic cuts to their rents, and revised payment agreements. * Also reluctant to reopen despite government permission: places of worship. : “With the risk of community transmission looming on the horizon, the fear exists that even a minor blip in the management of crowds could prove to be suicidal.” GOOD NEWS ABOUT ASYMPTOMATIC The World Health Organisation says that people who do not display symptoms are unlikely to spread the disease: > “We have a number of reports from countries who are doing very detailed contact tracing. They’re following asymptomatic cases. > They’re following contacts. And they’re not finding secondary transmission onward. It’s very rare." But there are also far fewer truly asymptomatic cases than previously thought. And many who seem symptom-free develop them later—but are no less infectious. () WHO WILL GET THE VACCINES? Serum Institute of India has agreed to a billion doses of a vaccine being developed by Oxford University researchers. SIL will be the primary distributor for middle- and low-income countries. In related news: The British laboratory, at Imperial College London, is planning to develop and sell a potential vaccine or licensing fees—doing an end run around drug companies. ANTI-RACISM PROTEST VIDS AND IMAGES Indians and anti-colonialists around the world said ‘Amen’ to of Churchill: of human kindness in the midst of rage, conflict and chaos... A retired US Marine in full uniform in the sun—with the words ‘I can’t breathe’ taped over his mouth. Story is . WILD ALLEGATIONS ABOUT BENAZIR BHUTTO All of Pakistan is currently riveted by an American woman named Cynthia Ritchie. She claims that the deceased PM ordered her guards to “rape” women who had affairs with her husband, Asif Zardari. Ritchie is “a blogger, a filmmaker, and ‘a social media enthusiast” who has lived in Pakistan for a decade. () AN OIL DRILLING DISASTER IN THE ARCTIC * On May 29, 21,000 tonnes of diesel fuel a reservoir above the Arctic circle in Russia. The spill triggered a state of emergency and is an “unprecedented” environmental catastrophe. * The culprit is likely global warming that is thawing the perma-frost—soil that has been frozen for thousands of years. When the ground underneath it melted, the reservoir collapsed. * But melting perma-frost is also trapped deep within, raising the prospect of fresh pandemics. * OTOH, it offers greater and easier access to oil reserves deep within the Arctic. PRINCE ANDREW VS US PROSECUTORS * The Prince has been lying low ever since his close association with pedophile billionaire Jeffrey Epstein became public. has an explainer if you need it. * He managed to stay out of the headlines until earlier this week. US prosecutors investigating Epstein filed an official request with the UK's Home Office. Their demand: they should be allowed to question Andrew under oath. * Now the Prince with a public statement from his lawyers. They claim that he met with US Justice Department officials three times, and offered to be a witness. * The money quote from his sources: “We believe in playing a straight bat.” What could be more appropriate than a cricket metaphor in the midst of a nasty child sex abuse scandal. * Sadly all this very-English outrage had little effect on the Americans. The lead US attorney now says : “[The Duke] has repeatedly declined our request to schedule such an interview, and nearly four months ago informed us unequivocally—through the very same counsel who issued today's release—that he would not come in for such an interview.” ELMER FUDD’S GOT NO GUNS Warner Bros has commissioned a reboot of the Looney Tunes cartoons—but updated for a 2020 sensibility. Yes, Elmer will still be hunting wabbits, but without a gun. Even cranky old Yosemite Sam has been stripped of his firearms. But don’t worry, they make up for it with every other kind of violence. See: this short released by the studio earlier. DHRUV RATHEE, IS THAT YOU? of his hot take on ‘Black Lives Matter’ went viral yesterday—sparking shock and disappointment among his supporters. Here’s .
SANITY BREAK This is Australia's 'fake genuine Russian choir' called Dustyesky and they are a hoot! Their : “We are 28 men, middle-aged, very hairy, and we all live outside the tiny little hamlet of Mullumbimby or, as we call it, Mullumgrad. And all of us singing like we know the language and the words.”
SMART & CURIOUS A COUPLE OF INTRIGUING SCIENCE-Y THINGS is blowing bubbles—each of which contains “400 million billion pounds of matter—about 1,000 Halley’s comets worth.” now lets us ‘see’ creatures in the depths of the ocean in 3-D detail. And it turns out this gorgeous creature is actually a giant blob of snot ROFL. A LIST OF GOOD READS * has a brilliant read on how geography creates specific forms of mental illness—unique to that culture. Example: Kora, the fear that your penis is shrinking or your nipples are retracting into your body (in the case of women). * So we have a Marvel Cinematic Universe. What if we had the same for the Ramayana or Mahabharata? creates a delightful fantasy version of both. * explains how your washing machine is pouring a deluge of microfibers into the ocean. Ergo, giving up plastic bags isn’t enough. * There’s been plenty of photo galleries on designer labels pivoting to face masks. takes a look at the business model behind it. * The beloved bookstore and cafe Full Circle is shutting shop in Khan Market. One of its owners explains why in . * has an engaging read on how the pandemic changed what Indian women look for in men. LAST, BUT NOT LEAST: BUTTERFLIES! Yes, these pretty creatures are the of the summer season. And they’re turning up everywhere!
LIFE ADVISORY SO YOU WANNA READ SOMETHING… * Curtis Sittenfeld has never been afraid to take on love stories most likely to land her in trouble—be it George & Laura Bush or Darcy & Liz. Her latest novel is titled ‘Rodham’ that imagines an alternate universe where Hillary never married Bill. calls it “fascinating and occasionally icky,” but we can’t wait to read it. * Megha Majumdar’s ‘A Burning’ is earning rave reviews—including this one in . The story of a young Muslim woman—in trouble for a Facebook post—feels both like an urgent must-read and far-too-close to an already difficult reality. * We stumbled on this tweet by —Editorial Director of Roli Books—gushing about ‘Blood, Bones & Butter’, a memoir by chef Gabrielle Hamilton. Then we saw Anthony Bourdain’s blurb on its cover: “Magnificent. Simply the best memoir by a chef ever. Ever.” And then we read . We’re hooked. SO YOU HAVE A CRUSH ON TOM HIDDLESTON… Watch him play Coriolanus at the National Theatre in London. Warning: the viewing pleasure is only available until June 11. The YouTube vid .
THE FEEL GOOD PLACE , circa 1810. Lol! wunderkind is going viral. on this celestial maid carved on a 800-year-old temple! We are jealous! (h/t @srcsticmonk)
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