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Message from the editor
Do you have questions about splainer? For example: why does a news site have a damn dog? Or what’s with these sections called ‘sanity breaks’? Also: who did this? I answer those and other queries in this NewsLaundry podcast. I also talk about something most news editors or founders rarely speak about: the importance of having empathy and compassion for your audience—more so at a time when every mental wellness expert has warned against the excess consumption of news. Please listen here.
The pandemic numbers
- India hit a new daily record with more than 22,000 new cases—nearly 2,000 more than the previous single-day record of 20,060 on June 27.
- The main contributors: Maharashtra (6,330), Tamil Nadu (4,343), Karnataka (1,502) and Telangana (1,213). It was the highest single-day spike for many of these states.
- The number of deaths: 18,213. Number of recoveries: 379,891.
- Times Top10 has a must read on why India’s ‘recovery’ numbers have a serious problem.
- Bangalore reported 100 deaths on Thursday. The government has decided to repurpose 35 acres of land across the city into public burial grounds.
- Lybrate—India’s largest mental wellness platform—reports an 180% rise in online patient consultations. The jump is 225% for women compared to 150% for males.
- Also hitting a new daily record: The United States with 55,000-plus. That’s up from 22K cases a day just two weeks ago.
- And if you care: People in Alabama are throwing parties that offer a reward to the person who becomes infected.
- The good news: the number of US deaths have stayed steady. CNN looks at the reasons why.
- Also throwing a party: The Czechs who held a (likely premature) farewell bash for the virus. Photos here.
- Sweden’s Prime Minister has ordered an inquiry into the nation’s handling of the coronavirus. The Swedes decided to opt for ‘herd immunity’ which kicks in when the majority of the population becomes infected—instead of trying to stem the spread. It’s death toll is now 5,000—which looks small but is significant given the size of its population.
A big arrest in the Epstein case
After nearly a year of speculation, US federal agents have arrested Ghislaine Maxwell—the former girlfriend of pedophile billionaire Jeffrey Epstein. She is charged with recruiting, grooming and sexually abusing underage girls as young as 14—and on two counts of perjury. Why this matters: the prosecutors are looking specifically at the period between 1994 and 1997. During this period, Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein were full-on party bros. Also: it throws the spotlight back on Prince Andrew who was very close to Maxwell. The Guardian has that story.
In related royal family news: In her lawsuit against British tabloids, Meghan has also taken aim at her in-laws. Her lawyers say that she suffered great damage to her mental health “specifically as she was pregnant, unprotected by the institution, and prohibited from defending herself.”
The Ladakh effect: an update
- Indian custom officials are holding up all Chinese shipments for “additional scrutiny.” The latest to complain: Apple supplier Foxconn which assembles iPhone and Xiaomi smartphones in India.
- Global couriers DHL and FedEx are suspending all deliveries between India and China—and this is likely to hit critical supplies of medicines, laptops and phones. Watch: this BBC News video report.
- TikTok will not be taking the Indian government to courts to challenge the ban—and says it is “committed to working with the government to address its concerns.”
- Who be loving China? The Mitron app—TikTok’s desi rival—which has raised Rs 2 crore in a seed funding round. The app now boasts of 17 million downloads on Google Play.
- Who doesn’t care: TikTok’s parent ByteDance, which generated more than $17 billion in revenue last year—and is still the world’s most valuable startup.
Transgender jawaans ahead?
The government is readying a plan to admit transgendered persons into central paramilitary forces like the CRPF. The different units have been asked to submit their views. (The Telegraph)
