How is everyone’s weekend going? I hope everyone had a terrific 4th of July holiday and we’re back with another edition of the Six.
Let’s get right to the articles today. So much happening, much of it good (summer! Outdoors!) but there remains (bad) lingering Covid disease-related restrictions
Today’s Six includes articles on the CDC’s recent school guidance, Bruce Springsteen returns to Broadway, the story of an almost 40-year cold murder case solved and a man on a toilet gets a surprise visitor (yikes!)
Let’s proceed with the Six:
The CDC Got Some Things Right, Still Missing Mark With Masking.
Friday, the CDC announced new guidelines for schools re-opening in the fall. An editorial from USA Today does a nice job summarizing what directives mean for schools. It also raises questions about the likely continued testing protocols and problematic contact quarantines as a result.
Save Our Schools: A Health Initiative.
Someone sent me this article during the week and it was compelling to add it to the Six this week. This is a personal essay from a doctor that outlines sensible, rational arguments for how schools should open next month. The author wrote the essay before the CDC guidance came out and it lays out some things the CDC got right—local control—and some things it did not include (advising a “mask optional” policy for schools). A good read presented in a digestible format.
The Boss Is Back on Broadway And So Are The Workers.
I’m a huge Bruce Springsteen fan and have seen him probably a half dozen times live in concert in my lifetime. In 2018, Springsteen began doing one-man shows on Broadway, paused in 2020 due to Covid. The Boss is back…as part of a slow re-opening of Broadway. This is a terrific New York Times feature not so much on Springsteen but the impact of stage shows coming back on the behind-the-scenes, essential workers. The article focuses on an usher who has worked at the same theater—St. James—for almost 20 years. A really entertaining read.
Investigation Helps Solve 1983 Murder Case.
After reporter Catherine Rentz wrote an intrepid and jaw-dropping series about crimes solved by America’s first DNA database, she could have easily considered her job done. Instead, she noticed a 1983 article about a student who was raped and murdered, and she immediately recognized the similarities to crimes committed by a serial perpetrator she’d previously been investigating. She went back into action, going through documents and pestering the Baltimore Police Department. The result: she solved the murder. Good stuff from Pro Publica.
An Oral History of “Terminator 2: Judgment Day,” Released 30 Years Ago.
Anyone over the age of 40 has those “oh shit” moments when looking back at a piece of pop culture consumed as a younger version of themselves. “It’s been that long? Man, I’m getting old,” we’ve all probably said out loud or privately at some point. When I saw this oral history floating around on social media earlier this week, I had one of those moments. I remember what a huge movie “T2” was in 1991 and how it delivered on what it promised. This is nice work from The Ringer, including fresh interviews with star Arnold Schwarzenegger and director James Cameron, looking back three decades later on a movie arguably the best sequel of all time.
Nasty Surprise For Austrian Man While On Toilet.
Whenever these animal stories get super weird, the question pops up…can they get more outrageous? Yes, they can! An elderly Austrian man takes his time on the toilet until…his bowel movement gets interrupted by an unexpected intruder. Read and wince.
Have a great rest of your weekend everybody. Thanks for reading as always.
Have a suggestion for the Sunday Six? Send email to jon@jonjkerr.com.