How is everyone’s weekend going? Before we get to the Six, a quick note about masks.
I’m not seeing them. Hung out last weekend in Wrigleyville (fortunately there was so much going on, I could avoid watching the Cubs) and didn’t anyone wearing one. Anywhere. Same at restaurants (except the waitstaff at a few places.)
There are a few people here and there at the grocery store. I did catch someone in their car with one on (WTF?) Public heath has eased up recommendations, but my sense is just about everyone is done with mask-wearing, regardless of local jurisdiction.
Schools are the next showdown. That’s happening right now all over the Chicagoland and state. Much to be decided in that sector in the coming weeks.
Today’s Six includes articles on how wrong public health was about Covid’s danger to children, a two decades-plus search by parents for their son results in them reuniting, what’s wrong with Scottie Pippen and an animal video that will make you smile (rather than cringe:)
Let’s proceed with the Six.
The Kids Are Alright After All.
It will be a while before a full accountability and requiem on our nation’s response to Covid. There is one aspect we don’t need to wait years on. We know now that kids were going to be just fine all along. The Intelligencer examines how kids were negatively impacted not by the virus, but by the overreaching response by public health, government and education officials. Now is the time to re-examine safety protocols, not just for children, but everyone (it’s already happening.)
The Parents Who Never Stopped Searching.
This an incredible story of a Chinese couple who 24 years ago, lost their son when he was abducted. The father was relentless in searching for the boy, traveling 300,000 miles to do so. Earlier this month, his journey came to an end. The boy, now 26 years old, was re-united with his parents in scene captured by Chinese television. Pretty amazing stuff.
This email you are reading is part of a newsletter, The Kerr Report. The last year has seen an explosion in the newsletter industry as countless niche topics and ad-free space makes for an appealing experience for readers. The Cut takes a look at the runaway successes of newsletters and how they will likely continue to gain in popularity.
What Is Wrong With Scottie Pippen?
Have you noticed all the goofy things former Bulls great Scottie Pippen is saying lately? First he called Michael Jordan “selfish” then he did an interview with GQ and called former coach Phil Jackson a “racist.” None of this has gotten much traction in corporate media, in fact, there is significant blowback on Pippen for his comments. So what gives? Andrew Lawrence of The Guardian analyzes Pippen’s strange behavior of late and offers a thesis as to why he’s been popping off.
The 6 Million Dollar Desert Land Deal.
How much does it cost to buy a small patch of California desert? About $6 million, it turns out—that was the price tag on humble Desert Center, sold this year to a new owner 100 years after the town’s founding. Sunday Long Reads walks readers through this near-ghost town, settled a century ago by a man named “Desert Steve” and kept alive by his descendants, whose time as stewards of this place is coming to a close.
We like our animal stories here on the Six…and this week, a change of pace. No pythons in toilets, no lions showing up in people’s yards. Just pure hilarious joy…a man gets kissed all up and down by a hyena at a California reptile zoo. Watch the embedded video. You’ll want to watch it again.
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.