In Defense of California; Sports Books Acting Increasingly Shady–Coachella Valley Independent’s Indy Digest: Jan. 18, 2024

Indy Digest: Jan. 18, 2024

I had the misfortune of watching the opening minutes of that ridiculous Fox News “debate” between California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. I wasn’t going to come anywhere near it, but a friend wanted to watch it. I lasted about 15 minutes before I had to bail.

One of the things that irked me was the constant spin—by DeSantis, yes, but also by “moderator” Sean Hannity’s first few questions—claiming the state of California is a failing liberal hellhole that people are fleeing in droves because of unemployment, high taxes and unsafe borders. Depicting California as a failing state is a common refrain by a lot of folks on the right these days—and, well, I’ve had enough of it.

I’ve lived in other Western states (that were under conservative leadership for most of my years there)—and I am very, very happy to be in California right now.

To be clear, California has problems—massive problems. The high cost of living, especially housing, can cripple the budgets of both individuals and families, and I understand why some people would choose to go elsewhere as a result. While some complaints about the difficulties of doing business in California are overblown (I have to jump through just as many figurative hoops doing business in Nevada), there is something to them. The progressive wing of the Legislature can go overboard, passing well-intended legislation without realizing and/or caring about some of the consequences—and I say this as someone who considers himself a progressive. (The mess resulting from Assembly Bill 5, the state’s independent-contractor law, is one example that comes to mind.)

That said, California has plusses, too. A lot of plusses. Women here don’t need to worry about the state telling them what they can and can’t do with their bodies. Same-sex couples don’t need to wonder whether their marriages will be recognized here in a year or two. Diversity is valued in much of the state, and the arts and culinary offerings are without parallel. The state government actually seems to give a damn about climate change, the plight of workers and the environment—and isn’t trying to persecute drag queens for no good reason. California remains the world leader in the technology and entertainment industries, and that isn’t going to change anytime soon, no matter what Elon Musk wants or does.

I haven’t even mentioned California’s weather yet, nor have I talked about the amazing natural wonders in the state—including a lot of protected lands, including nine national parks.

If someone decides California isn’t for them, that’s fine. I really do understand why some people may choose to move elsewhere. But as the kids like to say these days (?): Don’t yuck my yum.

Every time I walk out my door and look up at Mount San Jacinto, I’m reminded of how lucky I am to live here. California is very, very far from perfect—but I like it here, and millions of other people like it here, too.

—Jimmy Boegle

More News

• The ever-famous Coachella poster—and, therefore, the 2024 lineup—has been released. Here’s what Variety had to say: “Lana Del Rey, Doja Cat, Tyler, The Creator and No Doubt will headline the 2024 Coachella festival, promoters Goldenvoice announced on Tuesday. … Also on the list are Peso Pluma, Blur, J Balvin, Ice Spice, Sublime, Lil Uzi Vert, Grimes, Victoria Monet, Jon Batiste, Bleachers, Justice, Deftones and Lil Yachty, with big looks for rising artists like Bizarrap, Khruangbin and others. The 23rd installment of the festival takes place at its home at the Empire Polo Grounds in Indio, Calif., on the weekends of April 12-14 and April 19-21. … The general presale begins Jan. 19 at 11 a.m. PT.”

• Let’s dig into the Depressing Newspaper News file to play a game: Which newspaper is more f&@#ed? Contestant No. 1 is the Los Angeles Times. That very newspaper reported today: “Los Angeles Times newsroom guild leaders called for a one-day walkout Friday to protest planned cuts to offset steep financial losses that owner Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong and his family have absorbed since acquiring the paper nearly six years ago. The Times disclosed Thursday that substantial layoffs were coming due to a widening budget deficit. The one-day strike represents the newsroom’s first union-organized work stoppage in the paper’s 142-year history. Management has not publicly disclosed the number of newsroom positions that will be eliminated, but knowledgeable people said the plan is to lay off at least 100 journalists, or about 20% of the newsroom—the largest staff cut since the paper was owned by Tribune Co.”

• Contestant No. 2 is none other than The Baltimore Sun. The Washington Post reports: “If the employees of the Baltimore Sun were expecting a charm offensive from its out-of-the-blue new owner, they sure didn’t get one. ‘Full disclosure, I haven’t read the newspaper in 40 years,’ David D. Smith, a television executive and lifelong resident of the Baltimore area, told the 60 staffers who crowded into a conference room at lunchtime Tuesday. ‘Literally have not read the newspaper. … I read the paper maybe four times since I started working on trying to buy this place,’ Smith said, according to an audio recording of the meeting obtained by The Washington Post. Regardless, Smith seemed to have strong opinions—negative ones—about the Sun and the fleet of suburban papers he purchased alongside it, which he laid out in a tense, 2 1/2-hour meeting that left many staffers baffled about the multimillionaire’s intentions for the city’s 186-year-old newspaper. … Monday’s unexpected news that their paper had been sold to an independent local buyer has triggered more concern than joy—especially after meeting with Smith, executive chairman of the Sinclair Broadcast Group, whose nearly 200 local TV stations have shown a marked conservative bent in recent years.”

• If you have a passing encounter with someone sick with COVID-19, you probably won’t get sick—that’s the key takeaway from a new study. (As always, take “new study” news with a grain of salt the size of a boulder.) Time magazine says: “The length of time you spend around a person with COVID-19 seems to heavily influence your likelihood of getting sick, according to a recent Nature study that has been peer-reviewed but not fully edited. Most exposures that result in transmission last at least an hour, if not much longer, the researchers say. Previous studies have shown that people who spend long bouts of time with someone who has COVID-19 are at increased risk of getting infected, particularly if the encounter happens in a small, enclosed space. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also warns that longer COVID-19 exposures are riskier than shorter ones—but the agency has typically said 15 minutes of exposure is the threshold after which there’s a meaningful chance of getting sick. The new study, however, suggests it usually takes even longer for the virus to spread.”

• Well, here’s a headline that is both gross and alarming: “Scabies Is Making a Comeback.” More from the piece in Wired: “While scabies is extremely common, affecting approximately 200 million people worldwide, cases across England are spiking far above typical levels. Reports have detailed outbreaks in care homes and university accommodations, particularly in the north of the country. … The UK’s surge of cases is part of a wider, longer trend. Scabies cases have been rising consistently across Europe and around the globe for a decade. Unlike other infectious diseases, this isn’t thought to be a consequence of climate change, but a cocktail of factors—treatment shortages, treatment failure, and the persistent stigma surrounding the disease that prevents some from immediately seeking medical attention. Until the condition is treated, scabies mites can reproduce, burrow, and lay eggs under the skin, causing sores and cycles of itching to continue. The mites can easily be transmitted to others, particularly through skin-to-skin contact—during sex, for example.”

• The aforementioned Gov. DeSantis is yet again saying things about COVID-19 vaccines that 1) completely fly in the face of every bit of science involved, and 2) are very dangerous. His latest idiot claim, as reported by The Recount via Yahoo! News: “While campaigning in New Hampshire on Wednesday, Ron DeSantis made a baseless claim about the COVID-19 vaccines. ‘Every booster you take, you’re more likely to get COVID as a result of it,’ the 2024 GOP candidate told a town hall crowd in Hampton. ‘They lied to us about the COVID shots. Remember, they said if you take a COVID shot, you will not get COVID? How true was that? Not at all,’ the Florida governor said. ‘Now, every booster you take, you’re more likely to get COVID as a result of it.’” Sigh.

• And finally … my husband and I have a Google Doc we use for potential Indy Digest news links, and he put this one in there with this comment: “Oh (expletive) no.” It turns out some sports books are being kinda shady. The Washington Post reports: “There’s a common marketing slogan in sports betting: ‘Sweat the game, not the payout.’ In other words, when dealing with legitimate sportsbooks and not some shady neighborhood bookie, gamblers shouldn’t have to worry about getting stiffed. Yet bettors say gaming operators aren’t always living up to that promise, and some industry officials agree. Bookmakers sometimes use a clause in their fine print as an ‘insurance plan,’ as one top regulator put it, to get out of paying big winners—and industry observers say the practice is increasing. That caveat nearly cost Christopher Kozak $127,420 recently, after Hard Rock Bet voided three successful long shot hockey wagers—involving bets on a host of NHL players being held scoreless in the same game—that he placed in Tennessee. The sportsbook, operated by the Seminole Tribe, notified him several days after the games in question that his payouts were an ‘obvious error,’ and therefore he wasn’t owed anything beyond a refund.” The sports book did pay up after the Post started asking questions—but yikes!

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