In response to yesterday’s Daily Digest, I received this email from a reader, which is reprinted here, verbatim:
Is your paper written by one person? Articles picked by you? Just curious as to where you’re from? Palm Springs? Just not sure if this is a PS newsletter?
This made me realize that a lot of you are new to the Independent—and that even some of you who have been reading for a while may not know much about me or the newspaper, and/or where these Daily Digests fit into things.
So, if you’ll indulge me, here are my answers to that reader’s questions (slightly expanded upon and edited from my personal response to the reader):
Is your paper written by one person?
No. The Independent has a staff writer and 15 or so regular contributors, writing on everything from theater to astronomy to cocktails to news. Feel free to peruse all of the articles, going back to our late-2012 launch, at CVIndependent.com, and check out our print version archives at issuu.com/cvindependent.
Articles picked by you?
I, Jimmy Boegle, am the editor/publisher, but most of my writers decide what they’re going to be writing about … because they’re the experts in what they’re writing about, not me. As for this Daily Digest email, I write it and select the article links, although I get suggestions from a lot of people—especially from Garrett, my husband.
Just curious as to where you’re from? Palm Springs?
I live in Palm Springs, yes. I’ve been here for more than seven years. If you would like to view my professional credentials, check out www.linkedin.com/in/jimmy-boegle. I have a 25-year history in journalism, going back to my days at Stanford University. I’ve worked for The Associated Press and at newspapers in Reno/Sparks, Las Vegas and Tucson. Before I moved here at the start of 2013, I spent a decade as the editor of the Tucson Weekly.
Just not sure if this is a PS newsletter?
Most of the content in the Independent itself—with the exception of some movie reviews, our comics page, Savage Love and a couple of other things—is written by people in the Coachella Valley, for people in the Coachella Valley. This Daily Digest email, however, was started when the pandemic hit as a way to share news on COVID-19 and the shut-down orders from reliable, vetted news sources, from around the country and world.
So, there you go! If any of you have other questions about the Independent, me, our fantabulous writers or life in general, feel free to send them my way.
And now, what you’re really here for—today’s news:
• I was again part of the I Love Gay Palm Springs podcast/videocast, with hosts John Taylor, Shann Carr and Brad Fuhr. Today’s guests were the fabulously smart Dr. Laura Rush, from Kaiser Permanente; Alexander Rodriguez from the On the Rocks radio show; and Debra Ann Mumm from the Create Center for the Arts. Check it out if you dare!
• Gov. Newsom announced a revised $203 billion budget today—which includes a lot of deep cuts. One of the most painful—a 10 percent salary reduction for many state workers. However, that cut, and others, could be avoided if the feds chip in and help. Our partners at CalMatters have the details.
• More bad—and by “bad,” we mean “approaching Great Depression bad”—unemployment figures have been released.
• Unfortunately, most of the job losses are hitting families that are least-prepared to deal with them: Almost 40 percent of lower-income households have been affected, according to Politico.
• Cathedral City is the latest valley city to step up and require face masks in many places, following the county’s stunningly ill-advised revocation of the face-mask health order last week.
• Related: From The Conversation comes this headline—Masks help stop the spread of coronavirus—the science is simple and I’m one of 100 experts urging governors to require public mask-wearing.
• Could COVID-19 be causing an inflammatory syndrome in children that’s similar to Kawasaki disease? The CDC just issued an alert for doctors to be on the lookout.
• Las Vegas may start to reopen soon—and it’ll be a very different experience when it does, according to the Los Angeles Times.
• A live-stream performance featuring John Stanley King, Kal David and other local music luminaries takes place tomorrow (Friday) at 3 p.m., and it benefits the Coachella Valley Rescue Mission. Get details here.
• This opinion piece from The Washington Post points out a painful truth: In most of the country, we’re giving up on containing COVID-19—and are now scrambling to reduce the harm it causes.
• Meanwhile, in Alabama, legislators proposed spending $200 million in federal funding for COVID-19 on a new State House. Yes, they really did that. https://www.newsweek.com/alabama-senate-leaders-want-use-money-2-billion-coronavirus-aid-build-new-state-house-1503255
• The New York Stock Exchange is partially reopening for in-person trading on May 26. Yay? Or something?
• Finally: One Riverside girl really wanted to hug her grandparents … so she invented the hug curtain.
That’s enough for today. Wash your hands. Wear a mask, for pete’s sake. Buy our amazing Coloring Book. If you can spare a few bucks, please consider supporting quality, free-to-all, independent local journalism by becoming a Supporter of the Independent. We’ll be back tomorrow!