Indy Digest: Dec. 16, 2024
If there was ever any doubt that we’re living in completely crazy times, here’s the latest evidence: the East Coast is in serious hysterics about drones.
If you’re somehow unfamiliar with the drone drama, here’s an explanation, compliments of PBS:
A large number of mysterious drones have been reported flying over New Jersey and across the eastern U.S., sparking speculation and concern over where they came from and why.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and U.S. Sen. Andy Kim have both gone out on drone hunts, hoping for answers. The FBI, Homeland Security, state police and other agencies are investigating.
Murphy and law enforcement officials have stressed that the drones don’t appear to be a threat to public safety, but many state and municipal lawmakers have nonetheless called for stricter rules about who can fly the unmanned aircraft—and to be allowed to shoot them out of the sky. …
Dozens of witnesses have reported seeing drones statewide since mid-November, including near the Picatinny Arsenal, a military research and manufacturing facility, and over President-elect Donald Trump’s golf course in Bedminster.
The federal government has investigated most of these sightings, and has discovered … nothing, other than a lot of normal aircraft. The New York Times says:
As reports of strange lights in the sky over New Jersey and other parts of the East Coast have grown, government officials have been stating more firmly that, in essence, there is nothing to see here.
Officials from the FBI, Defense Department and Department of Homeland Security said they were taking the sightings, and the concerns they have stirred, seriously, deploying advanced radar systems to hunt for foreign reconnaissance drones and scouring records for secret U.S. government programs.
But of the more than 5,000 tips they had received about drone sightings in recent weeks, only 100 required further examination, John Kirby, the National Security Council spokesman, said on Monday.
Most were fixed-wing, piloted aircraft that were taking off or landing at major airports, officials said. Others were smaller planes, and some were hobbyist drones.
Now, let’s look closer at part of a sentence from that first blurb, and a paragraph from the second. From the first: “(M)any state and municipal lawmakers have nonetheless called for stricter rules about who can fly the unmanned aircraft—and to be allowed to shoot them out of the sky.”
From the second: “Most (drone sightings) were fixed-wing, piloted aircraft that were taking off or landing at major airports, officials said. Others were smaller planes, and some were hobbyist drones.”
Put those two together, and … yeesh. Things could get ugly fast if people start blasting at things they see in the sky.
Later on in the NYT piece is this tidbit:
Many of the most exciting videos posted on social media have shown piloted planes, according to experts.
“People’s brains aren’t very good at judging how big things are in the night sky,” said Mick West, a science writer who has focused on debunking conspiracy theories. “You see something in the sky, you have heard stories about it being drones, so you think maybe that is a drone.”
Bright landing lights, seen at a distance, can make a plane appear to transform into something more interesting, and potentially threatening, Mr. West said. “A majority of the videos are just big planes,” he added.
Now, of course, the drone hysteria is starting to spread. Yes, they’re even being reported in Southern California.
Are these drones, or whatever they are, causing problems? In some cases, yes. Are they causes for concern? In most cases, certainly not, but maybe they are in a few cases. Should we start shooting them out of the sky? Good lord no.
Is this all fascinating and a lot more fun than reading the news about, say, the latest horrifying Trump pick? Absolutely!
—Jimmy Boegle
From the Independent
A Break From Politics: After 20 Years in Public Office, Eduardo Garcia Looks Back on His Accomplishments in the Assembly
By Kevin Fitzgerald
December 15th, 2024
Throughout his five terms, Eduardo Garcia prioritized Salton Sea mitigation, migrant-worker issues, quality-of-life improvements for eastern Coachella Valley residents, climate-change mitigation, Lithium Valley development and Native American tribal issues.
CV History: German Immigrant Otto Adler Started the First Newspaper in Palm Springs in 1914
By Greg Niemann
December 14th, 2024
While it was not a public newspaper with general advertising, but more of a promotional paper, the Red Front Store News covered the goings, comings and highlights of the citizenry.
Community Voices: Palm Springs Police Chief Andy Mills Has Exhibited True Leadership Via Both His Words and Actions
By Rob Wilcox
December 14th, 2024
Rob Wilcox says two distinct events—a forum to address community concerns, and the tragic Festival of Lights accident—illustrate Chief Mills’ approach to leadership.
An Airport Bore: Netflix’s ‘Carry-On’ Tries to Be the Next ‘Die Hard,’ but Fails
By Bob Grimm
December 16th, 2024
Carry-On fails at becoming something like Die Hard—the clear aspiration—due to a lack of humor and the goofy yet intelligent pacing that makes a good, silly thriller click.
More News
• Today’s recall news involves … Christmas lights! ABC News says: “More than 40,000 Christmas tree light controllers sold at several major retailers that can be used to operate tree lights wirelessly have been recalled due to a potential fire hazard. The decorative controllers were manufactured by Mr. Christmas LLC of Memphis, Tennessee, and have wireless receivers that can overheat when plugged into an electrical outlet, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission and Mr. Christmas. About 44,600 units sold at Cracker Barrel, Target and Walmart stores and online between July and November are impacted by the recall.”
• Our partners at Calmatters preview some new laws going into effect in 2025 involving cannabis and alcohol. A tidbit: “Senate Bill 969, authored by state Sen. Scott Weiner, will let local governments designate ‘entertainment zones,’ where bars and restaurants can sell alcoholic beverages for people to drink on public streets and sidewalks. Some organizations, such as the California Alcohol Policy Alliance, oppose SB 969 because it could contribute to drunk driving accidents and increased alcohol mortality rates. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a similar bill in 2022, but it was limited to San Francisco. In September, the city experimented with an entertainment zone for Oktoberfest and reported at least 10 times more foot traffic than the 2023 celebration.”
• Two pieces on the absolute mess that is the country’s health-insurance system. First up is this ProPublica piece headlined “UnitedHealth Is Strategically Limiting Access to Critical Treatment for Kids With Autism.” The story starts off with an anecdote about a 3-year-old named Benji who was making progress in treatment. It then continues: “The insurer that has been paying for her son’s therapy, UnitedHealthcare, has begun—to the befuddlement of his clinical team—denying him the hours they say he requires to maintain his progress. Inside the insurance conglomerate, the nation’s largest and most profitable, the slashing of care to children like Benji does have a reason, though it has little to do with their needs. It is part of a secret internal cost-cutting campaign that targets a growing financial burden for the company: the treatment of thousands of children with autism across the country. ProPublica has obtained what is effectively the company’s strategic playbook, developed by Optum, the division that manages mental health benefits for United. In internal reports, the company acknowledges that the therapy, called applied behavior analysis, is the ‘evidence-based gold standard treatment for those with medically necessary needs.’ But the company’s costs have climbed as the number of children diagnosed with autism has ballooned; experts say greater awareness and improved screening have contributed to a fourfold increase in the past two decades — from 1 in 150 to 1 in 36. So Optum is ‘pursuing market-specific action plans’ to limit children’s access to the treatment, the reports said.“
• Next: The Washington Post reports on the frustrations of doctors who say insurers are increasingly delaying, or flat-out denying, needed treatments: “Every year, health insurance companies deny tens of millions of patient claims for medical expense reimbursements, and the tide of those denials has been rising, according to surveys of doctors and other health-care providers. Insurers also have been increasingly demanding that doctors obtain approval before providing treatment, similar surveys show, causing delays in patient care that the American Medical Association says are ‘devastating.’ While several states have passed legislation trying to restrict such practices amid growing public anger, insurers defend the coverage denials and ‘pre-authorization’ requirements. They say that those measures are meant to contain rising costs and that their methods comply with federal and state regulations. According to information the insurers report to regulators, there have been only small increases nationally in the frequency of denials in recent years.“
• China is trying to influence and/or punish members of Congress who are supportive of Taiwan. NBC News says: “The FBI has held classified briefings warning a handful of U.S. lawmakers that the Chinese Communist Party is working to create fake stories to portray them in a negative light because of their hawkish views of Beijing and support for Taiwan, two U.S. officials familiar with the briefings told NBC News. The U.S. officials, who asked not to be identified due to the sensitive nature of the briefings, said that one of the false stories being concocted by the CCP, cited by FBI briefers, is that these lawmakers are espousing pro-Taiwan views because they were taking ‘bribes’ from Taiwan. ‘The CCP is trying to undermine congressional support for Taiwan’s democracy, to paint it as corrupt and not in the American public interest,’ one of the two U.S. officials told NBC News. ‘It will not work.’”
• And finally … the Los Angeles Times examines the trend of online rent-shaming. The lede: “The Facebook post seemed straightforward enough, offering up a newly built ADU rental in Burbank. Two bedrooms, two bathrooms, 1,000 square feet. A private yard. Finishes ‘you wouldn’t find in any other ADU.’ The price? $4,500 per month. ‘Dam, ya’ll need to chill out!! $4,500 for an ADU??’ ‘Let the rich become richer having the poor paying their mortgage.’ ‘The greed is VERY REAL here.’ … People poured in with comments and emoji reactions ranging from laughing to angry. Before long, the post became a digital dogpile, with users tagging others to join in on the fun. The doomed listing became another case of ‘rent shaming’—a modern, perhaps inevitable, phenomenon that’s sprouting up across Facebook housing groups and other platforms as rent continues to soar across Southern California. Landlords see it as a headache, a needless trend of cyberbullying that exacerbates well-meaning efforts to find tenants. Renters see it as a higher calling—a form of resistance and a way to call out overpriced listings.”
Support the Independent!
Thanks for reading! We depend on reader support to pay the bills. If you value what we do, please consider clicking the button below to become a Supporter of the Independent!
