It’s the Best Work Week of the Year; 2.5 Million Hondas Get Recalled–Coachella Valley Independent’s Indy Digest: Dec. 26, 2023

Indy Digest: Dec. 26, 2023

On any given day here at Independent World Headquarters, we get at least several hundred emails. At times, it’s hard to get actual tasks crossed off my to-do list, because I keep getting distracted by emails that arrive that require my immediate attention (or at least emails that look far more fun and interesting than whatever it is I’m supposed to be working on).

However, the week between Christmas and New Year’s is an exception. A beautiful, glorious, calm exception.

Yeah, I still get emails between Dec. 26-31—but I get far fewer. The phone doesn’t ring as much, either, because so many people are off of work, or working part-days, or going to work but not really working, etc.

As a result, this is—by far—my favorite week to work all year … because I actually GET STUFF DONE.

Yeah, sure, some people are off this week. Good for them. If you’re off this week (or you’re reading this as you catch up on emails post-New Year’s Day), good for you.

But as for me, I am working this week—and enjoying the peace and productivity of it all. Happy holidays, indeed.

—Jimmy Boegle

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More News

• The state is threatening to take action against insurance companies that are refusing to cover California’s good drivers. Our partners at CalMatters report: “Commissioner Ricardo Lara said (last) week that the insurance department has received ‘numerous’ consumer complaints about waiting periods, questionnaires and other insurer practices that could violate state laws, as CalMatters detailed in a recent story. Lara issued a bulletin threatening enforcement action against insurance companies as a result, and asking insurers to contact the Insurance Department’s legal division if they have questions. ‘These alleged passive-aggressive tactics by insurance companies to slow down drivers’ access to coverage are unacceptable, dangerous, and will not be tolerated,’ Lara said in a press release Thursday. … Walter Roberts, an insurance broker for an independent agency, shared with CalMatters screenshots that showed the delays some drivers have been subjected to, as well as some of the requirements Lara mentioned as being improper. ‘If the department has knowledge of these practices (in auto insurance), they need to launch a formal enforcement action to correct the problems.’ Roberts said he has been in the business for 30 years and this is the ‘hardest market ever,’ which makes him glad he is retiring at the end of the month.”

• Beef consumption in the U.S. is declining. Yay, for the environment, at least. Wired reports: “The early 1970s were the real heyday of beef in the U.S. It was the era of stroganoff, stews, and casseroles, steak lunches and 60-cent hamburgers. It was also the beginning of a long decline for the all-American meat. In 1975, Americans on average ate close to 90 pounds of beef each year. That has now dipped to around 57 pounds, and chicken has assumed beef’s place as the most-consumed meat in the U.S. Falling appetite for beef is good news for the environment. Beef produces 10 times the greenhouse gas emissions of poultry or pig meat and between 20 and 60 times more than many plant-based forms of protein. But to really work out where beef consumption might be headed, you need to look at who exactly is really into eating cows, and that’s where things get interesting. Earlier this year a study from Tulane University in New Orleans found that a relatively small number of Americans are responsible for the lion’s share of beef consumption—and those eaters tend to skew older and male. But the beef industry isn’t content with the narrowing demographics of its customers—it has its eyes on creating a whole new generation of beef-eating stalwarts.”

• Today’s recall topic: Honda fuel pumps. NBC News says: “Honda is recalling more than 2.5 million vehicles over potentially faulty fuel pumps. In documents posted on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s website, Honda said affected models include 2018 through 2020 editions of some of its most popular vehicles, including Accords, Civics and CR-Vs. The recall also includes several popular models from Honda’s luxury division, Acura — like the MDX and RDX sport-utility vehicles and the TLX and ILX sedans. The fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail, Honda said, leading to stalled engines and increasing the risk of crashes.

• Yes, this is totally normal and should be expected of a former president and his followers. (Sarcasm alert.) USA Today reports: “Officials are investigating threats on Colorado Supreme Court justices after their decision to disqualify former President Donald Trump from the 2024 presidential primary election, according to reports from multiple outlets. Online posts about violence toward the justices spread rapidly in the 24 hours after the decision was announced, according to an analysis by Advance Democracy and reported by NBC News. The state Supreme Court decided Dec. 19 that Trump’s actions leading up to the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021, meant that he ‘engaged in insurrection,’ disqualifying him from holding office … under the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. ‘The FBI is aware of the situation and working with local law enforcement,’ FBI spokesperson Vikki Migoya said in a statement emailed to USA TODAY Tuesday. ‘We will vigorously pursue investigations of any threat or use of violence committed by someone who uses extremist views to justify their actions regardless of motivation.’”

• The nation’s animal shelters are crowded. Very crowded. The Washington Post says: “U.S. animal shelters will start 2024 the most overcrowded they have been in years, according to a broad survey of animal rescue facilities, a symptom of persistent economic concern as the country’s pandemic pet-adoption boom finally cools. There are roughly a quarter of a million more pets in animal shelters this holiday season than there were in the same period in 2022, according to Shelter Animals Count, a nonprofit that tracks unhoused pet populations. That figure would be higher, said Stephanie Filer, the group’s executive director, if shelters were not already overcrowded and had more space to keep animals. … Pet populations … have continued to grow; owners skipped nearly 3 million spay or neuter surgeries in 2020 and 2021, according to research conducted by the University of Florida’s College of Veterinary Medicine. Shelters experienced a dramatic influx of puppies, including sought-after breeds, such as French bulldogs, or purposeful breed crosses, like labradoodles.”

• And finally … oh, Spirit Airlines. Who knew your reputation could get even worse? NBC News explains what in the heck I am talking about: “Spirit Airlines has apologized after it mistakenly put an unaccompanied child on the wrong flight during the holiday season travel rush. The child was supposed to fly from Philadelphia International Airport to Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers on Thursday. But the minor was ‘incorrectly boarded’ on a flight to Orlando, according to the airline. ‘The child was always under the care and supervision of a Spirit Team Member, and as soon as we discovered the error, we took immediate steps to communicate with the family and reconnect them,’ Spirit said in a statement Saturday. … Spirit did not provide any information about the child or explain how the mistake happened. WINK-TV, a television station in Fort Myers, identified the child as a 6-year-old first-time flyer who was supposed to visit his grandmother.”

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