Indy Digest: April 4, 2022
The gunfire erupted near the corner of 10th and K streets, close to the California State Capitol, around 2 a.m., according to the Sacramento Police Department’s Facebook page.
Cellphone videos circulating online captured a fight among a large crowd of people on a sidewalk in the area of the shooting. The footage shows people running for their lives as the first shots ring out, followed by dozens more shots. It’s not yet known how that fracas might be linked to the shooting.
Investigators found “hundreds of pieces of evidence at the scene,” (Sacramento Police Chief Kathy) Lester said.
“What happened last night is the biggest and most recent example of what we all know,” the police chief said. “Gun violence is truly a crisis in our community, and it has increased not only here in Sacramento but across the nation.”
Six people died in the shooting, and 12 were injured. One suspect is in custody, and others are being sought by Sacramento police, NPR says.
Chances are you’d already heard about the Sacramento shooting, due to the sheer numbers of people injured, and the relative closeness of the incident. But according to the Gun Violence Archive, that was the 119th mass shooting —defined as four or more people getting injured, not counting the shooter(s)—that has happened in the United States this year. It was the fifth mass murder in 2022, when “mass murder” is defined as four or more people killed.
How many of these other mass shootings do you remember hearing about? Do you remember that the last U.S. mass-murder shooting also took place in Sacramento, on Feb. 28? Did you hear about the March 19 shooting in Dumas, Arkansas, where 28 people were shot at a car show, with one person dying?
On one hand, I’m inclined to blame the mainstream media for not covering all of these shootings enough. I follow the news rather closely, and I don’t remember seeing news about many of these awful instances of mass violence.
On the other hand … is something that happens 119 times in just three months and three days really news anymore?
We’re at the point in the United States of America where it’s sensible to question whether mass shootings are newsworthy (in a widespread way, at least) anymore—and while state lawmakers are discussing ways to curb this violence, nothing is likely to be done at the federal level. That’s sickening.
—Jimmy Boegle
From the Independent
Hilarity With the Darkness: Dezart Performs’ ‘Every Brilliant Thing’ Is an Interactive, Powerful Play About Depression
By Bonnie Gilgallon
April 2, 2022
As with any one-person play, the quality of the production lies squarely on the actor—and Dezart Performs wisely chose Joel Bryant for Every Brilliant Thing.
History and Heritage: CV Art Center’s ‘Cultural Cannibalism’ Features the Work of Six Desert Artists—including Cito Gonzales’ Dragon Sculptures
By Cat Makino
April 1, 2022
The goal of the Coachella Valley Art Center’s Cultural Cannibalism exhibit is to heighten awareness of the damaging stereotypes that can create divisions
Politics and Pulsation: Idles Promises to Bring a Ferocious—yet Safe—Live Show to Coachella
By Matt King
April 3, 2022
It’s been a whirlwind of both success and change for Idles since the band was announced as part of the 2020 Coachella lineup; the group will finally take the festival stage this year.
Vine Social: As Passover Approaches, Know That Kosher Wines Can Be Just as Good as Any Other Wines
By Katie Finn
April 4, 2022
If you’re looking for Passover wines that go beyond Manischewitz, here are some of the stellar examples our resident sommelier has come across.
Comic Confusion: ‘Moon Knight’ Doesn’t Make Much Sense, but the Disney+ Series Shows Promise
By Bob Grimm
April 4, 2022
The first three episodes of Moon Knight were quite confusing—but a twist in episode 4 gave our reviewer hope.
‘Bubble’ Burst: Judd Apatow’s Comedy About Hollywood During the Pandemic Is a Fail
By Bob Grimm
April 4, 2022
The Bubble is a huge disappointment, given the promising premise and the usually solid director.
More News
• As of this writing, the city of Palm Springs has not yet posted the results of last week’s wastewater testing for COVID-19 levels … and I must admit that I’m very curious to see how those numbers are, seeing as The New York Times is running around publishing stories with headlines like “A New Wave of COVID-19 Is Coming. Here’s How to Prepare.” Yeah, the BA.2 subvariant is causing problems in some places … but not in others. Just six people, total, are in the three local hospitals with COVID-19 as of yesterday—but hospitalizations are one of the last indicators of a COVID-19 increase, while wastewater numbers are the first. So, stay tuned.
• It appears the Democrats and the Republicans in Congress have agreed to terms on a new COVID-19-program funding bill … but something kind of important is missing. The Washington Post elaborates: “Congressional negotiators are slated Monday to announce a deal for $10 billion in additional funding for the U.S. COVID response, but were unable to agree on global aid and dropped it from the agreement, according to four people who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the pact. The package would enable U.S. officials to purchase more therapeutics, tests, vaccines and other supplies, after the White House repeatedly warned that it needed new funding for those things. But it includes no money for the global response, which Biden officials have said is critical to protect Americans from the emergence of new, potentially dangerous variants in other parts of the world that would likely make their way to the United States.”
• We’re all doomed. (Kidding.) (OK, we’re not really kidding.) That’s the conclusion one can draw from a UN panel’s new report, as explained by The Los Angeles Times: Temperatures on Earth will shoot past a key danger point unless greenhouse gas emissions fall faster than countries have committed, the world’s top body of climate scientists said Monday, warning of the consequences of inaction but also noting hopeful signs of progress. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change revealed ‘a litany of broken climate promises’ by governments and corporations, accusing them of stoking global warming by clinging to harmful fossil fuels. ‘It is a file of shame, cataloguing the empty pledges that put us firmly on track towards an unlivable world,’ he said.”
• Independent food-news scribe Charles Drabkin brings us the news of local bakers joining forces for an amazing bake sale benefiting a great cause: “On Saturday, April 9, from 9 a.m. to noon, the local baking community will be doing its part to help the people of Ukraine. Stop by Café La Jefa (750 N. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs) and pick up some delicious baked goods for a cause. My favorite biscuit company, Biscuit and Counter (@biscuitandcounter), is joining forces with Desert Villa Bakery (@desert.villa.bakery), Wild Bread Bakery (@wildbreadbakery), Just Like Home Bakery (@justlikehome.bakery) and at least six other local bakers in a fundraiser for the Save the Children Ukrainian Crisis Relief Fund. One hundred percent of the proceeds will help provide children and families with aid such as food, water, hygiene kits, psychosocial support and cash assistance—so, drop by and get a tasty treat for a good cause.”
• This is quite possibly the least surprising last-minute Coachella headliner news ever. As explained by Variety: “Kanye West has pulled out of his headlining set at Coachella this year, a source confirms to Billboard. TMZ was the first to report the news. Reps for West and Coachella have not yet responded to Billboard‘s requests for comment. West’s Coachella appearance this year was already shrouded in controversy. A Change.org petition called for the Yeezy fashion mogul’s removal from the festival lineup in light of his public behavior toward ex-wife Kim Kardashian and her boyfriend, Pete Davidson. The petition has since garnered more than 49,000 signatures and counting. … West did not issue a statement regarding the petition, but threatened to pull out of Coachella if fellow headliner Billie Eilish did not apologize to Travis Scott — whom he planned to bring out on stage during his set. The ‘Hurricane’ rapper had alleged Eilish ‘dissed’ the Scott in a since-deleted post to his Instagram on Feb. 10.”
• And finally … some people are getting their fourth COVID-19 shot now. In Germany, one guy has gotten 90. Yes, really. The Associated Press explains this bonkers story: “A 60-year-old man allegedly had himself vaccinated against COVID-19 dozens of times in Germany in order to sell forged vaccination cards with real vaccine batch numbers to people not wanting to get vaccinated themselves. The man from the eastern Germany city of Magdeburg, whose name was not released in line with German privacy rules, is said to have received up to 90 shots against COVID-19 at vaccination centers in the eastern state of Saxony for months until criminal police caught him this month, the German news agency dpa reported Sunday. … He was caught at a vaccination center in Eilenburg in Saxony when he showed up for a COVID-19 shot for the second day in a row. Police confiscated several blank vaccination cards from him and initiated criminal proceedings. It was not immediately clear what impact the approximately 90 shots of COVID-19 vaccines, which were from different brands, had on the man’s personal health.”
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