Dispatch: Week of March 16
New COVID-19 concerns, Pappy + Harriet's at the center of an ownership dispute, and Daylight Saving Time could become permanent
Hello from California’s downright balmy high desert. Our Joshua Trees are blooming up a storm and the flowers are starting to appear even in higher elevations. The turkey vultures are back, the other birds haven’t stopped singing, and the sun doesn’t set until after 6 p.m. Spring is good.
Now, onto this week’s news:
In COVID-19 news:
Well, our break in COVID-19 news was short-lived.
A new variant is circulating in Europe and Asia and has caused major Chinese cities to completely lock down, divert flights, and shutter major manufacturing plants.
Shenzen and Shanghai, both massively important global hubs, are locked down until at least May 1 due to a rapid increase in COVID-19 cases.
Wastewater testing in the US indicates that the novel coronavirus is back on the rise across the country.
Wastewater testing has been a reliable measure of community transmission over the last two years, but cannot be used in rural areas due to the widespread use of septic tanks.
Pfizer is asking the CDC to approve a second booster vaccine for people ages 65 and up on Tuesday as concern grows around another potential wave of infections.
Immunocompromised people were already eligible for a second booster vaccine due to the high-risk nature of COVID-19.
Meanwhile, indoor mask requirements across the country expired earlier this week. The FAA, however, extended its policy requiring masks on airplanes through mid-April. The current order was going to expire this week.
In local news:
Pappy + Harriet’s is at the center of a lawsuit between its new owners. It’s a messy situation and it sounds like, regardless of the outcome, the venue could be in for hard times.
New solar panels are up and running inside Joshua Tree National Park. In 2021, the National Parks Foundation supported the installation of solar panels on a ranger station there, allowing the station to be operable for the first time in over a decade.
The Rotary Club of Joshua Tree is turning 40! To mark the occasion they are hosting a silent auction this Thursday from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m at Sportsmans Club in Joshua Tree located at 6225 Sunburst Street.
The construction project on Route 62 started back up this week, which I’m sure all our commuters noticed. This week crews are resurfacing portions of the highway on the Yucca grade portion of the highway, so plan ahead when commuting down to the low desert or trying to get east from Morongo Valley.
In state news:
A new report from Bloomberg suggests that additional electric vehicles and appliances could nearly double the strain on the state’s electrical grid by 2045.
Mask requirements at most California schools were lifted Monday, though some counties and cities have chosen to keep the policies through the end of the school year.
Residents failed — by a high margin — to adhere to water conservation targets. Some areas actually increased water use.
In other news:
The U.S. Senate voted to make Daylight Saving Time permanent on Tuesday. Now, the House of Representatives will vote on the bill.
The bill would make it so we do not fall back and the sun will never set before 5 p.m. in winter.
Fun DST fact: Daylight Saving Time was initially adopted in Germany during World War I to help conserve household energy use during the war and make use of the extra daylight hours to do so.
Remember that cargo ship that was stuck in the Suez Canal? Well, its “cousin ship” is now lodged in the Chesapeake Bay.
March Madness kicks off on Thursday at 9:15 a.m. PT. I’ve got Gonzaga taking down the net in my bracket this year, but I’m really hoping for a good showing from some of the Big Ten teams representing the conference this year.
Pupdate of the week: The dogs are loving the sun and warmer temperatures. They are back on their normal schedule for the most part with later dinners and a relative chance of sleeping in in the morning. Oliver is heading to his annual check-up this Friday and Alice has a new favorite bone.
Trail tip of the week: Now that the wind has died down and it’s finally pleasant enough to head outdoors, please avoid taking or creating social trails during your outings. Social trails deviate from the main trail, often as a short cut, and cut through vegetation or animal habitat. Once these trails are visible to other people, more people take the social trail and the negative impact on the environment increases. Stick to the marked trail as best as possible to avoid harming our plants and animals.
Book(s) of the week: All of the below shows are based on incredible books that I cannot recommend enough. If you haven’t already and are still fascinated by how these people can pull off the grift of a lifetime over and over again, I suggest you take a look at: Super Pumped by Mike Isaac; The Cult of We by Eliot Brown and Maureen Farrell; and Bad Blood by John Carreyrou.
Show(s) of the week: There are several different shows about failed companies out right now, in case you enjoy watching the trials and travails of Silicon Valley. Showtime has Super Pumped about the rise and ultimate downfall of Uber cofounder and CEO Travis Kalanick. Apple TV has WeCrashed about the rise and ultimate downfall of coworking startup WeWork. And last but not least Hulu has The Dropout about the rise and ultimate downfall of blood-testing startup Theranos founder and CEO Elizabeth Holmes.
That’s it for this week. I hope you have a great weekend and are able to enjoy this wonderful weather outside!
- Megan