DL Open Thread Thursday, May 27, 2021

Whenever someone has suggested that the Covid-19 virus might have escaped from a Chinese lab, authorities have been quick to bat it down (see what I did there?) That’s probably been good geopolitics, but not good detective work. It turns out that the U.S. intel staff at the Wuhan Institute of Virology got sick with in November 2019, and the symptoms resembled those of Covid-19. The release of that information prompted Joe Biden to order further investigation. Meanwhile, China is arresting and detaining journalists who try to visit a bat-filled mine where coronaviruses have been found.

Climate change activists and a small hedge fund gained a big victory yesterday by electing two activists to the Exxon-Mobile board of directors.

Here’s a story that will give you the creeps: Blind birds are being found in the Washington, D.C., area, and nobody has any idea why.

America’s epidemic of freedom projectile releases mass shootings continued yesterday when some asshole in San Jose, Califl, killed nine co-workers and himself. Hey, freedom isn’t free — the hospital bills alone are astronomical, and that’s before we add in the funeral costs.

America’s overprivileged class remains oblivious to its privilege: Remember Central Park Karen, who made a false call to 911 to report a menacing man who was Birdwatching While Black? She got fired from her lucrative finance-sector job, and now she’s suing to get her job back. Most people probably would disagree, but I think this country’s epidemic of shamelessness is ultimately more damaging than its epidemic of mass shootings.

I’d be happy if we could just curb the murderous instincts of the country’s police departments. You might have heard of the shocking case of Ronald Greene, killed by Louisiana police two years ago. The Associated Press, which I have little love for in general, has done a good job pursuing the truth, which is likely to be the media’s next big Killer Cop case now that body-cam footage has been found after the arresting officer lied for two years about it not existing. Do NOT watch the video embedded in the link if you don’t want to get pig-biting mad.

The floor is yours.