It was a hundred and sixty years ago, but there are still reminders of 1864 if you look for them. That was the year Nevada was admitted as the 36th US State (where it took officials another 139 years to hone the slogan What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas). In what could be the first known ear worm, the song Beautiful Dreamer was posthumously released. George Perkins Marsh published a book called Man and Nature: Physical geography as modified by human action, becoming "one of the first works to document the effects of human action on the environment and it helped to launch the modern conservation movement." (Yes, we've been ignoring the problem for that long.) And Congress passed the Coinage Act, mandating that the inscription "In God We Trust" be placed on all United States currency. That connection between god and government has been driving policies and court decisions ever since. Which brings us to our latest reminder of 1864; the just issued Arizona abortion ban. Judge William Thompson Howell, appointed by Lincoln, "was tasked with ensuring that the new laws that would govern Arizona — which was previously part of New Mexico — would fully abolish slavery. But tucked into the 500-page document known as the Howell Code was another provision: a ban on all abortions except to save a woman’s life, under penalty of prison time for doctors who performed the procedure. Arizona’s Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld that 1864 law, ruling on a request from the state’s former attorney general to restore it in the wake of the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade — a request that had set off a legal battle with Planned Parenthood. The justices’ 4-2 decision paves the way for most abortions to be banned in the state, making Arizona the 17th state to virtually outlaw abortion." WaPo (Gift Article): How an 1864 law set the stage for Arizona court’s abortion ruling. In 1864, the United States was also in the midst of the Civil War. Sometimes it feels like it still hasn't ended. 2That's the TicketA soccer team in Paris has been running what seems like a pretty revolutionary experiment. They're letting fans in for free. Before the move, the tickets weren't exactly in extreme demand, but the strategy still made for an interesting test of how many more people would show up and how their relationship with the team might change. "The more significant question may be how the fans watching a game inside a stadium should be categorized. Are they observers of a spectacle, and therefore required to pay for the privilege? Or is it time to change that categorization: Are fans, the ones watching in the stadium, actually part of the production?" Are you a fan or are you an extra? NYT (Gift Article): A Soccer Team Stopped Charging for Tickets. Should Others Do the Same? (It's early in the baseball season, but I'm already in favor of variable pricing at SF Giants games. I'll pay more if they score.) 3Weighted Index"There are several factors contributing to keep annual inflation above 3% — and they shouldn't be particularly surprising to anyone. Rising rents were a big contributor to inflation last month. Car insurance costs also contributed to higher inflation. And lately, another factor is threatening to push up inflation: gas prices. That's because oil prices have been rallying recently because of a number of factors including worsening geopolitics in the Middle East and improved global demand." Why beating inflation is turning out to be as hard as losing weight. 4The Heartlessness of Rock and Roll"In that period, Lewis said that talking to his grown children — his son, Austin, and his daughter, Kelly — is what eventually gave him the confidence to move forward. 'They said, ‘Come on, Dad. Get out of bed, Dad.'" Losing your hearing would be devastating for anyone. But it seems especially cruel for someone whose life is music. NYT (Gift Article): Huey Lewis Lost His Hearing. That Didn’t Stop Him From Making a Musical. 5Extra, ExtraLife and Death Decision: Brian Dorsey committed some heinous crimes. By all accounts, he was a model prisoner while serving time on death row in Missouri. In fact, more than 70 correctional officers vouched for him and his rehabilitation. Missouri executes Brian Dorsey despite objections by dozens of correctional officers. 6Bottom of the News"A New York state teacher hosted dozens of his former students to watch Monday’s eclipse, finally fulfilling a promise he made all the way back in 1978. Patrick Moriarty, 68, a former middle school science teacher, brought together about 100 ex-students of his to watch Monday’s total solar eclipse from his driveway." New York teacher fulfills promise first made to 1978 class and throws eclipse party.
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