It's 2024 and divisions are everywhere from campuses to the Capitol, so it seems like a good time to be reminded of our common humanity and that people are willing to help each other out. Which brings us to "an overcast morning in April, Bianca Giaever was anxiously loitering outside the Union Square subway station. She scanned the New Yorkers rushing along on their weekday commutes and tried to psych herself up to go talk to them. She was dressed rather noticeably, and perhaps slightly humiliatingly, in a red jumpsuit and a white sandwich board she had assembled the night before, writing the words 'FREE HELP' in red marker." NYT (Gift Article): She Wanted to Help Strangers. Would They Take Her Up on It? It's 2024, so this selfless project also featured an ongoing selfie. "It began to dawn on Ms. Giaever that some people might question whether her desire to help was more self-serving than it was genuine, particularly with her film crew in tow." Oh well, it's 2024. Some things can't be helped. 2Passing the Pipe"Government agencies distribute pipes to some districts in the city, but in Contreras’ neighborhood, that’s not the case. For those who can afford it, the best solution is to pay for private delivery of water. But for the poorest residents, it’s not uncommon to walk several miles to refill their buckets." Like most water crises around the world, the dire state in Mexico City is due to human caused climate change and human run bureaucracies. Only the two forces working together can lead to the "paradox of a sinking, thirsty city that was once surrounded by lakes." Once the epicenter of hydraulic engineering, Mexico City is now running out of water. 3Target PracticeThe culture wars are such an exhausting nightmare, usually driven by one side punching down at another group out of some bizarre, misguided, often hateful fear. Why do they keep popping up everywhere? Because insomuch as they get people riled up and draw focus away from more pressing political issues, they often work. Consider that Bud Light sales are still falling. "We've lost a whole generation of hardcore Bud Light shoppers. It's going to take us at least 10 years to try and recapture what we lost in one year." Meanwhile, Target is dialing back on Pride merchandise after right-wing backlash. 4Weekend WhatsWhat to LA: John Mulaney's live talkshow on Netflix called Everyone's in LA, is very strange. But mostly in a good way. And it's definitely unique. There will only be one week of episodes. Give it a try. The mapped description of LA in the first installment is excellent. The show features many of Mulaney's famous friends, some of whom were present at his intervention a few years ago. He had a really bad drug problem which led to recovery and to one of the best stand up specials in a long time. Don't miss Baby J. 5Extra, ExtraRafah Debate: "At the heart of the dispute between President Biden and Benjamin Netanyahu over invading Rafah is a larger disagreement about what Israel can reasonably hope to accomplish against Hamas." NYT (Gift Article): The Debate Over Rafah. Meanwhile, Israeli war cabinet votes to expand Rafah operation area, amid growing U.S. concerns. 6Feel Good Friday"The ensuing scramble saved the life of the Marine Corps commandant, a father of two who had stepped into his new role on the Joint Chiefs of Staff just three months earlier. Smith, who turns 59 in June, suffered cardiac arrest at the tail end of his run, just a block from his home at Marine Barracks Washington — a crisis in which the speed and quality of medical intervention proved vital." WaPo (Gift Article): On a D.C. sidewalk, a race to save a Marine general’s life.
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