They're eating the dogs! They're eating the cats! ... They're milking the cows? Donald Trump has been milking the anti-immigrant fervor for all its worth, and threatening to round up and kick out millions of illegal immigrants—while simultaneously complaining about the high prices of groceries. But in reality (a place less frequented these days, but still there) the two issues are connected and in ways that don't support the round 'em up philosophy. Unless you're lactose intolerant, your other intolerances may not work out quite how you imagine. In NYT Magazine (Gift Article), Marcela Valdes takes you to an Idaho dairy farm to document some hard truths about undocumented workers in America. What a Crackdown on Immigration Could Mean for Cheap Milk. "Undocumented labor quietly props up the entire American economy — but nowhere more dramatically than on dairy farms." The issue is complex and finding reasonable strategies in this political climate is like trying to milk a duck. 2Reflecting on PauseI try not to fill this newsletter with too much about the day to day craziness from the Trump campaign or the inside-baseball views on how often the NYT and other publications attempt to sanewash that craziness. But sometimes the crazy coverage of the crazy behavior drives me so crazy I have to share. Last night at one of his rallies, Trump stopped taking questions and instead decided to play some songs at the venue, and sway back and forth. This music and swaying lasted for 39 minutes. In an era of weird, this stood out. As David Graham accurately points out in The Atlantic (Gift Article): Trump Breaks Down Onstage. "To watch the event is to see signs of someone having a breakdown. Like Joe Biden’s disastrous debate against Trump in June, when the president’s fumbling performance and struggle to get sentences out made it impossible to believe he was up to the task of serving for four years, Trump’s rally last night would force any reasonable person to conclude that he is not up to the grueling task of leading the world’s greatest nation, handling economic crises, or dealing with foreign adversaries." I asked my friend, a renowned psychoanalyst, for his take on Trump’s 39 minute freeze and he responded: "Even Freud would lay down his arms at this point." WaPo's headline stated that Trump sways and bops to music for 39 minutes in bizarre town hall episode. The NYT's headline got close to what happened, but then the article cleaned things up, bigly. Trump Bobs His Head to Music for 30 Minutes in Odd Town Hall Detour. "The playlist session was a glimpse of the private version of Mr. Trump seen more often at Mar-a-Lago, his residence and club in Palm Beach, Fla., than at political events. The former president has been known to take out an iPad that is connected to the speaker system there and play D.J. for his guests." Wait, that's how they covered a 39 Trump freeze that could have filled a chapter in the DSM? The demented fascist is the life of the party. Proving that even the NYT can be outdone on these things, here's the headline from The Conversation: Trump’s musical interlude is a twist on the long tradition of candidates enlisting musicians’ support, from Al Jolson to Springsteen to Swift. (Yeah, sort of like losing your mind is a twist on having a mind.) 3Kicking the Habit"Quincy Promes was on his phone, again. The soccer star was constantly fielding messages: about his role on the most famous team in the Netherlands, his place on the Dutch national squad, the endorsement deals that netted him a small fortune. But this time, Promes was texting from a burner phone about his secret life off the field. It was early 2020. One of the country’s most famous athletes was finalizing the import of a shipment of cocaine arriving at a Belgian port." WaPo (Gift Article): Behind the mask: How a soccer star became a cocaine trafficker. And how he's still playing soccer! (Read it now, watch it as a Netflix series later...) 4Drug Score"CVS, Walgreens and Rite Aid long held a tight grip over prescription fulfillment, but they're losing their footing to a multitude of competitors, including mail-in options, online pharmacies and big-box stores." Walgreens to close 1,200 stores as pharmacies struggle. I recently switched to an online pharmacy that delivers my prescriptions to my door (often same day) and it is so much better than going to the pharmacy, and not just because it never made much sense to stand in line with a bunch of sick people waiting for their medicine. 5Extra, ExtraTherapeutic Tock: "Four countries — Mali, Nigeria, Niger and Chad — have exhausted their supplies of the peanut-based, high-nutrient product, called ready-to-use therapeutic food, or are on the brink of doing so. Another eight nations, including South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, could run out by mid-2025." NYT (Gift Article): Therapeutic Food Shortage Puts African Children at Risk of Starvation, U.N. Agency Says. 6Bottom of the News"A Minnesota horticulture teacher remained the reigning champion Monday of an annual pumpkin-weighing contest in Northern California where his massive gourds have won the top prize four years in a row. Travis Gienger, of Anoka, Minnesota, beat his closest competitor by 6 pounds to clinch the victory at the 51st World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off in Half Moon Bay, south of San Francisco." Pumpkin weighing 2,471 pounds wins California contest. That's what I call squashing the competition. I know, that's a groaner, but with all this election stress, I've let my gourd down.
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