What Else Is News?
Covering everything, except the obvious.
Rather than pick the low-hanging fruit of US political news, we’re reaching for the lesser-known yet still highly important events happening around the world.
At least 3,000 People Dead Following Earthquake in War-Torn Myanmar
A 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck the Southeast Asian country of Myanmar last Friday. The New York Times reports that at least 3,000 people have died so far, and thousands more have been injured.
Myanmar is in the midst of a civil war that began in 2021. Since that time, more than 5,000 civilians have been killed and more than 3.3 million people have been displaced. The country was already in great need of humanitarian aid before the earthquake. In a show of “compassion,” the country’s ruling military declared a ceasefire until April 22 so rescue and recovery efforts can continue.
Who Wants to Be a Billionaire?
In addition to the regulars like Michael Bloomberg, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk, Forbes announced that the World’s Billionaire List now also includes Jerry Seinfeld, Bruce Springsteen and Arnold Schwarzenegger. The three just squeezed in over the $1 billion mark.
“The United States has the most new billionaires once again, with 103 Americans added to the ranks this year,” Forbes notes. The wealthiest newcomers are women: Marilyn Simons, the widow of quantitative hedge fund pioneer Jim Simons, whose estimated net worth is $31 billion, and Lyndal Stephens, the daughter of the late oil-and-gas tycoon Autry Stephens, with an estimated net worth of $24.8 billion.
You can read the full list of this year’s billionaires here.
Four U.S. Soldiers Die in Lithuania
Officials have recovered the bodies of four US soldiers who had been missing for a week in Lithuania. On March 24, the soldiers disappeared while on a mission to repair a tactical vehicle. The next day, searchers found their armored vehicle in a peat bog, submerged in about 15 feet of water. A week later, all four of the soldiers’ bodies had been recovered.
The soldiers have been identified as Sgt. Jose Duenez, Jr. 25, of Joliet, Illinois; Sgt. Edvin F. Franco, 25, of Glendale, California; Pfc. Dante D. Taitano, 21, of Dededo, Guam; and Staff Sgt. Troy S. Knutson-Collins, 28, of Battle Creek, Michigan. They were among 3,500 soldiers deployed to Poland and the Baltic states to support NATO.
The U.S. Army and Lithuanian authorities are investigating the incident.
U.S. Continues to Struggle With Reading Proficiency
Only 30% of eighth graders in the United States read at a proficient level, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Although some states have made gains in reading proficiency at the elementary school level, “a substantial number of U.S. students simply seem to run out of gas as readers as they move from upper elementary to middle school and beyond,” according to an article in The 74, a newsletter focused on public education.
All hope is not lost if educators look to outliers as examples. Take Steubenville, Ohio, a rust belt city where more than one-quarter of the population lives below the poverty line. This article in The 74 suggests that Steubenville has taken positive measures to ensure that all students read proficiently, no matter their socioeconomic status:
Subsidized preschool, in which students are encouraged to speak in complete sentences.
Structured daily reading classes in which students are grouped according to reading level, regardless of their age.
Set times for children to read aloud to each other to practice fluency.
Consistency with staff and education leaders. Steubenville schools have low turnover rates. The same superintendent has been in place for more than 10 years.
Hooters Goes Bankrupt
Don’t worry — the chicken wings will be staying.
Hooters has announced it’s filed for bankruptcy, and with that comes a new look that might not include scantily clad waitresses. Neil Kiefer, CEO of HMC Hospitality Group, which owns Hooters, says it’s time for fresher food and a family-friendly environment.
From an article in Yahoo! “First up on the menu: doing away with Hooters’ infamous Bikini Nights, the one night of the week where waitresses ditch their already-skimpy orange shorts and infant-sized, cleavage-bearing T-shirts and walk around in two-piece swimsuits instead. Which isn’t exactly the kind of atmosphere that screams ‘Happy 9th birthday, Jimmy’ for a family looking to celebrate a special occasion in a fast-casual restaurant.”
The Critical Reader suggests the franchise consider a name refresh along with its menu and dress changes. If we were Jimmy’s mom, we definitely wouldn’t be sending out invitations to a birthday party at Hooters, even if the wings are great.
A Tale of Good and Evil
Humble Hero
Check out this interview with a very modest 16-year-old Clevelander who took immediate action to save a family during a fire. We need more Tyler Sowdens in the world.
Man Who Claimed He Hates Big Pharma Shoots, Kills Walgreens Employee
We need fewer guys who act like this.
Miscellaneous
A Rant About Headlines
Raise your hand if you’re tired of seeing headlines with limited details. We’re talking about titles like this:
Iconic Actress of ‘70s, ‘80s Dead at 78
This could describe just about anyone. At the same time, how iconic could this actress be if she doesn’t get named in the headline? It turns out that the article is about Sian Barbara Allen.
Not ringing any bells? According to the article, the Reading, Pennsylvania, native acted in shows like “Bonanza,” “Gunsmoke,” “The Waltons” and “The Incredible Hulk.”
Once you see her face, and if you’re old enough to remember these TV shows, she likely becomes familiar to you.
Such headlines are infuriating. At least this article identifies Allen in the first paragraph. Sometimes you must wade through multiple sentences before finally learning the focus of an article.
It’s not the writer’s fault; instead, the constant quest for clicks leads publications to leave out key information in headlines. They need you to click on the article because that’s how publications gauge reader engagement. The more readers engage, the likelier advertisers are to spend money.
This publication feared you wouldn’t click on the article if the headline read “Actress Sian Barbara Allen Dead at 78.” Perhaps. So how about this headline instead?
Sian Barbara Allen, Famous for Roles in Hit ‘70s, ‘80s Shows, Dead at 78
Now you’re wondering, “Who is this person? I must know who she is because I watched a lot of shows in the ‘70s and ‘80s.” So you click on the article and — voila — there’s her picture, so you keep reading to learn more about her.
It’s not that hard to write a good headline that encourages readers to click and still leaves a little mystery. Come on, publications. Let’s try harder.
Back to Allen. Her passing from Alzheimer’s is sad, and may she rest in peace. As you’ll undoubtedly know because you clicked on and read the article above, Allen’s daughter gave suggestions for honoring her mother:
Donate to a local, grassroots organization working to combat systems of oppression.
Donate to AuthoraCare Collective Hospice of Burlington who ensured Sian spent her final months peaceful and free of pain. Please consider directing your gift to support patients and families needing financial assistance to provide for loved ones.
Read your favorite book in bed.
Listen to the entire Graceland album or any of Bob Dylan’s music.