Numlock News: February 4, 2021 • Wings, Whales, Manks
By Walt HickeyGlobesYesterday the Golden Globe nominations came out, and while I am on record calling them paperweights, this year is probably one in which to pay closer attention to them given the incredibly weird award season to come plus some genuine improvement in their apparent forecasting ability lately. This year Mank led with six nominations, followed by The Trial of the Chicago 7 which had five nominations. All told that helped Netflix notch a seriously good slate, scoring the most nominations across both film and television with a combined 22. PipesThe Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case where a private company is attempting to use eminent domain to seize state-owned land for a natural gas pipeline. As it stands, the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that PennEast Pipeline Co. cannot take land from the state of New Jersey, as it would violate the state’s rights under the 11th Amendment. The 3rd Circuit blocked the project in 2019 when Penn tried to seize 42 parcels of land for a 116-mile pipeline. WhaleThere’s a new whale! After two decades of collecting tissue samples from 36 different individuals in a population of what appeared to be Bryde’s whales in the Gulf of Mexico, researchers have now determined that the group of baleen whales constitutes an entirely different species, named Rice’s whales. The population is estimated to be less than 100, and they’re a bit of an enigmatic species, preferring to feed deep underwater in DeSoto Canyon, 100 kilometers south of Mobile, Alabama. Bryde’s whales typically forage near the surface. Joshua Rapp Learn, Hakai Magazine Wing ItChicken wing prices are up 59.9 percent since March 2020, a record $2.71 per pound this week, much higher than the usual $2 per pound seen at peak demand time. The Super Bowl is the single largest day for wings in the United States, just narrowly edging out “any day I need to stress eat and am near a Wingstop.” The number of wings consumed for the game is projected to be 1.42 billion, up 2 percent year-over-year. Chicken in general is ascending while beef is faltering: per capita, Americans at 96.1 pounds of chicken last year, up 60 percent in the past three decades, much more than the 58.9 pounds of beef per capita. Leslie Patton and Michael Hirtzer, Bloomberg WallThe construction of a border wall across the United States’ southern border has facilitated permanent destruction of pristine natural landscapes, as well as areas specifically allocated for protection. Conservation areas including Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, the San Pedro National Riparian Conservation Area, and Cabeza Prieta and San Bernardino national wildlife refuges were all directly cut through for some wall. In addition to dynamiting cliff faces, wildlife such as bobcats, mountain lions, bighorn sheep, deer and javelina now have an impassable barrier constructed bisecting their habitat, a fence that will affect these species in untold ways. Water use has been impacted in the arid areas, with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection pulling out 45 million gallons of water from around Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. Walling off 75 percent of the continent from the Rio Grande to the Pacific Ocean will have irrevocable and uncontrolled consequences for the ecology of North America. If, that is, they are allowed to remain intact. Ariana Brocious, High Country News HoustonWhile many large coastal cities have seen vacancies surge over the course of the pandemic, it’s Houston, Texas that has seen the highest vacancy rate of any major American city, with 24 percent of office space vacant as of the end of last year. Over the course of 2020, tenants vacated a net 3.2 million square feet of office space in Houston, a city which incidentally will add 3.1 million square feet of new office space over the next 18 months. Difficulties in the oil industry combined with the pandemic rigors all municipalities are contending with has dealt Houston a rough hand. While Texas has seen several high-profile companies announce moves, many tech firms are heading to Austin, and Dallas’ more diversified economy has softened the hit for that town. John Gittelsohn and Joe Carroll, Bloomberg Car InsuranceCar insurance rates dropped an average of 3.9 percent in 2020 to $1,483 annually after reduced traffic volume and the commutes of lots of workers fundamentally changed the risks of driving. In the United States, annual premiums came to $248 billion in 2019. Despite the price cut, car insurers still made large profits last quarter, and at the end of December, the Consumer Federation of America and Center for Economic Justice pushed state insurance departments to require car insurers to dole out a second round of refunds for consumers who were driving vastly less. Leslie Scism, The Wall Street Journal Thanks to the paid subscribers to Numlock News who make this possible. Subscribers guarantee this stays ad-free, and get a special Sunday edition. Consider becoming a full subscriber today. The best way to reach new readers is word of mouth. If you click THIS LINK in your inbox, it’ll create an easy-to-send pre-written email you can just fire off to some friends. Go to swag.numlock.news to claim some free merch when you invite someone. Send links to me on Twitter at @WaltHickey or email me with numbers, tips, or feedback at walt@numlock.news. Send corrections or typos to the copy desk at copy@numlock.news. Check out the Numlock Book Club and Numlock award season supplement. 2021 Sunday subscriber editions: Pipeline · Wattpad · The Nib · Driven 2020 Sunday editions: 2020 · Sibling Rivalries · Crosswords · Bleak Friday · Prop 22 · NCAA · Guitars Fumble Dimension · Parametric Press · The Mouse · Subprime Attention Crisis · Factory Farms · Streaming Summer · Dynamite · One Billion Americans · Defector · Seams of the Grid · Bodies of Work · Working in Public · Rest of WorldWorst Quarter ·Larger Than Life · Streaming · Wildlife Crime · Climate Solutions · Blue Skies · UV2020 Sunday Edition Archive2019 Sunday Edition Archive2018 Sunday Edition ArchiveYou’re on the free list for Numlock News. For the full experience, become a paying subscriber. |
Older messages
Numlock News: February 3, 2021 • Rhinos, Dave Thomas Circle, Help
Wednesday, February 3, 2021
By Walt Hickey Amazon In the biggest Amazon news of the day, the Federal Trade Commission ordered that Amazon must pay $61719583 to Amazon Flex drivers after stealing a third of the drivers' tips
Numlock News: February 2, 2021 • Nintendo Switch, International Space Station, Apprentices
Tuesday, February 2, 2021
By Walt Hickey If you like Numlock, please tell a friend or two. Word of mouth is the best way for new readers to find it, and it really helps so much. If you want to claim some free swag as a thanks,
Numlock News: January 29, 2021 • Magic, Utrecht, ATMs
Friday, January 29, 2021
By Walt Hickey Have an excellent weekend! Investment While every other news source in the country is falling all over itself to cover the ongoing GameStop stock short fiasco, we here at Numlock News
Numlock News: January 28, 2021 • Emotet, Necropolis, Rocket Car
Thursday, January 28, 2021
By Walt Hickey Necropolis Archaeologists intend to open up a 3000-year-old burial shaft at the Saqqara Necropolis in Egypt this week, one of 52 shafts near an older pyramid. The site as a whole
Numlock News: January 27, 2021 • Bears, Grindr, Curt Schilling
Wednesday, January 27, 2021
By Walt Hickey Hey, I edited another comic! It's about the events of January 6, and you can find it at Insider. Grindr Norway's Data Protection Authority will fine the application Grindr 100
You Might Also Like
LEVER WEEKLY: They’re Coming For Your Home
Sunday, May 19, 2024
Corporate landlords are buying up homes and terrorizing tenants with junk fees and negligent maintenance, and other news from The Lever this week. LEVER WEEKLY: They're Coming For Your Home By The
10 Things That Delighted Us: From Electric Mops to Plum Sykes’s Perfect Pencil
Sunday, May 19, 2024
The most useful, thoughtful, and just plain fun things we uncovered this week. The Strategist Every product is independently selected by editors. If you buy something through our links, New York may
💿 Confessions of a GameStop Worker
Sunday, May 19, 2024
If you're squeamish about bugs, bodily fluids, and bad smells, buckle up.
Guest Newsletter: Five Books
Sunday, May 19, 2024
Five Books features in-depth author interviews recommending five books on a theme. Guest Newsletter: Five Books By Sylvia Bishop • 19 May 2024 View in browser View in browser Five Books features in-
GeekWire's Most-Read Stories of the Week
Sunday, May 19, 2024
Catch up on the top tech stories from this past week. Here are the headlines that people have been reading on GeekWire. ADVERTISEMENT GeekWire SPONSOR MESSAGE: Register now for AWS re:Inforce: Hear
Prepare for wildfire season now
Sunday, May 19, 2024
Consider an air purifier ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
☕ Unpasteurized
Sunday, May 19, 2024
Why are raw milk sales surging? Presented by LMNT May 19, 2024 | View Online | Sign Up | Shop Farming rice in China. STR/AFP via Getty Images BROWSING Classifieds banner image The wackiest headlines
Welcome to The Flyover
Sunday, May 19, 2024
Thanks for joining The Flyover! ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
Welcome to The Flyover
Sunday, May 19, 2024
Thanks for joining The Flyover! ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
Welcome to The Flyover
Sunday, May 19, 2024
Thanks for joining The Flyover! ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏