Good morning!
Welcome to Issue 42.3 of Digestable, your daily mouthful of real things happening in the world, minus alarmist pandemic news.
Today’s news, fermented:
As we enter the second (third?) calendar year of the pandemic, cracks are widening everywhere.
A broad coalition of US organizations is demanding a moratorium on utility shutoffs. Since local moratoria have been lifted in the last couple months, countless Americans are drowning in utility bills they cannot pay amid multifaceted economic hardship. Picture: no water when we’re instructed to wash hands, no heat when we’re told to stay home.
Utilities are often privatized and overpriced, which makes paying for them even more burdensome. We know that corporations aren’t fit to prioritize public health over people—that’s part of what went so wrong in Flint, where news just broke that former Michigan governor Rick Snyder is on a path to be charged for fatal negligence.
Justin Blake, uncle of Jacob Blake, who was shot in the back several times by Kenosha, Wisconsin police, is also raising the alarm about negligence, this time by the Capitol police. “There are two justice systems in America,” he writes:
“One system lets armed white insurrectionists attack our nation’s government. Another tear-gasses and beats people defending Black lives.”
Two different justice systems also exist in Palestine/Israel, where Israel is getting lauded for its swift vaccinations while deliberately ignoring Palestinians in the effort.
Two different Johnson & Johnsons apparently also exist: the one we are ‘desperately’ awaiting a vaccine from, and the one that poisoned innumerable Americans, and disproportionately families of color, with its talcum powder-based products.
Alongside an only moderately-satisfying article about how MAGA extremism ends and a potential second impeachment, we must also hold new restrictions on abortion pills, the damage done by another year of the US federal government completely failing to act on climate, and impacts of coddling billionaires in a pandemic.
The only good news I could dig up is that the WNBA, the north star for ethics in American sports, is on the road to dumping Kelly Loeffler. In other basketball news, Steph Curry is back on the scene, which, as someone deeply committed to actively rooting for the failure of the Brooklyn Nets, is vital. More on that another time, perhaps.
Something else to be excited about: this friend is an innovative slitherer. May we all someday.
(via)
*Hot Goss*
Brought to you by the superb Latifah Azlan.
One of the more exciting pieces of ~*Hot Goss*~ to kickstart the year with was rumors of Olivia Wilde and Harry Styles' budding romance. The WildeStyles news had to take a bit of a backseat last week, considering just how much goss there was to wade through. To be fair, there wasn't much to report on. Olivia attended a wedding as Harry's plus-one, they were photographed being somewhat public with their displays of affection (term loosely applied), and speculation that the two are dating have just kind of intensified from there. I didn't have much to say on it because, sure, what a cute couple they would make but Olivia Wilde's just kind of there, you know? She's solidifying her career as a director and there didn't seem to be anything too controversial about the pairing... until now.
So prior to dating Harry, Olivia was actually engaged to Jason Sudeikis and they also have two children together. This is how little Olivia Wilde's life registers in my brain -- I had completely forgotten about the fact that Jason Sudeikis existed in her life in this way. They had been engaged since January 2013! Until November of last year, which is when they officially split due to growing differences between the pair. But of course, those Wildestyles photos began emerging by the first week of January... and now Jason's got questions, honey. He thinks the timeline is a little funky and is hitting back at Olivia's (camp's) claims that their relationship had been on the rocks for some time.
There have been two separate People Magazine stories on how Jason's taking the split and the WildeStyles pairing. Apparently, he wasn't aware that Olivia "wanted out" of their relationship in October and, contrary to Olivia's claims, states that they were very much together all of 2020 and up until the fall. So naturally, Jason is "absolutely heartbroken" but believes things can be repaired. Which, I have no beef with Jason Sudeikis, he's a perfectly decent enough dude but who, let's be real, is also no competition for Harry motherf-cking Styles. And I'm not even a Harry Styles kinda gal, you know? His little bops are cute and all but I'm not like, a stan. And even I know that the USS Reconciliation has probably sailed.
You may be thinking to yourself that this is exactly the type of response and narrative a jilted lover would put out. What if things really were over between Olivia and Jason for months and he just couldn't accept it? Where's the PROOF, Latifah? Why should we take Jason at his word?! Well, according to this Page Six story, Jason and Olivia recently bought a house in the UK, where Jason is currently filming Ted Lasso. That detail is pushing me to slightly believe Jason's side of the story more, or at least side-eye the WildeStyles timeline as well. Although, not to start a conspiracy theory here but buying a house in the UK???? And Olivia immediately getting together with Harry, one of the most famous Brits of his generation??? Connecting the dots...
So now this has become a messy split splayed out in tabloids and industry rags for all of us to see and read about. Olivia's camp is hitting back at Jason's camp and Harry Styles is trying to be as quiet as he can be. Jason totally believes that Harry was the reason for his split with Olivia. Olivia says Jason is just jealous. I wonder how long this is going to drag on though I must say that I would not have expected this level of drama from Olivia Wilde and Jason Sudeikis of all people.