Edition 37: warning Warner Bros.
(This newsletter was sent to email subscribers on July 24, 2020.)
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ECONOMY
The lights are out in Lebanon
Sun Jul 19
An incoming flight to Beirut this month couldn’t land because the lights on the runway were out — which isn’t unusual these days as most of the country only has electricity for a few hours each day.
Why? The country is running out of cash.
Lebanon is heading towards financial collapse; and while the coronavirus has impacted its economy, the cause of the impending collapse stems more from decades of mismanagement, corruption, and overspending. There have been anti-government protests over the last year, but it seems to be too late.
There are also a few things compounding this current economic catastrophe. The country:
- Produces almost no exports
- Relies on remittances from those working abroad, which has slowed significantly during the pandemic
- Has restricted residents from accessing savings by limiting withdrawals of foreign currency
- Has nearly eliminated its middle class, with most now relying on some form of emergency aid
- Is struggling to secure basic goods, which is prompting fears of major food shortages
- Has the highest per capita refugee population (largely Palestinian and Syrian)
Is there anything Lebanon can do?
It’s not looking very promising. The government is seeking a $10 billion bailout, but talks have stalled with the International Monetary Fund, which is asking for reform in its corrupt public sector before it hands over the money. Other foreign donors who have helped in the past say they won’t help this time, as Hezzbolah, the Iran-backed militant group, remains a political force in Lebanon.
SOURCES: Washington Post, GZERO, NBC News
DRUGS
The deadliest year for overdoses in the U.S.
Sun Jul 19
Around 71,000 Americans died from a drug overdose last year, and more than half were from synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, according to early estimates from the CDC. The total drug deaths is the highest on record, and up 5% from 2018, which actually saw a decrease in deaths for the first time in 25 years.
What happened between 2018 and 2019?
- Carfentanil, a synthetic opioid stronger than fentanyl, disappeared from some U.S. markets in 2018 due to the risks, but then popped up again in 2019
- New non-fentanyl-based synthetic opioids hit the market, as fentanyl got a dangerous rep and government agencies cracked down on the deadly drug
- Fentanyl started showing up on the West Coast; before, it was mostly in the East in areas such as Ohio and New Hampshire
- Meth is more potent, increasingly mixed with fentanyl, and moving East
- Some drug markets have flipped to fentanyl, and powder or clean heroin is no longer available
People are worried that this trend will continue into 2020, especially with the added stress of the coronavirus pandemic. According to the New York Times, drug deaths are already up 13% this year compared to last year.
SOURCES: CDC, Vice, New York Times, CNN
ENTERTAINMENT
Warner Bros. to let employees anonymously report coronavirus safety violations
Sun Jul 19
Warner Bros. is putting the “warn” in Warner Bros. with its latest announcement. The studio is setting up an anonymous reporting system for Covid-19 safety violations on set as it picks back up with productions in the U.K.
Some of the safety protocols from the British Film Commission include:
- Sanitizing regularly
- Only essential visitors on set
- Transparency when protocol is broken
- Record-keeping of cleaning, symptoms checks
- Limited shared spaces to one department at a time
- Staggered call times
Warner Bros. is set to take all those safety protocols into account plus implement some of its own, becoming one of the strictest with coronavirus safety protocols in the UK film industry.
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That’s all for this week. Have a magical weekend.✨
