Forty-fifth Entry

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Friday, May 1st, 2020

At 8:30 AM, I overheard my neighbor, a twenty-something Republican (I assume) talking to his parents on the phone. I have heard one side of these conversations on many mornings since the quiet of Covid arrived. Early on, there were heated arguments about him coming home.

“I am safe!”
“I don’t want to come home.”
“I have been here for two months and haven’t gotten sick.”

“It’s not necessary.”

He reminded his parents that if he came home, they would have to buy him a “real bed” ($1,000 was mentioned several times). It sounds like there is no extra bedroom in their house, only a small area separated by glass doors—all more than I want to know. Toward the end of today’s call, he reported that he heard “Job opportunities are better outside of New York, especially in the Carolinas and Oklahoma.”

The number of ICU patients in New York City is only slightly lower than two weeks ago. April 14th was considered the peak. The temporary “field hospital” inside the gigantic New York Convention Center will be closed; it is no longer needed. The beds will remain as a precaution against a resurgence of Covid.

Unit Two of the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant, about 35 miles north of midtown, closed down yesterday. Unit Three will continue to operate for another year before closing, an impressive change.

It’s almost as though lessons have been learned from Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, or Fukushima – none of which are close to millions of homes like Indian Point. However, I don’t think that was the reason. With lower energy prices due to increased gas drilling and fracking, the owner, a large profitable corporation, was not making enough money.

Some things do not change.

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Popular restaurants, Washington Sq Park skating sink, Flags at half mast.