The One-Minute Meeting
Our hearts are heavy today. An Orlando TV reporter and photojournalist were shot while covering a homicide Wednesday. The reporter died, and the photojournalist is in critical condition, but colleagues say he is “responsive.” News 13 has not released the names of our colleagues. Two other people, including a 9-year-old girl, were also murdered, and the girl’s mother is in critical condition. I have the details of and thoughts from colleagues and fellow Orlando journalists, but nothing I can say can make sense of something so senseless, and nothing I can say eases the pain.
People who know about such things say there is a threat out there destroying our forests and making it hard for little creatures to find food and shelter. The threat causes a million vehicle crashes a year. It spreads disease and is growing worse. The only way to control it, experts say, is to kill it. The threat — deer. At first, I scoffed. Then I started looking at some of the data about these little Bambis. Some cities are concerned enough that they are setting up “deer patrols” and asking police sharpshooters to go to work thinning the forests because the number of hunters in America is declining. I think you will be surprised by the data.
Teenagers are, increasingly, not getting their driver’s licenses. They say they do not want the responsibility or financial burden and, besides, they have Uber and Lyft to get where they are going. The trend started a decade ago and is growing. Is this a good thing?
The average American has more than six subscriptions, and three-fourths of Americans say that is too many, but they feel trapped even though they do not use a third of the things they pay for. Add one more subscription to the list. Restaurants are stepping into the subscription game with discounts and incentives, and some are finding a significant uptick in sales as a result. Just a reminder the subscription to The Morning Meeting is free so you do not read this article and then cancel me out of spite. Remember, I am your friend.
