Editorials in a flash

From meatflation to skyscrapers

The news is coming fast. Sometimes in a flash. The opinion section is doing all it can do to keep up:

FLASH! In the Business section, and in the auto section, and in the food section, and maybe in every section of the paper except Sports, inflation is all the buzz. These days, dimes cost fifty cents. Have you seen the price of bacon lately? Which brings us to the latest awful made-up term the headline writers are using: Meatflation. The Wall Street Journal reports that people are skipping the high-priced steaks for cheaper cuts. And a grocer in Canada made international news this week because a rib roast was priced at $124 Canadian. Which is 99 dollars American. Can you imagine paying a hundred bucks for a roast? And that didn’t even include potatoes.

FLASH! Walmart made the news this week, too, because more and more the company is using driverless trucks to get goods to market. Well, somebody has to drive the trucks. That is, actually, check that . . . We suppose nobody has to drive the trucks.

FLASH! What happened at a concert in Houston this past weekend reminds some of us of what happened at a concert for The Who back in 1979. Eleven people were killed in Cincinnati as the crowd crushed toward the concert venue’s doors as the place opened. That tragedy caused some places to ban general admission at concerts. But that ban only lasted a little while, even in Cincinnati. Maybe it’s time we re-think the practice, or maybe color-code tickets and let people in a few at a time, like we do when boarding airplanes. Any idea would be better than to allow more kids to die so needlessly.

FLASH! This week, we learn that the first woman has graduated from the Army’s exhausting sniper school. She now joins what military types call the “most feared weapon on the battlefield,” the American sniper. It wasn’t that long ago that women were first allowed into combat units. But as we’ve said from the beginning, if a woman can do the job, why not? And if she can estimate range, camo expertly, accurately detect targets, get in and out of places fast (and without being seen), and, oh yes, shoot, then sign her up. And the rest of us will be glad she’s on our side.

FLASH! Thousands of people down in Louisiana are still displaced after Hurricane Ida. Word came down this week that FEMA is going to move 2,000 trailers into south Louisiana to help with housing. And if you remember your recent storm history, you’ll have questions. For after Hurricane Katrina and Rita in 2005, FEMA also came to the “rescue” of those needing homes. The agency provided trailers, all right. But they were shoddily constructed and, according to many reports, exposed people to toxic fumes. Let’s hope that FEMA is educable, and can do better this time around. Because its response to Katrina wasn’t a heckuva job.

FLASH! The Pentagon notes that Red China might soon have more ships in its Navy than the United States has in its maritime force. Which prompted some headlines this week: China soon to have largest Navy in the world! But hold on, headline writers. Having a barge is different from having a stealth battleship. And the United States’ naval force consists of 11 — count ’em, 11 — aircraft carriers, which can project a navy’s power at great distances. And every aircraft carrier comes with its own group of ships and subs surrounding it. Mainland China has exactly two such carriers, and maybe one under construction. In fact, the entire world only has 22 aircraft carriers at sea. Which means the U.S. has half of them.

FLASH! There’s a new attraction in New York City: It’s called City Climb. It allows you to climb 30 Hudson Yards, one of the city’s tallest buildings. According to the AP, for $185 (and a Breathalyzer test, for obvious reasons) you can scale the building. You have to wear safety harnesses, but you can get eye-level with the Empire State Building. It’s advertised as giving folks a unique look at the Big Apple. No walls. No glass windows. No railings. Our considered editorial opinion: No thanks.

FLASH! Monday Night Football ended in controversy this week, as a Chicago player was called for taunting in the last seconds of the game, giving Pittsburgh a chance to win the game at the end, which the Steelers did. The sports talk shows are now filled with arguments about the call. Which pushed the Aaron Rodgers story out as the main topic. The Bears are always doing favors for the Packers.