Overnight Briefing & General Reality Check - Mar 26, 2021

Lots of updates to Disney's Magic Kingdom before their 50th anniversary celebration beginning October 1st, 2021. Some of the things they'll be working on for the next couple of months:
--Cinderella Castle's 50th decor update and repainting
--Peter Pan’s Flight refurbishment
--“It’s a small world” exterior refurbishment
--Tomorrowland exterior, Speedway and Transit Authority Peoplemover refurbishment
--Swiss Family Treehouse and Mad Tea Party refurbishment
--And the Main Street Confectionery will receive a fresh new look, expanded layout

"Sesame Street" has added a couple of Black characters in order to explain racial differences to children watching the series. The new Muppets are Wesley Walker and his father, Elijah. The Walkers will be answering questions from other Muppets like Elmo, who at one point asks Wesley and his dad why their skin is brown. Wesley reportedly answers: "I know why, Elmo. My mom and dad told me it's because of melanin. Right, dad?" And Elijah, gives more details on how melanin not only determines skin color, but also the hue of one's eyes and hair. "The color of one's skin," he says, "is an important part of who we are, but we should all know that it's OK that we all look different in so very many ways."

COVID update: Nielsen reports that alcohol sales have dropped for the first time since the pandemic began. Of course, the amount of liquor being sold skyrocketed when people began spending more time at home. But liquor sales dropped nearly two percent two weeks ago, when last year at this time, sales were 55-percent higher than usual.

Question for your listeners: Are you buying (and drinking) more or less these days?

Pushing up daisies: Actress JESSICA WALTER, who played the stalker in CLINT EASTWOOD's movie, "Play Misty for Me," and won Emmy awards for her roles in the TV series "Arrested Development" (as Lucille Bluth) and "Archer." She was 80.

New York City Mayor BILL de BLASIO said yesterday he'd like to have Broadway shows beginning again in September. "There is a great saying in the theater: The show must go on. And the show will go on on Broadway and off-Broadway when we get to the fall," he said at a press conference.