Overnight Briefing & General Reality Check - Apr 30, 2021

COVID #1: The cononavirus infection rate in India is so large the US State Department says anybody visiting India should leave as soon as possible. In case you're wondering, India's one-day total of new infections yesterday (Thursday) was 379,257 --the world's highest single-day total.

COVID #2: Meanwhile, at a meeting of Orange County's Board of Supervisors earlier this week, one of them asked Dr. CLAYTON CHAU --the county's top public health administrator, "In the (Coronavirus) vaccine, we heard about the injection of a tracking device. Is that being done anywhere in Orange County?" That was a jaw-dropping moment, but Dr. Chau managed to say "There is not a vaccine with a tracking device embedded in it that I know of that exists in the world. Period.”

Listener question: what rumors have you heard about the vaccine?

Black Lives Matter: Two members of the 5th DIMENSION, MARILYN McCOO and BILLY DAVIS, Jr., have released a new album out today that takes on the racial injustice that has arisen from GEORGE FLOYD to DAUNTE WRIGHT. Called “Blackbird: Lennon-McCartney Icons,” it's a collection of BEATLES covers.

In the songs, Blackbirds take on a new, easily discovered meaning. As Marilyn told the NY Post, “You think about the blackbirds being the babies that leave their mother’s nest, and they go out to discover the world and to find out what life is about... and sometimes they don’t come back. That’s [why] so many of these young people that have been killed recently, they’re our blackbirds.”

So each song takes on a new Black Lives Matter type of meaning, so that “Help!” and “Ticket to Ride” take on a whole new meaning. As Marilyn pointed out about the latter song, “It kind of lent itself to ROSA PARKS’ story and the bus boycott back in the ’50s as a result of her refusing to give up her seat.”

More music: GENESIS has announced its first US tour in 14 years. And 14 is a key number, since PHIL COLLINS, TONY BANKS and MIKE RUTHERFORD will play 14 shows in their "The Last Domino? Tour," which kicks off in Chicago on November 15th. Other cities will include Washington, D.C., Charlotte, Montreal, Toronto, Buffalo, Detroit, Cleveland, Philadelphia and finally ends in Boston on December 15th. Tickets will go on sale a week from today, on May 7th.

Real estate: Got $22 million to burn? Then you could bid on J.J. ABRAMS' home on the Pacific Palisades. He bought the place back in 2014 for a mere $14.47 million, and updated it to his standards. Good luck with that.

Openings: New York City Mayor BILL de BLASIO says he'd like to reopen the Big Apple as of July First, telling MSNBC “We are ready for stores to open, for businesses to open, offices, theaters — full strength.” Of course, NY state officials have to agree on the move.

And while we're on the subject, the folks from Alamo Drafthouse say they're going to reopen theatres in 15 Locations by the end of July. That means they'll have a total of 30 locations open, including Brooklyn, New York and Los Angeles, as well as Dallas, Omaha, San Francisco, Lubbock, Laredo, and Yonkers. Managers of the dine-in theatre chain say they've added enhanced safety protocols, HVAC and technology upgrades that they boast makes them safer than supermarkets, bars and restaurants.

Kind of music: You may have heard that the LAPD has arrested five people they say were behind the kidnapping of LADY GAGA's French bulldogs back in February. The dogs were returned unharmed. Three of the five were charged with one count each of attempted murder and robbery, the other two were charged with one count each of accessory attempted murder because they shot Gaga's assistant, who was walking the pooches. Police believe the dogs were targeted not because they belonged to Gaga, but because of the great value of the French bulldogs.