As we noted on Friday, President Donald Trump is trying to rename Lake Ontario as “Lake America,” another humiliating milestone in his government branding exercise.
But guess who’s capitulating to this nonsense? Yep, Google, which, as my colleague Alex Nguyen wrote, has demonstrated scant interest in opposing the Trump administration. So that means that as of Saturday, “Lake America” has replaced Lake Ontario on Google Maps.
Apple appears to be somewhat of a holdout for now. But I wouldn’t hold my breath: Trump spent the weekend apparently trying to pressure the company into accepting his “Lake America” demand. (Tim Cook, whose last day as Apple CEO is today, must be relieved.) Given that our tech giants have largely enjoyed a mutually beneficial relationship with the administration, my money is on Apple folding, too.
In any event, I do want to end this Monday newsletter on the lovely note you all deserve—and that’s by sharing your responses to what Dolly Parton meant to you. Here’s a collection:
Dolly Parton was an amazing person, especially in these times of selfish promotion and grandstanding. Most people are not aware of all the philanthropy she did, but I will never forget her donation to the Covid vaccine. I will miss her sparkle. —Cynthia
Dolly Parton was a shining light in an otherwise dark and dreary world and she will be missed terribly by nearly everyone who knew her, knew of her, knew her music, and knew her kind and caring and witty sense of humor. —Belinda
She also possessed an innate ability to transcend her own, as well as other people’s, experiences into the beautiful art form of music. She deserved the accolades she received in life, as well as the many tears and heartfelt tributes that have poured in with her passing. We may not see another complete human being like her in our lifetimes, but I’m sure glad I had the opportunity to enjoy her humanity and all of her talents during mine! Thank you, Dolly! You may not be here, but you will certainly still be everywhere! —Earl
My daughter gave birth to our grandson during Covid. Which meant I couldn’t be with her during delivery or even hold my grandson or welcome my daughter and SIL home with their child. I had to stay well away from them until a vaccine was developed that could protect us all. I’d already had a bout with Covid that I thought might kill me. Dolly donated a million dollars toward the development of the vaccine that finally allowed me to hold my grandson named after my East Tennessee father who had been KIA in Vietnam. I will always be thankful for the part Dolly played in our family’s most tender moments. —Karen
My sincere thanks to everyone who shared their thoughts.
—Inae Oh
