LOVE AND MARRIAGE IN THE AGE OF CORONAVIRUS

DOWAGIAC, Mich. (AP) — Because of the COVID-19 outbreak, a lot of wedding plans have gone into shutdown — in many cases because many jurisdictions have imposed limits on the size of gatherings. But tomorrow, a couple in Michigan will tie the knot — with more than 100 guests on hand. They aren’t breaking the rules — but they are thinking outside the box. When Amy Simonson and Dan Stuglik marry, they will have 100 cardboard cutouts as stand-ins for guests who will miss the event because of Michigan’s stay-at-home order. The cutouts were donated by a packaging firm. A design manager at the Menasha Packaging Company says the groom asked for generic people shapes. But Ted Harris says he tweaked the request to make cutouts look like people with different sizes, shapes and hair styles.

VENEZUELAN DISTILLERY RAMPS UP TO MAKE HAND SANITIZER

LA VICTORIA, Venezuela (AP) — For decades, the Santa Teresa distillery in Venezuela is stepping up to help fight coronavirus. Instead of using its steel vats and distillations towers to make its famous amber-red rum, it is churning out antiseptic-quality alcohol. The alcohol, in turn, is being converted into hand sanitizer. The gel-like substance is in short supply worldwide amid the global crisis that has overwhelmed that nation’s health care system. The distillery’s production manager says it made the switchover because it considers itself “a close part” of the community.

UTAH LAW PUTS WARNINGS ON PORNOGRAPHY

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Cigarettes have them. Alcohol has them. And now in Utah, a new law is requiring pornography to include warning labels. The law went into effect after governor Gary Herbert let the measure become law, despite protests from the adult entertainment industry. The law requires producers to include a one-sentence advisory saying obscene materials could cause harm to minors. Those who fail to include the warning could face a $2,500 penalty per violation. Most common forms of porn don’t qualify for the warning message, which is aimed only at types of porn that are considered legally obscene.

by Oscar Wells Gabriel II