As America struggles to cope with the coronavirus pandemic, we’ve found a new celebrity. And a legendary singer is doing her part to offer a little comfort.
Dr. Anthony Fauci may be best known to healthcare wonks as the longtime director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. But to the rest of America he’s become a breakout star during White House Coronavirus Task Force media briefings.
He inspired Donuts Delite in Rochester, N.Y., to sell doughnuts featuring his picture, with Fauci fans from across the country calling to order their sugary Fauci fix. Shops in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania have followed suit. But it’s more than pastries: Crafter site Etsy offers a selection of Fauci T-shirts, buttons, socks and candles, and Facebook has at least four Fauci fan groups.
Country music legend Dolly Parton is doing her part to soothe an anxious nation: sharing bedtime stories. The weekly “Goodnight With Dolly” series started April 2, streaming on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The 10-week series is part of Parton’s Imagination Library literacy project, which sends free books monthly to preschoolers around the world, distributing 17.1 million books in 2019.
