Thursday, July 14: Covid's Back Baby
Like all the Taylor Swift songs you never wanted to hear again
For the fifth week in a row, the number of coronavirus cases reported worldwide has gone up, according to the World Health Organization. Meanwhile, here in Chicago many stores and restaurants have dropped all masking requirements, even as stores struggle to keep employees healthy. At REI, employees have received no fewer than five emails this week, indicating that a worker at the store tested positive and will be forced to miss a week or more of work. Yesterday, a coworker clocked out early upon learning that a housemate had tested positive. For a few hours we simmered in the uncertain knowledge of whether we’d been infected or not, whether we’d have to alter evening and weekend plans or figure out coverage for work.
Two plus years of government ineptitude and individual frustration at always having to protect ourselves, the process for handling coronavirus seems to be the same. At this point, everyone has either been infected or knows someone who has, and no vaccine will save us from a society that doesn’t value public health.
Side Items
Biden kicked off his Middle East tour with a visit to Israel, where he found time to voluntarily self-identify as a zionist and tour a weapons factory with the fresh scent of Palestinian blood
A CIA software engineer was convicted of the largest theft of classified information in agency history
NOW TAKING REQUESTS! Because there isn’t enough happening in the world every day, feel free to submit requests for topics to cover (ex. union organizing, random historical facts, TV & film reviews, celebrity gossip, etc.)