Who Ordered a Smear Campaign Against Andrew Cuomo’s First Accuser? - When Lindsey Boylan first publicly accused New York’s governor of sexual harassment, in December, damaging government documents about her were leaked to the press. - link
L.A.’s Disorganized Vaccination Rollout and the Dream of Universal Health Care - The failures to reach the hardest hit populations are another reminder of how the system neglects so many. - link
Biden Has Few Good Options for the Unaccompanied Children at the Border - The new Administration is coming under fire for a policy it says protects young migrants. - link
The Stimulus Is Only the Start - We need a much bigger, historic reframing of how we think about work and employment and equity. - link
Who Is in Charge of Cancel Culture? - Liberals increasingly embrace the progressive critique of structural racism, but they are far less certain what to do about it. - link
From Vox
In praise of the vaccine ’fit -
From celebrities to normies, people want to look their best when getting vaccinated. | EyeEm/Getty Images
Clothing has long been a celebratory tool. Covid-19 vaccinations are no different.
Before the pandemic, it might have seemed cheesy to get dressed up for a medical appointment. A year later, the world is different — it’s a place where people are actually excited for a needle in the arm.
It’s not all picture perfect, of course. Across the country, the overall Covid-19 vaccine rollout has, at times, been rocky and inequitable, and not everyone who needs a vaccine has been able to get one right away. Still, many of those who have been lucky enough to find an appointment have been posting about the experience and sharing their vaccine looks around social media. It’s kind of like an exclusive club: It’s still notoriously difficult to land a spot, there are lines out the door, and plenty of people, from celebrities to normies, want to look their best for the occasion.
These sartorial flexes have given rise to a new genre of photo: the vaccine selfie. Such selfies can lead to “vaccine shaming,” which Vox’s Alex Abad-Santos describes as being based in the perception that those who get the vaccine are “pulling the ladder up behind them,” but even with all the finger-pointing going on, it’s hard to resist snapping a photo of something many have been looking forward to for so long. Plus, it’s a pretty historic moment: People are vain, and we’d like to look cute in the photos we show off to our grandchildren as well as online strangers.
There are plenty of photos to prove it. One Twitter user, @ashlieatkinson, went viral for wearing a glittery-green floor-length gown to her vaccine appointment. It was somehow even more dramatic than what Dolly Parton chose to wear; the singer, who famously helped fund the Moderna vaccine, wore a sparkly blue cold-shoulder top and matching mask to her appointment, a fashion choice that allowed her vaccine administrator to reach her arm effortlessly. Hillary Clinton responded on Instagram with a throwback photo of herself in a cold-shoulder top, captioning it, “Shall we make this a trend?”
It might be well on its way. According to data from Lyst, a global shopping platform, searches on the site for “one-shoulder” and “off-shoulder” tops were up 27 percent in February compared to January. “Off-shoulder” sweater searches are also up 15 percent since the beginning of March 2021. Kiwi, a boutique in Brooklyn, began advertising a one-shoulder dress on Instagram for vaccine-appointment wear, inspired in part by Parton’s glamorous look. The aesthetic practicality of wearing a cold-shoulder top makes total sense. Instead of dealing with the awkward inconvenience of rolling up your sleeves, your shirt does all the work for you.
Anika Reed, a 26-year-old editor at USA Today, originally scheduled a vaccine appointment for May, but when she was suddenly able to move it up, she wasn’t prepared with an outfit. “Seeing other people get vaccinated and seeing celebrities like Dolly Parton inspired me,” Reed said. She was disappointed she didn’t have an off-shoulder sweater in her closet, but the weather worked out and allowed her to comfortably wear a white off-shoulder blouse she owned. She accessorized with simple gold jewelry, heart-shaped sunglasses, and a black Telfar mini bag.
“Moments where I finally get to leave the house have provided me with a small sliver of joy,” Reed said. Dressing up just made the occasion even brighter. “It provided an element of joy, but it was [also] functional and practical, instead of being stuck taking off like 16 layers. Now I have to go through all of my clothes and figure out what dose two is going to look like for me,” she added.
Others are not planning on full-on glam, opting instead for a more subtle statement. Alex Brown, a 23-year-old freelance writer living in Atlanta, doesn’t have a vaccine appointment yet. Even though it’s unclear when she’ll finally be vaccinated, she already knows what she’s going to wear: a T-shirt that simply reads, “The future is accessible.”
“The T-shirt was designed by this activist named Annie Segarra,” Brown told me. “At first I just ordered it to support them, because I really like their work and I liked the shirt. But then when I got it, I was like, ‘Oh, this would be a really cool thing to wear to my vaccine appointment,’ because it’s for disability activism. It’s also kind of like, ‘The future is within reach,’ if you take a double meaning of the word ‘accessible.’”
Brown, who is disabled, is hoping to land an appointment soon, especially since she has preexisting conditions that increase her risk for severe illness from the virus. “I’ve been isolating in my home for a year now, so I’m really looking forward to being able to see my family who don’t live in Georgia, and being able to return to more of the life I had before Covid,” Brown said. She hopes the state of Georgia creates better avenues for those who need vaccines to actually receive them, but until then, she at least has her vaccine outfit to look forward to wearing on the big day.
Still, not everyone arrives at their vaccine appointment feeling entirely giddy about the future. In fact, appearance was the last thing on the mind of Tammy Ingram, a 45-year-old professor in New York, as she lined up outside the Javits Center for her first dose in a hoodie, comfortable boots, and two masks.
“The outer mask was an RBG mask,” Ingram said. “We’ve all lost many things and people who were dear to us this year. That was my little tribute to just one of them.”
A few passersby winked at her or gave her a thumbs-up, but she still didn’t feel very celebratory. “So many vulnerable people still can’t get appointments because of shortages in other parts of the country. I feel grateful to have been able to get the vaccine,” she said. “I’ve lost a lot this year personally, and so have so many people I care about. Getting the vaccine won’t fix any of that, but it does feel like a big step forward.”
While the rollout has continued to improve in some key areas, we still have a long way to go. Ingram is right — there are plenty of people who still aren’t getting the access to vaccine resources they need. For example, as Fabiola Cineas reported for Vox, people of color are largely being neglected when it comes to vaccine-rollout efforts and access across the United States. Many older people and essential workers are being left out of the equation as well, even though they’re most at risk. None of this has been perfect, but for those who have managed to secure appointments, choosing a special outfit or fun accessory can provide a small sense of control, in spite of the rocky circumstances.
Ingram said she’s tentatively planning to meet a friend for a socially distant dinner after her second dose, so she might put a little more effort into that outfit. She’s also considering traveling this summer. “I will retire most of my soft pants, thank god,” she told me. “I am ready to have a reason to dress up and feel good again.”
In general, people seem excited for their vaccine appointments and, by extension, their outfits, as it’s their first big outing of significance in a long time. Many Americans have experienced months of Zoom birthday parties, FaceTime dates, and virtual happy hours. A vaccine appointment is the first step to getting back out into the real world, so you might as well step out. Clothing has long been a celebratory tool, and Covid-19 vaccinations are no different. It turns the appointment into a sacred ceremony, a coming-of-age moment. The pandemic is far from over, but we’ve made it this far, so we might as well celebrate by choosing fashion that makes us feel good.
Biden’s speech promised Covid-19 vaccines for all US adults in May. It’s really possible. -
US President Joe Biden arrives to deliver an address to the nation on the anniversary of the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on March 11, 2021. | Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images
Covid-19 vaccines truly are coming for everyone soon.
President Joe Biden on Thursday announced that all adults in the US will be eligible for a Covid-19 vaccine by May 1. “All adult Americans will be eligible to get a vaccine no later than May 1,” Biden said. “That’s much earlier than expected.”
Biden clarified that adults won’t all be able to get a vaccine right away, but they will at least be able to get in line. Even then, he said the country will have enough vaccine supply for all adults by the end of May — a claim he’s made before.
It’s a goal that, as Biden said, would have seemed unfeasible just a couple of months ago. But there’s good reason to believe it’s absolutely possible now.
Even if that rate doesn’t improve at all, the US could fully vaccinate around 130 million to 140 million Americans by May 1. That’s more than half of the nearly 260 million adults in the US today. So even before Biden’s promised date, the majority of adults in America could be vaccinated.
There’s also very good reason to think the rate will go up. By the end of this month, the pharmaceutical companies have indicated they’ll produce and ship more than 3 million vaccines a day. If states manage to turn those doses into shots in arms as they get them, the US could vaccinate around 150 million to 160 million Americans before May — roughly two-thirds of US adults.
And the rate of vaccinations could easily rise above that as supply continues to increase in the coming month and a half.
In other words, Biden’s promise could kick in at a time that only one-third of US adults will still need to get vaccinated, while the country is likely delivering shots at a rate of 3 million doses a day, if not more. At that point, the math simply fits: The remaining 100 million adults or so in America really could be covered over the span of a month. The only obstacle, if it all goes well, will be making an appointment.
That’s not to say the US is destined to do all of this without any trouble. Maybe the drug companies won’t be able to deliver on the supply they’ve promised. Maybe cities, states, and the feds won’t clear all the logistical hurdles to get shots in arms. Maybe something else will break in a fairly complicated supply chain.
And as supply increases, it’s likely vaccine hesitancy will become a bigger issue as more adults simply refuse a vaccine. Overcoming that — to continue increasing the nationwide rate of vaccinations — will require creative education and awareness campaigns, focused on local pockets of resistance. That will pose its own logistical challenges.
But at least this all seems possible. That wasn’t the case when Biden took office, as the country’s vaccine rollout struggled and fewer than 1 million Americans got a shot a day. Back then, it was unclear if we could vaccinate all US adults by the end of the year. It now looks like America could get the job done in just a few months.
“It’s un-American. And it must stop”: Biden denounces anti-Asian racism -
President Biden delivers a primetime address to the nation from the White House on March 11. | Alex Wong/Getty Images
Joe Biden condemned anti-Asian hate crimes in a speech on pandemic recovery.
President Joe Biden, in a primetime address laying out the path to recovery from the pandemic, condemned anti-Asian racism outright, drawing yet another sharp contrast with his predecessor, who openly stoked xenophobic sentiments.
“Too often, we’ve turned against one another. … Vicious hate crimes against Asian Americans who have been attacked, harassed, blamed, and scapegoated. At this very moment, so many of them, our fellow Americans, they’re on the front lines of this pandemic trying to save lives, and still, still they’re forced to live in fear for their lives just walking down streets in America,” Biden noted. “It’s wrong. It’s un-American. And it must stop.”
Biden on rise of hate crimes against Asians: “It’s wrong. It’s un-American. And it must stop.” pic.twitter.com/c9D2YGhyKq
Biden’s comments come as anti-Asian incidents have surged during the pandemic: According to Stop AAPI Hate, a group that’s been tracking these reports, more than 2,800 such incidents have been documented since last March, ranging from violent attacks to verbal abuse including people getting spat on at the grocery store and called racial slurs. Per a report from the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University San Bernardino, which examined police data in 16 major cities, hate crimes targeting Asian Americans rose 150 percent in the last year. And more recently, a wave of violent assaults on elderly people has renewed attention on this issue.
The president’s speech echoes the message of an executive action he took in January, when he denounced anti-Asian racism, called for better data collection of these incidents, and urged federal agencies to remove any racist language still being used in government documents.
His remarks send a powerful message, directly counter to the one sent by former President Donald Trump, who disregarded World Health Organization guidelines and used racist terms for the coronavirus. By strongly opposing anti-Asian actions in his remarks, Biden made it clear that such racism is unacceptable and won’t be amplified by this White House.
From The Hindu: Sports
Olympic host Japan will not take part in China vaccine offer - Olympic Minister Tamayo Marukawa says Japan has not been consulted by the IOC about the Chinese vaccines, and that Japanese athletes would not take them.
IPL has been extremely beneficial for England: Ashley Giles - Now all of our players are in high demand for IPL, says the ECB MD
Sri Lanka’s Gunathilaka dismissed for obstructing the field - Sri Lanka opener Danushka Gunathilaka was controversially dismissed for obstructing the field in the first one-day international against West Indies i
Mithali becomes 1st Indian woman cricketer to score 10,000 international runs - Mithali joins England’s Charlotte Edwards in the elite club.
Brathwaite replaces Holder as West Indies Test captain - West Indies will play two Tests against Sri Lanka later this month.
From The Hindu: National News
Fading appeal robs political lookalikes of livelihood - Once a major draw in poll campaigns, lookalike artistes leaders have been marginalised.
PM hails contribution of Rani Kittur Channamma to freedom movement - ‘Azadi Ka Amrut Mahotsav’ online ceremony displayed in Kittur
NIA recovers ₹ 91 lakh from a field in Jammu - Cash recovered at the instance of one Romesh Kumar, who was arrested earlier this month in a narco-terror case
Failure of DPR submission led to the shelving of ITIR project: Revanth Reddy - He blames it as KTR’s inefficiency
Establish internal committees to prevent workplace harassment, SP tells organisations - ‘Women have been facing many difficulties while achieving self-reliance and financial independence’
From BBC: Europe
UK exports to European Union drop 40% in January - Official figures show a sharp drop in trade in goods with the EU as the Brexit transition period ended.
Brussels bombers ‘murdered elderly man as a test’ - Two brothers who killed 31 people in 2016 earlier shot dead a 76-year-old, a Belgian report says.
EU declared ‘LGBT freedom zone’ in response to Poland’s ‘LGBT-free zones’ - MEP’s overwhelmingly support a resolution that aims for all people in the EU to live “without fear”.
Etna: Life beneath the volcanic dust of repeated eruptions - Three weeks of spectacular blasts have amazed onlookers - but caused untold damage for Sicilians.
Coronavirus: AstraZeneca jab recommended for Ireland’s over-70s - An independent body which advises the government says the vaccine should be used ‘without delay’.
From Ars Technica
The moments we realized the pandemic would change everything - COVID-19, one year later: Ars staff looks back on…. truly something else. - link
Rocket Report: China debuts new booster, SpaceX eyeing Indonesia launch site? - “This is a game-changer for South African space science.” - link
Tossing vaccine priority list, Biden tells states to open eligibility by May 1 - In “war-time” effort, all adult Americans will have access to vaccine by May 1. - link
Critics fume after Github removes exploit code for Exchange vulnerabilities - Microsoft-owned Github pulls down proof-of-concept code posted by researcher. - link
Google Maps introduces a way for users to add and edit roads (again) - Maps is also getting a new way to upload photos to place listings. - link
From Jokes Subreddit
What did the Pokemon say after having too much sex. -
