Statistically, the difference between states with 30% and 70% Covid vaccination rates is a nearly 40-fold increase in weekly cases. / Ars Technica The pandemic has changed abortion access, shifting from in-person visits to telemedicine—and legal challenges may lie ahead. / The New York Times As water shortages loom,
Regional powers Russia, China, Iran, and Pakistan express their interest in working with Afghanistan's new leaders. / Newsweek An all-girls Afghan robotics team inspired the world. "Now they're trapped, waiting to be rescued." / The Washington Post Remembering the civilian planes that airlifted refugees out
US health officials are likely to recommend Covid vaccine boosters eight months after recipients' second doses. / Associated Press Health officials are convincing skeptics to get vaccinated by telling them if they don't trust the government, they should talk with their doctor instead. / VICE A Chicago pharmacist has
Chaos and desperate crowds at Kabul airport. Five people have been killed as people try to flee the Taliban. / The Guardian, Reuters "To blame Afghans for not getting their act together in light of… history is just wrong." / The New Yorker Officials in Haiti say at least 1,
Helen Branswell: The FDA has authorized an additional dose of the Pfizer and Moderna Covid vaccines for the immunocompromised. / STAT Good news from Chicago: Health officials say Lollapalooza doesn't appear to have been a superspreader event. / Slate "You have to live your best life. But be cautious.
"The models in late spring were pretty consistent that we were going to have a 'normal' summer." Yes, Delta changed everything. / The Atlantic According to 2020 Census data released yesterday, the number of white people in the US has fallen for the first time since 1790.
The delta variant is one of the most contagious respiratory viruses known. Is it as contagious as chicken pox? Not really. / NPR Parents in Japan are sending bags of rice that weigh the same as their newborn babies to relatives who are unable to visit. / The Guardian California will become
The White House prepares for Kabul to fall to the Taliban much sooner than feared. "They've got to fight for themselves," Biden said. / The Washington Post, BBC News Kathy Hochul will become New York's first female governor, following Andrew Cuomo's resignation for
The US Senate appears to be on track to give final approval to a $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure plan. / The Associated Press The EU mounts one of its largest ever firefighting operations to tackle wildfires in Italy and Greece. / The Guardian Half of all invasive species in the ocean have
The Dixie Fire in Northern California is now estimated to be the second largest wildfire in state history. / NPR A new UN climate report cites recent extreme weather as further evidence of human-induced climate change—though swift action can still reverse some (but not all) effects. / BuzzFeed News See
