Essay: COVID has ended (or has it?)

This week:

COVID is over (as far as we know it). What did we learn, and what’s next?

PLUS: Gay blood donations are a go, wind power in the UK, social media guidelines, millions for Black farmers, water report cards, and more

Here's What You Can Do:

• ⚡️ Discover which websites are harvesting your data using The Markup’s Blacklight tool
• ⚡️ Prepare your home for a wildfire using these resources from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
• ⚡️ Ensure everyone, everywhere, receives access to quality healthcare by donating to Partners In Health
• ⚡️ With SNAP benefits getting rolled back, make sure more people have access to food and volunteer with or donate to Feeding America
• ⚡️ Keep an eye on wastewater tracking data to understand the prevalence of COVID in your area

News Roundup

Health & Medicine

• The APA has released a health advisory on social media use for kids
• Gay and bisexual men are now eligible to donate blood without having to abstain from sex. Welcome to the 21st century, FDA!
• A new discovery about T cells could inspire new anti-tumor treatments
• Google is using AI to improve hearing technology

Climate

• In Europe, British wind power has overtaken gas, and e-bikes are taking over in Germany
• The Biden-Harris Administration is committing $50 million to fund clean energy solutions in rural America
• We can halve the amount of land use needed for renewables in the US
• Exxon is in breach of its Environmental Permit in Guyana, according to a High Court Judge

Food & Water

• Louisiana is publishing report cards for its water systems to improve transparency
• Black farmers are getting a $20 million boost
• The Farm Bill needs to include funding for Indigenous food producers

Beep Boop

• Google Search is facing some big AI-related challenges
• A lawsuit is threatening the cybersecurity of US critical infrastructure
• An interactive map from The Markup explores what neighborhoods internet providers excluded from fast internet

COVID

• Nearly a million New Yorkers lost at least 3 loved ones to COVID
• Food banks are being hit hard as pandemic aid expires

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