Plus: The Covid-19 headlines you need to know, a distraction, and something to read.
By Eve Sneider | 05.09.22 | Shanghai clamps down on restrictions, rideshare drivers navigate the end of mask mandates, and the White House warns of another surge. Here's what you should know: |  Headlines Restrictions tighten in parts of Shanghai (Associated Press) Shanghai officials are tightening restrictions just as the city was emerging from a month of lockdowns, even though case counts in the city continue to fall. Residents in several districts have received notices ordering them to stay home and avoid nonessential deliveries at least until Wednesday. These regulations could be extended depending on the results of the city's mass testing efforts. Many pandemic curbs are still in place in Beijing as well, as Chinese officials stick with their zero-Covid strategy. Uber and Lyft drivers must now set their own mask rules (WIRED) The day after a federal judge in Florida struck down the national transit mask mandate last month, Uber and Lyft lifted their own face-covering provisions and ended a pandemic-induced ban on riders sitting in the front seat. In the weeks since, drivers have been left to set their own rules. The companies have been clear that riders or drivers who want to wear a mask should do so, but some contractors are concerned that canceling on customers who refuse to wear a mask, for instance, could affect their ratings or hurt business in other ways. The White House warns that another surge is on the horizon (Washington Post) A senior White House official warned that there could be a significant surge this coming fall and winter as new Omicron subvariants get better at evading immunity, a projection some other experts agree with. Members of the Biden administration have expressed concern about the nation's readiness to battle another onslaught of cases, especially if Congress doesn't sign off on more funding. At present, the country is fending off another surge, with new infections more than doubling between the end of March and last Friday. | | When you look at the various new multiverse movies closely, it's clear that our understanding of what it looks like to jump between worlds is shaped by our experience of the internet. | | Social media accounts about pregnancy loss often start with good intentions. But as they gain followers, they start to project an image of aspirational grieving for a kind of loss that society, by and large, doesn't know what to do with. | | Whether you use it for calendars, emails, documents, or all of the above, it's a huge pain to get locked out of your Google account. Here's how to get back in if that happens. | |
