Author James Glenn writes, "From the New Negro Movement to the Black Power and Black Arts Movement to the Black Lives Matter Movement of today, public art created by black artists has served as communal visions of history, heritage, and hope. While it is important to highlight the work of contemporary black artists using their talents to push forward the antiracist demands of the Black Lives Matter Movement. it is imperative to understand that the current work of black artists is a continuation of the traditions black muralists initiated during the early to mid-twentieth century." This blog post explores the Black Public Art Tradition in three parts and includes an overview of Black Public Art during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This video by SPARC Art shows a variety of social justice-themed street art in the United States.

New York teen tags the streets in "response to multiple stressors. Quarantining boredom. Family problems. Feeling stuck since graduating high school and not yet finding a job or college that fit."

This is an archive project created by Dr. Heather Shirey and the Urban Art Mapping Research Project (with Dr. Todd Lawrence and Dr. Paul Lorah), University of St. Thomas, Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA "MAPPING COVID-19 STREET ART: Artists and writers producing work in the streets – including tags, graffiti, murals, stickers, and other installations on walls, pavement, and signs – are in a unique position to respond quickly and effectively in a moment of crisis. Street art’s ephemeral nature serves to reveal very immediate and sometimes fleeting responses, often in a manner that can be raw and direct. At the same time, in the context of a crisis, street art also has the potential to transform urban space and foster a sustained political dialogue, reaching a wide audience, particularly when museums and galleries are shuttered. For all of these reasons, it is not surprising to see an explosion of street art around the world created in response to the Covid-19 global pandemic, even as our movement in public spaces is limited due to public health concerns."

By: Valerie Cavazos - Posted at 12:50 AM, Apr 14, 2021 and last updated 12:51 AM, Apr 14, 2021 TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Pima County is now a step closer to FEMA setting up vaccination PODS and bringing in about a quarter million doses. The state first rejected FEMA's offer to run the PODS, criticizing Pima County on how it's operating its current vaccine locations. The state has now officially given the county the green light to allow the FEMA PODS, but with a long list of stipulations. "I don't think it's anything that prevents us from moving forward," said Supervisor Dr. Matt Heinz. He says the stipulations include "how the state is not involved in any way, the state registration system cannot be utilized, the county has to cover any and all costs, any moment the state can decide without cause and without notice that the agreement is null and void," he said. The state can also audit the funds used to create, implement, operate, and dismantle the site. Heinz told KGUN9 the county received the 4-page proposed Intergovernmental Agreement Tuesday afternoon. "I'm pleased that we're seeing progress, because now the county can now go over this the next 24 hours or so," Heinz said, "And hopefully, very likely, agree to these conditions which are largely ones we were expecting." Administrator Chuck Huckelberry wrote in a memo, "We are in the process of reviewing these requirements to determine their reasonableness and/or ability to comply."

Coronavirus in Arizona with Emphasis on local Pima County data: By: KGUN 9 On Your Side - Posted at 11:36 AM, Mar 21, 2020 and last updated 9:03 AM, Apr 14, 2021 TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Editor's note: This article was first published on March 21, 2020. It is updated daily and refreshed with the latest updates and cases throughout Arizona. Arizona Public Health officials are tracking the spread of coronavirus throughout the state. Here are the latest numbers provided by the Arizona Department of Health Services. Last updated on April 14, 2021 FULL SECTION: CORONAVIRUS IN ARIZONA Vaccinations in Arizona: New doses reported today: 46,744 Total doses administered: 4,213,938 Total number of people who have received at least 1 dose: 2,611,983 Total number of people who have received 2 doses: 1,745,928 Percent of population vaccinated: 36.3% Vaccinations in Pima County: New doses reported today: 9,029 Total doses administered: 578,853 Total number of people who have received at least 1 dose: 363,431 Total number of people who have received 2 doses: 242,638 Percent of population vaccinated: 34.8% Cases and Deaths through 04/14/2021: Number of deaths: 17,109 Number of cases: 851,265 New cases: 419 New deaths: 4 Total number of tests reported: 8,835,798 (Diagnostic and Serology) New tests reported: 17,381 Reported cases of COVID-19 by county: Maricopa: 529,471 Pima: 113,903 Pinal: 50,417 Navajo: 16,018 Coconino: 17,398 Yavapai: 18,642 Cochise: 11,769 Graham: 5,520 Santa Cruz: 7,882 Yuma: 36,943 Apache: 11,256 Mohave: 22,353 La Paz: 2,450 Gila: 6,855 Greenlee: 568 Breakdown of cases in Pima County: Total cases: 113,903 Deaths: 2,372 New cases: 81 New deaths: -1

Despite very grim months through the last year's COVID-19 pandemic in the Navajo Nation, the Associated Press reported continuing indications of success for the Navajo people and their rural communities: WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. (AP) — The Navajo Nation on Tuesday reported two new confirmed COVID-19 cases, but no additional deaths for the third consecutive day. The latest numbers brought the pandemic totals on the tribe’s reservation to 30,269 cases and 1,262 known deaths. Tribal officials had ordered a lockdown last weekend over fears that a new variant could drive another deadly surge. The Stay-At-Home order required all Navajo Nation residents to refrain from unnecessary travel to help limit the spread of the virus, including a new and more contagious strain. Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez recently announced the first confirmed case of the COVID-19 B.1.429 variant on the reservation that covers parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah.

"By Christopher Brito, March 5, 2021, CBSnews.com While a majority of states and cities are still vaccinating higher priority groups of people, one county in Arizona is now allowing any resident over the age of 18 to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Gila County, which is located east of Phoenix, entered Phase 2 of their vaccine prioritization late last month, opening up eligibility to the general population. Part of the the decision to open vaccine eligibility is because Gila County has one of the lowest percentages of COVID-19 vaccine doses used in Arizona. Michael O'Driscoll, director of Public Health and Emergency Management for the county, told CBS affiliate KPHO-TV that they received permission from the state last week to offer the vaccine in a drive-thru clinic last weekend. "Prior to that, we were struggling to find enough people to make appointments to that, so the state gave me permission to offer it to any resident 18 and older," he said. About 56,000 people reside in the county. According to the Arizona's Department of Health Services, more than 13,000 people – or almost one fourth of residents – have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. "We did a survey before to get a sense of how many people in Gila County would consider getting the vaccine, and our survey came back about 50-60% of the residents would choose to get the vaccine if available," O'Driscoll said. Based on the data, over 5,600 people under the age of 65 have received the vaccine, including 73 people under the age of 20. One of the younger recipients, 18-year-old Jacob Jost, told KPHO-TV that he was "excited" to get the shot. "I have a little nephew, a little baby, so having the vaccine puts a peace of mind for that," Jost said. First published on March 5, 2021 / 12:13 PM © 2021 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Christopher Brito is a social media producer and trending writer for CBS News, focusing on sports and stories that involve issues of race and culture.

This copyright-free image of a public-facing government webpage displays the COVID-19 protocols in place at Apache County (AZ) library locations after Governor Doug Ducey ordered local governments to phase out public health mandates on March 22, 2021. Unlike urban areas within the state, rural Apache County in northeastern Arizona no longer required mask use inside private or government (public) buildings and facilities.

Over the last year, Arizona has seen the cancellation of major events due to COVID-19. These cancellations have had a major impact on business and tax revenue. The entertainment, hospitality, and food business have been hit the hardest.

With vaccines already approved for ages of 16, still clinical trials need to be completed for children younger than 16. There is more thought put into children's vaccine as their body does not react to things the same way that grown adults do. By the looks of statistics, it can be said that the vaccines will be available for children before the start of the 2021 - 2022 school year. This means children will be able to get the vacancies and start living more socially involved lives as it is important for them during these stages of development. Though the vaccine will not be required, it is suggested and each state will make its own laws on what type of rules they want to set. On the bright sight, the vaccine is the best hope to end the pandemic and allow children to start enjoying their lives like before again, it will help cut down children's obesity rates and boost mental health.

This article speaks about the clinical trials that have begun in Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center in hopes of getting a vaccine out for children as young as five years old. At the moment about 3,000 children have been on a waitlist to be involved in the trial. There are sites at which people are working to get dosage limits right for children ranging from 2-4 aswell. Many responses were collected by children on how they felt about being a part of the trial. Lila, a third-grader who is 8, was asked what was the best thing about participating in the vaccine trial, she replied, "knowing I might be able to not wear my mask anymore and knowing that the coronavirus vaccine is coming out." The effects the pandemic has on the children are visible as their hopes are to help the pandemic stop so that things go back to normal for them.

Stefano Bloch is an Assistant Professor in the School of Geography, Development & Environment at the University of Arizona, Tucson.

Never thought I’d live through a quasi twilight experience in my life time. From being totally free to roam around to try my hand at different social, educational, and faith filled interactions to staying home, sheltering, social distancing, sanitizing, and using technology for daily living within one year was a marathon of changes. I’ve lived an exciting and challenging 75 years. There have been many twists and turns in my life which is what makes me think is the reason for my young can do spirit. The Covid 19 experience is yet another one of those twists that I never imagined. In a matter of weeks our country was practically shut down. The challenge of not being sure who to believe regarding the pandemic was disconcerting. I had just lost my husband and went from living in a beautiful neighborhood, El Dorado Hills, with lots of friends and a wonderful husband at my side who could always help me keep things in perspective. I sold my house and went to live with my daughter in Sacramento. My daughter, Monica, was so generous and tried to make me feel at home and never complained about my “intrusion”. Then when things were getting a tiny bit better for me, Covid rears its ugly head. The news media reported how the Covid pandemic started. But wait, then the news reported the way it started was not the way it was reported. No one knew the best way to protect anyone. It was new and devastating. People were getting the virus from mild to severe symptoms. Many people were in need of respirators and many died regardless. Conspiracy theories were popping up. With all of this confusion people were getting more and more angry. Watching, hearing, or reading about the events around our country were discouraging. Protests and riots were happening. My immediate neighborhood was never in danger of rioters but the down town area in Sacramento was affected. Were we ever going to heal as a nation? Would we be able to trust again? What could I do about anything? I kept my eyes and ears open to whatever I could do to improve our situation. I could no longer visit the elderly in the rest homes by bringing them spiritual comfort and friendship. The rest homes were one of the first hardest hit with Covid. I used to take Holy Communion once a week and would try to make conversation with the patients. It was good for them but it was also good for me to be in a position to bring a little joy into their boring lives. Service to others is a value I cherish. A friend of mine said she started to help making the mandated masks that we are to wear whenever we go outside. It was a great opportunity to help others, keep myself busy, and feel I was contributing to fellow man. The Sacramento Face Mask Project gave me the opportunity to serve again. A group of people donated the materials. Other groups cut the material to standard sizes, while another group delivered and picked up the finished masks. I was able to sew about 200 masks (see pictures). I never met with a person to show me how to sew the masks so I looked on line (something new to me) and figured out how to fold, sew, and press the masks. These masks were put into plastic bags, left outside my door, and picked up by another person. That person would also leave me another supply of materials to make more masks. The finished masks were given at no cost to organizations like the Veterans Administration and other institutions. Our project ended early January since masks are now available for purchase almost everywhere. Wearing face masks is essential but so is hand sanitizing, and social distancing. As a practicing Catholic I went to Mass every day. We social distanced, 6 feet apart, sanitized as we walked into the church building and signed in so that if there were someone infected we could be informed to quarantine ourselves or even get tested. The governor of California eventually closed all churches. We eventually opened for a small limited number of persons in the church building together with the protocol of social distancing, sanitation, mask wearing, and signing in. Opening up for indoor Mass or services again was prohibited. A federal mandate was given in January so places of worship are now able to resume as long as the protocols are followed and a certain percentage of the capacity is enforced. To live my faith and receiving Holy Communion on a daily basis is a privilege I hold dear. It does for my soul what food does for my body. Going to church is important to me but so is being part of a community. Zoom enters my world. I resolved to be “techy”, learn more about how to use technology. It was a steep learning curve but I approached it valiantly. My daughter, granddaughters, and other family members help me navigate the web. The trick for me was to “just do it”. I experiment and did not give up pushing buttons, or keys. Zoom is now a part of my life. I meet with friends and relatives about five times a week through Zoom, Duo, telephone conferencing, internet, email, messaging. I do most of my bill paying by phone or internet. I buy products and gifts through Amazon. Almost all business is conducted by phone or internet. If I don’t know how to do it I just “do it” by calling the company or by asking my daughter, son, or friends how to do it. They walk me through it and it gets done. It’s not always easy or smooth. Scheduling a Covid 19 Vaccination was a long process. After the first targeted group, first responders, was met the next tier was the 75+ yr olds. I’m obviously in that category. Kaiser Permanently got their share of vaccines but not enough. I called several times but they were no longer taking appointments until they got another batch of vaccines. “Don’t call us, we’ll call you” seemed to be the message. I tried two counties and other hospitals that were providing the vaccines. I couldn’t get an appointment for different reasons. Finally my doctor gave me the link to be able to sign up for an appointment. I am one of the people who welcomes the vaccine but there are those who are not comfortable with the vaccine and oppose it. Respecting differences is something I think we are learning to do or at least realizing that it must remain optional. Flexibility of mind is as important as elasticity is for the body if we want to stay young. Greatly limiting our family interaction is heartbreaking. Visiting, hugging, and just hanging out together whenever we want is almost impossible without great risks. Our holiday gatherings and birthday celebrations are kept very small or non existent. Not being able to see our elderly and/or sick family and friends is very sad for all of us. I’ve always been a part of my three eldest granddaughter’s lives. They range from 8-17. I have not been able to visit my fourth granddaughter who is now two years old. She doesn’t know me except through video and Duo phone calls. I am almost a stranger to my youngest granddaughter. I have the hope that after I get vaccinated and our situation improves I can fly safely to visit her in Idaho. We never stop growing. Things are not just black and white. Finding the truth or the best solution for a community takes flexibility. We hear each other. We work together. We take chances. We risk. We admit our failings but we don’t give up. It’s never too late to improve. This world wide pandemic experience has allowed many of us to discoverer our priorities. There are so many aspects in our lives that have been affected by the pandemic that it would take books to describe how deep and wide this affects us all. My immediate surroundings that I’ve described here in this little essay is not all that has affected me. I have friends in other countries that have even less ability to help themselves. I am connected to them. I grieve for them and for us, but I won’t give up.

A few days after New Years 2020, I was working at RPM Italian as a polisher. The night was slightly busy but the night sky was cold. Being a polisher, my uniform would often get wet and seeing how part of my job was to throw out the linen bags, I would walk out into the cold with my wet uniform. The following days, I developed a cough and grew more persistent over time. At the time, I was prone to getting bronchitis because of an existing respiratory condition I have. I thought nothing of it and being a frequent news reader I was aware of a "pneumonia-like virus" breaking out in China, but I thought nothing of it. Over the next days, I realized that my apatite was lost and barely ate dinner because it felt that I had already eaten a large lunch. My wife chuckle and said it was probably my self-diagnosed lung infection. Thing is, I've had lung infections before and I NEVER lost my apatite. Around the same time, my father who rarely gets sick, came home from work early after getting a 103 f fever and was bedridden for three days. My little brother soon followed with my mom losing her sense of taste which she attributed to allergies or "the flu" as we thought my father and brother had. Then, on the day Kobe Bryant died, I developed a massive fever of 105 f and my coughing grew worse. I lost my apatite, I rarely slept, I had developed extreme body aches, felt chess pressure and often found myself grasping for air. My wife said that I may have developed pneumonia and I was reluctant to get it checked out because I had no insurance. Fearing for my health, I went to my healthcare provider Erie Health Center. There, I expected to be diagnosed with bronchitis, an upper respiratory tract infection or worst case scenario pneumonia. However, when the doctor saw my condition and heard my symptoms he said that it wasn't: pneumonia, bronchitis or a lung infection. Baffled I said then what do I have and he responded with: "mhmmmmm do you have asthma?" I said I did when I was younger but I out grew it. His response: "That's it. It's asthma". Unsatisfied, I said its not it because I haven't had any asthma complications in over a decade. He later said that a lung operation I had when I was three days old might be the culprit. Once again, I questioned it. He conceded and asked if I wanted to get x-rays done. I agreed and went to Northwestern Medical Center with Erie covering the costs. I got my x-rays done and I decided to go have lunch with my wife. Then, I started coughing, lost my apatite and developed a fever. We took an uber and went home were I collapsed on my bed and was knocked out cold in a nice sleep for 20 hours. The cough never went away until late February when talks of a potential lockdown to contain COVID was being discussed. I never thought much of what I had that winter until my mom got an anti-body test where she came out positive for the anti-bodies. The same day we watched a COVID special on Netflix and they highlighted the COVID symptoms. The ones that stuck out to me was: loss of apatite, chest pressure, fatigue, coughing, short-breaths, fever and trouble focusing. I clicked everything and realized: "Holy shit. I must've had COVID before it was cool" (ironically). Ever since my illness as I described, my mind has become more "foggy" with me having trouble focusing, remembering and even stuttering more often. Trouble focusing has been mentioned as a COVID complication in your post-battle with the infection. Fast forward to February 2021, I went back to Erie to get my yearly physical done expecting to hear my sugar levels were off the charts. Except, my doctor walked in and first thing he said was: "so you had problems breathing in last year January?" I gave him a stare and asked "you don't think that I had..." and he interrupted and said "sir, you either had COVID before we knew what it was or you had some exotic virus" mentioning the latter in a sarcastic tone. There I realized, how chill I took COVID and literally brushed it off multiple times as a lung infection and nothing serious when in reality it was. Had I known what I had was COVID at the time that I had it, I would have been panicking and picturing death at my door. Often, your mindset can be just as dangerous as the illness itself.

I submitted this as an account for what it is like to have both great things and bad things happen during the pandemic.

Muchos dicen que los latinos tienen menos acesso a la vacuna del COVID pero creo que hay otra razón por lo cual nuestra gente no se estan vacunando. La duda de la vacuna. En este artículo la doctora Marina Del Ríos, médica de la sala de emergencias, explica las barreras enfrentando la communidad Latina y Hispana. Este artículo tambien explica los numeros bajos de los vacunados. Es verdad que hay muchas barreras pero de lo personal e visto mucha duda entre mi communidad.

Natalia Martin Cantero comparte su experiencia con el virus. Describe como llevaba meses ecribiendo de las experiencias de otros y nunca se imagino que estubiera escribiendo de su vida personal. Su padre callo enfermo en Enero, termino en cuidado intensivos y fallecio en Abril de complicaciones a los 75 años. Natalia Martin Cantero shares her experience with the virus. She describes how she spent months writing about others' experiences and never thought she would be writing about her personal life. Her father became ill in January, ended up in an intensive care unit, and passed away in April at the age of 75.

CNN explores the "war like" scenario Brazil is currently dealing with as they tackle a local variant.

Living in a divided nation I felt it necessary to follow various news outlets. I've realized that many times the truth usually lies somewhere in the middle. Actually, I think the truth usually lies somewhere closer to the left side but that's beside the point. I found this post by Fox News to be interesting because it talks about how conservative TV Host Laura Ingram thinks history will be written. I rarely agree with anything Fox News posts but in this case, I agree that history will record the many villains that have been exposed during the pandemic. I agree that many special interests bodies will be listed but I don't think it will include teachers. I don't think it's farfetched to say that the conservative's push to return back to school has more to do with money and less to do with children. It's funny how she says it's time to "follow the science" where were these conservatives when science said masks help stop the spread of COVID?

MSNBC reports on an alarming surge in Brazil and how it is trying to deal with a local variant and its politicians who still deny the severity of COVID-19.

Time magazine explores the effects COVID-19 has had on students, especially those who spent their last year in High School dealing with quarantine and virtual learning.

A friend shares an update on how Covid is currently affecting India and the new measures put in place to control the spread. He adds information on the US consulate because he is a US citizen living in India.

This is a reflection of the first day that Covid affected me.

I got my Moderna vaccine at the Branch- Hillsdale - St. Joseph Community Health Agency Vaccination Clinic held in Hillsdale Public High School. My first Moderna shot was on Wednesday, March 31, 2021. It was well run - I hardly had time to sit down. There was no waiting. It was held in a large gymnasium. Everyone was wearing masks, which is rare in this part of Michigan. I was relieved & quiet while I got my shot, just taking it in. Later that night my arm was sore at the injection site. I was also exhausted that evening, but I think the exhaustion was more of a psychological response to finally starting my vaccination journey, & not a side effect of the vaccine. My husband got his two weeks previously at a Rite Aid in Coldwater, Michigan. He also got a Moderna shot.

"El Sistema de Monitoreo Territorial es una plataforma de recolección y generación de información que hace parte del sistema de información propio de la Organización Nacional Indígena de Colombia." "The Territorial Monitoring System is a platform for collecting and generating information that is part of the information system of the National Indigenous Organization of Colombia"

This piece describes the minor hardships I have experienced during Covid as a young man who happens to be Asian.

This data is presented by Talia Quandelacy, Infectious Disease Epidemiologist and Native American, to illustrate COVID-19 cases/deaths in Native American communities in July 2020, from publicly available information.

Even the Bigfoot inside Saturday's discount store/gas station in Leadville, Colorado wears a mask. I took this photo while getting gas and snacks over the summer. It made me smile after a hard week- if Bigfoot can do it, so can I.

While I was looking around the internet for updates on COVID, I came across the information from www.covidactnow.com that Jackson, Michigan was the top Daily New COVID Cases per 100k people in the country. This was on March 26, 2021. As of April 10, 2021, (when I submitted this information) Jackson was still in the number 1 metro spot. This where my family lives & where I work. This was very upsetting to me. Many people still don’t wear masks. And if they do, many wear them under their nose. In some ways, I’m not surprised (but disappointed) that the virus really started to circulate here because of the way the community doesn’t respect public health orders.

I am on Twitter. I have used Twitter as a news source since before the pandemic broke in early 2020. This is a screen shot of how I learned my husband (who has pre-existing medical conditions & is 43 years old) & I ( 38 years old) would be eligible to get vaccinated. I will never forget this moment. I felt elated, joyful, & relieved. It was like a cloud that I didn’t even know was looming over me had lifted.

Wanting to see the grandkids, my in-laws stopped by. They live about 45 minutes away. Everyone was outside, keeping about 6 ft apart with masks on while the kids played.

My daughter turned five on February 19, 2021. We had no family or friends over to celebrate. We had individual Zoom calls with each set of grandparents & a Zoom birthday cake celebration with all of the aunts, uncle, cousins, a great aunt & grandparents late in the evening. People sent their gifts ahead of time. She opened them throughout the day. We gave our daughter her birthday gifts, too. This particular photo is showing virtual Bingo. One set of grandparents sent over a Bingo card set & they had a copy of the same one. We played the game virtually. My daughter had a lot of fun.

Conversation with Armani Richard and the impact of COVID-19 on Arizona education. Currently studying at Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College and fulfilling a promising career in the Army.

Conversation with Kristina Erickson an Arizona K-12 educator. Ms. Erickson weigh-ins on the March 15th executive order, in-person instruction, COVID protocols and procedures, and the future of education in her community

This is a comprehensive (but not exhaustive) list of the most common Corona themed vocabulary used by in the U.S. While a definition of each term is not provided, linked websites provide context and explanations of many of the words. Culled from a variety of real world sources, what is most important about these terms is what their use says about the culture they created/were used in. From the use of everyday pandemic language, researchers can gain a window into the COVID experience in a way that is inaccessible even in photographs. These terms also show the United States was undergoing dramatic social and cultural change and some terms highlight the political conflict that was often meshed with Corona in the U.S. The vocabulary also shows a degree of conformity in U.S. culture as all of these terms became part of most Americans' vocabulary. The case of the work "healthcare worker" and "virtual" are two examples of this. Before medical staff, nurse doctor, EMT, online, distance learning, etc. were used to refer to these things, but now Americans have dropped them for the COVID versions. This shows how powerful Corona vocabulary has become.

Hello, My name is Melaine, I live in Hughesdale, Victoria, Australia and I would like to share this story of subtle community spirit that came through during the COVID-19 Pandemic of 2020. I am also legally blind. Thank you for your time. Melaine

This is an image of a sign that says stay six feet apart. This "six feet apart" phrase was created because of the CDC guidelines that if you stay six feet apart from another person you are "safe" from contracting COVID-19.

On March 11, 2021, the Arizona State Health Department reported seven counties, including Maricopa, were coded as "substantial transmission rate", however, this rate is technically one level under the serious risk categories. The remaining counties (six) were deemed "moderate" and were set to reopen by March 15. The NPR article argues about the irrelevancy of the order because more than half of the schools in the county are offering some form of in-person instruction, this order didn't change much for that particular school. For some schools, Osborn and Cartwright, the order actually sped their reopening date. In the Osborn case, school officials pushed for reopening because they confirmed that more than half of their teachers had been vaccinated. In places like Coconino and Pinal counties where transmission levels are exceedingly high, the school districts are exempt from reopening. Again, the effectiveness of the March 15th executive order is questionable at best.

Graduate student Colin Larter from Minnesota State University is seeking participants for a survey focusing on service industry and factory workers to share their experience about their jobs. The survey is completely anonymous, and he is planning to utilize the data he gathers for his thesis. As a former retail worker, he understands the importance of sharing these experiences. This flyer was shared on the Target reddit page, and likely other places on the internet, in hopes that there would be a variety of individuals participating.

Because of the struggle the pandemic has put on small businesses and restaurants, Thrillest has created a webpage that lists a variety of businesses with links to merchandise, donation pages, and places to buy gift cards. By providing this support, Thrillest is trying to prevent any small businesses from closing due to the pandemic, and are spreading the word about small businesses that need support to encourage people to support them rather than large companies that aren't necessarily struggling during this time. They hope to serve the service industry, providing direct support for businesses in many major cities across the U.S.

While some states are lifting their mask mandates, many regions and companies are still asking people to wear them in order to protect both employees and fellow individuals. While there are official printable signs available from both government sites and the CDC, there are also more stable signs for sale that can be displayed at places of business. This shows how industries adapt to current issues, as two years ago these signs were nonexistent, but are now fairly common at places that would like to protect their employees. Even with signs such as these, there is still conflict arising regarding masks, more than a year after the pandemic became a worldwide concern. These signs are an additional expense for businesses, but could prove to be more noticeable than a paper in the window.

This video utilizes a Tiktok trend involving a specific audio as well as filter to illustrate internet issues an individual is facing. The audio is a clip from the song 'Got Me Good' by Ciara.

This tiktok is from an individual showing several site outages/internet connectivity issues across multiple major sites. The caption indicates that he was trying to complete his work when faced with this issue. He is utilizing a site that indicates which sites are down which is shown in the video.

This short video from Tiktok is about an individual dealing with internet issues and being frustrated about connectivity issues. It seems in part to be satirical as he unplugs and plugs the modem back in.

This academic article is in the Lancet, a medical journal. I chose this because it is public, unlike some academic articles, and it is, as of right now, a pretty unique research article. Although it is done in the UK, it reviewed medical records, both physical and mental, from 2017 to 2020. The changes are a little surprising, as the largest reductions in health care at the start of the restrictions were diabetic emergencies, depression, and self-harm. This is something I have seen a lot in my research into the unintended consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. Mental illness is the last thing to be cared for in a pandemic, or even in other natural disasters. The consequences on human health from this pandemic are only just now coming to light. This journal entry covers in-depth research and I highly suggest it.

I know I have presented a pretty eye catching and exciting title, but the fact of the matter is, they aren't going down. The amount of people who have cancer has not plummeted, as the title suggests. Rather, the statistics have gone down. As the article states, "new findings offer grim evidence of the consequences of delayed care: A rise in undetected cancers that, when eventually diagnosed, may be more advanced and difficult to treat." I think this is a great reminder that statistics are not the people they represent, and many things effect the numbers. This is relevant to my research on the unintended consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.

I have been researching the unintended consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. One consequence that interests me the most is people missing important specialist appointments for things like heart disease or cancer. I would have assumed that it would be the lower class skipping these appointments the most due to the fact that is many cases it is already harder for lower class people to get to regular appointments. But this article proves my thought wrong, and states that the lower and middle class people have less opportunity to miss these appointments. They tend to have more healthcare problems, according to the article, and therefore need the appointments more. In addition, the numbers might reflect the fact that lower income people don't go to the doctor as much as higher income people in general, therefore the numbers were low to begin with. The article is a very interesting read and I highly suggest it.

These pictures are a collection of Corona themed products from summer 2020 to January 2021. As you can see, there was a great variety of products and some of the most unusual appeared starting 2021. Of particular note is the coffee mug and a small wall plaque. Even the infant phrases "Social distancing" and "Healthcare worker" had crept into daily items in real stores. By fall, masks were being advertised in stores on long plastic hangers and had become just as common on random aisles as dish gloves, scrubber pads, and dryer balls. By January 2021, companies had begun to get creative with masks and shields. The final picture shows a set of children's face shields encased with the features of animal heads. This was likely to appeal to children who like to pretend to be animals. One company also began to make masks in small, medium, large, and extra large, to accommodate the variety of face shapes among the public (not pictured). The most important thing about all these products is that they show how deeply embedded Corona had become in United States culture despite the fact that it was not even a year since the virus appeared in the U.S. This indicates that companies were actively involved in both creating and maintaining a COVID consumer culture that tied what people experienced to what they could buy. Although more difficult to determine, it also shows a demand for such items both out of necessity (masks) and for leisure or fun (mug, animal shields). These items also reveal that COVID-19 was a highly unique event in that it was so marketable. No other event in the 21st century generated as much cultural/societal presence as Corona. These products should be further studied to see what better understanding about Corona can be gained from them.

A year of my life… I tour ASU and decide it will be my college. Coronavirus arrives. My high school senior year abruptly ends. My twelfth and final season of high school baseball is cancelled. Our state goes on lockdown and we all stay home. Easter. No family get together. Church is closed. People around the world start to die by the thousands. Fear and anger spreads around social media. My grandfather falls and breaks his jaw and is in the hospital for a month. My older brothers and sisters keep their jobs but work from home. My nephew’s schools and daycares close. George Floyd dies at the hands of the police in Minnesota. All hell breaks loose in Portland…protests, riots, looting everywhere. Everyone takes sides. Blacks vs the police, the establishment, the government. Politician vs politician. Family member vs family member. Violence, tear gas, extremists. Whites stand with blacks. Moms join in protest. Black Lives Matter. All Lives Matter. No don’t say that. That is racist. Churches protest. They want to stay open. Freedom to worship, they say. Over 230 people get Covid at a Pentecostal church in Oregon. Pastors downplay the risks of the coronavirus, then die of coronavirus. They lose their battle in the courts. A wedding in Maine…55 guests…177 get sick with Covid…7 die – none of whom were at the wedding. A superspreader event. Superspreader. Our new vocabulary. Wear your mask. Our new normal. Another suicide in my school district. I turn 18. I am registered for classes at ASU but attending is up in the air. I work as a GrubHub deliverer because everyone is ordering food from home. We get together with family outdoors. I have a graduation party…in July. Graduated seniors get to play a couple of baseball games at the local minor league field. I am undefeated for my senior season. I pitch, hit, and field well. What might have been… August comes. August 15…I move into Hassayampa…115 degrees…new roommate…I start college…I get Covid…so does my roommate…so does our suitemate…and many others…September 8…I move out of Hassayampa…my roommate and I move into an apartment. Life gets better. Fires sweep through Oregon. And California. And Arizona. ASU cancels finals week. Election. All hell breaks loose. Again. I move home before Thanksgiving. My brother-in-law gets sick with Covid 19. My brother and sister-in-law get sick with Covid 19. My first term of college ends. Christmas. Politics. I won. No, I won. Sounds like kindergarten. These people run our government? I delete most of my social media. I am sick of it. I am sick of everybody. Sick of this year. January. ASU cancels spring break. Back to school. Things are different. The newness has worn off. Covid is a drag. School is a drag. I lose my best friend. I go home. I go back. Ice storm in Portland…power out…broken trees. I go home. I go back. Trying to keep going. Trying to survive. Class is a blur. I stare at the screen. The information goes through me. I am not there. I do my homework. I bomb my exams. My grades are ok…but am I learning anything? Who knows? Who cares? School will be over soon. Virtual work. Virtual school. Virtual life. I will finish the year with over 40 credits. I will never have stepped foot in a college classroom. I will never have talked to a college professor. I will have met very few people. Fall will come. I will be starting over. We all will be. I hope. #REL101