These are pictures of one-way-only signs posted in a Texas Walmart on May 28th and June 11 2020. Many stores such as HEB, Target, and Sam's Club also had similar signs in there stores. The purpose of these signs was to encourage the public to walk in only one direction on each aisle of the store. Stores created an elaborate zig zag pattern using this method. At the time, it was thought that the risk of contracting COVID could be minimized by keeping people from congregating in the same space such as going in and out of the same aisle entrance. Some peopled followed the signs, but it was not a state law so others did not. These photos are important because they show the great extent stores took to try and minimize the spread of COVID. Stores were very concerned about projecting the image of a safe shopping experience in their stores. However, they also hint at the legalistic bent many COVID precautions were beginning to take on. Another implied effect of this arrangement was that by encouraging all people to go in the same direction, stores increased the risk that their customers might catch COVID-19 as everyone was to follow the exact path the person in front of them had. This was the type of situation these signs were supposed to prevent.

This is an oral history interview with Joan Church and Keith Sciarra. Keith gives his insight on how covid-19 has affected wildlife. Keith has many years working within wildlife, specifically with dolphins and ocean life. He gives us advice on how we can help the cause after covid and talks on the topic of ocean conservation.

At the start of the pandemic, the state of Massachusetts Department of Public Health shut down EMT psychomotor exams which meant that we could not certify new EMTs for several months. This is a terrible thing for an industry that was already having staffing problems before the pandemic began. Then in the summer, the state began to allow us to hold the exams again but under significant restrictions. We had to limit our exams to 8 students which meant that we were forced to hold several small exams instead on one larger one (a logistical nightmare). The students had to do the exam in full PPE with constant hand-washing and sanitation requirements. This past week, the state sent out new provisions regarding psychomotor exams. Thankfully, now we can hold larger exams again. Many of the other regulations are still in place, but the fact that we can have all of our students test at the same time makes things so much easier.

There are socialization concerns among adults and adolescents, and most are aware of the reasons behind that. However, children still in early developmental stages (infants, toddlers) may struggle in the long-term. The article primarily revolves around the words and expertise of senior scientist at Haskins Laboratories and a professor adjunct at the Yale Child Study Center, David Lewkowicz. There are physical, emotional, and mental struggles that could negatively impact early childhood development. Examples of these struggles are with how they learn languages by visual and auditory associations, which can be difficult with masks. Another related to masks is facial recognition. Lewkowicz isn't filled with bad news, though. More time and direct attention given to face-to-face interactions and more explicit expressions of emotions can help compensate. These early years are when children are very adaptable as they take in the world around them, so there is hope for more perceptive children coming out of the pandemic rather than a decline.

This is an article about the variants of COVID-19 that are either present or emerging in the United States. It is meant to keep EMS providers informed with up-to-date information so that they can provide the best care to patients. Some of the variants are more dangerous/have more symptoms than others. It notes that there is 5 variants of concern, which have increased transmissibility and increased hospitalizations/deaths. While this is not great news, it is a good thing that there are currently no variants in the world that are considered variants of high consequence by the CDC, which essentially means that medicine does not have effective means of treating it. Hopefully this remains the case and we can start to see a drop off of the variants of concern soon.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the controversial governor of New York, announced earlier this month that they plan to build a monument to first responders in New York City. First responders were among the group of people that were on the front lines of the pandemic response. This monument will be designed to honor the efforts and sacrifices by New York's first responders. In the coming months and years, I think we will see many other states do a similar thing for their first responders and healthcare workers.

In order to relieve some stress for COVID-19 testing, the BC Children's hospital in Vancouver, Canada is supplying 1,200 testing kits to 1,000 schools. It's supposed to be replenished as needed. However, the main purpose is to make testing more accessible (without medical facility visitations). Those who show symptoms, or simply get a runny nose, may be sent home.

California is soon expanding their vaccine eligibility to 16 and older on April 15, 2021. The plans for expanding it even more aren't expected to be for sometime. However, the announcement from Pfizer-BioNTech stating that the vaccine is safe and effective for 12 and older does give some hope for a quicker time frame. The is a focus on giving children and adolescents back their youth. There are schools opening with hybrid instructions (online and on-site instruction), but there the on-site hours are always rotating students to minimize crowd interaction. The article goes on to include opinions from parents of adolescents, which emphasized the importance of getting everyone (school faculty and students alike) vaccinated. Everyone seems eager to get back to pre-pandemic life as soon as possible, so the eligibility expansion does receive as good news and gives the public hope. Naturally, however, it’s not all good news as people need to remain informed and cautious. The article reminds us that variants of the virus have the potential to harm younger children. Notably, it’s the B117 strain that’s been said by Dr. Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, that can be “50% to 60% more contagious than other strains of Covid-19” from his observations of Minnesota schools.

With a goal of 200 million vaccine shots by the 100th day in office, President Biden announced that the deadline (May 1) for eligibility will move up to April 19. Actions to vaccinate the country are speeding up. This motion will open up eligibility to “90% of adults”. States such as New Jersey, South Dakota and Nebraska plan to expand that eligibility to 16 and older even sooner to the deadline. Naturally, part of the process is to market the vaccine to the general public, especially to the ones hesitant to get the vaccine. That funding is coming from the COVID-19 economic relief package ($1.9 trillion).

Californian schools are opening back up, but there continue to be concerns over employees and their families. Although there have been some employees working at schools the past year (i.e. custodians), those working remotely (i.e. teachers) continue to face challenges in child care. Due to this, "Los Angeles Unified School District earlier this week announced it would provide a day care stipend of $500 a month for each child under age 5 to all full-time employees, including teachers." The Service Employees International Union (SEIU 1021) did clarify within the article by Sacramento Bee that some demands could not be met. Among the demands was a one-time stipend amount of $1,500 for employees with children aged 3 - 14. This is an ongoing issue with its latest update on April 10, 2021 being: a weekly stipend of $125 for employees with children aged under 14. This represents one of the issues employees of educational institutions are facing. They’re hesitant to return to in-person instruction. Although there’s a fair amount of news coverage of children returning to school, the ones hesitant (especially those responsible for the school to run smoothly) should also be acknowledged.

The Muscogee Creek Nation began a campaign in Oklahoma to provide COVID-19 vaccines to rural residents. The mobile vehicles feature refrigeration units and enough room for three nurses to work on administering the vaccine, completing the paperwork, and entering the data to the online system. "I'm not aware of anyone else taking vaccine into communities via a mobile unit so we are really excited to be able to expand this service into our rural communities and we hope to increase vaccination rates because of it," said Shoneen Alexander-Ross, Chief Performance Officer with the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Department of Health.

Build Back Better

Today was momentous. After 13 months, I ran a tentative (but amazing) five miles outside, in my neighborhood. I’d like to say it’s because now that I’m two weeks past my second dose of vaccine and back to teaching in person full time, I feel safe. Nope. It’s actually just that my best and most reliable quarantine companion, my treadmill, died. The poor motor is toast and even after taking it apart and trying to fix it, it is beyond repair. As a competitive trail runner, my treadmill was supposed to be a backup. It was never intended for daily use. I live in Southern CA, it’s a very rare day the weather isn’t great for running. However, quarantine turned my occasional treadmill run into a daily experience, but after a year, my low end, but loyal treadmill couldn’t take any more runs. I mean, I did run a marathon on the poor thing in December (and a variety of other virtual races throughout the year). So thank you trusty treadmill for getting me through this pandemic year. Thanks for not only supporting my daily runs, but also the 9 - 15 miles walks I would take on you while grading. Thanks for letting my daughter run on you three times a week to stay in shape for competitive gymnastics. And thanks for waiting to die until two weeks after my second vaccination. And most of all, thanks for dying and forcing me back out (fully masked) into the world I love running in so much.

COVID-19 has gone through a number of classifications. First as a “flu,” then as a “respiratory disease,” then as a “vascular disease,” and is in more recent studies, as a “brain disease.” Some reports are finding that one out of three COVID-19 survivors have mental health and/or neurological issues. This not only informs us of the complexity of COVID-19, but also brings light to the need to continue medical and psychological support of COVID survivors. Some survivors are described as having PTSD, and anxiety disorders are being diagnosed in a number of survivors. Neurologically, many survivors report “brain fog” and other issues. Another unexpected toll the virus takes on those infected.

One of the more positive outcomes of COVID-19 has been the mobilization of people to support one another and help mitigate the spread of the virus. Survivor Corps, started by an early COVID-19 patient, is “a grassroots solution-based movement to mobilize the sharply increasing number of people affected by COVID-19 to come together, support and participate in the medical and scientific research community efforts and take a more active role in trying to mitigate this pandemic.” Organizations such as this demonstrate the best in people and our potential and desire to work toward the common goal of beating this virus.

When it comes to COVID-19, it seems there are more questions than answers. For some COVID-19 survivors, their COVID experience didn’t end after their infection ended. These people, referred to as “long haulers” have dealt with fatigue, brain fog, muscle aches, breathing difficulties, and insomnia. However, a surprising and potentially positive development has come out of the vaccine - long haulers symptoms are disappearing! Many patients struggling with long term COVID effects are reporting these effects disappearing after receiving their vaccination. Research, of course, needs to be conducted to pinpoint why, but this seems to be another light at the end of the tunnel for so many people who have struggling with long term COVID symptoms.

(updated March 19, 2021) CDC report on scientific findings in terms of COVID-19, children, adolescents, and the unlikely transmission potential among these two groups (18 or younger). The experiences of other countries opening at various points during the pandemic contribute to the knowledge laid out in the report. One example of a recommended prevention strategy, physical distancing, is explained as a determining factor in preventing transmission. Yet, as the research shows, the prescribed 6-foot distance is less of a stress point when observing children and adolescents. In other words, several US studies have found low transmission rates when children are separated less than 6 feet. The same applies to children and adult interactions.

This article, from The Atlantic, analyzes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) assertion that adequate ventilation, proper face coverings, and social distancing in schools will prevent transmission and a surge in COVID-19. The CDCs argument, which the author of the article fully supports, bases their support for in-person instruction on the "preponderance of available evidence," which includes both US studies and European. According to the CDC, people under 18, and young children especially, are less likely to infection and less likely to suffer severe symptoms. Moreover, one comprehensive plan to return children to the class includes access to vaccinations, high-quality scientific information, and strict COVID protocols.

The photo is a simple picture but I think it gives in insight into what many people were doing during the pandemic. It's a picture of a tequila bottle and a pack of Emergen-C. I know personally along with many of my friends we were drinking a lot during the time of being in lockdown. There was not much to do and we could only do so much staying indoors. We would watch tv, eat, sleep and do it all over again. The picture shows that while we were trying to staying healthy we were also drinking our days away.

State troopers arrested a Georgia lawmaker who was knocking on Gov. Brian Kemp’s office door, in protest of the closed-door signing of a bill that would restrict voter access. Critics, including Rep. Park Cannon, say the new laws will disenfranchise Black and Democratic voters. “I am not the first Georgian to be arrested for fighting voter suppression. I’d love to say I’m the last, but we know that isn’t true.”

#TBT That time we closed down Figueroa street in protest fighting injustices to the people! - If you saw my recent IG story where the police violated the rights of a black Deaf woman, this is a reminder we need to keep standing up, speaking up for our rights to be treated as a human being. I can not tolerate a world where those with power prey on those who understand thier power. - When I say Black Lives Matter this what I stand for everything else you see is just noise and will push away because all I know is Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. - Stand with Me. Let's do our part to shape a better world. Power to the People all the time.✊🏿 - 📷 Gratitude @aanaconda

Rights were violated I wanted to share this video for several reasons. The focus is on how the police responds to the deaf mother and 1) asks the twins so many questions in front of the mom who does not know what is being said here. 2) You never handcuff a deaf person behind their back. 3) The Americans with Disabilities Act was violated. 4) The cop got mad at Mom for not “listening to directions.” Really. 5) The deaf person is the one who is left in the dark literally. She is the focus here yet she does not know what is happening. Unfortunately, this is too common in deaf and hard of hearing people’s experience with the police. This should not be the common experience in dealing with the police. There are more reasons, but the point is… this is one reason why the deaf people are so hesitant about getting help/support from the police. I hope this video as traumatizing, becomes a lesson. Police reform is much needed in so many areas, including learning how to communicate & how to work with deaf and hard of hearing people, the DO’s and the DON’Ts as seen here. I hope to see more training with the police departments in understanding how to work with deaf and hard of hearing people. I pray for healing for Mom- @burgundre Drizzy, and her twins. You can go and support her as she fights this. Trigger warning here. Posted @withregram • @kelly4access 11 year old twin girls are forced by police (Michael Rose of the North Las Vegas PD) to interpret for their deaf mom and are interrogated while she is handcuffed. @burgundre recorded recorded her encounter on FB Live. Thanks so much @dpantv for working late in the night to make this accessible!! #asl #captions #signlanguage #police #discrimination #injustice #ada #policebrutality #whyisign #askmewhyisign

A film by the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and Earthjustice Written and Directed by Josué Rivas Narrated by Grace DeRockbrain Cinematography by: Josué Rivas, Adam Johansson. Drone2Bwild, Digital Smoke Signals, Akicita Film Edited by Dylan Sylwester Audio by Natalie Huizenga Community Outreach and Recording: Sunshine Woman Grace DeRockbrain (Standing Rock Sioux Tribe) Teena Pugliese and AnnaLee Yellow Hammer Translation: Doug Goodfeather Co-Producers: Rebecca Bowe and Chris Jordan-Bloch for Earthjustice

Water Protectors Blockade Enbridge Office Demanding #StopLine3! This morning, 11 water protectors locked to one another in front of all entrances to Enbridge’s Bemidji, MN, office, protesting the company bulldozing through Minnesota wetlands, watersheds and Anishinaabe treaty territory as lawsuits led by three Ojibwe tribes opposed to Line 3 remain pending. The Enbridge office sits in Beltrami County, one of the top-billing counties to the “Public Safety Escrow Trust” funded by Enbridge and overseen by Minnesota to pay police for all costs associated with Line 3 protests. Much of Northern Minnesota has heavily militarized, purchasing riot gear, less lethal weapons and ammunition, etc. Law enforcement along the proposed route have billed thousands of hours of “overtime” to Enbridge, with Cass County alone billing 7,500 hours to the Enbridge escrow account in 3 months. Indigenous people and local residents have reported heavy surveillance, targeted pullovers and harassment by law enforcement in connection with Line 3 resistance. Water Protector Khalea said, “During Ferguson so many people came out and supported us, and I want to keep doing that... I am here for the liberation of all oppressed people, for the earth, for the liberation of all of our people, I am here to stand with Mother Earth and to protect the water and the wild rice and to stand with my Indigenous friends and loved ones as we all fight this collectively, we are all opposing these systems of oppression.” Water Protector Alex said, “This is part of my responsibility as someone who is a guest on this land and as someone who faces the impacts of climate change. Enbridge lies.” Water Protector Ishmaiah said, “I have spent the last several years fighting for the liberation in St. Louis, specifically Black St. Louis, and I see this as expanding and having a more holistic approach to what that fight can look like, because this land and this water touches us, and I think without that connection, grounding myself in the land and the water, doing solidarity with my Indigenous family, we can sometimes forget about the universal struggles around us.”

2020 is the year of covered faces. My deafness is invisible until I start signing, and I rely on facial cues, so mask wearing has been challenging. But according to @google this year, the world searched twice as much for "invisible disability" than last year. More knowledge, more visibility. Keep wearing masks and keep asking why. Check out this and other trends at google.com/yearinsearch #YearInSearch

Lauren Ridloff thanks their followers for making their second birthday in a pandemic a special one and encourages everyone to keep fighting.

#WEARADAMNMASK   So excited to finally share the finished image for #GigiJournalPartII @vmagazine , which is officially on select newssstands! (Link in bio to order online) I couldn’t be more proud to be part of this very special publication, guest edited and creative directed by @gigihadid 💙    A month and a half ago while working on this, I never thought that at the time of the journal’s publication, cases in the US would be surging in 41 states and that hospitals would be swelling. For those who continue to resist precautionary measures and try to argue that the threat of this virus is false, I have family working in an ER full of COVID patients in Tennessee right now, and can promise you this is very real. So please, wear a fucking mask and wash your hands! It’s the absolute least we can do.     Thank you to all the essential workers, who now 4 months in, are continuing to risk their lives by going to work every day. This work is in honour if you 💙

Artist Misha Japanwala uses plaster as an artform. Here they made a plaster mold of their face and encourages people to wear a mask. Misha said this in their post: From sketch to reality 😷 (+ the unglamorous process where I look like Hannibal Lecter 😭) and please, wear a mask

Park Ave /Chandler St Worcester 3/6/21: another in our series of standouts urging the State House to scrap #CharlieBakerMA 's proposed changes to the Climate Bill approved by the House and Senate. #buildbackbetter #climatecrisis #stopthemoneypipeline #keepitintheground #justrecovery #justtransitition #MassGovernor #CharlieBakerMA

April 9th we rallied at #tdbank 295 Park Avenue demanding banks stop funding oil and gas projects including DAPL and Line 3 #shutdowndapl #stopline3 #stopthemoneypipeline @potus #buildbackbetter #justrecovery

The Governor of Colorado Jared Polis proposes to his boyfriend of seventeen years Marlon Reis due to their COVID-19 diagnosis where one of them had to be hospitalized. Members of Congress in his state had issues with him getting engaged to his longtime boyfriend due to their conservative views and the governor's response to the pandemic. The two long-time partners have two children together as well. Some residents of Colorado showed hate towards the Governor's news as he was an open and out government official and was the first Gay Colorado Governor in history.

The Pride events that normally are live and in-person are now going to be going virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Even though, this may be seen as a bad thing it is to keep all participants safe as the pandemic has been raging and the goal is to still celebrate Pride and also keep everyone safe. There is one positive that comes out of this online pride this year which is that allows people who may normally not participate in other parts of the world who could not travel to New York City or their area or country outlaws LGBTQ things can simply just have internet and log on and participate and celebrate pride. This being online may impact others in a positive manner by allowing these new people to have the courage to be advocates for LGBTQ people.

"There has been direct correlation with mental health disparities and sexual and gender minority (SGM) compared with cisgender heterosexual individuals. SGM members report having elevatedrates of emotional distress, symptoms related to mood and anxiety disorders, self-harm, and suicidal ideation and behavior. Social support is inversely related to psychiatric symptoms, regardless of SGM status. The COVID-19 pandemic—with its associated limited social interactions—represents an unprecedented period of acute distress with potential reductions in accessibility of social support, which might be of particular concern for SGM individuals' mental well-being. In the present study, we explored the extent to which potential changes in mental health outcomes (depressive symptoms, worry, perceived stress, positive and negative affect) throughout the duration of the pandemic were related to differences in perceptions of social support and engagement in virtual social activity, as a function of SGM status. "-Front Psychiatry. 2020; 11: 590318. Published online 2020 Dec 22. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.590318

This interview speaks about a teenager, Mohammed Husain, who has described her life through the course of the pandemic including how she has felt what she had experienced including some losses, things that have changed and ways she has coped. The set of questions provided are descriptive and offer directed questions that allow the interviewee to answer them thoroughly. Mohammed speaks about how she felt lonely during the pandemic. She describes things she has missed such as shopping going out with friends and effects on her mental health. She has also spoke about the limitations and how they have made her enjoy her own presence and made her evolve into a person who enjoys her own presence. She lists some positive aspects of the pandemic including closer relationships with family members along with a time to reflect on her own self. She has included that she has taken advantage of the time of the pandemic to really look back on her life and understand the moment as not everyone in their lifetime gets to live through such a scene.

The pandemic has exacerbated the Chinook’s lack of the kind of social safety net recognized tribes possess. While the COVID-19 mortality rate of Indigenous people is almost 2.5 times that of white people, unrecognized tribes have not received any of the $8 billion in government aid passed by Congress last spring. Nor have they received priority for tests or vaccines. Instead, they have to rely on neighboring tribes like the Grand Ronde and the Shoalwater Bay Tribe to vaccinate their elder knowledge-keepers. Chinook tribal members sometimes refer to the lack of recognition as slow-motion genocide. “Explain how it’s not genocide,” Johnson said to me. “Someone explain to me how it’s not.”

In a historic first, the U.S. Senate voted to confirm Debra Haaland (D-N.M.) on March 15, 2021, as President Biden’s secretary of the U.S. Department of Interior, making the second-term Democrat the first ever Native American to be a member of a White House Cabinet in U.S. History. In this role, Secretary Haaland, an enrolled member of the Laguna Pueblo, will oversee 70,000 employees and the country’s natural resources. The Department manages nearly 500 million acres of land, and notably, the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Bureau of Indian Education.

Last summer, 21 Indigenous people and allies, including Nick Tilsen, the president and CEO of NDN Collective, were met with force from the state police and arrested for protesting Trump’s rally at Mt. Rushmore. Though Trump and his group were violating multiple treaties with their presence, including one through the U.N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the Land Defenders faced multiple charges. Tilsen himself was facing a felony and up to 17 years in prison. Today, NDN Collective announced that the charges for Tilsen and all other activists arrested on July 3 will be dropped. This announcement comes after months of political pressure from grassroots groups, including petitions, social media campaigns, and local and national media coverage of the cases.

This is a story about how college student's mental health has been affected during COVID as a unique population. I wanted to include this to provide context about why my interviewee may have been reluctant to seek out resources due to the extra stress that he had been experiencing. This study goes into how the factors that college students, in particular, are experiencing. This article was done by a survey and shows how common these feelings are that may have deterred students from seeking help due to stress.

Both vaccine makers, Pfizer and Moderna, have tested the effectiveness of their vaccines against the UK variant and tests are showing the vaccines are effective against this strain. The POL EOC strongly encourages that we all take individual responsibility to get vaccinated to protect ourselves and our children who are still not able to receive the vaccine. The virus still has a hold of us and is putting our community at risk so we must continue to remain vigilant.

This is an article about selling a house during COVID. I wanted to include this source because one of my interviewees discussed some of the anxiety and stress that they experienced while trying to sell their home in March of 2020. This article provides context for what it is like to sell a home during COVID and how that market has changed. This article is by a realtor and provides advice and comparisons to what it may be like to sell a home during COVID and how that compares to selling during another crisis such as a recession.

This is the Arizona State University-specific COVID-19 resources for students. I wanted to include this University's specific resources because one of the people I interviewed attends ASU as a student and I want to provide this source as a supplement for some of the difficulty that he mentioned having in finding resources while living as a person experiencing housing instability. The website houses all messages and updates the university has sent to students with regard to the Coronavirus. The site focuses on health and staying healthy for students but seems to lack a clear guide on how to access resources and aid that students may qualify for.

The Navajo Nation has reinstated the “Stay-At-Home” order due to an increase of Covid-19 cases. Two weeks ago, there was one day with zero reported cases. On Friday, there were 26 reported new Covid-19 cases.

"A Articulação dos Povos Indígenas do Brasil (APIB) apresenta um plano emergencial indígena de enfrentamento da Covid-19 no Brasil e conclama todos a apoiarem medidas que possam salvar vidas e exercitarem a solidariedade. Os povos indígenas estão entre os grupos mais vulneráveis ao avanço da pandemia e encontram-se desprovidos de condições para enfrentar a doença. Precisam do apoio de todos." "The Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB) presents an indigenous emergency plan to confront Covid-19 in Brazil and calls on everyone to support measures that can save lives and exercise solidarity. Indigenous peoples are among the groups most vulnerable to the advance of the pandemic and are devoid of conditions to cope with the disease. They need everyone's support."

During difficult times, many people often turn toward religion or faith to provide hope. According to Pew Research, as a result of the pandemic, no Western country with “advanced” economies report that the pandemic has had a net negative impact on religion and faith. In fact, all have a net increase on the reliance of religion and faith. Citizens in the United States, however, are much more likely to say the pandemic has strengthened their faith as opposed to citizens in other countries. While the pandemic has had a net positive for strengthening the faith of people, it has had an even higher positive result for strengthening familial bonds. Family bonds and religious faith has grown stronger for most during the pandemic.

The Catholic monasteries have had to change a great deal about how they practice their lifestyles. For nuns and monks alike, they have not been able to enjoy their monastic communities as usual. The majority of monks and nuns are in a higher risk category simply due to their age. Thus, the monastic communities have had to take extra precautions during the pandemic. This has made life more difficult and less enjoyable. Such restrictions have also impacted their ministry outside the monastery.

In China, there are only a small number of state-approved religions. Taoism, or Daoism, is one of the approved religions. As COVID-19 began in China, many were quickly infected and died as it was a new virus about which little was known. This article discusses how a Taoist priest in China honors those who died of COVID-19. Taoism, as a religion, has a unique history as originally the religion began as a philosophy. Thus, there are very unique ways of thinking in the heavily philosophical religion. Memorializing the dead is extremely important in Taoism, because as the article relays, true death within the system of Taoism only occurs when one is completely forgotten. In order to make sure people are remembered, the priests create memorial tablets for the dead.

This is a post from a popular Instagram page, mrfactsalberta on Trans Day of Visibility on March 31st, 2021. This message of solidarity and love towards Trans Albertans, stating that together we have the potential to challenge the discrimination in our province, which is known as one of the most socially conservative provinces in Canada which has a dark history of oppression and discrimination towards members of the LGBTQ+ community. The description of the post reads, “We all know the truth. This province is notorious for keeping Trans People on the fringes of society. But it’s important that we work to make it better and easier to live here because nobody should feel like an outsider in their own province.” Albertans must be able to call out discrimination towards Transgender people on a daily basis, this day alone represents the urgent need for Alberta to work together to defend Albertans against bigotry and discrimination, to protect Trans people and Trans rights for now and forever. The call to work however is more than just a call to visibility; it is a call for liberation.

This website is the official COVID-19 data tracker for the province of Alberta, this one in particular covers the increase of cases in Alberta on April the 7th, the increase in cases mirrored Ontario’s own massive outbreak of 3,000 new cases. Because of this, it is becoming more and more apparent that Alberta will be forced into another lockdown or at least a return to ‘step 1’ reopening restrictions. More and more Albertans are suffering from lockdown fatigue, and there is blatant unrest as many are becoming fed up with the constant opening and reopening, returning to step one – there has not been a decisive ‘win’ over the pandemic and many would point the government’s inaction to prove this. In regards to my small town of Cochrane Alberta, some businesses are stating that they will not shut-down with the return to step 1 or a renewed lockdown. Largely, they are stating that a lockdown would further gut small businesses which have suffered immensely from these restrictions – stating that smaller businesses have been largely left out to dry without provincial aid, while larger corporations continue to operate. Many of these larger businesses have operated throughout the pandemic while smaller businesses have been forced to shut their doors. On top of this, the same penalties apply to these larger stores, there have been large congested crowds lining up outside of such stores such as Ikea, or Wal-Mart; a condition which would result in a deathly fine if it were given to smaller businesses; but for these international corporations, these fines are nothing. While I’m personally in favor of lockdowns, it is hard to ignore the leniency given to these major corporations and the harm to these smaller businesses. Fore mostly we must protect human life by preventing the spread of COVID-19, yet we must also provide sufficient financial aid to these businesses; while also adjusting penalties to actually hurt these mega-corps when they break pandemic restrictions. However under a government which prides itself on austerity and corporate tax cuts, this will not happen. The attached image is the spike in cases on the 7th.

This is a screenshot of a post from the official Communist Party of Canada’s Instagram account. This post calls for the introduction of a $23/hr minimum wage, 14 paid sick leave for all on behalf of the employers, and a cut to the work week to 32 hours with 40 hours of take-home pay. These reforms are more than needed, and will help alleviate struggles which have been exaggerated by the pandemic on everyday people. As strategies of austerity, and cutting of social security/benefits, empowering the private sector has not been working; rather these strategies have only brought suffering to the people, who are already struggling with a global pandemic. The Communist Party of Canada calls for united action in this post, stating that these reforms will not be freely given by the bourgeois ruling class as history has shown. Only through direction action and the mobilization of the worker will the just rewards of our labor be secured – as these interests are directly opposed to the interests of the capitalist ruling class. I feel this item in particular would be useful in documenting radical history during the pandemic, how left wing politics/activism functioned in a digitally quarantined setting. As primarily Instagram and Twitter were used to mobilize advocacy for direct action and to generate class consciousness amongst Canadians in this time of pandemic; which has seen the growth of income inequality and a shocking lack of federal support for Canadians.

Prince Phillip died after many jokes of him dying due to his last hospital visit at the drop of a hat. Well today, as of 4/9/2021, he has been pronounced dead, and my favorite thing about it all is how people are just now realizing that he and Queen Elizabeth were related, I thought it was more known but in hindsight, I guess that being more public would not be a very good image for the Royal Family. As someone who disagrees with the concept of the Royal Family probably knows too much about their transgressions and issues than the average person.