It was clear and sunny the day I got my second dose of the Moderna vaccine. At the entrance to the West County facility where the vaccinations are taking place, I asked the intake nurse whether people without appointments were still showing up there.
One month earlier to the day, when I got the first shot, a number of residents were waiting patiently, without appointments, because they had heard that vaccines were available there. They spoke Spanish and were dressed in work clothes. Some were old, some were young.
But this time, I saw no one, and the place seemed less crowded as a result.
"No, that 'drop-in' thing is not happening anymore," the nurse explained. "We have much better community outreach now, so people without Internet access know when to come."
Once I was inside the building, there were elderly people in wheelchairs, or with canes, or just looking somewhat lost. Most of them had caretakers, including spouses, adult children or friends. I watched them speak softly in several languages, touching their elders' shoulders, explaining the process.
At the holding area, they told us to wait 15 minutes after the shot to observe whether we had an adverse reaction. After 13 minutes, they called my name.
As I exited, one caretaker urged her very slow-walking elder in Cantonese to step aside and let me pass. I smiled through my mask, waved, and left the area.
I'm glad the crowds of people without appointments here are gone now, but that is not necessarily the case everywhere across America, as today's top headline from the Washington Post makes clear. Internet access is hardly universal; in-person outreach remains critical.
***
Life's little moments can be precious. yesterday I got to see my youngest grandson awake for the first time and to hold him, He smiled at me. Oscar is a lively, warm little fellow, and seeing him made my day.
The headlines:
* Online vaccine sign-ups make Internet access a matter of life and death (WP)
* In Georgia, Republicans Take Aim at Role of Black Churches in Elections (NYT)
* 'Why Us?': A Year After Being Laid Off, Millions Are Still Unemployed -- Millions who lost jobs at the beginning of the pandemic are still out of the labor force, making up levels not seen since the Great Recession. (NPR)
* President Joe Biden signed an executive order Sunday expanding voting access in what the White House calls "an initial step" in its efforts to "protect the right to vote and ensure all eligible citizens can freely participate in the electoral process." The move comes just three days after the House of Representatives passed HR1, a sweeping ethics and election package aimed at ensuring voting rights, with provisions expanding early and mail-in voting, restoring voting rights to former felons, and easing voter registration for eligible Americans. (CNN)
* Biden stimulus showers money on Americans, offers generous expansion of aid to poor -- The $1.9 trillion package enjoys wide support across the country, polls show, and it is likely to be felt quickly by low- and moderate-income Americans. (WP)
* To Juice the Economy, Biden Bets on the Poor (NYT)
* MSNBC host and former Republican congressman Joe Scarborough says there's 'no doubt' that the GOP is 'unsavable' (Business insider)
* A Mexican restaurant in Texas kept its mask rule. People threatened to call ICE on the staff. (WP)
* ‘I’ve Never Seen Anything Like This’: Chaos Strikes Global Shipping -- The pandemic has disrupted international trade, driving up the cost of shipping goods and adding a fresh challenge to the global economic recovery. (NYT)
* U.S. states look to step up wolf kills, pushed by Republicans (AP)
* N.Y. Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s behavior created ‘hostile, toxic’ workplace culture for decades, former aides say (WP)
* Amtrak Wants to Expand Across the Nation. Local Politics Might Intervene. -- Extending nationwide service has been an elusive goal for Amtrak. Since 1971 — when the publicly funded, privately operated rail agency was created — routes have largely remained unchanged. (NYT)
* Few people have been as involved in Trump’s finances as Allen Weisselberg, a trusted figure in the family business since 1973. Legal experts and a source familiar with the matter say prosecutors want to convince him to cooperate with a criminal probe into Trump’s dealings. (Reuters)
* V.P. Harris caught between a restless base and a traditionalist Biden (WP)
* A Year With our Our Work Friends (NYT)
* Scientists underestimated the coronavirus — and are racing to keep up with evolution (WP)
* Russian intelligence agencies are trying to undermine confidence in Pfizer’s and other Western vaccines, using online publications that have questioned the vaccines’ development and safety, U.S. officials said. (WSJ)
* Massive explosions rock Equatorial Guinea’s largest city; 17 dead, hundreds injured (WP)
* If You Live to 100, You’ll Need More Than Money -- The number of centenarians in the U.S. is growing steadily. If you join them, you’ll need not just a robust retirement fund but also a plan, and a purpose. (NYT)
God makes his plan
The information's unavailable
To the mortal man
We work our jobs
Collect our pay
Believe we're gliding down the highway
When in fact we're slip slidin' away
Slip slidin' away
You know the nearer your destination
The more you're slip slidin' away
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