Most of us have probably learned a hell of a lot more about how easily viral diseases spread over the past two years than we ever wanted to know. So choosing to lower your mask with somebody not in your immediate household requires new levels of trust when you realize that Covid-laced particles could be lurking to hitchhike on their words or even just on their breath.
Sharing the same airspace, therefore, isn’t merely a hazard for airplanes during a pandemic; it’s pretty crowded down here on the ground as well. You never know when you might collide with a random bits of SARS-CoV-2 that have just been “shedded” by another member of the human herd.
And when I think back about the people I’ve been privileged to hang out with during the pandemic it’s a testament to our collective willingness to assume that risk in order to enjoy the benefits of each other’s company.
Because the isolation imposed by the plague has truly been excruciating, at least for those of us who truly get tired of keeping our own company.
Indeed, friendship has never mattered more.
Relatively early on in this extended ordeal, it was remarkable how many old-time friends showed up courtesy of social media and reunion-style zoom calls. Some of that was due to my propensity to post daily musings on what was then known as Facebook. But as the coronavirus continued to evade the best tools our Big Pharma-led army can devise to corner it, our collective energy to connect seems to have started to wane.
The novelty of connection may simply be wearing off. Or maybe everyone is just as exhausted as I am. Or maybe isolation is becoming endemic — if so, Covid will truly have defeated us a a species.
But in fact for most of us, I suspect, having friends we can see in person matters as much if not more than it ever did in our careless past. Wordle, Scrabble, Netflix and YouTube TV can only take you so far into the day or night. Besides, I don’t know of any Netflix hits featuring one person finding love with that guy in the mirror, you know the one who just gets older and grayer every day.
Nope, people need people, as the old cliche goes and like many cliches this one is true. You can trust me on that. Journalists, as you know, specialize in truth.
TODAY’s HEADLINES:
War May Loom, but Are There Offramps? — Fears of a Russian invasion of Ukraine are growing, but diplomatic options remain. (NYT)
U.S., NATO allies intensify diplomacy in bid to deter Russia (WP)
Rising costs of Ukraine gamble could force Russia’s hand (Guardian)
Russia says U.S. ‘escalating tensions’ by putting troops on alert (Politico)
Ukrainian leaders: Stay calm, Russian invasion not imminent (AP)
Ukraine: How will we know if war has started? (BBC)
Pentagon Puts 8,500 Troops on ‘High Alert’ Amid Ukraine Tensions — The move signals a shift for the Biden administration as the United States and NATO allies brace for possible Russian military action. (NYT)
Russia said it was watching with great concern after the United States put 8,500 troops on alert to be ready to deploy to Europe in case of an escalation in the Ukraine crisis. Here's where NATO forces are deployed. (Reuters)
Russia conducts new military exercises as Biden, Europeans intensify diplomacy on Ukraine (WP)
German caution on arms to Ukraine rooted in history, energy (AP)
Ukraine crisis revives Nato debate in Finland and Sweden (Financial Times)
UN data reveals ‘nearly insurmountable’ scale of lost schooling due to Covid (Guardian)
Wild swings in stocks are testing the resolve of investors employing one of Wall Street’s most popular strategies: buying the dip. The S&P 500 reversed a deep selloff yesterday to finish up 0.3%, after the benchmark index crossed into correction territory, while the Nasdaq flirted with a bear market before also finishing higher, suggesting that dip buyers have not gone extinct despite big declines in stocks in the first weeks of 2022. (Reuters)
Asian shares decline amid omicron, Fed, Ukraine jitters (AP)
Everyone’s panicking about the stock market. Except the Fed. (Politico)
Since the pandemic began, the number of blood donors nationwide has dropped 10 percent, according to the Red Cross. Blood transfusions are essential for operations as well as treatments for cancers, chronic illnesses and traumatic injuries. (Cal Today)
A U.S. court rejected the Alabama legislature's redrawn congressional district map for November elections, saying it likely violated the Voting Rights Act and stood to deny Black voters an additional representative. (Reuters)
A prosecutor in Atlanta investigating former President Donald Trump’s effort to overturn the 2020 election result in Georgia will be allowed to convene a special grand jury, which can issue subpoenas and compel testimony. District Attorney Fani Willis said earlier this month she expects to decide if she’ll bring charges against the former president in the first half of this year. [HuffPost]
Prosecutors in multiple states are investigating false Electoral College submissions (NPR)
There’s a new version of omicron but so far it doesn’t appear to be more dangerous (WP)
Eco-Leftists and the Far Right: Vaccine Mandate Forges Unlikely Coalition of Protesters in Germany — The prospect of a vaccine mandate has galvanized a nationwide protest movement attracting naturalists, neo-Nazis and ordinary citizens alike. (NYT)
The unusual origins behind the splashiest, newest political news site — The website Grid has several ties to the United Arab Emirates. (Politico)
Serial murders, beatings and beheadings: Violence against the homeless is increasing, advocates say (WP)
Threatened and Beaten, Afghan Women Defy Taliban With Protests — The Taliban have begun cracking down harder as women insist on their rights and as Western governments call for reforms. (NYT)
U.S. Troops Join Assault on Prison Where ISIS Holds Hostage Hundreds of Boys — The Islamic State seized a prison in Syria to try to free thousands of fellow jihadists and is using hundreds of imprisoned boys as human shields. (NYT)
Mexican Journalist Who Told Country’s President She Feared for Her Life Is Killed (WSJ)
Journalist murdered in Pakistan (NHK)
The SAT is going digital and getting much shorter. Say goodbye to No. 2 pencils on testing day. (WP)
Bob Dylan sells his entire catalog of recorded music to Sony Music (CNN)
Archaeologists Find Rare 4,000-Year-Old Board Game (The Onion)
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