Your Week: A pandemic of the unvaccinated
The real winners of the Tokyo Olympics? Women.
Not only did they deliver some of the most iconic moments of the Games, but their medal count was seriously stacked.
Team USA won 113 overall medals, and American women accounted for 66 of them. The women's basketball team claimed its seventh consecutive gold. The women's water polo team won its third gold in a row; the women's volleyball team won its first. And Simone Biles competed for herself at these Olympics. That alone is a victory.
And history was made — again, and again, and again. Some highlights:
- Sunisa Lee became the fifth all-around Olympic champion in gymnastics and fourth consecutive for the Americans.
- Molly Seidel became only the third American woman to medal in the marathon, claiming bronze.
- Allyson Felix, in her fifth Olympics and first since having her daughter in 2018, claimed bronze in the 400 meters and gold in the 4x400 relay — the 10th and 11th Olympic medals of her career.
Welcome to Your Week. I'm Alex, and this weekly newsletter (in your inbox every Monday!) rounds up the premium content your subscription unlocks.
The Tokyo Olympics may have officially ended, but that doesn't mean our coverage is coming to a halt. First, let's reflect: Were the Games worth it? Paste BN's Nancy Armour argues there's many ways to answer that question.
You can't miss this
- Wanted: Remote workers. A fast-growing number of small towns will pay you up to $20,000 to move there and juice their economies.
- Body shaming is out. Body positivity is in. And the weight-loss business is facing a dilemma.
- Gov. Andrew Cuomo's alleged sexual harassment coincided with his public support of women.
- 7 hours at Spirit's biggest hub on 7th day of meltdown: The good, the bad and the ugly.
- Weddings without gender? More couples are transforming how they tie the knot.
- Attorney linked to Larry Nassar scandal represents FBI agent accused of mishandling the case.
- ‘No possible life’ under Taliban rule: Afghan women fear murder, oppression after U.S. withdrawal.
Mask up (yes, even if you're vaxxed)
The highly contagious delta variant is surging. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is again urging Americans to wear masks indoors if in an area of substantial or high coronavirus transmission. And we're in a new stage of the pandemic that's among the unvaccinated.
After more than 18 months of COVID-19, a substantial chunk of the population is continuing to assert their own individual liberties over the common good. "This great divide – spilling into workplaces, schools, supermarkets and voting booths – has split the nation at a historic juncture when partisan factionalism and social media already are achieving similar ends," reports Paste BN's Dennis Wagner.
It's a topic that hits close to home for Editor-in-Chief Nicole Carroll. In her weekly newsletter, The Backstory, she writes that she believes in the overwhelming evidence that vaccines save lives. Her brother? He doesn't trust it.
It's a conversation that many Americans are having right now.
In April, we reported that the virus "has altered family dynamics. Fights over mask-wearing and social distancing created new rifts, and for those split on politics pre-pandemic the crisis deepened fractures already formed." We spoke with two psychologists on how to repair relationships damaged by disagreements over COVID-19.
The best thing you can do? Listen to the science, and especially medical professionals: "Not only do vaccinations protect loved ones, they also protect our fellow citizens who may not be able to vaccinate due to another illness, poor immune systems or sometimes unforeseen social reasons."
Make sure you're staying updated with the latest COVID-19 news with our Coronavirus Watch newsletter. And for quick reference on masks, vaccines and more, check out our coronavirus resource guide.
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Thanks for reading! And before you go, one thing: What would you like to see from this newsletter? Drop me a note at alex@usatoday.com.
Alex