Items

• 
  2021-04-15

  News Article: The Mother Road welcomes Route 66 Bike Week: Event aims to boost small businesses

  By Travis Rains, Kingman Daily Miner, 15 April 2021 Communities and businesses along and near the Mother Road wanted in on the action that is Route 66 Bike Week – five days of activities, games, discounts, scenic biking and more set for April 21-25 along the historic highway from Needles, California to Seligman. Event organizer Rob Borden is no stranger to motorcycle rallies as the owner of Saddle Sore Ranch, located between mile markers 36 and 37 on Route 66, approximately 17 miles from Kingman. But this is the first year for Route 66 Bike Week, which has seen the expansion of what has been dubbed the “Laughlin Loop.” “It kind of started by accident,” Borden said, noting the loop includes Route 66, going through Oatman and down over highways 95 and 68. “It’s just a nice, scenic ride for motorcycle enthusiasts. With the Laughlin River Run not happening, at least not in the past two years, I got a call from Needles, California from their tourism center asking if they could be included in this Laughlin Loop and I said ‘absolutely.’” Borden then received a call from the chamber of commerce in Oatman seeking to be included in the event. Then the City of Kingman and its visitor’s center wanted on board, followed by Seligman. “So then I’m looking at it and I’m like ‘wow, Needles to Seligman,’” Borden said. “I said ‘why don’t I just do a Route 66 Bike Week,’ and that’s how it happened. That way we can promote all these small businesses down Route 66 that even in normal times they struggle. Now with COVID, of course, they’ve been struggling even more.” So Borden began reaching out to businesses along Route 66 to see if they would be interested in participating by way of deals and discounts for event participants. “They loved the idea and wanted to be a part of it,” he said. “Basically, the idea is rather than just have a stationary event that’s confined to some big parking lot, let’s kind of highlight these businesses up and down Route 66 and get them involved. They’ve put together special offers and discounts, maybe extra effort for bands for bars. Those are different stops on the rally.” Registration for bike week can be completed by going to http://route66bikeweek.com/, with prices ranging from $45 to $48 depending on the package chosen. Borden said there is associated costs for the event that include T-shirts, bike week wristbands and dissemination of the Route 66 Passport, the latter two providing participants with access to discounts from businesses and drawings for prizes, respectively. “So when you show up with your bike week wristband, you’ll get freebies and discounts,” Borden explained. “We’ve got about 20 free drawing stops.” A scavenger hunt is planned as well utilizing the Route 66 Passport. Borden said there will be five different stops along Route 66 at which participants can have their passports stamped. Upon getting all the stamps and presenting them at Rally Central, which is Saddle Sore Ranch, they will receive a free ticket for yet another drawing. Borden also said those wishing to cruise Route 66 during bike week don’t have to register, but that they will not receive access to discounts and more. “The intent there is obviously to bring exposure to Route 66 and all these businesses, and make a big financial impact right here to the area as opposed to some of the big corporate vendors that would come into big motorcycle events,” Borden said. “When they leave, they take the money with them.” Saddle Sore Ranch will play host to biker games and activities throughout Route 66 Bike Week. Those will include poker runs, live music and popular biker contests like a big belly contest. Biker games such as slow races, barrel races, lean-your-bike and more are scheduled as well, as is a blue collar build-off judging and awards ceremony sponsored in part by Cycle Source Magazine. The build-off is a low-budget motorcycle building competition where teams from all over the country had $1,500 and 30 days to build a bike. After the sun goes down, live music will continue, vendors will open up shop and a campfire party will commence. “It’s a lot different than what people are used to with previous motorcycle rallies in the area,” Borden said of Saddle Sore Ranch. “Our venue is more reminiscent of a ‘60s or ‘70s style, easy rider rodeo kind of venue. It’s more of a traditional, old-school biker venue as opposed to the neon lights and things like that of Laughlin. It’s a completely different kind of feel and a breath of fresh air for bikers in the area to give them something to do and something different.” Route 66 Bike Week starts at 10 a.m. Wednesday, April 21 and runs until 10 p.m. Sunday, April 25. For more information on Route 66 Bike Week, go to http://route66bikeweek.com/.
• 
  2021-04-15

  Another Victim of a COVID Economy

  I have anxiety. It’s not uncommon, and I have coping mechanisms. One of the things that helps me not fixate on things out of my control is being active. So I run. And for the past six years, I have been very committed to “barre,” which is similar to Pilates. My barre studio is my respite from the world, one hour to focus just on myself and my muscles. And the supportive community is unlike any other I have been a part of (I’ve done boot camps, kickboxing, etc. and have never found anything like this.) Since exercise is crucial to my mental health, when the pandemic began, I knew I could not stop working out. Especially with a household of five suddenly being at home together 24 hours a day! I was extremely fortunate that my barre studio immediately transitioned online. In fact, all throughout this pandemic, I have held them up as my example of the exact right way to deal with this situation. They made a digital library, offered multiple daily live classes over Zoom, reopened as a hybrid. My barre classes have been the constant throughout this pandemic, especially before I returned to work in person. Up until a few weeks ago, my most consistent live interaction with adult humans not living in this house were my barre instructors and the other women in the classes. So when I opened my email and saw this message, it hit me like a ton of bricks. They couldn’t survive COVID-19. It makes sense - they had two studios before COVID and rent is not cheap in Orange County. I am, of course selfishly sad - where will I find a reasonably priced, low impact but high intensity exercise studio that is five minutes from both my daughter’s gym and our church? But my real sadness is for the small business owner who opened this studio eight years ago. She is truly passionate about physical and mental health and is probably one of the most positive people I have ever met. And in a way that doesn’t annoy you, which honestly is a gift. As people get excited about businesses reopening, it makes me reflect on how many more have had to close their doors permanently.
• 2021-04-15

  A Little Crypto Called Dogecoin

  Similar to my GameStop stories on here, I will try to narrate the DogeCoin experience as it goes on during the pandemic. DogeCoin, a crypto currency modeled after the popular internet meme involving a shiba inu dog in a funny pose, has been soaring the past week or so. Doge first entered my radar probably four-five years ago, when the original meme was popular. Supporters of the coin, which was not very valuable, used it to donate clean water to a village in Africa, as well as paying to sponsor a Nascar team with it for a short time. It largely fell off the radar, but somehow during the early part of this year it returned. Spurred on by meme-stock movements like GameStop, Doge rallied and returned to being worth around 4-5 cents per Doge, much higher than previously. It dipped initially after reaching 8 cents and the people with tens of millions of it selling for a hefty profit. Now, it is to above 12 cents, far more than it has ever been worth. Dogecoin is accepted by more and more websites every day, and famous personalities like Elon Musk and Snoop Dog have rallied behind it. Supporters have even taken out ads in New York's Times Square to promote the currency. While I have long had doubts about crypto currency, I didn't want to miss out on this like I did Bitcoin. I knew about Bitcoin when it was worth less than a dollar, and now it is worth over $60,000 per coin. Doge will never reach that level, but even my meager amount has nearly doubled in the past week. The wave of amateur investors spurred on by the pandemic has produced odd results, and perhaps the weirdest one is the coin based on a stale internet meme.
• 
  2021-04-15

  Video Games to Pass Time, Pt. 2

  As time has gone on, video games have continued to be my primary outlet for entertainment. The one that has captured my attention the most ever since GameStop paid for my new computer is Total War: Warhammer 2, or TWW2 going forward. TWW2 is set in the venerable Warhammer Fantasy universe, first created in 1983 as a way for the British company Games Workshop to independently sell Dungeons and Dragons miniatures, has evolved into a vast setting including the original tabletop strategy game, over a hundred books, and various video game tie ins. Perhaps the most successful of the tie-ins is the Total War: Warhammer games, developed and published by Creative Assembly out of their own historical Total War franchise. These games are divided into two parts. First is the turn-based world map, where you can see beautifully rendered fantasy landscapes in ways fans of the setting never could until now. In this mode you do diplomacy, order around armies, and develop cities. The second part is the real time battles, which the included screenshot is taken from. In this you zoom down to see your armies directly, and command them in battle using strategy to gain the upperhand. This screenshot is of my current campaign, where I am playing the High Elves of Ulthuan. Warhammer and its science-fantasy counterpart Warhammer 40,000 are renowned for their 'grimdark' setting (a genre name that is taken verbatim from the opening scrawl of every WH40k book), so while the High Elves are definitely considered good guys by the broader narrative, they are still pretty mean and arrogant by ours. While I defend the shores of the magical island paradise of Ulthuan from invasion by the evil cousins of the High Elves, the Dark Elves, I am in real life distracted from the fact that I am stuck in my apartment because of the pandemic. This game allows me to both play by myself for entertainment, but also to share my stories with friends playing their own games. We are all a bunch of nerds, so segueing into in-depth discussions of Warhammer lore is also a good way to pass the time.
• 2021-04-15

  GameStop Part Three

  A continuation of my other two posts about the GameStop stock short squeeze. As time has gone on, GameStop's stock seems has remained volatile. In the past few weeks it has dropped slightly, but nowhere near where professional analysts (who may have a stake in it going down) have wanted it to be. GameStop has changed their internal structure, paid off over $200,000,000 in debt with cash, and all things are pointing up for them. However, the most interesting part of these few weeks as far as the pandemic is concerned is the internal dissent within GameStop communities on Reddit. This frenzy over the stock began on the subreddit WallStreetBets, but the return of old moderators to cash in on the moment caused an exodus to a new subreddit, simply called GME. Like WSB before it, this new subreddit was abandoned due to poor moderation, moving now to SuperStonks. There it remains to this day, however the active posters on these subs are extremely paranoid about hedge fund "shills" coming to spread uncertainty. The pandemic, from its very beginning, spawned a new type of investor. Tesla's skyrocketing stock price at the beginning almost one year ago is what made people on WallStreetBets rich, and many people who have previously never invested before (me included) have jumped onto the bandwagon to get some money for ourselves. Many of these new investors are now learning for the first time that the SEC is not necessarily out to protect them, and that hedge fund billionaires will not necessarily play by the rules. It remains to be seen the big takeaway from this revelation for most people, once the initial paranoia is past. Some people I have seen have developed a strong sense of class consciousness, seeing this as an attack on the little guy by billionaires who became exponentially more wealthy from such trickery during the pandemic. Others accept it as the way things are. It is certainly a historical oddity that the pandemic has triggered mass participation in the capitalist stock market, and the result may be a growing number of young opponents seeing for themselves the rigged system.
• 2021-04-13

  My COVID-19 Investigations Experience

  I work as a COVID-19 medical investigator for the Arizona county in which I live. The local COVID caseload continues to lessen here, but the local health department elected to extend our investigations and tracing contract through Jan 2022. I look forward to the day we have collectively worked this position into obsolescence. On the one hand, I’m grateful to know I don’t need to find new employment in the next 60 days, but I also worry about this particular use of taxpayer dollars. The reality is that we call on about 50-70 new cases per day at the current time. For a local population of about 1.5 million in this area, that's incredibly low. For our current team of about 20 agents, that takes an hour of dedicated dialing because few patients are answering their phones. During the surge last fall and winter, we had more than 3k cases per day just in this county, and we struggled to get through 200-300 cases per day as a team; most patients answered our calls, listened to our advice and guidance, and asked fearful questions about what to expect and how to keep their families and children safe. No longer. I think the public is excessively COVID-fatigued, and the reality for most people is NOT the horrific possibility that media coverage seems to have indicated as probable for everyone. The facts on the ground do not replicate those in the news, and I think most people have had COVID-19 or know (a lot) of people who have and survived with little more than a nuisance infection. The monster our societies were told to fear and expect didn’t come to fruition for most of the population, and few COVID patients with whom I speak feel uninformed, unprepared, or anxious about what lies ahead for them. Very few have concerns about protecting their families, at least that they express to me as a need for guidance, information, or uncertainty about their information or material needs or the future. All the social indicators seem to be that our local residents, at least, are ready to put this in the rearview and stop worrying about COVID. On the plus side, it has been very encouraging here to see that traffic is pretty much back to normal on the streets. Shops and businesses seem to be consistently busy. Despite all the resumed “normalcy,” our 14-day case count continues to generally decline. Given the “Arizona variant” that’s supposed to be haunting us, I’ll take that as positive evidence that vaccinations and natural antibodies seem effective against mutations and strains.
• 
  2021-04-13

  Good, bad and ugly: Covid-19’s impact on the Valley’s tourism sector detailed in study

  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.
• 
  2021-03-25

  Navajo Nation casinos reopen as new virus cases dwindle

  By Donovan Quintero | Mar 25, 2021 | Business, CORONAVIRUS | CHURCH ROCK, N.M. Peterson Zah has a concern. On Tuesday, while hundreds of Fire Rock Casino patrons tried to win some money, the former Navajo Nation president wanted to hear what the COVID-19 public service announcement sounded like in Navajo. “I didn’t hear any of the PSA while inside because it’s so noisy,” he said. After taking a step outside the casino, the former Navajo Nation president said he was able to hear it. But that raised a concern for him. “And it’s pretty good,” Zah said, explaining the PSA in Navajo was clear and concise. “But you can only hear that clear outside and inside you can’t really understand it.” Zah said he was concerned no one would hear the COVID-19 safety guidelines everyone needed to follow. His other concern was that since many Navajo people have gotten both doses of the vaccines, many of them might become emboldened. “The reason why I was concerned is people have this attitude that because of the shots … they say, ‘Hey, I’m immune, I don’t have to worry about the virus.’ So when I go places I’m gonna take mine (mask) off,”’ Zah said Tuesday. According to the president’s office, more than 76,000 people have been fully vaccinated as of March 23 and more than 191,000 total doses have been administered. Zah didn’t think people should take any chances by easing up on protecting themselves from the contagious respiratory virus because some people were not wearing masks. After being closed for more than a year, Fire Rock Casino and Northern Edge Casino were on the fifth day of a two-week “soft reopening.” Just the gambling portion of the casinos were open at 25% capacity, and only Navajo Nation residents were allowed into the casinos, according to Navajo Gaming interim CEO Brian D. Parrish. Parrish clarified Navajo Nation residents meant everyone, including non-Natives, living on the reservation would have access to the casinos during the reopening phase. “We’re doing it with a two-phase reopening plan that started with Fire Rock and Northern Edge first,” he said. “We’re going to reevaluate with the Navajo Nation. They’re going to do audits and monitor our implementation of our workplace safety plan.” Of the 1,180 casino employees, 650 have returned to work since last Friday, said Parrish. Employees like Fire Rock Casino housekeeper Mildred Russell, who said she’s been out of work for over a year, were happy to be working again. “It’s been a struggle,” Russell said while cleaning a slot machine last Friday. “Hopefully this pandemic will be gone and everybody can go back to their normal lives.” Other employees, like casino security officer Vernon Keeswood from Hogback, New Mexico, shared Russell’s gratitude for getting the call to go back to work. “It’s good,” he said on Tuesday during a telephone interview that was arranged by Michele J. Crank, executive director of communications and public relations for Navajo Nation Gaming Enterprise. Instead of the usual hugs and shaking hands, Keeswood said, now it was “fist bumps” and “elbow bumps.” As for the reopening, he said many Northern Edge Casino customers “are pleased and happy” the Navajo casinos have begun reopening. He added a few customers were not sure if the casinos should reopen. “I hope everyone washes their hands and practices social distancing so we open to 100 percent capacity,” Keeswood said. “I hope it opens more.” After all, the threat of another COVID-19 outbreak looms on everyone’s mind, including that of Robert Peterson from Thoreau. “People are still afraid to come here but a lot of them want to enjoy being out instead of being stuck at home,” said Peterson, who said he lives alone, last Friday. Peterson said being alone and dealing with the pandemic has been hard for him. Despite his fears, he decided to head to Fire Rock to get his mind off COVID-19. Mary E. Silversmith, 79, from Lupton, Arizona, ensured no one came to visit her with a “no visitors allowed” sign posted on her hogan. She was happy to support the casino employees who returned to work. “The casinos were opened for the casino employees,” she said on Tuesday at Fire Rock. “Many of have children and they have bills to pay. “Because of that, I am OK with the reopening,” she said. “Some people have been criticizing the reopening. Not me, I don’t think that way or talk that way.” Before the pandemic, Silversmith said she frequently ate at Fire Rock, as well as at Twin Arrows Casino and Resort, when she had extra money to spend. Silversmith was wearing a surgical mask. To gain entry into both casinos during the soft reopening, a state ID, like a driver’s license, is required and a working number at which customers can be contacted. Temperature checks were also part of the requirements for anyone wanting to enter. After their temperature was checked, security asked customers to momentarily remove their masks and look at the front entrance security camera. The purpose of collecting all of the information is for contact tracing, said Parrish. “We have an excellent plan that’s in place,” he said. “We’ve had it reviewed and modified and enhanced by public health experts, not only on Navajo, but outside the Navajo Nation.” He added that Navajo Gaming invested close to $2 million in “equipment, supplies, signage, training,” to keep everybody safe. U.S. Indian Health Service officials toured both of the casinos’ kitchens on March 12, Parrish added, to review their safety procedures. “And in terms of reopening of the other properties, especially at a higher capacity percentage, that’s going to be based not only on how well the enterprise does, but what’s happening with the public health metrics, the rate of vaccinations on Navajo and other key indicators like that,” the interim CEO said. The Navajo Gaming enterprise’s careful planning even got praise from Jordan Schermerhorn, a senior research associate at Georgetown Center for Global Health Science and Security. Schermerhorn stated in an email to NNGE their plan showed the tribe was leading “the entire country in a smart, careful return to normalcy.” “Combined with the Navajo Nation’s outstanding vaccine rollout, this soft reopening shows what is possible with a data-driven pandemic response in a community dedicated to public safety,” Schermerhorn‘s email said. Even the ventilation, air conditioning and heating systems, which completely re-circulate the air inside the casinos 15 times a day, were reviewed, said Parrish. “We’re ready to go to fifty percent, we’re ready to offer food and we’re ready to bring the rest of our team back,” Parrish said. Zah watched casino patrons trying to win money as sounds from the Tuesday afternoon hustle and bustle all but drowned out the COVID-19 PSA. “So basically, the attitude shouldn’t be such now that because they got their shot they don’t have to worry about it,” he said. “It’s still around. Even though ninety percent of the people may be wearing their mask, or all of them, if one of them comes in that has it, then we’re in trouble.” Zah explained a new COVID-19 variant is much smaller than the original strain, which to him was why everyone needed to double mask. “If you can see light through your mask that means it’s gonna go through,” Zah said. “We gotta start wearing two masks.” He said he intends to go on KTNN and remind everyone not to run off to Phoenix or Albuquerque just because they’ve been vaccinated. “At the same time, they still have to follow those protocols,” he said. “I want to say, ‘You gotta start wearing double masks.’” As of Tuesday night, the Navajo Nation Department of Health reported a cumulative 30,010 cases of the virus and 1,233 deaths.
• 2020-05-17

  Coronavirus is taking a financial toll on Colorado’s houses of worship. But religious leaders still have faith.

  During the pandemic, many places of faith are on the verge of closing their doors permanently. As people lost jobs, giving obviously declined. Because houses of worship rely entirely on giving, this has created a crisis for many churches, mosques, synagogues, and temples. These houses of faith still have bills to pay, they have employees to pay, and the vast majority of these houses of faith contribute significantly to their community. This article speaks to the uphill battle being faced specifically by places of faith in Colorado during the pandemic.
• 
  2021-03-21

  ‘Asian-American businesses are dealing with two viruses’

  Reeling from racist incidents, many are hurting financially during COVID-19. The Atlanta-area spa shootings of eight people, six of whom were Asian women, have drawn renewed attention to anti-Asian incidents that have grown in frequency during the pandemic. As documented incidents of harassment, assault and discrimination against Asian Americans have escalated during COVID-19, many groups within the community have also faced heightened financial strain. Advocates say it’s beyond time to acknowledge and take action on both.
• 
  2021

  Tens of millions of American's are out of work.

  Tens of millions of American's are out of work. Half our people are living paycheck to paycheck.
• 
  2021-03-18

  Peru waves quarantine restrictions

  Peru, which continues to suffer from high COVID-19 transmission rates, has lifted quarantine restrictions for international travelers. The Peruvian economy has been undermined by a loss of tourism, its affected restaurants, hotels, guides, transportation, and other facets that depend on foreign capital. The only catch is that you have to have a negative COVID-19 test 72 hours prior to arrival. All of this hints at the importance of money and influence after all-it's mostly wealthier travelers who would have the money to travel for leisure and access to COVID testing. But...what about everyone else on the plane?
• 
  2020-08-18

  Reparations in America

  "Reparations is very important. Here in America, Black women are saddled with the highest amount of student debt in the country. For Black women in Boston, their median net worth is $8. In Los Angeles, the median value of assets for Black families is $200. In St. Paul, according to ISIAH, Blacks are 120% more unemployed than their white counterparts." - Trahern Crews Protestors gathered at the Minnesota Governor's Residence on August 16th to demand the United States government pay reparations to American Descendants of Slavery for 400 years of slavery, redlining, lynching, mass incarceration, and discrimination in education, housing, and employment. Photos from Reparations Rally In Honor of George Floyd, August 16, 2020
• 
  2021-03-14

  Ostara on a Budget

  for Ostara this year, many of us will need to adjust our celebrations due to Covid-19. Many are feeling the loss of jobs, incomes, or stability this year. Lidia Pradas shares some inexpensive ideas to celebrate Ostara and welcome the new season.
• 
  2020-03-05

  Why the Canadian Housing Market Is Soaring in the Pandemic

  "In Vancouver last month, the benchmark price for detached homes rose by 13.7 percent compared with a year earlier, reaching 1.6 million Canadian dollars. In the Toronto area, the average selling price for detached homes rose by 23.1 percent over the same time period, and a composite price that includes all kinds of housing topped 1 million dollars."
• 
  2021-03-04

  S.F. Japantown businesses owe tens of thousands in rent. Can the area survive without them?

  In the decades since, the community’s boundaries have shifted and shrunk, devastated by forced Japanese removal and internment in the 1940s and by large-scale redevelopment in the ’70s. But San Francisco’s Japantown persisted, even as others throughout the United States faded away. Today, Nihonmachi is the country’s oldest and largest Japantown, one of three remaining, but it covers only about six blocks — and many worry it is in danger of disappearing. The pandemic has hit neighborhood businesses particularly hard, and this year an agreement with the area’s largest landowner to keep the Japan Center malls “Japanese-themed” is set to expire.
• 
  2020-08-05

  Social Justice and Public Health in 2020

  From the article: The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the spread of the novel coronavirus, has created an unexpected and unprecedented lifestyle shift for many people across the globe. Several months into the pandemic, the public has been exposed to a number of issues they might not have previously considered or thought possible, from hospitals rapidly reaching capacity and the lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) to the mental and social challenges of physical distancing and being quarantined.
• 
  2020-04-17

  COVID-19 and Social Justice

  From the article: The COVID-19 pandemic is a health and mental health crisis, to be sure. But it is also a crisis of social injustice, inequitably affecting vulnerable and marginalized populations that include, among others, individuals who earn low incomes, or are incarcerated, homeless, in foster care, over 65 (especially those in long-term care facilities), people of color, or undocumented. Social work practitioners, educators, and policy makers are working to address the needs of these populations despite the unpredictability of the virus’s secondary impact on systems.
• 
  2020-11-10

  Sustainable Finance Addresses Social Justice As COVID-19 Raises The Stakes

  From the article: Economic shocks from the pandemic have widened existing inequities around the world, leading to calls for greater social justice in dealing with this health threat. Poorer people, minorities, and women are suffering disproportionately from growing health, housing, income, and education gaps under measures to contain COVID-19 that could set them back for years to come. To fund programs to address the problem, governments, supranationals, and corporations, among others, have accelerated issuance of sustainable instruments--including social bonds, where issuance jumped nearly four times so far this year to US$71.9 billion from the 2019 level. We think the sustainable debt market, partly because of the rapid rise in social bond issuance, could exceed $500 billion this year.
• 
  2020-11-19

  Why America Gives 2020: How the COVID-19 Pandemic and Social Justice Movement Have Changed Giving [REPORT]

  From the article: In previous years, Classy’s Why America Gives report has focused on consumer giving trends, what motivates donors to give, and their plans for Giving Tuesday and year-end giving. In our third-annual edition of Why America Gives, the 2020 report measures these year-over-year changes in giving sentiments and behaviors; in addition, it also analyzes how current events—specifically the COVID-19 pandemic and the social justice movement—have altered giving trends.
• 
  2020-09-25

  A City Once Busy

  I once used to walk this street on my way to work at a restaurant. I always loved how busy it was, seeing the streets overcrowded with people who had places to be. When I lost my job because of the pandemic in March I had to go home for 7 months. At the beginning I think we all thought that things would have turned around by the time the leaves started to fall. When I came back, I went downtown to visit the restaurant I had once worked at. The restaurant was boarded up still and the streets were mostly empty, and I felt kind of empty too.
• 
  2021-01-02

  2021 Predictions

  I actually agree with most of these predictions. I fear for the economy. I worry about the struggle people will face this year.
• 
  2021-01-21

  Live Updates: Biden Confronts a Confluence of Crises

  With a nation in crisis on so many fronts, reading this article today gave me the feeling I could maybe exhale for the first time in a long time. Biden is facing a disaster on the Covid front with vaccines running out in California and New York predicted to happen by the weekend. Biden will be busy the next few weeks, trying to repair the damage done to so many community's during the Trump administration.
• 
  2020-11-30

  Winter, then Recovery

  This hopeful message from Canada's Finance Minister, Chrystia Freeland, says that Canadians have a plan to get through the winter, and then will move on to economic recovery.
• 
  2020-11-30

  GOC Fall Economic Statement

  The Government of Canada's Fall Economic Statement.
• 
  2020-12-05

  Confused by the economy during the COVID-19 pandemic? Don't worry, so are the economists

  Making sense of the world's economic crisis, optimistic outlook for Canada.
• 
  2020-12-09

  Basic Income as Economy Kickstart

  This article discusses new interest in introducing a universal basic income to Canada, and how it could help the economy.
• 
  2020-12-12

  Newfoundland Small Business Assistance

  This release from the government of Newfoundland and Labrador is an example of the kind of business support programs governments introduced in the pandemic.
• 
  2020-12-04

  Meme about Mistreatment of Essential Workers

  Meme about essential workers and how hard they work.
• 
  2020-11-19

  Canadian Mink Farms Should Be Shut-down due to Covid-19

  As minks have shown the ability to contract Covid-19, many countries have attempted to cull mink populations. This opinion piece covers the topic of Mink farms in Canada, suggesting that the federal government should take the opportunity to end the practice during the pandemic. This is due to animal rights abuses, decline in the industry, and possible new mutations. Hamer states, "If the Canadian government is serious about building Canada’s economy back better and more resilient, it should help this declining industry transition."
• 
  2020-11-12

  Quebec's $1.5 billion Plan to Restart Economy

  Quebec has been one of the hardest hit provinces during the pandemic. This plan hopes to revitalize the economy by investing in workers, "buy local" initiatives, and research. This will also come with a deficit for next couple of years.
• 
  2020-04-22

  AOC Tweet 4/22/2020

  This tweet is by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and reads: “GOP is seriously arguing that it’s worth sacrificing the lives of hourly workers so they can get a spray tan again. If they really wanted to reopen the economy, they’d fund mass testing, contact tracing, & healthcare for people. Instead they’re fighting against hospital funding.” This tweet briefly brings up the not-scientifically-founded idea of “re-opening” in order to boost the economy. And the lack of funding for mass covid testing/tracing, and general healthcare is also mentioned.
• 
  2020-10-10

  Interview with Angelica S Ramos by Ashley Pierce

  Angelica Ramos is a full time mother and student living in Gilbert, Arizona. She is studying history at Arizona State University. She is an Arizona transplant, having moved from her hometown of Los Angeles, California when she was 23 years old. She keeps busy caring for her two small children; balancing school and activities for her children, her own schoolwork and managing her household, all in the time of COVID-19. In this interview, she discusses her thoughts, challenges and feelings on the pandemic year, and what she hopes is on the horizon for next year.
• 
  2020-10-15

  Feminist nightmare

  Women are leaving the workforce in record numbers. Or better yet, women are being forced out of the workforce in record numbers. Due to COVID, loss of childcare and desperation. I appreciate posts like this one, giving a voice to the voiceless in this pandemic. Women are being hurt the most due to COVID. At the top of that list are minority women, those who depended on industries like childcare.
• 
  2020-09-30

  Geneva to Introduce a monthly 4,086 Swiss francs minimum wage due to Covid-19

  Geneva, considered one of the most expensive cities in the world, is going to be introducing a minimum wage of 4,086 Swiss francs (around $4500 USD at the time of posting) in order to help citizens prevent sinking below the poverty level. This is, according to the article, the highest minimum wage in the world.
• 
  2020-10-05

  The Covid Economy Carves Deep Divide Between Haves and Have-Nots

  Large portions of the population are struggling economically due to the pandemic but others are secure in their jobs. This is leading to a deepening inequality between groups. This is important to me as it gives those of us who have been lucky during this pandemic with a different viewpoint
• 2020-03-12

  Coronavirus hurting the economy

  The main point of this article is to inform the reader about the impact covid has had on our economy. Personally, I chose this article because I am very interested in the stock market and our economy and I feel like this article is right along the lines of that. This article shows how during this pandemic, the S&P 500 fell 21 percent and how by the end of 2020 we could see another recession. It also shows how if president Trump went through with the Payroll Tax Cut Act then we would have a lesser chance of recession. This is an important article because the economy is what America runs on and covid played a huge role in its downfall during the pandemic. There is definitely more of a conservative bias because it is from Fox News and it talks positively about Trump's economic policies. In my opinion, during a time like this the media should not have a bias because the virus does not care about your political views. What I mean by that is we need to be informed about the virus with facts and not opinions from the left side of the media and the right side. So the medias only responsibility should be to inform the American people with facts.
• 
  2020-10-02

  Travel bubble between New Zealand Australia soon to open

  Because both New Zealand and Australia have both handled the pandemic well, with no current outbreaks, they are opening up the Trans-Tasman Travel area up again. They are hoping this can help boost the economies of both countries hard-hit tourism industries.
• 
  2020-09-17

  Millennials and Gen Z are spreading coronavirus - but not because of parties and bars

  This article illustrates one of the main problems with fighting a pandemic. In order to completely stay safe, one needs to stay at home. But in order to pay bills and afford to keep their households going, one needs to be able to go out and work. Trying to balance the need to stay distant and the need to provide for one's family is a struggle that everyone is going through together.
• 
  2020-09-19

  Covid-19 Interview With Northeastern Student

  In this interview, I (a Northeastern history student) interviewed one of my peers about his experience with covid-19, and asked him his thoughts about the pandemic as a whole and the impacts that it had on him and his family. This interview helps showcase the thoughts of a college freshman during the pandemic and how life has changed for him and others as a result of the virus, which I feel is critical since all factors must be considered when looking at the covid-19 pandemic historically.
• 
  2020-09-18

  Life in Quarantine; Summer 2020

  I decided to write about what my experience was like living in quarantine this past summer. I want the reader to understand that though there were definitely challenges, as one could expect, there were also positives to take away from the experience.
• 
  2020-09-04

  Bandcamp Will Continue Bandcamp Fridays Until The End of The Year

  "Because the pandemic is far from over, we’ll continue to hold Bandcamp Fridays on the first Friday of every month until the end of the year." Bandcamp has previously held "Bandcamp Fridays" where the music sharing platform has waived its fees, meaning 100% of the money going to the artists on the platform.
• 
  2020-09-07

  Should We Have Accepted Adapting to the Pandemic?

  This Tweet discusses the fact that the US has adapted its entire society to function in a pandemic rather than fighting the pandemic. The author asks if we should have done this? Also included are SOME of the replies to this Tweet showing peoples feelings.
• 
  2020-04-03

  With exhibition and performance spaces shuttered, artists are relying on the generosity of patrons.

  "caring for those sick with Covid-19 and preventing others from becoming so remains the priority in New York City, as in the rest of the country. But how can we look out for others particularly affected by the crisis? Citywide closures of nonessential services have devastated the arts at every level: Exhibition and performance spaces have shuttered indefinitely, and thousands of New Yorkers working in creative industries, many of them freelancers, have seen their livelihoods disappear with no assurances about when they’ll be able to work again." Artists are struggling and this article demonstrates some things that can be done to help.
• 
  2020-06-08

  Here We Go Again: Millennials Are Staring At Yet Another Recession

  As a Millennial this is a hard pill to swallow. We now know that lifetime wealth for millennial was affected greatly by the 2008 recession. Can we really recover from a second?
• 
  2020-06-25

  Trump shifts from case count to death count and assures no second lockdown

  Trump shifts narrative from cases going down to mortality rate dropping as US hits new daily case record. The President also highlights the "economy roaring back" as the nation reopens and notes that "embers will be put out" in regard to flare ups. Trump also highlights that there will be no second lock down in America. I felt this tweet was important mainly for the narrative shift and the no second lockdown decision. I have noticed a new pattern emerge in government discussion of the pandemic in that the narrative has been switched to focusing on the low mortality rate to reconcile with the massive spike in cases. This new tone differs from the previous one which focused on the low case count when the cases were much lower. However, the most important part of the tweet was the assurance of no second lockdown. This has large scale implications for the short and long term future of the pandemic in the US, like the lessened likelihood of future stimulus checks and other federal assistance and the lessened likelihood of national cases dropping anytime soon.
• 
  2020-06-16

  How the Airbnb ban led to lower rental prices in Canada's major cities

  Many of Canada's largest cities have been experiencing what have been dubbed housing crises in the past few years; rental and purchasing prices have shot through the roof while availability shrinks, pushing out many poor or even middle class residents. This article explores how the drop in demand and government restrictions for AirBnBs (short term online rentals), as a result of the pandemic has impacted the market. To ensure they are still receiving income from their properties many who were renting their units for short term stays are instead turning to leasing them out traditionally, causing an influx in housing availability and driving the prices down with the increased supply. While this is not the best for those looking to turn a profit off their real estate it is an unexpected benefit of the pandemic for many average citizens.
• 
  2020-06-02

  Rewilding (Part III)

  This is my literary response to being relatively safe whilst watching Covid reek havoc around the world.
• 
  2020-05-26

  Universities aren't planning cuts to tuition to compensate for online classes during COVID-19 pandemic

  Article regarding the call for a reduction in university tuition for the upcoming school year/term from the Canadian Federation of Students and student governments across the country and the refusal of many major universities to do so. The universities rationale is that the quality of education will not be effected by the move to predominantly online/distant classes and that they are fulfilling all their obligations. The article outlines the decisions of each of the major Canadian universities including Dalhousie, McGill, the University of Toronto, the University of Ottawa, Carleton, Queen's, the University of Winnipeg, the University of Alberta, and the University of British Columbia.
• 
  2020-05-25

  Queen's University Student Trustee and Rector Call for Tuition Decrease During Pandemic

  In keeping with the Canadian Federation of Students and Student Governors from Universities across the country, the Undergraduate Trustee and Rector of Queen's University at Kingston call for a reduction of tuition for the upcoming school term to reflect the quality of education which will be received in predominantly online/distant learning classes and the decreased potential for student earnings through summer employment to pay for school when many seasonal industries, such as tourism, have been closed completely due to the pandemic.