Here's what a Disney World employee thinks about going back to work in a pandemic
Disney World celebrated its July 11th reopening with a disorienting Twitter video. The staffers at Epcot, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and The Magic Kingdom vogued for the camera in sky-blue hospital masks, drawing a stark contrast between the…
By Luke Winkie

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Spotlight: Coronavirus

Why I chose right now, of all times, to get sober
By Tracey Anne Duncan
At the beginning of the pandemic, I had sort of a "whatever it takes to get through the day" mentality towards substances. If it was the apocalypse, I reasoned, might as well go down a little lit. As someone who is in recovery for drug addiction, I…
The curious link between coronavirus and psychosis
By Melissa Pandika
Although perhaps more widely known for its respiratory symptoms, COVID-19 appears to wreak havoc on other organ systems, too. Some of its most worrisome effects have been on the brain. Indeed, reports have surfaced of patients experiencing delirium…
What survivalists taught me about making it through a pandemic
By Tracey Anne Duncan
I have 100 N95 masks in my trunk right now. That’s over $600 in PPE that I don’t really need. Before you freak out, don’t worry, I plan to donate it. How did I come upon this treasure trove of life-saving gear when it's so hard to come by? A dear…
How quarantine got me hooked on internet poker
By Shawn Cooke
Thanks to quarantine, time has melted into an amorphous ooze. It's almost impossible to identify distinct segments of the past five months. The circumstances have made for any number of amateur hobbyist, from first time yogis to at home…
The feds seized $2 million in Bitcoin from al-Qaeda, ISIS, and Hamas
By AJ Dellinger
The Department of Justice announced on Thursday that federal law enforcement agencies have successfully dismantled three "terrorist financing cyber-enabled campaigns" and seized about $2 million worth of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies from the…
Trump wages war on showerheads and the Earth because he can't get his hair "perfect"
By Vanessa Taylor
From the start of his presidency, President Trump hasn't been too keen on maintaining environmental protections. On Wednesday, the Trump administration proposed changes to showerhead regulations. The move to undermine conservation efforts tracks…
Coronavirus was found on chicken wings in China, but let's not panic yet
By Joseph Lamour
This week, samples of chicken and shrimp imported to China tested positive for the coronavirus, local authorities announced. The samples were taken from the surface of frozen chicken wings imported into the southern city of Shenzhen from Brazil; the…
This weird reptile with a 9-foot neck was "one of the most baffling animals that ever lived"
By Tebany Yune
Prehistoric creatures are really, really weird. From 'hell ants' with vertical mandibles to 'terror crocodiles' with banana-sized teeth, these ancient, unusual creatures have for decades kept scientists busy trying to figure out how the hell they…
I simply cannot believe the Trump team is trying their racist birther shit again
By Rafi Schwartz
It's been nearly a decade since Donald Trump first made a political name for himself as the foremost advocate of the patently racist, and pathetically bogus "birther" conspiracy theory against President Barack Obama. Since then, a lot has changed:…
6 former EPA heads laid out a plan to rescue the agency after Trump
By AJ Dellinger
For nearly the past four years, the Environmental Protection Agency has been led by former oil and gas industry lobbyists who have prioritized rolling back environmental regulations instead of enforcing them. With the presidential election looming,…
Apparently Kanye West and Jared Kushner are speaking "almost daily"
By Kara Weisenstein
Kanye West’s presidential aspirations just won’t quit. According to credible reports this week, he's not just getting behind-the-scenes help from Republican operatives with ties to Trump. Forbes spoke with multiple sources close to West who say the…
Disney World's newest attraction is a coronavirus testing center for employees
By Shawn Cooke
When Disney World reopened last month, it wasn’t entirely clear how a theme park could operate safely during a global pandemic, or if anything resembling a normal crowd would even be willing to take the risk. Earlier this week, the park announced…
Will a neck gaiter really not protect you from coronavirus?
By Tracey Anne Duncan
The great mask divide continues, and now a debate over the efficacy of neck gaiters and bandanas has been added to the mix. In case you missed it, a study about how to test masks meant to prevent the spread of COVID-19 was released late last week,…
Trump's wall is threatening at least 8 endangered species, according to government emails
By Tebany Yune
Staffers at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) have been sending urgent emails sounding the alarm, at least internally, about the disastrous impact of Trump's border wall on wildlife. The emails, obtained by The Center for Biological Diversity…
Trump brags to Fox Business that he's destroying the Postal Service to sabotage the election
By Rafi Schwartz
In 1789, an elderly Benjamin Franklin famously wrote to French physicist Jean-Baptiste Le Roy that "in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes." With all due respect to both Franklin and Le Roy, I'd like to humbly submit…
How this pandemic yanked me — and so many others — back into an eating disorder
By Lindsey Haynes-Maslow
Control. What does it mean to lose control? For someone who has spent nearly half their life battling an eating disorder, losing control is about an extremely heightened awareness of numbers. Numbers I believe I can control. Because I have an acute…
Without an eviction ban or real rent relief, tenants are taking matters into their own hands
By Vanessa Taylor
Last month, the federal eviction ban under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act expired, placing millions of tenants at risk. While President Trump signed an executive order to extend the federal moratorium over the…
A beginner's guide to growing your own bud
By Melissa Pandika
When the pandemic hit, many of us turned to quaint pastimes to soothe our existential dread, whether it was baking sourdough, knitting, or doing jigsaw puzzles. If you want to expand your repertoire of distraction methods with an activity that still…
An abridged guide to Kamala Harris's history as a prosecutor and public servant
By Ray Levy-Uyeda
On Tuesday, presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden announced that California Sen. Kamala Harris would be his pick for vice president. The announcement comes just three months before the general election, at a time of mass income…
Unfortunately, anger is still the default emotion for men
By Joseph Lamour
The one time in school that I acted in so “manly” a way that it shocked my classmates, I got suspended. In junior high, I bore a striking resemblance to Steve Urkel, and wouldn’t you know it, I got bullied. Being a smart kid while also being Black,…
So a Florida sheriff just told deputies that they're not allowed to wear masks
By Ray Levy-Uyeda
For months, public health officials struggled to convince people that a square of fabric was an effective way to manage the spread of coronavirus, which now claimed the lives of more than 165,000 people in the U.S. And now, even as President Trump…
Three associates of R. Kelly charged with harassing and bribing his alleged victims
By Kara Weisenstein
R. Kelly has been behind bars in Chicago awaiting federal trial on sexual abuse charges for more than a year. But as recently as this June, prosecutors say his associates have taken drastic and terrifying measures to silence his alleged victims. On…
Kamala Harris's record on environmental issues is surprisingly strong
By AJ Dellinger
If the Democratic ticket prevails in November, Kamala Harris is set to hold an outsized role in the future of the party. Joe Biden is 77, and has at times referred to himself as a transition candidate who will usher in younger Democrats to take the…