French unions taking on Amazon? Congressional debate over a bill? Brooklynites partying too hard? It almost doesn’t sound like there’s a pandemic going on…

Happening in the world: Amazon warehouses in France will be closed as per a court order after unions accused the company of improper sanitary conditions for workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The closure of the six warehouses across the country could potentially lead to delays of up to four weeks for all deliveries in Europe, Amazon claimed. The court action in France follows several complaints in Europe and the United States over unsafe working conditions in Amazon warehouses, where workers claim social distancing is impossible to uphold and many deliveries being completed are for non-essential items. (BBC)

Happening in the US: The federal government is close to an agreement on a $450 billion economic relief package designed to aid small businesses and expand COVID-19 testing across the country. The agreement would be the culmination of two weeks’ debate between both parties in Congress and the White House on money for testing, the kinds of aid offered to small businesses, and more. On top of the debate over the package itself, discussions are still ongoing about how the vote on the bill will proceed due to rising concerns over the safety of the traditional, in-person voting system. (NYT)

Happening in NYC: The NYPD broke up a large “anti-lockdown” party in the Canarsie neighborhood of Brooklyn on Saturday night, issuing more than 60 summonses for social distancing violations and illegal gun possession. The incident highlighted the continued violation of social distancing measures in the city, where thousands of 311 calls have come in about illegal crowds. Experts and politicians alike condemn the violations as potentially life-threatening in the midst of this pandemic. However, criminal justice advocates in the city are also concerned that the incident is a sign of an increasing amount of arrests, which involve close person-to-person contact and which could similarly put citizens at risk for contracting COVID-19. (Gothamist)

How to start your week: Have you also made too much banana bread in these trying times? Are you looking for a way to make the tried-and-true classic more exciting? Try adding a small amount of nutmeg and/or cinnamon to your next batch! I cannot personally attest to this tip, but when I inevitably find myself yet again mashing three overripe bananas in a glass bowl with a fork like my life depends on it this week, I know that I will be reaching for the cinnamon, even if it’s just to feel something.

Image of a pre-COVID rager via Pixabay