Going once, going twice, sold!

Happening in the World: The world is eager to return to normal, and this new COVID-19 treatment might help. It’s an antiviral drug called molnupiravir that comes in pill form. Merck, the developer, claims that the treatment should target COVID-19 variants just as well as it does the original. This is possible because, rather than targeting the spike protein as typical vaccines do, molnupiravir affects an enzyme. Both Pfizer and Roche are developing their own pill treatments, but Merck has already run trials with around 700 patients and published the hopeful results (BBC).

Happening in the US: Businesses can’t seem to catch a break. First, COVID-19 shut them down and now meat prices are increasing. To compensate for the rising prices of goat meat and beef, businesses are having to raise their products’ prices, driving away customers. Rural areas are being hit hard, with thousands of cattle farms shutting down. President Biden has pledged $1.4 billion to other producers and distributors to try to combat “Big Meat,” but small ranchers and farmers are doubtful this will really make a difference (BBC).

Happening in NYC: Union Park is displaying three 10-foot-tall statues right now in front of the George Washington monument. The exhibition is titled SEEINJUSTICE. It remembers Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and John Lewis and the injustice surrounding their deaths, as well as the global understanding of injustice that their deaths sparked. The artist, Christ Carnabuci, hopes to highlight this understanding because he says understanding leads to action and change. At the end of this month, the statues will be sold through an auction, and the proceeds will be donated to charities specific to each statue (Gothamist).

Happening in Our Community: Nathan Lenssen is hosting an Earth2Class today, titled “How do we know the temperature of the Earth?” It’s a workshop on Zoom for educators and students, centered around new research and problems in today’s world. For the zoom link, contact Michael Passow, but you just might have to go another week.

Breonna Taylor and George Floyd via flickr