Kristin Nord Writes: As a young widow of means my mother would restart her life again in midlife, packing up the contents of her house this time and relocating from Grosse Pointe to Bucks County, PA. I suspect she must have decided early on — as someone who had not suffered during The Great Depression — that she would volunteer rather than engage in a career for money. Yet she did so nonetheless for a rather astonishing 40 years at the little library in New Hope, PA. Some of the choices my mother and mother-in-law made were dictated by circumstance, but they came at a time when they might still have been discouraged from truly pursuing careers of their own.

14.2% of U.S. Small Businesses experienced an increase in operating revenues/sales/receipts in the last week, marking the fifth consecutive week of reported increases. 21.9% of U.S. Small Businesses have experienced little or no effect from the coronavirus pandemic, making it the largest estimate ever reported for this statistic. 9.5% of U.S. Small Businesses experienced an increase in the number of hours worked by paid employees in the last week. For responses collected 3/22 - 3/28, this statistic was 9.0%. 13.9% of U.S. Small Businesses have returned to their normal level of operations. 22.9% of U.S. Retail Trade small businesses experienced an increase in operating revenues in the last week, marking the first time on the SBPS that more companies reported an increase over a decrease, based on responses collected 3/29 – 4/4

Jo Freeman writes: Georgia is a purple state. In the last sixty years, Georgia politics has become politically polarized and racially diverse. White Republican men hold the three highest state offices and the GOP has majorities in both legislative chambers. But, the highest ranking Democrat in the state is a Black woman. Six of the 16 members of Georgia’s Congressional delegation are Black; four are women. Only one is a white male Democrat.

Almost every official who spoke with KHN said universities will open their classrooms and their dorms this fall. In many cases, they no longer can afford not to. But controlling those environments and limiting viral spread loom among the largest challenges in many schools’ histories — and the notion of what constitutes normalcy is again being adjusted in real time. The university officials predicted significantly increased on-campus activity, but with limits. Most of the schools expect to have students living on campus but attending only some classes in person or attending only on selected days — one way to stagger the head count and to limit classroom exposure. And all plan to have vaccines and plenty of testing available.

"The consumer revolution of the mid-nineteenth century led to an explosion of available fashion goods at increasingly affordable prices. More middle- and even working-class women could buy industrially produced accessories; however, this accessibility created class tensions between the aspirational and those who had traditionally participated in luxury fashion... Social commentators judged women as extravagant or ruinous by the style of their hats, marked morality by the cleanliness of their gloves, and condemned by the vulgar color of their shoes.

CDC is providing the following guidance related to international travel: Fully vaccinated people can travel internationally without getting a COVID-19 test before travel unless it is required by the international destination. Fully vaccinated people do not need to self-quarantine after returning to the United States, unless required by a state or local jurisdiction. Fully vaccinated people must still have a negative COVID-19 test result before they board a flight to the United States and get a COVID-19 test 3 to 5 days after returning from international travel. Fully vaccinated people should continue to take COVID-19 precautions while traveling internationally. The guidance issued today does not change the agency’s existing guidance for people who are not fully vaccinated. [A person is considered fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving the last recommended dose of vaccine.]

Lucky I had booked a long stay in London in September 2019, given how the world changed in early 2020. One the greatest cities on earth, it has held my heart for almost fifty years ... The flat I rented near the Tower of London, was just around the corner from the Minories, a famous pub that welcomes a diverse group of people. Waiting on the bus to Trafalgar Square, a vision, well over six foot tall and built like a lumberjack, with a head of red curly hair flying in the wind, came marching towards me. A whirl of colour passed me by in a wild apple green frilly dress, white platform boots, a red handbag festooned with silver and gold objects, held in a big hand, and bright blue eyelids, many pairs of eyelashes and scarlet lips like the late comedian, Joan Rivers. Like London itself, I love the Tower. Entering the gate I get a sort of frisson, and this time was no different. On a private visit, in a part of the Tower closed to the public, as dusk fell I saw the Raven Master settling the birds in for the night.

Paleo-ecologist Pat Schroeder: "Dinosaurs have been a life-long passion. I was, and still very much am a 'dinosaur kid.' My interest in dinosaur diversity came about when I realized that no one was really looking at dinosaurs the way we look at modern mammals and birds," Schroeder said. "There's a ton to be gained from applying the methods of modern and paleo-ecology to dinosaurs. Fortunately, we're now in an age of dinosaur research where a lot of information is available digitally, so the big data-intensive questions of ecology are now becoming more plausible for dinosaur paleontology."

IRS website: "When We’ll Send Your Third Payment: The third round of Economic Impact Payments are being sent in phases. The IRS started sending the first batch of payments with an official payment date of March 17. If you haven’t received one yet, it doesn’t mean you won’t. We’ll send the third payments each week to eligible individuals as we continue to process tax returns. Payments are sent by direct deposit or mail as a check or debit card."

Cordy Tindell Vivian was a roaring lion of the civil rights movement. Born in July of 1924, he died last July right before his 96th birthday. Given all the dangerous things he did in his life, it’s amazing that he outlived his adversaries as well as most of his friends. One of those friends helped him write this memoir, as his ability to do so declined with age. Steve Fiffer met Vivian in 2014, when he interviewed him for another book. CT — as his friends called him — was one of his heroes. They stayed in touch, occasionally discussing a collaborative memoir. It was CT’s daughter who persuaded Fiffer to do it now. 

"Our prior work has shown that focusing on sexual assault prevention and addressing the needs of certain populations (e.g., male servicemember victims and DOD civilian employees) could help to further address the issue. DOD has largely focused on responding to incidents of sexual assault rather than preventing them. We testified that continued DOD leadership attention can help ensure that our recommendations are addressed to prevent sexual assault in the military. Despite congressional oversight and the Department of Defense's actions to implement more than 100 GAO recommendations, reports of sexual assault in the military continue to rise."

"Today the situation is much improved. While the economic fallout has been real and widespread, the worst was avoided by swift and vigorous action — from Congress and the Federal Reserve, from across government and cities and towns, and from individuals, communities, and the private sector. More people held on to their jobs, more businesses kept their doors open, and more incomes were saved. But the recovery is far from complete, so, at the Fed, we will continue to provide the economy the support that it needs for as long as it takes... However, the sectors of the economy most adversely affected by the resurgence of the virus, and by greater social distancing, remain weak, and the unemployment rate — still elevated at 6.2 percent — underestimates the shortfall, particularly as labor market participation remains notably below pre-pandemic levels."

Ferida Wolff writes: "As our communities become more urbanized, the natural features around us tend to get pushed into the background and often go unnoticed. In Ferida’s Backyard, I look at the details of nature locally, from a neighborhood perspective, frequently from a backyard vantage point. It excites me to share what I see. An awareness of the natural connection can beautifully enhance our lives...I was invigorated by the tree hug and went along with a bounce in my step. It helped me to be more aware of what I was seeing now, even if I had seen it all before."

With comforting and challenging) content, the Ilkley Literature Festival's Be All Write portal is a wonderful resource for literature enthusiasts. Dr. Chris Martine created and hosts the channel, bringing together his interests and expertise in biodiversity, botany, and ecology. OER TOOLKIT Educators looking for guidance as they expand the role of open educational resources (OERs) in their classrooms can turn to this resource. Open-source data projects provide valuable access to research, and NEXTSTRAIN harnesses this data to promote public health through its "real-time snapshot of evolving pathogens." The Feminist Art Coalition (FAC) brings together arts institutions rooted in social justice and structural change, working "to generate cultural awareness of feminist thought, experience, and action." Spanning the 16th through 20th centuries, 500 YEARS OF WOMEN IN BRITISH ART shows the evolution of how women were represented in art and art history, both as muses and makers. Created by Natasha Moura (an independent writer, art curator, and educator), Women'n Art is "committed to the role of women in the arts and culture." This involves highlighting women artists and depictions of women in art.

Since 1988, DOT has regulated the process by which employers in the different transportation industries (aviation, trucking, rail, transit, pipeline, and maritime) are required to test their employees for drug and alcohol use. Employers must self-report these test results annually to DOT or when requested by DOT. In a 2018 statute, Congress required DOT to publish the aggregate drug and alcohol testing data on DOT's website and included a provision for GAO to review the website and these data. This report examines: (1) how DOT uses drug and alcohol testing data, (2) how DOT verifies that data are reliable, and (3) whether DOT follows key actions for transparently reporting drug and alcohol testing data.

Gendered disinformation campaigns promote the narrative that women are not good political leaders, and often aim to undermine women political leaders by spreading false information about their qualifications, experience, and intelligence, sometimes using sexualized imagery as part of their tactics. Women of color may be more likely to be the subject of disinformation when compared to others. Spanish-speaking communities lack trusted sources that speak directly to them, and Latinx-oriented news outlets do not typically provide much information about American political candidates. This makes it easier for bad actors to spread disinformation unchallenged. Content moderation practices are not nearly as advanced or robust for Spanish-language content, or content in any other language besides English. Gendered disinformation campaigns promote the narrative that women are not good political leaders, and often aim to undermine women political leaders by spreading false information about their qualifications, experience, and intelligence, sometimes using sexualized imagery as part of their tactics.

Julia Sneden wrote: "Somehow we have forgotten how to teach grammar using simple, clear rules. When I was young, we were introduced to the difference between subjective and objective and possessive pronouns at an early age. I remember my fourth grade teacher parsing the subjective pronouns with us: “I, you, he-she-it; we, you, they,” and then demonstrating how and where to use them in a sentence. After a few days of that, there was literally no chance that any of us would begin a sentence using “Her and me went to the store,” because we were well aware that her and me weren’t subject material.

Jo Freeman reviews: Every feminist should read this book. Spread out over four countries in western Asia, the Kurds, at different times, have tried to become a separate state, or to just be allowed to govern their own people, speak their own language and practice their own culture within existing states. Written as narrative non-fiction, this book reads like a novel, but is based on factual reportage. The author is an American descendant of a Kurdish immigrant who has written about this region for years. Her main subjects are four women in the YPJ – a Kurdish acronym for Women’s Protection Units. They are organized separately from the male YPG, though they carry the same weapons, get the same training and do the same jobs. Every feminist should read this book. So should those in the military, particularly those who think, or used to think, that women don’t belong on the front lines of war.

Each night it’s the same. Story after story on the TV news is about the Covid vaccination effort, and they are all illustrated with footage of needles sinking into exposed upper arms. Put it in perspective. Be positive about the reasons you are getting the vaccine and remember that the pain will be short-lived, like a stubbed toe, said Thea Gallagher, director of the clinic at the Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety at the University of Pennsylvania. For those getting the two-dose regimens, “be objective about how the first one went,” she said, “and that you got through it.” Bring a support person. Some vaccination sites will allow this. Ask. Practice deep breathing or other techniques to help stay calm at the site. Eat something and drink water beforehand; it reduces the chance of fainting.

“In issuing this interpretive rule, we’re making it clear that lenders cannot discriminate based on sexual orientation or gender identity,” said CFPB Acting Director David Uejio. “The CFPB will ensure that consumers are protected against such discrimination and provided equal opportunities in credit.” This prohibition also covers discrimination based on actual or perceived nonconformity with traditional sex- or gender-based stereotypes, and discrimination based on an applicant’s social or other associations.

March 8, 2021 This message includes updates on the COVID-19 response from CDC. If you are participating in activities outside your home, like an outdoor yoga class or just picking up a few items at the grocery store, be sure to do so safely. Have an extra mask, tissues, and hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol on hand. When considering activities, think about how many people you’ll interact with, if you’ll be able to stay at least 6 feet away from others, if others will be wearing masks, and how long the activity lasts. Outdoors is safer than indoors. Wear a mask; Stay at least 6 feet from others; avoid crowds and poorly ventilated places.   When You’ve Been Full…

Nevada state Sen. Pat Spearman, a Democrat and chief majority whip, successfully shepherded legislation in 2020 requiring pharmacists to honor 12-month doctors’ prescriptions for birth control pills, over the objections of some male lawmakers. “We had men on a committee making statements like, ‘if you give them a whole year’s supply, they are going to sell them,’” Spearman recalled in a phone interview. “People don’t get them to sell them, they get them to use them.”Women in the Nevada legislature, the only one with a female majority, brought focus to the issue, Spearman said.“There’s no doubt that it would not have gotten done [in 2020] had women not held power,” she said.

From the Editor: Last night I watched — on television — the San Francisco Giants play their rivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers, winners of the 2020 National League Championship title. They played in Arizona, where the Giants hold their spring training and the game ended in a tie. But it was another location I thought about in Brooklyn, and a game that featured guest Hank Greenburg, a well-known player that my father admired. At that time, Greenberg was retired, I believe, but the fans at the Dexter Park, crowded the stands to see him. Last year, I wrote a brief article, A Baseball Story You Might Not Have Heard About an American Catcher and Spy for the OSS, and thought this year I might follow it up with an lengthy excerpt from a story about the Brooklyn Bushwicks. "Even as minor league and semipro baseball declined in the 1940s, the Bushwicks still outdrew the big league Philadelphia Phillies and Boston Braves in 1945."