Morning Reads for National Postal Workers Day (July 1)

Happy National Postal Workers Day and a big, big THANK YOU to all who work for the USPS! Don’t forget to buy some stamps, and if you’re sending anything through the mail today, apparently there’s a #MailedIt hashtag for Twitter.

It’s also Canada Day for our neighbors to the north. Happy Canada Day!

Now, the news:

Pat Conroy

• Even though a lot of Independence Day celebrations have been canceled this year due to COVID-19, the lakes still expect to see big crowds. (Alternate link.)
• Governor Kemp signed the budget yesterday, which he called “bittersweet.” (Alternate link.)
• The University System of Georgia made the Chronicle of Higher Education for it’s “top-down management” of the COVID-19 situation (among other issues). The biggest point of contention is that masks are not mandatory.
  • This has uncomfortable parallels to the Cocking Affair from 1941-1942.
  • Some of Emory University’s medical experts are holding an online press conference to urge making masks mandatory. (Alternate link.)
  • UGA isn’t even officially open, but it currently has 150 active cases amongst its students and workers.
• Georgia has been added to New York’s list of states in its quarantine order.
• Over a million COVID-19 tests will have been administered in Georgia by the end of the week.
• The Water Wars between Georgia and Florida continue on with a new document from Georgia filed yesterday.

Alice Walker

• Dr. Fauci has warned that COVID-19 cases could soon reach 100,000 a day in the United States.
• Biden gave a televised speech yesterday outlining his strategy to combat COVID-19.
• Mississippi has officially stripped Stars & Bars from its flag. The new flag will be determined later. (Alternate link.)
• COVID-19 has returned as Americans’ biggest concern in new polling.
• The new Hong Kong security law is much more expansive than originally advertised.
  • The first arrest under the law has sparked new protests.
  • The UK has made a citizenship offer to residents of the city.

Flannery O’Connor

• Apparently, there’s a spirit who curses at people in Somerset, England.