Welcome to Your Week. It's a Mother's Day filled with mixed feelings.
It's a reflective Mother's Day here at Team USA TODAY. This year more than ever, we're grateful to mothers and mother figures for all they do to lift us up.
I'm Alex, your personal guide to the best stories your subscription unlocks. Every Sunday in this newsletter, I'll spotlight reporting you can't miss — and preview what's to come.
From a suspenseful Chinese missile landing to an unhinged SNL starring Elon Musk and a continuously confusing stock market, there's plenty to talk about today.
But halfway around the world, the pandemic that we are looking to move past continues to be the sole, devastating focus of hundreds for thousands of families. In India, crematoriums are overflowing. Families are hunting for oxygen. Hospitals are running out of beds.
To tell the story of the apocalyptic second wave of COVID-19 that is tearing through India, USA TODAY editors sought to report the news, but more importantly, tell the human side. "It’s scary to be here now," writes Mythili Gubbi for USA TODAY Opinion, from Bangalore. "And the saddest part is that it didn’t have to be this way."
'Everyone knows someone'
CATCH UP ON WHAT'S HAPPENING | Here's a brief recap of the state of coronavirus in India:
- India is setting a record pace of infections: Just over 403,000 confirmed cases reported Sunday, including 4,092 deaths.
- At the same time, vaccinations per day have dropped to an average of 1.3 million — down from 3.5 million per day in April.
- The new coronavirus variant in India is called B.1.617, and it’s distinguished by having not one but two mutations on the virus spike.
FROM BANGALORE, INDIA | "Over the span of a couple of days last month, my Instagram feed went from posts about people getting together and going out, to desperate requests for hospital beds, ventilators, oxygen cylinders, plasma donations, medicines, breast milk for newborn babies who have lost their moms to COVID, and home-cooked meals for patients. My heart aches. Everyone knows someone or knows of someone who is sick, who is struggling, or has passed away ... On a single day, I heard about the deaths of an old neighbor, my dad’s colleague, and my friend’s father’s best friend who was a doctor." Read the full excerpt by Mythili Gubbi here.
HOW CAN WE HELP? | Experts say we need to be more aware of the toll the tragedy may be taking on those around us. What you can do: Pay attention to the news.
- Is the Biden administration doing enough for India? Some accuse the United States, wealthy nations of 'hoarding' COVID-19 vaccines.
- 'This time, almost everyone is affected': The devastating second wave of COVID-19 has stalled the nation's vaccination campaign.
- Agonizing from 8,000 miles away: Indian Americans feel helpless as family falls ill.
More of the week’s must-reads
- They hail from Facebook, Netflix and YouTube. Their mission? To get more Black product managers in tech. Here’s why.
- As the United States nears a vaccine tipping point, some experts say a dramatic decrease in COVID-19 cases could come even without herd immunity.
- Many incarcerated people that were sent home during COVID-19 got jobs and started school. Now, they face a possible return to prison.
- In Opinion | I don't believe in Mother's Day, but I want at least another mother's decade.
- What we'll miss about pandemic travel:Cheap tickets, empty middle seats, short TSA lines.
The best subscriber-only stories of the week
DOCUMENTARY | USA TODAY photojournalists Jarrad Henderson and Harrison Hill spent weeks with the Black community in Minneapolis, before, during and after the trial and conviction of the former police officer charged with killing George Floyd. They built relationships, photographed and made videos of traumatized, frustrated and inspired residents. This is "Boots on the Ground," an examination of what needs to happen for these killings by police to end and what it would mean to Black Americans who are exhausted by this reality.
MONEY | Trying to purchase a house? The market is a tale of two Americas, and first-time buyers are struggling. Wealthier families are buying up pricey, larger properties. But lower-priced homes, where sales have decreased, tell another story about the economy. By Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy.
INVESTIGATION | Former Navy Sec. Kenneth Braithwaite traveled the globe as the Trump administration wound down, despite COVID-19. His travels included Norway, Italy, Greece, Japan, India, an Army-Navy football game that cost $24,000 and more than one visit to Hawaii. In eight months, he logged 21 flights totaling nearly 300 hours and spent over $2.3 million on air travel. By Tom Vanden Brook, Janet Loehrke and Ramon Padilla.
What’s coming
We're diving into the logic behind vaccine passports, following up on the investigation into the Jan. 6 Capitol riot and examining cryptocurrency — is it safe to invest, and should you?
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