Month: August 2021

PITTSBURGH — Western Pennsylvania has been deemed a hot spot of COVID-19 transmission by the CDC. Allegheny, Greene, Washington, Beaver, Lawrence, Armstrong and Jefferson counties each had a “high” level of transmission from Aug 8-14. According to the CDC, having a “high” COVID-19 transmission level means for every 100,000 people, there are 100 cases. [Here is how to stay informed about coronavirus updates from WPXI] Other local counties also had a “substantial” level of COVID-19 transmission during that same timeframe. “Substantial” means there are 50 to 100 cases for every 100,000 people. There are no “Moderate” or “Low” areas in any of the surrounding counties.

A Rocklin church handed out hundreds of exemption letters Sunday for people who do not want to take the COVID-19 vaccine. This followed recent announcements from several employers imposing new vaccine requirements on employees.During Sunday service, Pastor Greg Fairrington of Destiny Christian Church explained his reasons for offering the exemption letters."You have the freedom to choose, and nobody should be able to mandate that you have to take a vaccine or you lose your job. That's just not right, here in America," Fairrington said.State workers, teachers and health care workers in California are facing requirements to show proof that they have been vaccinated or to take regular tests for COVID-19 if they cite religious or medical exemptions.The letters, signed by Farr...

Taliyah is mostly worried about facing social pressures she hasn't had to deal with in more than a year. Virtual learning, she said, helped her to thrive in class and engage more with her studies than she did in person. "For online classes, you don't have to worry about trying to fit in, who will talk to you in the hallways," she told CNN. "I struggle with social anxiety and overthinking. Virtual school made it so much easier for me. I didn't have to deal with some of those pressures." As schools reopen across the US, many children are excited to get back into classrooms with their friends. But for some others, especially kids with social anxiety, online learning was a welcome respite from bullying and the stress of trying to fit in. For them returning to school, with its classroom dynami...

How to Do It is Slate’s sex advice column. Have a question? Send it to Stoya and Rich here. It’s anonymous! Dear How to Do It, What is it with queer guys insisting on never wearing a condom anymore? My Grindr message log is full of guys who ghosted or blocked after learning I wouldn’t bareback. They’re on PrEP, they say. What I don’t say is the last time I was cavalier about condoms, I ended up with herpes. Do these guys not remember the HIV crisis (still very much a thing)? Other STIs? Is the Venn diagram of anti-maskers and anti-rubbers a circle? — Wrap It Up Dear Wrap It Up, Though the opening of your letter reads like a setup of a joke, I’m taking it seriously. Queer men’s abandonment of condoms in the wake of the AIDS epidemic has long been a p...