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What do you think was the biggest news event this past week -- either in your community, nationally, or globally? Talk about why it’s a big deal.

The biggest event started before last week— the COVID situation in India is horrendous. And Thailand is suffering from the biggest surge since the pandemic began. Africa doesn't have enough vaccines to give out, Europe is still restricted in many places, and the U.S.–Canada border is still closed. With the rate of vaccinations going up in the U.S., it's easy to feel like the pandemic is ending. But it definitely isn't. And only 41% of the U.S. population is fully vaccinated, so we're not anywhere near "herd immunity" yet even here. I read an article yesterday about the conflict for vaccinated people who want to feel relieved and happy and optimistic for the future, but so many people are still suffering and dying that we can't just celebrate. And Americans are still dying, too, so it's really hard for people who have just lost someone to the disease to see other people going around without masks on, having parties, etc., when a loved one just died from COVID. We're entering a very complicated time in this pandemic where some people are coming out the other side of it while others are still buried in it. And some people are vaccinated while others aren't. The wealth gap is blazing in our faces, both domestically and globally. Why are so many Americans vaccinated when India and Africa can't get enough to go around? Why is India running out of oxygen for treatments? Why are people in poorer communities here in the U.S. not getting vaccinated as quickly as middle and upper class (and mostly White) folks? I hope this horrible suffering will be redeemed at least a little bit by people seeing the injustices that have been exposed to the light, and doing something to change them. I wish I could be more optimistic about that actually happening.