It’s not just sugar skulls. Dia de los Muertos offers a chance to remember the children Washington lost.

But as an adult, whenever the calendar nears Nov. 1 and 2, those post-Halloween days when the Day of the Dead is celebrated, I find myself making a mental ofrenda. I find myself thinking about the photographs that would fill mine.

It may sound like a morbid exercise, but it is not. The Mexican holiday, which may date back thousands of years, is about honor and remembrance.

It is about putting into practice that often tossed-around phrase “never forget.”

Washington Post

Over the last four decades, HIV/AIDS has killed at least 700,000 Americans. COVID-19 has killed more in two years.

COVID-19 has killed approximately 750,000 Americans over the last two years, officially surpassing the number of lives lost to HIV/AIDS over the last four decades to become the country’s deadliest pandemic.

Business Insider

It’s clear capitalism isn’t working when US politicians try to bring back child labor

There is something very, very wrong with a system that would rather recruit more kids instead of paying better wages and providing more benefits to adults

The Guardian

COVID’s endgame: Scientists have a clue about where SARS-CoV-2 is headed

The researchers were studying another coronavirus, called 229E, that causes only a mild cold in humans. But the results of that experiment offer some intriguing insights into the possible endgame of the COVID-19 pandemic. After this delta-variant surge wanes this winter, as scientists forecast, what’s next? Will the virus come back next year? And the year after that?

NPR

Trans Workers File Unfair Labor Practices Complaints Against Netflix

Two transgender Netflix employees who were disciplined after speaking out about comedian Dave Chappelle’s most recent special have filed complaints with the National Labor Relations Board.

Advocate

An Apparent Ransomware Hack Puts the NRA in a Bind

On Wednesday, the Russian ransomware group Grief posted a sample of data that it claimed was stolen from the National Rifle Association. Dealing with ransomware is a pain under any circumstances. But Grief presents even more complications, because the group is connected to the notorious Evil Corp gang, which has been subject to US Treasury sanctions since December 2019. Even if you decide to pay Grief off, you could face serious penalties. 

Wired

Britain can’t decide whether it should send its looted treasures back to their rightful owners

Britain is once again reckoning with its imperial history during a week in which two ceremonies were held to mark the return of ancient looted artifacts to Nigeria from the UK.

CNN

Is it safe to get a flu shot and a COVID-19 vaccine at the same time? Experts explain

“The great news is yes, you can get both vaccines at the same time or in close proximity to each other. Whatever works best for you,” Dr. Lisa Maragakis, senior director of infection prevention for the Johns Hopkins Health System, told USA TODAY.

USA Today

Boris Johnson and Emmanuel Macron are now arguing about whether they’re arguing

French aides say the two leaders have agreed to de-escalate tensions. Johnson’s spokesman insists there is no such deal.

New Statesman

Japan election: Ruling LDP retains majority – exit polls

They say PM Fumio Kishida’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has secured more than 233 lower house seats – enough to govern without its coalition partner.

BBC

Politics

St. Vincent’s Nurses Are on Strike — This Is What It’s Like for Their Kids

Brothers Joshua and Jacob Mobley say their mom brought the decision to strike to the family and together they talked through the pros and cons. Jacob says he was surprised so many nurses voted to strike. He understood the decision and was proud of his mom for making it, but with the unemployment crisis and economic downturn earlier in the pandemic, he was also wary of the risks.

Teen Vogue

Why this governor’s race is shaping up as a referendum on the Biden presidency

Biden was speaking on behalf of Democrat Terry McAuliffe who this Tuesday takes on Republican Glenn Youngkin to become governor of Virginia. But he was keenly aware that the race will represent the first referendum on his White House tenure and a potential preview of next year’s crucial midterm elections for Congress.

The Guardian

Would New York City Employees Rather Lose a Paycheck than Get Vaccinated?

Thousands of municipal workers have protested the mayor’s mandate, but the measure has largely worked.

The New Yorker

Column: This priest died of COVID-19. His congregants got vaccinated in his honor

“The community cried when he died,” said Conchita Pozar, 32, a leader in the Coachella Valley’s sizable Purépecha Indigenous community. “He went above and beyond what most priests ever do. He could’ve just given Communion at Mass and that would’ve been fine. But he pushed everyone to do more. His legacy is now in our hearts.”

Los Angeles Times

Man dressed as Joker injures 17 on Tokyo train

A 24-year-old man dressed in Batman’s Joker costume attacked passengers on a Tokyo train line on Sunday evening, injuring 17 people as many party-goers headed into the city centre for Halloween gatherings, media reported.

Reuters

FDA authorizes COVID-19 vaccines for younger kids

The Food and Drug Administration took action Friday to allow school-age children to qualify for COVID-19 vaccines as soon as next week.

The FDA authorized a two-dose series of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, but with just one-third of the active ingredient, for children 5 to 11 years old. The two shots are to be administered three weeks apart, just like in adult

Roll Call

The absence of key world leaders hangs over Biden’s first G-20

Among those who didn’t attend are Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, two counterparts who President Joe Biden desperately hopes to personally engage as he works to prevent already-tense relationships from deteriorating further.

CNN