Global vaccine inequity; inflation and the restaurant industry; a pandemic poetry book

Plus, the day the Santas stormed Macy's. [View this email online]( [NPR]( by Suzanne Nuyen First up [woman holding syringe with vaccine]( Simon Maina/AFP via Getty Images Here's what we're following today: We're "losing the plot" in the fight against COVID, and global vaccine inequity is to blame. Epidemiology experts say efforts to deliver vaccines globally [must ramp up]( to prevent more variants from emerging. ➡️ Domestically, getting the entire nation vaccinated also remains difficult. Ten percent of people say it [conflicts with their religious beliefs.]( A British court ruled that Wikileaks founder Julian Assange can be [extradited to the U.S.]( to face espionage charges. The family of a student shot at Oxford High School in Michigan is suing the school for failing to prevent the mass shooting. They accuse school officials of [dismissing violent threats]( even after parents and students raised concerns. Empire actor Jussie Smollett has been found guilty of felony disorderly conduct for staging a fake hate crime. He now faces up to three years in prison. Prosecutors say he [paid two brothers to carry out the attack]( in 2019. In one of the highest-profile union wins for U.S. restaurant workers, [workers at a Starbucks in Buffalo voted to form a union](. ➡️ Workers at four additional U.S. Starbucks are also pursuing union votes, and experts predict the vote will inspire more widespread organizing drives. The Sackler family is again facing consequences for their role in the opioid crisis. The benefactors, who own Purdue Pharma, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art are parting ways and [the museum is removing the family's name]( from seven exhibition spaces. --------------------------------------------------------------- Newsletter continues after sponsor message --------------------------------------------------------------- Today’s listen Cameron Mitchell Restaurants Inflation hit a three-decade high in October, and the restaurant industry is feeling the effects. Cameron Mitchell shops for 60 restaurants around the country and says he has had to raise menu prices three times in one year. 🎧 [Listen to Mitchell recount how he has adapted]( or [read the story.]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Before you go Koen Broos/Julie Fay - Marilyn Hacker and Karthika Nair's story is familiar: two friends are separated due to the pandemic. Their book, A Different Distance, is a collection of [almost daily poems]( they shared to stay connected. - Black Friday 1991 was the day the Santas swarmed. On Storycorps, two men recount the day 22 activists rushed into Macy's to [protest for AIDS awareness.]( - The proof's in the ... poop? Scientists have detected [traces of omicron]( in the wastewater in several cities across the U.S., indicating that the variant has arrived there. - West Side Story is Steven Spielberg's first musical, and he's a natural. Justin Chang writes about how the film made him [believe in movies]( again. --------------------------------------------------------------- Stream your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to find your local station stream. [Find a Station]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can [sign up here](. Looking for more great content? [Check out all of our newsletter offerings]( — including Music, Politics, Health and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to Daily News emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Policy]( [NPR logo]