You may not have thought about Covid this summer, but it’s been busy—hitting the gym, drinking spike protein shakes, and fragmenting into a constellation of immunity-dodging subvariants that may lead to another winter surge.

Quick catchup: Since it arrived on the scene a year ago, Omicron has evolved into so many family lineages even George R. R. Martin can’t keep track. Each of those subvariants is trying to outcompete the next for dominance, breeding new strains that better evade immunity and potentially increase the risk of infection.

Which is a bit disconcerting, given that the OG Omicron was already one of the fastest-spreading diseases humanity has ever known.

What’s happening now?

The US considers two of the new subvariants—BQ1 and BQ1.1—especially worrisome.

Now accounting for more than 10% of new cases, they pose a distinct threat to people with compromised immune systems. Due to their mutations, the “BQs” could neutralize the main treatments used by immunocompromised people for protection against Covid, early studies show. “If you have a variant that does not respond or isn’t sensitive to one of the most important tools that we have, that’s very concerning,” Dr. Fauci told Politico.

For the rest of the population, existing immunity from vaccines and prior infection, and the treatment Paxlovid could offer substantial protection—even against these new subvariants, experts say. “If you are up to date with your vaccines and if you get treated if you have a breakthrough infection, your risk of dying from Covid is now close to zero,” Dr. Ashish Jha, the White House’s Covid-19 response coordinator, said.

Thing is, most Americans are not up to date with their vaccines. Fewer than 5% got the updated Omicron-targeting booster in the first month it rolled out, and 20% didn’t know it existed. US officials expect the number of boosted people to jump once the holidays get closer.

Big picture: Contrary to the popular narrative, a good chunk of people haven’t “moved on” from the pandemic. A new working paper found that more than 10% of Americans with recent work experience will continue social distancing after Covid, and 45% will social distance in limited ways. That could result in persistently lower labor force participation, the authors note.—NF

After two down quarters, Netflix grows again. The world’s biggest streamer just learned a rule so many of us already know about its original programming: If you go in expecting very little, you won’t be disappointed. The company projected that it would add just 1 million subscribers this quarter, but yesterday it announced the addition of 2.4 million. Shares jumped more than 14% after the bell and, feeling like it could fructify even more, Netflix projected an additional 4.5 million subscribers for next quarter.

🏛 Biden said his top goal next year is to codify abortion rights. The president promised that the first bill he’d send to the new Congress would enshrine the right to an abortion into law. However, the law could only pass if Democrats keep control of the House and expand their majority in the Senate. Which is exactly the point: By announcing his intention to carve abortion rights into stone, Biden is trying to motivate Dems to vote in the midterms, which are now less than two weeks away.

French cement giant pleads guilty to paying off ISIS. Yesterday the company, Lafarge SA, agreed to pay $778 million as part of its plea deal with the DOJ. So what did it do? In 2013 and 2014, Lafarge and its Syrian subsidiary paid millions to armed factions in the region, including ISIS and the Nusra Front, to keep its cement operations going and give it a leg up against competitors, authorities said. While that was happening, ISIS unleashed terror on the area, and tortured and killed Americans.

The Amazon Labor Union’s quest to organize the e-commerce giant’s workers suffered a setback yesterday when workers at a warehouse outside Albany, known as ALB1, voted against joining the union.

It wasn’t close: There were 206 votes in favor of the union and 406 votes against.

For those keeping score at home, that’s the second loss in a row for the union after workers in Staten Island also voted against joining. Still, the ALU, which faces major opposition from the company, won a landmark victory at a different Staten Island location earlier this year.

The fight may not be over at ALB1: Before the vote count, a lawyer for the union said it had already filed legal complaints against Amazon, setting the stage to potentially contest the outcome. “It was a sham election where workers were subjected to intimidation and retaliation on a daily basis,” ALU President Chris Smalls said yesterday.

And it’s definitely not over at Amazon in general…the US’ second-largest employer is still fighting the union’s Staten Island win. But the union has vowed to keep organizing—workers in Southern California filed a petition for a vote to join last week.

Bottom line: Union or no union, Amazon has a worker retention problem. Attrition across all levels is costing the company ~$8 billion per year, according to Engadget.—AR

Despite all Master Splinter has done for them, New York City officials have decided to wage a war on rats. In an effort to keep the rodents at bay and make things look a little less trashy, the city will not allow households and businesses to take trash out for street collection until 8pm (shifting from 4pm), Mayor Eric Adams announced on Monday.

“The rats are going to absolutely hate this announcement,” Sanitation Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at the press conference. “The rats don’t run the city. We do.”

To rat-accustomed New Yorkers, this move might feel like making it illegal for guys in Queens to say “It is what it is.” But, despite being ubiquitous to the culture, NYC’s rat problem has gotten out of control: Sightings have increased 71% since 2020.

The city is hoping that shortening the amount of time that piled-up trash bags fester on every sidewalk will help keep both problems in check. The current 4pm start time for curb service is one of the earliest in the world among major cities.

Zoom out: Despite the rat uprising, NYC isn’t the country’s leader in the field. On Monday, Chicago was named the rattiest city in the US for the eighth year running.—MK

Stat: Women leaders are quitting their companies at the highest rate on record, per a new report from LeanIn.org and McKinsey. 10.5% of women leaders quit their jobs last year, compared to 9% of men (a much wider spread than typical). Calling the trend the “Great Breakup,” the report found that women are feeling extra motivated to ditch their companies after getting passed up for promotions or being mistreated in the workplace.

Quote: “James Corden is a Hugely gifted comedian, but a tiny Cretin of a man.”

Famous restaurateur Keith McNally said he banned James Corden from eating at his NYC hotspot Balthazar, accusing the comedian of harassing his waitstaff and just being an overall jerk when eating there. McNally later retracted his ban after Corden apologized. “I strongly believe in second chances,” he wrote.

Read: How one company’s algorithm could be driving up rent prices in the US. (ProPublica)

The graduation ceremony favorite just turned 25: How Green Day’s “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” came to be.

Not all celebrities are jerks: Here’s a really cute story about Roger Moore. He would never have gotten banned from Balthazar.

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How many times do you encounter a problem you wish someone would solve?

The entrepreneurs on Sidekick’s Solo List do, too, but they’ve decided to do something about it. The 20 rising stars on this list didn’t necessarily reinvent the wheel. Instead, they recognized a gap in the market and built innovative solutions across health, tech, community, food and drink, publishing, and style.

These dreamers are doing amazing things. Meet the 20 founders here.

This editorial content is supported by Catch.

Word Search: Find your favorite celebrity’s jack-o’-lantern in today’s Word Search. Play it here.

For the gram

Once again we’re handing over the mic to our copyeditor Holly, who’s going to give you all a grammar quiz.

Matty once posted a great meme about the existential angst commas cause (and I’m not just saying that because she compared my editing to unhinged parenting). Truth is, commas are tough, and the sentences below all contain an error pertaining to a comma. Can you, perspicacious readers, spot the mistake?

1. Scientists worry that rats with a little bit of human brain could potentially possess bits of human traits like suffering and worrying about their follower count.
2. Swift said the album reflects, “the stories of 13 sleepless nights scattered throughout my life.”
3. When the jeans were up for auction Haupert made a deal to cover 90% of the bid.
4. Now, Toronto residents over the age of 19 can order from three local dispensaries through Uber’s app.

Morning Brew co-founder Alex Lieberman challenges two teams of Brew employees to create a new startup and make a pitch worthy of his investment. Watch here.

🎃 This week on The Crazy Ones: how Spirit Halloween became so successful, and the growing pains of going from founder to CEO. Listen or watch here.

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