HEALTH

Vaccine Passports Offer a Whole New World

This week, more leaders floated ideas for a Covid-19 “vaccine passport” that would allow the increasing number of vaccinated people to start living like it’s 2019 again. 

What’s a vaccine passport? 

• It’s a digital health pass showing that you’ve gotten your Covid-19 shot(s). Think of it like a “Get Out of Pandemic Free” card.
• Documentation proving that you’ve been vaccinated against certain diseases is not new, CNBC notes. What is new is that the documentation being proposed now is purely digital, rather than physical “yellow cards.” 

The latest news: On Monday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen introduced the concept of a “Digital Green Pass,” a certificate that will let vaccinated Europeans travel between EU countries or even venture abroad. 

The Digital Green Pass and other efforts like it (such as the system already implemented in Israel) have sparked a dialogue over whether vaccine passports are necessary for economic revival or an ethical minefield waiting to explode.

Who’s in favor? 

Vaccinated people, probably. And pretty much all the folks who’ve been crushed financially by the pandemic: the tourism, leisure, and hospitality sectors. 

• The International Air Transport Association is currently testing a digital pass with 30 airlines that would allow for quarantine-free air travel, which is what the industry craves the most.
• Some cruise lines have also announced they’ll require vaccination for guests and crew for the privilege of sailing the Covid-free seas. 

And what could go wrong?  

That word we just wrote in the sentence above: “privilege.” Critics of digital health passes say they have the potential to further divide populations into “have” and “have-nots” simply based on who is able to get a vaccine. 

And, as with anything that can be described as a “digital health pass,” people are raising concerns over privacy and the protection of personal data. 

Looking ahead...expect the discussion around vaccine passports to heat up even more, although actual implementation may not happen until the summer. The Digital Green Pass would take at least three months to get up and running, the European Commission said.

COVID

Covid Vaccine Tracker

Passports aside, here’s a look at where the vaccine rollout stands. 

• In the US...82.6 million doses, or 24.9 doses for every 100 people, have been administered, according to Bloomberg. That’s up from 70.5 million doses last Saturday. 8.4% of the US population is now fully vaccinated.
• Around the world…279 million doses have been administered in 111 different countries, up from 231 million doses in 100 countries last week.

The latest updates

Hot out of the gate: Covax, the international relief effort to help supply vaccines to low-income countries, delivered 20 million doses to 20 countries in its first week of distribution. The UN-backed organization’s goal is to deliver 2 billion doses by the end of the year. 

#Blocked: Earlier this week, Italy blocked a shipment of AstraZeneca vaccine doses headed for Australia on the grounds that it needed them more than the Aussies did. France backed Italy’s decision, escalating a high-profile case of “vaccine nationalism.” 

SOCIAL MEDIA

You Won’t Believe What Tom Cruise Didn’t Do

After the whole jumping-on-Oprah’s-couch thing, it’s understandable that people will believe Tom Cruise is capable of anything. But videos that went viral on TikTok this week of Cruise golfing and performing magic tricks were actually deepfakes. 

Deepfake, (dēpfāk), noun. a digitally manipulated video. 

• Use it in a sentence: Tom Cruise’s face was glommed onto someone else’s body in a series of deepfakes this week. 

Visual effects specialist Chris Ume spent months creating the convincing videos, which star a Tom Cruise impersonator augmented with VFX and CGI. Ume told The Verge his videos are meant to prove, “You can’t [make convincing deepfakes] by just pressing a button.” 

Despite his intentions, the videos highlight existing concerns about deepfake technology and how social media companies guard their platforms against misinformation. TikTok banned manipulated content in August, but a spokesperson said parodies like Ume’s don’t count. The videos are still live as of last night. 

Zoom out: With the exception of Internet Explorer, technology tends to improve over time. Deepfakes will only get a) more realistic and b) easier to make.

+ Optional homework: We wrote about deepfakes and how to detect them in our guide to fact-checking your social media feed.

SPONSORED BY PIQUE

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You see, Vitamin C supplements can make your pee glow neon—which we can all agree is a DISCONCERTING color. Turns out that your bod might have a hard time absorbing over 1000mg of Vitamin C, which is why you may notice that neon glow after taking some Vitamin C supplements.

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You even get the added boost of elderberry concentrate (the equivalent of up to 13g of fresh elderberries). Not only does Pique dial in the science of Vitamin C absorption, but also—like all their other products—Daily Immune harnesses the ancient health benefits of plants. 

Get 5% off Pique’s tasty, plant-based Daily Immune supplement here.

GRAB BAG

Key Performance Indicators

Quote: “We do think there’s going to be this peacocking effect that happens, as people emerge from Covid.”

Gap CEO Sonia Syngal told the WSJ she’s seeing signs that shoppers are ready to start venturing outside the Comfort & Leisure aisle for the first time in a while. Urban Outfitters’s CEO also said this week that he’s noticed “‘go-out fashion’ start to take hold.” 

Stat: 8% more people died in motor vehicle crashes last year in the US than in 2019, according to preliminary data from the National Safety Council. That’s shocking considering total miles driven dropped 13% due to the pandemic.

Read: Why millennials love Gucci. (Business Insider)

PUBLISHING

All Press Is Press

Dr. Seuss’s greatest hits have taken over the Amazon US bestsellers list. 15 books on Amazon’s Top 20 list were Seuss publications as of Friday morning. 

The backstory: Dr. Seuss Enterprises, which runs Theodore Seuss Geisel’s estate, discontinued six of the author’s books on Tuesday, the author’s 117th birthday, over racist imagery. It explained in a statement, “These books portray people in ways that are hurtful and wrong.” 

Zoom out: The announcement led to a big “cancel culture” debate over the author’s legacy, causing the books that weren't discontinued to become a hotter buy than Thneeds. 

WHAT ELSE IS BREWING

• California will allow stadiums and theme parks to reopen as soon as April 1.
• The US and EU agreed to suspend tariffs related to a long-running dispute over Airbus and Boeing. It represents a thawing in ice-cold trade relations. 
• John McAfee, the “eccentric” cybersecurity entrepreneur, was charged with securities fraud over a crypto pump-and-dump scheme.
• Tesla stock closed below $600 for the first time since December. The company’s shares are down more than 30% from their January high.
• Tim Wu, a Columbia law professor known for knocking Big Tech over antitrust issues, is joining the Biden administration to work on technology and competition policy.

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BREW'S BETS

A new music Friday for the ages: Drake, Justin Bieber, Bruno Mars + Anderson .Paak, and approximately 1 million other amazing artists all released new music yesterday. Groove along here. 

Weekend Conversation Starters:

• What do you call the night before Halloween? Probably nothing, but maybe…
• DYK that blowing on cold food works as well or better than blowing on hot food?
• What’s your favorite grass varietal? 
• Have you secured your free Brew water bottle yet? The giveaway ends Sunday night...

GAMES

Brew Crossword: TV Gold

Today’s crossword from Stefan Bucek is a showstopper. 

Difficulty: 6.4

Favorite clue: “It is often humble” (5-letters)

Try the puzzle here.

+ Think you have what it takes to make your own crossword? Spoiler: You do. Check out our tutorial, and then be sure to submit. If we select your crossword, we'll also send you the iconic Brewneck sweatshirt.