What Happens When Partners Disagree About COVID-19 Safety?

You know how some couples claim they “never fight”? Yeah, they’re lying. Whether it’s at a hushed volume, through a fake smile and gritted teeth, or in the occasional knock-down, drag-out yelling match, every pair does it. Could you take care of the laundry for once? Do we always have to go to your parents’ house for Christmas? Did you seriously watch Succession without me?!

Consider it a way for partners to, uh, brush up on their communication skills from time to time. Now there’s something new for couples — particularly those with kids — to disagree about: the pandemic. Specifically, how cautious we really need to be right now.

The Cut spoke to parents around the country who disagree with their partners on mask wearing, vaccination, travel, and more to find out how they’re navigating these differences of opinion.

New Mitski! The Texas abortion ban is already yielding devastating results: Some residents have been forced to travel to nonadjacent states like Illinois and Washington for care as clinics in bordering states are overwhelmed. Portugal passed new remote-work legislation barring employers from contacting workers outside of office hours and requiring companies to help pay for electricity and internet bills. Here’s a petition we’ll sign our names to: Keep James Corden the hell away from the Wicked movie. Two L.A. mothers gave birth to the other’s baby without knowing their embryos had been swapped. Don’t you love it when celebrities mess up their spon-con? And Malala got married!

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