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Summer is winding down and, if your family is like mine, there’s an increasing focus on preparing to go back to school. Unfortunately, this year that also means preparing to deal with the looming threat of monkeypox. Public health emergencies for monkeypox have been declared globally, nationally and, in some states, outbreak numbers are doubling about every week. (Dr. Jerome Adams, 8/8)

Which state charts the future of abortion rights in post-Roe America: Kansas or Indiana? I want the answer to be Kansas, but I fear it’s Indiana. (Ruth Marcus, 8/8)

This summer brings with it a renewed sense of freedom as the country enjoys the widespread availability of vaccinations along with effective antiviral treatments that can prevent severe disease or hospitalization from COVID-19. Yet the emergence of new, highly contagious variants that spread and infect those who are vaccinated and boosted has led to high community transmission rates. (K.C. Coffey and Mary-Claire Roghmann, 8/8)

Why does it feel so hard these days to make decisions? And, in the wake of the COVID pandemic, why do so many of those decisions leave us feeling guilty, whichever path we take? (Lynn Bufka, 8/8)

Have you ever had FOMO so bad you could taste it? When the sci-fi film “Everything Everywhere All At Once” came out in March, all my writer friends raved about it. My corner of the science fiction writing world hailed it as one of the best movies of all time, and it was all anyone could talk about. It was the conversation happening in my industry. Before the pandemic, I would’ve gone to see a new movie in theaters. In the early pandemic, it would’ve been on a streaming service, and I could’ve seen it safely at home. But now, with mask mandates gone and everything back in theaters, I can no longer see new releases and be part of the conversation. I also still can’t go get a haircut, go to a dentist or go on my honeymoon. (Effie Seiberg, 8/7)