HOW TO THINK ABOUT IT Learn a lesson … Millennials are among those leading the charge. Take Middlebury College, for example, where students created a “mutual aid spreadsheet” to catalogue requests from the community, as well as items people were ready to offer those in need. Thanks to that effort, lower-income students from faraway places found rides to the airport, while others stowed away their belongings at storage spaces offered by administrators. It’s caught on: Communities at more than a dozen institutions, such as the universities of Pittsburgh, Texas and Virginia, have organized similar charitable efforts. Also, shuttered local schools in many places are still offering free pickup lunches for children in need. … and keep the spirit. While vacationers are canceling travel plans — enough that U.S. airlines have asked the government for a $50 billion aid package — that doesn’t mean holidays should lose their meaning. Ahead of St. Patrick’s Day today, Ireland's national broadcaster asked citizens to post videos of their previous revelry or alternative celebrations to replace the annual parades. Despite the lack of public gatherings, many buildings and landmarks around the world are still turning green. And Boston punk mainstays the Dropkick Murphys, who've played every March 17 for nearly a quarter-century, will livestream their fan-less gig for free. Giving back. “It’s going to take all of us.” So tweeted Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr while promoting the importance of social distancing. One of the first two squads scheduled to play behind closed doors before the NBA suspended its season, the Warriors are now focusing on other responsibilities: They’ve established a $1 million relief fund for the more than 1,000 hourly wage Chase Center employees who won’t be working anymore. Star Steph Curry and his wife, Ayesha, have launched their own relief effort aimed at helping feed the 18,000 students in California’s Oakland Unified School District now sitting at home. Big brother. Despite the seemingly constant flow of headlines about how it's messing with personal privacy or compromising national elections, Big Data is stepping up to help. In a joint statement Monday, Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, Microsoft, Reddit, Twitter and YouTube all pledged to fight fake news as the outbreak continues sowing global confusion. They've promised to “elevate authoritative content” and share health-related updates, while calling on other companies to follow suit. Today, Amazon told sellers it’s halting supplies of non-essential items to free up warehouse space for medical supplies and household staples. |
