Morning Reads for International Guide Dog Day (April 29)

Good morning! Today is the day set aside to celebrate the dogs who assist our visually impaired friends around the world. Guide Dogs of America has a short video explaining how dogs become guide dogs:

And now, the news!

Pat Conroy

• New Georgia drivers don’t have to take the road test portion of the test between now and mid-May. (Anyone else nervous about this?)
• The rest of the country is waiting to see how consumers in Georgia respond to eased restrictions.
• Modeling suggests that Georgia’s COVID-19 deaths will double by August.
• A new survey of Georgia nurses reveals that four out of ten don’t feel safe or equipped to perform their duties in the face of COVID-19, down from seven out of ten last month.
• Amazon is opening a new fulfillment center in Appling, which will create 800 jobs.
  • Note to Columbia County: Please upgrade that exit on I-20. It’s already a mess.
• The Democrats running for David Perdue’s seat held a virtual debate in which they weren’t all nice to each other any more. Here’s a link to the full event.

Alice Walker

• The U.S. economy shrank 4.8% in the first quarter of 2020.
• COVID-19 presents completely differently in seniors, doctors at Emory University have discovered. They say those seeming disoriented, dizzy, confused, and overly tired need to be tested for the disease.
• Meanwhile, Italian scientists have found COVID-19 present on particles of air pollution, which may mean the disease can travel long distances.
• Abysmal broadband access in rural areas of the country makes working at home nearly impossible for many Americans.
• The United Nations has warned that 1.6 billion people around the world will have their livelihoods destroyed by the pandemic.
• In non-COVID-19 news, Justin Amash has launched a vanity campaign for president.
• The largest ozone hole on record seems to have mysteriously healed itself up.

Flannery O’Connor

• A Georgia woman has tested positive for COVID-19 three times.
• A sleep expert explains your wacky quarantine dreams.
• If you’re bored in quarantine, here are some outlandish parlor games from the Victorian Era that will kill some time and certainly will give you something to brag about on social media.