*After Mocking Idea, Biden Administration to Distribute 500 Million Free Covid Tests.*

You can look at the positive side: in just two weeks, they changed their mind and adopted the policy. That's pretty good flexibility.

But the first 500 million won't last long if people use them as often as they should.

These tests give a significant fraction of false negatives, so don't assume you're safe for others because you got a negative result. The real benefit of these tests is for employees who can't work from home to use them frequently, and therefore avoid going to work after a positive result.

Omicron will test whether the US can now defend itself from pandemics. Our individual actions will add up to the nation's response.

Naturally, Republicans urge people to be selfish about it. When they say, "It is a personal decision," they mean, "Don't care about anyone else." By reducing solidarity, they aim to weaken the nation by causing more sickness and more economic damage, which they will use to stimulate support for imposing minority rule.

I will go further than Robert Reich, and suggest that you pull out of any gatherings unless they are just a handful of people, all vaccinated, and all limiting their other contacts.

(satire) *Police Finally Throw Out Old, Embarrassing Evidence From '80s.*

US citizens: call on Biden to reduce the sanctions on Afghanistan enough to ensure they do not cause anyone to starve.

US citizens: call on the Senate to remove Senator Joe Manchin as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.