Author: Amy Sorter

With the end of the year approaching, concerns have been slowly growing about how to handle parties and other holiday gatherings in the face of COVID-19. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has even issued various guidelines for safely approaching these celebrations in an attempt to limit the spread of COVID-19. Because November and December […]

The slave trade of the 18th and 19th centuries represents a dark part of U.S. history. While the 13th Amendment officially and legally abolished slavery on January 31, 1865, the concept of slavery continues to exist today. It is known as human trafficking, and it is highly illegal. This is also known as “modern slavery,” […]

The arching black cat is probably one of the more recognizable symbols of Halloween. Also recognizable at this time of year? A plethora of media stories focused on black cats. For example, one article points out it can be challenging to adopt a black cat around Halloween, claiming shelters don’t allow adoptions around the holiday over fears […]

Halloween is a time when children look forward to ringing doorbells and grabbing candy out of bowls, however, this year is throwing a boogeyman into the usual usual trick-or-treating activities: the COVID-19 pandemic.  In response to the upcoming Halloween holiday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a list of minimal- to high-risk Halloween activities. […]

Deadly wildfires don’t just destroy wildlife, vegetation and pollute the air; they can also destroy homes and communities and displace thousands due to mandatory evacuations. As of late September 2020, the West Coast wildfires burned more than 3.7 million acres in 11 states, forcing over 500,000 people to evacuate in Oregon alone. The nature of wildfires means they […]

Early on in the pandemic, conventional wisdom dictated that the summer months could slow the spread of COVID-19. After all, other, similar viruses all but disappeared during the summer, due to light, warmth and higher humidity. However, COVID-19 didn’t follow this predictable pattern. Instead, cases spiked, with recent information from Johns Hopkins University of Medicine placing global cases at just under […]

Human beings are highly social creatures. Under normal circumstances, this wouldn’t be a problem. However, considering the high rate of COVID-19 transmission and how it spreads, being social during the pandemic is dangerous. Restaurants, especially, are considered an ideal breeding ground for COVID-19. A recent report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) concluded […]

You use them frequently without a second thought, you ride them regularly to various destinations, from basement-level restaurants, to top-floor residential penthouses, to middle-of-the-building office suites. They are elevator systems — a sophisticated and technological combination of shafts, connections, weights and counterweights, which move people from floor to floor in buildings of varying heights. However, the elevator cab […]

Last week, a harmless gender reveal event went horribly wrong, sparking a wildfire in Southern California’s El Dorado which is currently blazing across 18,092 acres and two counties, with 60% containment, according to the most recent information from CalFire. Evacuation orders and road closures are in place, as firefighters continue battling the wildfire, which has impacted forestland, homes and businesses. […]

A dog’s barking and snarling from inside a house may not necessarily guarantee safety from a burglary, but it can certainly act as a deterrent. The last thing a thief want is to have that dog alerting its owner — or the neighbors — that you’re around and up to no good. Many professional burglars and […]

For many workers who continue to travel to their places of employment, getting to their jobs amidst the COVID-19 pandemic depends on the use of public transportation, like riding a bus or a train, hailing a taxi or using a smartphone app to contact Uber or Lyft. Anyone involved in a rush-hour morning or evening commute knows many […]