Return of the Mask

Why employers are getting bolder with vaccine mandates. How the pandemic worsened the opioid crisis. And the aftermath of the floods in Germany.

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On Tuesday the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that vaccinated Americans wear masks indoors in certain circumstances because of the highly transmissible delta variant. At the same time, many employers — including the federal government — are considering coronavirus vaccine mandates. Dan Diamond reports on the changing guidance around masks and vaccines.

Last week, the three major drug distributors and Johnson & Johnson reached a settlement in court after being sued for the damages of the opioid crisis. Lenny Bernstein on how the pandemic has affected the continuing opioid epidemic. You can find our related story from 2018 about the Trump administration’s handling of the fentanyl crisis here.

This past month, floods in Germany and Belgium killed nearly 200 people. Loveday Morris reports on the clean-up and recovery in Western Europe.