Becoming a Man, Virtually

My son Zane celebrated his bar mitzvah this past Saturday. And to think I had been worried about a late-season snowstorm. A week and a half earlier, when it was clear that the coronavirus crisis would force us to make some big decisions, I spent the day holding back tears, desperate for a paper bag…

A Sewing Army, Making Masks for America

They are scrounging for fabric, cutting it up, stitching it together. They are repurposing drapes, dresses, bra straps, shower curtains, even coffee filters. They are building supply chains, organizing workers, managing distribution networks. Most of all, they are sewing. All over the country, homebound Americans are crafting thousands upon thousands of face masks to help…

Airlines’ New Operating Mode: Flexible

In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and government-imposed restrictions on travel, many airlines are relaxing their ticket-change policies and allowing travelers to rebook without a penalty anywhere from a few to 12 months out. The only domestic airline that doesn’t routinely charge fees for flight changes, Southwest Airlines, went a step beyond, extending the…

Nextdoor Pivots to Neighborliness

“I’m 84 years old, so staying confined to the house for protection,” wrote Marcia Savin, a children’s book author and teacher who lives alone in the Cobble Hill section of Brooklyn, on the neighborhood social networking app Nextdoor. It was Saturday, March 21. Her prescriptions were ready at a local pharmacy, she said, but she…