readers, we took a different approach to our hottake this week - less funny, more personal. it’s our thoughts on the role of american muslims in today’s divisive politics. we’re no experts, so take everything we say with a grain (or two) of salt, but we do hope it’s food for thought.

big idea: dems fall to friendly fire

1. amid continuing negotiations over a climate change and social welfare bill, dems are apparently starting to shoot each other in the foot. good ol’ Bernie decided that the best way to convince Joe Manchin, the party’s most conservative senator, to back the $3.5 trillion bill was to publicly attack him in an op-ed published in Manchin’s hometown newspaper. this is after a Bernie-allied group promised to aggressively go after Kyrsten Sinema, the second most conservative dem senator, which apparently includes following her into the bathroom to harass her. 
2. listen, we’re not masters of negotiation here, but common sense dictates maybe try not to piss off people you’re trying to win over. then again, Bernie did lose two consecutive presidential elections, so maybe he’s really not that smart after all.

story to watch: corporations rethink china

1. big news from two different tech giants this week - first, Apple announced that it had pulled a popular Quran reading app from its App Store in china, and second, Microsoft announced that it will be pulling LinkedIn from the country. both events demonstrate the complexity surrounding business in china, and how american companies are having to rethink their presence in the world’s largest consumer market.
2. Apple, which has a long and storied history of caving into demands of the chinese government and staying silent on chinese human rights issues, pulled a Quran reading app used by over a million people in china after the government asked it to do so. a Bible app was also pulled by its publisher this week.
3. Microsoft tried for years to satisfy chinese censors by limiting the content available on LinkedIn, but has apparently thrown in the towel by removing the platform. it was the only western social media network available in china, and will now be replaced by a simpler job hunting tool.
4. well, we’re standing here on our soap box wondering when american corporations will realize there are fundamental issues with doing business in an authoritarian regime which routinely tramples on human rights. we understand and believe that corporations are designed to maximize profits, but these huge multinationals need to take a side - money or human rights? now, please excuse us while we go watch TikTok on our iPhone.

this week’s image: one lucky canadian meteorite

• (NYT) a canadian grandma escaped death when a meteorite hit her house, went through her roof, and crash landed on her bed just inches away from where she was sleeping. the chances of that happening this year? one in one hundred billion, but who believes scientists anymore?

this week’s number: 1 in 4 americans quit their job this year

1. a new study found that an astounding quarter of all american workers quit their job so far this year, a few percentage points higher than even 2020, and several points higher than the pre-pandemic boom years. there are any number of reasons people quit, from work-life balance, to unfriendly workplaces, to realizing you work for a soul-sucking conglomerate which is destroying the world.
2. what’s surprising employers is who is quitting their jobs - it’s not entry level or young people, but employees with five to ten years of tenure, women, and those over 30. resignations from these groups can be particularly damaging to companies because of the amount of institutional knowledge that is lost with just one departure.
3. some economists are already predicting that the US labor force participation rate (the percentage of americans working) will never again reach pre-pandemic highs of 60%+. they cite many people choosing to retire early during COVID, starting their own businesses, and child tax credits for parents.

what we’re making: artery-clogging ribs

• we made bone-in English-style short ribs this week. do we need to say anything else?
• okay, fine...we cheated and used liquid smoke in an oven instead of hauling out the grill for the last time this season, but they still turned out finger lickin’ good. then again, you could shellac tree bark with barbeque sauce and it would probably be pretty darn good too.

and, in case you missed it:

• booster shots are coming for Moderna and J&J shot recipients, lest they feel left out
• the US will be reopening its land and air borders with canada and mexico to vaccinated travellers 
• the FDA put out revised sodium dietary targets for food companies
• a dead-end street in san francisco has been plagued by dozens of confused self-driving cars from Waymo trying to make u-turns. guess we don’t have to be too worried about robots taking over the world.

the weekly rundown is produced by Yunus, Faisal, and Ahmed. learn more about us and email us your comments and feedback!