I consult for several publishing companies, and all of them have been very generous with their Covid-related coverage. They feel it’s a public duty to provide that information, so they don’t charge for it.
That’s the right decision. There’s nothing wrong with getting paid for your work, but there are times when you just pitch in.
Today I went to Home Depot to pick up an order. They used to have a station near the front door with free masks, so I left mine in the car. (Where I live — close to the border of four counties — the store on one side of the river requires a mask, while the store on the other side does not. It’s rather comical.)
The masks were gone. Customers have been stealing the boxes.
Stealing is a crappy thing to do in the first place, but stealing masks seems like a particularly wretched thing. And I say that despite the fact that I don’t wear them unless I have to. I’m not a huge believer in the masks — and besides, I’m bullet-proof as far as Covid is concerned. (I hope.)