Do the Omicron Numbers Mean What We Think They Mean?

Plus: Bill Callahan and Bonnie “Prince” Billy merge their musical minds; the rival shows of “Yellowjackets”; and the hunger artist, Susan Sontag. View in browser | Update your preferences Sunday, January 16, 2022 Comment Do the Omicron Numbers Mean What We Think They Mean? COVID’s winter surge holds a deeper lesson about the perils of interpreting data without a full appreciation of the context. By Dhruv Khullar The New Yorker Interview Bill Callahan and Bonnie “Prince” Billy Merge Their Musical Minds The artists talk about overlooked recordings, their new album of covers, and paying tribute to their late friend David Berman. By Amanda Petrusich On Television The Rival Shows of “Yellowjackets” On watching girls—and genres—devour one another. By Andrea Long Chu Double Take Sunday Reading: Honoring Martin Luther King, Jr. From the archive: a selection of pieces about the significance of Dr. King’s extraordinary work and devotion to principle. By The New Yorker From the Archive Life and Letters The Hunger Artist “I thought I was a student. I thought I was a teacher. And then I discovered that I liked to tell stories and make people cry,” Susan Sontag said. She was born on this day in 1933. By Joan Acocella Culture and More The New Yorker Radio Hour Joan Didion, the Observer; and Reviewing Biden Hilton Als and Emma Cline on the late writer’s influence on generations of younger authors. And our correspondents assess Biden’s first year. With David Remnick Poems “Could This Be Me?” “An alarm clock / With no hands.” By Charles Simic Poems “On Pleasing” “Held gingerly for years, / the baby laughs or sobs or sleeps.” By Kimiko Hahn Humor and Games Name Drop Play the Quiz Can you guess the notable person in six clues or fewer? By Liz Maynes-Aminzade Shouts & Murmurs COVID’s Lesser Variants Don’t forget Epsilon, Nu, and the rest—which can spread through talking about your liberal-arts degree. By Nate Odenkirk and Bob Odenkirk Cryptic Crossword The Cryptic Puzzle Turning dark—it’s fearful: five letters. By Patrick Berry You’re receiving this e-mail because you signed up for The Daily from The New Yorker. Manage your preferences | View our Privacy Policy | Unsubscribe Copyright © Condé Nast 2022. One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. All rights reserved.