🐈 Bubonic plague in Oregon

It’s Wednesday, February 14 — people are talking about a Bubonic plague flare-up in Oregon, 23andMe’s struggles, and more.

As always, we’ve summarized and organized the different shades of perspective, so you can see the big picture quickly. Here at Shades we believe that seeing multiple points of view is the best way to stay informed.

If someone forwarded you this email, click here to subscribe.

- Jeff (co-founder of Shades)

🐈 Bubonic plague in Oregon

A cat-fueled plague case popped up in Oregon, sparking a wider conversation on modern public health.

🐈 There was a rare human case of the Bubonic plague in Oregon linked to a pet cat. CNN says it was well-contained and treated early.

🐈 WaPo notes that it’s easy to forget the Bubonic plague still exists! But it’s treatable, and not a big thing to worry about in 2024.

🐈 Prevention agreed: As spooky as it sounds, Bubonic plague is extremely rare these days.

🐈 Still, FOX 7 Austin says early detection and treatment are important — and make sure to keep your pets away from dead rodents.

🧬 23andMe’s struggles

With the company facing a valuation nosedive and privacy breaches, the future of 23andMe is uncertain.

🧬 Once a Silicon Valley darling, 23andMe has seen its valuation plummeted from $6 billion to the brink of Nasdaq delisting. The WSJ says things aren't looking good for the company.

🧬 WaPo says it's not hard to imagine why 23andMe is failing: Its data breach exposed the fragility of digital DNA data and personal info.

🧬 Stat News highlighted a different problem with 23andMe: Its digital diagnosis delivery is robotic, which is problematic when it's delivering bad news.

🧬 Still, a Redditor on r/Technology is a big supporter of the company: 23andMe helped a family member get a life-changing diagnosis of a rare disease.

🧬 And Wired adds that 23andMe CEO Anne Wojcicki is still optimistic: Genomic healthcare could revolutionize personal medicine.

Quick hits

👮 Wichita police arrested a 45 year old man in connection with the theft of a bronze statue of Jackie Robinson. (The Guardian)

🏀 The Orlando Magic retired Shaquille O'Neal's #32. It's the first time the franchise has retired any player's jersey. (ESPN)

🇺🇸 President Biden called Trump's comments on NATO “dumb” and “un-American”. (BBC)

🇺🇦 Ukraine says it has successfully disabled 1/3 of Russia's Black Sea fleet. (CNN)

Thanks for reading. If you have any feedback or want to share your thoughts or ideas, please email me at [email protected].