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Dave here, in for Allison, who is either A) not working today, B) working today and doesn't want to write Nightcap or C) working today, desperately wants to write Nightcap, but trapped under something heavy. In the meantime, let's get into it.

By David Goldman

😷 MASK UP

So much for Hot Vax Summer. The Delta variant is tearing through the globe and the CDC says we've gotta mask up again indoors in covid hot spots. That includes fully vaccinated folks. 

That means we're back to businesses having to make tough decisions about masking to ensure the health of their employees – and their customers. Why tough? Well, who doesn't love a little fist fight between irate customers and associates just trying to enforce store policies? 

Mask policies have challenged stores throughout the pandemic, and led to numerous disputes between opponents of masks and frontline workers doing their jobs. 

My two cents: Everyone loves passing the buck on this one, and the folks left holding the bag are associates who make minimal pay to enforce unpopular rules with angry customers. Whether you think it's the responsibility of government, individuals or businesses to keep people safe, we can all agree that it's unfair for a flight attendant, cashier or shelf-stocker to add "mask enforcer" to their job title. 

So just put your damn mask on or get out and take it up with management, ok? 

- Dave, former cashier and bus boy

📈 NUMBER OF THE DAY

10.1 million

That's the number of jobs available in the US of A in June, as the pandemic continues to do wacky things to do the job market. More people are getting jobs – 6.7 million in June – so that's a relief.

And Goldman Sachs said last week it predicts the job market will reach "full employment" by the end of next year.

🐱💻 WELCOME TO THE MATRIX

Facebook and Microsoft want you to take the blue pill.

Well, kindamaybesorta. But let me know if you're getting any Matrix vibes from this story my colleague Clare Duffy reported:

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella recently spoke about investments in the "metaverse," in which virtual universes provide an escape from real life. Users will experience a sense of "embodiment" or "presence." That is, they'll feel like they're actually inside a virtual space with other people, seeing things in first-person and probably 3D. It will also be able to host many users who can interact with one another in real time.

The metaverse idea, which was originally conceived as the setting for dystopian science fiction novels, has transformed into a moonshot goal for Silicon Valley, and become a favorite talking point among startups, venture capitalists and tech giants.

It's probably years and billions of dollars in investments away from becoming a reality. But Big Tech wants to ensure it's not going to miss out on the Next Big Thing.

Personally, I'm taking the red pill and keeping it real.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

The strategy we adopted in the height of the pandemic is playing out better than we could have expected

David Simon, CEO of Simon Property Group, America's largest mall operator, in a conversation with investors last week. The company's earnings beat the second quarter of 2019, meaning malls are performing better than before the pandemic. But the good times may not last, my colleague Chris Isidore notes.

WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON?

🍝 Ikea customers can win a candle that smells like its famous meatballs 

🚭 Philip Morris, one of the world's biggest cigarette makers, wants to buy an asthma inhaler company. Predictably, that's not sitting well with health organizations. 

🍕 Domino's is giving away $50 million of free food to take on DoorDash 

💀 TWEET OF THE DAY

Sums up today