Satan shoes: A shoe collaboration between rapper Lil Nas X and Brooklyn based company MSCHF sparked a social media controversy. The shoes in question are Nike Air Max 97s, adorned with a pentagram, the words Luke 10:18 (describing Satan’s fall from heaven), an inverted cross, and a drop of human blood. All 666 pairs of sneakers, priced at $1,018 each, sold out in less than a minute on Monday.
Significance: Nike claims they were “not involved” in the creation of the shoes. They filed a lawsuit on Monday claiming trademark infringement. Nike is asking for the sneakers to be destroyed and any profit MSCHF made be relinquished. Some people threatened to boycott Nike after the launch of the shoes, a line of reasoning used in the company’s lawsuit.
COVID-19 report: The World Health Organization (WHO), partnered with China, released a report on the origins of the coronavirus on Tuesday. The report lists four scenarios for the original transmission of the virus: direct transmission from an animal to a human, transmission through an intermediate animal host, contaminated frozen food, or a lab accident. The most likely cause is the second option, which requires an animal carrying the virus (that it contracted from another animal) then passing it on to humans.
Significance: Together, the WHO and the European Council released a statement calling for an international treaty in order for countries to be prepared in the case of another pandemic. This would make the distribution of vaccines, medicine and personal protective equipment easier. The statement reflects back on the global cooperation following World War II when world leaders came together for a common goal, and calls on current leaders to do the same for peace and prosperity.
