As of last week, about 9.7 million Americans had come down with the flu this season. Deaths are up 65 percent this year from last year.

Because I love my readers, I will be providing you with in-depth coverage from the front lines of this important story over the next seven days.

All kidding aside, I do have the flu. It's really no joke.

I'm hopeful that I caught it early enough (on Tamiflu within 18 hours) that it won't be THAT bad. And, I did get a flu shot, which I'm told in theory might make it a less potent bout.

But let's just say today's email will be abbreviated, and you might see me take a day or two off.

Isn't it funny that my equivalent of calling in sick for the day is writing a story like this and emailing it to thousands of people?

Anyway, here we are. Get your flu shot if you haven't already.

7 other things worth a click

1. Apropos of nothing, there’s a theory that full employment is part of what’s causing the higher flu infection rate, because more people have jobs, so it spreads among coworkers faster. (CBS News)

2. The governor of Virginia is declaring a state of emergency and banning firearms ahead of a pro-gun rights demonstration in Richmond. (NPR)

3. Letting slower passengers board an airplane first is faster for everyone, according to a study. (Arts Technica)

4. Want to live longer? If you drink milk, drink 1 percent vs. 2 percent. (Medicalxpress)

5. Chief Justice Roberts wants to know if saying “OK Boomer” could be evidence of age discrimination. (The Verge)

6. One thing cell phone makers have been loathe to add is a one-touch way to record all of your calls. But some developers think they spotted code in a Google product that would do just that. (XDA Developers)

7. The United States is the 7th best country in the world, according to a magazine. Basically everything is good here, except that the rest of the world doesn’t trust us. Topping the list: Switzerland, Canada, Japan, Germany, and Australia. (US News & World Report)

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