After a Memorial Day weekend where millions of Americans were able to reunite with their families thanks to rising vaccination rates and declining COVID cases, a sense of normalcy is back. Thanks to President Biden’s American Rescue Plan, vaccinations are widely accessible and now over 70% of adults have at least one vaccine dose in 12 states.

The Wall Street Journal: The Great American Reunion

• “After a year-and-a-half of isolating Covid lockdowns, Americans are emerging from seclusion into the joy and comfort of others.”
• “For many, that means family. Adults are heading back to childhood homes to the arms of Mom and Dad. Families are hosting reunions and making up for missed Sunday dinners. The kids are taller, the moments sweeter.”

Axios: America’s rebound summer

• Today marks the unofficial start to summer — and (knock wood) America’s post-pandemic life, Axios’ Sam Baker writes.
• Why it matters: Even the most cautious are shaking off the isolation and living in that “new normal” we’ve talked about for so long.
• Flashback: A year ago, Memorial Day was a surreal reminder of what the summer couldn’t be.
  • Public pools were closed. Weddings were canceled. The NBA was setting up its bubble.
  • Now, summer travel is booked solid, and pools and summer camps are staffing up.
• The TSA screened more travelers this weekend than any time since the start of the pandemic. (See the TSA spreadsheet reporters use.) Fenway Park returned Saturday to full capacity, with an announced paid attendance of 25,089.
• An Ipsos consumer tracking poll, conducted May 25–26, asked Americans how likely they are to plunge into summer:
  • 8 in 10 said they plan to dine out at a restaurant. Half plan to return to a movie theater.
  • 2 in 3 would take an overnight trip by car or enroll their children in youth sports.