What do you do for work? That answer changed for many people at the top of the pandemic. But what was a tragedy, has become a choice for many. Nathaniel Throckmortan says that people had time to think about what mattered to them, and in many cases, it’s not work. And: Many young people in the workforce are enjoying more flexible schedules, and many baby boomers are on their way out. Jeannette Chapman says that this will have long lasting effects on the labor market.

Later in the show: At the beginning of the pandemic, Americans rallied around a war-like mentality: It’s us against the invisible enemy. But were we ever really all on the same page? Did those measures really help all of us the same way? Thomas Duncan says there’s no one-size-fits-all solution to a global pandemic. Plus: Nationwide, states activated anti-price gouging laws to keep hand sanitizer and toilet paper on shelves. Rik Chakraborti says it was well intentioned, but the anti-price gouging laws actually contributed to more COVID deaths.