Present Biden delivered the speech Americans have been waiting for

President Biden marked the year anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic by delivering his first prime-time address Thursday evening from the East Room of the White House
The speech was a solemn commemoration of the lives lost in the pandemic and the struggles Americans have faced for the past year. But the speech also marked a turning point as Americans are finally beginning to see the light after a long, dark night caused by the virus.
Biden summed up the succinctly with one line: "Finding light in the darkness is a very American thing to do."
In the loss, we’ve seen how much there is to gain — in appreciation, respect, and gratitude. Finding light in the… https://t.co/dLYFHNZOs5— President Biden (@President Biden) 1615516517.0
At the beginning of the speech, Biden showed how far we've come since last March when the country suffered under chaotic leadership.
"A year ago, we were hit with a virus that was met with silence and spread unchecked, denials for days, weeks, then months," Biden said. "That led to more deaths, more infections, more stress, and more loneliness."
He signaled the difference in empathy between him and his predecessor by brandishing a card he carries in his pocket that contains an updated number of Americans who've died from the virus. It now stands at over 527,000.
Biden noted the number of deaths was greater than two world wars, the Vietnam War, and 9/11 combined.
Much like he did on the campaign trail, he showed he understands what the average American has been going through over the past year. "The things we used to do that always filled us with joy have become things we couldn't do," he mourned. "It broke our hearts."
President Joe Biden addresses nation on first anniversary of Covid shutdownwww.youtube.com
He then described a path forward marked by truth, faith in science, and continued vigilance to fight the virus in the final stretch.
"We know what we need to do to beat this virus; tell the truth, follow the science, work together," he said. "You're owed nothing less than the truth."
He took time to tout his administration's achievements in fighting the virus. While normally, this type of gesture by a sitting president would be seen as political grandstanding, a plurality of Americans believe his administration has done a good job.
The latest NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist survey, found that sixty-two percent of Americans approve of how Biden is handling the pandemic.
"Now, because all the work we've done, we'll have enough vaccine supply for all adults in America by the end of May," he said. "That's months ahead of schedule."
Biden also proudly proclaimed he was going to "beat" his original goal of getting 100 million shots in people's arms in his first 100 days in office, by having it done in just 60.
The president also announced he has directed states to make all adult Americans eligible to receive coronavirus vaccines no later than May 1.
Finally, Biden gave Americans the shot in the arm they really need by providing a date by which he believes a sense of normalcy will return.
"If we do our part, if we do this together, by July the 4th there's a good chance you, your families, and friends will be able to get together in your backyard or in your neighborhood and have a cookout and a barbecue and celebrate Independence Day," the president said.
He called it a day we could declare "independence from this virus."
He ended the speech with a call to remain vigilant in the final months of the pandemic by getting vaccinated, washing your hands, and wearing a mask.
"I promise you, we'll come out stronger," Biden said. "With a renewed commitment to one another, to our communities, and to our country. This is the United States of America ... from the bottom of my heart, I believe this, that there's nothing we can't do when we do it together."
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There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."
This article originally appeared in May.