newyorker--2020-03-09--Wall Street Plunges as Trump Fiddles in Response to the Coronavirus

Having spent the weekend at his Palm Beach resort , where he hosted Jair Bolsonaro , the authoritarian President of Brazil , Donald Trump was still in Florida on Monday morning when the Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged about two thousand points , triggering a temporary halt to trading .
“ So much FAKE NEWS , ” he tweeted , just before trading began on Wall Street .
An hour or so later , he tweeted again , “ Saudi Arabia and Russia are arguing over the price and flow of oil .
That , and the Fake News , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ !
” If you translate “ Fake News ” as “ the coronavirus outbreak , ” Trump ’ s analysis of what was driving the plunge in stocks was partially correct , but he had omitted another key factor : a chronic lack of leadership on his , and his Administration ’ s , part .
By downplaying the covid-19 outbreak from the beginning , and by failing to prepare for its spread to the United States , which was inevitable , Trump and his colleagues have created an environment of fear and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And now Wall Street has another problem to deal with .
A bitter dispute over crude-oil production levels has broken out between two more authoritarian leaders whom Trump greatly admires , Vladimir Putin , the President of Russia , and Mohammed bin Salman , the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia .
The stock market could perhaps have dealt with either of these developments in isolation .
Even before Monday , rising concerns about the economic impact of the coronavirus had caused the Dow to drop about eleven per cent from its February peak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leader of OPEC , announced over the weekend that it would boost its crude production during the coming weeks , after Russia refused to agree to a coördinated cutback in supply , the relative calm in the markets turned to near panic .
When trading started in Asia on Sunday night U.S. time , the oil price fell by thirty per cent—the biggest one-day fall in recent history .
U.S. stock futures fell sharply , too .
Investors feared that the crash in oil prices would have a dire impact on the energy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could also cause serious problems in the bond markets .
The market for high-yield debt has expanded rapidly in recent years , and a good portion of it is tied to oil and gas projects .
Sure enough , as stocks plunged on Monday morning , there were reports of difficulties arising in parts of the debt markets , as well as in the interbank loan market , where banks lend to one another .
Just as predictably , there were calls for the Federal Reserve to step in and unclog the plumbing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ programs for banks and other financial institutions that it introduced in 2008 .
In order to prevent a full-scale panic , the Fed may well have to move further in that direction , but Fed officials have made perfectly clear in recent days that they can ’ t resolve this crisis alone .
At least two more elements will be essential .
In dealing with the outbreak itself , there needs to be far more transparency and urgency , with federal and local governments coöperating more effectively .
And there needs to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the financial markets , bolster demand in other parts of the economy , and take care of those whose livelihoods are most severely affected by the response to the outbreak , such as furloughed workers and people working in the travel and hospitality industries .
On both of these fronts , the Trump Administration has failed dismally , and the rot has come from the top .
As Trump golfed in Florida and kept up his fake-news narrative , cities and states across the country still didn ’ t have enough test @ @ @ @ @ @ @ path .
“ No one knows exactly what ’ s going on as it relates to the virus , ” Terry Duffy , the head of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange , told CNBC on Monday afternoon .
“ So , if you want to get some stabilization into the marketplace , I think we need to get the test kits out into the hands of the public .
.
.
for the most advanced country in the world , we are not doing that .
You can ’ t have five hundred cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sixteen million quarantined in Italy and say they are both correct .
Something ’ s wrong here .
The markets know that , and they are trying to figure out some clarity.
” Even if the stock market stabilizes , we will still need to mitigate the virus ’ s impact on the domestic and international economies .
During the global financial crisis of 2008 , the leaders of the G-20 countries pledged to work together to restore confidence and boost demand .
Central banks around the world followed through by relaxing monetary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those of the United States , China , and the United Kingdom , introduced fiscal-stimulus packages .
Right now , we need to prevent the coronavirus , and the measures being taken to deal with it , from causing a collapse in spending by consumers and businesses .
In a Twitter thread on Monday , Jason Furman , who was a head of the Council of Economic Advisers during the Obama Administration , said that the quickest way to do this would be to beef up existing fiscal programs , such as unemployment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as expanding paid leave for affected workers , and possibly introducing an emergency program of tax cuts or cash transfers .
( Furman suggested providing three thousand dollars for a family of four . )
With thirty-year Treasury bonds yielding just 0.99 per cent on Monday , and interest rates in other countries dipping into negative territory , this is an ideal time for another round of bond-financed stimulus packages .
But organizing such an international response would require forceful U.S. leadership , which no longer exists .
After spending three years preaching @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policies , Trump has largely squandered the respect and credibility on which American leadership long rested .
The U.S. President and his cohorts , for all of their fawning over Putin and M.B.S.
, couldn ’ t even prevent the two of them from crashing the oil market at exactly the wrong moment .
Although it isn ’ t a member of OPEC , the United States , as the world ’ s biggest producer of crude , is a key player in the oil market .
James Baker , the wily Texan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first Bush Administration , would surely have spent the weekend shuttling between Moscow and Riyadh to prevent a complete breach between the two big oil producers .
( The same could probably be said of Rex Tillerson , a former head of ExxonMobil , for that matter . )
But there is no one left in the upper reaches of the Trump Administration who has the credibility or the foresight to undertake such a mission .
We are left with a crisis of leadership that shows no signs of ending .
On Monday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to discuss possible responses to the virus , such as expanding paid sick leave for people who had fallen ill or were confined to their homes , and allowing businesses directly affected to defer tax payments .
The Wall Street Journal , citing sources inside the government , reported that these discussions “ were still in their early stages.
” With this Administration , you can ’ t expect much in the way of meaningful , forward-looking action .
Wall Street traders and the public at large have both gotten the message .

Having spent the weekend at his Palm Beach resort, where he hosted Jair Bolsonaro, the authoritarian President of Brazil, Donald Trump was still in Florida on Monday morning when the Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged about two thousand points, triggering a temporary halt to trading. “So much FAKE NEWS,” he tweeted, just before trading began on Wall Street. An hour or so later, he tweeted again, “Saudi Arabia and Russia are arguing over the price and flow of oil. That, and the Fake News, is the reason for the market drop!”
If you translate “Fake News” as “the coronavirus outbreak,” Trump’s analysis of what was driving the plunge in stocks was partially correct, but he had omitted another key factor: a chronic lack of leadership on his, and his Administration’s, part. By downplaying the covid-19 outbreak from the beginning, and by failing to prepare for its spread to the United States, which was inevitable, Trump and his colleagues have created an environment of fear and uncertainty that is crushing the markets. And now Wall Street has another problem to deal with. A bitter dispute over crude-oil production levels has broken out between two more authoritarian leaders whom Trump greatly admires, Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, and Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia.
The stock market could perhaps have dealt with either of these developments in isolation. Even before Monday, rising concerns about the economic impact of the coronavirus had caused the Dow to drop about eleven per cent from its February peak. But when Saudi Arabia, the leader of OPEC, announced over the weekend that it would boost its crude production during the coming weeks, after Russia refused to agree to a coördinated cutback in supply, the relative calm in the markets turned to near panic.
When trading started in Asia on Sunday night U.S. time, the oil price fell by thirty per cent—the biggest one-day fall in recent history. U.S. stock futures fell sharply, too. Investors feared that the crash in oil prices would have a dire impact on the energy sector in the United States, and could also cause serious problems in the bond markets. The market for high-yield debt has expanded rapidly in recent years, and a good portion of it is tied to oil and gas projects. Sure enough, as stocks plunged on Monday morning, there were reports of difficulties arising in parts of the debt markets, as well as in the interbank loan market, where banks lend to one another. Just as predictably, there were calls for the Federal Reserve to step in and unclog the plumbing by reviving some of the emergency lending programs for banks and other financial institutions that it introduced in 2008.
In order to prevent a full-scale panic, the Fed may well have to move further in that direction, but Fed officials have made perfectly clear in recent days that they can’t resolve this crisis alone. At least two more elements will be essential. In dealing with the outbreak itself, there needs to be far more transparency and urgency, with federal and local governments coöperating more effectively. And there needs to be a coördinated international effort to restore calm in the financial markets, bolster demand in other parts of the economy, and take care of those whose livelihoods are most severely affected by the response to the outbreak, such as furloughed workers and people working in the travel and hospitality industries.
On both of these fronts, the Trump Administration has failed dismally, and the rot has come from the top. As Trump golfed in Florida and kept up his fake-news narrative, cities and states across the country still didn’t have enough test kits to track the virus’s path. “No one knows exactly what’s going on as it relates to the virus,” Terry Duffy, the head of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, told CNBC on Monday afternoon. “So, if you want to get some stabilization into the marketplace, I think we need to get the test kits out into the hands of the public . . . for the most advanced country in the world, we are not doing that. You can’t have five hundred cases reported here in the United States and sixteen million quarantined in Italy and say they are both correct. Something’s wrong here. The markets know that, and they are trying to figure out some clarity.”
Even if the stock market stabilizes, we will still need to mitigate the virus’s impact on the domestic and international economies. During the global financial crisis of 2008, the leaders of the G-20 countries pledged to work together to restore confidence and boost demand. Central banks around the world followed through by relaxing monetary policy, and many governments, including those of the United States, China, and the United Kingdom, introduced fiscal-stimulus packages.
Right now, we need to prevent the coronavirus, and the measures being taken to deal with it, from causing a collapse in spending by consumers and businesses. In a Twitter thread on Monday, Jason Furman, who was a head of the Council of Economic Advisers during the Obama Administration, said that the quickest way to do this would be to beef up existing fiscal programs, such as unemployment insurance and food stamps, as well as expanding paid leave for affected workers, and possibly introducing an emergency program of tax cuts or cash transfers. (Furman suggested providing three thousand dollars for a family of four.)
With thirty-year Treasury bonds yielding just 0.99 per cent on Monday, and interest rates in other countries dipping into negative territory, this is an ideal time for another round of bond-financed stimulus packages. But organizing such an international response would require forceful U.S. leadership, which no longer exists. After spending three years preaching the virtues of isolationism and America First policies, Trump has largely squandered the respect and credibility on which American leadership long rested.
The U.S. President and his cohorts, for all of their fawning over Putin and M.B.S., couldn’t even prevent the two of them from crashing the oil market at exactly the wrong moment. Although it isn’t a member of OPEC, the United States, as the world’s biggest producer of crude, is a key player in the oil market. James Baker, the wily Texan who was Secretary of State during the first Bush Administration, would surely have spent the weekend shuttling between Moscow and Riyadh to prevent a complete breach between the two big oil producers. (The same could probably be said of Rex Tillerson, a former head of ExxonMobil, for that matter.) But there is no one left in the upper reaches of the Trump Administration who has the credibility or the foresight to undertake such a mission.
We are left with a crisis of leadership that shows no signs of ending. On Monday afternoon, Administration officials met with Trump to discuss possible responses to the virus, such as expanding paid sick leave for people who had fallen ill or were confined to their homes, and allowing businesses directly affected to defer tax payments. The Wall Street Journal, citing sources inside the government, reported that these discussions “were still in their early stages.” With this Administration, you can’t expect much in the way of meaningful, forward-looking action. Wall Street traders and the public at large have both gotten the message.
A Guide to the Coronavirus
What it means to contain and mitigate the coronavirus outbreak.
How much of the world is likely to be quarantined?
Donald Trump in the time of coronavirus.
The coronavirus is likely to spread for more than a year before a vaccine could be widely available.
We are all irrational panic shoppers.
The strange terror of watching the coronavirus take Rome.
How pandemics change history.


newyorker--2020-03-10--Why Democracy Is on the Decline in the United States

Freedom House , the Washington-based think tank , opened in 1941 , with a mission to counter isolationism in America and fascism around the world .
It was conceived as a bipartisan project ; the honorary chairs were Eleanor Roosevelt , the First Lady , and Wendell Willkie , who had been the Republican Presidential nominee in 1940—and lost to Roosevelt ’ s husband .
Over the years , Freedom House studied a broad spectrum of threats to freedom , from McCarthyism to Soviet oppression .
Since 1973 , it has published “ Freedom in the World , ” an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the “ Michelin Guide to democracy ’ s development.
” The latest edition was published last week , and , as you might expect , it recorded the fourteenth straight year of deteriorating freedom around the world ; sixty-four countries have lost liberties in the past year , while only thirty-seven registered improvements .
( India , the world ’ s largest democracy , has seen some of the most alarming declines . )
Its assessment of the United States is also disturbing .
In 2009 , the U.S. had a score of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which ranked it near the top , just behind Germany , Switzerland , and Estonia .
In the decade since , it has slipped eight points ; it now ranks behind Greece , Slovakia , and Mauritius .
Looking at the United States , Freedom House analysts note the types of trends that they more customarily assign to fragile corners of the globe : “ pressure on electoral integrity , judicial independence , and safeguards against corruption .
Fierce rhetorical attacks on the press , the rule of law , and other pillars @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including the president himself.
” Explaining what , exactly , accounts for this decline is the work of a growing body of literature .
Much of it focusses , of course , on the tenure of Donald Trump , but , interestingly , some scholars and advocates tend to identify a point of origin well before the election of 2016 .
According to Protect Democracy , a legal-watchdog group dedicated to combatting the rise of authoritarianism in America , “ the growth and spread of democracies that defined the 20th Century peaked in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since 2005 , the state of democracies around the world has receded.
” One of the most frequently cited theories for this change is depicted in what ’ s known as the “ elephant graph.
” The graph , which the economist Branko Milanović popularized , in 2013 , is , in fact , a chart that shows income growth by stratum ( or , in technical terms , by “ percentiles of the global income distribution ” ) in the twenty years leading up to the 2008 global financial crisis .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like an elephant : on the left , there is a plump body of rising incomes—China , India , and other beneficiaries of globalization—and , on the right , a rapidly rising trunk , which reflects the spectacular fortunes of the world ’ s top one per cent .
The most politically significant part of the elephant is in between : the bottom of the trunk , which shows the stagnant incomes of American and European working and middle classes .
Those groups have proved to be fertile bases of support for populist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their vantage point , now appear false or obsolete .
Ian Bassin , the executive director of Protect Democracy , cites the elephant graph as part of the reason for America ’ s democratic decline .
“ But I think finance only tells part of the story , ” he said , “ because there are other factors that need to be accounted for.
” Instead of invoking an elephant , Bassin visualizes a volcano .
“ At the base , there are massive underlying conditions that are changing in the same way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shift—climate , migration , globalization , tribalism—and lava flows into the base of the volcano .
At the layer above , you have what I think of as accelerants , like the rise of social media—things like Russian interference—and democratic distortions—like partisan gerrymandering.
” The cumulative effect of those accelerants , he said , has been to fuel skepticism about the functioning of American democracy , because they have warped or thwarted the effect of the popular will .
Bassin continued , “ At the very top of a volcano , there are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and balances that hold back the heat and force .
But we have a Congress that has basically abdicated its congressional obligations of oversight of the executive , and an executive who openly claims to be above the law .
So you ’ ve got the lava exploding out the top of the volcano.
” It ’ s a bleak image , but , in Bassin ’ s view , the metaphor also contains the promise of some realistic interventions .
In the three years since Protect Democracy started , he said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have some success at the top of the volcano , where it ’ s narrow , trying to fix some of those checks and balances.
” The group has filed a range of legal actions that have resulted in national injunctions , including blocking Trump ’ s use of emergency powers to build the border wall , and Administration efforts to slow low-income green-card holders from gaining citizenship .
In December , Protect Democracy organized a statement , which eight hundred and fifty legal scholars signed , asserting that the President had committed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that have registered a decline in democracy over the past decade , such as South Korea and Poland , demonstrators have flooded the streets in opposition .
In the United States , by contrast , the largest public protest in the name of democracy was on the first day of Donald Trump ’ s Presidency .
The erosion has been gradual enough that many Americans have become inured to it , numb to the alarm .
First , they stopped paying attention to the tweets .
Then they found it easier to ignore @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transgression .
American legal activists seeking to stop the slide documented by Freedom House consider that , since Trump was acquitted in his impeachment trial , he has entered a more audacious phase .
In the latest gesture of pressure on the press , the Trump campaign has sued the Times , the Washington Post , and CNN , for libel .
There are still eight months to go until the election , with no obvious check on the President ’ s behavior in place .
Many experts fear that Trump will veer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ governance .
Bassin suspects that he will , but also thinks that Americans are gaining a new awareness of their own role in preserving democracy .
“ There ’ s been a phenomenon throughout the Trump Presidency of people casting about , looking for a savior , ” Bassin said .
“ Was it going to be Robert Mueller ?
Jim Mattis ?
John Kelly ?
And , of course , all of those figures have let us down because , at the end of the day , the Founders understood that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ self-government is the savior described in the first three words of the constitution : We the people .
”

Freedom House, the Washington-based think tank, opened in 1941, with a mission to counter isolationism in America and fascism around the world. It was conceived as a bipartisan project; the honorary chairs were Eleanor Roosevelt, the First Lady, and Wendell Willkie, who had been the Republican Presidential nominee in 1940—and lost to Roosevelt’s husband. Over the years, Freedom House studied a broad spectrum of threats to freedom, from McCarthyism to Soviet oppression. Since 1973, it has published “Freedom in the World,” an annual country-by-country report that has been called the “Michelin Guide to democracy’s development.”
The latest edition was published last week, and, as you might expect, it recorded the fourteenth straight year of deteriorating freedom around the world; sixty-four countries have lost liberties in the past year, while only thirty-seven registered improvements. (India, the world’s largest democracy, has seen some of the most alarming declines.) Its assessment of the United States is also disturbing. In 2009, the U.S. had a score of ninety-four, out of a hundred, which ranked it near the top, just behind Germany, Switzerland, and Estonia. In the decade since, it has slipped eight points; it now ranks behind Greece, Slovakia, and Mauritius. Looking at the United States, Freedom House analysts note the types of trends that they more customarily assign to fragile corners of the globe: “pressure on electoral integrity, judicial independence, and safeguards against corruption. Fierce rhetorical attacks on the press, the rule of law, and other pillars of democracy coming from American leaders, including the president himself.”
Explaining what, exactly, accounts for this decline is the work of a growing body of literature. Much of it focusses, of course, on the tenure of Donald Trump, but, interestingly, some scholars and advocates tend to identify a point of origin well before the election of 2016. According to Protect Democracy, a legal-watchdog group dedicated to combatting the rise of authoritarianism in America, “the growth and spread of democracies that defined the 20th Century peaked in the early days of the 21st; since 2005, the state of democracies around the world has receded.”
One of the most frequently cited theories for this change is depicted in what’s known as the “elephant graph.” The graph, which the economist Branko Milanović popularized, in 2013, is, in fact, a chart that shows income growth by stratum (or, in technical terms, by “percentiles of the global income distribution”) in the twenty years leading up to the 2008 global financial crisis. The graph got its name because it looks like an elephant: on the left, there is a plump body of rising incomes—China, India, and other beneficiaries of globalization—and, on the right, a rapidly rising trunk, which reflects the spectacular fortunes of the world’s top one per cent. The most politically significant part of the elephant is in between: the bottom of the trunk, which shows the stagnant incomes of American and European working and middle classes. Those groups have proved to be fertile bases of support for populist rebellions against democratic traditions that, from their vantage point, now appear false or obsolete.
Ian Bassin, the executive director of Protect Democracy, cites the elephant graph as part of the reason for America’s democratic decline. “But I think finance only tells part of the story,” he said, “because there are other factors that need to be accounted for.” Instead of invoking an elephant, Bassin visualizes a volcano. “At the base, there are massive underlying conditions that are changing in the same way that the Earth’s tectonic plates shift—climate, migration, globalization, tribalism—and lava flows into the base of the volcano. At the layer above, you have what I think of as accelerants, like the rise of social media—things like Russian interference—and democratic distortions—like partisan gerrymandering.” The cumulative effect of those accelerants, he said, has been to fuel skepticism about the functioning of American democracy, because they have warped or thwarted the effect of the popular will. Bassin continued, “At the very top of a volcano, there are supposed to be a bunch of checks and balances that hold back the heat and force. But we have a Congress that has basically abdicated its congressional obligations of oversight of the executive, and an executive who openly claims to be above the law. So you’ve got the lava exploding out the top of the volcano.”
It’s a bleak image, but, in Bassin’s view, the metaphor also contains the promise of some realistic interventions. In the three years since Protect Democracy started, he said, “We’ve been able to have some success at the top of the volcano, where it’s narrow, trying to fix some of those checks and balances.” The group has filed a range of legal actions that have resulted in national injunctions, including blocking Trump’s use of emergency powers to build the border wall, and Administration efforts to slow low-income green-card holders from gaining citizenship. In December, Protect Democracy organized a statement, which eight hundred and fifty legal scholars signed, asserting that the President had committed impeachable offenses.
In some other countries that have registered a decline in democracy over the past decade, such as South Korea and Poland, demonstrators have flooded the streets in opposition. In the United States, by contrast, the largest public protest in the name of democracy was on the first day of Donald Trump’s Presidency. The erosion has been gradual enough that many Americans have become inured to it, numb to the alarm. First, they stopped paying attention to the tweets. Then they found it easier to ignore the rallies and the random acts of transgression. American legal activists seeking to stop the slide documented by Freedom House consider that, since Trump was acquitted in his impeachment trial, he has entered a more audacious phase. In the latest gesture of pressure on the press, the Trump campaign has sued the Times, the Washington Post, and CNN, for libel.
There are still eight months to go until the election, with no obvious check on the President’s behavior in place. Many experts fear that Trump will veer even further from the traditions of American governance. Bassin suspects that he will, but also thinks that Americans are gaining a new awareness of their own role in preserving democracy. “There’s been a phenomenon throughout the Trump Presidency of people casting about, looking for a savior,” Bassin said. “Was it going to be Robert Mueller? Jim Mattis? John Kelly? And, of course, all of those figures have let us down because, at the end of the day, the Founders understood that the only ultimate savior for the experiment of self-government is the savior described in the first three words of the constitution: We the people.”


newyorker--2020-03-10--“Family Karma” Might Be a Breakthrough for Desis on TV

I remember the first time I saw an Indian-American—one of me—on reality TV .
His name was “ Mo ” —Mohit—and he was a suitor on the thirteenth season of “ The Bachelorette.
” Tragically , Mo got way too drunk and was sent home during the first rose ceremony .
But I think of him fondly , as a second-generation pioneer .
Forget desis becoming the Surgeon General , or running Microsoft , or winning Pulitzers .
That ’ s the stuff that a so-called model minority is supposed to do .
Watching an Indian seek love and behave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ TV—something the majority does all the time—offered a more delicious kind of belonging .
If Mo was a pioneer of the deeply American reality genre , we may now have the beginning of a migration in “ Family Karma , ” which premiered on Sunday , on Bravo .
The show follows several desi families in Miami ; theirs is the kind of wealthy , incestuous subculture that doesn ’ t necessarily need cameras to incite drama .
An engaged couple must reconcile their warring mothers .
Spicy discord between aunties abounds .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t-they vibe .
A woman in her mid-thirties , recovering from a twelve-year relationship , contemplates freezing her eggs but can ’ t escape accusations that she ’ s trying to bed her male friend .
A flamboyant , twice-divorced forty-four-year-old named Bali sports Bravo-ready hot pink and long Kardashian locks , as though she ’ s been waiting her whole life to be subsumed into the “ Real Housewives ” aesthetic .
In Bali , we get the show ’ s major diva , and possibly its inciter-in-chief .
Her position @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allows her to have twice as many feuds .
For decades , the best-known desi on TV was Apu , from “ The Simpsons.
” Later , there was Aziz Ansari ’ s Tom Haverford , on “ Parks and Recreation , ” a character whose whole shtick was to veer asymptotically toward whiteness .
Today , Hasan Minhaj addresses a “ New Brown America ” on “ Patriot Act , ” and Lilly Singh holds a spot in the historically white , male late-night lineup .
One of the better episodes of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” — “ Indians on TV ” —even managed a meta-reflection on racism in popular media .
“ Family Karma ” strikes me not as an extension of the mainstream desi media that ’ s come before but as a counterpoint to it .
Marriage , dating , parents ’ and children ’ s opposing wills— “ Family Karma ” shares these preoccupations with “ Master of None , ” Gurinder Chadha ’ s “ Bend It Like Beckham , ” and Kumail Nanjiani ’ s “ The Big Sick.
” Unlike “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ earlier stories were often about second-gen kids fighting to date or marry white .
“ Master of None ” and Mindy Kaling ’ s “ The Mindy Project ” saw their leads making out with so many cute Caucasians that I wondered if their creators were trying to make up for a thousand spurns on middle-school dance floors .
In “ The Big Sick , ” Nanjiani ’ s alter ego , who ’ s pursuing a white woman against his parents ’ wishes , stuffs photos of potential Pakistani brides into a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Family Karma , ” brown people mostly date other brown people , and the dramas often stem from dating within one ’ s race .
The engaged couple pursues a formal Indian engagement ceremony , to make peace with one side of the family .
Brian , the cheery , reformed playboy , woos his brown best friend , a self-proclaimed “ traditional Indian girl ” he wouldn ’ t have considered a few years ago .
For the first time that I can remember , we ’ re getting TV about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about its struggle to assimilate .
There ’ s another difference between “ Family Karma ” and its scripted predecessors , which has to do with the treatment of the first generation .
Ansari , Nanjiani , and Minhaj are burdened with the question of how not to maim their parents in mining their autobiographies .
Ansari dealt with this challenge in “ Master of None ” by casting his real-life mom and dad , neither of whom is an actor , as the parents of his alter ego , Dev .
Many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the autofictional veil hanging over the show , and for countering the stereotypes critiqued in “ Indians on TV ” —here were real Indian parents .
But the casting also felt treacly and avoidant .
It kept the show from treating Dev ’ s parents as full , flawed characters , and demonstrated a protectiveness that ’ s bad for art—no viewer would dare judge Ansari ’ s adorable , hardworking mom and dad .
Minhaj ’ s “ Homecoming King ” manages more complexity on the topic of parents , because of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( For years , Minhaj ’ s parents neglected to tell him that he had a sister . )
Minhaj draws honest , if painful , humor from the distances between immigrant parents and their offspring : “ You got ta be real .
Brown love is very conditional , ” he says .
Minhaj ’ s dad walked out of the audience during a taping of “ Patriot Act , ” and the show turned it into a punch line on Twitter—quite the opposite of Ansari ’ s Bring Your Parents to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that everyone get petty , and so “ Family Karma ” isn ’ t at all concerned with protecting its elders .
These aunties and uncles aren ’ t martyred immigrants solely owed gratitude—they can be catty , gossipy .
One auntie is rumored to have snubbed her future in-law at a three-day-long wedding , roping in her many relations to join her in the shunning .
The camera catches an auntie telling an uncle that her daughter has chosen a “ moron ” as a partner .
There ’ s tension between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A mother wants her daughter married so she doesn ’ t become an “ old maid with gray pubic hair.
” Unfortunately , the aunties ’ and uncles ’ confessionals and confrontations are clumsier than their children ’ s : they ’ re less fluent in stoking their own dramas .
A daughter asks her single father on camera why he ’ s not dating , and he looks ready to bolt .
A bystanding auntie encourages her friend to address a long-running feud but then spends most of the interaction anticlimactically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ family ’ s own business .
Did she miss the memo about how reality TV works ?
Still , the first generation ’ s arcs may make for decent B plots .
“ Family Karma ” isn ’ t entirely comfortable in its own skin .
In the pilot , producers repeatedly ask , “ How traditional are you ?
” —an outsider , white-gaze question .
It ’ s also rough to watch cast members reduce a whole population to stereotypes .
They declare that Indians are obsessed with image , one-upmanship @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are uniquely desi characteristics , or as though these rich Hindus in Florida could speak for nearly 1.4 billion Indians .
That ’ s not to mention the cringeworthy dabs of the “ exotic , ” such as the heavy-handed sitar music that is used to transition between scenes .
There ’ s a brief , surprisingly honest moment in Episode 2 that I keep thinking about .
The second-gen men have gathered in a barbershop .
They dish .
The straight ones discuss whether they like white or Indian girls .
Brian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Indian but says he ’ s now ready for his perfect desi girl .
Another guy says he doesn ’ t take a relationship seriously unless the girl is Indian .
This is not the kind of conversation we got from Ansari or Kaling , who mostly kept race out of their rom-com story lines .
This kind of exchange was especially unlikely to appear in a conspicuously inoffensive show such as “ Master of None , ” because it ’ s a bad look—the men typecast desi women , and no one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ugly truths about one ’ s own community isn ’ t just another step up the representation ladder—it ’ s precisely how we go from mere representation to the possibility of resonant narrative .
Reality producers , freed from the impetus to make their characters seem admirable , may have stumbled into something richer than their higher-culture kin .
Maybe a Bravo show—the aesthetic and sociocultural inverse of , say , an auteurish , Emmy-nominated Netflix special—is just what we need to uncork the real drama .
Here ’ s hoping that “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wave of highly watchable , more imperfect desis on TV .

I remember the first time I saw an Indian-American—one of me—on reality TV. His name was “Mo”—Mohit—and he was a suitor on the thirteenth season of “The Bachelorette.” Tragically, Mo got way too drunk and was sent home during the first rose ceremony. But I think of him fondly, as a second-generation pioneer. Forget desis becoming the Surgeon General, or running Microsoft, or winning Pulitzers. That’s the stuff that a so-called model minority is supposed to do. Watching an Indian seek love and behave badly in front of millions on national TV—something the majority does all the time—offered a more delicious kind of belonging.
If Mo was a pioneer of the deeply American reality genre, we may now have the beginning of a migration in “Family Karma,” which premiered on Sunday, on Bravo. The show follows several desi families in Miami; theirs is the kind of wealthy, incestuous subculture that doesn’t necessarily need cameras to incite drama. An engaged couple must reconcile their warring mothers. Spicy discord between aunties abounds. Two best friends have a charming will-they-won’t-they vibe. A woman in her mid-thirties, recovering from a twelve-year relationship, contemplates freezing her eggs but can’t escape accusations that she’s trying to bed her male friend. A flamboyant, twice-divorced forty-four-year-old named Bali sports Bravo-ready hot pink and long Kardashian locks, as though she’s been waiting her whole life to be subsumed into the “Real Housewives” aesthetic. In Bali, we get the show’s major diva, and possibly its inciter-in-chief. Her position straddling the two generations on the show allows her to have twice as many feuds.
For decades, the best-known desi on TV was Apu, from “The Simpsons.” Later, there was Aziz Ansari’s Tom Haverford, on “Parks and Recreation,” a character whose whole shtick was to veer asymptotically toward whiteness. Today, Hasan Minhaj addresses a “New Brown America” on “Patriot Act,” and Lilly Singh holds a spot in the historically white, male late-night lineup. One of the better episodes of Ansari’s “Master of None”—“Indians on TV”—even managed a meta-reflection on racism in popular media. “Family Karma” strikes me not as an extension of the mainstream desi media that’s come before but as a counterpoint to it. Marriage, dating, parents’ and children’s opposing wills—“Family Karma” shares these preoccupations with “Master of None,” Gurinder Chadha’s “Bend It Like Beckham,” and Kumail Nanjiani’s “The Big Sick.” Unlike “Family Karma,” however, those earlier stories were often about second-gen kids fighting to date or marry white. “Master of None” and Mindy Kaling’s “The Mindy Project” saw their leads making out with so many cute Caucasians that I wondered if their creators were trying to make up for a thousand spurns on middle-school dance floors. In “The Big Sick,” Nanjiani’s alter ego, who’s pursuing a white woman against his parents’ wishes, stuffs photos of potential Pakistani brides into a cigar box.
By contrast, on “Family Karma,” brown people mostly date other brown people, and the dramas often stem from dating within one’s race. The engaged couple pursues a formal Indian engagement ceremony, to make peace with one side of the family. Brian, the cheery, reformed playboy, woos his brown best friend, a self-proclaimed “traditional Indian girl” he wouldn’t have considered a few years ago. For the first time that I can remember, we’re getting TV about the Indian-American community unto itself, not about its struggle to assimilate.
There’s another difference between “Family Karma” and its scripted predecessors, which has to do with the treatment of the first generation. Ansari, Nanjiani, and Minhaj are burdened with the question of how not to maim their parents in mining their autobiographies. Ansari dealt with this challenge in “Master of None” by casting his real-life mom and dad, neither of whom is an actor, as the parents of his alter ego, Dev. Many viewers loved this choice, for lifting the autofictional veil hanging over the show, and for countering the stereotypes critiqued in “Indians on TV”—here were real Indian parents. But the casting also felt treacly and avoidant. It kept the show from treating Dev’s parents as full, flawed characters, and demonstrated a protectiveness that’s bad for art—no viewer would dare judge Ansari’s adorable, hardworking mom and dad. Minhaj’s “Homecoming King” manages more complexity on the topic of parents, because of its specific and sometimes bizarre insights. (For years, Minhaj’s parents neglected to tell him that he had a sister.) Minhaj draws honest, if painful, humor from the distances between immigrant parents and their offspring: “You gotta be real. Brown love is very conditional,” he says. Minhaj’s dad walked out of the audience during a taping of “Patriot Act,” and the show turned it into a punch line on Twitter—quite the opposite of Ansari’s Bring Your Parents to Work Day.
The Bravo format requires that everyone get petty, and so “Family Karma” isn’t at all concerned with protecting its elders. These aunties and uncles aren’t martyred immigrants solely owed gratitude—they can be catty, gossipy. One auntie is rumored to have snubbed her future in-law at a three-day-long wedding, roping in her many relations to join her in the shunning. The camera catches an auntie telling an uncle that her daughter has chosen a “moron” as a partner. There’s tension between divorced parents and those in intact marriages. A mother wants her daughter married so she doesn’t become an “old maid with gray pubic hair.” Unfortunately, the aunties’ and uncles’ confessionals and confrontations are clumsier than their children’s: they’re less fluent in stoking their own dramas. A daughter asks her single father on camera why he’s not dating, and he looks ready to bolt. A bystanding auntie encourages her friend to address a long-running feud but then spends most of the interaction anticlimactically reassuring her that the dispute is the family’s own business. Did she miss the memo about how reality TV works? Still, the first generation’s arcs may make for decent B plots.
“Family Karma” isn’t entirely comfortable in its own skin. In the pilot, producers repeatedly ask, “How traditional are you?”—an outsider, white-gaze question. It’s also rough to watch cast members reduce a whole population to stereotypes. They declare that Indians are obsessed with image, one-upmanship, and family, as though those are uniquely desi characteristics, or as though these rich Hindus in Florida could speak for nearly 1.4 billion Indians. That’s not to mention the cringeworthy dabs of the “exotic,” such as the heavy-handed sitar music that is used to transition between scenes.
There’s a brief, surprisingly honest moment in Episode 2 that I keep thinking about. The second-gen men have gathered in a barbershop. They dish. The straight ones discuss whether they like white or Indian girls. Brian admits he’s never dated an Indian but says he’s now ready for his perfect desi girl. Another guy says he doesn’t take a relationship seriously unless the girl is Indian. This is not the kind of conversation we got from Ansari or Kaling, who mostly kept race out of their rom-com story lines. This kind of exchange was especially unlikely to appear in a conspicuously inoffensive show such as “Master of None,” because it’s a bad look—the men typecast desi women, and no one mentions dating other minorities.
Telling sometimes ugly truths about one’s own community isn’t just another step up the representation ladder—it’s precisely how we go from mere representation to the possibility of resonant narrative. Reality producers, freed from the impetus to make their characters seem admirable, may have stumbled into something richer than their higher-culture kin. Maybe a Bravo show—the aesthetic and sociocultural inverse of, say, an auteurish, Emmy-nominated Netflix special—is just what we need to uncork the real drama. Here’s hoping that “Family Karma” is part of a wave of highly watchable, more imperfect desis on TV.


newyorker--2020-03-10--Missouri Primary Election 2020: Live Results, Maps, and Analysis

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The state’s Presidential primaries are March 10th. The congressional and gubernatorial primaries are August 4th. Follow the latest election results ahead of the 2020 Presidential election.


newyorker--2020-03-10--North Dakota Primary Election 2020: Live Results, Maps, and Analysis

The state’s Presidential caucuses are March 10th. The congressional and gubernatorial primaries are June 9th. Follow the latest election results ahead of the 2020 Presidential election.


newyorker--2020-03-10--March 10th Primary Election 2020: Live Results, Maps, and Analysis

Delegates in the Democratic primary are awarded on an ongoing basis , as different states and territories vote , with @ @ @ @ @ delegates up for grabs .
To win outright—and to avoid a brokered Convention—a candidate will @ @ @ @ @ 1,991 delegates during the 2020 primary voting season .
On March 10th , there are @ @ @ @ @ Idaho , Michigan , Mississippi , Missouri , North Dakota , and Washington .
The @ @ @ @ @ the results below , alongside the rest of our Election 2020 campaign coverage .
Follow @ @ @ @ @ over-all delegate tally .

Delegates in the Democratic primary are awarded on an ongoing basis, as different states and territories vote, with a total of 3,979 pledged delegates up for grabs. To win outright—and to avoid a brokered Convention—a candidate will need to claim at least 1,991 delegates during the 2020 primary voting season. On March 10th, there are 352 delegates at stake across Idaho, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, and Washington. The New Yorker will be tracking the results below, alongside the rest of our Election 2020 campaign coverage. Follow our delegate counter for the over-all delegate tally.
Idaho Michigan Mississippi Missouri North Dakota Washington


newyorker--2020-03-10--Washington Primary Election 2020: Live Results, Maps, and Analysis


newyorker--2020-03-10--Mississippi Primary Election 2020: Live Results, Maps, and Analysis

The state’s primaries are March 10th. Follow the latest election results ahead of the 2020 Presidential election.


newyorker--2020-03-10--Michigan Primary Election 2020: Live Results, Maps, and Analysis

The state’s Presidential primaries are March 10th. The congressional primary is August 4th. Follow the latest election results ahead of the 2020 Presidential election.


newyorker--2020-03-10--Idaho Primary Election 2020: Live Results, Maps, and Analysis

The state’s Presidential primary is March 10th. The congressional primary is May 19th. Follow the latest results ahead of the 2020 Presidential election.


newyorker--2020-03-10--Nobody Will Tell You This but Me: Phone Calls with My Grandmother

GRANDDAUGHTER : Hello to you , too !
GRANDDAUGHTER : He ’ s not .
He ’ s from Maine .
He ’ s a Wasp from Maine .
GRANDDAUGHTER : He ’ s nonpracticing—I think he ’ s an atheist .
We haven ’ t really gotten into it .
He ’ s actually taking a class on Buddhism .
GRANDDAUGHTER : Grandma , it ’ s not important to me .
GRANDMOTHER : How long have you been going together ?
Your mother says a month .
GRANDDAUGHTER : So you already have the whole story !
GRANDMOTHER @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the horse ’ s mouth .
GRANDMOTHER : Don ’ t get cute .
You know he ’ s probably never taken home a Jewish girl before .
GRANDDAUGHTER : He goes to Brown .
He ’ s done nothing but take home Jewish girls for four years .
GRANDMOTHER : Can I tell you a true story ?
GRANDMOTHER : In the history of our family , only one person has ever married a non-Jew .
GRANDDAUGHTER : Grandma , it has been one month , and he ’ s probably moving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one person has ever married outside the religion .
My brother George .
He had his heart broken by a miserable woman , and so he joined the Navy and was stationed all over the world .
GRANDDAUGHTER : I didn ’ t know we had anyone in the Navy in our family !
GRANDMOTHER : Don ’ t get too excited—there wasn ’ t any combat .
So he came home and showed up on my mother ’ s doorstep with a beautiful Portuguese woman , who was pregnant .
And do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ My mother from the shtetl ?
GRANDMOTHER : She took one look at her son , and one look at the girl , and she gave her a big bear hug and said , in English , “ Welcome to my home.
” GRANDDAUGHTER : Grandma , I ’ m going to Maine for Christmas to meet Charlie ’ s family .
GRANDDAUGHTER : That ’ s where he grew up .
GRANDMOTHER : I thought you said he went to boarding school .
GRANDDAUGHTER : Right .
Yes .
But his family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they kicked him out .
GRANDDAUGHTER : They didn ’ t kick him out !
It ’ s just how they do things .
His whole family went to that boarding school .
GRANDMOTHER : In this family , we don ’ t send our children away .
GRANDDAUGHTER : It wasn ’ t like that at all !
GRANDMOTHER : You will not send your children there , no matter what Charlie says .
There are plenty of good schools where you don ’ t have to abandon your child .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ been dating for three months .
GRANDDAUGHTER : We don ’ t even live together .
GRANDDAUGHTER : Oh , really ?
How do you know ?
GRANDMOTHER : Because it ’ s the middle of December and you ’ re going to Maine .
GRANDMOTHER : Bessie , everything you wear is black .
GRANDDAUGHTER : That ’ s not true !
That ’ s not even remotely true !
GRANDMOTHER : So , you looked like you were in mourning .
It was a summer wedding .
GRANDMOTHER : Never mind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wear some color every once in a while ?
Blue ?
Pink ?
Even a very pale pink .
That would be a start .
What they ’ re wearing lately is neons .
GRANDMOTHER : Why , yes .
And in the Styles section .
Neon handbags , neon belts , neon cardigans .
You name it !
GRANDDAUGHTER : Well , I don ’ t really like the sound of that .
GRANDMOTHER : Why don ’ t you take down my credit-card number and go to Bloomingdale ’ s and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t morose .
GRANDDAUGHTER : Ha .
Why don ’ t you tell me what you really think ?
[ NO PAUSE .
NOT EVEN A BREATH ] GRANDMOTHER : You should be engaged by this time next year .
GRANDMOTHER : Bess !
Ha !
Thank God in Heaven I got you .
You haven ’ t left for Yosemite Park ?
GRANDDAUGHTER : No , we ’ re packing .
We ’ re about to get in the car .
What ’ s up ?
GRANDMOTHER : You ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s freezing there !
GRANDDAUGHTER : I know .
I ’ ve packed a lot of warm layers and I ’ ll be inside— GRANDMOTHER : No , you won ’ t .
You ’ ll be outside .
Your mother says you ’ re cross-country skiing .
GRANDDAUGHTER : Yes .
.
.
Charlie ’ s family really likes to cross-country ski .
GRANDMOTHER : I don ’ t understand it .
It ’ s a ridiculous thing to do .
It ’ s not skiing—it ’ s shuffling .
GRANDDAUGHTER : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outdoors , and it ’ s not that hard .
We practiced in Maine , on a golf course .
GRANDMOTHER : But you ’ re not going to be on a golf course .
One fall and you snap your leg and you ’ re lying there in the middle of the wilderness and you can ’ t get up .
GRANDMOTHER : And how ’ s that going to look ?
They take you outside for one second , and you ’ re belly up in a ditch .
GRANDDAUGHTER : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a camp for five summers .
I couldn ’ t be with anyone more prepared for disaster .
GRANDMOTHER : You ’ re not some ten-year-old boy he can throw in his backpack at a moment ’ s notice .
You ’ re not exactly small .
GRANDDAUGHTER : Charlie , will you tell my grandma I ’ m not going to die in Yosemite .
CHARLIE : I ’ m not getting involved in this .
GRANDDAUGHTER : Charlie says everything ’ s going to be fine and he ’ s very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about me being cold .
GRANDMOTHER : Can ’ t I be worried about more than one thing ?
Why don ’ t they take you someplace normal ?
Even normal skiing—somewhere with a hotel you can sit in .
GRANDDAUGHTER : They like roughing it , being in nature .
GRANDMOTHER : Because they didn ’ t come from suffering .
They never chased mice around the attic with a broomstick and survived on forty dollars a week .
GRANDMOTHER : It was just enough to starve .
GRANDMOTHER : You know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on a straw bed with meningitis , and the only medication we can afford is cod-liver oil from the Italian neighbor whose son got his hand caught in a meat grinder .
GRANDDAUGHTER : Grandma , I think it ’ s going to be fine .
GRANDMOTHER : Does your jacket have a lining ?
GRANDMOTHER : Bessie , your grandfather says there are brown bears in Yosemite , and they ’ ve become domesticated because tourists are giving them food .
But , if they come up to you and you don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who they ’ re going to eat ?
But they ’ re not the worst of your problems .
Grizzly bears are the real threat .
If you even see a grizzly bear , it ’ s already too late .
I ’ m being serious , Bessie .
You must be careful .

OCTOBER, 2009
GRANDMOTHER: Bessie, is he Jewish?
GRANDDAUGHTER: Hello to you, too!
GRANDMOTHER: Is he Jewish?
GRANDDAUGHTER: He’s not. He’s from Maine. He’s a Wasp from Maine.
GRANDMOTHER: So he’s a Christian.
GRANDDAUGHTER: He’s nonpracticing—I think he’s an atheist. We haven’t really gotten into it. He’s actually taking a class on Buddhism.
GRANDMOTHER: Oh, my God.
GRANDDAUGHTER: Grandma, it’s not important to me.
GRANDMOTHER: How long have you been going together? Your mother says a month.
GRANDDAUGHTER: So you already have the whole story!
GRANDMOTHER: I want to hear it from the horse’s mouth.
GRANDDAUGHTER: Now I’m a horse.
GRANDMOTHER: Don’t get cute. You know he’s probably never taken home a Jewish girl before.
GRANDDAUGHTER: He goes to Brown. He’s done nothing but take home Jewish girls for four years.
GRANDMOTHER: Can I tell you a true story?
GRANDDAUGHTER: Why not.
GRANDMOTHER: In the history of our family, only one person has ever married a non-Jew.
GRANDDAUGHTER: Grandma, it has been one month, and he’s probably moving to San Francisco after—
GRANDMOTHER: Bessie. Listen to your grandmother.
GRANDDAUGHTER: I’m listening.
GRANDMOTHER: Only one person has ever married outside the religion. My brother George. He had his heart broken by a miserable woman, and so he joined the Navy and was stationed all over the world.
GRANDDAUGHTER: I didn’t know we had anyone in the Navy in our family!
GRANDMOTHER: Don’t get too excited—there wasn’t any combat. So he came home and showed up on my mother’s doorstep with a beautiful Portuguese woman, who was pregnant. And do you know what my mother did? My mother from the shtetl?
GRANDDAUGHTER: I can’t even possibly begin to imagine.
GRANDMOTHER: She took one look at her son, and one look at the girl, and she gave her a big bear hug and said, in English, “Welcome to my home.”
GRANDDAUGHTER: So you’re fine with Charlie.
GRANDMOTHER: What’s his major?
GRANDDAUGHTER: Business?
GRANDMOTHER: Fine.
DECEMBER, 2009
GRANDDAUGHTER: Grandma, I’m going to Maine for Christmas to meet Charlie’s family.
GRANDMOTHER: To Maine?
GRANDDAUGHTER: That’s where he grew up.
GRANDMOTHER: I thought you said he went to boarding school.
GRANDDAUGHTER: Right. Yes. But his family lived in Maine.
GRANDMOTHER: Well, they kicked him out.
GRANDDAUGHTER: They didn’t kick him out! It’s just how they do things. His whole family went to that boarding school.
GRANDMOTHER: Mm-hmm.
GRANDDAUGHTER: What?!
GRANDMOTHER: In this family, we don’t send our children away.
GRANDDAUGHTER: It wasn’t like that at all!
GRANDMOTHER: Bessie?
GRANDDAUGHTER: What, Grandma?
GRANDMOTHER: You will not send your children there, no matter what Charlie says. There are plenty of good schools where you don’t have to abandon your child.
GRANDDAUGHTER: Grandma, we’ve been dating for three months.
GRANDMOTHER: I know.
GRANDDAUGHTER: We don’t even live together.
GRANDMOTHER: You will.
GRANDDAUGHTER: I don’t know that.
GRANDMOTHER: I do.
GRANDDAUGHTER: Oh, really? How do you know?
GRANDMOTHER: Because it’s the middle of December and you’re going to Maine.
MAY, 2011
GRANDMOTHER: Bessie, everything you wear is black.
GRANDDAUGHTER: That’s not true! That’s not even remotely true!
GRANDMOTHER: You wore black to Rachel’s wedding.
GRANDDAUGHTER: So?
GRANDMOTHER: So, you looked like you were in mourning. It was a summer wedding.
GRANDDAUGHTER: I like that dress.
GRANDMOTHER: Never mind what you like—would it kill you to wear some color every once in a while? Blue? Pink? Even a very pale pink. That would be a start. What they’re wearing lately is neons.
GRANDDAUGHTER: What who’s wearing?
GRANDMOTHER: All the girls.
GRANDDAUGHTER: All the girls?
GRANDMOTHER: Why, yes. And in the Styles section. Neon handbags, neon belts, neon cardigans. You name it!
GRANDDAUGHTER: Well, I don’t really like the sound of that.
GRANDMOTHER: Why don’t you take down my credit-card number and go to Bloomingdale’s and buy yourself some nice things that aren’t morose.
GRANDDAUGHTER: Ha. Why don’t you tell me what you really think?
[NO PAUSE. NOT EVEN A BREATH]
GRANDMOTHER: You should be engaged by this time next year.
DECEMBER, 2011
GRANDMOTHER: Bessie?
GRANDDAUGHTER: Grandma?
GRANDMOTHER: Bess! Ha! Thank God in Heaven I got you. You haven’t left for Yosemite Park?
GRANDDAUGHTER: No, we’re packing. We’re about to get in the car. What’s up?
GRANDMOTHER: You’re going to be freezing! It’s freezing there!
GRANDDAUGHTER: I know. I’ve packed a lot of warm layers and I’ll be inside—
GRANDMOTHER: No, you won’t. You’ll be outside. Your mother says you’re cross-country skiing.
GRANDDAUGHTER: Yes . . . Charlie’s family really likes to cross-country ski.
GRANDMOTHER: I don’t understand it. It’s a ridiculous thing to do. It’s not skiing—it’s shuffling.
GRANDDAUGHTER: It’s fun—it’s being outdoors, and it’s not that hard. We practiced in Maine, on a golf course.
GRANDMOTHER: But you’re not going to be on a golf course. One fall and you snap your leg and you’re lying there in the middle of the wilderness and you can’t get up.
GRANDDAUGHTER: Surrounded by Charlie’s family!
GRANDMOTHER: And how’s that going to look? They take you outside for one second, and you’re belly up in a ditch.


newyorker--2020-03-12--The Coronavirus Shutdown Is Devastating but Necessary for Broadway

Like many aspects of life under the novel coronavirus pandemic , the suspension of Broadway shows happened slowly , and then all at once .
It was only on Tuesday morning—the days sure are long this week , aren ’ t they ?
—that the producer Scott Rudin announced discounted fifty-dollar tickets for his Broadway shows , including the sellout hits “ The Book of Mormon ” and “ To Kill a Mockingbird.
” “ As long as New York City is open for business , its beating heart remains the Broadway stage , ” Rudin said in a statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for everyone to see a show that they otherwise might not have had easy and affordable access to.
” Was this an “ unprecedented opportunity ” or a health hazard ?
The public was , by that point , aware of the risks of gathering in large crowds and of the concept of social distancing .
I myself went to a Broadway musical on Monday night , when it seemed like an acceptable risk .
The audience was packed .
But , by Wednesday , the charade no longer felt sustainable .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announced a ban on gatherings of two hundred and fifty people or more in several counties .
The N.B.A .
season and New York ’ s St. Patrick ’ s Day Parade were cancelled , along with many live events around the world .
That same day , Broadway producers announced a halt on fans gathering at the stage doors , but the show-must-go-on spirit prevailed , at least publicly .
Then , in the afternoon , the Times reported that a part-time Broadway usher had tested positive for COVID-19 , after having @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the musical “ Six ” and Rudin ’ s own revival of “ Who ’ s Afraid of Virginia Woolf ?
” The theatre owners announced that there would be deep cleanings and the possibility of ticket exchanges , but it wasn ’ t until Thursday that Deadline reported that the Broadway League , the organization for Broadway owners and producers , was holding an emergency meeting to discuss a possible shutdown .
This came not long after Mayor Bill de Blasio had told CNN , “ I don ’ t want to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ avoid it , ” and said that he hoped to “ strike some kind of balance.
” Hours later , the inevitable finally came , as Governor Andrew Cuomo announced restrictions on gatherings of five hundred people or more .
( Broadway theatres , by definition , hold five hundred people or more . )
Broadway shows were cancelled through April 12th , starting Thursday night , when “ Six ” —a pop-music take on the wives of Henry VIII—was set to open , at the Brooks Atkinson .
Why did it take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The economic costs are devastating .
Despite the perennial concerns that theatre—the “ fabulous invalid ” —is dying , Broadway has been booming .
Last season , the total box-office was $ 1.8 billion , and attendance was up nine and a half per cent , with nearly fifteen million patrons .
The closures will cost an untold tens of millions of dollars and put actors , stagehands , ushers , and many others out of a job .
Kate Shindle , the president of the Actors ’ Equity Association , put out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arts and entertainment workers , saying , “ Equity members are dedicated professionals who earn their health care and pensions one week of work at a time.
” But the health risk to those workers , performing in close quarters , is too great , as it is for audiences , who skew on the older side .
( The average age of Broadway theatregoers is between forty and forty-five , though matinee crowds tend to be white-haired . )
The timing is particularly bad .
Springtime is one of the busiest parts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ barrage of new shows open before the Tony deadline , in late April .
Among the new shows whose openings have just been scuttled are the Tracy Letts drama “ The Minutes , ” a gender-swapped revival of “ Company , ” Martin McDonagh ’ s black comedy “ Hangmen , ” a new musical about Princess Diana , the Neil Simon comedy “ Plaza Suite , ” and a musical version of “ Mrs .
Doubtfire.
” Several others were meant to open soon after April 12th , including the Lincoln Center @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” a revival of David Mamet ’ s “ American Buffalo , ” and the baseball comedy “ Take Me Out ” —all of which will lose their preview periods .
Even if we assume that theatre is back on by mid-April , it ’ s unclear whether all these productions will survive .
Rumors are already swirling that some shows are bowing out for good , but a Broadway publicist assured me on Thursday that “ American Buffalo , ” “ Beetlejuice , ” “ The Minutes , ” “ Hangmen , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Street ” will resume the week of April 13th , “ when the government indicates Broadway can re-open.
” ( It ’ s far from the world ’ s most pressing problem , but the Tony Awards schedule will need to be rethought . )
Nothing of this magnitude has ever happened to the Broadway industry , apart from brief shutdowns for strikes and after 9/11 .
At the Wall Street Journal , Terry Teachout has proposed using livestreaming as an interim method for keeping the industry afloat .
Off Broadway companies and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cancelling performances , leaving the institutions that produce them and the artists and workers who put them onstage financially vulnerable .
There is hardly a profession , a country , or a facet of daily life that won ’ t be affected by the pandemic .
But a ban on crowds cuts to the core of what gives theatre its identity .
The Broadway shutdown may have come a few days later than it should have , but it ’ s the right move , if a painful one .
In the eighties @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a different kind of health crisis , one that was prolonged and deadly and devastating , wiping out nearly a generation of artists and audiences .
Of the many works of art that flowered from the AIDS epidemic , one of the most recent is Matthew Lopez ’ s multigenerational drama “ The Inheritance , ” about the disconnect between the gay men who lived through it and the younger ones for whom life under it is unimaginable .
The show has been playing at the Barrymore Theatre since September , and its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But closing came three days early .
What it means to contain and mitigate the coronavirus outbreak .
How much of the world is likely to be quarantined ?
Donald Trump in the time of coronavirus .
The coronavirus is likely to spread for more than a year before a vaccine could be widely available .
We are all irrational panic shoppers .
The strange terror of watching the coronavirus take Rome .

Like many aspects of life under the novel coronavirus pandemic, the suspension of Broadway shows happened slowly, and then all at once. It was only on Tuesday morning—the days sure are long this week, aren’t they?—that the producer Scott Rudin announced discounted fifty-dollar tickets for his Broadway shows, including the sellout hits “The Book of Mormon” and “To Kill a Mockingbird.” “As long as New York City is open for business, its beating heart remains the Broadway stage,” Rudin said in a statement. “This is an unprecedented opportunity for everyone to see a show that they otherwise might not have had easy and affordable access to.”
Was this an “unprecedented opportunity” or a health hazard? The public was, by that point, aware of the risks of gathering in large crowds and of the concept of social distancing. I myself went to a Broadway musical on Monday night, when it seemed like an acceptable risk. The audience was packed. But, by Wednesday, the charade no longer felt sustainable. In Washington State, Governor Jay Inslee had announced a ban on gatherings of two hundred and fifty people or more in several counties. The N.B.A. season and New York’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade were cancelled, along with many live events around the world. That same day, Broadway producers announced a halt on fans gathering at the stage doors, but the show-must-go-on spirit prevailed, at least publicly. Then, in the afternoon, the Times reported that a part-time Broadway usher had tested positive for COVID-19, after having worked last week at two shows, the musical “Six” and Rudin’s own revival of “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”
The theatre owners announced that there would be deep cleanings and the possibility of ticket exchanges, but it wasn’t until Thursday that Deadline reported that the Broadway League, the organization for Broadway owners and producers, was holding an emergency meeting to discuss a possible shutdown. This came not long after Mayor Bill de Blasio had told CNN, “I don’t want to see Broadway go dark if we can avoid it,” and said that he hoped to “strike some kind of balance.” Hours later, the inevitable finally came, as Governor Andrew Cuomo announced restrictions on gatherings of five hundred people or more. (Broadway theatres, by definition, hold five hundred people or more.) Broadway shows were cancelled through April 12th, starting Thursday night, when “Six”—a pop-music take on the wives of Henry VIII—was set to open, at the Brooks Atkinson.
Why did it take so long for Broadway to adjust? The economic costs are devastating. Despite the perennial concerns that theatre—the “fabulous invalid”—is dying, Broadway has been booming. Last season, the total box-office was $1.8 billion, and attendance was up nine and a half per cent, with nearly fifteen million patrons. The closures will cost an untold tens of millions of dollars and put actors, stagehands, ushers, and many others out of a job. Kate Shindle, the president of the Actors’ Equity Association, put out a statement calling for government assistance to arts and entertainment workers, saying, “Equity members are dedicated professionals who earn their health care and pensions one week of work at a time.” But the health risk to those workers, performing in close quarters, is too great, as it is for audiences, who skew on the older side. (The average age of Broadway theatregoers is between forty and forty-five, though matinee crowds tend to be white-haired.)
The timing is particularly bad. Springtime is one of the busiest parts of the Broadway season, as a barrage of new shows open before the Tony deadline, in late April. Among the new shows whose openings have just been scuttled are the Tracy Letts drama “The Minutes,” a gender-swapped revival of “Company,” Martin McDonagh’s black comedy “Hangmen,” a new musical about Princess Diana, the Neil Simon comedy “Plaza Suite,” and a musical version of “Mrs. Doubtfire.” Several others were meant to open soon after April 12th, including the Lincoln Center Theatre musical “Flying Over Sunset,” a revival of David Mamet’s “American Buffalo,” and the baseball comedy “Take Me Out”—all of which will lose their preview periods.
Even if we assume that theatre is back on by mid-April, it’s unclear whether all these productions will survive. Rumors are already swirling that some shows are bowing out for good, but a Broadway publicist assured me on Thursday that “American Buffalo,” “Beetlejuice,” “The Minutes,” “Hangmen,” and the new musical “Sing Street” will resume the week of April 13th, “when the government indicates Broadway can re-open.” (It’s far from the world’s most pressing problem, but the Tony Awards schedule will need to be rethought.) Nothing of this magnitude has ever happened to the Broadway industry, apart from brief shutdowns for strikes and after 9/11. At the Wall Street Journal, Terry Teachout has proposed using livestreaming as an interim method for keeping the industry afloat. Off Broadway companies and regional theatres around the country are also cancelling performances, leaving the institutions that produce them and the artists and workers who put them onstage financially vulnerable.
There is hardly a profession, a country, or a facet of daily life that won’t be affected by the pandemic. But a ban on crowds cuts to the core of what gives theatre its identity. The Broadway shutdown may have come a few days later than it should have, but it’s the right move, if a painful one. In the eighties, the New York theatre scene weathered a different kind of health crisis, one that was prolonged and deadly and devastating, wiping out nearly a generation of artists and audiences. Of the many works of art that flowered from the AIDS epidemic, one of the most recent is Matthew Lopez’s multigenerational drama “The Inheritance,” about the disconnect between the gay men who lived through it and the younger ones for whom life under it is unimaginable. The show has been playing at the Barrymore Theatre since September, and its last performance was scheduled for this Sunday. But closing came three days early.
A Guide to the Coronavirus
What it means to contain and mitigate the coronavirus outbreak.
How much of the world is likely to be quarantined?
Donald Trump in the time of coronavirus.
The coronavirus is likely to spread for more than a year before a vaccine could be widely available.
We are all irrational panic shoppers.
The strange terror of watching the coronavirus take Rome.
How pandemics change history.


newyorker--2020-03-12--How Donald Trump Will Wage His Reëlection Campaign

Donald Trump never really stopped running for President .
On the day of his inauguration , in 2017 , he @ @ @ @ @ for reëlection in 2020 .
As the Democrats have fought a historically long primary battle @ @ @ @ @ up for the general election .
In particular , his campaign will take place online—he @ @ @ @ @ director , Brad Parscale , to run his 2020 campaign .
Andrew Marantz , who @ @ @ @ @ Yorker , joins Eric Lach to discuss Parscale ’ s role in the Trump phenomenon @ @ @ @ @ an increasingly online reëlection campaign .

Photograph by Tayfun Coskun / Anadolu Agency / Getty
Donald Trump never really stopped running for President. On the day of his inauguration, in 2017, he filed the paperwork to run for reëlection in 2020. As the Democrats have fought a historically long primary battle, Trump has been gearing up for the general election. In particular, his campaign will take place online—he has tapped his 2016 digital-media director, Brad Parscale, to run his 2020 campaign. Andrew Marantz, who profiled Parscale for The New Yorker, joins Eric Lach to discuss Parscale’s role in the Trump phenomenon and what to expect from an increasingly online reëlection campaign.


newyorker--2020-03-12--When the Coronavirus Comes to Rural Georgia

As of Thursday , there are , according to the C.D.C.
, thirty-one confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state of Georgia , and one person in the state has reportedly died from the illness .
At first , all of the cases were located in the northern part of the state .
Then one of southwest Georgia ’ s largest regional hospitals , Phoebe Putney , in Albany , reported two cases , a traveller and a local .
Dr. Karen Kinsell , who runs a small health clinic sixty miles from Albany , in Fort Gaines , Georgia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heard .
“ People were kind of , like , getting uncomfortable , ” Kinsell told me Wednesday night .
“ It suddenly seemed like we ’ re talking about us.
” Kinsell runs her small private clinic out of a former Tastee-Freez .
She is the only doctor in Clay County , where forty per cent of the population lives under the poverty line .
She has a unique view of rural health care in times of normalcy as well as crisis , and I ’ ve spoken to her periodically over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ older people , ” Kinsell told me yesterday , “ and they tend to be sicker.
” Kinsell has not yet seen a case of COVID-19 at her clinic , nor has anyone asked her to be tested yet , though she is bracing for that eventuality .
In the meantime , she worries as much about the spread of information as the spread of the virus .
Clay County does not have a dedicated paper of its own—it qualifies as a so-called news desert .
“ We started a monthly not long @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ It ’ s mailed to every address in Clay County .
So there will be an article in it next month about this.
” That story may be a bit “ stale ” by that point , she said , laughing .
“ We ’ d like to make the paper more online , ” she added .
Kinsell spoke to me by phone about how the spreading COVID-19 outbreak could impact southwest Georgia .
Her account has been edited and condensed .
“ I ’ m a hugger at my facility—with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just cried .
And , really , a hug is probably safer than a handshake .
But I no longer shake hands when people come in .
We did just buy more Clorox wipes , and we ’ re washing off the counters and the chairs .
I don ’ t like hand sanitizer because it ’ s so drying , but we have it in the lobby .
I tried to buy more hand sanitizer here in Fort Gaines at the Dollar General , and they were already sold out .
So @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I started hearing about it last week from patients .
People will say , ‘ What do you think of it ?
’ When this seventy-five-year-old man came in with flu symptoms this morning , we went out and wiped everything up .
He didn ’ t bring up COVID-19 as a possibility .
We did the flu test and that ’ s what he had .
People aren ’ t thinking they have it .
They ’ re still kind of thinking it ’ s a ways off .
We feel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so rural here .
“ The local Albany station were broadcasting the Phoebe Putney hospital news conference during their news tonight .
Somebody told me they had seen on Facebook that black people are more likely to get it .
I said that there are actually probably fewer black people that have it , so far , because travel costs a lot and that seems to be a major risk factor to this point—international travel .
It ’ s mostly old rich white people that do that .
“ Our state senator contacted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ‘ Oh , should we give information to the black churches ?
’ Some handouts were sent from the health department to the pastors .
The health department takes the lead on this sort of thing .
I really didn ’ t agree with all of their advice .
Just like I really don ’ t agree with the C.D.C .
advice at this point .
The C.D.C .
guidelines are still just to test people over a certain age with some kind of risk .
We need to be testing extensively @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so sick , if we ’ re going to stop the transmission .
And we don ’ t remotely have the number of test kits for that .
“ Now , if you seriously thought somebody was seriously ill , short of breath , you ’ d send them on to the hospital , either forty miles away in Alabama or sixty miles away in Albany , for a ventilator or something .
Of course , there aren ’ t enough ventilators in this country to deal with the demand if this really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testing limitations , most people are probably never going to be tested .
“ It was on the news last night that the commercial testers—LabCorp and Quest—are now offering test kits .
We called Quest this morning and ordered five .
Supposed to be shipped tomorrow .
The health department here doesn ’ t have kits .
Up until this , you had to get permission from the health department to test .
It ’ s such a rapidly evolving situation .
“ I imagine there will be people with it within the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is , if you ’ re diagnosing it , you would have been exposed to it .
We don ’ t even have any masks at our clinic .
We have no way to isolate people when they come in .
They ’ re giving out the advice now that before you go to the E.R.
, you should just call your doctor and , if you ’ re not that sick , they ’ ll tell you to just stay home .
Whether anybody will actually listen to that advice .
.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ comes in and is coughing all over me and they test positive , then I ’ m supposed to stay home for two weeks .
I ’ d actually get my house cleaned up—which might be a good thing .
But people here would have to go someplace else far off .
We have an ambulance now—that ’ s gotten better—which someone could use if they ’ re real sick .
And people have friends who drive them .
But , if you ’ re coughing real bad , your friend may not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s what happened to the guy in New Rochelle .
“ I think people will be hysterical here with even a small outbreak .
The school would certainly close .
There was a very low-risk case in Valdosta—a student-teacher whose family had been in contact with a diagnosed case in South Georgia closed the school there today .
And she had no risk , basically .
People would be freaking out .
I think they ’ d stay home .
And the economics of not going to work are pretty significant around here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ‘ I ’ m going to Orlando this weekend , for my birthday.
’ And everybody at the table kind of looked at her and said , ‘ Whoa , you shouldn ’ t. ’ It hadn ’ t occurred to her .
So it ’ s really just kind of starting to strike home .
We had voted at the school board to let kids go on a trip to Florida in the spring .
One of the board members said , ‘ We can ’ t approve this , because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it open , if the virus is gone .
“ What is preparation when there ’ s no treatment ?
The nursing home here just announced today that they ’ re not accepting visitors any longer .
They have a sign on their front door .
They say they ’ re not gon na allow singing groups to come in , that sort of thing .
Just family members , who allegedly would just be visiting that family member .
A nurse told me they ’ re supposed to log in and say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But most of these new cases aren ’ t associated with travel .
If it gets into a nursing home here , it ’ s gon na be horrendous .
Everyone is gon na die .
That ’ s really the worst-case scenario .
If a case actually happens anywhere around here , shit ’ s gon na change a lot .
It ’ s just a matter of time.
” What it means to contain and mitigate the coronavirus outbreak .
How much of the world is likely to be quarantined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus .
The coronavirus is likely to spread for months , if not more than a year , before a vaccine could be widely available .
We are all irrational panic shoppers .
The strange terror of watching the coronavirus take Rome .

As of Thursday, there are, according to the C.D.C., thirty-one confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state of Georgia, and one person in the state has reportedly died from the illness. At first, all of the cases were located in the northern part of the state. Then one of southwest Georgia’s largest regional hospitals, Phoebe Putney, in Albany, reported two cases, a traveller and a local. Dr. Karen Kinsell, who runs a small health clinic sixty miles from Albany, in Fort Gaines, Georgia, was at a meeting when she heard. “People were kind of, like, getting uncomfortable,” Kinsell told me Wednesday night. “It suddenly seemed like we’re talking about us.”
Kinsell runs her small private clinic out of a former Tastee-Freez. She is the only doctor in Clay County, where forty per cent of the population lives under the poverty line. She has a unique view of rural health care in times of normalcy as well as crisis, and I’ve spoken to her periodically over the years. “We have more older people,” Kinsell told me yesterday, “and they tend to be sicker.” Kinsell has not yet seen a case of COVID-19 at her clinic, nor has anyone asked her to be tested yet, though she is bracing for that eventuality. In the meantime, she worries as much about the spread of information as the spread of the virus. Clay County does not have a dedicated paper of its own—it qualifies as a so-called news desert. “We started a monthly not long ago,” Kinsell told me. “It’s mailed to every address in Clay County. So there will be an article in it next month about this.” That story may be a bit “stale” by that point, she said, laughing. “We’d like to make the paper more online,” she added.
Kinsell spoke to me by phone about how the spreading COVID-19 outbreak could impact southwest Georgia. Her account has been edited and condensed.
On Friday, after this post was published, Kinsell shut her clinic. “Have a headache and achy today, no fever yet, so closed the office,” she said. “We just got the test kits, so I did one. Guy just called with 104 temp, directed him to E.R.” The emergency room is an hour’s drive from town.
“I’m a hugger at my facility—with patients I know who are depressed or just cried. And, really, a hug is probably safer than a handshake. But I no longer shake hands when people come in. We did just buy more Clorox wipes, and we’re washing off the counters and the chairs. I don’t like hand sanitizer because it’s so drying, but we have it in the lobby. I tried to buy more hand sanitizer here in Fort Gaines at the Dollar General, and they were already sold out. So I got some toilet paper instead.
“I started hearing about it last week from patients. People will say, ‘What do you think of it?’ When this seventy-five-year-old man came in with flu symptoms this morning, we went out and wiped everything up. He didn’t bring up COVID-19 as a possibility. We did the flu test and that’s what he had. People aren’t thinking they have it. They’re still kind of thinking it’s a ways off. We feel a little protected because it’s so rural here.
“The local Albany station were broadcasting the Phoebe Putney hospital news conference during their news tonight. Somebody told me they had seen on Facebook that black people are more likely to get it. I said that there are actually probably fewer black people that have it, so far, because travel costs a lot and that seems to be a major risk factor to this point—international travel. It’s mostly old rich white people that do that.
“Our state senator contacted me a few days ago and said, ‘Oh, should we give information to the black churches?’ Some handouts were sent from the health department to the pastors. The health department takes the lead on this sort of thing. I really didn’t agree with all of their advice. Just like I really don’t agree with the C.D.C. advice at this point. The C.D.C. guidelines are still just to test people over a certain age with some kind of risk. We need to be testing extensively to find the people who are not so sick, if we’re going to stop the transmission. And we don’t remotely have the number of test kits for that.
“Now, if you seriously thought somebody was seriously ill, short of breath, you’d send them on to the hospital, either forty miles away in Alabama or sixty miles away in Albany, for a ventilator or something. Of course, there aren’t enough ventilators in this country to deal with the demand if this really hits hard. And with our current testing limitations, most people are probably never going to be tested.
“It was on the news last night that the commercial testers—LabCorp and Quest—are now offering test kits. We called Quest this morning and ordered five. Supposed to be shipped tomorrow. The health department here doesn’t have kits. Up until this, you had to get permission from the health department to test. It’s such a rapidly evolving situation.
“I imagine there will be people with it within the next few weeks here. The problem is, if you’re diagnosing it, you would have been exposed to it. We don’t even have any masks at our clinic. We have no way to isolate people when they come in. They’re giving out the advice now that before you go to the E.R., you should just call your doctor and, if you’re not that sick, they’ll tell you to just stay home. Whether anybody will actually listen to that advice . . .
“If there’s someone comes in and is coughing all over me and they test positive, then I’m supposed to stay home for two weeks. I’d actually get my house cleaned up—which might be a good thing. But people here would have to go someplace else far off. We have an ambulance now—that’s gotten better—which someone could use if they’re real sick. And people have friends who drive them. But, if you’re coughing real bad, your friend may not want to drive you. That’s what happened to the guy in New Rochelle.
“I think people will be hysterical here with even a small outbreak. The school would certainly close. There was a very low-risk case in Valdosta—a student-teacher whose family had been in contact with a diagnosed case in South Georgia closed the school there today. And she had no risk, basically. People would be freaking out. I think they’d stay home. And the economics of not going to work are pretty significant around here.
“I had a friend say, ‘I’m going to Orlando this weekend, for my birthday.’ And everybody at the table kind of looked at her and said, ‘Whoa, you shouldn’t.’ It hadn’t occurred to her. So it’s really just kind of starting to strike home. We had voted at the school board to let kids go on a trip to Florida in the spring. One of the board members said, ‘We can’t approve this, because of the virus.’ So we left it open, if the virus is gone.
“What is preparation when there’s no treatment? The nursing home here just announced today that they’re not accepting visitors any longer. They have a sign on their front door. They say they’re not gonna allow singing groups to come in, that sort of thing. Just family members, who allegedly would just be visiting that family member. A nurse told me they’re supposed to log in and say whether they’ve travelled or something. But most of these new cases aren’t associated with travel. If it gets into a nursing home here, it’s gonna be horrendous. Everyone is gonna die. That’s really the worst-case scenario. If a case actually happens anywhere around here, shit’s gonna change a lot. It’s just a matter of time.”
A Guide to the Coronavirus
What it means to contain and mitigate the coronavirus outbreak.
How much of the world is likely to be quarantined?
Donald Trump in the time of coronavirus.
The coronavirus is likely to spread for months, if not more than a year, before a vaccine could be widely available.
We are all irrational panic shoppers.
The strange terror of watching the coronavirus take Rome.
How pandemics change history.