newyorker--2020-04-20--Tomer Hanuka’s “A Chorus of Thanks”

Tomer Hanuka’s “A Chorus of Thanks”

In the past few weeks , residents of cities across the world have set aside time to celebrate the essential workers who are keeping society intact .
In New York City , the ritual takes place daily , at 7 p.m. , when the silence on the streets is punctured by whoops , applause , and the occasional cowbell .
We recently asked Tomer Hanuka , whose cover depicts this new tradition , about how he tried to capture a suddenly familiar scene .
Had you heard of this tradition before the phenomenon hit New York ?
What was your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ originally heard about it happening in Italy , and , at the time , it seemed like a specifically European thing , with people cheering , banging on pots and pans , and playing musical instruments at their balconies .
Soon after , it spread everywhere .
The idea for the cover started with a lone dark figure at a window , and the peculiar way figures are framed by backlight in those situations .
You decided to dramatically reduce the amount of visual information here .
How does that help you communicate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ silhouettes , which can be read solely by their body language .
Their anonymity hopefully makes them easier to connect with .
It ’ s a crowd scene , but each window is a single frame in one big shadow play .
New Yorkers are said to be tough .
What were your first impressions when you recently came back to live in the city with two young children ?
My first impressions were that New Yorkers are lovely .
Exhausted parents are usually quick to identify a fellow-struggler and lend a hand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so generous with recommendations and ideas .
The 7 P.M. cheering is a bright spot in many New Yorkers ’ days .
Does your family have any new routines that lighten your mood while you 're in quarantine ?
We bake .
The kids get to make a proper mess and , for a couple of hours , our home smells like a café .
See below for more views of the city at night :

In the past few weeks, residents of cities across the world have set aside time to celebrate the essential workers who are keeping society intact. In New York City, the ritual takes place daily, at 7 p.m., when the silence on the streets is punctured by whoops, applause, and the occasional cowbell. We recently asked Tomer Hanuka, whose cover depicts this new tradition, about how he tried to capture a suddenly familiar scene.
Had you heard of this tradition before the phenomenon hit New York? What was your inspiration for this image?
I had originally heard about it happening in Italy, and, at the time, it seemed like a specifically European thing, with people cheering, banging on pots and pans, and playing musical instruments at their balconies. Soon after, it spread everywhere. The idea for the cover started with a lone dark figure at a window, and the peculiar way figures are framed by backlight in those situations.
You decided to dramatically reduce the amount of visual information here. How does that help you communicate more?
We’re looking at silhouettes, which can be read solely by their body language. Their anonymity hopefully makes them easier to connect with. It’s a crowd scene, but each window is a single frame in one big shadow play.
New Yorkers are said to be tough. What were your first impressions when you recently came back to live in the city with two young children?
My first impressions were that New Yorkers are lovely. Exhausted parents are usually quick to identify a fellow-struggler and lend a hand. And people on the whole are so generous with recommendations and ideas.
The 7 P.M. cheering is a bright spot in many New Yorkers’ days. Does your family have any new routines that lighten your mood while you're in quarantine?
We bake. The kids get to make a proper mess and, for a couple of hours, our home smells like a café.
See below for more views of the city at night:


newyorker--2020-04-20--Briefly Noted Book Reviews

Briefly Noted Book Reviews

Redhead by the Side of the Road , by Anne Tyler ( Knopf ) .
This simple but affecting story follows Micah , a man in his forties who spends his days providing tech support to elderly clients , and his evenings with a casual girlfriend .
“ Does he ever stop to consider his life ?
” the novel asks .
“ It ’ s almost certain nobody ’ s ever asked him.
” His placidity is disturbed when a teen-ager shows up on his doorstep , wrongly convinced that Micah is his father .
The encounter brings Micah @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and spurs him to examine the rut into which his life has fallen .
Tyler has the rare ability to evoke the ordinary with particularity , and the novel , though concerned with small events , insists on the dignity of its characters and the seriousness of their problems .
Saltwater , by Jessica Andrews ( Farrar , Straus & Giroux ) .
“ I felt everything so deeply , ” Lucy , the narrator of this heady novel , declares .
After her grandfather dies , she and her mother travel from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to sift through his belongings .
Lucy stays on and , in the stillness of the town , takes stock of her past .
Impressionistic recollections of her alcoholic father ’ s periodic disappearances , her adolescent sexual awakenings , and her time at college in London coalesce into a characterization of a young woman taught by her mother ’ s example how to navigate a society ruled by men .
Drinking , dancing , and reading allow Lucy to experience her life fully , and to grasp that to be present in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to dissipate .
Lurking , by Joanne McNeil ( MCD ) .
This cultural history of the Internet ’ s social aspects uses the proverbial lurker—a user who silently surveys the feeds of friends , exes , or strangers—as a frame .
Mixing personal anecdotes and academic analyses , McNeil examines a range of technological innovations , and traces their influence on today ’ s online world : the now defunct Friendster prefigured many current social platforms , and early video feeds by “ camgirls , ” broadcasting their lives to paying audiences @ @ @ @ @ @ @ streams .
Describing the sense of community that emerged on Twitter during a hashtag campaign by feminists , she writes , “ It was a shared experience , despite the fragmentary delivery , like passing a kaleidoscope around a campfire.
” Miss Aluminum , by Susanna Moore ( Farrar , Straus & Giroux ) .
In this vibrant memoir , a well-known novelist chronicles her troubled childhood and gallivanting twenties .
At seventeen , Moore leaves her home state of Hawaii , fleeing a negligent father and a wicked stepmother , and haunted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mother .
A wealthy neighbor from her childhood is the first in a series of fairy godmothers who step in to help , and soon she is modelling in Los Angeles , meeting famous people , and jumping from relationship to relationship .
Having a child—Roman Polanski and Joan Didion become godparents—frees Moore from the shadow of her mother ’ s troubles : “ I no longer thought that I was like her , too fragile , too crazy to survive .
”

Redhead by the Side of the Road, by Anne Tyler (Knopf). This simple but affecting story follows Micah, a man in his forties who spends his days providing tech support to elderly clients, and his evenings with a casual girlfriend. “Does he ever stop to consider his life?” the novel asks. “It’s almost certain nobody’s ever asked him.” His placidity is disturbed when a teen-ager shows up on his doorstep, wrongly convinced that Micah is his father. The encounter brings Micah back into contact with a former girlfriend and spurs him to examine the rut into which his life has fallen. Tyler has the rare ability to evoke the ordinary with particularity, and the novel, though concerned with small events, insists on the dignity of its characters and the seriousness of their problems.
Saltwater, by Jessica Andrews (Farrar, Straus & Giroux). “I felt everything so deeply,” Lucy, the narrator of this heady novel, declares. After her grandfather dies, she and her mother travel from the North of England to coastal Ireland to sift through his belongings. Lucy stays on and, in the stillness of the town, takes stock of her past. Impressionistic recollections of her alcoholic father’s periodic disappearances, her adolescent sexual awakenings, and her time at college in London coalesce into a characterization of a young woman taught by her mother’s example how to navigate a society ruled by men. Drinking, dancing, and reading allow Lucy to experience her life fully, and to grasp that to be present in the world she must allow its weight to dissipate.
Lurking, by Joanne McNeil (MCD). This cultural history of the Internet’s social aspects uses the proverbial lurker—a user who silently surveys the feeds of friends, exes, or strangers—as a frame. Mixing personal anecdotes and academic analyses, McNeil examines a range of technological innovations, and traces their influence on today’s online world: the now defunct Friendster prefigured many current social platforms, and early video feeds by “camgirls,” broadcasting their lives to paying audiences, were a forerunner of Twitch live streams. Describing the sense of community that emerged on Twitter during a hashtag campaign by feminists, she writes, “It was a shared experience, despite the fragmentary delivery, like passing a kaleidoscope around a campfire.”
Miss Aluminum, by Susanna Moore (Farrar, Straus & Giroux). In this vibrant memoir, a well-known novelist chronicles her troubled childhood and gallivanting twenties. At seventeen, Moore leaves her home state of Hawaii, fleeing a negligent father and a wicked stepmother, and haunted by the death of her mentally unstable mother. A wealthy neighbor from her childhood is the first in a series of fairy godmothers who step in to help, and soon she is modelling in Los Angeles, meeting famous people, and jumping from relationship to relationship. Having a child—Roman Polanski and Joan Didion become godparents—frees Moore from the shadow of her mother’s troubles: “I no longer thought that I was like her, too fragile, too crazy to survive.”


newyorker--2020-04-20--“Bedtime Story” by Sarah Shun-lien Bynum

One long winter night , Ezra Washington ’ s wife walks in on him telling their younger child stories from his rollerblading days .
The room is as dark as a coal mine and his voice floats sonorously from somewhere in the vicinity of the trundle bed .
He is remembering a time long before the child was born , a time when he was a poor graduate student living in New York City with nothing but his own body and mind for entertainment .
Saturdays were spent in the narrow park that runs alongside the Hudson River , blading @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as if his happiness depended on it .
“ She was coming straight at me , ” he says .
“ To the right of me was the river .
And to the left a pack of bicyclists .
She was coming around the bend with a look of panic in her eyes.
” From the doorway his wife wonders silently if he is speaking about her , the younger self who , on the three or four occasions on which she ’ d joined him , may have worn this expression @ @ @ @ @ @ @ too ?
” their child asks in the dark .
“ No , not at all , she was clearly a beginner .
Which made the situation that much more dangerous , ” Ezra says patiently .
He then explains how he called out to her in the instant before they collided .
“ I ’ ve got you !
” he cried to the inexperienced skater as he grasped her by the forearms and guided her down between his legs until her bottom gently touched the ground .
“ By then she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ That laugh you ’ d know anywhere.
” His wife doesn ’ t recall ever laughing while on Rollerblades .
Her first wild thought is that all these years she ’ s been wrong about herself .
But then the child shifts in his bed and sets the comforter to rustling and casts the story in an entirely new light .
“ She ’ s the one who plays the mom ?
” he asks .
“ With the big teeth and the long brown hair ?
” “ Well , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a reddish brown .
An auburn color .
But yes , that ’ s right , ” Ezra says to the child .
“ Julia Roberts.
” “ Julia Roberts went right between your legs , ” the child confirms .
“ Yes , but don ’ t repeat that , ” Ezra says .
“ Better to say we crashed into each other .
Or that Julia Roberts crashed into me.
” The child falls silent , as if committing this to memory .
Ezra adds , “ It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the biggest movie star in the world.
” Fine , his mother thinks , back then—all children are by nature sticklers—but in fact the poor kid has no idea .
Never will he know the stunned sensation of emerging from the darkness of a matinée on Senior Skip Day , speechless at what they ’ d just seen : Julia Roberts as an adorable streetwalker .
It confounded the imagination .
Whatever had possessed them to spend their day of mutiny in this ridiculous way ?
They would never forget it .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the sidewalk outside the theatre , boarding-school students let loose on the world and now at a loss for what to do next , Ezra with his arm resting lightly across the shoulders of his girlfriend , Christina , his serious senior-year girlfriend Christina , and Christina looking shy and triumphant because already more than one person had said , “ You know , you kind of look like her .
.
.
.
” Yes , she was there that day , witness to the spectacle of Ezra and Christina , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the crowd , she saw them as if from a great distance , from a far , chilly point on the periphery .
She kept half an eye on Ezra from long habit .
She had done so , without quite wanting to , through all the weeks and months of high school that had come before , and maybe he had noticed : when he and Christina broke up , after a run of graduation parties , it was she whom he called .
He was miserable but talkative .
You @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in those days .
On a Saturday morning in early October , he appeared on the steps of her freshman dorm , despite having enrolled at a college more than three hours away .
By the time Ezra got into graduate school , they were an old couple , a familiar sight .
She , too , had her tales of New York .
The park he spoke of , and its hazardous paths—she once knew them well .
“ Tell him , ” Ezra urges , his voice turned in her direction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she thought she had gone unnoticed when she glided into the room , wearing socks .
“ It ’ s true , ” she says to their child .
“ Julia was huge .
She was everywhere.
” “ And I bladed right into her , ” Ezra says with satisfaction , the splendor of the story holding all of them in its embrace .
For a moment they absorb the fact of being together in the darkened bedroom , just the three of them , the older child probably off somewhere brushing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wife , from the low edge of the bed , “ You remember that day , ” in the sure-sounding voice she ’ d first liked in history class , and huskily she answers him , “ Mm-hmm , I do , ” when in fact she has been quickly sifting through her brain only to find that she has no memory of it at all .
This is the second time today that her mind has failed her , but the first instance was so mild that it barely registered .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ boys to their martial-arts class , she heard on the radio a story about the chain restaurant Medieval Times , where diners can watch live jousting tournaments while eating without utensils .
The big news was that the restaurant had decided to replace all of its resident kings with queens .
Despite this change in leadership , the radio host remarked dryly , the servers at Medieval Times would still be referred to , going forward , as “ wenches.
” She perked right up at the sound of that friendly old word @ @ @ @ @ @ @ broken-backed couches and burnt-popcorn smell of their high-school student center .
For a brief spell there , “ wench ” had been the slur of choice—originating with the boys , one had to guess , but soon enough used in good-natured address from girl to girl .
To her ears , it summoned not so much a barefoot slut with a tankard as the lanky , lacrosse-playing classmates of her youth , addled on weak hallucinogens and jam bands .
The word filled her with sadness and warmth .
But she couldn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how to use it convincingly in a sentence .
“ Hey , wench , good game today.
” “ Stop being such a wench and pass the popcorn.
” “ Later , wench.
” It all sounded wrong .

“Why are you talking to yourself?” her younger child asked from the back seat.
“I’m just trying to remember how to say something,” she told him.
“In English?” he asked, sounding worried.
The problem, she sees now, is that in its heyday she never seized the chance to say the word herself. Nor was it ever said to her. So the failure wasn’t of memory but of another sort. She hadn’t shaped her lips around the word; it hadn’t been lobbed fondly in her direction. Somehow the lacrosse players had known not to say it to her, or for that matter to any of the black girls, few as they were. For them, a tone of collegial respect had been specially reserved. So many pleasant exchanges, straightforward smiles! She might as well have been wearing a pants suit during all those years. Yet dull Christina had been called a wench more times than could be counted. Along with a few humorous observations about the size of her mouth. Which would explain, wouldn’t it, the popular opinion regarding her resemblance to—
Cartoon by Lars Kenseth Copy link to cartoon Copy link to cartoon Shop Shop
“Funny that she didn’t have an entourage in tow,” she says.
“Was she being followed by the paparazzi?” the child asks.
“Nope,” Ezra answers serenely. “She was completely alone. Enjoying the day.”
“Without even a bodyguard?” his wife asks in the dark.
“Not as far as I could see. But, then again, I didn’t see that it was Julia Roberts until I was looking down at her.”
“Between your legs,” the child says.
“I helped her back up to her feet and we each went on our way.” Ezra is straightening out the comforter, by the sound of it. “I wasn’t looking around for bodyguards. I wanted to get home as fast as I could and tell you.”
“We didn’t have cell phones,” she explains.
“You were too poor,” the child says soothingly.
She doesn’t protest. The history of technology is too great an undertaking at this hour.
Also, it’s true: they lived on very little then. Home was a garden-level apartment in a neglected corner of an outer borough, its distance to the nearest subway stop the original inspiration for the Rollerblades. From next door came the incoherent cries of an old man and the smell of decades’ worth of fried meat. They kept the windows open in all seasons, because of both the smell and the furious radiators, controlled by some invisible hand.
A steel-legged café table with a laminate top was where they ate, worked, studied, and wrote thank-you notes. Despite the small checks that occasionally arrived in the mail from relatives living in less expensive places, Ezra still needed to have a part-time job while taking classes. He was descended from two generations of advanced-degree-holding black professionals who loved him unconditionally but regarded the project of “art school” with incredulity. Graduate work in painting? they’d repeat, as if maybe they had misunderstood. As for her, she’d inherited her parents’ immigrant terror of nonfamilial debt, and so had yet to apply for even a credit card, much less to a graduate program. The programs were extortionists preying on directionless people in their mid to late twenties, she thought, and she wasn’t interested. She liked the magic of direct deposit and also the green-bordered Social Security statement that would appear every few years, telling her just how much she had earned so far in her working life. After moving to New York, she promptly found employment, with benefits, in the alumni-relations office at Ezra’s school. Her parents approved of the job but seemed undecided, even after all this time, about Ezra. When she watched television with them, the handsomeness of a young actor might make her mother pensive. “You have to be careful with a man who’s better-looking than you,” she’d been heard to say, to a character onscreen.
Every day his girlfriend set off for the university uncomplainingly, but Ezra wanted to be on campus no more than was required. Instead he got a job at a gym. He had to wear an orange polo shirt with the gym’s logo stitched over his left pectoral. Standing at a counter, he scanned members’ I.D. cards as they entered and then checked on the computer to make sure that their payments were up to date. This was how he first learned her name, Meg Sand. He was familiar with her name long before he noticed her looking at him from the lat machine. Or gazing, maybe. It was hard to tell the nature of the look from across the expanse of equipment, under the gym’s flattening fluorescent light. Either way, she had her pale eyes fixed on him, and every once in a while, in the middle of a set, she gave him an effortful smile. The amount of weight she was lifting, he saw, was significant. An immense iron stack rose up slowly behind her like an omen.
“Thanks,” she said, as she turned in her towel.
“Why, hello,” he said jokingly, leaning forward on the counter.
Meg Sand wore a stretchy top that matched her reflective leggings, new sneakers, and a full face of makeup. The makeup wasn’t loud; she looked like a girl who had moved to the city from upstate and, upon the shock of arrival, severely trained herself in how to do things nicely. She clutched a rather elegant brown purse. Her voice was deeper than he’d expected and when she spoke to him she sounded unnatural, as if she were a grownup trying to be pals with a kid. Did he also work out here? Or just work? She laughed lamely at herself. Yet Meg Sand was, according to the computer, practically the same age as him. Not even a full year older. It was her hair, he realized: she wore it short and gently teased, in a mature little pouf, a style chosen, he saw with a pang, to conceal the fact that it was thinning.
Quickly enough he developed the trick of not letting his eyes drift above her forehead. Sitting at the Polish restaurant around the corner from the gym, he would watch her tuck into a plate of cherry blintzes and finish off a big glass of ice water. She seemed to take undue pride in not being the type of gym-goer who only ate healthy. The booth’s seats were sticky and made funny sounds whenever he adjusted himself, which he did often, sucking listlessly at a fountain soda and describing what had happened that week in crit. She would listen with a stolid expression and barely move. To his surprise, she did not share an upsetting story straightaway, as white girls who liked him were in the habit of doing, a story told slowly, as if with reluctance, but always aired fully by the time they were making out. Bulimia and bad parents. Depression. Social pressures, double standards, a sister who had been hospitalized. All offered unconsciously, he guessed, in a nervous spirit of redress. Yet Meg Sand rarely said anything about herself. And “girl,” in her case, didn’t exactly fit.
Without making a big fuss, she’d pay the bill for both of them. Together they would walk to his subway station and after giving her a brisk hug he’d jog downstairs into the clatter and the heat, feeling light of heart. Nothing was going on. Nothing was going on! He sailed into the basement apartment, pulled off his orange polo shirt, and made love to his beautiful girlfriend under the open window. He planned, any day now, to propose to her. But not on his knees: they already spent enough time practically underground as it was. Instead he imagined, absurdly, a wide, empty field, where he would toss the glittering ring in the air and she would catch it with outstretched hands.
It was not only his heart that felt newly light. His legs on the long walk to the subway, his hand as it moved across a thick sheet of paper. His adviser’s caustic sense of humor, which had made him insecure at the start of the semester, was now a source of amusement and private laughter. The gym regulars no longer greeted him with “man” or “dude” but with his real name: “Hey, Ezra, what’s up?” Rearranging the free weights took almost no effort at all. He felt agile and clearheaded. His skin looked good. Out of the depths of her boxy brown purse, Meg Sand produced little tubes and flasks of extravagant ointments made by companies he’d never heard of. She worked on the housewares floor of a large department store, but she claimed to have friends at all the cosmetic counters, and these were samples, she said. They were free.


newyorker--2020-04-20--A Michelin-Starred Chef’s Cooking Show for the Quarantined

Scene : Italy , COVID-19 lockdown , Night One .
A family outside Modena wonders what to do for dinner .
Mom stares into fridge .
Dad scarfs down pistachios .
Son nukes something in microwave .
Daughter looks up from phone , shakes head .
Lo and behold , her light-bulb moment : a cooking show for the quarantined , by the quarantined .
How to do it ?
Whom to pitch ?
Netflix , Apple , Disney+ ?
Another idea : FaceTime a focus group , to test the concept .
“ I filmed my dad making some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is twenty-three , said recently .
The response : More , please .
“ I was , like , if my friends who are in their early twenties are into it—they ’ re bored , they don ’ t know what they ’ re doing , but they want to know what my dad is doing—I wonder what regular people would think.
” “ Kitchen Quarantine ” stars Alexa ’ s dad , Massimo , the chef of the three-Michelin-starred Osteria Francescana , in Modena .
It airs nightly on Instagram .
Its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , executive producer , camerawoman ; also , recently furloughed Maserati employee ) , its airtime is approximate ( around 8 p.m. ) , and its format is as malleable as a mound of pizza dough .
An episode can run twenty minutes or forty-five , begin in Italian and end in English , offer instructions on how to start a béchamel sauce ( step one : heat butter and flour in a pan ) , or include a request for donations ( to buy an ambulance for the city ) .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a plea to viewers to wash their hands .
Each episode garners a live audience of about three thousand ( more watch archived versions later ) ; real-time feedback comes as a stream of emoji ( mostly hearts ) , comments ( “ That ’ s a lot of olive oil ” ) , and questions ( “ Can I be quarantined with Massimo , please ?
” ) .
“ It ’ s not a master class , it ’ s not a cooking show , it ’ s just us , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s wife , said .
She wore a tan bathrobe and sat at a dining table , which had just been cleared of the latest episode ’ s spoils : tubular pasta sauced with heirloom tomatoes , asparagus , and Luganica sausage ; a cheesecake topped with raspberries and a balsamic-vinegar reduction .
“ We ’ re a restaurant family .
We don ’ t do this .
We never really know what Massimo is going to cook , or what mood Charlie ” —their nineteen-year-old son , who is autistic— “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added , “ If you can get something out of it , or an inspiration to use an ingredient in your fridge in a different way—that ’ s all we want.
” But an increased kitchen I.Q .
couldn ’ t hurt .
“ Half a million people watched the video on how to make béchamel , ” Massimo said .
“ Come on !
It ’ s the most basic sauce you can make.
” Low on supplies , one recent Friday , Massimo and Alexa made their weekly trip to Modena @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , eighty-eight-year-old market with dozens of venders .
A correspondent in Los Angeles joined them via WhatsApp .
“ To leave the house only when you really need to , it ’ s the only way to stop this virus , ” Massimo said .
He wore a face mask and a Gucci scarf .
Alexa said , “ We had the big shopping craze a couple of weeks ago .
Now everyone has definitely calmed down.
” She wore a face mask and a white hoodie .
“ There ’ s plenty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two , three , ” other shoppers , Massimo counted .
He approached a crate of purple artichokes .
“ Look , how beautiful , ” he said , reaching out his hand .
A rubber-gloved worker reprimanded him .
“ I ’ m sorry , I ’ m sorry , ” Massimo said .
“ I ’ m used to touching.
” The worker bagged carrots , celery , limes , and avocados .
“ People really enjoyed the guacamole we did , ” Massimo said .
He and Alexa passed lemons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re going to buy some pancetta , glaze it with balsamic vinegar , serve it with shaved Parmigiano .
It would be great to add—let ’ s get raspberries , ” he said .
Also : potatoes .
“ Obviously , you need to have in the home some potatoes.
” Mozzarella came from a cheesemonger wearing blue rubber gloves .
Massimo sampled a ribbon of prosciutto proffered by another gloved hand , nodded , paid in cash .
A butcher lowered his mask to holler , “ You ’ re Massimo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chef shouted back .
Alexa watched a butcher break down a chicken from behind a strip of yellow caution tape .
“ We ’ re going to put the chicken in the freezer and use it to make broth , ” Massimo said .
“ Generally , the broth has been from Francescana , ” which , like his twelve other outposts around the world , was closed indefinitely .
( The exception : his Milan refettorio , “ the only soup kitchen open in Milan , ” he said .
He dispatched @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gucci Osteria , in Beverly Hills , to a soup kitchen on Skid Row . )
Father and daughter looped back to the vegetable vender to pick up their bags .
“ We ’ re done , ” Massimo said .
Time check : thirty-four minutes .
They emerged into the sun .
“ Usually this piazza is packed , ” Massimo said .
“ Now , no one.
” He noted two officers stationed near a bell tower , to ensure “ that no people are that close to each other.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a cloudless blue sky .
“ This is surreal , ” he said .
“ Sur-real.
” ♦

Alexa and Massimo Bottura Illustration by João Fazenda
Scene: Italy, COVID-19 lockdown, Night One. A family outside Modena wonders what to do for dinner. Mom stares into fridge. Dad scarfs down pistachios. Son nukes something in microwave. Daughter looks up from phone, shakes head. Lo and behold, her light-bulb moment: a cooking show for the quarantined, by the quarantined. How to do it? Whom to pitch? Netflix, Apple, Disney+? Another idea: FaceTime a focus group, to test the concept. “I filmed my dad making some food,” Alexa Bottura, who is twenty-three, said recently. The response: More, please. “I was, like, if my friends who are in their early twenties are into it—they’re bored, they don’t know what they’re doing, but they want to know what my dad is doing—I wonder what regular people would think.”
“Kitchen Quarantine” stars Alexa’s dad, Massimo, the chef of the three-Michelin-starred Osteria Francescana, in Modena. It airs nightly on Instagram. Its team is lean (Alexa: director, executive producer, camerawoman; also, recently furloughed Maserati employee), its airtime is approximate (around 8 p.m.), and its format is as malleable as a mound of pizza dough. An episode can run twenty minutes or forty-five, begin in Italian and end in English, offer instructions on how to start a béchamel sauce (step one: heat butter and flour in a pan), or include a request for donations (to buy an ambulance for the city). The constants: food, conviviality, and a plea to viewers to wash their hands. Each episode garners a live audience of about three thousand (more watch archived versions later); real-time feedback comes as a stream of emoji (mostly hearts), comments (“That’s a lot of olive oil”), and questions (“Can I be quarantined with Massimo, please?”).
“It’s not a master class, it’s not a cooking show, it’s just us, making dinner,” Lara, Massimo’s wife, said. She wore a tan bathrobe and sat at a dining table, which had just been cleared of the latest episode’s spoils: tubular pasta sauced with heirloom tomatoes, asparagus, and Luganica sausage; a cheesecake topped with raspberries and a balsamic-vinegar reduction. “We’re a restaurant family. We don’t do this. We never really know what Massimo is going to cook, or what mood Charlie”—their nineteen-year-old son, who is autistic—“is going to be in.” She added, “If you can get something out of it, or an inspiration to use an ingredient in your fridge in a different way—that’s all we want.” But an increased kitchen I.Q. couldn’t hurt. “Half a million people watched the video on how to make béchamel,” Massimo said. “Come on! It’s the most basic sauce you can make.”
“Good news—Shakespeare is using this time to write ‘King Lear,’ so we’ll have more stuff to binge soon.” Cartoon by Joe Dator Copy link to cartoon Copy link to cartoon Shop Shop
Low on supplies, one recent Friday, Massimo and Alexa made their weekly trip to Modena’s Mercato Albinelli, a cavernous, eighty-eight-year-old market with dozens of venders. A correspondent in Los Angeles joined them via WhatsApp. “To leave the house only when you really need to, it’s the only way to stop this virus,” Massimo said. He wore a face mask and a Gucci scarf. Alexa said, “We had the big shopping craze a couple of weeks ago. Now everyone has definitely calmed down.” She wore a face mask and a white hoodie. “There’s plenty of toilet paper.”
“One, two, three,” other shoppers, Massimo counted. He approached a crate of purple artichokes. “Look, how beautiful,” he said, reaching out his hand. A rubber-gloved worker reprimanded him. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Massimo said. “I’m used to touching.” The worker bagged carrots, celery, limes, and avocados. “People really enjoyed the guacamole we did,” Massimo said. He and Alexa passed lemons the size of footballs. “We’re going to buy some pancetta, glaze it with balsamic vinegar, serve it with shaved Parmigiano. It would be great to add—let’s get raspberries,” he said. Also: potatoes. “Obviously, you need to have in the home some potatoes.” Mozzarella came from a cheesemonger wearing blue rubber gloves. Massimo sampled a ribbon of prosciutto proffered by another gloved hand, nodded, paid in cash. A butcher lowered his mask to holler, “You’re Massimo!”
“Si! ” the chef shouted back. Alexa watched a butcher break down a chicken from behind a strip of yellow caution tape. “We’re going to put the chicken in the freezer and use it to make broth,” Massimo said. “Generally, the broth has been from Francescana,” which, like his twelve other outposts around the world, was closed indefinitely. (The exception: his Milan refettorio, “the only soup kitchen open in Milan,” he said. He dispatched the employees of his newest restaurant, Gucci Osteria, in Beverly Hills, to a soup kitchen on Skid Row.) Father and daughter looped back to the vegetable vender to pick up their bags. “We’re done,” Massimo said. Time check: thirty-four minutes. They emerged into the sun. “Usually this piazza is packed,” Massimo said. “Now, no one.” He noted two officers stationed near a bell tower, to ensure “that no people are that close to each other.” He took in the square: pigeons, a cloudless blue sky. “This is surreal,” he said. “Sur-real.” ♦
A Guide to the Coronavirus


Cartoon Caption Contest

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You , the reader , submit your @ @ @ @ @ three finalists , and you vote for your favorite .
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Each week, we provide a cartoon in need of a caption. You, the reader, submit your caption here, we choose three finalists, and you vote for your favorite. Anyone age thirteen or older can enter or vote. To read the complete rules, click here.
Kaamran Hafeez Copy link to cartoon Copy link to cartoon Shop Shop


newyorker--2020-04-21--What to Stream: Twenty-Two of the Best Movies on Hulu

Read Richard Brody ’ s lists of the best films on Amazon Prime and Netflix , and of twenty-three short films to stream .
Disney took over Hulu last year , and since then the platform has been expanding its subscriber base rapidly , in part because of its emphasis on the streaming of TV series .
Nonetheless , Hulu does also feature movies , and , though it tends to dig deeper into the past than Netflix does , its emphasis is on the recent past , especially the first decade of this century .
A careful cull yields @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pleasant surprises .
( It also features , for no additional cost , some wonderful movies that are on other services for a per-view fee—notably , Anthony Mann ’ s Western melodrama “ The Furies , ” starring Barbara Stanwyck ; Claire Denis ’ s screwball melodrama “ Let the Sunshine In , ” starring Juliette Binoche ; and Albert Maysles ’ s documentary “ Iris , ” a portrait of the nonagenarian style icon Iris Apfel . )
• None Aretha Franklin ’ s 1972 performances for the “ Amazing Grace ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the director Sydney Pollack , whose technical errors led to the movie remaining unfinished for decades ; its tight close-ups and panoramic views of Franklin with her fellow-musicians display the glory of her art .
• None Eliza Hittman ’ s second feature , the drama of a young man who ’ s enduring the homophobic prejudices of his Brooklyn milieu , is a finely detailed view of the tight fabric of family and neighborhood relations and the disruptive intensity of desire .
• None The first feature that Jerry Lewis , already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ himself as star ) is also a daring work of comedic and technical imagination—a tribute to the great silent-film comedians that ’ s also a lampooning of his own fame .
• None Beside the pull of romance and the pleasure of acting alongside Meryl Streep , it ’ s clear what attracted Clint Eastwood to this adaptation , which brings to light two themes that are constants in his work .
First , it ’ s a story of the vast but necessary division between what ’ s kept secret and what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ price of public life and self-revelation ; second , it ’ s a story of the needful tragedy of discipline , renunciation , and sacrifice .
• None Kevin Willmott ’ s ingenious and agonized counter-historical fantasy—done as a documentary about what today ’ s America would be like had the South won the Civil War—is an incisive critique of actual life in the modern United States .
• None Joe Swanberg gathers an extraordinary cast—including Jake Johnson , Rosemarie DeWitt , Melanie Lynskey , Anna Kendrick , Judith Light , Sam Elliott @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Orlando Bloom—for this freewheeling domestic thriller , about the discovery , in a backyard , of evidence that points to a murder .
• None This work of anthropological surrealism , by the Colombian director Ciro Guerra , is based on the travel diaries of early-twentieth-century European explorers in the Amazon region ; he dramatizes a shaman ’ s encounters with them , in the course of decades , with a meticulous eye for detail and unsparing attention to colonial horrors .
• None This wondrously original science-fiction twist on superheroic themes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gugu Mbatha-Raw as a woman who struggles to control her miraculous powers while being pursued by the government .
• None Young and not-so-young artistic aspirants in Brooklyn reach a fever pitch of familial and romantic tensions in this Bergmaniacal melodrama , directed by Alex Ross Perry and starring Emily Browning , Adam Horovitz , Chloë Sevigny , Analeigh Tipton , and Jason Schwartzman .
• None “ Hail Satan ?
” This startling documentary by Penny Lane , about the activism and the background of the Satanic Temple , considers the group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mandated separation of church and state .
• None Barry Jenkins ’ s adaptation of James Baldwin ’ s novel , starring KiKi Layne and Stephan James , is a masterwork of intimate and historical portraiture , a passionate restoration of shared experience and individual memory .
• None Joan Crawford and Sterling Hayden give two of the greatest performances in all Hollywood—hers , as a saloon owner , is scathing and operatic , and his , as a gunman , is hip and tormented—in Nicholas Ray ’ s 1954 Western , co-starring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ business and love .
• None The director Gus Van Sant brings energized curiosity to this fragmented and subjective murder mystery , set in Portland , about a teen-age skater ’ s confusion—familial , romantic , and moral .
• None Céline Sciamma ’ s historical drama , set in eighteenth-century Brittany , about an artist ( Noémie Merlant ) and the subject of a portrait ( Adèle Haenel ) , finds ingenious stylistic correlates for the intersections of personal relationships , artistic collaborations , and the essence of art .
• None @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after the end of the Second World War , this fierce drama—starring John Wayne and directed by Allan Dwan , whose first movie is from 1911—depicts bitter relationships , political tensions , false bravado , and personal failings within the ranks of the Marines , and the terrifying sacrifices on which the battle and the war depended .
• None A chance encounter led Ethan Hawke to befriend Seymour Bernstein , a remarkable concert pianist living in New York who has long stayed off the concert circuit .
Hawke directs this warmhearted and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This grand political fantasy , directed by Boots Riley—amazingly , his first feature—depicts workplace relations and economic exploitation with an overwhelming outpouring of imaginative energy .
• None Susanna Fogel ’ s secret-agent spoof , starring Kate McKinnon and Mila Kunis , has some of the most ingeniously designed and precisely staged physical comedy in recent cinema .
• None Andrew Bujalski ’ s hearty comedic drama , about the intersection of personal and professional lives in and around a Texas sports bar , is also a showcase of subtle and stylish performances @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hall , Haley Lu Richardson , and Shayna McHayle .
• None The Romanian director Corneliu Porumboiu is the most original of the new wave of Romanian filmmakers , and simply one of the best directors working now .
His wry 2015 drama is the multilayered and ironic tale of a literal excavation in quest of buried loot—and of a metaphorical excavation of Romanian history .
( Porumboiu ’ s most recent film , the intricate thriller “ The Whistlers , ” has shifted to an online release .
I discussed it recently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ artistic director of the Indie Memphis Film Festival . )
• None In Nanni Moretti ’ s exuberant and critical comedy about Vatican politics and the burden of power , the grand French actor Michel Piccoli plays the newly chosen pontiff—and Moretti plays his psychiatrist .
• None This analytical and impassioned documentary , by Sabaah Folayan and Damon Davis , about the residents of Ferguson , Missouri , reveals the political inequities that led to the police killing of Michael Brown , the inadequate official response to it , and the efforts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : For those with ESPN+ , too ( also a Disney service , which is bundled along with Disney+ and Hulu ) , there ’ s “ Subject to Review , ” Theo Anthony ’ s probingly philosophical and detective-like inquiry into the technology of video review in professional tennis .

Read Richard Brody’s lists of the best films on Amazon Prime and Netflix, and of twenty-three short films to stream.
Disney took over Hulu last year, and since then the platform has been expanding its subscriber base rapidly, in part because of its emphasis on the streaming of TV series. Nonetheless, Hulu does also feature movies, and, though it tends to dig deeper into the past than Netflix does, its emphasis is on the recent past, especially the first decade of this century. A careful cull yields enough cinematic treasures, and also some pleasant surprises. (It also features, for no additional cost, some wonderful movies that are on other services for a per-view fee—notably, Anthony Mann’s Western melodrama “The Furies,” starring Barbara Stanwyck; Claire Denis’s screwball melodrama “Let the Sunshine In,” starring Juliette Binoche; and Albert Maysles’s documentary “Iris,” a portrait of the nonagenarian style icon Iris Apfel.)
“Amazing Grace” Aretha Franklin’s 1972 performances for the “Amazing Grace” album were filmed under the aegis of the director Sydney Pollack, whose technical errors led to the movie remaining unfinished for decades; its tight close-ups and panoramic views of Franklin with her fellow-musicians display the glory of her art. “Beach Rats” Eliza Hittman’s second feature, the drama of a young man who’s enduring the homophobic prejudices of his Brooklyn milieu, is a finely detailed view of the tight fabric of family and neighborhood relations and the disruptive intensity of desire.
“The Bellboy.” Photograph from Everett
“The Bellboy” The first feature that Jerry Lewis, already an international celebrity, directed (with himself as star) is also a daring work of comedic and technical imagination—a tribute to the great silent-film comedians that’s also a lampooning of his own fame. “The Bridges of Madison County” Beside the pull of romance and the pleasure of acting alongside Meryl Streep, it’s clear what attracted Clint Eastwood to this adaptation, which brings to light two themes that are constants in his work. First, it’s a story of the vast but necessary division between what’s kept secret and what’s made public, the high price of public life and self-revelation; second, it’s a story of the needful tragedy of discipline, renunciation, and sacrifice. “C.S.A.: The Confederate States of America” Kevin Willmott’s ingenious and agonized counter-historical fantasy—done as a documentary about what today’s America would be like had the South won the Civil War—is an incisive critique of actual life in the modern United States. “Digging for Fire” Joe Swanberg gathers an extraordinary cast—including Jake Johnson, Rosemarie DeWitt, Melanie Lynskey, Anna Kendrick, Judith Light, Sam Elliott, Brie Larson, Mike Birbiglia, and Orlando Bloom—for this freewheeling domestic thriller, about the discovery, in a backyard, of evidence that points to a murder. “Embrace of the Serpent” This work of anthropological surrealism, by the Colombian director Ciro Guerra, is based on the travel diaries of early-twentieth-century European explorers in the Amazon region; he dramatizes a shaman’s encounters with them, in the course of decades, with a meticulous eye for detail and unsparing attention to colonial horrors. “Fast Color” This wondrously original science-fiction twist on superheroic themes, directed by Julia Hart, stars Gugu Mbatha-Raw as a woman who struggles to control her miraculous powers while being pursued by the government. “Golden Exits” Young and not-so-young artistic aspirants in Brooklyn reach a fever pitch of familial and romantic tensions in this Bergmaniacal melodrama, directed by Alex Ross Perry and starring Emily Browning, Adam Horovitz, Chloë Sevigny, Analeigh Tipton, and Jason Schwartzman.
“Hail Satan?” Photograph from Magnolia Pictures / Everett
“Hail Satan?” This startling documentary by Penny Lane, about the activism and the background of the Satanic Temple, considers the group’s efforts to maintain the constitutionally mandated separation of church and state. “If Beale Street Could Talk” Barry Jenkins’s adaptation of James Baldwin’s novel, starring KiKi Layne and Stephan James, is a masterwork of intimate and historical portraiture, a passionate restoration of shared experience and individual memory. “Johnny Guitar” Joan Crawford and Sterling Hayden give two of the greatest performances in all Hollywood—hers, as a saloon owner, is scathing and operatic, and his, as a gunman, is hip and tormented—in Nicholas Ray’s 1954 Western, co-starring Mercedes McCambridge, as a combatant in business and love. “Paranoid Park” The director Gus Van Sant brings energized curiosity to this fragmented and subjective murder mystery, set in Portland, about a teen-age skater’s confusion—familial, romantic, and moral. “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” Céline Sciamma’s historical drama, set in eighteenth-century Brittany, about an artist (Noémie Merlant) and the subject of a portrait (Adèle Haenel), finds ingenious stylistic correlates for the intersections of personal relationships, artistic collaborations, and the essence of art. “Sands of Iwo Jima” Made in 1949, only four years after the end of the Second World War, this fierce drama—starring John Wayne and directed by Allan Dwan, whose first movie is from 1911—depicts bitter relationships, political tensions, false bravado, and personal failings within the ranks of the Marines, and the terrifying sacrifices on which the battle and the war depended. “Seymour: An Introduction” A chance encounter led Ethan Hawke to befriend Seymour Bernstein, a remarkable concert pianist living in New York who has long stayed off the concert circuit. Hawke directs this warmhearted and musically enthralling documentary portrait. “Sorry to Bother You” This grand political fantasy, directed by Boots Riley—amazingly, his first feature—depicts workplace relations and economic exploitation with an overwhelming outpouring of imaginative energy. “The Spy Who Dumped Me” Susanna Fogel’s secret-agent spoof, starring Kate McKinnon and Mila Kunis, has some of the most ingeniously designed and precisely staged physical comedy in recent cinema. “Support the Girls” Andrew Bujalski’s hearty comedic drama, about the intersection of personal and professional lives in and around a Texas sports bar, is also a showcase of subtle and stylish performances by a teeming cast headed by Regina Hall, Haley Lu Richardson, and Shayna McHayle.
“The Treasure.” Photograph from 42 Km Film / Alamy
“The Treasure” The Romanian director Corneliu Porumboiu is the most original of the new wave of Romanian filmmakers, and simply one of the best directors working now. His wry 2015 drama is the multilayered and ironic tale of a literal excavation in quest of buried loot—and of a metaphorical excavation of Romanian history. (Porumboiu’s most recent film, the intricate thriller “The Whistlers,” has shifted to an online release. I discussed it recently on Zoom with Miriam Bale, the artistic director of the Indie Memphis Film Festival.) “We Have a Pope” In Nanni Moretti’s exuberant and critical comedy about Vatican politics and the burden of power, the grand French actor Michel Piccoli plays the newly chosen pontiff—and Moretti plays his psychiatrist. “Whose Streets?” This analytical and impassioned documentary, by Sabaah Folayan and Damon Davis, about the residents of Ferguson, Missouri, reveals the political inequities that led to the police killing of Michael Brown, the inadequate official response to it, and the efforts to repress protest against it.
Bonus: For those with ESPN+, too (also a Disney service, which is bundled along with Disney+ and Hulu), there’s “Subject to Review,” Theo Anthony’s probingly philosophical and detective-like inquiry into the technology of video review in professional tennis.


newyorker--2020-04-20--Fringe Protests Can’t Distract from Trump’s Coronavirus Failures

The demonstrations against the coronavirus shutdowns came to upstate New York on Monday , with a lunchtime “ Gridlock Buffalo ” protest , at which cars and trucks blockaded Niagara Square , in the heart of the city .
The event was specifically directed at Governor Andrew Cuomo , who recently extended his stay-at-home order until May 15th , but it was similar to protests in Kentucky , Maryland , Michigan , Minnesota , Texas , Wisconsin , and other states .
According to the Buffalo News , the person behind Monday ’ s protest was Rus Thompson , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump who was involved in a pro-Trump protest last summer timed to coincide with a pro-impeachment rally .
This is not surprising .
A demonstration in Lansing , Michigan , last week which attracted national attention was organized by “ a group founded by a pro-Trump state representative and his wife , Meshawn Maddock , who is on the advisory board for an official Trump campaign group called ‘ Women for Trump , ’ ” the Associated Press reported .
And , according to the New York Times , a protest outside the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ took place on Saturday , was organized by Owen Shroyer , the host of a radio program from Infowars , the right-wing disinformation Web site .
The fact that Trump supporters and right-wing entities are instigating the protests doesn ’ t mean they don ’ t have any popular support , of course .
But it should figure more prominently in media coverage .
So should the scale of the demonstrations , which , in many cases , has been modest .
The biggest was the one in Lansing , which attracted several @ @ @ @ @ @ @ foot , local police said .
In Brookfield , Wisconsin , and Annapolis , Maryland , the participants numbered in the hundreds , according to local news reports .
In Frankfort , Kentucky , last Wednesday , “ about 100 people ” called on Governor Andy Beshear to reopen businesses , the Louisville Courier-Journal reported .
And in Madison , Wisconsin , “ a few dozen people marched around the Capitol , ” on Saturday , the local weekly Isthmus reported .
These gatherings pale in comparison with other mass protests we have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tea Party rallies in 2009 that attracted hundreds of thousands of participants .
Immediately after Trump was elected , several million Americans took part in local and national versions of the Women ’ s March .
Following the February , 2018 , high-school massacre in Parkland , Florida , the March for Our Lives drew hundreds of thousands of people to Washington , D.C. , and other cities .
As recently as last December , tens of thousands of people marched to demand Trump ’ s impeachment .
Another thing that shouldn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ majority of Americans are staying at home , obeying social-distancing guidelines , and doing all they can to prevent the virus from spreading further .
And they aren ’ t behaving like this merely because the government has told them to : opinion polls show overwhelming support for the restrictive measures that states all across the country have introduced .
In a national survey carried out by the Democracy Fund and U.C.L.A.
’ s Nationscape project , eighty-seven per cent of respondents said that they supported encouraging people to stay at home ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ schools and colleges ; eighty-four per cent said that they supported closing businesses where people gather , such as bars and restaurants .
Drawing attention to these findings on Twitter , on Monday , John Sides , a political scientist at Vanderbilt University , noted that the field work for this survey was carried out in late March and early April .
Since then , public attitudes could have changed , but more recent surveys show little evidence of such a shift .
In an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll that was released @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ What worries you more , that the United States will move too quickly in loosening restrictions or take too long ?
” Sixty per cent of respondents said that they were concerned about going too quickly , and thirty per cent said they were worried about taking too long .
The new poll also indicated that , when it comes to dealing with the virus , the American public has much more faith in local officials and in the White House ’ s medical advisers than in the President himself .
Sixty-six @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they trusted what the governor of their states said about the virus , and sixty per cent said they trusted the word of Dr. Anthony Fauci , the director of the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases .
Just thirty-six per cent said that they trusted what Trump says .
Findings like these indicate that , at least so far , active opposition to the shutdown measures is largely confined to ardent Trump supporters , many of whom take their lead from the President ’ s Twitter feed and from his mouthpieces @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Even some Republican governors are being cautious about relaxing the restrictions they have imposed .
Over the weekend , Florida reopened some of its beaches .
But the rest of the stay-at-home policy issued by Governor Ron DeSantis , a Trump favorite , remains in effect , and on Saturday he said that the state ’ s schools would remain closed until the end of the school year .
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has reopened the state ’ s parks but he , too , ordered its schools to stay closed .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ exceptions to that prudence .
Governor Bill Lee , of Tennessee , announced an April 30th expiration for his state ’ s stay-at-home measures , and Governor Brian Kemp , of Georgia , announced that bowling alleys , barber shops , and gyms could open as soon as Friday .
Experience has taught us that whenever Trump senses political trouble his instinct is to retreat to his base while also looking to shift the blame .
That is what we have seen in recent days , as he has lashed out at members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ calling for the liberation of several Democratic-run states ; simultaneously , he has tried to place the onus , and the responsibility , on the states to make actual policy decisions about reopening the economy .
During the day on Monday , Trump largely refrained from further rabble rousing on his Twitter feed .
He even noted that he had had a “ nice call ” with Tim Walz , the Democratic governor of Minnesota , one of the states that he had called to be liberated .
Perhaps he had taken note @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Or perhaps he was stewing over the tongue-lashing he had received over the weekend from his old pal Piers Morgan , the British media hound , who said that he had watched the President ’ s daily briefings about the coronavirus with “ mounting horror.
” In a moment like this , Morgan told CNN , people need a leader who is calm , honest , authoritative , accurate , and empathetic .
“ And on almost every level of that , Trump , at the moment , is failing the American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the offensive , of course .
But the reality that Morgan pointed to isn ’ t one that can be wished away with another round of inflammatory tweets , another attack on a reporter , or a few more ginned-up protests .
• How to practice social distancing , from responding to a sick housemate to the pros and cons of ordering food .
• How the coronavirus behaves inside of a patient .
• Can survivors help cure the disease and rescue the economy ?
• The long crusade of Dr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between Donald Trump and the American people .
• The success of Hong Kong and Singapore in stemming the spread holds lessons for how to contain it in the United States .
• The coronavirus is likely to spread for more than a year before a vaccine is widely available .
• With each new virus , we have scrambled for a new treatment .
Can we prepare antivirals to combat the next global crisis ?
• How pandemics have propelled public-health innovations , prefigured revolutions , and redrawn maps .
• What @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and listen to under coronavirus quarantine .

The demonstrations against the coronavirus shutdowns came to upstate New York on Monday, with a lunchtime “Gridlock Buffalo” protest, at which cars and trucks blockaded Niagara Square, in the heart of the city. The event was specifically directed at Governor Andrew Cuomo, who recently extended his stay-at-home order until May 15th, but it was similar to protests in Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Texas, Wisconsin, and other states.
According to the Buffalo News, the person behind Monday’s protest was Rus Thompson, a local conservative activist and supporter of Donald Trump who was involved in a pro-Trump protest last summer timed to coincide with a pro-impeachment rally. This is not surprising. A demonstration in Lansing, Michigan, last week which attracted national attention was organized by “a group founded by a pro-Trump state representative and his wife, Meshawn Maddock, who is on the advisory board for an official Trump campaign group called ‘Women for Trump,’ ” the Associated Press reported. And, according to the New York Times, a protest outside the statehouse in Austin, Texas, which took place on Saturday, was organized by Owen Shroyer, the host of a radio program from Infowars, the right-wing disinformation Web site.
The fact that Trump supporters and right-wing entities are instigating the protests doesn’t mean they don’t have any popular support, of course. But it should figure more prominently in media coverage. So should the scale of the demonstrations, which, in many cases, has been modest. The biggest was the one in Lansing, which attracted several thousand protestors, in cars and on foot, local police said. In Brookfield, Wisconsin, and Annapolis, Maryland, the participants numbered in the hundreds, according to local news reports. In Frankfort, Kentucky, last Wednesday, “about 100 people” called on Governor Andy Beshear to reopen businesses, the Louisville Courier-Journal reported. And in Madison, Wisconsin, “a few dozen people marched around the Capitol,” on Saturday, the local weekly Isthmus reported.
These gatherings pale in comparison with other mass protests we have seen in recent years, including the Tea Party rallies in 2009 that attracted hundreds of thousands of participants. Immediately after Trump was elected, several million Americans took part in local and national versions of the Women’s March. Following the February, 2018, high-school massacre in Parkland, Florida, the March for Our Lives drew hundreds of thousands of people to Washington, D.C., and other cities. As recently as last December, tens of thousands of people marched to demand Trump’s impeachment.
Another thing that shouldn’t be overlooked is that the vast majority of Americans are staying at home, obeying social-distancing guidelines, and doing all they can to prevent the virus from spreading further. And they aren’t behaving like this merely because the government has told them to: opinion polls show overwhelming support for the restrictive measures that states all across the country have introduced. In a national survey carried out by the Democracy Fund and U.C.L.A.’s Nationscape project, eighty-seven per cent of respondents said that they supported encouraging people to stay at home; eighty-five per cent expressed support for closing schools and colleges; eighty-four per cent said that they supported closing businesses where people gather, such as bars and restaurants.
Drawing attention to these findings on Twitter, on Monday, John Sides, a political scientist at Vanderbilt University, noted that the field work for this survey was carried out in late March and early April. Since then, public attitudes could have changed, but more recent surveys show little evidence of such a shift. In an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll that was released on Monday, the surveyors asked, “What worries you more, that the United States will move too quickly in loosening restrictions or take too long?” Sixty per cent of respondents said that they were concerned about going too quickly, and thirty per cent said they were worried about taking too long.
The new poll also indicated that, when it comes to dealing with the virus, the American public has much more faith in local officials and in the White House’s medical advisers than in the President himself. Sixty-six per cent of poll respondents said that they trusted what the governor of their states said about the virus, and sixty per cent said they trusted the word of Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases. Just thirty-six per cent said that they trusted what Trump says.
Findings like these indicate that, at least so far, active opposition to the shutdown measures is largely confined to ardent Trump supporters, many of whom take their lead from the President’s Twitter feed and from his mouthpieces at Fox News and other conservative outlets. Even some Republican governors are being cautious about relaxing the restrictions they have imposed. Over the weekend, Florida reopened some of its beaches. But the rest of the stay-at-home policy issued by Governor Ron DeSantis, a Trump favorite, remains in effect, and on Saturday he said that the state’s schools would remain closed until the end of the school year. Texas Governor Greg Abbott has reopened the state’s parks but he, too, ordered its schools to stay closed. On Monday, there were some notable exceptions to that prudence. Governor Bill Lee, of Tennessee, announced an April 30th expiration for his state’s stay-at-home measures, and Governor Brian Kemp, of Georgia, announced that bowling alleys, barber shops, and gyms could open as soon as Friday.
Experience has taught us that whenever Trump senses political trouble his instinct is to retreat to his base while also looking to shift the blame. That is what we have seen in recent days, as he has lashed out at members of the media and posted inflammatory tweets calling for the liberation of several Democratic-run states; simultaneously, he has tried to place the onus, and the responsibility, on the states to make actual policy decisions about reopening the economy.
During the day on Monday, Trump largely refrained from further rabble rousing on his Twitter feed. He even noted that he had had a “nice call” with Tim Walz, the Democratic governor of Minnesota, one of the states that he had called to be liberated. Perhaps he had taken note of the NBC News/Wall Street Journal survey. Or perhaps he was stewing over the tongue-lashing he had received over the weekend from his old pal Piers Morgan, the British media hound, who said that he had watched the President’s daily briefings about the coronavirus with “mounting horror.” In a moment like this, Morgan told CNN, people need a leader who is calm, honest, authoritative, accurate, and empathetic. “And on almost every level of that, Trump, at the moment, is failing the American people.”


newyorker--2020-04-20--Cuomo Says Florida Beachgoers Travelling to New York Must First Be Tested for I.Q.

ALBANY ( The Borowitz Report ) —After seeing images of Floridians crowding the beaches in Jacksonville , New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that all Florida beachgoers who travel to New York must first be tested for I.Q .
“ Just as we ’ ve started flattening the curve , a surge in Florida beachgoers is the last thing our state needs , ” Cuomo said .
“ And so , at all points of entry in New York , we will be ramping up I.Q .
testing immediately.
” Cuomo said that , in order to administer I.Q .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ enter New York , the state will have to purchase tens of thousands of I.Q .
tests on the open market .
“ I asked the President for help in buying them , but he doesn ’ t believe in I.Q .
tests , ” the Governor said .
In Tallahassee , Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said that he was “ hopping mad ” at Cuomo for insisting that Florida beachgoers prove that they are capable of rational thought .
“ I was on the beach in Jacksonville yesterday , ” a defiant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to New York right now , will my I.Q .
be tested ?
” Minutes later , Cuomo issued a brief response .
“ In the case of Governor DeSantis , I don ’ t think an I.Q .
test is necessary , ” he said .

ALBANY (The Borowitz Report)—After seeing images of Floridians crowding the beaches in Jacksonville, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that all Florida beachgoers who travel to New York must first be tested for I.Q.
“Just as we’ve started flattening the curve, a surge in Florida beachgoers is the last thing our state needs,” Cuomo said. “And so, at all points of entry in New York, we will be ramping up I.Q. testing immediately.”
Cuomo said that, in order to administer I.Q. tests to all Florida beachgoers attempting to enter New York, the state will have to purchase tens of thousands of I.Q. tests on the open market.
“I asked the President for help in buying them, but he doesn’t believe in I.Q. tests,” the Governor said.
In Tallahassee, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said that he was “hopping mad” at Cuomo for insisting that Florida beachgoers prove that they are capable of rational thought.
“I was on the beach in Jacksonville yesterday,” a defiant DeSantis said. “If I fly to New York right now, will my I.Q. be tested?”
Minutes later, Cuomo issued a brief response. “In the case of Governor DeSantis, I don’t think an I.Q. test is necessary,” he said.


newyorker--2020-04-20--Despite the Coronavirus Pandemic, the Government Is Still Targeting L.G.B.T.Q. Rights

Shortly before Easter , Laura Kelly , the governor of Kansas and a Democrat , issued an order banning gatherings of ten or more people , including in churches , as a protective measure against the spread of the novel coronavirus .
Soon thereafter , the Kansas legislature , which is controlled by Republicans , overturned the order .
Susan Wagle , the Senate President , speaking about religious Kansans , said that the order “ was a violation of their constitutional rights to have the government tell them that they can not participate in a church service.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s order , on procedural grounds , but on Saturday Judge John Broomes , a Donald Trump appointee , issued a temporary restraining order on Governor Kelly ’ s order , for two churches .
The story was the same in Louisville , Kentucky , where a federal judge had banned that city ’ s government from enforcing social distancing at Easter services .
As the judge put it , “ On Holy Thursday , an American mayor criminalized the communal celebration of Easter.
” Justin Walker , the judge in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He ’ s a protégé of Mitch McConnell , the Senate Majority Leader , and President Trump just nominated him to the D.C .
Circuit , a traditional stepping stone to the Supreme Court .
As Ian Millhiser points out , in Vox , Walker may have misrepresented the facts of the case , because he was so anxious to preen on the issue .
( For example , Walker said that the congregants in Louisville were threatened with arrest and prosecution ; the city ’ s mayor said that that was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Louisville Easter case to burnish his credentials on the hottest issue in the conservative movement : religious freedom .
“ Religious freedom , ” in its current incarnation , has little to do with religion or freedom .
Rather , it ’ s a payoff to a privileged political constituency , usually at the expense of others .
William Barr , the Attorney General , is at the center of this effort , which he kicked off with a fire-breathing speech at Notre Dame last year .
( I wrote about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ passage , Barr said , “ Militant secularists today do not have a live-and-let-live spirit—they are not content to leave religious people alone to practice their faith .
Instead , they seem to take a delight in compelling people to violate their conscience.
” Translated , this means that the rest of society—including the government—must accommodate the religious beliefs of others , even if it means violating the rights supposedly guaranteed to all .
These religious groups want special privilege , not equal treatment under the law—and the Trump Administration wants to indulge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a showy display of federal displeasure from Barr ’ s Justice Department , the city of Greenville , Mississippi , backed down on a ban on drive-in religious services .
“ Religious freedom ” is an Administration-wide initiative , and there ’ s no doubt about the primary target : the L.G.B.T.Q .
community .
In not only the Justice Department but also in the Education and Labor Departments , the government is trying to make it easier to discriminate against gay people .
Earlier this year , Betsy DeVos , the Secretary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would allow discrimination against gay people at virtually any private university .
Current law says that educational institutions “ controlled by a religious organization ” may be exempt from certain anti-discrimination rules .
A religious school , for instance , may be allowed to restrict certain jobs to members of its faith .
But , under DeVos ’ s new rule , any institution that says it “ subscribes to specific moral beliefs or practices ” would be exempt .
As a group of Democratic senators noted in a letter to DeVos , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on women as well as on gay people .
“ Enforcing the proposed factors as written would allow virtually any college or university to claim an exemption , ” they wrote .
“ Individuals could be fired or not provided resources on the basis of their sex , including sexual orientation , gender identity , pregnancy , childbirth or related medical conditions , all based on an organization ’ s self-defined religious tenets.
” In a similar vein , the Labor Department has proposed rules that would make it easier for companies to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Religious owners of businesses could fire gay people because they are gay , refuse to hire people because they are cohabitating outside of marriage , and avoid paying for contraception as part of their compensation packages .
( The Supreme Court has already approved companies owned by religious people avoiding otherwise mandated coverage for birth control , in the Hobby Lobby case . )
And the “ religious freedom ” agenda also includes allowing governments to subsidize church-run institutions , such as parochial schools .
In the zero-sum world of government funding , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parochial schools is not available to public schools—which are open to everyone .
In customary fashion , the conservative movement is planning for the long term when it comes to “ religious freedom.
” Over opposition from liberal students , the law schools at Harvard and Stanford recently opened clinics where students can represent real clients in “ religious freedom ” cases .
The next generation of advocates and judges is moving into place .
• How to practice social distancing , from responding to a sick housemate to the pros and cons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus behaves inside of a patient .
• Can survivors help cure the disease and rescue the economy ?
• The long crusade of Dr. Anthony Fauci , the infectious-disease expert pinned between Donald Trump and the American people .
• The success of Hong Kong and Singapore in stemming the spread holds lessons for how to contain it in the United States .
• The coronavirus is likely to spread for more than a year before a vaccine is widely available .
• With each new virus , we have scrambled for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ antivirals to combat the next global crisis ?
• How pandemics have propelled public-health innovations , prefigured revolutions , and redrawn maps .
• What to read , watch , cook , and listen to under coronavirus quarantine .

Shortly before Easter, Laura Kelly, the governor of Kansas and a Democrat, issued an order banning gatherings of ten or more people, including in churches, as a protective measure against the spread of the novel coronavirus. Soon thereafter, the Kansas legislature, which is controlled by Republicans, overturned the order. Susan Wagle, the Senate President, speaking about religious Kansans, said that the order “was a violation of their constitutional rights to have the government tell them that they cannot participate in a church service.” The Kansas Supreme Court ultimately upheld the governor’s order, on procedural grounds, but on Saturday Judge John Broomes, a Donald Trump appointee, issued a temporary restraining order on Governor Kelly’s order, for two churches. The story was the same in Louisville, Kentucky, where a federal judge had banned that city’s government from enforcing social distancing at Easter services. As the judge put it, “On Holy Thursday, an American mayor criminalized the communal celebration of Easter.”
Justin Walker, the judge in the Kentucky case, is a notable figure. He’s a protégé of Mitch McConnell, the Senate Majority Leader, and President Trump just nominated him to the D.C. Circuit, a traditional stepping stone to the Supreme Court. As Ian Millhiser points out, in Vox, Walker may have misrepresented the facts of the case, because he was so anxious to preen on the issue. (For example, Walker said that the congregants in Louisville were threatened with arrest and prosecution; the city’s mayor said that that was not true.) Walker was using the Louisville Easter case to burnish his credentials on the hottest issue in the conservative movement: religious freedom.
“Religious freedom,” in its current incarnation, has little to do with religion or freedom. Rather, it’s a payoff to a privileged political constituency, usually at the expense of others. William Barr, the Attorney General, is at the center of this effort, which he kicked off with a fire-breathing speech at Notre Dame last year. (I wrote about the speech here.) In a key passage, Barr said, “Militant secularists today do not have a live-and-let-live spirit—they are not content to leave religious people alone to practice their faith. Instead, they seem to take a delight in compelling people to violate their conscience.” Translated, this means that the rest of society—including the government—must accommodate the religious beliefs of others, even if it means violating the rights supposedly guaranteed to all. These religious groups want special privilege, not equal treatment under the law—and the Trump Administration wants to indulge their political desires. Indeed, after a showy display of federal displeasure from Barr’s Justice Department, the city of Greenville, Mississippi, backed down on a ban on drive-in religious services.
“Religious freedom” is an Administration-wide initiative, and there’s no doubt about the primary target: the L.G.B.T.Q. community. In not only the Justice Department but also in the Education and Labor Departments, the government is trying to make it easier to discriminate against gay people. Earlier this year, Betsy DeVos, the Secretary of Education, issued proposed regulations that would allow discrimination against gay people at virtually any private university. Current law says that educational institutions “controlled by a religious organization” may be exempt from certain anti-discrimination rules. A religious school, for instance, may be allowed to restrict certain jobs to members of its faith. But, under DeVos’s new rule, any institution that says it “subscribes to specific moral beliefs or practices” would be exempt. As a group of Democratic senators noted in a letter to DeVos, the proposed rule would represent an attack on women as well as on gay people. “Enforcing the proposed factors as written would allow virtually any college or university to claim an exemption,” they wrote. “Individuals could be fired or not provided resources on the basis of their sex, including sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, all based on an organization’s self-defined religious tenets.”
In a similar vein, the Labor Department has proposed rules that would make it easier for companies to base employment decisions on religious criteria. Religious owners of businesses could fire gay people because they are gay, refuse to hire people because they are cohabitating outside of marriage, and avoid paying for contraception as part of their compensation packages. (The Supreme Court has already approved companies owned by religious people avoiding otherwise mandated coverage for birth control, in the Hobby Lobby case.) And the “religious freedom” agenda also includes allowing governments to subsidize church-run institutions, such as parochial schools. In the zero-sum world of government funding, of course, money that goes to parochial schools is not available to public schools—which are open to everyone.
In customary fashion, the conservative movement is planning for the long term when it comes to “religious freedom.” Over opposition from liberal students, the law schools at Harvard and Stanford recently opened clinics where students can represent real clients in “religious freedom” cases. The next generation of advocates and judges is moving into place.
A Guide to the Coronavirus


newyorker--2020-04-20--The Photojournalists Covering Pandemic Life in Italy

Emotional whiplash is the order of the day , perhaps nowhere more so than in Italy , where , as the nation ’ s daily death toll crept toward its apex , musicians under quarantine took to their balconies and lovingly called out to their neighbors with song .
The documentary filmmaker Elettra Fiumi produced an audiovisual collage of the ritual for The New Yorker .
The video above , her new short , “ The Front Lines of COVID-19 , ” about the efforts of four Italian photojournalists covering the crisis , illuminates more of the juxtapositions created by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the images throw into sharp relief the preceding months ’ entanglement of pain and resilience , separation and solidarity .
In the northern city of Bergamo , a figure in a hazmat suit lays a solitary rose on a pine coffin .
In a suburb thirty miles southeast , paramedics attend to an elderly man who has fallen ill in his home .
Inside a tent encampment in Sicily , an immigrant laborer ties a threadbare piece of cloth over his face to protect himself from the virus .
Nearby , volunteers in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a food bank .
As of this afternoon , at least twenty-four thousand people have died of COVID-19 in Italy , more than anywhere outside the United States .
It is strange to reflect on the fact that the virus ’ s wildfire spread in Milan and Bologna and Palermo can be attributed , in part , to a culture that prizes tightly knit extended families .
It ’ s not unusual for three generations to live under the same roof , with a nonna or nonno taking care of their grandchildren @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
What is normally a beautiful , adaptive feature of Italian society proved , in the presence of this contagion , to be a vulnerability .
These contrasts and contradictions will be with us for years to come , even as new infections in the country appear to be in jagged decline .
The photographers ’ work isn ’ t all dire—one of the most powerful images in the film shows a midwife who has just delivered a baby .
She has her hands closed in prayer , and a disk of light @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Edoardo was born well , ” the photographer , Alessandro Gandolfi , says .
“ Life continues.
” I found the moment striking .
My sister and her husband are expecting a baby .
Recently , she texted me her latest ultrasound image , the much anticipated anatomy scan , which reveals the baby ’ s face for the first time .
At the clinic where it was recorded , the intake staff had taken my sister ’ s temperature and instructed her to put on a mask .
( Her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he waited outside in the car . )
I replied with a “ woohoo ” emoji , the one with the party horn and a sprinkle of confetti .
I checked the news .
The main headline on the Times ’ home page read “ New York Area Suffers Record Deaths.
” I went back to the ultrasound , a grainy snapshot of the newest member of our family , slumbering in serene ignorance of the madness outside .
• How to practice social distancing , from responding to a sick housemate to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
• Can survivors help cure the disease and rescue the economy ?
• The long crusade of Dr. Anthony Fauci , the infectious-disease expert pinned between Donald Trump and the American people .
• The success of Hong Kong and Singapore in stemming the spread holds lessons for how to contain it in the United States .
• The coronavirus is likely to spread for more than a year before a vaccine is widely available .
• With each new virus , we have scrambled for a new treatment .
Can we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crisis ?
• How pandemics have propelled public-health innovations , prefigured revolutions , and redrawn maps .
• What to read , watch , cook , and listen to under coronavirus quarantine .

Emotional whiplash is the order of the day, perhaps nowhere more so than in Italy, where, as the nation’s daily death toll crept toward its apex, musicians under quarantine took to their balconies and lovingly called out to their neighbors with song. The documentary filmmaker Elettra Fiumi produced an audiovisual collage of the ritual for The New Yorker. The video above, her new short, “The Front Lines of COVID-19,” about the efforts of four Italian photojournalists covering the crisis, illuminates more of the juxtapositions created by life in the pandemic.
Together, the images throw into sharp relief the preceding months’ entanglement of pain and resilience, separation and solidarity. In the northern city of Bergamo, a figure in a hazmat suit lays a solitary rose on a pine coffin. In a suburb thirty miles southeast, paramedics attend to an elderly man who has fallen ill in his home. Inside a tent encampment in Sicily, an immigrant laborer ties a threadbare piece of cloth over his face to protect himself from the virus. Nearby, volunteers in face masks and latex gloves deliver groceries to a food bank.
As of this afternoon, at least twenty-four thousand people have died of COVID-19 in Italy, more than anywhere outside the United States. It is strange to reflect on the fact that the virus’s wildfire spread in Milan and Bologna and Palermo can be attributed, in part, to a culture that prizes tightly knit extended families. It’s not unusual for three generations to live under the same roof, with a nonna or nonno taking care of their grandchildren while the parents are off at work. What is normally a beautiful, adaptive feature of Italian society proved, in the presence of this contagion, to be a vulnerability. These contrasts and contradictions will be with us for years to come, even as new infections in the country appear to be in jagged decline.
The photographers’ work isn’t all dire—one of the most powerful images in the film shows a midwife who has just delivered a baby. She has her hands closed in prayer, and a disk of light behind her frames her like a halo. “Edoardo was born well,” the photographer, Alessandro Gandolfi, says. “Life continues.”
I found the moment striking. My sister and her husband are expecting a baby. Recently, she texted me her latest ultrasound image, the much anticipated anatomy scan, which reveals the baby’s face for the first time. At the clinic where it was recorded, the intake staff had taken my sister’s temperature and instructed her to put on a mask. (Her husband wasn’t permitted inside; he waited outside in the car.) I replied with a “woohoo” emoji, the one with the party horn and a sprinkle of confetti. I checked the news. The main headline on the Times’ home page read “New York Area Suffers Record Deaths.” I went back to the ultrasound, a grainy snapshot of the newest member of our family, slumbering in serene ignorance of the madness outside.
A Guide to the Coronavirus


newyorker--2020-04-20--Bill McKibben and Elizabeth Kolbert on the Coronavirus Pandemic and the Environment

Bill McKibben and Elizabeth Kolbert join David Remnick to talk about the twin crises of our time : the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ .
What can one teach us about the other ?
During the COVID-19 crisis , @ @ @ @ @ auto-emissions standards and proposed easing the controls on mercury released by power plants , among @ @ @ @ @ no longer able to gather , construction on the controversial Keystone Pipeline has resumed .
@ @ @ @ @ believe that the pandemic could remind the public to take scientific facts more seriously and @ @ @ @ @ the better .
“ When we get out of detention , ” McKibben says , @ @ @ @ @ will be a reminder to us of how much social distancing we ’ ve been @ @ @ @ @ decades , ” by focussing on technology and the virtual world .
In the pleasure @ @ @ @ @ hopes , “ We might begin to replace some of the consumption that drives every @ @ @ @ @ ”

Photograph by Lucasz Gagulski / EPA-EFE / Shutterstock
Bill McKibben and Elizabeth Kolbert join David Remnick to talk about the twin crises of our time: the coronavirus pandemic and the climate emergency. What can one teach us about the other? During the COVID-19 crisis, the Trump Administration has loosened auto-emissions standards and proposed easing the controls on mercury released by power plants, among other actions. With protesters no longer able to gather, construction on the controversial Keystone Pipeline has resumed. Still, McKibben and Kolbert believe that the pandemic could remind the public to take scientific facts more seriously and even change our values for the better. “When we get out of detention,” McKibben says, “I hope that it will be a reminder to us of how much social distancing we’ve been doing already these last few decades,” by focussing on technology and the virtual world. In the pleasure of human contact, he hopes, “We might begin to replace some of the consumption that drives every environmental challenge we face.”


newyorker--2020-04-20--Nation’s Parents Fear That If Kids Miss Enough School They Will Turn Out Like Betsy DeVos

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA ( The Borowitz Report ) —With many of the nation ’ s schools closed through the end of the school year , millions of American parents worry that if their children miss enough school they will turn out like Betsy DeVos .
As news broke last week that the DeVos family has provided funding to one of the organizations behind recent anti-social-distancing protests , parents panicked at the prospect of their school-deprived children becoming as ignorant as the nation ’ s Education Secretary .
“ Without school , our kids could have frightening gaps in their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ history , ” Carol Foyler , a parent in Akron , Ohio , said .
“ We could be raising a generation of Betsy DeVoses.
” Terrified by such a dire outcome , Foyler hired a remote tutor for her son Ryan , a first grader , but her anxiety persists .
“ Yesterday , I kind of lost it with Ryan , ” she said .
“ I told him , ‘ You don ’ t want to grow up to be like Betsy DeVos.
’ I immediately felt horrible .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like that.
” Speaking to reporters at the Department of Education , Secretary DeVos tried to reassure parents about the school closures .
“ Many schools have been closed for one month , ” she said .
“ Even if they remain closed for two more months , that ’ s only a total of four months .
”

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (The Borowitz Report)—With many of the nation’s schools closed through the end of the school year, millions of American parents worry that if their children miss enough school they will turn out like Betsy DeVos.
As news broke last week that the DeVos family has provided funding to one of the organizations behind recent anti-social-distancing protests, parents panicked at the prospect of their school-deprived children becoming as ignorant as the nation’s Education Secretary.
“Without school, our kids could have frightening gaps in their understanding of math, science, and history,” Carol Foyler, a parent in Akron, Ohio, said. “We could be raising a generation of Betsy DeVoses.”
Terrified by such a dire outcome, Foyler hired a remote tutor for her son Ryan, a first grader, but her anxiety persists.
“Yesterday, I kind of lost it with Ryan,” she said. “I told him, ‘You don’t want to grow up to be like Betsy DeVos.’ I immediately felt horrible. I’ve never spoken to my child like that.”
Speaking to reporters at the Department of Education, Secretary DeVos tried to reassure parents about the school closures. “Many schools have been closed for one month,” she said. “Even if they remain closed for two more months, that’s only a total of four months.”


newyorker--2020-04-20--Daily Cartoon: Monday, April 20th

Daily Cartoon: Monday, April 20th

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