buzzfeednews--2020-06-24--Jamaal Bowman Defeated Eliot Engel In A Big Primary For Progressives

Jamaal Bowman , a former educator and middle school principal from the Bronx , declared victory Wednesday over Rep. Eliot Engel , a 16-term member of Congress who represents New York ’ s 16th congressional district .
The primary win is a galvanizing moment for national progressives , just two years after Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , who backed Bowman , sparked a new wave of progressive organizing to push the Democratic Party further left .
And , like with Ocasio-Cortez ’ s success in 2018 , it is another win for a challenger who cast the incumbent as too out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ m a Black man who was raised by a single mother in a housing project .
That story doesn ’ t usually end in Congress .
But today , that 11-year old boy who was beaten by police is about to be your next Representative , ” Bowman said in a statement Wednesday morning .
“ I can not wait to get to Washington and cause problems for the people maintaining the status quo.
” New York is still counting votes and may be for days , with a huge increase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But Decision Desk HQ and others have found that Bowman 's lead over Engel is too great for the incumbent to make up .
Engel released a statement Wednesday afternoon saying he did not believe Bowman should declare victory before absentee ballots have been counted .
`` Any declarative statement on the outcome of this race right now is premature and undermines the democratic process , '' the statement said .
Bowman ’ s candidacy was propelled over the last month by national protests against police brutality and a surging Black Lives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ several Black candidates to have a strong result in Tuesday ’ s elections .
“ Tonight as we celebrate , we don ’ t just celebrate me as an individual , we celebrate this movement , ” Bowman said during a speech Tuesday night .
“ A movement designed to push back against a system that ’ s literally killing us .
It ’ s killing Black and brown bodies disproportionately , but it ’ s killing all of us.
” During his remarks , Bowman said he would only mention his opponent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ ll say his name once , used to say he was a thorn in the side of Donald Trump .
But you know what Donald Trump is more afraid of than anything else ?
A Black man with power , ” he said .

Jamaal Bowman, a former educator and middle school principal from the Bronx, declared victory Wednesday over Rep. Eliot Engel, a 16-term member of Congress who represents New York’s 16th congressional district.
The primary win is a galvanizing moment for national progressives, just two years after Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who backed Bowman, sparked a new wave of progressive organizing to push the Democratic Party further left. And, like with Ocasio-Cortez’s success in 2018, it is another win for a challenger who cast the incumbent as too out of touch with their district.
“I’m a Black man who was raised by a single mother in a housing project. That story doesn’t usually end in Congress. But today, that 11-year old boy who was beaten by police is about to be your next Representative,” Bowman said in a statement Wednesday morning. “I cannot wait to get to Washington and cause problems for the people maintaining the status quo.”
New York is still counting votes and may be for days, with a huge increase in absentee voting during the coronavirus pandemic. But Decision Desk HQ and others have found that Bowman's lead over Engel is too great for the incumbent to make up.
Engel released a statement Wednesday afternoon saying he did not believe Bowman should declare victory before absentee ballots have been counted. "Any declarative statement on the outcome of this race right now is premature and undermines the democratic process," the statement said.
Bowman’s candidacy was propelled over the last month by national protests against police brutality and a surging Black Lives Matter movement. He was one of several Black candidates to have a strong result in Tuesday’s elections.
“Tonight as we celebrate, we don’t just celebrate me as an individual, we celebrate this movement,” Bowman said during a speech Tuesday night. “A movement designed to push back against a system that’s literally killing us. It’s killing Black and brown bodies disproportionately, but it’s killing all of us.”
During his remarks, Bowman said he would only mention his opponent once.
“Eliot Engel, and I’ll say his name once, used to say he was a thorn in the side of Donald Trump. But you know what Donald Trump is more afraid of than anything else? A Black man with power,” he said.


buzzfeednews--2020-06-24--A Judge Blocked The Deportation Of A 16-Year-Old Boy Who Claims Trump Is Using The Coronavirus As An

A Judge Blocked The Deportation Of A 16-Year-Old Boy Who Claims Trump Is Using The Coronavirus As An Excuse

People return to Mexico as others line up to request asylum in the US at the foot of the Puerta Mexico bridge in Matamoros , Mexico , that crosses into Brownsville , Texas , 2019 .
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A federal court judge on Wednesday blocked the deportation of a 16-year-old boy as part of the first legal challenge to a controversial Trump administration policy that has turned back thousands of immigrants at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The lawsuit was filed in Washington , DC , by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of a 16-year-old Honduran boy who fled to the US to seek protection from persecution in his home country .
The teen , who was seeking to stop his imminent deportation , was the first to challenge an unprecedented policy that has all but shut down asylum at the southern border .
Administration officials have said they are following public health orders designed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in the US , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is using the health orders as an excuse to violate federal laws that govern the processing of unaccompanied minors .
Department of Homeland Security officials have turned away thousands of immigrants at the southern border by using a March order issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that bars the entry of those who cross into the country without authorization .
Advocates said the judge ’ s decision could be significant moving forward .
“ The court concluded that CDC and the Trump Administration likely lacked the authority to expel children @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said Lee Gelernt , an ACLU attorney leading the case .
“ If the administration were to get away with using the public health laws as a deportation mechanism , it would be historically unprecedented.
” The order was issued by US District Judge Carl Nichols , who was appointed by President Donald Trump , pending further litigation .
Previously , unaccompanied children from Central America picked up by Border Patrol agents would be sent to the Office of Refugee Resettlement , where they would be housed in shelters across the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asylum and waited to be reunited with family members in the US .
But those referrals have dipped since the issuance of the CDC order .
Instead , unaccompanied children at the border are turned back by DHS officials under the order .
The ORR referral process was created by the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act , which was signed by then-president George W. Bush in 2008 .
Under the law , US Customs and Border Protection officials are generally required to refer the children within 72 hours to the US refugee agency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been in CBP custody since June 4 , according to the ACLU lawsuit .
He fled the Central American country , attorneys said , after witnessing a murder and gang members later threatened him .
His father lives in the US .
Advocates said the use of the CDC order is “ extreme in seeking to eliminate statutory protections for vulnerable noncitizens and children .
And it is not only a ban on entry but provides for summary expulsion for those who entered the country .
”

A federal court judge on Wednesday blocked the deportation of a 16-year-old boy as part of the first legal challenge to a controversial Trump administration policy that has turned back thousands of immigrants at the southern border by citing the coronavirus pandemic.
The lawsuit was filed in Washington, DC, by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of a 16-year-old Honduran boy who fled to the US to seek protection from persecution in his home country. The teen, who was seeking to stop his imminent deportation, was the first to challenge an unprecedented policy that has all but shut down asylum at the southern border.
Administration officials have said they are following public health orders designed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in the US, but advocates like the ACLU argues the government is using the health orders as an excuse to violate federal laws that govern the processing of unaccompanied minors.
Department of Homeland Security officials have turned away thousands of immigrants at the southern border by using a March order issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that bars the entry of those who cross into the country without authorization.
Advocates said the judge’s decision could be significant moving forward.
“The court concluded that CDC and the Trump Administration likely lacked the authority to expel children and asylum-seekers under the public health laws,” said Lee Gelernt, an ACLU attorney leading the case. “If the administration were to get away with using the public health laws as a deportation mechanism, it would be historically unprecedented.”
The order was issued by US District Judge Carl Nichols, who was appointed by President Donald Trump, pending further litigation.
Previously, unaccompanied children from Central America picked up by Border Patrol agents would be sent to the Office of Refugee Resettlement, where they would be housed in shelters across the country as they began officially applying for asylum and waited to be reunited with family members in the US. But those referrals have dipped since the issuance of the CDC order. Instead, unaccompanied children at the border are turned back by DHS officials under the order.
The ORR referral process was created by the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act, which was signed by then-president George W. Bush in 2008. Under the law, US Customs and Border Protection officials are generally required to refer the children within 72 hours to the US refugee agency.
The 16-year-old Honduran boy facing deportation has been in CBP custody since June 4, according to the ACLU lawsuit.
He fled the Central American country, attorneys said, after witnessing a murder and gang members later threatened him. His father lives in the US.
Advocates said the use of the CDC order is “extreme in seeking to eliminate statutory protections for vulnerable noncitizens and children. And it is not only a ban on entry but provides for summary expulsion for those who entered the country.”


buzzfeednews--2020-06-24--The CDC Lost Control Of The Coronavirus Pandemic. Then The Agency Disappeared.

The world ’ s premier health agency pushed a flawed coronavirus containment strategy — until it disappeared from public view one day before the outbreak was declared a pandemic .
On January 17 , the world ’ s most trusted public health agency , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , announced it was screening travelers from Wuhan , China , because of a new infectious respiratory illness striking that city .
It was the CDC ’ s first public briefing on the outbreak , coming as China reported 45 cases of the illness and two deaths linked to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Chinese health officials had not yet confirmed that the new illness was transmitted from person to person .
But there was reason to believe that it might be : four days earlier , officials in Thailand confirmed their first case , a traveler from Wuhan who had not visited the seafood market .
“ Based on the information that CDC has today , we believe the current risk from this virus to the general public is low , ” said Nancy Messonnier , the CDC ’ s director of the National Center @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 54 , was a veteran of the CDC ’ s renowned Epidemiological Intelligence Service , where she had risen through the ranks during the national responses to the anthrax attacks and the previous decade ’ s swine flu pandemic to eventually head the agency ’ s vaccines center .
Most of the novel coronavirus ’ s infections apparently went “ from animals to people , ” she explained , and human transmission was “ limited.
” There were many reasons why the information the CDC had on January 17 was wrong .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaders withheld what they already knew about the virus from the World Health Organization .
It was wrong , perhaps , because Trump administration officials had cut CDC staffers in Beijing who might have reported the truth directly from China .
And it was wrong because past coronavirus outbreaks provided a false guide to an illness new to humanity .
That last reason — a fateful misjudgment of the basic biology of the virus — drove a flawed strategy to contain the outbreak .
In 17 press briefings from January to March , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ travelers , first from Wuhan and then from China , were quickly identified , traced , and isolated , it could “ slow and reduce ” the spread of the virus on US soil .
Believing people without symptoms did n't spread the virus , the agency limited testing , discouraged masking , and left the country blinded by a faulty COVID-19 test .
Then , when the containment strategy 's failure became undeniable , just one day before the WHO declared the outbreak a pandemic — the CDC disappeared from public view @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we had an aggressive tracing program , but unfortunately , as the cases rose , it went beyond the capacity , ” CDC Director Robert Redfield later testified to Congress .
A fatal misunderstanding about the new virus At that first CDC coronavirus briefing , Messonnier explained what two other coronaviruses , MERS and SARS , could tell us about how to contain the mysterious new virus .
And she described the crux of their containment plan : stopping the disease from entering the US by screening for travelers with a fever and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ putting sick people in isolation .
“ We know from investigation of those two viruses that they are more likely to spread when somebody is more contagious , ” she said .
“ Asymptomatic people can spread , but at a much lower rate.
” SARS was a novel coronavirus whose outbreak in 2002 and 2003 killed 774 people , largely travelers and hospital personnel .
It was most contagious when someone was severely ill , making quarantines very effective because by the time someone was most contagious , they were usually already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which has killed at least 845 people since 2012 , is likewise most often transmitted from terribly ill patients .
SARS-CoV-2 is entirely different .
We now know that COVID-19 patients have the heaviest viral load — and appear most infectious — at the onset of symptoms , not at the end .
People who haven ’ t yet developed any symptoms , and therefore wouldn ’ t show up in the CDC ’ s temperature checks , are responsible for more than 40 % of the virus ’ s spread .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ early in an infection will develop a fever .
In its first briefing , CDC officials acknowledged they still knew very little about the new virus .
“ CDC will adjust its screening and response procedures appropriately , ” said the CDC ’ s Marty Cetron , director of the Global Migration and Quarantine Division .
Three days later , China confirmed the virus spread from person to person .
Within a week , Chinese officials took the unprecedented move of quarantining Wuhan , a city of 11 million people , sending a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spread outside the hospital setting .
Nevertheless , the CDC stuck to its screening plan .
“ We are looking for returning travelers who have fever , cough , and respiratory symptoms , ” said Messonnier at the agency ’ s next briefing on January 23 .
At the following briefing , on January 27 , she reiterated the core assumption of the agency ’ s screening strategy : “ We at CDC don ’ t have any clear evidence of patients being infectious before symptom onset.
” We now know that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ soil by this time , with at least four lines of evidence supporting that conclusion .
There is the case of a Northern California woman who became sick on January 31 and died within a week .
And there is genetic evidence : The slow but steady mutation rate of the novel coronavirus , amounting to a few tiny changes every month , serves as a kind of footprint to track its spread .
Scientists currently believe that trail points to the virus ’ s spread starting in November in China and arriving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through undetected , asymptomatic cases .
On January 30 , with 7,800 known cases in 22 countries , the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern .
The same day , the US announced the first case of person-to-person transmission of the virus in the country ; the husband of a Chicago woman who had acquired the illness in China .
The next day , Health and Human Service Secretary Alex Azar announced the outbreak was a national public health emergency , and the White House declared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China .
China typically sent 14,000 air passengers a day into the US .
The order allowed the quarantine of anyone exposed to the virus , and both Redfield and Anthony Fauci , director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , cited the risk of asymptomatic transmission to justify the action .
Despite the need for widespread testing made apparent by the reports of people without symptoms spreading the disease , the CDC ’ s criteria was very narrow : Only people with a fever , cough , and shortness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ province or had close contact with a confirmed patient could be tested .
Hospitalized patients with those symptoms who had traveled to China within the last 14 days could also get a test .
Driven in part by these restrictions , others with symptoms — including healthcare workers concerned about their exposure to the virus in hospitals — initially struggled to get tested .
Genetic tests for coronavirus work by detecting traces of signature genetic material from the virus called RNA .
The CDC developed a test that looked for three pieces of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The WHO , meanwhile , had been sending a reliable test made by the German Center for Infection Research worldwide since the middle of January .
China had five commercial tests already on the market by the beginning of February .
The US had only the CDC test , used on fewer than 250 people by February 1 and processed solely at the agency ’ s Atlanta headquarters .
When asked about the other testing options , Messonnier said the CDC preferred to have its own , more precise test .
Whatever the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ touted the authorization of its genetic test for wider use alongside FDA Chief Scientist Denise Hinton , who said her agency had sent the template for similar authorizations to 35 other test developers .
Things went bad quickly .
On February 9 , the Association of Public Health Laboratories sent a message to its member labs in all 50 states , notifying them that they ’ d had problems verifying the test .
In a press conference five days later , optimism about containing the virus began to fade , with Messonnier acknowledging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” in the diagnostic test .
“ We must prepare for the possibility that at some point we may see sustained community spread in other countries or in the US , and this will trigger a change in our response strategies.
” Asked what that meant , Messonier replied that switching from containment to “ mitigation ” of the outbreak would mean “ social distancing , school closures , canceling mass gatherings , ” as well as “ teleschooling , telemedicine , teleworking ” — the first mention of such measures at a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s playbook on flu pandemics , Messonnier discouraged the public from using face masks , echoing similar advice from the WHO and US Surgeon General Jerome Adams .
Since masks were thought to prevent the transmission of a virus from coughing , health officials feared a run on surgical masks would keep them from reaching vulnerable public health workers in hospitals , where most infectious patients driving a coronavirus outbreak would be located .
In April , facing increasing pressure from public health experts , the CDC urged Americans to don cloth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first noted by Redfield and Fauci at the end of January .
But the damage was done : Months later , the initial confusion over the utility of widespread use of face coverings has only made masks more of a political flashpoint .
Meanwhile , as February came to a close , the CDC ’ s test still wasn ’ t working in most labs .
An FDA official arrived to inspect the CDC ’ s lab on February 22 , a Saturday , but was not allowed in until the next day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contamination fouling the test .
A June HHS investigation confirmed that the CDC ’ s Respiratory Virus Diagnostic Lab , which was assembling the reagents , was also likely contaminated .
The investigation noted that the agency skipped quality control testing on the kits before shipping them to public health labs .
Frustrated , the Association of Public Health Laboratories on February 25 requested that the FDA allow its labs across the country to go ahead with their own tests .
Only a dozen labs were able to run the CDC ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the federal health agency was running tests for only around 100 patients a day .
In her opening remarks at a fateful CDC briefing on February 25 , Messonnier finally dropped any pretense that the US would not suffer from the outbreak .
“ You should ask your children ’ s school about their plans for school dismissals or school closures , ” she said .
“ You should think about what you would do for childcare if schools or daycares close , if teleworking is an option for you.
” The remarks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , combined with a stock market drop , reportedly enraged President Donald Trump .
The next day , he replaced Azar with Vice President Mike Pence as chair of his coronavirus task force , which began daily briefings that would soon replace the CDC ’ s .
`` It 's going to disappear .
One day , it ’ s like a miracle , it will disappear , '' Trump said on February 27 , at a Black History Month reception .
The FDA and the CDC soon gave public health labs , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , permission to use their own tests instead of the CDC ’ s .
No other authorized tests were available yet for the virus in the US at the time , despite the FDA ’ s claim that 35 companies were working to develop their own tests at the beginning of the month .
Then , weeks after its first guidance was issued , the CDC broadened its criteria for testing patients , eliminating the travel requirement and allowing anyone with pneumonia to get tested .
One day later , Washington State Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tested positive for the coronavirus without any link to a travel-connected case , making it the first known case of community spread in the country .
In an interview with BuzzFeed News , the CDC pushed back against the notion that the health agency could have detected the spread of the virus earlier if it had not had such narrow testing guidelines and a defective test .
The CDC would have needed “ a huge amount of testing available at that time ” to detect the virus before it had started spreading on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a member of the agency ’ s COVID-19 Response Team who later worked on a report finding genetic signs of the coronavirus in the US since late January .
“ It still would have been difficult to pick up community transmission in early February .
I think probably at best we would have been able to pick it up a week or two earlier , ” Armstrong said .
“ You would have had to test everybody who comes to the emergency room , ” he added .
But many experts have noted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a challenge , not an impossibility .
“ The federal government has consistently underestimated the need for urgency around testing for this virus , ” said Boston University School of Public Health Dean Sandro Galea , adding that this misjudgment has been a fiasco for public health labs .
Two days later , on February 29 , those same Washington state officials reported the first suspected US death from COVID-19 , of a man in his fifties with an underlying illness .
They also reported the first outbreak in a nursing home , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Washington , where ultimately at least 43 residents died .
The same day , Gov .
Jay Inslee declared a state of emergency .
The virus was clearly loose in the US .
Asked on the day of the Life Care Center report whether nursing homes should be closed , Messonnier replied , “ Right now , we still judge the general risk to the American public to be low , and that includes residents of long-term care facilities.
” Another Washington state resident , a man in his seventies , died that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more died , bringing the death total in the US to six people .
Four of them were Life Care Center residents .
Nursing home residents would eventually account for about 40 % of coronavirus deaths in the US .
At the same CDC briefing on February 29 , Jeff Duchin of Seattle and King County ’ s public health office revealed that the man who had died was only eligible for testing because of the CDC ’ s updated recommendations .
“ If we had the ability to test earlier , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patients earlier in the community , ” he said .
Frieden , the former CDC chief , argued that the agency failed largely because it has been shackled to an inept administration .
“ The overarching problem has been the failure to have a clear national strategy , a national plan , and consistent communication .
Everything really stems from that , ” he said .
“ Hindsight really always is twenty-twenty , and there were absolutely mistakes made by CDC , but also by FDA , by HHS — and by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after more than 113,000 Americans had died in the pandemic , the CDC held its first briefing in three months .
In a presentation by CDC Director Redfield , he shared the agency ’ s recommendations for lowering the risk of infection as states begin to reopen .
Along with the CDC ’ s Jay Butler , deputy director for infectious diseases , he emphasized staying 6 feet apart , washing hands , and wearing cloth masks .
The pair deflected questions on whether the guidelines applied to mass rallies announced by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the surges in cases currently hitting states like Arizona , Florida , and Texas , Butler suggested it could be explained by a rise in testing , a suggestion Fauci would dismiss in a congressional hearing two weeks later .
Messonnier was not on the call .
“ You know , I 'm hopeful that we 'll continue to have these dialogues , ” said Redfield at the close of the briefing .
” I want to thank you for what you do to help communicate the messages that we feel are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” ●

In her opening remarks at a fateful CDC briefing on February 25, Messonnier finally dropped any pretense that the US would not suffer from the outbreak. “You should ask your children’s school about their plans for school dismissals or school closures,” she said. “You should think about what you would do for childcare if schools or daycares close, if teleworking is an option for you.”
The remarks set off a news firestorm, which, combined with a stock market drop, reportedly enraged President Donald Trump. The next day, he replaced Azar with Vice President Mike Pence as chair of his coronavirus task force, which began daily briefings that would soon replace the CDC’s. "It's going to disappear. One day, it’s like a miracle, it will disappear," Trump said on February 27, at a Black History Month reception.
The FDA and the CDC soon gave public health labs, starting with New York state’s, permission to use their own tests instead of the CDC’s. No other authorized tests were available yet for the virus in the US at the time, despite the FDA’s claim that 35 companies were working to develop their own tests at the beginning of the month.
Then, weeks after its first guidance was issued, the CDC broadened its criteria for testing patients, eliminating the travel requirement and allowing anyone with pneumonia to get tested. One day later, Washington State Department of Health officials reported a teenager had tested positive for the coronavirus without any link to a travel-connected case, making it the first known case of community spread in the country.
In an interview with BuzzFeed News, the CDC pushed back against the notion that the health agency could have detected the spread of the virus earlier if it had not had such narrow testing guidelines and a defective test. The CDC would have needed “a huge amount of testing available at that time” to detect the virus before it had started spreading on US soil, said Greg Armstrong, a member of the agency’s COVID-19 Response Team who later worked on a report finding genetic signs of the coronavirus in the US since late January.
“It still would have been difficult to pick up community transmission in early February. I think probably at best we would have been able to pick it up a week or two earlier,” Armstrong said.
“You would have had to test everybody who comes to the emergency room,” he added.
But many experts have noted that this level of widespread testing was a challenge, not an impossibility. “The federal government has consistently underestimated the need for urgency around testing for this virus,” said Boston University School of Public Health Dean Sandro Galea, adding that this misjudgment has been a fiasco for public health labs.
Two days later, on February 29, those same Washington state officials reported the first suspected US death from COVID-19, of a man in his fifties with an underlying illness. They also reported the first outbreak in a nursing home, the Life Care Center of Kirkland, Washington, where ultimately at least 43 residents died. The same day, Gov. Jay Inslee declared a state of emergency.
The virus was clearly loose in the US.
Asked on the day of the Life Care Center report whether nursing homes should be closed, Messonnier replied, “Right now, we still judge the general risk to the American public to be low, and that includes residents of long-term care facilities.”
Another Washington state resident, a man in his seventies, died that Sunday. And on Monday, four more died, bringing the death total in the US to six people. Four of them were Life Care Center residents. Nursing home residents would eventually account for about 40% of coronavirus deaths in the US.
At the same CDC briefing on February 29, Jeff Duchin of Seattle and King County’s public health office revealed that the man who had died was only eligible for testing because of the CDC’s updated recommendations.
“If we had the ability to test earlier, I’m sure we would have identified patients earlier in the community,” he said.


buzzfeednews--2020-04-29--Bill De Blasio Is Not Anti-Semitic. But His Dumb Tweet Feeds A Dangerous Idea.

The tweet has spiraled out Wednesday , with some in and out of the city accusing de Blasio of anti-Semitism in specifically calling out the city ’ s Jews and blaming a community of over 1 million for the dangerous actions of some 2,000 .
The Republican Jewish Coalition said the mayor ’ s tweet “ encourages and foments anti-Semitism.
” Wednesday morning brought an increasingly familiar online horror : the trending Twitter trifecta .
“ My message to the Jewish community , and all communities , is this simple : the time for warnings has passed , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up a public funeral of an Orthodox rabbi in Brooklyn that had broken social distancing rules .
( In case you have doubts on this point , it has never in recorded history been good news for Jews when “ Jews ” is trending . )
It ’ s easy to see why people are concerned by de Blasio ’ s tweet .
New York City ’ s Hasidic community has been hit especially hard by the coronavirus , with some 700 people in the community dead in the New York area .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the disease , thousands of Orthodox Jews have volunteered to donate the antibodies in their blood plasma .
The suggestion of specific blame for the virus ’ s spread comes as there have been early reports of increased anti-Semitism in the US and around the world during the pandemic .
But the broad attacks on the mayor merit a correction .
Bill de Blasio , regardless of what the president ’ s eldest son and others who enjoy punching down at the oft-punched mayor suggest , is not anti-Semitic .
He ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well-intentioned but dangerous thinking about Jews that has become increasingly popular in American politics .
De Blasio has kept a tight relationship with New York City ’ s ultra-Orthodox Jewish community , which is a powerful voting bloc in the city .
That community , some of which he represented as a member of the City Council , has had an outsized role in his political career , helping him win his first mayoral election in 2013 .
When he ran for president last year ( I swear he really did that ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s ultra-Orthodox community for donations to try and keep him in the primary debates .
That closeness has resulted in a series of controversies since de Blasio ’ s been mayor .
One sect of the ultra-Orthodox Satmars in Williamsburg , Brooklyn , endorsed de Blasio ’ s mayoral bid under the belief that he would roll back a city health regulation limiting a religious circumcision practice .
Since he ’ s been mayor , the back-and-forth over those regulations has been at times dramatic , as infants ’ health has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report found last year that de Blasio had used “ political horse-trading ” to hold off on an investigation into the quality of Orthodox yeshiva schools , schools he has helped get city-funded security .
The NYPD acknowledged Wednesday that they had talked with leaders of Rabbi Chaim Mertz ’ s synagogue soon after his death , before the community prepared funeral plans that they believed would be in line with city guidelines .
De Blasio , if anything , has given elements of the city ’ s ultra-Orthodox community unparalleled freedom , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the last six years .
You could forgive the thousands who came out to mourn a rabbi in Williamsburg on Tuesday night for thinking they ’ d be able to honor his life without city interruption based on that precedent .

(In case you have doubts on this point, it has never in recorded history been good news for Jews when “Jews” is trending.)
It’s easy to see why people are concerned by de Blasio’s tweet. New York City’s Hasidic community has been hit especially hard by the coronavirus, with some 700 people in the community dead in the New York area. And rather than being broadly oblivious to the disease, thousands of Orthodox Jews have volunteered to donate the antibodies in their blood plasma. The suggestion of specific blame for the virus’s spread comes as there have been early reports of increased anti-Semitism in the US and around the world during the pandemic.
But the broad attacks on the mayor merit a correction. Bill de Blasio, regardless of what the president’s eldest son and others who enjoy punching down at the oft-punched mayor suggest, is not anti-Semitic. He’s clumsy, and reflective of the frequently well-intentioned but dangerous thinking about Jews that has become increasingly popular in American politics.
De Blasio has kept a tight relationship with New York City’s ultra-Orthodox Jewish community, which is a powerful voting bloc in the city. That community, some of which he represented as a member of the City Council, has had an outsized role in his political career, helping him win his first mayoral election in 2013. When he ran for president last year (I swear he really did that), de Blasio leaned on the city’s ultra-Orthodox community for donations to try and keep him in the primary debates.
That closeness has resulted in a series of controversies since de Blasio’s been mayor. One sect of the ultra-Orthodox Satmars in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, endorsed de Blasio’s mayoral bid under the belief that he would roll back a city health regulation limiting a religious circumcision practice. Since he’s been mayor, the back-and-forth over those regulations has been at times dramatic, as infants’ health has been put at risk. A city investigation report found last year that de Blasio had used “political horse-trading” to hold off on an investigation into the quality of Orthodox yeshiva schools, schools he has helped get city-funded security.
The NYPD acknowledged Wednesday that they had talked with leaders of Rabbi Chaim Mertz’s synagogue soon after his death, before the community prepared funeral plans that they believed would be in line with city guidelines. De Blasio, if anything, has given elements of the city’s ultra-Orthodox community unparalleled freedom, sway, and access to power over the last six years. You could forgive the thousands who came out to mourn a rabbi in Williamsburg on Tuesday night for thinking they’d be able to honor his life without city interruption based on that precedent.


buzzfeednews--2020-04-29--This Woman Got A Visit From The Police After Posting A Video About Racism In China

BuzzFeed News has reporters across five continents bringing you trustworthy stories about the impact of the coronavirus .
To help keep this news free , become a member and sign up for our newsletter , Outbreak Today .
Darasa was desperately hungry , but the 7-Eleven refused to let her in .
Darasa had arrived in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong in late February on a business trip to buy children ’ s shoes to export back home to Uganda .
She was quarantined in a hotel at her own expense when she arrived , she said , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were kicked out .
Finding another hotel was nearly impossible .
“ We don ’ t allow foreigners here because the epidemic is too high , ” she said one manager told them .
When they finally found somewhere to sleep , they discovered feeding themselves would be just as hard .
With a spike in new cases of the coronavirus in China mostly coming from abroad , black people in many parts of China reported an intense wave of discrimination earlier this month .
The 7-Eleven employees locked the door as Darasa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , only cracking it open wide enough to spray disinfectant around her feet .
The McDonald 's nearby also would n't allow her inside , nor would the supermarket , where , Darasa said , she was told : “ You ’ re a foreigner , you ’ re not allowed here.
” ( One McDonald 's in the city of Guangzhou posted a sign saying “ black people are not allowed to the restaurant , ” for which the chain later apologized . )
So Darasa posted a video on Facebook @ @ @ @ @ @ @ super racist ” treatment .
Shortly after , two groups of police officers paid a visit to her hotel .
They demanded she delete the video , took dozens of pictures of her , for reasons that were never made clear to her , and began phoning friends who were involved in making the video .
A group of four police officers came to give her a “ gift ” of a face mask , hand sanitizer , and tea bags , but also to deliver a message : “ We have to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if not , we ’ ll not be nice , ” she recalled an officer telling her .
Darasa said she just wants to go home to Uganda , but she ca n't find any commercial flights to take her .
So now she lives in fear — that ’ s why she asked not to be identified by her full name .
“ We ’ re in their country , so they can still do whatever they wish to us.
” BuzzFeed News has spoken with multiple Africans in China who were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ harassment or abuse .
Ever since these racist incidents made a wave of international headlines early this month , Chinese officials have scrambled to preserve economic and diplomatic ties they had spent years building with African nations .
These interviews show that Chinese police are closely monitoring the social media of black people in the country and , in at least one case , apparently infiltrating WhatsApp groups for black foreigners in the country .
Zhao Lijian , a spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry , issued a statement after African diplomats brought concerns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chinese government earlier this month .

Darasa was desperately hungry, but the 7-Eleven refused to let her in.
Darasa had arrived in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong in late February on a business trip to buy children’s shoes to export back home to Uganda. She was quarantined in a hotel at her own expense when she arrived, she said, but then she and other Africans staying there were kicked out. Finding another hotel was nearly impossible. “We don’t allow foreigners here because the epidemic is too high,” she said one manager told them. When they finally found somewhere to sleep, they discovered feeding themselves would be just as hard.
With a spike in new cases of the coronavirus in China mostly coming from abroad, black people in many parts of China reported an intense wave of discrimination earlier this month.
The 7-Eleven employees locked the door as Darasa approached and began spraying disinfectants, she said, only cracking it open wide enough to spray disinfectant around her feet. The McDonald's nearby also wouldn't allow her inside, nor would the supermarket, where, Darasa said, she was told: “You’re a foreigner, you’re not allowed here.” (One McDonald's in the city of Guangzhou posted a sign saying “black people are not allowed to the restaurant,” for which the chain later apologized.)
So Darasa posted a video on Facebook on April 23 complaining of this “super racist” treatment. Shortly after, two groups of police officers paid a visit to her hotel. They demanded she delete the video, took dozens of pictures of her, for reasons that were never made clear to her, and began phoning friends who were involved in making the video. A group of four police officers came to give her a “gift” of a face mask, hand sanitizer, and tea bags, but also to deliver a message: “We have to work with [the authorities] — if not, we’ll not be nice,” she recalled an officer telling her.
Darasa said she just wants to go home to Uganda, but she can't find any commercial flights to take her. So now she lives in fear — that’s why she asked not to be identified by her full name. “We’re in their country, so they can still do whatever they wish to us.”
BuzzFeed News has spoken with multiple Africans in China who were visited by police after sharing videos of harassment or abuse. Ever since these racist incidents made a wave of international headlines early this month, Chinese officials have scrambled to preserve economic and diplomatic ties they had spent years building with African nations. These interviews show that Chinese police are closely monitoring the social media of black people in the country and, in at least one case, apparently infiltrating WhatsApp groups for black foreigners in the country.
Zhao Lijian, a spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry, issued a statement after African diplomats brought concerns of abuse to the attention of the Chinese government earlier this month.


buzzfeednews--2020-03-10--10 Tips For Preparing To Stay At Home Due To The Coronavirus

We asked experts , consulted guides , and crowdsourced tips online for those stuck at home due to the coronavirus outbreak .
Last week I got back from a vacation in Vietnam .
It was a lovely trip !
I ate so much pho , rode a motorbike , and went to beaches and museums .
I was also offline and not really following the news for about two weeks .
Did I miss anything ?
The coronavirus outbreak had been on the rise in China shortly before I left , but with no travel advisories in place for Vietnam @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minimal there compared to surrounding countries ) , I went ahead with my travel plans .
Imagine my surprise and confusion when I got back to New York and found everyone in full-on prepper mode .
Things got even more disorienting when I got an email from BuzzFeed HR the day I got back , saying that anyone who had been somewhere with a COVID-19 travel advisory was mandated to work from home for two weeks .
That included me , as I had had a brief layover in Japan .
I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stockpile food and supplies , but then my doctor suggested I stay indoors as much as possible .
I wasn ’ t totally clear how concerned I should be — I was only in Japan for one hour !
— but just to be safe , I bought heaps of groceries , prepped a bunch of freezer meals , and readied myself for self-quarantine .
Then this week , all my colleagues at the New York office were told to work remotely out of an abundance of caution — just as many other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ upends life for more and more people , you might be feeling uncertain or fearful about what ’ s to come .
When that anxiety is coupled with a sudden drop in social contact — whether because you ’ re quarantined or just working from home for who knows how long — those feelings can feel even more heightened , said Laura Hawryluck , a critical care physician and associate professor at the University of Toronto .
“ We don ’ t realize just how social beings we are until that contact is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leave our homes , ” Hawryluck told BuzzFeed News .
Shortly after the SARS epidemic in China in the early 2000s , Hawryluck authored a study on the psychological effects of people quarantined for SARS .
It showed there was a “ high prevalence of psychological distress ” for people who had been quarantined .
“ With SARS , there was that sense of isolation , ” Hawryluck said .
“ People also didn ’ t feel that they got consistent or accurate information , and that led to a lot of fear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and stress .
A lot of people felt very depressed by all of it , and a lot of people had nightmares.
” Those symptoms can be worsened for people who have been exposed to the disease and live with other people , as they may worry about spreading the coronavirus to people they care about .
“ Most people aren ’ t worried for themselves , because they think they ’ ll get through it , which in and of itself is a coping skill , ” said Hawryluck .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that makes all those psychological symptoms more prominent.
” There are a whole bunch of reasons you may be staying home for a while due to coronavirus .
At the least restrictive end of the spectrum are the many workers , like me , who are doing their jobs from home for the foreseeable future because their employer mandated it .
More serious are those ( like Sen. Ted Cruz ) who are self-quarantining after coming in contact with someone infected with the virus , as well as those people self-quarantining after exhibiting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end are people who are medically quarantined because they have been diagnosed with the coronavirus .
You might also live in a country , like Italy , or a US county that 's under lockdown , where travel is being restricted and people are being urged to stay home as much as possible .
If you ’ re self-quarantining for any reason , working remotely , or just feeling anxious about having to do either of those things for a while , there are tons of little ways to prepare yourself that aren @ @ @ @ @ @ @ store ’ s entire stock of beans ( though here ’ s a guide to making a coronavirus preparedness kit , in case you need that too ) .
We asked experts , consulted guides , and crowdsourced tips online .
Here 's some of our advice : Just because you ’ re stocking up doesn ’ t mean you have to live on nonperishable foods and canned vegetables .
That ’ s going to get tiresome real quick , and there are plenty of ways to eat the things you normally would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flavorful soups .
Keep pasta in your pantry and tomato sauce in your freezer .
Think about the foods you would want to eat on a typical day ; usually there ’ s a way to keep those around .
Personally , I froze a big batch of taco soup and a bunch of marinated salmon , and made a crunchy quinoa salad that lasts well in the fridge for the week .
I also bought eggs , sweet potatoes , peanut butter , hummus , carrots , and a bunch of other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that will keep for a decent length of time .
2 .
And remember that food isn ’ t just about staying alive .
You don ’ t just need well-balanced meals !
You need Cheez-Its , peanut butter cups , popcorn , gummy bears ... really whatever snacks you ’ ll be craving if you ’ re stuck inside for a while .
There has never been a better time to have ingredients around to bake cookies .
And if you ’ re out here thinking meal prep time would be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only eat lentils , get real .
These are trying times .
Buy the damn candy .
On that note , don ’ t forget coffee and tea , if you drink them , and some booze if that ’ s up your alley .
You probably don ’ t need to stockpile water , but I bought enough seltzer to tide me over for a while .
Priorities .
Being forced to stay inside might sound like an introvert ’ s dream come true , but when it ’ s in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is panicking , it ’ s not such a fun and chill time .
It took me one day stuck at home to get lonely and stir-crazy .
Check in with your people .
Get on the phone or FaceTime and call your family and friends with some regularity — you ’ ll probably need it , and so will they .
And if someone you know actually gets quarantined , or gets infected with the virus , be there for them as much as you ( safely ) can .
Call them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some memes , or links .
And even if you can ’ t go hang out with them IRL , consider cooking them a meal and leaving it outside their door , which is safe to do .
“ People [ need to ] know who to call if they do start getting symptoms , [ and ] know there is somebody who is going to check in on them , that they ’ re not just going to be isolated and forgotten about , ” said Hawryluck .
“ If you ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get sick , what you really need and want is to know that somebody is going to care for you.
” 4 .
Get a little fitness in .
There are plenty of workouts you can do from the comfort of your own home , and doing so can seriously help your mental health .
Here are a bunch of exercises you can do without any equipment , and YouTube has tons of channels that offer instruction in everything from yoga to Pilates to strength training .
And if you can still go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Just avoid big groups of people .
Not only does it protect against the spread of illness , it also makes being cooped up in your home a lot more pleasant .
Here ’ s a big list of spring cleaning chores you may have been putting off .
When the SARS epidemic broke out in 2002 , Facebook , Twitter , and even Myspace did not yet exist .
Now , people are far more digitally connected , and the ability to keep in touch over social media and video chat can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ isolation .
“ It shortens distances between people , ” Hawryluck said .
But the internet also creates issues that didn ’ t exist during SARS — namely , the spread of misinformation .
“ People are afraid , and that ’ s okay — we are human , there are things in our lives that are going to scare us , and this is one of them , ” said Hawryluck .
“ But how we handle that fear , I think fear can be lessened if we have accurate information.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ misinformation about the coronavirus to keep on hand as you peruse social media .
Also , be wary of those hawking fake cures online or trying to infect your computer with malware by sending you suspicious coronavirus-themed emails .
Watch the news , for sure , but don ’ t just stay glued to cable news .
“ The worst thing people can do is sit around and watch TV or watch their screens and look for the hourly update of numbers , ” Hawryluck said .
“ I think that just exaggerates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” You know all those shows and movies you ’ ve been meaning to watch but never get around to ?
Make a list — yes , an actual list — of the titles , and you ’ ll never run out of things to watch .
But if spending too much time looking at screens is driving you nuts , shut it down .
Get out a bunch of books from your library .
Pull out the board games and puzzles .
Have some craft supplies on hand , if that ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ professional help if you ’ re really struggling .
Whether you ’ ve been to a therapist before or are just realizing you might need to see one , seeking help with your mental health doesn ’ t need to wait till you can go outside again .
Lots of therapists offer sessions over the phone or video chat .
Here are a bunch of tips for how to find a therapist .
There are also apps to help you with your mental health .
9 .
If you ’ re working from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is power , and having the right info can be helpful in stopping yourself from freaking out .
You don ’ t need to go overboard on research , but it ’ s a good idea to be aware of what you should do if you do think you ’ ve contracted the coronavirus .
And perhaps the easiest way to stay healthy is to maintain proper hygiene .
You don ’ t need a face mask ( unless you ’ re sick ) , but you should be washing your hands regularly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is just as effective as hand sanitizer ) .
Once that ’ s done , just try to take it easy ( and maybe order some dumplings to support your favorite Chinese restaurant ) .
These are tough , uncertain times , and the best thing we all can do is be kind to ourselves and our neighbors as we all go through it .

Last week I got back from a vacation in Vietnam. It was a lovely trip! I ate so much pho, rode a motorbike, and went to beaches and museums. I was also offline and not really following the news for about two weeks. Did I miss anything?
The coronavirus outbreak had been on the rise in China shortly before I left, but with no travel advisories in place for Vietnam (cases of the virus have been minimal there compared to surrounding countries), I went ahead with my travel plans. Imagine my surprise and confusion when I got back to New York and found everyone in full-on prepper mode.
Things got even more disorienting when I got an email from BuzzFeed HR the day I got back, saying that anyone who had been somewhere with a COVID-19 travel advisory was mandated to work from home for two weeks. That included me, as I had had a brief layover in Japan.
I’d originally thought it overly cautious to stockpile food and supplies, but then my doctor suggested I stay indoors as much as possible. I wasn’t totally clear how concerned I should be — I was only in Japan for one hour! — but just to be safe, I bought heaps of groceries, prepped a bunch of freezer meals, and readied myself for self-quarantine.
Then this week, all my colleagues at the New York office were told to work remotely out of an abundance of caution — just as many other offices have been doing.


buzzfeednews--2020-03-10--Here’s What To Watch For As Six More States Vote In The Democratic Primary

Six states with a total of 352 delegates vote in the Democratic presidential primary today , which isn ’ t really a second Super Tuesday , even though many are calling it that ( California , which voted last week , had 415 delegates on its own ) .
But with Biden already up just about 80 delegates over Sanders going into Tuesday , a strong performance in these states could give him a lead that will be tough for Sanders to overcome .
And alternatively , a surprising result for Sanders could make the primary more competitive than some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into states later this month that on paper look strong for Biden .
The 2020 Democratic primary radically changed last Tuesday , when Joe Biden surpassed even the highest expectations to build a delegate lead over Bernie Sanders .
This Tuesday , the race could effectively lock into place .
Michigan ( polls close between 8 and 9 p.m .
ET ) This is the big state tonight , with 125 delegates .
Sanders won the primary here in 2016 over Hillary Clinton in a surprise , helping to revive his campaign even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( 67 for Sanders and 63 for Clinton ) .
Sanders and Biden have both spent much of the last week focused on winning the state .
A win for Biden , especially one by a decisive margin , could be brutal for Sanders .
A win for Sanders could prove that his promised coalition of young people — including young people of color — and the white working class still has life .
Recent polls have shown a double-digit lead for Biden , but they showed one for Clinton ahead of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tonight ’ s second-biggest state , with 89 delegates .
Sanders won the state in a blowout in 2016 and is hoping to win by a decent margin again this year .
But Sanders has a disadvantage this year relative to 2016 : The state will no longer hold caucuses , where he performed well with hyper-engaged , organized supporters .
Washington this year is conducting its primary entirely by mail .
About 22 % of ballots were returned before Super Tuesday , which could limit a Biden bounce .
Voting by mail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s coronavirus outbreak limiting turnout .
But the result here isn ’ t necessarily certain : There ’ s been limited recent polling , and neither candidate has campaigned here in the last week .
Missouri has 68 delegates up for stake and was home to a very close Sanders loss in 2016 .
Sanders and Biden have each campaigned here in the last several days , with Sanders holding a rally in St. Louis on Monday .
Polling this month gave a slight edge to Biden , but data has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tonight .
Sanders was blown out here in 2016 , and likely is looking at another big loss tonight .
Why ?
Then as now : black voters .
Black voters , particularly older voters in the South , have voted decisively in Biden ’ s favor in the last two weeks , since the South Carolina primary .
In 2016 , 71 % of the primary electorate was black , and 89 % of the primary ’ s black voters sided with Clinton .
Sanders has worked for years to build greater @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not see a much better result tonight : He was originally scheduled to campaign here in the last week , but dropped those plans .
Idaho ( polls close between 10 and 11 p.m .
ET ) Idaho has 20 delegates .
Sanders won in a landslide in 2016 .
But again , a hiccup this year : The state has moved from caucuses to a primary .
There ’ s not really polling of the state , so we ’ ll all learn together tonight if Sanders is successful in winning Idaho @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dakota has 14 delegates .
Sanders did well here in 2016 , winning the state by a big margin .
And it ’ ll be awarding delegates via caucuses !
Though the process is a little more like a primary this year than it was in 2016 .
There have not been polls of the state , so let ’ s see .

Michigan (polls close between 8 and 9 p.m. ET)
This is the big state tonight, with 125 delegates. Sanders won the primary here in 2016 over Hillary Clinton in a surprise, helping to revive his campaign even as the two basically split delegates evenly (67 for Sanders and 63 for Clinton).
Sanders and Biden have both spent much of the last week focused on winning the state. A win for Biden, especially one by a decisive margin, could be brutal for Sanders. A win for Sanders could prove that his promised coalition of young people — including young people of color — and the white working class still has life. Recent polls have shown a double-digit lead for Biden, but they showed one for Clinton ahead of the 2016 primary, too.
Washington
This is tonight’s second-biggest state, with 89 delegates. Sanders won the state in a blowout in 2016 and is hoping to win by a decent margin again this year.
But Sanders has a disadvantage this year relative to 2016: The state will no longer hold caucuses, where he performed well with hyper-engaged, organized supporters. Washington this year is conducting its primary entirely by mail. About 22% of ballots were returned before Super Tuesday, which could limit a Biden bounce. Voting by mail has also reduced fears about the state’s coronavirus outbreak limiting turnout. But the result here isn’t necessarily certain: There’s been limited recent polling, and neither candidate has campaigned here in the last week.
Missouri (Polls close at 8 p.m. ET)
Missouri has 68 delegates up for stake and was home to a very close Sanders loss in 2016.
Sanders and Biden have each campaigned here in the last several days, with Sanders holding a rally in St. Louis on Monday. Polling this month gave a slight edge to Biden, but data has been limited.
Mississippi (Polls close at 8 p.m. ET)
Mississippi has 36 delegates up tonight. Sanders was blown out here in 2016, and likely is looking at another big loss tonight. Why? Then as now: black voters.
Black voters, particularly older voters in the South, have voted decisively in Biden’s favor in the last two weeks, since the South Carolina primary. In 2016, 71% of the primary electorate was black, and 89% of the primary’s black voters sided with Clinton. Sanders has worked for years to build greater support among black voters, but may not see a much better result tonight: He was originally scheduled to campaign here in the last week, but dropped those plans.
Idaho (polls close between 10 and 11 p.m. ET)
Idaho has 20 delegates. Sanders won in a landslide in 2016.
But again, a hiccup this year: The state has moved from caucuses to a primary. There’s not really polling of the state, so we’ll all learn together tonight if Sanders is successful in winning Idaho back even under a primary.
North Dakota (Polls close by 10 p.m. ET)
North Dakota has 14 delegates. Sanders did well here in 2016, winning the state by a big margin.
And it’ll be awarding delegates via caucuses! Though the process is a little more like a primary this year than it was in 2016. There have not been polls of the state, so let’s see.


buzzfeednews--2020-03-10--Hackers Are Sending Fake HIV Results And Coronavirus Emails To Infect People’s Computers

Hackers are sending emails with fake HIV results and coronavirus information that infect computers with malware , according to research from cybersecurity research firm Proofpoint .
The fake HIV emails are designed to look like they come from Vanderbilt University , possibly to exploit the credibility of the Vanderbilt University Medical Center .
The emails , which include an attached spreadsheet labeled “ test results , ” have been sent to insurance , health care , and pharmaceutical companies .
When downloaded , a user is prompted to install macros , which leads to them becoming infected with malware known @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ It ’ s really the lure with the HIV test results and the use of a health university , that 's really the thing that 's interesting about this , ” Sherrod DeGrippo , senior director of the threat research and detection team at Proofpoint , told BuzzFeed News .
The HIV test phishing attack emerged in late January , roughly the same time Proofpoint and other cybersecurity firms began tracking hackers using coronavirus-themed emails to infect computers .
Some of the COVID-19 emails promoted fake cures and other conspiracies .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transportation , health care , and higher education .
Proofpoint has had to create special tracking for malicious COVID-19 emails for the first time .
“ Coronavirus has been exhausting for us , ” DeGrippo said .
Hackers are evolving their coronavirus messaging in line with the global response .
Knowing that many companies asked employees to work from home , the hackers send emails that claim to be from company HR departments or executives .
The victim would be asked to sign into DocuSign or Microsoft Word , which is when their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spoofed the World Health Organization and targeted Italians once the outbreak worsened in that country .
“ Italy 's prominence within the coronavirus epidemic has caused the shift of it in the lure languages and geotargeting , ” she said .
The HIV and coronavirus emails are effective because they inspire curiosity or fear in recipients , according to DeGrippo .
“ If they do n't get [ you with ] one emotion , they 're going to get the other one , ” she said .
The Koadic malware used for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a computer and allows them to consider their next steps as they learn more about their victim .
The next phase of the attack may come months after the initial infection .
It could be ransomware , a banking trojan , or information theft .
Kodiac is widely used in Eastern Europe and has been deployed by Russia , China , and Iran , though there ’ s no evidence any of those countries are behind this new attack .
To protect yourself from phishing , DeGrippo recommends using unique passwords across accounts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scans on your computer , and being skeptical of emails from unfamiliar sources that trigger an emotional reaction .
“ Using these really highly emotionally charged lures is becoming the standard , ” she said .
“ We 're just starting to see a move away from the shipping receipts and the invoices and the resumes into a trend of big emotional scare tactics and curiosity starters .
”

Hackers are sending emails with fake HIV results and coronavirus information that infect computers with malware, according to research from cybersecurity research firm Proofpoint.
The fake HIV emails are designed to look like they come from Vanderbilt University, possibly to exploit the credibility of the Vanderbilt University Medical Center. The emails, which include an attached spreadsheet labeled “test results,” have been sent to insurance, health care, and pharmaceutical companies. When downloaded, a user is prompted to install macros, which leads to them becoming infected with malware known as the Koadic Remote Access Trojan.
“It’s really the lure with the HIV test results and the use of a health university, that's really the thing that's interesting about this,” Sherrod DeGrippo, senior director of the threat research and detection team at Proofpoint, told BuzzFeed News.
The HIV test phishing attack emerged in late January, roughly the same time Proofpoint and other cybersecurity firms began tracking hackers using coronavirus-themed emails to infect computers. Some of the COVID-19 emails promoted fake cures and other conspiracies.
The emails targeted industries such as manufacturing, transportation, health care, and higher education. Proofpoint has had to create special tracking for malicious COVID-19 emails for the first time.
“Coronavirus has been exhausting for us,” DeGrippo said.
Hackers are evolving their coronavirus messaging in line with the global response. Knowing that many companies asked employees to work from home, the hackers send emails that claim to be from company HR departments or executives. The victim would be asked to sign into DocuSign or Microsoft Word, which is when their credentials would be stolen.
They also spoofed the World Health Organization and targeted Italians once the outbreak worsened in that country.
“Italy's prominence within the coronavirus epidemic has caused the shift of it in the lure languages and geotargeting,” she said.
The HIV and coronavirus emails are effective because they inspire curiosity or fear in recipients, according to DeGrippo. “If they don't get [you with] one emotion, they're going to get the other one,” she said.
The Koadic malware used for the HIV phishing attacks gives hackers access to a computer and allows them to consider their next steps as they learn more about their victim. The next phase of the attack may come months after the initial infection. It could be ransomware, a banking trojan, or information theft. Kodiac is widely used in Eastern Europe and has been deployed by Russia, China, and Iran, though there’s no evidence any of those countries are behind this new attack.
To protect yourself from phishing, DeGrippo recommends using unique passwords across accounts, multifactor authentication, running regular virus scans on your computer, and being skeptical of emails from unfamiliar sources that trigger an emotional reaction.
“Using these really highly emotionally charged lures is becoming the standard,” she said. “We're just starting to see a move away from the shipping receipts and the invoices and the resumes into a trend of big emotional scare tactics and curiosity starters.”


buzzfeednews--2020-03-10--Coronavirus Newsletter: An Exclusion Zone In New York

There ’ s a lot we still don ’ t know about the coronavirus outbreak .
This newsletter does its best to put everything we do know in one place each day .
We ’ re not about sensationalizing things , freaking people out , or speculating about how bad it ’ s going to get .
You can sign up for the newsletter here .
Do you have questions you want answered ?
You can always get in touch .
And with that , here ’ s what we know as of Tuesday , March 10 .
Coronavirus in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there have been 804 confirmed cases and 28 deaths in the US .
These numbers were accurate when we sent this out ; for the latest numbers and charts , check out our new live-tracking page , where you can also look up the numbers by the state you live in .
New York has overtaken Washington as the state with the most confirmed cases in the country , and on Tuesday the state announced a containment zone around New Rochelle , a 78,000-person city north of New York City .
Residents will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ zone , but large gathering spaces will be closed , and national guard troops will be brought in to help deliver food and clean public spaces .
Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden both canceled election night rallies scheduled for Cleveland tonight after Ohio ’ s governor advised people to avoid events with large crowds .
Six states hold their primaries today , and Ohio holds its own primary next Tuesday .
Dozens of colleges around the country have either canceled classes or sent students home , ranging from Ivy League schools like Harvard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public universities including many in the University of California system .
Forbes is keeping a running list of all the schools announcing closures .
Nursing homes are among the most vulnerable places in the country , with COVID-19 , the disease caused by the novel coronavirus , being especially deadly among older people .
Industry leaders are recommending sweeping changes , including banning all nonessential visits and screening all visitors .
“ The mortality rate is shocking , ” Mark Parkinson , the president of the American Health Care Association , told the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and updates , check the CDC ’ s dedicated coronavirus site .
If you ’ re feeling sick and are worried it might be COVID-19 , here ’ s a simple , step-by-step guide for what you should do .
Working from home for the next week or two ?
We ’ ve put together a guide to stay happy , sane , and productive if you ’ re one of the many people around the country who aren ’ t heading into school or the office these days .
It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well to how to avoid becoming a wild-eyed social recluse who can ’ t remember what the sun feels like .
Check it out !
Feeling sick , and worried it might be COVID-19 ?
First things first : Don ’ t panic .
Even if you are infected , which is still unlikely , most people make a full recovery and do not get seriously ill .
But because some people are especially vulnerable , it ’ s important for all of us to know how to keep each other safe .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
To begin with , here are the symptoms : a fever , a cough , or respiratory issues such as shortness of breath .
If you have one of those symptoms , what to do next depends on a few things .
We ’ ve put together a simple flowchart to help you know which steps to take .
The big story Coronavirus Symptoms Start About Five Days After Infection , New Research Finds : There ’ s lots of great information here from the Wall Street Journal about what scientists are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ works .
What we ’ re watching The MSNBC host Chris Hayes has been , by far , the most clearheaded and informative person on cable news covering the coronavirus story .
Here ’ s a great segment from his show last night about the idea of “ flattening the curve ” as the outbreak becomes widespread .
You ’ re going to hear this term getting thrown around a lot in the coming weeks , and it ’ s worth watching someone explain it clearly and well .
Scammers never sleep The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yesterday against seven companies , including one run by disgraced televangelist Jim Bakker , for selling scam COVID-19 remedies .
Quote of the day '' The dorms are cruise ships . ''
— An unnamed university official , to MSNBC ’ s Lawrence O ’ Donnell , on why college students are unlikely to return after the spring break .
Quote of the day , French edition '' We must not stop living ...
It was the chance to say that we are alive . ''
— Patrick Leclerc , mayor of Landerneau @ @ @ @ @ @ @ went ahead with a gathering for 3,500 people dressed as smurfs this weekend , despite public health concerns .
How is this working out for you ?
If you 're finding this newsletter useful , you can sign up here and get it straight to your inbox each day .
As of Tuesday , March 10 , there have been 118,099 confirmed cases and 4,262 deaths globally .
These numbers are changing by the hour ; you can get the latest figures from our live global tracker .
Italy stunned the world yesterday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Venice , and other northern cities to cover the entire country .
Now Italians , at home and abroad , are trying to figure out exactly how it will work , and how to move on with their lives .
French Minister of Culture Franck Riester has tested positive for the coronavirus , he confirmed late last night .
He attended a cabinet meeting with President Emmanuel Macron last Wednesday , and Macron is now keeping face-to-face meetings to a minimum , Reuters reports .
So far more than 1,784 people have tested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 33 deaths .
Iran ’ s coronavirus outbreak has infected a surprising number of high-profile government officials .
The Iranian government has said this is because the officials are spending time among the people they govern , but there ’ s probably another reason : The number of Iranians infected is much higher than currently known , and public officials are simply being tested at a higher rate .

Working from home for the next week or two?
We’ve put together a guide to stay happy, sane, and productive if you’re one of the many people around the country who aren’t heading into school or the office these days.
It’s got everything, from how to eat well to how to avoid becoming a wild-eyed social recluse who can’t remember what the sun feels like. Check it out!
Feeling sick, and worried it might be COVID-19?
First things first: Don’t panic. Even if you are infected, which is still unlikely, most people make a full recovery and do not get seriously ill.
But because some people are especially vulnerable, it’s important for all of us to know how to keep each other safe. So what should you look out for? To begin with, here are the symptoms: a fever, a cough, or respiratory issues such as shortness of breath.
If you have one of those symptoms, what to do next depends on a few things. We’ve put together a simple flowchart to help you know which steps to take.
What we’re reading
The big story
Coronavirus Symptoms Start About Five Days After Infection, New Research Finds: There’s lots of great information here from the Wall Street Journal about what scientists are learning about the virus and how it works.
What we’re watching
The MSNBC host Chris Hayes has been, by far, the most clearheaded and informative person on cable news covering the coronavirus story. Here’s a great segment from his show last night about the idea of “flattening the curve” as the outbreak becomes widespread. You’re going to hear this term getting thrown around a lot in the coming weeks, and it’s worth watching someone explain it clearly and well.


buzzfeednews--2020-03-10--This Site Lets You Stream Free Netflix, HBO, And Hulu, But They Choose What You Watch

There are two huge problems with streaming : One , you have to pay for Netflix , Hulu , HBO Go , etc.…and it starts to add up .
( Or you have to have a parent , roommate , friend , ex , hairdresser , grandparent , coworker , or anyone else with a pulse who will share their account . )
And two , you have to DECIDE what to watch .
Decisions ?
In THIS economy ?
Who can afford it ?
!
Luckily , starting today , there ’ s a website that solves both of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like classic TV in the sense that you pick a “ channel ” ( HBO , Netflix , Hulu , Disney+ , Showtime , or Amazon Prime ) , and you watch whatever is currently playing .
For free .
All the Streams was made by MSCHF , a confusing company that makes viral internet stunts like Newer Times Roman , a font that ’ s juuuust slightly larger than regular New Times Roman to help students meet their length requirements on term papers .
At one point , MSCHF was a marketing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it doesn ’ t and just makes , uh , internet stuff .
Sometimes it sells weird , funny products , like a toaster-shaped bath bomb .
Gabe Whaley , the founder of MSCHF ( and a former BuzzFeed advertising employee ) , couldn ’ t totally say exactly what his company is .
“ Haha , yeah , I do n't really have a good description of that .
Art might be a good frame of reference ?
Internet culture ?
” he told BuzzFeed News .
For this certain-to-be-immediately-shut-down `` art @ @ @ @ @ @ @ choosing what to play on each channel and will also take requests over a text line .
Whaley said that MSCHF is paying for a subscription to each service , and if the company gets a takedown notice from any of these companies , it will comply .
When I watched , I saw some Keeping Up With the Kardashians on Hulu , Game of Thrones on HBO Go , The Office on Netflix , and some of that new Hunters show with Al Pacino on Amazon Prime .
Perfect bingeing for anyone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ old , familiar things like The Office or KUWTK that are easy to watch from the middle of the episode is , well , fine .
There ’ s a familiar feeling about turning on a TV channel and just watching a show from the middle .
It feels like…well , television .
Remember that ?

There are two huge problems with streaming: One, you have to pay for Netflix, Hulu, HBO Go, etc.…and it starts to add up. (Or you have to have a parent, roommate, friend, ex, hairdresser, grandparent, coworker, or anyone else with a pulse who will share their account.) And two, you have to DECIDE what to watch. Decisions? In THIS economy? Who can afford it?!
Luckily, starting today, there’s a website that solves both of these conundrums. All the Streams works like classic TV in the sense that you pick a “channel” (HBO, Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Showtime, or Amazon Prime), and you watch whatever is currently playing. For free.
All the Streams was made by MSCHF, a confusing company that makes viral internet stunts like Newer Times Roman, a font that’s juuuust slightly larger than regular New Times Roman to help students meet their length requirements on term papers. At one point, MSCHF was a marketing company and had clients, but now it doesn’t and just makes, uh, internet stuff. Sometimes it sells weird, funny products, like a toaster-shaped bath bomb. Gabe Whaley, the founder of MSCHF (and a former BuzzFeed advertising employee), couldn’t totally say exactly what his company is. “Haha, yeah, I don't really have a good description of that. Art might be a good frame of reference? Internet culture?” he told BuzzFeed News.
For this certain-to-be-immediately-shut-down "art" project, employees at MSCHF are choosing what to play on each channel and will also take requests over a text line. Whaley said that MSCHF is paying for a subscription to each service, and if the company gets a takedown notice from any of these companies, it will comply.
When I watched, I saw some Keeping Up With the Kardashians on Hulu, Game of Thrones on HBO Go, The Office on Netflix, and some of that new Hunters show with Al Pacino on Amazon Prime. Perfect bingeing for anyone cooped up on COVID-19 self-quarantine.
Seeing old, familiar things like The Office or KUWTK that are easy to watch from the middle of the episode is, well, fine. There’s a familiar feeling about turning on a TV channel and just watching a show from the middle. It feels like…well, television. Remember that?


buzzfeednews--2020-03-10--Travelers Are Frustrated And Confused About Airlines’ Coronavirus Cancellations

Two days before her flight home from the Maldives , Shannon O ’ Connor got an email saying her Alitalia flight was canceled .
She called customer service , which put her on hold for two hours — and hung up on her twice .
When she finally got through , the customer service representative told her that there were no flights leaving the capital Malé and that she would not be getting a refund or help booking a new route .
O ’ Connor said that several other Italian citizens at the same resort were also left stranded by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be illegal !
” O ’ Connor told BuzzFeed News in an email .
The coronavirus outbreak has created worldwide airline chaos , leaving many people either stranded abroad or frustrated or confused about their travel plans due to canceled flights or suspended routes to and from coronavirus-affected countries .
It 's especially bad in Italy since the entire country was put in a coronavirus lockdown on Tuesday , with travel restricted to reasons of work , health , and emergencies .
Italy now has over 9,000 coronavirus cases , more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and more than 460 people have died .
Alitalia , Italy 's flag carrier , announced Sunday that it was suspending national and international flights to and from Milan ’ s Malpensa airport from March 9 .
The airline said it was also reducing the number of flights between Venice and Rome due to the drop in demand .
For travelers like O ’ Connor , Alitalia told BuzzFeed News Tuesday that it was forced to suspend flights to and from the Maldives because the Maldives authorities had ordered a ban on entry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transiting through Italian airports .
Alitalia said it would offer those affected by the reorganization a change fee waiver for rebooking their travel .
But several Alitalia customers on social media said the airline had canceled their flights without offering any information on refunds or rebooking flights .
Others with questions about refunds or canceling their Alitalia flights due to coronavirus-related travel restrictions expressed frustration with the lack of information and being unable to get through the airline ’ s customer service .

Two days before her flight home from the Maldives, Shannon O’Connor got an email saying her Alitalia flight was canceled. She called customer service, which put her on hold for two hours — and hung up on her twice.
When she finally got through, the customer service representative told her that there were no flights leaving the capital Malé and that she would not be getting a refund or help booking a new route. O’Connor said that several other Italian citizens at the same resort were also left stranded by Alitalia.
“I believe this has to be illegal!” O’Connor told BuzzFeed News in an email.
The coronavirus outbreak has created worldwide airline chaos, leaving many people either stranded abroad or frustrated or confused about their travel plans due to canceled flights or suspended routes to and from coronavirus-affected countries.
It's especially bad in Italy since the entire country was put in a coronavirus lockdown on Tuesday, with travel restricted to reasons of work, health, and emergencies. Italy now has over 9,000 coronavirus cases, more than any other country apart from China, and more than 460 people have died.
Alitalia, Italy's flag carrier, announced Sunday that it was suspending national and international flights to and from Milan’s Malpensa airport from March 9. The airline said it was also reducing the number of flights between Venice and Rome due to the drop in demand.
For travelers like O’Connor, Alitalia told BuzzFeed News Tuesday that it was forced to suspend flights to and from the Maldives because the Maldives authorities had ordered a ban on entry for travelers from Italy, including passengers transiting through Italian airports.
Alitalia said it would offer those affected by the reorganization a change fee waiver for rebooking their travel.
But several Alitalia customers on social media said the airline had canceled their flights without offering any information on refunds or rebooking flights.
Others with questions about refunds or canceling their Alitalia flights due to coronavirus-related travel restrictions expressed frustration with the lack of information and being unable to get through the airline’s customer service.


buzzfeednews--2020-03-09--A Televangelist Peddling Silver As A Fake Cure For Coronavirus Has Been Warned By Officials To Stop

A cottage industry of fake and ineffective COVID-19 treatments and cures has spread in recent weeks , including air purifiers , vitamins , and even bleach .
None of these treatments prevent or cure the disease , according to the World Health Organization .
The Federal Trade Commission and the US Food and Drug Administration announced Monday that seven companies selling “ scam ” coronavirus treatments had been threatened with seizure and legal action .
`` The FTC says the companies have no evidence to back up their claims — as required by law , ” the announcement said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ approved vaccines , drugs or investigational products currently available to treat or prevent the virus . ''
Named in the complaint was The Jim Bakker Show , the program belonging to the Christian televangelist who rose to fame in the ’ 70s and fell from grace after a fraud conviction and sex scandal .
After five years in prison , he resumed hosting his television show on the PTL Satellite Network in 2003 .
Bakker ’ s show promotes sales of “ Silver Solution , ” also known as colloidal silver , alongside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seeds .
The Jim Bakker Show did not respond to requests for comment from BuzzFeed News .
`` Well let ’ s say it hasn ’ t been tested on this strain of the coronavirus , but it ’ s been tested on other strains of the coronavirus , and has been able to eliminate it within 12 hours , totally eliminate it , kills it , deactivates it , ” said a guest on the show , naturopathic practitioner Sherrill Sellman .
( The show 's website took down its archived version @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
12 . )
A 16 oz bottle of Silver Solution costs $ 40.00 on the show 's website .

A cottage industry of fake and ineffective COVID-19 treatments and cures has spread in recent weeks, including air purifiers, vitamins, and even bleach. None of these treatments prevent or cure the disease, according to the World Health Organization.
The Federal Trade Commission and the US Food and Drug Administration announced Monday that seven companies selling “scam” coronavirus treatments had been threatened with seizure and legal action.
"The FTC says the companies have no evidence to back up their claims — as required by law,” the announcement said. “The FDA says there are no approved vaccines, drugs or investigational products currently available to treat or prevent the virus."
Named in the complaint was The Jim Bakker Show, the program belonging to the Christian televangelist who rose to fame in the ’70s and fell from grace after a fraud conviction and sex scandal. After five years in prison, he resumed hosting his television show on the PTL Satellite Network in 2003. Bakker’s show promotes sales of “Silver Solution,” also known as colloidal silver, alongside vitamins, food rations, and heritage seeds.
The Jim Bakker Show did not respond to requests for comment from BuzzFeed News.
"Well let’s say it hasn’t been tested on this strain of the coronavirus, but it’s been tested on other strains of the coronavirus, and has been able to eliminate it within 12 hours, totally eliminate it, kills it, deactivates it,” said a guest on the show, naturopathic practitioner Sherrill Sellman. (The show's website took down its archived version of the episode, which ran Feb. 12.)
A 16 oz bottle of Silver Solution costs $40.00 on the show's website.


buzzfeednews--2020-04-19--Gorgeous Photos Show How Farms Are Helping People During The Covid-19 Crisis

On a back road in Freeport , Maine , $ 35,000 worth of cheese is sitting in a dark cave .
With names like Bradbury Mountain Blue , Tide Line , and Frost Gully , these cheeses are usually on the menus at high-end Portland restaurants .
Steve Burger and his wife , Sarah Wiederkehr , proprietors of Winter Hill Farm , would normally be looking to sell that cheese between now and July 1 .
They also would be making new batches of cheese , to get through the rest of the frantic summer season .
But right now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that .
When will they be able to move that cheese ?
And when should they start making more ?
“ I need a cheese fortune-teller , ” Burger tells me .
Despite these uncertainties , something hopeful is brewing in Maine .
Amid almost paralyzing disruption , farmers and food producers here are rewriting the rules of the local food system , adapting , and finding new ways to feed their communities .
The day the coronavirus hit Maine , two things became immediately clear to Burger : Their restaurant business , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , was dead — but people still needed food .
Within a day , he and his wife set up a makeshift store on the farm .
Phone calls and people started streaming in .
While suddenly juggling the additional challenge of homeschooling their two children , Calla , 8 , and Isaac , 10 , Burger and Wiederkehr stopped making cheese and kept all of the milk from their cows raw or for yogurt .
They brought in greens , eggs , and other goods from neighbors ’ farms .
They put @ @ @ @ @ @ @ freezer , some daffodil seedlings on the window sill , and haven ’ t looked back since .
Burger says that , as farmers who intentionally grow a lot of different things , “ We talk about how important it is to be diversifying what you ’ re doing , how it helps when something [ like one particular crop ] fails .
This is a different sort of failure than we really expected , but it has been super beneficial to us to change direction really quickly.
” Burger and Wiederkehr worry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been turned upside down , but for the moment they are solvent .
“ People keep asking us , how is it homeschooling the kids right now ?
Well , the best education they ’ re getting is watching Mom and Dad improvise on the fly and being willing to make things work—change and evolve and say OK !
” Almost overnight , food access points in Maine have decentralized .
On-farm stands and home delivery have increased exponentially .
A University of Maine Extension map of farm stands and pickup sites now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by local food experts estimates a $ 689 million decline in local and regional markets nationwide between March and May .
Maine farmers are concerned about lost sales , particularly as social distancing continues into the critical summer months .
But by creating new ways to connect with consumers online and on the farm , they are , so far , weathering the crisis .
“ April is the cruelest month , ” wrote T.S .
Eliot in “ The Waste Land.
” Maine is still on the edge of winter .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with heavy snow .
Buds are just barely forming on trees , and it still frosts at night .
Add to that a statewide shelter-in-place order and the thick sense of fear and uncertainty that is the new normal , and spring feels like a faraway dream .
Within the hoop houses of farms across the state though , spring comes early in the form of young greens .
On a typical early April day , Beth Schiller of Dandelion Spring Farm would be planting new seeds in her hoop house , repairing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do with that last batch of carrots in the refrigerator .
It used to be that all of Dandelion Spring ’ s sales were to restaurants and at farmers markets , but as COVID-19 settled in Maine , Schiller realized something was going to have to change .
She quickly made a new website with an online store and now serves her community through select pickup points or at-home delivery .
Concerned about lower-income community members , who face barriers to healthy food in the best of circumstances , she increased her donations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for customers to pay for food donations to pantries .
So far , she has given away $ 900 worth of produce .
Like so many farmers here , she has been amazed by the demand .
“ I think there is a recognition that when you are buying directly from a farmer that food has traveled through fewer hands , ” she says .
“ I do see healthy food as an essential good .
I recognize that farmers are producing something that is essential .
Farmers are also taking care of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ movement in Maine , in a way that is essential to having a healthy environment around us.
” Farmers are certainly used to uncertainty , not least due to shifting weather patterns as a result of climate change .
As Schiller says , “ We ’ re built for this .
We have to pivot a lot , because of weather and shifting markets and new competition .
It ’ s new and unknown , but it ’ s not a totally foreign language.
” Farms are essential businesses , and farmworkers who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the front lines of the pandemic .
Yet most stimulus funds administered through the Small Business Administration are not applicable to small farmers .
In addition to learning how to get food to customers in new ways and reinventing their business models overnight , farmers are also having to continually troubleshoot health and sanitation .
Nate Drummond of Six River Farm notes that he and his wife , Gabrielle , have been up until past midnight every night going over and over processes and contingencies : How can we better spread out people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do we do if an employee ’ s spouse has symptoms ?
They are currently working on organizing their farm crew into smaller groups within a group , so that certain people only come into contact with other people on a regular basis .
That way , “ If someone does get sick , we ’ re not in a situation , like , that person has literally been in contact with everybody on the farm , ” says Drummond .
“ What would you do — shut it all down for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ isolated work for a week ?
It ’ s a logistical challenge.
” One plus side of the crisis though , for him , has been the community .
“ Local farms have built these levels of connections that are really important to people and to us , too.
” One of the key ingredients to the success of Maine ’ s food system is community .
Bo Dennis , of the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association , believes that the reason Maine farmers are adapting so quickly is because of their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a resiliency built into the social systems of Maine farms .
We want to help each other in these hard times .
We want to provide information to each other and to support the local food system .
People are well-connected with each other , and there ’ s a camaraderie and spirit that comes with that.
” Maine farms are tightly networked , connected with each other and their broader communities through social ties .
They are also small and highly diverse .
These features — small- and medium-size farms , growing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ critical to Maine ’ s food system .
But it is the community ties that are revealed in a crisis .
Dennis explains , “ We ’ ve seen throughout the state , groups of farmers coming together to figure out how to support their community .
That social connection leads to fast adaptability and resiliency , which arguably is more sustainable as we go into these unknown times.
” “ Maine ’ s people are rallying around its farmers and producers because they understand not only how important our local farmers are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support their businesses , ” says Amanda Beal , Maine ’ s commissioner of agriculture , conservation , and forestry .
As COVID-19 reveals the risks of relying on global supply chains , perhaps this is an opportunity to look anew at local food systems .
“ In Maine , we have been working deliberately for decades to build a vibrant local food system , ” Beal says , “ and that work benefits us now , as our farmers are playing an important role in making sure that people can access the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crisis .
”

Farmers are certainly used to uncertainty, not least due to shifting weather patterns as a result of climate change. As Schiller says, “We’re built for this. We have to pivot a lot, because of weather and shifting markets and new competition. It’s new and unknown, but it’s not a totally foreign language.”
Farms are essential businesses, and farmworkers who produce our food are among those on the front lines of the pandemic. Yet most stimulus funds administered through the Small Business Administration are not applicable to small farmers. In addition to learning how to get food to customers in new ways and reinventing their business models overnight, farmers are also having to continually troubleshoot health and sanitation.
Nate Drummond of Six River Farm notes that he and his wife, Gabrielle, have been up until past midnight every night going over and over processes and contingencies: How can we better spread out people and tasks across the farm? What do we do if an employee’s spouse has symptoms?
They are currently working on organizing their farm crew into smaller groups within a group, so that certain people only come into contact with other people on a regular basis.
That way, “If someone does get sick, we’re not in a situation, like, that person has literally been in contact with everybody on the farm,” says Drummond. “What would you do — shut it all down for a week? Do you have everyone do isolated work for a week? It’s a logistical challenge.” One plus side of the crisis though, for him, has been the community. “Local farms have built these levels of connections that are really important to people and to us, too.”