buzzfeed--2020-03-15--Joe Biden Won The Endorsement Of The Nation’s Largest Union

Former US Vice President and Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden and his wife , Dr. Jill Biden .
Joe Biden won the endorsement of the nation ’ s largest union on Saturday , adding to his surge of support from unions , members of Congress and elected officials around the country .
The National Education Association endorsed Biden because he “ understands that as a nation we have a moral responsibility to provide a great neighborhood public school for every student in every ZIP code , ” union president Lily Eskelsen García said in a statement .
She added that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plans , along with his commitment to raising teachers ’ salaries and funding support staff positions .
Biden ’ s wife , Dr. Jill Biden , was a teacher both in public high schools and community college .
“ Biden has championed public education throughout this campaign and beyond .
He and Dr. Jill Biden , herself an educator and NEA member , have consistently reached out to NEA members across the country building the broad support among NEA members , ” Eskelsen Garcia said .
“ He attended all three of NEA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iowa , Pennsylvania , and Texas , as well as sat for a video interview to make his case to educators.
” The NEA has over 3 million members , more than 75 % of whom are college-educated women — a group of voters that both parties will be vying to win over in the general election — making them the largest union in the country as well as one of the most influential .
The union ’ s leadership voted to endorse Biden on Saturday .
The leadership of several larger national @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the American Federation of Teachers , have avoided making endorsements on behalf of their members this cycle , after rank and file members took issue with leadership-level decisions to back Hillary Clinton in 2016 .
Various local affiliates have backed Biden , Sen. Bernie Sanders , or Sen. Elizabeth Warren , who recently dropped out of the race .
In January , Nevada ’ s largest teachers ’ union , the Clark County Education Association , endorsed Sanders , and the United Teachers Los Angeles endorsed Sanders last November .
While the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the union leadership has said that after a process including members surveys and polls , they encourage affiliates , members and leadership to “ to be actively involved in supporting and helping Vice President Biden , Sen. Sanders , and/or Sen. Warren.
” The AFT ’ s president , Randi Weingarten , individually endorsed Sen. Elizabeth Warren before she dropped out of the race .

Joe Biden won the endorsement of the nation’s largest union on Saturday, adding to his surge of support from unions, members of Congress, and elected officials around the country.
The National Education Association endorsed Biden because he “understands that as a nation we have a moral responsibility to provide a great neighborhood public school for every student in every ZIP code,” union president Lily Eskelsen García said in a statement.
She added that Biden’s K–12 and higher education plans, along with his commitment to raising teachers’ salaries and funding support staff positions. Biden’s wife, Dr. Jill Biden, was a teacher both in public high schools and community college.
“Biden has championed public education throughout this campaign and beyond. He and Dr. Jill Biden, herself an educator and NEA member, have consistently reached out to NEA members across the country building the broad support among NEA members,” Eskelsen García said. “He attended all three of NEA’s presidential forums, including in Iowa, Pennsylvania, and Texas, as well as sat for a video interview to make his case to educators.”
The NEA has over 3 million members, more than 75% of whom are college-educated women — a group of voters that both parties will be vying to win over in the general election — making them the largest union in the country as well as one of the most influential.
The union’s leadership voted to endorse Biden on Saturday.
The leadership of several larger national unions including the second-largest teachers’ union, the American Federation of Teachers, have avoided making endorsements on behalf of their members this cycle, after rank-and-file members took issue with leadership-level decisions to back Hillary Clinton in 2016. Various local affiliates have backed Biden, Sen. Bernie Sanders, or Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who recently dropped out of the race.
In January, Nevada’s largest teachers’ union, the Clark County Education Association, endorsed Sanders, and the United Teachers Los Angeles endorsed Sanders last November.
While the AFT has not made an official endorsement, the union leadership has said that after a process including members surveys and polls, they encourage affiliates, members and leadership to “to be actively involved in supporting and helping Vice President Biden, Sen. Sanders, and/or Sen. Warren.”
The AFT’s president, Randi Weingarten, individually endorsed Sen. Elizabeth Warren before she dropped out of the race.


buzzfeed--2020-03-15--How Nina Turner’s Ohio Rivalries Foreshadowed Her Future With Bernie Sanders

Bernie Sanders faces long odds to defeat Joe Biden in Ohio , a state where one of his top allies has gone up against an establishment leader for years .
CLEVELAND , Ohio — Before she joined Bernie Sanders ’ revolution , Nina Turner wanted to lead her own in Ohio .
Once on a trajectory to be the next mayor of Cleveland , Turner instead challenged the status quo .
She fought for local government reforms that ended an era of corruption but also enraged leaders in the local black political establishment .
And then she threatened to primary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seat in Congress , at least in part , to those leaders .
This rivalry between Fudge and Turner , now going on a decade , is an insider vs. outsider story that helps explain Democratic campaigns in the most Democratic part of Ohio — and in the county that provides the largest share of the state ’ s black vote .
It ’ s also instructive as the presidential race shifts here this week amid bleak prospects for Sanders .
Fudge and most of the other insiders are backing former vice president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign co-chair and one of his most visible allies , is again pushing from the outside .
“ I always find myself doing the hardest work , doing the most life-altering work , not going with the status quo , ” Turner said in an interview last week , the morning after Biden beat Sanders soundly in several big primaries , including Michigan ’ s .
“ When you take on the hardest assignments , you know the difficulty is there .
I don ’ t run from that .
I have a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ independent thinker and doing what I believe is right , even if the political headwinds are against me .
And I ’ m going to continue to do that as long as I have the breath to do it.
” There ’ s been little reliable polling in Ohio since the field narrowed to Biden and Sanders .
But the state ’ s demographics ( a sizable black vote in the three largest cities , a big working-class population , and plenty of moderate suburbanites ) reflect the type of voter coalition Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ endorsement list in the state features some of the party ’ s most reputable organizers and vote-getters , including Rep. Marcy Kaptur , the longest-serving woman in the House — and a Sanders supporter in 2016 .
Fudge , a former chair of the Congressional Black Caucus , initially endorsed Kamala Harris , before she ended her presidential campaign in December .
She came to Biden late , after his victory in the South Carolina primary revived his candidacy , and as other mainstream Democrats lined up behind him .
In a statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Fudge praised Biden ’ s commitment to civil and voting rights .
“ But above all , ” she said , “ I believe in winning — because that ’ s where all paths forward to every other big thing we want to do start.
” In an interview last week , Fudge said she ’ s known Biden for years , though they are not close .
“ I thought Joe Biden was the fit for the district , ” Fudge explained , “ and for me , personally.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where most of the constituents are black .
The seat itself is the legacy of Louis Stokes , who became Ohio ’ s first black member of Congress after winning a racial gerrymandering case in the late 1960s .
When he retired in 1993 , the seat went to Stephanie Tubbs Jones , who like Stokes was one of the most influential Cleveland politicos of her generation .
When Tubbs Jones died suddenly in 2008 , party leaders helped elevate Fudge , who had been Tubbs Jones ’ chief of staff , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and deferential to her elders — very much unlike the vivacious Tubbs Jones .
Through attrition , she grew into at least some of the influence that comes with her job .
Stokes and others who maintained a long-lasting grip in the black wards and precincts either died or backed away from public life in recent years .
Frank Jackson , now in his fourth term as mayor of Cleveland , doesn ’ t much care for state or national politics .
Fudge ’ s loyalty sometimes costs her , as it did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former judge Lance Mason after he pleaded guilty to charges he assaulted his wife .
( “ Lance accepts full responsibility for his actions and has assured me that something like this will never happen again , ” Fudge wrote in a supportive letter that became public in 2018 , after Mason killed his then ex-wife , and just as Fudge was considering a run for speaker of the House . )
And Fudge ’ s candidates don ’ t always win .
Her endorsement doesn ’ t carry the same weight as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did in South Carolina last month after he backed Biden , setting in motion Biden ’ s big victory there .
She “ seems popular with voters , ” longtime Cleveland political writer Brent Larkin observed recently , “ but has yet to demonstrate that unique ability to transfer that popularity.
” Even so , Fudge ’ s hand is often felt in local politics , including at the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party , chaired by a Fudge protégé .
“ Marcia ’ s reach to elected leaders and political leaders is significant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a former mayor of the large Cleveland suburb of Parma and a well-wired Democrat in the state , said when asked about her Biden endorsement .
After first endorsing Michael Bloomberg , DePiero now supports the former vice president .
“ She understands Ohio well — that it ’ s maybe a center-right state , ” DePiero added .
As Fudge settled into Congress in 2009 , Turner , then a state senator , joined with a cast of predominantly white leaders in Cleveland ’ s progressive circles to overhaul the Cuyahoga @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the time , also a county commissioner , was at the center of a federal corruption investigation that resulted in dozens of convictions .
Turner ’ s group favored replacing the three elected commissioners , and a row of other elected officeholders staffed by patronage hires , with an elected executive , an 11-member county council , and appointed administrators .
Nearly every other black leader , including Fudge , opposed the ballot initiative , fearful it would rewind the progress black candidates had made winning countywide office .
Cleveland ’ s black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ King and at the time largely under the editorial control of a prominent powerbroker in the black community , depicted Turner in a front-page cartoon as Aunt Jemima — an image meant to brand her as subservient to white authority .
Still , Turner ’ s side won , and she subsequently was mentioned as a future mayor or a top prospect for the new county executive position .
Instead , she began preparing to take on Fudge .
Turner pulled petitions for the primary and , sounding a lot like the presidential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said she saw an “ opportunity to represent a constituency that feels they have been disillusioned.
” But , much like how moderate and establishment Democrats rallied around Biden in recent weeks to keep the democratic socialist Sanders at bay , many of Greater Cleveland ’ s top black activists closed rank around Fudge , culminating with an endorsement event headlined by Stokes .
Turner withdrew her candidacy a few weeks later .
She stayed active in progressive causes and became a minor MSNBC celebrity , back in the days of The Ed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of state in 2014 , losing badly in a year when a weak gubernatorial candidate dragged down the entire Democratic ticket .
And then , after being an early booster for Hillary Clinton , Turner abruptly joined Sanders ’ 2016 campaign .
She quickly became one of the Vermont senator ’ s top surrogates .
Soon Fudge and Turner would collide again .
After leaked emails showed Democratic National Committee officials mocking Sanders during the 2016 primaries , Fudge was pressed into a high-profile gig presiding over the convention that nominated Clinton .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including actor Susan Sarandon , after plans for Turner to address the convention fell apart .
A few days later , she openly considered an invitation to be the Green Party ’ s candidate for vice president .
Both women downplay their rivalry .
“ That was something the media wanted to drive , ” said Fudge , who believes Turner “ brings great value ” to Sanders ’ campaign .
“ We do n't always have to agree , ” a similarly diplomatic Turner offered .
“ I think we have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Oftentimes we find ourselves in disagreements politically , and that ’ s OK. ” More recently they have been on opposite sides of other Ohio races .
In 2018 , Fudge endorsed Richard Cordray in the Democratic primary for governor .
Our Revolution , the pro-Sanders political organization that Turner led at the time , backed Dennis Kucinich .
Cordray won handily , with a big showing in Cuyahoga County .
( Biden endorsed him after the primary . )
But Fudge ’ s support was of little help in a state senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ council member she backed lost in a primary .
And a Turner protégé — her handpicked successor on the city council — lost his reelection bid in 2017 .
These mixed results show that neither has a local political network likely to sway Tuesday ’ s race to Biden or Sanders , though Fudge at least has an operation that ’ s been in recent use .
She said she has loaned her political consultant , Kenn Dowell , to the Biden campaign and has signaled for other allies to help the effort @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a minute-long radio spot for Biden ’ s Ohio campaign .
“ We had a meeting yesterday , and within 24 hours of [ Fudge ’ s ] support , 50 elected officials and grassroots organizers came out to put the wheels in motion , ” Blaine Griffin , a Cleveland city council member and pledged Biden delegate , told BuzzFeed News two days after Fudge endorsed Biden .
Griffin also admires Turner .
“ You won ’ t hear any of us say anything bad about Nina , ” he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But I will tell you that Nina has not been on the ground the last few years , and the dynamics on the ground here have changed dramatically .
She won ’ t bring the same kind of clout that Fudge does.
” “ Well , that ’ s certainly my hope , ” she replied when asked if her connection to Ohio would be an advantage to Sanders .
“ This is home , no doubt , but I ’ ve really been on the road a lot.
” Turner said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an operation she helped assemble — remains mostly intact , though she was reluctant to take credit for it .
Tara Mosley-Samples , a Sanders ally and member of Akron ’ s city council , noted the more than 1 million votes Turner won in her secretary of state race six years ago .
“ I think Nina brings a lot to the table for the state and especially for Cuyahoga County , ” said Mosley-Samples , who was Kucinich ’ s running mate in 2018 .
“ I think what she has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the Sanders campaign but also for the city of Cleveland will show up in the numbers greatly.
” But Mosley-Samples also conceded Biden ’ s lead in big-name Ohio endorsements .
“ It seems like we ’ re bucking up against the machine.
” So Turner draws inspiration from her past fights in the state , especially the county government overhaul that passed in spite of its many powerful opponents .
“ All of the forces were against us and certainly mounted against me , ” Turner said .
“ But ultimately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ different idea.
” “ The headwinds are strong , no doubt about it , ” she said of the Sanders campaign , before wryly reaching for a rallying cry for Elizabeth Warren , the former presidential candidate who competed for similarly progressive voters but has not thrown her support to Sanders .

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Before she joined Bernie Sanders’ revolution, Nina Turner wanted to lead her own in Ohio.
Once on a trajectory to be the next mayor of Cleveland, Turner instead challenged the status quo. She fought for local government reforms that ended an era of corruption but also enraged leaders in the local black political establishment. And then she threatened to primary Rep. Marcia Fudge, who owed her seat in Congress, at least in part, to those leaders.
This rivalry between Fudge and Turner, now going on a decade, is an insider vs. outsider story that helps explain Democratic campaigns in the most Democratic part of Ohio — and in the county that provides the largest share of the state’s black vote. It’s also instructive as the presidential race shifts here this week amid bleak prospects for Sanders. Fudge and most of the other insiders are backing former vice president Joe Biden. Turner, a Sanders campaign cochair and one of his most visible allies, is again pushing from the outside.
“I always find myself doing the hardest work, doing the most life-altering work, not going with the status quo,” Turner said in an interview last week, the morning after Biden beat Sanders soundly in several big primaries, including Michigan’s. “When you take on the hardest assignments, you know the difficulty is there. I don’t run from that. I have a history in this state of being an independent thinker and doing what I believe is right, even if the political headwinds are against me. And I’m going to continue to do that as long as I have the breath to do it.”
There’s been little reliable polling in Ohio since the field narrowed to Biden and Sanders. But the state’s demographics (a sizable black vote in the three largest cities, a big working-class population, and plenty of moderate suburbanites) reflect the type of voter coalition Biden has built elsewhere. Biden’s endorsement list in the state features some of the party’s most reputable organizers and vote-getters, including Rep. Marcy Kaptur, the longest-serving woman in the House — and a Sanders supporter in 2016.
Fudge, a former chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, initially endorsed Kamala Harris, before she ended her presidential campaign in December. She came to Biden late, after his victory in the South Carolina primary revived his candidacy, and as other mainstream Democrats lined up behind him. In a statement the campaign circulated to announce her support, Fudge praised Biden’s commitment to civil and voting rights. “But above all,” she said, “I believe in winning — because that’s where all paths forward to every other big thing we want to do start.”
In an interview last week, Fudge said she’s known Biden for years, though they are not close. “I thought Joe Biden was the fit for the district,” Fudge explained, “and for me, personally.”
The district is the only one in Ohio where most of the constituents are black. The seat itself is the legacy of Louis Stokes, who became Ohio’s first black member of Congress after winning a racial gerrymandering case in the late 1960s. When he retired in 1993, the seat went to Stephanie Tubbs Jones, who like Stokes was one of the most influential Cleveland politicos of her generation. When Tubbs Jones died suddenly in 2008, party leaders helped elevate Fudge, who had been Tubbs Jones’ chief of staff, as her successor.


buzzfeed--2020-03-16--Rudy Giuliani Doesn’t Know What He’s Going To Do During The Coronavirus Outbreak

Rudy Giuliani stepped out of his apartment on Sunday night and , like he does most Sundays , walked into Nicola ’ s Restaurant on the Upper East Side .
“ That place is [ usually ] packed on a Sunday night — packed , packed , packed , ” he said .
“ When I walked in , I was the first one there — I got the best table in the house.
” He had dinner , some drinks .
“ By the time I left there was no more than 10 people.
” Giuliani gets the freakout @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doesn ’ t really get it .
He wants people to wash their hands and drink lots of water and cough into their elbows , but these empty flights ?
Eating dinner at home ?
Canceling playdates ?
What is this , a war ?
“ When I walked down my city yesterday and I saw her empty , I said , this is out of a movie .
Like Mars has invaded , or — it reminded me of the man in the closet , that HBO thing.
” ( He probably @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Amazon thing . )
“ I mean , I was looking for the Nazis coming down the street .
I mean , it 's a little too much.
” In fact , the city he was once mayor of has been far from empty , and many , like Giuliani , went out to dinner and bars and cafés over the weekend despite the urging of public health professionals .
That is set to change on Tuesday , after Bill de Blasio , the current mayor , ordered all restaurants to switch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ York implements a series of measures to try to keep people at home .
Giuliani doesn ’ t know what he ’ s going to do .
“ One of my good friends pointed out to me I could starve to death because I do n't know how to cook , ” he said .
“ Could you put out an advertisement for a cook — for a nice man , eats reasonably , not picky ?
” Surely he could make ... something .
“ I 've been trying to learn — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Some guy was gon na show me how to make pasta .
I could probably do it by instinct.
” At 75 , Giuliani is in the range of people for which the coronavirus could be very serious if caught .
But , reached by phone on Monday , he said he was feeling fine and was in an unusually chipper mood .
The president ’ s personal lawyer has faded from the headlines ( and , mainly , into a podcast studio ) after months of shouting — on Fox , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would listen — about his conspiracy theory connecting Joe Biden to corruption in Ukraine , an elaborate plot against the president ’ s presumptive rival for the election in November that prompted an impeachment trial that engulfed Washington and now feels several light-years away .
But now is the time of the coronavirus , and everything is upside down .
We live in a world where Sen. Ted Cruz , a staunch Republican , is praising Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for giving “ good advice ” on how to behave in these uncertain times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of California , is praising Trump for some of his handling of the crisis , and is in turn getting praised by right-wing personalities like Tomi Lahren .
Those who were once enemies , are now — at least temporarily — partners .
What is a yeller like Giuliani to do ?
Jump on the bipartisan train of kindness .
In the course of our 20-minute conversation , Giuliani offered — with no prompting — defenses of Biden , Barack Obama , Nancy Pelosi , and Chuck Schumer .
He didn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coughing into his hand during the Democratic debate on Sunday night ( coughing into your elbow is not “ the way we were taught ” and “ I probably would ’ ve done the same thing ” ) .
For some reason he brought up Obama , and said he was once unjustly criticized for underestimating the deaths in a war zone ( the military was to blame because they were “ sucking his you-know-what ” ) .
Pelosi and Schumer , he said , “ got a little political , but they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ didn ’ t even have harsh words for de Blasio , who drew the ire of the city and much of the internet after he was caught distinctly not socially distancing himself by attending his favorite gym on Monday morning .
“ Look , you know I 'm a reflexive critic of de Blasio , ” Giuliani said .
“ I empathize with the position the mayor is in , and the governor and the president .
After all , these people did not invent this virus.
” What the actual hell is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whole world truly has gone topsy-turvy , rest assured that Giuliani borders on coronavirus truther , questioning whether it really is that different from the flu .
He worries that canceling playdates will turn children into “ a bunch of social invalids ” and compares the harsh measures being implemented by federal and local governments to if he had decided to crack down on crime by “ locking everybody up.
” He thinks that , come November , when the president is up for reelection , everyone will have forgotten about the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not something the country , and the world , will be grappling to recover from for a still-unknown period of time , even if the pandemic subsides by then ( which is no certainty ) .
“ I do n't think it 'll be tough for his reelection because I think it 's going to be over with by June or July , by nature of science , ” he said , relying on theories that COVID-19 could be seasonal , which remains unknown .
“ By mid-July , given the human memory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it .
The only people remembered West Nile in the off-season was me and my Department of Health.
” “ The minute that people do n't have the illness , they go back to watching the basketball games , ” he said .
“ And by the time we get to September and October , the Yankees are five games ahead .
I 'm not gon na be thinking about the coronavirus.
” Giuliani , who toyed with the idea of extending his term and delaying New York City ’ s mayoral election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said it was too soon for Trump to consider something similar .
“ Oh , no , no .
It 's way too early on the general election , way too early… .
By July , this is going to look very different than right now.
” Giuliani said he had talked to Trump in recent days , and that the president didn ’ t sound more stressed than usual .
“ I have to tell you about Donald J. Trump — he is never overwhelmed.
” Giuliani said Trump asked for what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nile Virus outbreak in New York , and the anthrax attacks in the wake of 9/11 .
“ I told him my first bit of advice on emergency management , which I learned from reading Winston Churchill , ” Giuliani said .
“ Tell people all the facts , tell them the unvarnished truth , even scare them if you have to , but never leave them that way , always find a way to give them hope in the end.
” In his press briefing Sunday night , Trump tried to do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tell reporters that Americans shouldn ’ t worry about running out of groceries , and then skipping out to “ make some calls.
” On Monday , he stayed longer , and told Americans to avoid being in groups of more than 10 people , while admitting , in response to a question , that the virus was not under control .

Rudy Giuliani stepped out of his apartment on Sunday night and, like he does most Sundays, walked into Nicola’s Restaurant on the Upper East Side.
“That place is [usually] packed on a Sunday night — packed, packed, packed,” he said. “When I walked in, I was the first one there — I got the best table in the house.” He had dinner, some drinks. “By the time I left there was no more than 10 people.”
Giuliani gets the freakout over the coronavirus pandemic, but he doesn’t really get it. He wants people to wash their hands and drink lots of water and cough into their elbows, but these empty flights? Eating dinner at home? Canceling playdates? What is this, a war?
“When I walked down my city yesterday and I saw her empty, I said, this is out of a movie. Like Mars has invaded, or — it reminded me of the man in the closet, that HBO thing.” (He probably meant Man in the High Castle, that Amazon thing.) “I mean, I was looking for the Nazis coming down the street. I mean, it's a little too much.”
In fact, the city he was once mayor of has been far from empty, and many, like Giuliani, went out to dinner and bars and cafés over the weekend despite the urging of public health professionals. That is set to change on Tuesday, after Bill de Blasio, the current mayor, ordered all restaurants to switch to delivery or takeout only as New York implements a series of measures to try to keep people at home.
Giuliani doesn’t know what he’s going to do. “One of my good friends pointed out to me I could starve to death because I don't know how to cook,” he said. “Could you put out an advertisement for a cook — for a nice man, eats reasonably, not picky?” Surely he could make...something. “I've been trying to learn — I'm a couple of days behind. Some guy was gonna show me how to make pasta. I could probably do it by instinct.”
At 75, Giuliani is in the range of people for which the coronavirus could be very serious if caught. But, reached by phone on Monday, he said he was feeling fine and was in an unusually chipper mood.
The president’s personal lawyer has faded from the headlines (and, mainly, into a podcast studio) after months of shouting — on Fox, into the ear of any journalist who would listen — about his conspiracy theory connecting Joe Biden to corruption in Ukraine, an elaborate plot against the president’s presumptive rival for the election in November that prompted an impeachment trial that engulfed Washington and now feels several light-years away.
But now is the time of the coronavirus, and everything is upside down. We live in a world where Sen. Ted Cruz, a staunch Republican, is praising Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for giving “good advice” on how to behave in these uncertain times. Gavin Newsom, the Democratic governor of California, is praising Trump for some of his handling of the crisis, and is in turn getting praised by right-wing personalities like Tomi Lahren. Those who were once enemies, are now — at least temporarily — partners. What is a yeller like Giuliani to do?
Jump on the bipartisan train of kindness. In the course of our 20-minute conversation, Giuliani offered — with no prompting — defenses of Biden, Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, and Chuck Schumer.
He didn’t get why people were teasing Biden for coughing into his hand during the Democratic debate on Sunday night (coughing into your elbow is not “the way we were taught” and “I probably would’ve done the same thing”). For some reason he brought up Obama, and said he was once unjustly criticized for underestimating the deaths in a war zone (the military was to blame because they were “sucking his you-know-what”). Pelosi and Schumer, he said, “got a little political, but they backed off it right away.”
He didn’t even have harsh words for de Blasio, who drew the ire of the city and much of the internet after he was caught distinctly not socially distancing himself by attending his favorite gym on Monday morning. “Look, you know I'm a reflexive critic of de Blasio,” Giuliani said. “I empathize with the position the mayor is in, and the governor and the president. After all, these people did not invent this virus.”
What the actual hell is going on?
Lest you think the whole world truly has gone topsy-turvy, rest assured that Giuliani borders on coronavirus truther, questioning whether it really is that different from the flu. He worries that canceling playdates will turn children into “a bunch of social invalids” and compares the harsh measures being implemented by federal and local governments to if he had decided to crack down on crime by “locking everybody up.”
He thinks that, come November, when the president is up for reelection, everyone will have forgotten about the coronavirus, as if the economic fallout is not something the country, and the world, will be grappling to recover from for a still-unknown period of time, even if the pandemic subsides by then (which is no certainty).
“I don't think it'll be tough for his reelection because I think it's going to be over with by June or July, by nature of science,” he said, relying on theories that COVID-19 could be seasonal, which remains unknown. “By mid-July, given the human memory, you're not gonna remember it. The only people remembered West Nile in the off-season was me and my Department of Health.”
“The minute that people don't have the illness, they go back to watching the basketball games,” he said. “And by the time we get to September and October, the Yankees are five games ahead. I'm not gonna be thinking about the coronavirus.”
Giuliani, who toyed with the idea of extending his term and delaying New York City’s mayoral election in the wake of Sept. 11, said it was too soon for Trump to consider something similar. “Oh, no, no. It's way too early on the general election, way too early…. By July, this is going to look very different than right now.”
Giuliani said he had talked to Trump in recent days, and that the president didn’t sound more stressed than usual. “I have to tell you about Donald J. Trump — he is never overwhelmed.”
Giuliani said Trump asked for what he learned from dealing with the West Nile Virus outbreak in New York, and the anthrax attacks in the wake of 9/11. “I told him my first bit of advice on emergency management, which I learned from reading Winston Churchill,” Giuliani said. “Tell people all the facts, tell them the unvarnished truth, even scare them if you have to, but never leave them that way, always find a way to give them hope in the end.”
In his press briefing Sunday night, Trump tried to do something like that, coming out to tell reporters that Americans shouldn’t worry about running out of groceries, and then skipping out to “make some calls.” On Monday, he stayed longer, and told Americans to avoid being in groups of more than 10 people, while admitting, in response to a question, that the virus was not under control.


buzzfeed--2020-03-16--Ohio's Governor Recommended His State Move Tuesday's Presidential Primary Because Of The Coronavirus

Ohio Gov .
Mike DeWine said the state ’ s Tuesday primary can not meet Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for preventing community spread of the coronavirus and is recommending postponing the vote until June 2 while continuing to accept absentee ballots by mail in the interim .
At an afternoon press conference , DeWine talked of a tough decision , made in consultation with other officeholders and voters calling with concerns about plans to go through with the primary as scheduled .
“ We should not force them to make this choice , ” DeWine said of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ others worried about their health .
“ The choice between their health and their constitutional rights and their duties as American citizens .
Further , we should not be in a situation where the votes of these individuals who are conflicted are suppressed.
” Technically , DeWine can not cancel or postpone the election himself .
A third-party lawsuit will be filed Monday in Franklin County , home of Columbus , the state capital .
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose , the state ’ s chief elections administrator , appeared at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not contest the lawsuit and submit to the court the recommendations DeWine outlined .
The circumstances around Tuesday 's primaries have shifted rapidly in just the last three days .
On Friday , as some states with primaries later in March or April began to move toward delaying their elections , state officials from Ohio , Arizona , Illinois , and Florida said in a joint statement that they intended to stay on track .
`` Americans have participated in elections during challenging times in the past , and based on the best @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we are confident that voters in our states can safely and securely cast their ballots in this election , and that otherwise healthy poll workers can and should carry out their patriotic duties on Tuesday , '' they said .
But in the days since then , states across the country , including Ohio and Illinois , have virtually shut down to try to slow the spread of the coronavirus .
Some states scheduled to vote Tuesday , including Ohio , have also reportedly had trouble recruiting poll workers .
And on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gatherings of more than 50 people in the next two months be canceled or delayed .
Polling centers often have at least that many people in one location at a given time .
Sophia Solis , spokesperson for the Arizona secretary of state , told BuzzFeed News that the Arizona primary is currently on track , but left room for that to change .
`` The situation is developing , but at this time we are still moving ahead with tomorrow ’ s Presidential Preference Election , '' she said .
Florida Secretary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said early Monday night that the state 's primary would go forward as planned .

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said the state’s Tuesday primary cannot meet Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for preventing community spread of the coronavirus and is recommending postponing the vote until June 2 while continuing to accept absentee ballots by mail in the interim.
At an afternoon press conference, DeWine talked of a tough decision, made in consultation with other officeholders and voters calling with concerns about plans to go through with the primary as scheduled.
“We should not force them to make this choice,” DeWine said of senior citizens, pregnant voters, and others worried about their health. “The choice between their health and their constitutional rights and their duties as American citizens. Further, we should not be in a situation where the votes of these individuals who are conflicted are suppressed.”
Technically, DeWine cannot cancel or postpone the election himself. A third-party lawsuit will be filed Monday in Franklin County, home of Columbus, the state capital. Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, the state’s chief elections administrator, appeared at the press conference and said the state would not contest the lawsuit and submit to the court the recommendations DeWine outlined.
The situation was still in flux Monday night: a judge rejected the attempt to delay the election. It was not immediately clear if the plaintiffs — independent of the state government but operating with their public blessing — would appeal.
DeWine and LaRose issued a joint statement late Monday that made no explicit order or any clear indication of their next moves, though they reiterated their belief that a primary cannot be held Tuesday.
"The only thing more important than a free and fair election is the health and safety of Ohioans," DeWine and LaRose said in the statement. "The Ohio Department of Health and the CDC have advised against anyone gathering in groups larger than 50 people, which will occur if the election goes forward. Additionally, Ohioans over 65 and those with certain health conditions have been advised to limit their nonessential contact with others, affecting their ability to vote or serve as poll workers. Logistically, under these extraordinary circumstances, it simply isn’t possible to hold an election tomorrow that will be considered legitimate by Ohioans. They mustn’t be forced to choose between their health and exercising their constitutional rights."
The circumstances around Tuesday's primaries have shifted rapidly in just the last three days. On Friday, as some states with primaries later in March or April began to move toward delaying their elections, state officials from Ohio, Arizona, Illinois, and Florida said in a joint statement that they intended to stay on track.
"Americans have participated in elections during challenging times in the past, and based on the best information we have from public health officials, we are confident that voters in our states can safely and securely cast their ballots in this election, and that otherwise healthy poll workers can and should carry out their patriotic duties on Tuesday," they said.
But in the days since then, states across the country, including Ohio and Illinois, have virtually shut down to try to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Some states scheduled to vote Tuesday, including Ohio, have also reportedly had trouble recruiting poll workers. And on Sunday, the CDC recommended that public gatherings of more than 50 people in the next two months be canceled or delayed. Polling centers often have at least that many people in one location at a given time.
“We understand the apprehension that voters have right now," Katie Hobbs, the secretary of state in Arizona, another state with a Tuesday primary, said in a statement late Monday. "I have been in consultation with election officials across the state, health experts and leaders from the Democratic Party who agree that the election should move forward tomorrow."
“This decision was not made lightly, and what it all comes down to is that we have no guarantee that there will be a safer time to hold this election in the near future, and elections do not end on Election Day," Hobbs added. "There are thousands of workers in communities across the state that must continue the job of counting the ballots in the days following the election. The longer we wait, the more difficult and dangerous it could become."
Florida Secretary of State Laurel Lee, meanwhile, said early Monday night that the state's primary would go forward as planned.


buzzfeed--2020-03-16--Live Results: Super Tuesday Democratic Primaries

It ’ s Super Tuesday , when one-third of the total delegates are up for grabs in 15 states and @ @ @ @ @ be updated as results come in .

It’s Super Tuesday, when one-third of the total delegates are up for grabs in 15 states and territories. This post will be updated as results come in.


buzzfeed--2020-03-17--Ohio’s Governor Says Primary Polls Will Be Closed Tuesday Because Of The Coronavirus

Ohio Gov .
Mike DeWine gives an update on the state 's preparedness efforts , Thursday , Feb. 27 , in Cleveland .
Ohio will close its polls for Tuesday ’ s presidential primary , citing a health emergency due to concerns over spread of the coronavirus .
The decision came late Monday , after hours of confusion and after a judge ruled against a lawsuit by private citizens endorsed by Gov .
Mike DeWine to postpone the primary until June 2 .
DeWine had said earlier Monday that state officials could not unilaterally change the date of a primary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ June make-up date .
`` During this time when we face an unprecedented public health crisis , to conduct an election tomorrow would force poll workers and voters to place themselves at a unacceptable health risk of contracting coronavirus , ” DeWine said in a statement late Monday night .
“ As such , Health Director Dr. Amy Acton will order the polls closed as a health emergency .
While the polls will be closed tomorrow , Secretary of State Frank LaRose will seek a remedy through the courts to extend voting options @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote will be granted that opportunity . ''
Polls were due to open in Ohio at 6:30 on Tuesday morning .
Online court records in Franklin County , Ohio , where Monday ’ s lawsuit was filed , showed an appeal to the judge ’ s ruling had been filed , with LaRose listed as a respondent .
It was not clear late Monday what would happen to early votes already cast or if the state would tabulate any results Tuesday .

Ohio will close its polls for Tuesday’s presidential primary, citing a health emergency due to concerns over the spread of the coronavirus.
The decision came late Monday, after hours of confusion and after a judge ruled against a lawsuit by private citizens endorsed by Gov. Mike DeWine to postpone the primary until June 2.
DeWine had said earlier Monday that state officials could not unilaterally change the date of a primary and recommended extending absentee voting until the June makeup date.
"During this time when we face an unprecedented public health crisis, to conduct an election tomorrow would force poll workers and voters to place themselves at a unacceptable health risk of contracting coronavirus,” DeWine said in a statement late Monday night. “As such, Health Director Dr. Amy Acton will order the polls closed as a health emergency. While the polls will be closed tomorrow, Secretary of State Frank LaRose will seek a remedy through the courts to extend voting options so that every voter who wants to vote will be granted that opportunity."
Polls were due to open in Ohio at 6:30 on Tuesday morning.
Online court records in Franklin County, Ohio, where Monday’s lawsuit was filed, showed an appeal to the judge’s ruling had been filed, with LaRose listed as a respondent.
It was not clear late Monday what would happen to early votes already cast or if the state would tabulate any results Tuesday.


buzzfeed--2020-03-17--Live Results: Arizona, Florida, And Illinois Democratic Primaries

This post will be updated as results come in .

Live Results: Arizona, Florida, And Illinois Democratic Primaries
This post will be updated as results come in.


buzzfeed--2020-03-17--*Could* TV Networks Actually Air Old Basketball Tournaments?

Last week , when it began to look likely that the NCAA would cancel March Madness , MSNBC ’ s Steve Kornacki proposed a solution : “ If there ’ s no NCAA tournament this year , ” he wrote on Twitter , “ I think CBS should go into the archives and assemble all the footage from one from years ago — commercials , pregame and halftime shows , in-game updates , everything .
Use 1992 or something .
Then just run it all like it ’ s new.
” Since then , the leagues have canceled or postponed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NBA season , the NHL season , spring training and the Major League Baseball season , and more .
Basically the only thing remaining on the schedule to cover live is the NFL draft , while more and more people get stranded at home .
So could TV networks air old college basketball tournaments ?
Or the 2000 NBA playoffs ?
What about the 1997 Masters where Tiger won that first time ?
I emailed representatives for a few of the major broadcasters earlier today with this general question of whether they would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or what issues might prevent them from doing so .
A spokesperson for ESPN quickly pointed me to a Tuesday Q & A with Burke Magnus , an EVP , about their programming plans without live sports to air ( or even talk about ) .
The general answer is ... it 's thinking about airing old games : Re-airing full-game presentations is not a right that we or other media companies typically have at our disposal at all times .
Each one of these circumstances requires individual conversations with the specific league @ @ @ @ @ @ @ possible .
Since we ’ ve heard from fans that would love to relive full-game presentations , particularly at this moment in time , we are exploring that possibility for events and content that we don ’ t have re-air rights already .
We are working with the leagues themselves to free up the possibility to show encore presentations and discussing how we can present them .
In some instances , we aren ’ t even the original rightsholder , which is the case for the Men ’ s NCAA Basketball Tournament , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be supplemented by ESPN live studio and news programming , plus original shows and films .
Basically , there are some real rights issues here .
At a minimum , you ’ d need a willing partnership between network and league .
Elsewhere in the Q & A , Magnus said the network is currently geared toward covering the NFL draft ( which is supposed to continue , just minus events ) but are also looking at scaling “ fun , compelling archival content and/or themed and stunt event programming that will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there are virtually no other live sports to watch.
” But the beauty of Steve ’ s original suggestion is that a full tournament would provide narrative .
In a situation where everyone is at home and isolated , you ’ re looking for something that could potentially create a communal experience with a beginning , middle , end , and surprises .
To get this , you need something that runs end to end — not just the one-off selection of Yankees Classics that air on the YES Network .
You need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to give a little mystery and fuzziness .
( Nobody really remembers most of anything from , for example , 1992 ’ s March Madness — except the Grant Hill–Christian Laettner play . )
You need this to air with a little fanfare in an easily accessible place — nobody wants to harass their friends to dig up some random grainy clips on YouTube .
And you need some good surprises in there too , like the actual ads from forever ago , since there ’ s no joy like seeing what was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
You need an old basketball tournament !
That ’ s what you need !

Last week, when it began to look likely that the NCAA would cancel March Madness, MSNBC’s Steve Kornacki proposed a solution:
“If there’s no NCAA tournament this year,” he wrote on Twitter, “I think CBS should go into the archives and assemble all the footage from one from years ago — commercials, pregame and halftime shows, in-game updates, everything. Use 1992 or something. Then just run it all like it’s new.”
Since then, the leagues have canceled or postponed March Madness, the Masters, the NBA season, the NHL season, spring training and the Major League Baseball season, and more because of the coronavirus. Basically the only thing remaining on the schedule to cover live is the NFL draft, while more and more people get stranded at home.
So could TV networks air old college basketball tournaments? Or the 2000 NBA playoffs? What about the 1997 Masters where Tiger won that first time?
I emailed representatives for a few of the major broadcasters earlier today with this general question of whether they would consider airing old playoffs and tournaments, or what issues might prevent them from doing so.
A spokesperson for ESPN quickly pointed me to a Tuesday Q&A with Burke Magnus, an EVP, about their programming plans without live sports to air (or even talk about).
The general answer is...it's thinking about airing old games:
Re-airing full-game presentations is not a right that we or other media companies typically have at our disposal at all times. Each one of these circumstances requires individual conversations with the specific league or property to determine what’s possible. Since we’ve heard from fans that would love to relive full-game presentations, particularly at this moment in time, we are exploring that possibility for events and content that we don’t have re-air rights already. We are working with the leagues themselves to free up the possibility to show encore presentations and discussing how we can present them. In some instances, we aren’t even the original rightsholder, which is the case for the Men’s NCAA Basketball Tournament, for example. Event programming will continue to be supplemented by ESPN live studio and news programming, plus original shows and films.
Basically, there are some real rights issues here. At a minimum, you’d need a willing partnership between network and league.
Elsewhere in the Q&A, Magnus said the network is currently geared toward covering the NFL draft (which is supposed to continue, just minus events) but are also looking at scaling “fun, compelling archival content and/or themed and stunt event programming that will provide a diversion at a time that there are virtually no other live sports to watch.”
(I also emailed reps for CBS Sports, Turner Sports, and Fox Sports earlier with the same question — no answer as of yet.)
But the beauty of Steve’s original suggestion is that a full tournament would provide narrative. In a situation where everyone is at home and isolated, you’re looking for something that could potentially create a communal experience with a beginning, middle, end, and surprises.
To get this, you need something that runs end to end — not just the one-off selection of Yankees Classics that air on the YES Network.
You need something that isn’t too recent to give a little mystery and fuzziness. (Nobody really remembers most of anything from, for example, 1992’s March Madness — except the Grant Hill–Christian Laettner play.) You need this to air with a little fanfare in an easily accessible place — nobody wants to harass their friends to dig up some random grainy clips on YouTube. And you need some good surprises in there too, like the actual ads from forever ago, since there’s no joy like seeing what was supposed to be cool 25 years ago.
You need an old basketball tournament! That’s what you need!


buzzfeed--2020-03-18--Members Of Congress Are Outraged That Trump Is Providing English-Only Guidance On The Coronavirus

The journalists at BuzzFeed News are proud to bring you trustworthy and relevant reporting about the coronavirus .
To help keep this news free , become a member and sign up for our newsletter , Outbreak Today .
WASHINGTON — Members of Congress are outraged that President Donald Trump released White House guidelines to address the coronavirus in just one language during the global pandemic .
Now some are taking translations into their own hands to help spread information on how to respond to the pandemic to non-English speakers .
The English-only two-page document titled “ The President ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quick how-to guide of what to do if you feel symptoms or have tested positive for the disease .
The document ultimately directs people to their state and local authorities .
But the White House , in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , have only published an English version of the guidelines .
( The CDC does have some information on its website in other languages . )
BOLD PAC , the political arm for the Congressional Hispanic Caucus , created its own translation of the guidelines for Spanish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A spokesperson for the PAC , Jazmin Vargas , said she relied on BOLD PAC ’ s bilingual staff and double-checked translation with Spanish-language media for the final product .
But , Vargas said , “ the President has the biggest platform in the country.
” “ It is not only cruel but irresponsible for this Administration to not make critical public health information accessible to everyone — in a language they can understand and trust , ” Rep. Tony Cárdenas , who chairs BOLD PAC , told BuzzFeed News in a statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nation with more than 40 million Americans who speak Spanish at home and over 20 percent of Americans who speak another language .
It 's a failure of leadership on behalf of the White House to ignore this reality.
” More than 25 million US residents self-reported having limited English proficiency , according to census data compiled by Migration Policy , a nonprofit focused on immigration policy .
A spokesperson for Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said the lawmaker concurs with BOLD PAC in that “ there has been a dangerous lack of communication to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by BuzzFeed News if it has plans to offer coronavirus information in other languages , the White House said it would do so “ as soon as possible ” but did not specify when .
Members of Congress who also represent Asian American communities were also dismayed by the administration ’ s handling of information to non-English speakers .
“ It is crucial that we are getting the message out however we can , and the White House and Trump administration definitely has the capability to put out these translations , ” Rep. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the political arm for Asian American members of Congress , told BuzzFeed News .
She credited grassroots organizations and “ in-language ” media for helping with translations to the large Asian community that she represents in New York City .
Meng said the coronavirus has received lots of attention from ethnic media largely because of the president ’ s anti-Chinese rhetoric when speaking about the pandemic .
In a press conference Wednesday , Trump referred to the coronavirus as the “ China virus ” and denied that the term was racist when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when you don ’ t have translations , is that , what we ’ re seeing , for example , in the Chinese community , in the Bangladeshi community we have many people who are not able to read or watch mainstream media outlets and they are getting false information from God knows where , ” Meng said .
“ But it is in-language and so they are believing it.
” Meng said she ’ s heard rumors in her community along the lines of , “ Oh , someone at a certain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ !
” Rep. Ted Lieu of California echoed Meng ’ s sentiment in a statement to BuzzFeed News .
“ There ’ s lots we don ’ t know about COVID-19 [ the disease caused by the novel coronavirus ] , but what we do know is that coronavirus can make nearly anyone sick — that includes Americans and US residents who speak languages other than English , ” Lieu said .
“ Social distancing and measures to reduce its spread require buy-in from everyone , regardless of whether they speak English , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ else .
We are all safer when all Americans act together to prevent the spread of coronavirus .
For that to work , everyone needs access to critical information .
”

WASHINGTON — Members of Congress are outraged that President Donald Trump released White House guidelines to address the coronavirus in just one language during the global pandemic. Now some are taking translations into their own hands to help spread information on how to respond to the pandemic to non-English speakers.
The English-only two-page document titled “The President’s Coronavirus Guidelines for America” is a quick how-to guide of what to do if you feel symptoms or have tested positive for the disease. The document ultimately directs people to their state and local authorities. But the White House, in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, have only published an English version of the guidelines. (The CDC does have some information on its website in other languages.)
Latino Rebels first reported that the guidance was English-only and contacted the White House on Monday night. The Trump administration released a Spanish language version of the guidelines on Twitter Thursday evening.
BOLD PAC, the political arm for the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, created its own translation of the guidelines for Spanish speakers and posted it on Twitter on Tuesday. A spokesperson for the PAC, Jazmin Vargas, said she relied on BOLD PAC’s bilingual staff and double-checked translation with Spanish-language media for the final product.
But, Vargas said, “the President has the biggest platform in the country.”
“It is not only cruel but irresponsible for this Administration to not make critical public health information accessible to everyone — in a language they can understand and trust,” Rep. Tony Cárdenas, who chairs BOLD PAC, told BuzzFeed News in a statement Wednesday. "We are a diverse nation with more than 40 million Americans who speak Spanish at home and over 20 percent of Americans who speak another language. It's a failure of leadership on behalf of the White House to ignore this reality.”
More than 25 million US residents self-reported having limited English proficiency, according to census data compiled by Migration Policy Institute, a nonprofit focused on immigration policy.
A spokesperson for Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said the lawmaker concurs with BOLD PAC in that “there has been a dangerous lack of communication to Spanish-speaking communities from White House.”
Asked by BuzzFeed News if it had plans to offer coronavirus information in other languages earlier Wednesday, the White House said it would do so “as soon as possible” but did not specify when. The Spanish language guidelines were posted hours later.
Members of Congress who also represent Asian American communities were also dismayed by the administration’s handling of information to non-English speakers.
“It is crucial that we are getting the message out however we can, and the White House and Trump administration definitely has the capability to put out these translations,” Rep. Grace Meng, who chairs ASPIRE PAC, the political arm for Asian American members of Congress, told BuzzFeed News. She credited grassroots organizations and “in-language” media for helping with translations to the large Asian community that she represents in New York City.
Meng said the coronavirus has received lots of attention from ethnic media largely because of the president’s anti-Chinese rhetoric when speaking about the pandemic. In a press conference Wednesday, Trump referred to the coronavirus as the “China virus” and denied that the term was racist when pushed by reporters.
“What happens when you don’t have translations, is that, what we’re seeing, for example, in the Chinese community, in the Bangladeshi community we have many people who are not able to read or watch mainstream media outlets and they are getting false information from God knows where,” Meng said. “But it is in-language and so they are believing it.”
Meng said she’s heard rumors in her community along the lines of, “Oh, someone at a certain supermarket has the virus. Stay away!”
Rep. Ted Lieu of California echoed Meng’s sentiment in a statement to BuzzFeed News.
“There’s lots we don’t know about COVID-19 [the disease caused by the novel coronavirus], but what we do know is that coronavirus can make nearly anyone sick — that includes Americans and US residents who speak languages other than English,” Lieu said. “Social distancing and measures to reduce its spread require buy-in from everyone, regardless of whether they speak English, Spanish, Mandarin, Arabic or something else. We are all safer when all Americans act together to prevent the spread of coronavirus. For that to work, everyone needs access to critical information.”


buzzfeed--2020-03-18--Members Of Congress Are Asking Nancy Pelosi To Let Them Vote Remotely Amid The Coronavirus Pandemic

“ The image of over 430 members and approximately 100 staffers clustered together on the House floor during votes is inconsistent with public health guidance.
” WASHINGTON — More than two dozen members of Congress have signed onto a bipartisan letter asking Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy to allow the House to vote remotely as the coronavirus pandemic rages on .
“ Tonight we ask that you bring to the floor a simple rule change that would permit remote voting for Members of Congress during this national public health emergency , ” the letter says .
Members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a week , but are expected to return to vote on a third coronavirus stimulus bill , likely next week .
“ We in Congress are asking businesses , schools , [ and ] local governments to execute strong plans to ensure continuity of essential services : Congress should be no exception .
… We are undermining our bipartisan message to the American people when we come together [ on ] the crowded House floor to vote , ” the letter , which is still in progress and currently signed by 28 members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over 430 members and approximately 100 staffers clustered together on the House floor during votes is inconsistent with public health guidance from public health officials.
” CNN first reported the existence of the letter .
There ’ s a lot we still don ’ t know about the coronavirus outbreak .
Our newsletter , Outbreak Today , will do its best to put everything we do know in one place — you can sign up here .
Do you have questions you want answered ?
You can always get in touch .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the impact of this firsthand , we ’ d also love to hear from you ( you can reach out to us via one of our tip line channels ) .
The letter comes after President Donald Trump discouraged gatherings larger than 10 people to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 , the disease caused by the coronavirus , on Monday .
The same day , Washington , DC , Mayor Muriel Bowser closed bars , restaurants , and gyms throughout the city .
DC ’ s metro service has also reduced service @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sunday , Pelosi encouraged Capitol Hill employees to promote social distancing , including teleworking from home during the weeklong in-district work period .
But Pelosi has consistently maintained that the Capitol will remain open in the face of a public health crisis .
Her office did not immediately respond to a request for comment .
“ We must lead by example .
During this global pandemic , we need to do all that we can to follow the guidance of medical experts and the Center for Disease Control , ” Rep. Tony Cárdenas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ signed onto the letter , told BuzzFeed News Wednesday .
“ Forcing members into a confined spaces and hours of public travel goes against the health guidance of the CDC to combat the coronavirus .
If remote voting is necessary to slow the spread of the virus , then Congress can and should adjust parliamentary rules to allow it.
” The Sergeant at Arms , in consultation with the House attending physician and leadership , limited visitor tours in the Capitol on Thursday until April 1 .
“ We recognize this is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pelosi and McCarthy .
“ But the moment demands that we have the courage to change .
The House of Representatives should expect of itself the same flexibility and high standards of hygiene that we are asking of others.
” This is a developing story .
Check back for updates and follow BuzzFeed News on Twitter.

WASHINGTON — More than two dozen members of Congress have signed onto a bipartisan letter asking Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy to allow the House to vote remotely as the coronavirus pandemic rages on.
“Tonight we ask that you bring to the floor a simple rule change that would permit remote voting for Members of Congress during this national public health emergency,” the letter says.
Members are at home in their districts for a week, but are expected to return to vote on a third coronavirus stimulus bill, likely next week.
“We in Congress are asking businesses, schools, [and] local governments to execute strong plans to ensure continuity of essential services: Congress should be no exception. … We are undermining our bipartisan message to the American people when we come together [on] the crowded House floor to vote,” the letter, which is still in progress and currently signed by 28 members, says. “The image of over 430 members and approximately 100 staffers clustered together on the House floor during votes is inconsistent with public health guidance from public health officials.”
CNN first reported the existence of the letter.


buzzfeed--2020-03-20--Staffers On Michael Bloomberg’s Campaign Are Losing Their Jobs In The Middle Of A Pandemic

Staffers of former presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg are staring down the possibility of losing their jobs and health care in the middle of an unprecedented pandemic .
When he joined the race last year , the billionaire said he would employ his campaign staff through the November election , even if he weren ’ t the nominee .
But Bloomberg dropped out after a poor showing on Super Tuesday , and he has since fired staffers in multiple waves .
His campaign had announced earlier in March that it would launch an independent expenditure group to take on Trump that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states .
Instead of creating his own organization in swing states , Bloomberg ’ s campaign said on Friday , he will donate $ 18 million to the Democratic National Committee — allowing the party to potentially hire organizers themselves .
That means many Bloomberg organizers are out of a job .
Organizers in six swing states were informed this morning that they were being let go and given instructions for applying to the DNC .
“ He ’ s chopping his employees in a pandemic , ” said one staffer in Florida @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they had signed a nondisclosure agreement .
“ My life is now uprooted and I ’ m effectively homeless.
” Another staffer in North Carolina said he and many other former campaign employees were `` completely blindsided '' by the news on Friday that they were losing their jobs .
`` It 's fucking scary , '' he said of the thought of staffers losing health care in the middle of the pandemic .
A Bloomberg campaign spokesperson said that staffers in the six battleground states who were supposed to be part of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be employed and paid through the first week in April and have full benefits through the end of April.
” The Florida staffer , who had previously been on Medicaid , moved to a swing state on the promise of a stable , well-paying job through November .
Without their own place to live , the staffer said , they planned to stay with family to wait out the coronavirus outbreak .
Bloomberg had already broken a promise of employment through November to some of the vast army of organizers he had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on which he spent a record $ 687 million of his personal fortune .
Staffers who were not in swing states were let go earlier this month .
But at the time , said the Florida staffer , they were still under the impression they would be employed by a Bloomberg campaign entity .
“ We got the message , ‘ Hey don ’ t worry , you guys are fine . '
” The Bloomberg spokesperson said staffers were being encouraged to apply to work for the DNC : “ The DNC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the six battleground states we identified — and more .
And we will assist the DNC as much as we are able to , including by providing names of staff and working to help them onboard and grow their program as expediently as possible.
” Staffers in swing states learned they were being let go on a call on Friday morning by campaign states director Dan Kanninen and human resources representative Katherine Sayers .
According to a script for the call , Kanninen informed the organizers of the decision to donate to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expenditure group , saying a separate group “ would simply not be as effective or efficient in our goal of defeating Donald Trump in November.
” “ We want as many of the organizing team from Mike2020 as possible to join the DNC ’ s effort — and we have designed a structure to facilitate the process for those who express interest , ” Kanninen said , according to the call script .
Employees learned they had five days to apply for DNC jobs in order to be considered .
Sayers , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out a Google Form no later than March 25 , even if they had “ previously noted interest in future opportunities as part of your off-boarding last week . ''
The Google Form will not guarantee Bloomberg staffers a job with the DNC .
Instead , their information will be `` fed into a competitive hiring process , '' Sayers told staffers on the phone call , `` and you will hear from the DNC on that process and next steps .
We will do everything possible to help them hire and onboard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
“ There will be an application process , ” the DNC official said on Friday .
“ Bloomberg organizers can apply.
” The DNC official declined to say exactly how many jobs will open as a result of the transfer but said the $ 18 million will allow the party to hire “ hundreds ” of new organizers for its existing “ Battleground Build-Up 2020 ” program , which funds offices and field organizers across 12 states that will be critical in the general election .
$ 18 million marks a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Democratic Party routinely lags in fundraising behind the GOP , with Donald Trump and the Republican National Committee bringing in more than $ 100 million last quarter .
Joe Biden , the candidate best positioned to clinch the Democratic nomination this summer , is still in the midst of professionalizing his field and fundraising programs for the general election .
Bloomberg previously discussed spending up to $ 1 billion of his own money to help defeat Trump .
On the call with employees , Kanninen said Bloomberg campaign leadership had made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ independent expenditure organization or super PAC , a move that may limit his spending in the future .
The $ 18 million transfer , a small fraction of what he ’ s discussed spending in the past , is the first money Bloomberg has publicly pledged since dropping out of the race two weeks ago .
“ There are good people out there that left their jobs behind to go work for a candidate that honestly most of us didn ’ t believe in the first place , ” said the former staffer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the necessity .
We did it for the job security .
”

Staffers of former presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg are staring down the possibility of losing their jobs and health care in the middle of an unprecedented pandemic.
When he joined the race last year, the billionaire said he would employ his campaign staff through the November election, even if he weren’t the nominee. But Bloomberg dropped out after a poor showing on Super Tuesday, and he has since fired staffers in multiple waves. His campaign had announced earlier in March that it would launch an independent expenditure group to take on Trump that would employ former campaign staffers in swing states.
Instead of creating his own organization in swing states, Bloomberg’s campaign said on Friday, he will donate $18 million to the Democratic National Committee — allowing the party to potentially hire organizers themselves.
That means many Bloomberg organizers are out of a job. Organizers in six swing states were informed this morning that they were being let go and given instructions for applying to the DNC.
“He’s chopping his employees in a pandemic,” said one staffer in Florida, who asked to remain anonymous because they had signed a nondisclosure agreement. “My life is now uprooted and I’m effectively homeless.”
Another staffer in North Carolina said he and many other former campaign employees were "completely blindsided" by the news on Friday that they were losing their jobs.
"It's fucking scary," he said of the thought of staffers losing health care in the middle of the pandemic.
A Bloomberg campaign spokesperson said that staffers in the six battleground states who were supposed to be part of the former candidate's now-aborted group “will be employed and paid through the first week in April and have full benefits through the end of April.”
The Florida staffer, who had previously been on Medicaid, moved to a swing state on the promise of a stable, well-paying job through November. Without their own place to live, the staffer said, they planned to stay with family to wait out the coronavirus outbreak.
Bloomberg had already broken a promise of employment through November to some of the vast army of organizers he had hired throughout his three-month presidential campaign, on which he spent a record $687 million of his personal fortune. Staffers who were not in swing states were let go earlier this month.
But at the time, said the Florida staffer, they were still under the impression they would be employed by a Bloomberg campaign entity. “We got the message, ‘Hey don’t worry, you guys are fine.'”
The Bloomberg spokesperson said staffers were being encouraged to apply to work for the DNC: “The DNC Coordinated Campaign is hiring in every one of the six battleground states we identified — and more. And we will assist the DNC as much as we are able to, including by providing names of staff and working to help them onboard and grow their program as expediently as possible.”
Staffers in swing states learned they were being let go on a call on Friday morning by campaign states director Dan Kanninen and human resources representative Katherine Sayers. According to a script for the call, Kanninen informed the organizers of the decision to donate to the DNC instead of creating an independent expenditure group, saying a separate group “would simply not be as effective or efficient in our goal of defeating Donald Trump in November.”
“We want as many of the organizing team from Mike2020 as possible to join the DNC’s effort — and we have designed a structure to facilitate the process for those who express interest,” Kanninen said, according to the call script.
Employees learned they had five days to apply for DNC jobs in order to be considered. Sayers, the HR representative, told them to fill out a Google Form no later than March 25, even if they had “previously noted interest in future opportunities as part of your off-boarding last week."
The Google Form will not guarantee Bloomberg staffers a job with the DNC. Instead, their information will be "fed into a competitive hiring process," Sayers told staffers on the phone call, "and you will hear from the DNC on that process and next steps. We will do everything possible to help them hire and onboard their new staff as expediently as possible."
“There will be an application process,” the DNC official said on Friday. “Bloomberg organizers can apply.”
The DNC official declined to say exactly how many jobs will open as a result of the transfer but said the $18 million will allow the party to hire “hundreds” of new organizers for its existing “Battleground Build-Up 2020” program, which funds offices and field organizers across 12 states that will be critical in the general election.
$18 million marks a significant influx of cash for the DNC.
The Democratic Party routinely lags in fundraising behind the GOP, with Donald Trump and the Republican National Committee bringing in more than $100 million last quarter. Joe Biden, the candidate best positioned to clinch the Democratic nomination this summer, is still in the midst of professionalizing his field and fundraising programs for the general election.
Bloomberg previously discussed spending up to $1 billion of his own money to help defeat Trump.
On the call with employees, Kanninen said Bloomberg campaign leadership had made the choice not to create a separate independent expenditure organization or super PAC, a move that may limit his spending in the future.
The $18 million transfer, a small fraction of what he’s discussed spending in the past, is the first money Bloomberg has publicly pledged since dropping out of the race two weeks ago.
“There are good people out there that left their jobs behind to go work for a candidate that honestly most of us didn’t believe in the first place,” said the former staffer in Florida. “We did it for the necessity. We did it for the job security.”


buzzfeed--2020-03-20--There Won't Be Any Standardized Tests This Year Due To Coronavirus, Trump Says

The journalists at BuzzFeed News are proud to bring you trustworthy and relevant reporting about the coronavirus .
To help keep this news free , become a member and sign up for our newsletter , Outbreak Today .
WASHINGTON — Students will not have to take standardized tests this year , and interest rates on federally held student loans will be 0 % for the next 60 days due to the coronavirus outbreak , President Donald Trump said Friday .
“ With many schools closed due to the virus , the Department of Education will not enforce standardized testing requirements @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elementary through high school for the current year , ” Trump said at his daily press briefing on the coronavirus pandemic .
“ They ’ ve been through a lot .
They ’ ve been going back and forth , schools open , schools not open…We ’ re not going to be enforcing that.
” Additionally , the government is waiving all interest on federally held student loans for the next two months , Trump said .
“ I ’ ve instructed them to take that action immediately , and today Secretary [ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal lenders to allow borrowers to suspend their student loans and loan payments without penalty for at least the next 60 days.
” That period could be extended if necessary , Trump said , and added that borrowers should contact their lenders about suspending payments if they are interested .
The president said there will be additional steps to help students during the pandemic in the coming days .
The White House also announced Friday that it will shut down both the country ’ s northern and southern borders to people entering the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asylum-seekers will be sent back to Canada or Mexico without being detained or processed .
The Department of Education confirmed that it has instructed federal student loan lenders to set interest rates rates at zero and allow people to suspend payments “ for at least two months ” in a release Friday morning .
“ Borrowers will have the option to suspend their payments for at least two months to allow them greater flexibility during the national emergency , ” the release said .
“ This will allow borrowers to temporarily stop their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In addition to news about how the government is addressing the pandemic , the daily White House coronavirus briefings have also been an opportunity for an often testy Trump to spar with reporters .
When an NBC reporter asked the president Friday , “ What do you say to Americans who are scared right now ?
” while citing the current number of cases in the US , Trump snapped back , “ I say that you ’ re a terrible reporter , that ’ s what I say .
”

WASHINGTON — Students will not have to take standardized tests this year, and interest rates on federally held student loans will be 0% for the next 60 days due to the coronavirus outbreak, President Donald Trump said Friday.
“With many schools closed due to the virus, the Department of Education will not enforce standardized testing requirements, very importantly, for students in elementary through high school for the current year,” Trump said at his daily press briefing on the coronavirus pandemic. “They’ve been through a lot. They’ve been going back and forth, schools open, schools not open…We’re not going to be enforcing that.”
Additionally, the government is waiving all interest on federally held student loans for the next two months, Trump said.
“I’ve instructed them to take that action immediately, and today Secretary [of Education Betsy] DeVos has directed federal lenders to allow borrowers to suspend their student loans and loan payments without penalty for at least the next 60 days.”
That period could be extended if necessary, Trump said, and added that borrowers should contact their lenders about suspending payments if they are interested. The president said there will be additional steps to help students during the pandemic in the coming days.
The White House also announced Friday that it will shut down both the country’s northern and southern borders to people entering the country illegally and that those immigrants and asylum-seekers will be sent back to Canada or Mexico without being detained or processed.
The Department of Education confirmed that it has instructed federal student loan lenders to set interest rates rates at zero and allow people to suspend payments “for at least two months” in a release Friday morning.
“Borrowers will have the option to suspend their payments for at least two months to allow them greater flexibility during the national emergency,” the release said. “This will allow borrowers to temporarily stop their payments without worrying about accruing interest.”
In addition to news about how the government is addressing the pandemic, the daily White House coronavirus briefings have also been an opportunity for an often testy Trump to spar with reporters. When an NBC reporter asked the president Friday, “What do you say to Americans who are scared right now?” while citing the current number of cases in the US, Trump snapped back, “I say that you’re a terrible reporter, that’s what I say.”


buzzfeed--2020-03-21--The Disorienting Thing Is You Can't Compare This To Anything

One of the more surreal aspects of this is that everything defies comparison .
There 's no one-to-one in living memory in American life : a self-imposed stop to the economy and a soft , country-wide quarantine .
There 's no fixed point toward which we 're supposed to be enduring , except to stay away to reduce the systemic strain of COVID-19 on people and hospitals .
What compares ?
There 's trivia to set off the macro elements of this — that the Supreme Court had n't canceled arguments since the Spanish Flu in 1918 , that Disneyland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mourning JFK 's assassination .
But the nontrivial , elevator-drop economic statistics that have begun rolling in illustrate the scale of what you can see in front of you .
This is not like the last , catastrophic recession ; this is total suspension of the economy that is catastrophically different — without comparison — and even looks that way in chart form .
And without a comparison , there ’ s no trajectory , just income disappearing and expenses fixed .
It ’ s like the US economy has turned into a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nothing functional .
The lack of macro comparison — and the depthless consideration of where this all leads — also extends into the micro level .
Technically , many of us are already having the same experience : socially distanced , at home , ad infinitum .
New York and California have locked down .
The next month will , by definition , be intense : isolated and constrained in space , accentuated by the strain of illness or joblessness or the potential for them .
There 's really no way this wo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's memory for the rest of their lives — where the streets of major cities turn into the almost soundless retreats of daytime walkers .
And just as you might be able to map out in memory your childhood bedroom , wherever you are right now and remain , this image and the everyday dynamic in that space will likely live forever .
But , paradoxically , these experiences are hyper-individualized .
Can you have a true , collective experience when the central vividness and intensity of the experience ( the people , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between any two homes ?
If you 've talked over text or phone with people in slightly different circumstances than your own the last week , you can maybe feel some of the little fault lines and frustrations , even in the opening phases .
People at home with young children will never know what it 's like to live alone during this period , and people who live alone will never know what it 's like to be a pair limited by health or age in venturing much of anywhere .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moment free from demand , and the unending stretch of silent hours ca n't really be alike in shared , cultural memory .
It 's this weird distillation of the individual experience — the same but incomparable — during a heightened period that we 're all living concurrently .
Even in the case of similar elements that might comprise A and B 's spring of social distancing , the reality of isolation necessarily prevents comparison between like and like .
In Frederick Exley ’ s A Fan ’ s Notes — a dark @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being out of place — when the narrator describes a recurrent dream of his , Exley writes , “ John Jay Chapman once said of William James that he seemed always to be stepping out of a sadness to meet one ; as , a little startled , most of us seem always to be stepping out of predominant hues , whether of gaiety or equanimity or frolicsomeness or gravity , to meet another.
” The fundamental gap in social isolation is the lack of comparison — the inability to meaningfully step out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a more complicated understanding .
You can attempt this kind of exchange on the phone or in writing , and you can , of course , work to imagine the circumstances of others , physical or emotional .
But from within the disorienting , incomparable quasi-quarantine where you can practically feel your mind carving the memories up already , there ’ s no intellectual distance or fluid act of comparison .
There ’ s only the depthless consideration of the hazy , ever darkening national situation , and the sharpening personal one .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ca n't or wo n't happen ultimately .
In a time without much history or memory to work backward and forward from , if anything , the promise of that future comparison , even if it 's chaotic , is the destination for endurance .
That has formed vaguely in my own mind as a party : a crowd reunited , in too small a space , inside an open business , on a summer night — think that good New York-in-the-movies lighting , black and gold , with something with synths playing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely to carry off , but that ’ s been floating through my head in idle moments as the fixed , if ephemeral point .
●

One of the more surreal aspects of this is that everything defies comparison.
There's no one-to-one in living memory in American life: a self-imposed stop to the economy and a soft, country-wide quarantine. There's no fixed point toward which we're supposed to be enduring, except to stay away to reduce the systemic strain of COVID-19 on people and hospitals. What compares?
There's trivia to set off the macro elements of this — that the Supreme Court hadn't canceled arguments since the 1918 flu pandemic, that Disneyland hadn't closed except for 9/11 and mourning JFK's assassination. But the nontrivial, elevator-drop economic statistics that have begun rolling in illustrate the scale of what you can see in front of you. This is not like the last, catastrophic recession; this is total suspension of the economy that is catastrophically different — without comparison — and even looks that way in chart form. And without a comparison, there’s no trajectory, just income disappearing and expenses fixed. It’s like the US economy has turned into a dead amusement park, everything visible but nothing functional.
The lack of macro comparison — and the depthless consideration of where this all leads — also extends into the micro level.
Technically, many of us are already having the same experience: socially distanced, at home, ad infinitum. New York and California have locked down.
The next month will, by definition, be intense: isolated and constrained in space, accentuated by the strain of illness or joblessness or the potential for them. There's really no way this won't be a time etched into everyone's memory for the rest of their lives — where the streets of major cities turn into the almost soundless retreats of daytime walkers. And just as you might be able to map out in memory your childhood bedroom, wherever you are right now and remain, this image and the everyday dynamic in that space will likely live forever.
But, paradoxically, these experiences are hyper-individualized. Can you have a true, collective experience when the central vividness and intensity of the experience (the people, the place) will vary so much between any two homes?
If you've talked over text or phone with people in slightly different circumstances than your own the last week, you can maybe feel some of the little fault lines and frustrations, even in the opening phases. People at home with young children will never know what it's like to live alone during this period, and people who live alone will never know what it's like to be a pair limited by health or age in venturing much of anywhere. The total lack of a quiet, ordered moment free from demand, and the unending stretch of silent hours can't really be alike in shared, cultural memory. It's this weird distillation of the individual experience — the same but incomparable — during a heightened period that we're all living concurrently.
Even in the case of similar elements that might comprise A and B's spring of social distancing, the reality of isolation necessarily prevents comparison between like and like. In Frederick Exley’s A Fan’s Notes — a dark book about sports, alcoholism, and being out of place — when the narrator describes a recurrent dream of his, Exley writes, “John Jay Chapman once said of William James that he seemed always to be stepping out of a sadness to meet one; as, a little startled, most of us seem always to be stepping out of predominant hues, whether of gaiety or equanimity or frolicsomeness or gravity, to meet another.”
The fundamental gap in social isolation is the lack of comparison — the inability to meaningfully step out of our predominant hues and enter into a more complicated understanding. You can attempt this kind of exchange on the phone or in writing, and you can, of course, work to imagine the circumstances of others, physical or emotional. But from within the disorienting, incomparable quasi-quarantine where you can practically feel your mind carving the memories up already, there’s no intellectual distance or fluid act of comparison. There’s only the depthless consideration of the hazy, ever-darkening national situation, and the sharpening personal one.
Which isn't to say that this can't or won't happen ultimately. In a time without much history or memory to work backward and forward from, if anything, the promise of that future comparison, even if it's chaotic, is the destination for endurance. That has formed vaguely in my own mind as a party: a crowd reunited, in too small a space, inside an open business, on a summer night — think that good New York–in-the-movies lighting, black and gold, with something with synths playing. This is nothing I am even likely to carry off, but that’s been floating through my head in idle moments as the fixed, if ephemeral point. ●