vox--2020-05-09--Why we’re reading bucket list books in quarantine

Welcome to Vox ’ s weekly book link roundup , a curated selection of the internet ’ s best writing on books and related subjects .
Here we are in miraculous May , which made a rather gray and chilly debut where I am .
For my money , that makes it a perfect time to read about Greek literature and murder , so over at the Vox Book Club , we ’ ve started to make our way through The Secret History .
Come hang !
You can sign up to receive updates on the book club here .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the internet has been brewing up a storm of # content writing and thinking about books .
Here is the best online writing on books and related subjects for the week of May 3 , 2020 .
• In the New York Times , E. Tammy Kim reads a novel from North Korea : • At JStor Daily , Livia Gershon introduces us to the farm women who survived the Depression by reading : To many women , Lindell argues , reading seemed like a justifiable form of leisure .
It was more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a movie theater .
Some women read to their children , and families studied the Bible together .
But female readers reported that they read largely because it was fun .
“ Those whose lives are the most humdrum may feel themselves lifted out of the ordinary into a more joyous phase of living , ” one wrote .
• At Vanity Fair , Madeleine L ’ Engle biographer Abigail Santamaria looks at how the fear of nuclear war shaped L ’ Engle ’ s fiction : “ A Sign for a Sparrow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Atomic Age , opens on the radioactive wasteland of a flickering-green Earth .
The main character , a cryptologist , receives orders to leave his young family and join an expedition through time and space in search of an inhabitable planet .
Before departure , he pauses : “ If he looked directly upwards , he could no longer see the green flickering , only the dark chasm of sky and the pulses of stars and the steady glow of planets .
‘ O God , if you are , ’ he begged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be great enough to comprehend the small , do not forget thy sparrows.
’ ” • Amazon Vice President Tim Bray has resigned in protest over Amazon ’ s firing of workers who objected to the company ’ s warehouse conditions .
Here ’ s an excerpt from his open letter : Amazon ’ s messaging has been urgent that they are prioritizing this issue and putting massive efforts into warehouse safety .
I actually believe this : I have heard detailed descriptions from people I trust of the intense work and huge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ let ’ s grant that you don ’ t turn a supertanker on a dime .
But I believe the worker testimony too .
And at the end of the day , the big problem isn ’ t the specifics of Covid-19 response .
It ’ s that Amazon treats the humans in the warehouses as fungible units of pick-and-pack potential .
• In the New York Times , Dwight Garner reads the literature of breakfast : Nicholson Baker ’ s miraculous “ The Mezzanine ” is among the great toast novels in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to cut toast diagonally instead of straight across because “ the corner of a triangularly cut slice gave you an ideal first bite.
” Conversely , if you made the mistake of cutting your toast rectangularly , “ you had to angle the shape into your mouth , as you angle a big dresser through a hall doorway.
” • At the Times Literary Supplement , Alexander Wooley considers why the pandemic has him reaching for bucket list books : • At LitHub , Joyce Hinnefeld explores why it is so difficult to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I started reading The Circle though ( well beyond a week after it was published ) , the thing that induced a feeling of mild nausea in me as I read was not the ways in which that novel ’ s depiction of an ur-tech company ( a kind of combined Facebook and Google ) already felt dated .
It was , instead , a feeling of familiar dread that grew into a deeper aversion as I read , a sense that I already know how glib , superficial , and exploitative that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or want to be reminded of that .
And a sense that this is decidedly not what I go to fiction for .
• At 3 : AM Magazine , Lucy Sweeney Byrne argues that the best autofiction ever written is the early ’ 00s reality soap The Hills : I started talking about The Hills , firstly , because , as I mentioned , the theme tune comes to mind when I ’ m asked about autofiction , which I recently was , yet again ( “ Staring at the blank page @ @ @ @ @ @ @ window / Let the sun illuminate… ” ) , but also to demonstrate how it so casually and unapologetically did something the world of contemporary literature is struggling to get its head around , even now .
In an age when the artists , the leading intellectuals , the people who are supposed to be at the forefront of avant-garde thought and experimentalism , whatever the hell that might be these days ( sitting in a large room and holding eye-contact with people ?
Not using full stops ?
Taking drugs ? )
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , autofiction , and fact , The Hills managed to blur the lines entirely between fact and fiction , and to do so in a way that proved genuinely exciting , without having to have endless debates over what it actually was .
And here ’ s the week in books at Vox : • Great books you can read in quarantine , organized by level of difficulty • Emma Straub ’ s All Adults Here is a beach read for when you can ’ t get to the beach • Kristin Lavransdatter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doesn ’ t care if we live or die • Ask a Book Critic : I want a captivating novel that won ’ t make me think too much • Vox Book Club , The Secret History , week 1 : Did Bunny have it coming ?
As always , you can keep up with all our books coverage by visiting vox.com/books .
Happy reading !
Every day at Vox , we aim to answer your most important questions and provide you , and our audience around the world , with information that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Our mission has never been more vital than it is in this moment : to empower you through understanding .
Vox ’ s work is reaching more people than ever , but our distinctive brand of explanatory journalism takes resources — particularly during a pandemic and an economic downturn .
Your financial contribution will not constitute a donation , but it will enable our staff to continue to offer free articles , videos , and podcasts at the quality and volume that this moment requires .
Please consider making a contribution to Vox @ @

Welcome to Vox’s weekly book link roundup, a curated selection of the internet’s best writing on books and related subjects.
Here we are in miraculous May, which made a rather gray and chilly debut where I am. For my money, that makes it a perfect time to read about Greek literature and murder, so over at the Vox Book Club, we’ve started to make our way through The Secret History. Come hang! You can sign up to receive updates on the book club here.
In the meantime, the rest of the internet has been brewing up a storm of #content writing and thinking about books. Here is the best online writing on books and related subjects for the week of May 3, 2020.
In the New York Times, E. Tammy Kim reads a novel from North Korea:
What is North Korean literature, as read by North Koreans? One of the few English translations of a novel from Pyongyang — “Friend,” by Paek Nam-nyong, originally published in 1988 — offers a beguiling introduction to the everyday, with none of the rockets and military parades that the words “North Korea” often bring to mind. As recent coverage of the health and whereabouts of the nation’s leader, Kim Jong-un, reminds us, fiction may offer more durable truths than speculative news.
At JStor Daily, Livia Gershon introduces us to the farm women who survived the Depression by reading:
To many women, Lindell argues, reading seemed like a justifiable form of leisure. It was more affordable than radio and more accessible than a movie theater. Some women read to their children, and families studied the Bible together. But female readers reported that they read largely because it was fun. “Those whose lives are the most humdrum may feel themselves lifted out of the ordinary into a more joyous phase of living,” one wrote.
At Vanity Fair, Madeleine L’Engle biographer Abigail Santamaria looks at how the fear of nuclear war shaped L’Engle’s fiction:
“A Sign for a Sparrow,” set 150 years after the Atomic Age, opens on the radioactive wasteland of a flickering-green Earth. The main character, a cryptologist, receives orders to leave his young family and join an expedition through time and space in search of an inhabitable planet. Before departure, he pauses: “If he looked directly upwards, he could no longer see the green flickering, only the dark chasm of sky and the pulses of stars and the steady glow of planets. ‘O God, if you are,’ he begged silently, ‘care for us, be great enough to comprehend the small, do not forget thy sparrows.’”
Amazon Vice President Tim Bray has resigned in protest over Amazon’s firing of workers who objected to the company’s warehouse conditions. Here’s an excerpt from his open letter:
Amazon’s messaging has been urgent that they are prioritizing this issue and putting massive efforts into warehouse safety. I actually believe this: I have heard detailed descriptions from people I trust of the intense work and huge investments. Good for them; and let’s grant that you don’t turn a supertanker on a dime. But I believe the worker testimony too. And at the end of the day, the big problem isn’t the specifics of Covid-19 response. It’s that Amazon treats the humans in the warehouses as fungible units of pick-and-pack potential.
In the New York Times, Dwight Garner reads the literature of breakfast:
Nicholson Baker’s miraculous “The Mezzanine” is among the great toast novels in our literature. His narrator instructs readers to cut toast diagonally instead of straight across because “the corner of a triangularly cut slice gave you an ideal first bite.” Conversely, if you made the mistake of cutting your toast rectangularly, “you had to angle the shape into your mouth, as you angle a big dresser through a hall doorway.”
At the Times Literary Supplement, Alexander Wooley considers why the pandemic has him reaching for bucket list books:
Pre-virus, I treated book-buying as a wine collector might think of his clarets – to be laid down; I would see whether both they and I aged well or not, what the reviews said ten and twenty years after they were fermented. Now, it’s time to uncork that Château Margaux and pull that Guns of August from the shelf.
At LitHub, Joyce Hinnefeld explores why it is so difficult to write well about the internet:
When I started reading The Circle though (well beyond a week after it was published), the thing that induced a feeling of mild nausea in me as I read was not the ways in which that novel’s depiction of an ur-tech company (a kind of combined Facebook and Google) already felt dated. It was, instead, a feeling of familiar dread that grew into a deeper aversion as I read, a sense that I already know how glib, superficial, and exploitative that world is and don’t need or want to be reminded of that. And a sense that this is decidedly not what I go to fiction for.
At 3:AM Magazine, Lucy Sweeney Byrne argues that the best autofiction ever written is the early ’00s reality soap The Hills:
I started talking about The Hills, firstly, because, as I mentioned, the theme tune comes to mind when I’m asked about autofiction, which I recently was, yet again (“Staring at the blank page before you / Open up the dirty window / Let the sun illuminate…”), but also to demonstrate how it so casually and unapologetically did something the world of contemporary literature is struggling to get its head around, even now. In an age when the artists, the leading intellectuals, the people who are supposed to be at the forefront of avant-garde thought and experimentalism, whatever the hell that might be these days (sitting in a large room and holding eye-contact with people? Not using full stops? Taking drugs?), are clamouring about definitions between fiction, autofiction, and fact, The Hills managed to blur the lines entirely between fact and fiction, and to do so in a way that proved genuinely exciting, without having to have endless debates over what it actually was.
And here’s the week in books at Vox:
As always, you can keep up with all our books coverage by visiting vox.com/books. Happy reading!


vox--2020-05-09--It’s time to take UFOs seriously. Seriously.

The Pentagon recently released three videos of UFOs recorded by the Navy — one taken in 2004 and the other two in 2015 .
The videos , which first leaked a couple of years ago , show … well , it ’ s not exactly clear .
There are various objects — two of which look like aircraft — spinning through the sky and moving in ways that defy easy explanation .
As the images bop across the screen , you can hear the pilots ’ excitement and confusion in real time as they track whatever it is they ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what you would call a UFO enthusiast , but the videos are the most compelling I ’ ve ever seen .
They seem to confirm , at the very least , that UFOs are real — not that aliens exist , but that there are unidentified objects buzzing around the sky .
Now , do I think aliens are real ?
Yeah , probably .
Are they flying spaceships into our atmosphere ?
Who the hell knows ?
The best anyone can say is that there ’ s a non-zero chance that some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hands , and that , I ’ d argue , is reason enough to talk about them .
But it ’ s barely cracked the news cycle .
Even in a pandemic , you ’ d think we ’ d have a little time for UFO talk .
So in an attempt to force a UFO conversation into the public discourse , I contacted Alexander Wendt , a professor of international relations at Ohio State University .
Wendt is a giant in his field of IR theory , but in the past 15 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ become an amateur ufologist .
He wrote an academic article about the political implications of UFOs in 2008 , and , more recently , he gave a TEDx talk calling out the “ taboo ” against studying UFOs .
Wendt is about the closest thing you ’ ll find to a UFO expert in a world in which ufology isn ’ t a real science .
Like other enthusiasts , he ’ s spent a lot of time looking at the evidence , thinking about the stakes , and theorizing about why extraterrestrials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In this conversation , which has been lightly edited for clarity , we discuss why scientists refuse to take UFOs seriously , why he thinks there ’ s a good chance ETs are behind the aircraft in those videos , and why he believes the discovery of extraterrestrial life would be the most significant event in human history .
Do you believe in extraterrestrial life ?
Well , it ’ s kind of like asking if somebody believes in God .
It ’ s just an odd question .
I certainly believe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s extraterrestrial life somewhere in the universe , and I suspect even most scientists might agree with that now .
The real question is , are ETs here ?
And that ’ s obviously a much more debatable question .
Are they here ?
I think the odds are high enough that we should be investigating it .
It ’ s as simple as that .
Why would aliens conceal their existence ?
I know you have theories on this — It ’ s possible they ’ ve been here all along @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ ve been thinking about lately , which is a bit unsettling .
Because it means it ’ s their planet and not ours .
They could just be intergalactic tourists .
Maybe they ’ re looking for certain minerals .
It could just be scientific curiosity .
It could be that they ’ re extracting our DNA .
I mean , who knows ?
I have no idea .
All I know is that if they are here , they seem to be peaceful .
You ’ ve thought about this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have a hunch as to which of those scenarios is most likely .
I think if they are here , they ’ ve probably been here a very long time — that ’ s my guess .
And , look , there are medieval woodcuts that seem to show UFOs .
There are UFO stories in the Bible , apparently , or at least stories that are interpreted that way .
So I think they ’ ve probably been here a long time if they ’ re here .
We ’ re having @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very public about calling out a “ taboo ” against studying UFOs .
What ’ s your claim here ?
It ’ s very simple .
There are things going on in the sky that are strange and do not have an obvious explanation .
These are UFOs , and like any other unidentified phenomenon , human beings are curious creatures and normally scientists will rush out to study whatever we find fascinating or puzzling .
But in this case , scientists won ’ t touch it with a 10-foot pole .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even though the Navy is now saying , “ Hey , we ’ ve got UFOs on film , here they are , ” the scientists are still not going to study them .
So there seems to be something blocking the scientific community from engaging this phenomenon , even though anything else even remotely this interesting would generate limitless research dollars .
Is this some kind of conspiracy of silence ?
How does a taboo like this take hold in the first place ?
We argued in our 2008 academic paper that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anthropocentric .
Basically , that means human beings are sovereigns .
In ancient times , it was the gods or nature that was thought to rule over everything .
Now it ’ s human beings .
And this principle is embodied in the state .
And if you call that into question , if you call into question that the state is not the only potential sovereign here , the whole legitimacy of the state is called into question .
So the whole worldview of the modern state is very vulnerable to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even ask the question because it raises the possibility that there could be ETs here .
And that would just blow everything wide open .
That ’ s an argument for why states might not be interested in this question , but it doesn ’ t explain why non-state actors or the private sector isn ’ t particularly eager to study this .
Now , that ’ s a very good point .
In our paper , we only dealt with states .
What ’ s interesting lately is that states seem more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I think there ’ s a hubris in the scientific community , a belief that human beings are the most intelligent species on this planet , and it ’ s very hard to come to grips with the idea that if there are aliens here , they ’ re obviously much smarter than we are .
I ’ ve received a lot of emails from individual scientists in response to my TEDx talk .
And all of them said the same thing , which is , “ Thank you , we wish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can ’ t because our lives depend on getting grants from the government and other research institutes , and if anybody gets worried that we ’ re interested in UFOs , boom , they won ’ t get a cent and their careers will be in the tank.
” But I still think most scientists believe this is all nonsense anyway , and that ’ s frankly disappointing .
“ I worry about my fellow human beings more than I worry about the aliens ” I think there are other explanations here , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
First , let ’ s talk about these Navy videos .
What do you think you ’ re seeing when you watch these ?
The first thing I ’ d say is that it doesn ’ t matter what I think because I ’ m not a scientist , right ?
I don ’ t know what ’ s on those videos .
But to me , I listened to the pilots , to their voices , and I trust them much more than I would trust myself .
And they ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , whether it ’ s alien life , who knows ?
It ’ s a plausible explanation .
My point is that we should be agnostic about this and simply study it scientifically .
Let ’ s do the science and then we can talk about what we found .
Until we ’ ve done that , it ’ s all bullshit .
Is it possible that there is no real taboo and that the lack of rigorous study has more to do with the limits of the field or the paucity of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s true that the evidence we have is very vague .
Most of it is anecdotal .
It ’ s not scientific .
A lot of it is eyewitness reports .
On the other hand , the evidence has been going on for many decades .
It ’ s very consistent , in many ways .
It ’ s all over the world .
There ’ s a huge number of cases and there is physical evidence in the form of videos or radar accounts .
And when that evidence comes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s safe to say that it ’ s legit and not doctored .
But what would a science of UFOs even look like ?
How do we study empirically something for which there ’ s so little empirical evidence ?
Like Elizabeth Warren says , I have a plan for that .
About five years ago , some colleagues of mine and I formed a nonprofit called UFO data .
And the objective we set for the nonprofit was to create a ground-based network of surveillance stations that would monitor the sky 24/7 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ looking for UFOs .
Anything comes along , boom , the cameras start snapping pictures or radar or film until the UFO passes .
The technology is very sophisticated now and very cheap .
I don ’ t quite understand the need for that .
There are thousands of satellites and radar systems operating all over the world at every moment , surveilling and recording and tracking .
An obvious question is , why are there not more sightings ?
Why is there not more evidence ?
Why are there so few compelling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the problem is that a lot of the parameters of these technologies that we use to look for asteroids and meteors and all these other things are such that UFOs may not be within those parameters .
And so they ’ ll just be discarded as noise or unnoticeable junk .
So that ’ s one explanation for why we see less than we might .
Secondly , no one has bothered to actually look for UFOs .
We ’ re looking for ETs around distant stars , we ’ re looking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at all kinds of other things in the atmosphere .
No one , as far as I know , is seriously looking for UFOs .
But to me , it doesn ’ t really matter why we don ’ t see more .
What matters is those three videos that the Navy released .
I defy anyone to watch those and come away thinking there ’ s nothing there worth investigating .
Those pilots who spent thousands of hours in the sky , who are flying the most sophisticated machines in the entire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have never seen before and are completely blown away by it .
Again , these are videos released by the Navy , and so I ’ m inclined to believe what I ’ m seeing .
What ’ s striking is that the objects don ’ t behave like natural phenomena .
One of the objects rotates as it ’ s flying against the wind , which is not normal .
And the pilots are clearly under the impression that these objects are under intelligent control .
Are you persuaded at all by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ instance , that some of the UFOs are actually weather balloons or drones or shadows of aircraft above and that what appear to be advanced maneuvers are really just the product of infrared glare or camera angles or eyewitness errors .
I think the majority of UFO reports probably have conventional explanations like that and they ’ re just misidentifications by observers on the ground .
That ’ s probably the majority of cases .
So it ’ s really the hardcore minority cases that don ’ t have those kinds of obvious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we have better physical evidence , or authoritative sources , like the military .
And it ’ s really easy to throw out skeptical possibilities .
But I look at those videos and they don ’ t look fake to me at all .
The pilots clearly don ’ t think so , either .
Tell me the truth : You think it ’ s aliens , right ?
I think so .
If I were placing a bet , I guess I would say 51 to 49 in favor of ETs .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ at all if the opposite were true .
Again , we haven ’ t done the science .
To say that something is hard to explain is not to say that it ’ s inexplicable , though .
It ’ s entirely possible — likely , even — that there ’ s a simple account of these encounters and we just don ’ t have it yet .
What ’ s the Occam ’ s razor explanation for these UFO sightings ?
To me , the Occam ’ s razor explanation is ETs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like that .
And you don ’ t need a whole bunch of different theories or assumptions for all these different phenomena , right ?
Because the phenomena are different .
But I guess I don ’ t see a competing explanation of any kind that would explain some of the stuff that we either have on film or the pilots have seen .
And , again , why didn ’ t the military come up with these alternative explanations ?
They must have thought about them and concluded it doesn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not sure that ’ s right .
They may have a strong hunch but simply can ’ t prove it , so it remains officially “ unidentified.
” We can definitely say that the chances that aliens are involved is non-zero , but beyond that , I have no idea .
But a weather balloon or malfunctioning radar systems or just eyewitness mistakes seem like much simpler explanations .
But you ’ d have to explain why multiple instruments were all malfunctioning in the same way at the same time .
You ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you ’ ve got radar on the ships down below tracking at the same time .
You ’ ve got communications going on with people on the ships and the planes and the guys in the planes .
So whatever explanations people do offer , they ’ ve got to fit the data .
It doesn ’ t look like that was a weather balloon that those guys were seeing .
I assume professional fighter pilots are pretty good at spotting and recognizing weather balloons , and surely that ’ s a common @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be a skeptic here , I get that .
All I ’ m saying is that there ’ s enough here to justify the science .
The puzzle is that we ’ re not doing the science .
To me , that ’ s the essential phenomenon that ’ s of interest .
Why should scientists care about UFOs ?
Why should philosophers care ?
Why should anyone care ?
Because if ETs were discovered , it would be the most important event in human history .
If it became known , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the sense that we might see a collapse of state authority .
We might see chaos .
The possibility of contact with a civilization that has vastly more knowledge than we do is exciting and terrifying and unpredictable .
I mean , isn ’ t that a case for putting our heads down and minding our fucking business ?
Stephen Hawking famously warned humanity about the perils of first contact with an alien species .
“ If aliens visit us , ” he said , “ the outcome would be much as when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t turn out well for the Native Americans.
” My feeling is that if they ’ re here , they ’ re almost certainly peaceful , because if they were not peaceful they would have wiped us out a long time ago .
They can probably do it very quickly .
So my assumption is they don ’ t mean any harm .
But it ’ s still the case that society could implode or destabilize as a result of colliding with ETs .
That ’ s a big assumption .
If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ peaceful , sure .
But they might also be on a scouting operation .
They might be looking for holes in our defenses , weaknesses in our societies and in our physical bodies .
The point , obviously , is that we have no freaking idea .
So maybe that ’ s the case for following Hawking ’ s lead here , right ?
Maybe it ’ s best to not go poking about for superior life .
I ’ ve thought about this , and I worry less about poking around and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ realization that these things are here and then an internal implosion of our society .
So I worry about my fellow human beings more than I worry about the aliens .
So I guess in that sense , I disagree with Hawking ’ s premise that they ’ re out to get us .
But sure , it ’ s possible they ’ re on a surveillance mission .
But people have been reporting UFOs for at least 80 years , and that ’ s a really , really long surveillance mission .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to conquer us ?
That ’ s like us conquering ants .
If some of these UFOs are the products of alien life , why haven ’ t they made their presence more explicit ?
If they wanted to remain undetected , they could , and yet they continually expose themselves in these semi-clandestine ways .
Why ?
That ’ s a very good question .
Because you ’ re right , I think if they wanted to be completely secretive , they could .
If they wanted to come out in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ too .
My guess is that they have had a lot of experience with this in the past with civilizations at our stage .
And they probably know that if they land on the White House lawn , there ’ ll be chaos and social breakdown .
People will start shooting at them .
So I think what they ’ re doing is trying to get us used to the idea that they ’ re here with the hopes that we ’ ll figure it out ourselves , that we ’ ll go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And then maybe we can absorb the knowledge that we ’ re not alone and our society won ’ t implode when we finally do have contact .
That ’ s my theory , but who knows , right ?
It ’ s an interesting theory , and as likely as any other , but Hawking ’ s theory is every bit as plausible — That ’ s right .
But people have speculated that any civilization that ’ s able to travel between the stars would have to become nonviolent , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if they ’ re violent among themselves to actually reach a point where their technology was that sophisticated .
And human beings don ’ t seem to be as violent as we used to be , so there ’ s that .
I ’ d say our institutions have evolved and the incentives guiding our behavior have evolved , but I don ’ t think we have .
I think human beings are as nonviolent as their circumstances allow them to be .
If there ’ s a non-zero chance that aliens are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ here , it ’ s crazy that governments aren ’ t more concerned about the dangers .
We ’ ve all seen the same movies .
How do you explain the apparent indifference here ?
For governments , there ’ s no real upside to talking about this .
They can ’ t control this .
If there are ETs , they don ’ t have the power to do anything about it .
They ’ re helpless in the face of ETs .
And there ’ s a big downside risk of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ loss of control and all that .
So I think governments have lots of reasons to let a sleeping dog lie , which is why the Navy ’ s thing is so surprising in a way .
Maybe several governments already know of ETs and aren ’ t revealing that knowledge for all the reasons you suggest .
I ’ m a strong disbeliever in any kind of conspiracy argument .
I don ’ t think there has ever been a conspiracy to cover up the truth that we know that aliens are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve covered up the fact that we have no idea what ’ s going on .
“ For governments , there ’ s no real upside to talking about this .
They can ’ t control this.
” What ’ s the argument or the piece of evidence that gives you the most pause ?
What makes you think there ’ s nothing here ?
That ’ s a good question .
That I don ’ t have a good answer shows my bias in a way .
I guess I ’ d @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sort the Navy just released .
It ’ s likely they have other videos they haven ’ t released .
So I guess I would like to see more physical evidence .
I suppose that ’ s my answer : The thing that gives me the most pause is that we have so little evidence .
You said a minute ago that we might be in a pre-contact situation in which ETs are gradually acclimating us to their presence .
If that ’ s true , what should we be doing to prepare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that ’ s the next article I would like to write .
I don ’ t know what the answer is right now .
I only write articles where I don ’ t know the answer ahead of time .
But I guess I will say this : Montezuma could ’ ve prepared a lot better for Cortes than he did , had he only known Cortes was coming .
Every day at Vox , we aim to answer your most important questions and provide you , and our audience around the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to save lives .
Our mission has never been more vital than it is in this moment : to empower you through understanding .
Vox ’ s work is reaching more people than ever , but our distinctive brand of explanatory journalism takes resources — particularly during a pandemic and an economic downturn .
Your financial contribution will not constitute a donation , but it will enable our staff to continue to offer free articles , videos , and podcasts at the quality and volume that this moment requires .
Please consider making @ @ @ @ @ @

Earlier this year, the Pentagon released three videos of UFOs recorded by the Navy — one taken in 2004 and the other two in 2015. The videos, which first leaked a couple of years ago, show … well, it’s not exactly clear.
There are various objects — two of which look like aircraft — spinning through the sky and moving in ways that defy easy explanation. As the images bop across the screen, you can hear the pilots’ excitement and confusion in real time as they track whatever it is they’re seeing.
I’m not what you would call a UFO enthusiast, but the videos are the most compelling I’ve ever seen. They seem to confirm, at the very least, that UFOs are real — not that aliens exist, but that there are unidentified objects buzzing around the sky.
Now, do I think aliens are real? Yeah, probably. Are they flying spaceships into our atmosphere? Who the hell knows?
The best anyone can say is that there’s a non-zero chance that some of these UFOs were made by non-human hands, and that, I’d argue, is reason enough to talk about them. But it’s barely cracked the news cycle. Even in a pandemic, you’d think we’d have a little time for UFO talk.
So in an attempt to force a UFO conversation into the public discourse, I contacted Alexander Wendt, a professor of international relations at Ohio State University. Wendt is a giant in his field of IR theory, but in the past 15 years or so, he’s become an amateur ufologist. He wrote an academic article about the political implications of UFOs in 2008, and, more recently, he gave a TEDx talk calling out the “taboo” against studying UFOs.
Wendt is about the closest thing you’ll find to a UFO expert in a world in which ufology isn’t a real science. Like other enthusiasts, he’s spent a lot of time looking at the evidence, thinking about the stakes, and theorizing about why extraterrestrials would visit Earth in the first place.
We spoke in May, but UFOs are back in the news after the New York Times reported on Thursday that the Pentagon’s UFO unit has been renamed and relocated inside the Office of Naval Intelligence, and will apparently make some of their findings public.
So I’m reposting this conversation, which has been lightly edited for clarity, where we discuss why scientists refuse to take UFOs seriously, why he thinks there’s a good chance ETs are behind the aircraft in those videos, and why he believes the discovery of extraterrestrial life would be the most significant event in human history.
Sean Illing
Do you believe in extraterrestrial life?
Alexander Wendt
Well, it’s kind of like asking if somebody believes in God. It’s just an odd question. I certainly believe that it’s very likely there’s extraterrestrial life somewhere in the universe, and I suspect even most scientists might agree with that now. The real question is, are ETs here? And that’s obviously a much more debatable question.
Sean Illing
Are they here?
Alexander Wendt
I think the odds are high enough that we should be investigating it. It’s as simple as that.
Sean Illing
Why would aliens conceal their existence? I know you have theories on this —
Alexander Wendt
It’s possible they’ve been here all along. And that’s something that I’ve been thinking about lately, which is a bit unsettling. Because it means it’s their planet and not ours. They could just be intergalactic tourists. Maybe they’re looking for certain minerals. It could just be scientific curiosity. It could be that they’re extracting our DNA. I mean, who knows? I have no idea. All I know is that if they are here, they seem to be peaceful.
Sean Illing
You’ve thought about this a lot, Alex. You must have a hunch as to which of those scenarios is most likely.
Alexander Wendt
I think if they are here, they’ve probably been here a very long time — that’s my guess. And, look, there are medieval woodcuts that seem to show UFOs. There are UFO stories in the Bible, apparently, or at least stories that are interpreted that way. So I think they’ve probably been here a long time if they’re here.
Sean Illing
We’re having this conversation because you’ve been very public about calling out a “taboo” against studying UFOs. What’s your claim here?
Alexander Wendt
It’s very simple. There are things going on in the sky that are strange and do not have an obvious explanation. These are UFOs, and like any other unidentified phenomenon, human beings are curious creatures and normally scientists will rush out to study whatever we find fascinating or puzzling. But in this case, scientists won’t touch it with a 10-foot pole. And that’s the taboo.
So even though the Navy is now saying, “Hey, we’ve got UFOs on film, here they are,” the scientists are still not going to study them. So there seems to be something blocking the scientific community from engaging this phenomenon, even though anything else even remotely this interesting would generate limitless research dollars.
Sean Illing
Is this some kind of conspiracy of silence? How does a taboo like this take hold in the first place?
Alexander Wendt
We argued in our 2008 academic paper that the modern state is what we call anthropocentric. Basically, that means human beings are sovereigns. In ancient times, it was the gods or nature that was thought to rule over everything. Now it’s human beings. And this principle is embodied in the state. And if you call that into question, if you call into question that the state is not the only potential sovereign here, the whole legitimacy of the state is called into question. So the whole worldview of the modern state is very vulnerable to the UFO question. You can’t even ask the question because it raises the possibility that there could be ETs here. And that would just blow everything wide open.
Sean Illing
That’s an argument for why states might not be interested in this question, but it doesn’t explain why non-state actors or the private sector isn’t particularly eager to study this.
Alexander Wendt
Now, that’s a very good point. In our paper, we only dealt with states. What’s interesting lately is that states seem more willing to engage with this than scientists. I think there’s a hubris in the scientific community, a belief that human beings are the most intelligent species on this planet, and it’s very hard to come to grips with the idea that if there are aliens here, they’re obviously much smarter than we are.
I’ve received a lot of emails from individual scientists in response to my TEDx talk. And all of them said the same thing, which is, “Thank you, we wish we could study this, but we can’t because our lives depend on getting grants from the government and other research institutes, and if anybody gets worried that we’re interested in UFOs, boom, they won’t get a cent and their careers will be in the tank.” But I still think most scientists believe this is all nonsense anyway, and that’s frankly disappointing.
“I worry about my fellow human beings more than I worry about the aliens”
Sean Illing
I think there are other explanations here, but we’ll get to that. First, let’s talk about these Navy videos. What do you think you’re seeing when you watch these?
Alexander Wendt
The first thing I’d say is that it doesn’t matter what I think because I’m not a scientist, right? I don’t know what’s on those videos. But to me, I listened to the pilots, to their voices, and I trust them much more than I would trust myself. And they’re clearly seeing something extraordinary. Now, whether it’s alien life, who knows? It’s a plausible explanation. My point is that we should be agnostic about this and simply study it scientifically. Let’s do the science and then we can talk about what we found. Until we’ve done that, it’s all bullshit.
Sean Illing
Is it possible that there is no real taboo and that the lack of rigorous study has more to do with the limits of the field or the paucity of evidence than anything else?
Alexander Wendt
Well, it’s true that the evidence we have is very vague. Most of it is anecdotal. It’s not scientific. A lot of it is eyewitness reports. On the other hand, the evidence has been going on for many decades. It’s very consistent, in many ways. It’s all over the world. There’s a huge number of cases and there is physical evidence in the form of videos or radar accounts. And when that evidence comes from the US Navy, it’s safe to say that it’s legit and not doctored.
Sean Illing
But what would a science of UFOs even look like? How do we study empirically something for which there’s so little empirical evidence?
Alexander Wendt
Like Elizabeth Warren says, I have a plan for that.
Sean Illing
Great, let’s hear it.
Alexander Wendt
About five years ago, some colleagues of mine and I formed a nonprofit called UFODATA. And the objective we set for the nonprofit was to create a ground-based network of surveillance stations that would monitor the sky 24/7 with cameras and various other technologies, looking for UFOs. Anything comes along, boom, the cameras start snapping pictures or radar or film until the UFO passes. The technology is very sophisticated now and very cheap.
Sean Illing
I don’t quite understand the need for that. There are thousands of satellites and radar systems operating all over the world at every moment, surveilling and recording and tracking. An obvious question is, why are there not more sightings? Why is there not more evidence? Why are there so few compelling pieces of evidence?
Alexander Wendt
I think part of the problem is that a lot of the parameters of these technologies that we use to look for asteroids and meteors and all these other things are such that UFOs may not be within those parameters. And so they’ll just be discarded as noise or unnoticeable junk. So that’s one explanation for why we see less than we might.
Secondly, no one has bothered to actually look for UFOs. We’re looking for ETs around distant stars, we’re looking for comets, we’re looking at all kinds of other things in the atmosphere. No one, as far as I know, is seriously looking for UFOs. But to me, it doesn’t really matter why we don’t see more. What matters is those three videos that the Navy released. I defy anyone to watch those and come away thinking there’s nothing there worth investigating. Those pilots who spent thousands of hours in the sky, who are flying the most sophisticated machines in the entire world, are seeing something that they have never seen before and are completely blown away by it.
Again, these are videos released by the Navy, and so I’m inclined to believe what I’m seeing. What’s striking is that the objects don’t behave like natural phenomena. One of the objects rotates as it’s flying against the wind, which is not normal. And the pilots are clearly under the impression that these objects are under intelligent control.
Sean Illing
Are you persuaded at all by some of the non-ET explanations? For instance, that some of the UFOs are actually weather balloons or drones or shadows of aircraft above, and that what appear to be advanced maneuvers are really just the product of infrared glare or camera angles or eyewitness errors.
Alexander Wendt
I think the majority of UFO reports probably have conventional explanations like that and they’re just misidentifications by observers on the ground. That’s probably the majority of cases. So it’s really the hardcore minority cases that don’t have those kinds of obvious explanations. And that’s where we have better physical evidence, or authoritative sources, like the military. And it’s really easy to throw out skeptical possibilities. But I look at those videos and they don’t look fake to me at all.
Sean Illing
No, they don’t.
Alexander Wendt
The pilots clearly don’t think so, either.
Sean Illing
Tell me the truth: You think it’s aliens, right?
Alexander Wendt
I think so. If I were placing a bet, I guess I would say 51 to 49 in favor of ETs. But it wouldn’t surprise me at all if the opposite were true. Again, we haven’t done the science.
Sean Illing
That’s a big number, Alex.
Alexander Wendt
It is.
Sean Illing
To say that something is hard to explain is not to say that it’s inexplicable, though. It’s entirely possible — likely, even — that there’s a simple account of these encounters and we just don’t have it yet. What’s the Occam’s razor explanation for these UFO sightings?
Alexander Wendt
To me, the Occam’s razor explanation is ETs.
Sean Illing
Really?
Alexander Wendt
It explains all the cases just like that. And you don’t need a whole bunch of different theories or assumptions for all these different phenomena, right? Because the phenomena are different. But I guess I don’t see a competing explanation of any kind that would explain some of the stuff that we either have on film or the pilots have seen. And, again, why didn’t the military come up with these alternative explanations? They must have thought about them and concluded it doesn’t fit the data.
Sean Illing
I’m not sure that’s right. They may have a strong hunch but simply can’t prove it, so it remains officially “unidentified.” We can definitely say that the chances that aliens are involved is non-zero, but beyond that, I have no idea.
Alexander Wendt
That’s pretty close to my position.
Sean Illing
But a weather balloon or malfunctioning radar systems or just eyewitness mistakes seem like much simpler explanations.
Alexander Wendt
But you’d have to explain why multiple instruments were all malfunctioning in the same way at the same time. You’ve got multiple jets up there, you’ve got radar on the ships down below tracking at the same time. You’ve got communications going on with people on the ships and the planes and the guys in the planes. So whatever explanations people do offer, they’ve got to fit the data.
It doesn’t look like that was a weather balloon that those guys were seeing. I assume professional fighter pilots are pretty good at spotting and recognizing weather balloons, and surely that’s a common occurrence. It’s easy to be a skeptic here, I get that. All I’m saying is that there’s enough here to justify the science. The puzzle is that we’re not doing the science. To me, that’s the essential phenomenon that’s of interest.
Sean Illing
Why should scientists care about UFOs? Why should philosophers care? Why should anyone care?
Alexander Wendt
Because if ETs were discovered, it would be the most important event in human history.
Sean Illing
Why?
Alexander Wendt
If it became known, it could be a very dangerous event in the sense that we might see a collapse of state authority. We might see chaos. The possibility of contact with a civilization that has vastly more knowledge than we do is exciting and terrifying and unpredictable.
Sean Illing
I mean, isn’t that a case for putting our heads down and minding our fucking business? Stephen Hawking famously warned humanity about the perils of first contact with an alien species. “If aliens visit us,” he said, “the outcome would be much as when Columbus landed in America, which didn’t turn out well for the Native Americans.”
Was he wrong?
Alexander Wendt
My feeling is that if they’re here, they’re almost certainly peaceful, because if they were not peaceful they would have wiped us out a long time ago. They can probably do it very quickly. So my assumption is they don’t mean any harm. But it’s still the case that society could implode or destabilize as a result of colliding with ETs.
Sean Illing
That’s a big assumption. If they are here, they might be peaceful, sure. But they might also be on a scouting operation. They might be looking for holes in our defenses, weaknesses in our societies and in our physical bodies. The point, obviously, is that we have no freaking idea. So maybe that’s the case for following Hawking’s lead here, right? Maybe it’s best to not go poking about for superior life.
Alexander Wendt
I’ve thought about this, and I worry less about poking around and getting conquered and more about the potential realization that these things are here and then an internal implosion of our society. So I worry about my fellow human beings more than I worry about the aliens. So I guess in that sense, I disagree with Hawking’s premise that they’re out to get us. But sure, it’s possible they’re on a surveillance mission. But people have been reporting UFOs for at least 80 years, and that’s a really, really long surveillance mission. And also, why would they want to conquer us? That’s like us conquering ants.
Sean Illing
If some of these UFOs are the products of alien life, why haven’t they made their presence more explicit? If they wanted to remain undetected, they could, and yet they continually expose themselves in these semi-clandestine ways. Why?
Alexander Wendt
That’s a very good question. Because you’re right, I think if they wanted to be completely secretive, they could. If they wanted to come out in the open, they could do that, too. My guess is that they have had a lot of experience with this in the past with civilizations at our stage. And they probably know that if they land on the White House lawn, there’ll be chaos and social breakdown. People will start shooting at them.
So I think what they’re doing is trying to get us used to the idea that they’re here with the hopes that we’ll figure it out ourselves, that we’ll go beyond the taboo and do the science. And then maybe we can absorb the knowledge that we’re not alone and our society won’t implode when we finally do have contact. That’s my theory, but who knows, right?
Sean Illing
It’s an interesting theory, and as likely as any other, but Hawking’s theory is every bit as plausible —
Alexander Wendt
That’s right. But people have speculated that any civilization that’s able to travel between the stars would have to become nonviolent, because they would never survive long enough if they’re violent among themselves to actually reach a point where their technology was that sophisticated. And human beings don’t seem to be as violent as we used to be, so there’s that.
Sean Illing
I’d say our institutions have evolved and the incentives guiding our behavior have evolved, but I don’t think we have. I think human beings are as nonviolent as their circumstances allow them to be.
Alexander Wendt
That’s fair.
Sean Illing
If there’s a non-zero chance that aliens are real and they know we’re here, it’s crazy that governments aren’t more concerned about the dangers. We’ve all seen the same movies. How do you explain the apparent indifference here?
Alexander Wendt
For governments, there’s no real upside to talking about this. They can’t control this. If there are ETs, they don’t have the power to do anything about it. They’re helpless in the face of ETs. And there’s a big downside risk of social chaos, loss of authority, loss of control and all that. So I think governments have lots of reasons to let a sleeping dog lie, which is why the Navy’s thing is so surprising in a way.
Sean Illing
Maybe several governments already know of ETs and aren’t revealing that knowledge for all the reasons you suggest.
Alexander Wendt
I’m a strong disbeliever in any kind of conspiracy argument. I don’t think there has ever been a conspiracy to cover up the truth that we know that aliens are here. At most, we’ve covered up the fact that we have no idea what’s going on.
“For governments, there’s no real upside to talking about this. They can’t control this.”
Sean Illing
What’s the argument or the piece of evidence that gives you the most pause? What makes you think there’s nothing here?
Alexander Wendt
That’s a good question. That I don’t have a good answer shows my bias in a way. I guess I’d like to see more videos of the sort the Navy just released. It’s likely they have other videos they haven’t released. So I guess I would like to see more physical evidence. I suppose that’s my answer: The thing that gives me the most pause is that we have so little evidence.
Sean Illing
You said a minute ago that we might be in a pre-contact situation in which ETs are gradually acclimating us to their presence. If that’s true, what should we be doing to prepare for whatever comes next?
Alexander Wendt
Actually, that’s the next article I would like to write. I don’t know what the answer is right now. I only write articles where I don’t know the answer ahead of time. But I guess I will say this: Montezuma could’ve prepared a lot better for Cortes than he did, had he only known Cortes was coming.


vox--2020-05-09--The current hunger crisis in the US, in photos

Share All sharing options for : The current hunger crisis in the US , in photos Among the pandemic ’ s many dire effects : It ’ s making food insecurity in the US much worse .
In the past month , America ’ s food banks have been completely overwhelmed by demand .
In cities like Pittsburgh , San Antonio , and Phoenix , residents have lined up for hours as food banks attempt to address a massive influx of need .
Some organizations have been forced to turn people away while others are struggling to maintain the supplies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the lines at food pickup points underscore how devastating the economic fallout from the pandemic has been .
These photos make visible a long-standing issue : In one of the richest countries on earth , millions still go hungry each day .
According to a 2014 Washington Post report , roughly 46 million people depended on food banks and meal service programs on an annual basis prior to the coronavirus pandemic .
And in 2019 , about 38 million people used the US Department of Agriculture ’ s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Budget and Policy Priorities .
“ Our city struggled before Covid — many ... families [ are ] living on the edge — and Covid knocked them over the edge , ” says San Antonio Food Bank President Eric Cooper .
The spike US food banks are experiencing now is unrivaled in modern history , the images of thousands queued up to receive basic necessities throw the effects of the recent economic downturn into sharp relief .
More than 30 million people have filed for unemployment insurance benefits in recent weeks .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ mortgage payments , and health care costs amid job losses , their funds for necessities , including food , have run short .
And while SNAP helps provide food aid , the amount of funding it includes for families often isn ’ t enough — even when the economy is in great shape .
Jennifer , a 28-year-old in Newark , New Jersey , who ’ s been laid off from her job at a nail salon , said she ’ s applied for SNAP and attempted to go to a regional food @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experience was hectic , unorganized , and packed to the brim , ” she told Vox , noting that the pantries in her area have been fully at capacity .
( Photos of some distribution locations in the US show crowded conditions that may be unsafe in a pandemic . )
According to NBC News , Feeding America , which includes a network of roughly 200 food banks in the US , projects that it will see an additional 17 million people coming to its locations in the next six months .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ food banks is that we ’ ve had this really dramatic and heartbreaking increase in need , ” says Leslie Bacho , CEO of Second Harvest of Silicon Valley .
“ 50 percent of people haven ’ t gotten help before.
” Bacho estimates the organization is serving roughly 100,000 more people than it was pre-pandemic .
Cooper , the president of the San Antonio Food Bank , notes the nonprofit ’ s sites went from serving 60,000 people a week to 120,000 a week .
And Anna Kurian , senior communications director @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says they ’ ve distributed 6 million pounds of food in about a month , compared to 1.5 million pounds in the prior two months .
The overwhelming demand for these resources is emblematic not only of how severe the economic impact of the coronavirus has been , but also of how tenuous the country ’ s social safety net is .
Many of the people going to food banks are either ineligible for SNAP or are relying on food banks to supplement the SNAP support they receive .
Congressional Democrats have argued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in SNAP benefits , much like the one implemented in the 2009 Recovery Act , to help tide people over until the economy recovers .
Because of the gaps that currently exist in both SNAP and other government stimulus efforts , however , food banks are being relied upon for the time being to manage an unparalleled wave of need .
“ Food banks are the safety net under the safety net , ” Andy Fisher , food security expert and author of Big Hunger , tells Vox .
Every day at Vox @ @ @ @ @ @ @ important questions and provide you , and our audience around the world , with information that has the power to save lives .
Our mission has never been more vital than it is in this moment : to empower you through understanding .
Vox ’ s work is reaching more people than ever , but our distinctive brand of explanatory journalism takes resources — particularly during a pandemic and an economic downturn .
Your financial contribution will not constitute a donation , but it will enable our staff to continue to offer free @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the quality and volume that this moment requires .
Please consider making a contribution to Vox today .

Share All sharing options for: The current hunger crisis in the US, in photos
Among the pandemic’s many dire effects: It’s making food insecurity in the US much worse.
In the past month, America’s food banks have been completely overwhelmed by demand. In cities like Pittsburgh, San Antonio, and Phoenix, residents have lined up for hours as food banks attempt to address a massive influx of need. Some organizations have been forced to turn people away while others are struggling to maintain the supplies necessary to keep up.
Images of the lines at food pickup points underscore how devastating the economic fallout from the pandemic has been. These photos make visible a long-standing issue: In one of the richest countries on earth, millions still go hungry each day.
According to a 2014 Washington Post report, roughly 46 million people depended on food banks and meal service programs on an annual basis prior to the coronavirus pandemic. And in 2019, about 38 million people used the US Department of Agriculture’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
“Our city struggled before Covid — many ... families [are] living on the edge — and Covid knocked them over the edge,” says San Antonio Food Bank President Eric Cooper.
The spike US food banks are experiencing now is unrivaled in modern history. The images of thousands queued up to receive basic necessities throw the effects of the recent economic downturn into sharp relief.
More than 30 million people have filed for unemployment insurance benefits in recent weeks. As families scramble to cover rent, mortgage payments, and health care costs amid job losses, their funds for necessities, including food, have run short. And while SNAP helps provide food aid, the amount of funding it includes for families often isn’t enough — even when the economy is in great shape.
Jennifer, a 28-year-old in Newark, New Jersey, who’s been laid off from her job at a nail salon, said she’s applied for SNAP and attempted to go to a regional food bank with her family. “The experience was hectic, unorganized, and packed to the brim,” she told Vox, noting that the pantries in her area have been fully at capacity. (Photos of some distribution locations in the US show crowded conditions that may be unsafe in a pandemic.)
According to NBC News, Feeding America, which includes a network of roughly 200 food banks in the US, projects that it will see an additional 17 million people coming to its locations in the next six months.
“What’s been so challenging for food banks is that we’ve had this really dramatic and heartbreaking increase in need,” says Leslie Bacho, CEO of Second Harvest of Silicon Valley. “50 percent of people haven’t gotten help before.”
Bacho estimates the organization is serving roughly 100,000 more people than it was pre-pandemic. Cooper, the president of the San Antonio Food Bank, notes the nonprofit’s sites went from serving 60,000 people a week to 120,000 a week. And Anna Kurian, senior communications director at the North Texas Food Banks, says they’ve distributed 6 million pounds of food in about a month, compared to 1.5 million pounds in the prior two months.
The overwhelming demand for these resources is emblematic not only of how severe the economic impact of the coronavirus has been, but also of how tenuous the country’s social safety net is.
Hundreds of cars wait to receive food from the Greater Community Food Bank in Duquesne. Collection begins at noon. @PghFoodBank @PittsburghPG pic.twitter.com/94YFaO7dqX — Andrew Rush (@andrewrush) March 30, 2020
Many of the people going to food banks are either ineligible for SNAP or are relying on food banks to supplement the SNAP support they receive. Congressional Democrats have argued that the current crisis demands an expansion in SNAP benefits, much like the one implemented in the 2009 Recovery Act, to help tide people over until the economy recovers.
Because of the gaps that currently exist in both SNAP and other government stimulus efforts, however, food banks are being relied upon for the time being to manage an unparalleled wave of need.
“Food banks are the safety net under the safety net,” Andy Fisher, food security expert and author of Big Hunger, tells Vox.


vox--2020-05-10--Actual unemployment could be at peak Great Depression levels, say White House advisers

Top Trump administration economic advisers are arguing there is a dire need to reopen the economy quickly to reduce unemployment rates — which they say may be above 20 percent — and to ensure the coronavirus pandemic doesn ’ t lead to any “ permanent economic damage.
” However , their arguments come as public health experts warn that reopening nonessential businesses will surely lead to more Covid-19 cases and deaths .
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday that the US lost 20.5 million jobs in April .
This puts the US unemployment rate at 14.7 percent , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 1930s .
The report , however , represents an undercount , as it doesn ’ t include the 7 million jobs lost in the final two weeks of the month .
This means the true unemployment rate “ could be ” around 25 percent , Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told Fox News ’ s Chris Wallace Sunday morning .
Such a figure would mean unemployment is higher than it was at the height of the Great Depression .
Kevin Hassett , President Donald Trump ’ s senior economic adviser , gave a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s State of the Union Sunday , saying he believes the unemployment rate will probably be “ close to 20 percent ” in the next report .
Larry Kudlow , director of the Trump administration ’ s National Economic Council , argued Sunday on ABC ’ s This Week that buried within the month ’ s dismal unemployment numbers “ is a glimmer of hope.
” “ Eighty percent of it was furloughs and temporary layoffs , ” Kudlow said .
“ That , by the way , doesn ’ t assure that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ job , but it suggests strongly that the cord between the worker and the business is still intact.
” Whether businesses remain intact enough for workers to return to remains to be seen .
Many economists have said they believe economic recovery efforts will be slow , but all three White House officials disagreed Sunday .
They indicated they expect the economy to bounce back in the second half of the year as states loosen restrictions and people return to work and regular consumption .
Without a massive increase in testing and contract @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to keep nonessential businesses open if their leaders — and citizens — are willing to take on the public health risks of doing so .
But Mnuchin argued the real danger lies in staying shuttered .
“ I think there ’ s a considerable risk of not reopening , ” Mnuchin told Wallace .
“ You ’ re talking about what would be permanent economic damage to the American public.
” At least 30 states have already begun to shoulder reopening certain segments of their economies .
But as Vox ’ s Matthew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it isn ’ t clear people have the money to engage with these reopened businesses — while it is becoming increasingly clear that lasting damage has already been done : Essentially , Americans are in a bind .
Stay-at-home guidelines are contributing to record unemployment .
But as public health experts have been warning for weeks , reopening too soon is likely to cause another spike in cases , which could overwhelm the health care system , drive the country deeper into recession , and kill many more people .
It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be impacted by reopening , but experts warn a spike in deaths is coming Epidemiologists have been sounding the alarm that reopening the economy too soon could lead to another wave of cases — in many states , before they ’ ve recovered from their first wave .
Indeed , 30 states have already reopened their economies — at least partially — and five more are planning to do the same shortly .
In Missouri , concert venues and movie theaters are open , as long as people follow social distancing .
Customers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Georgia restaurants , and some Montana school children have resumed in-person learning .
Most of the states that are reopening haven ’ t met the criteria outlined by the Trump administration to begin that process .
Though it ’ s ultimately up to state governors to decide when to reengage , the White House ’ s coronavirus task force recommends states only begin relaxing restrictions on industries when there ’ s been a downward trajectory of coronavirus cases or positive tests as a percent of total tests for 14 days , there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ place , and hospitals have a demonstrated capacity to treat all patients .
Of the 30 states that are reopening , most actually have more new cases or a higher percentage of positive tests than two weeks ago , and have recently seen an increase in daily average cases , the New York Times reported Thursday .
Even states with a downward trajectory haven ’ t necessarily quashed their outbreaks .
One of the reasons states may be eager to reopen is that it ’ s clear what the economic impact has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ always clear what will happen next .
Epidemiological models aren ’ t meant to tell the future , said Jeffrey Shaman , director of the Climate and Health Program at Columbia University , on NBC ’ s Meet the Press Sunday .
Rather , they ’ re meant to outline what may happen depending on a number of factors .
This uncertainty has led to a number of models being incorrect , including — as Vox ’ s Kelsey Piper has explained — the widely used model created by the University of Washington @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Evaluation ( IHME ) , which has been heavily revised following public criticism .
A large part of what adds uncertainty to these models is that they depend on variables based on human behavior , which is hard to predict .
For instance , if modelers want to project how many more people will be infected by the coronavirus once stay-at-home restrictions are loosened , they have to guess how much the economy will bounce back .
And guessing that requires , for example , assumptions about to what degree bars and restaurants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they are to see the sort of traffic they did before the pandemic , as well as how many customers may choose to stay home altogether out of caution .
That ’ s why it ’ s “ very difficult ” to predict exactly what will happen , Shaman said .
“ That said , in a lot of the states that are loosening restrictions , they are barely hanging on , ” he added .
“ In some of them , they already have growth of the virus taking place .
One @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there is only going to accelerate the growth of the virus.
” Both Shaman and Christopher Murray , director of the IHME , said Sunday that the true effects of reopening will become clear in the next week or two , when those who have been newly exposed begin to show symptoms .
Unfortunately , by the time the newly infected are symptomatic , they could have already been spreading the coronavirus to others for some time .
“ The big question mark is , will people ’ s own behavior [ to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to counteract the effects of rising mobility ?
” Murray said on CBS ’ s Face the Nation .
Georgia , Montana , North and South Dakota , and Minnesota have seen the greatest increases in mobility in recent days , he said , but there are another 10 states with a 10 to 15 percent increase in movement that could become hotspots as well .
“ We really are going to have to wait and see .
Our suspicion is that there will be , about 10 days from now in these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in mobility , we are expecting to see a jump in cases.
” And that jump in cases could severely limit the economic recovery the White House advisers believe is coming , leading to — if not “ permanent ” damage — certainly a long and painful period of high unemployment .
Every day at Vox , we aim to answer your most important questions and provide you , and our audience around the world , with information that has the power to save lives .
Our mission has never been more vital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to empower you through understanding .
Vox ’ s work is reaching more people than ever , but our distinctive brand of explanatory journalism takes resources — particularly during a pandemic and an economic downturn .
Your financial contribution will not constitute a donation , but it will enable our staff to continue to offer free articles , videos , and podcasts at the quality and volume that this moment requires .
Please consider making a contribution to Vox today .

Top Trump administration economic advisers are arguing there is a dire need to reopen the economy quickly to reduce unemployment rates — which they say may be above 20 percent — and to ensure the coronavirus pandemic doesn’t lead to any “permanent economic damage.”
However, their arguments come as public health experts warn that reopening nonessential businesses will surely lead to more Covid-19 cases and deaths.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday that the US lost 20.5 million jobs in April. This puts the US unemployment rate at 14.7 percent, a figure worse than any on record since the 1930s. The report, however, represents an undercount, as it doesn’t include the 7 million jobs lost in the final two weeks of the month.
This means the true unemployment rate “could be” around 25 percent, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told Fox News’s Chris Wallace Sunday morning. Such a figure would mean unemployment is higher than it was at the height of the Great Depression.
Kevin Hassett, President Donald Trump’s senior economic adviser, gave a slightly more optimistic estimate on CNN’s State of the Union Sunday, saying he believes the unemployment rate will probably be “close to 20 percent” in the next report.
Larry Kudlow, director of the Trump administration’s National Economic Council, argued Sunday on ABC’s This Week that buried within the month’s dismal unemployment numbers “is a glimmer of hope.”
“Eighty percent of it was furloughs and temporary layoffs,” Kudlow said. “That, by the way, doesn’t assure that you’ll go back to a job, but it suggests strongly that the cord between the worker and the business is still intact.”
“Inside the numbers is a glimmer of hope,” Kudlow says, adding that “80% of it was furloughs and temporary layoffs.”
That "doesn’t assure that you’ll go back to a job," but suggests "the cord between the worker and the business is still intact,” he adds. https://t.co/NX6cyzXxZl pic.twitter.com/GQSb3cAxyC — This Week (@ThisWeekABC) May 10, 2020
Whether businesses remain intact enough for workers to return to remains to be seen. Many economists have said they believe economic recovery efforts will be slow, but all three White House officials disagreed Sunday. They indicated they expect the economy to bounce back in the second half of the year as states loosen restrictions and people return to work and regular consumption.
Without a massive increase in testing and contract tracing, states will only be able to keep nonessential businesses open if their leaders — and citizens — are willing to take on the public health risks of doing so. But Mnuchin argued the real danger lies in staying shuttered.
“I think there’s a considerable risk of not reopening,” Mnuchin told Wallace. “You’re talking about what would be permanent economic damage to the American public.”
At least 30 states have already begun to shoulder reopening certain segments of their economies. But as Vox’s Matthew Yglesias and Christina Animashaun have explained, it isn’t clear people have the money to engage with these reopened businesses — while it is becoming increasingly clear that lasting damage has already been done:
When people don’t have money, they don’t buy new cars or new appliances. They don’t remodel kitchens or buy restaurant meals. When incomes drop, state and local tax revenue drops, forcing layoffs and furloughs of teachers and firefighters who in turn need to cut back on their spending. In normal times, the Federal Reserve would try to counteract this by cutting interest rates to a low level and hoping to spark a boom in investment. But the Fed already cut rates all the way down to zero back in March.
Essentially, Americans are in a bind. Stay-at-home guidelines are contributing to record unemployment. But as public health experts have been warning for weeks, reopening too soon is likely to cause another spike in cases, which could overwhelm the health care system, drive the country deeper into recession, and kill many more people.
It’s hard to predict exactly how people will be impacted by reopening, but experts warn a spike in deaths is coming
Epidemiologists have been sounding the alarm that reopening the economy too soon could lead to another wave of cases — in many states, before they’ve recovered from their first wave.
Indeed, 30 states have already reopened their economies — at least partially — and five more are planning to do the same shortly. In Missouri, concert venues and movie theaters are open, as long as people follow social distancing. Customers can dine, if spaced apart, in Georgia restaurants, and some Montana school children have resumed in-person learning.
Most of the states that are reopening haven’t met the criteria outlined by the Trump administration to begin that process. Though it’s ultimately up to state governors to decide when to reengage, the White House’s coronavirus task force recommends states only begin relaxing restrictions on industries when there’s been a downward trajectory of coronavirus cases or positive tests as a percent of total tests for 14 days, there’s a robust testing program in place, and hospitals have a demonstrated capacity to treat all patients.
Of the 30 states that are reopening, most actually have more new cases or a higher percentage of positive tests than two weeks ago, and have recently seen an increase in daily average cases, the New York Times reported Thursday. Even states with a downward trajectory haven’t necessarily quashed their outbreaks.
One of the reasons states may be eager to reopen is that it’s clear what the economic impact has been, and because it’s not always clear what will happen next. Epidemiological models aren’t meant to tell the future, said Jeffrey Shaman, director of the Climate and Health Program at Columbia University, on NBC’s Meet the Press Sunday. Rather, they’re meant to outline what may happen depending on a number of factors. This uncertainty has led to a number of models being incorrect, including — as Vox’s Kelsey Piper has explained — the widely used model created by the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), which has been heavily revised following public criticism.
A large part of what adds uncertainty to these models is that they depend on variables based on human behavior, which is hard to predict. For instance, if modelers want to project how many more people will be infected by the coronavirus once stay-at-home restrictions are loosened, they have to guess how much the economy will bounce back. And guessing that requires, for example, assumptions about to what degree bars and restaurants will function normally, and how likely they are to see the sort of traffic they did before the pandemic, as well as how many customers may choose to stay home altogether out of caution.
That’s why it’s “very difficult” to predict exactly what will happen, Shaman said.
“That said, in a lot of the states that are loosening restrictions, they are barely hanging on,” he added. “In some of them, they already have growth of the virus taking place. One would imagine that any loosening of restrictions there is only going to accelerate the growth of the virus.”
WATCH: Dr. Jeffrey Shaman says "we are going to see a growth in cases" over the next couple of weeks due to loosening restrictions. #MTP @JeffreyShaman: "Any changes we do to social distancing ... we are not going to realize until we are already in some period of growth." pic.twitter.com/6NcfTnwjYg — Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) May 10, 2020
Both Shaman and Christopher Murray, director of the IHME, said Sunday that the true effects of reopening will become clear in the next week or two, when those who have been newly exposed begin to show symptoms. Unfortunately, by the time the newly infected are symptomatic, they could have already been spreading the coronavirus to others for some time.
“The big question mark is, will people’s own behavior [to protect themselves in public] be enough to counteract the effects of rising mobility?” Murray said on CBS’s Face the Nation. Georgia, Montana, North and South Dakota, and Minnesota have seen the greatest increases in mobility in recent days, he said, but there are another 10 states with a 10 to 15 percent increase in movement that could become hotspots as well.
“We really are going to have to wait and see. Our suspicion is that there will be, about 10 days from now in these places that have had these big increases in mobility, we are expecting to see a jump in cases.”
And that jump in cases could severely limit the economic recovery the White House advisers believe is coming, leading to — if not “permanent” damage — certainly a long and painful period of high unemployment.


vox--2020-05-10--The US was offered millions of masks in January. The Trump administration turned the offer down.

The federal government turned down an offer that would have allowed the United States to significantly ramp up domestic mask production in the earliest stages of the coronavirus pandemic , according to a report by the Washington Post .
The decision later forced the Trump administration to turn to expensive , untested third-party distributors and to use the Defense Production Act to compel companies to increase output .
It ’ s unclear exactly why top officials turned down the offer , but the decision to do so continues to have consequences for the many frontline workers who still lack the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ job .
The Post reports Mike Bowen , owner of the largest surgical face mask producer in the US — Prestige Ameritech in Texas — contacted top officials in the Department of Health and Human Services on January 22 , the day after the first US coronavirus cases were identified .
His pitch : Provide the funds needed to dust off four dormant manufacturing lines , and his firm would produce 1.7 million N95 masks every week .
According to Bowen , he ’ d been raising the alarm for years that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( where nearly 90 percent of masks used in the country come from ) for production , and argued his manufacturing lines offered both a way around that , and to ensure the US would have the masks it needed .
Rick Bright — the former director of HHS ’ s Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority ( who was ousted in April , and later filed a whistleblower complaint alleging he was demoted for fighting for science-based preparations “ over political expediency ” ) — pushed top HHS officials to accept Bowen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Prestige Ameritech later exported a million masks to China .
Officials gave the Post a variety of reasons why the Trump administration did not restart Prestige Ameritech ’ s lines .
Some officials claimed it was because HHS didn ’ t have enough money at the time to pay for increased production ; another blamed the lethargic pace of government contracts .
White House economic adviser Peter Navarro , on the other hand , said that “ the company was just extremely difficult to work and communicate with.
” “ This was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ National Council of Textile Organizations and companies like Honeywell and Parkdale Mills , which have helped America very rapidly build up cost effective domestic mask capacity measuring in the hundreds of millions , ” Navarro told the Post .
The federal government went on to spend more than $ 600 million on contracts including mask production .
Honeywell and 3M were given contracts worth more than $ 170 million to produce protective gear .
And a tactical training company with no history of producing medical equipment was given $ 55 million to make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a price around seven to nine times greater than other suppliers , including Bowen ’ s company .
Prestige Ameritech was eventually given a $ 9.5 million contract in early April to produce N95 masks for 79 cents each .
Bowen ’ s manufacturing lines , which could be making more than 7 million masks every month , remain unused .
A shortage of personal protection equipment has dogged the nation ’ s coronavirus response Revelations of Bowen ’ s offer come as US health care workers , grocery store employees , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months to secure the personal protection equipment ( PPE ) — including masks , gloves , face shields , and more — necessary to stay safe on the job .
As health care providers and employers have desperately sought to buy PPE at skyrocketing costs , it ’ s become more and more clear that no country , including the US , was prepared for a pandemic of this magnitude .
The surge in demand couldn ’ t quickly be met by stores in the US ’ s Strategic National Stockpile , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with requests from around the globe .
Vox ’ s German Lopez explained the issue this way : The problem is about both supply and demand .
Prior to the coronavirus outbreak , China made half the world ’ s face masks .
When the outbreak took off there , China started to use its supply and hoard what remained .
This problem has only spread since , as more and more countries hoard whatever medical supplies they can get — with some , like Germany , even banning most PPE exports .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ — not just from health care workers but from a general public increasingly scared of infection — there was less supply to go around .
Health care workers were forced to use disposable equipment multiple times , making them more vulnerable to infection and threatening hospitals ’ ability to care for an influx of patients when they need it most .
Workers in grocery stores , big box stores , and delivery services have also been put in harm ’ s way , having to show up to work and interact regularly with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as Vox ’ s Emily Stewart has explained .
A survey conducted by the University of California Berkeley and UC San Francisco between March 7 and April 9 found that only 19 percent of essential workers at companies such as Walmart , McDonald ’ s , Costco , Amazon , UPS , and Walgreens were given masks , while 56 percent said their employer made gloves available .
In the weeks since the survey was taken , companies may have implemented more protective rules , though guidelines often vary by state .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ frontline workers from the virus , there are still ways the country can catch up .
As Vox ’ s Matthew Yglesias has argued , the government could use the Defense Production Act ( DPA ) to issue loans and purchase guarantees to companies , helping them expand production while giving them a measure of comfort in hiring more workers at an uncertain economic moment .
The DPA could also be used to loosen restrictions on regulation and inspection to speed up production without liability in the face of the emergency .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ preparation , the rejection of Prestige Ameritech ’ s offer , and weeks of delivery and acquisition delays , many frontline workers must continue to make do with inadequate — and even dangerous — levels of PPE .
Every day at Vox , we aim to answer your most important questions and provide you , and our audience around the world , with information that has the power to save lives .
Our mission has never been more vital than it is in this moment : to empower you through understanding .
Vox @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than ever , but our distinctive brand of explanatory journalism takes resources — particularly during a pandemic and an economic downturn .
Your financial contribution will not constitute a donation , but it will enable our staff to continue to offer free articles , videos , and podcasts at the quality and volume that this moment requires .
Please consider making a contribution to Vox today .

The federal government turned down an offer that would have allowed the United States to significantly ramp up domestic mask production in the earliest stages of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a report by the Washington Post. The decision later forced the Trump administration to turn to expensive, untested third-party distributors and to use the Defense Production Act to compel companies to increase output.
It’s unclear exactly why top officials turned down the offer, but the decision to do so continues to have consequences for the many frontline workers who still lack the necessary equipment to protect themselves on the job.
The Post reports Mike Bowen, owner of the largest surgical face mask producer in the US — Prestige Ameritech in Texas — contacted top officials in the Department of Health and Human Services on January 22, the day after the first US coronavirus cases were identified.
His pitch: Provide the funds needed to dust off four dormant manufacturing lines, and his firm would produce 1.7 million N95 masks every week. According to Bowen, he’d been raising the alarm for years that the US was too dependent on foreign countries (where nearly 90 percent of masks used in the country come from) for production, and argued his manufacturing lines offered both a way around that, and to ensure the US would have the masks it needed.
Rick Bright — the former director of HHS’s Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (who was ousted in April, and later filed a whistleblower complaint alleging he was demoted for fighting for science-based preparations “over political expediency”) — pushed top HHS officials to accept Bowen’s offer, to no avail. Prestige Ameritech later exported a million masks to China.
Officials gave the Post a variety of reasons why the Trump administration did not restart Prestige Ameritech’s lines. Some officials claimed it was because HHS didn’t have enough money at the time to pay for increased production; another blamed the lethargic pace of government contracts. White House economic adviser Peter Navarro, on the other hand, said that “the company was just extremely difficult to work and communicate with.”
“This was in sharp contrast to groups like the National Council of Textile Organizations and companies like Honeywell and Parkdale Mills, which have helped America very rapidly build up cost effective domestic mask capacity measuring in the hundreds of millions,” Navarro told the Post.
The federal government went on to spend more than $600 million on contracts including mask production. Honeywell and 3M were given contracts worth more than $170 million to produce protective gear. And a tactical training company with no history of producing medical equipment was given $55 million to make N95 masks for $5.50 each — a price around seven to nine times greater than other suppliers, including Bowen’s company. Prestige Ameritech was eventually given a $9.5 million contract in early April to produce N95 masks for 79 cents each.
Bowen’s manufacturing lines, which could be making more than 7 million masks every month, remain unused.
A shortage of personal protection equipment has dogged the nation’s coronavirus response
Revelations of Bowen’s offer come as US health care workers, grocery store employees, and other frontline workers have struggled for two months to secure the personal protection equipment (PPE) — including masks, gloves, face shields, and more — necessary to stay safe on the job.
As health care providers and employers have desperately sought to buy PPE at skyrocketing costs, it’s become more and more clear that no country, including the US, was prepared for a pandemic of this magnitude. The surge in demand couldn’t quickly be met by stores in the US’s Strategic National Stockpile, and companies that traditionally make equipment were inundated with requests from around the globe.
Vox’s German Lopez explained the issue this way:
The problem is about both supply and demand. Prior to the coronavirus outbreak, China made half the world’s face masks. When the outbreak took off there, China started to use its supply and hoard what remained. This problem has only spread since, as more and more countries hoard whatever medical supplies they can get — with some, like Germany, even banning most PPE exports. So as demand increased due to Covid-19 — not just from health care workers but from a general public increasingly scared of infection — there was less supply to go around.
Health care workers were forced to use disposable equipment multiple times, making them more vulnerable to infection and threatening hospitals’ ability to care for an influx of patients when they need it most.
Workers in grocery stores, big box stores, and delivery services have also been put in harm’s way, having to show up to work and interact regularly with the public, oftentimes without adequate protection, as Vox’s Emily Stewart has explained.
A survey conducted by the University of California Berkeley and UC San Francisco between March 7 and April 9 found that only 19 percent of essential workers at companies such as Walmart, McDonald’s, Costco, Amazon, UPS, and Walgreens were given masks, while 56 percent said their employer made gloves available. In the weeks since the survey was taken, companies may have implemented more protective rules, though guidelines often vary by state.
Despite clear delays in preparing to protect frontline workers from the virus, there are still ways the country can catch up.
As Vox’s Matthew Yglesias has argued, the government could use the Defense Production Act (DPA) to issue loans and purchase guarantees to companies, helping them expand production while giving them a measure of comfort in hiring more workers at an uncertain economic moment.
The DPA could also be used to loosen restrictions on regulation and inspection to speed up production without liability in the face of the emergency. In the meantime, after years of poor preparation, the rejection of Prestige Ameritech’s offer, and weeks of delivery and acquisition delays, many frontline workers must continue to make do with inadequate — and even dangerous — levels of PPE.


vox--2020-05-10--SNL and its cast close the season with a touching goodbye

This weekend , Saturday Night Live celebrated the conclusion of its 45th season with a wistful goodbye and a hopeful see-you-later , in its season finale .
Perhaps no sketch embodied this theme as well as one featuring much of the cast titled “ Dreams.
” Shot entirely “ at home ” because of New York City ’ s stay-at-home order , the sketch begins with Cecily Strong talking on the phone with her mom , discussing how much she wishes things would soon return to normal .
The conversation — part reassurance that we ’ re okay , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ situation — is one that many of us have had , probably multiple times with friends , family , and acquaintances , since stay-at-home orders went into effect all across the country .
Strong then goes to bed and begins to dream , as Debussy ’ s “ Clair de Lune ” plays over the sequence .
There ’ s no speaking .
The entire sketch is just a montage of Strong and SNL cast members dreaming of themselves in what seems to be their normal lives .
Some of the dreams veer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bryant steals a puppy and Chris Redd gets booed .
But others seem surreal only because they feature scenarios that were once commonplace , but that are now impossible to fathom experiencing .
Mikey Day visits a museum .
Colin Jost and Michael Che ice skate together at a crowded public rink .
Strong finds her seat amid a packed house at what appears to be the opera or some sophisticated gala but is actually Sonic the Hedgehog : The Musical .
At this point in the pandemic , we now appreciate the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including Sonic ) .
And a lot of us are wishing for our normal lives , even the worst parts of them .
That in itself is its own type of hilarity .
With this quiet sketch , SNL managed to tap into that and turn it into touching comedy .
Every day at Vox , we aim to answer your most important questions and provide you , and our audience around the world , with information that has the power to save lives .
Our mission has never been more vital than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ empower you through understanding .
Vox ’ s work is reaching more people than ever , but our distinctive brand of explanatory journalism takes resources — particularly during a pandemic and an economic downturn .
Your financial contribution will not constitute a donation , but it will enable our staff to continue to offer free articles , videos , and podcasts at the quality and volume that this moment requires .
Please consider making a contribution to Vox today .

This weekend, Saturday Night Live celebrated the conclusion of its 45th season with a wistful goodbye and a hopeful see-you-later in its season finale.
Perhaps no sketch embodied this theme as well as one featuring much of the cast titled “Dreams.”
Shot entirely “at home” because of New York City’s stay-at-home order, the sketch begins with Cecily Strong talking on the phone with her mom, discussing how much she wishes things would soon return to normal. The conversation — part reassurance that we’re okay and part venting at the frustration of the situation — is one that many of us have had, probably multiple times with friends, family, and acquaintances, since stay-at-home orders went into effect all across the country.
Strong then goes to bed and begins to dream, as Debussy’s “Clair de Lune” plays over the sequence. There’s no speaking. The entire sketch is just a montage of Strong and SNL cast members dreaming of themselves in what seems to be their normal lives.
Some of the dreams veer into mild nightmares, like when Aidy Bryant steals a puppy and Chris Redd gets booed. But others seem surreal only because they feature scenarios that were once commonplace, but that are now impossible to fathom experiencing. Mikey Day visits a museum. Colin Jost and Michael Che ice skate together at a crowded public rink. Strong finds her seat amid a packed house at what appears to be the opera or some sophisticated gala but is actually Sonic the Hedgehog: The Musical.
And that’s the point.
At this point in the pandemic, we now appreciate the things we once took for granted (including Sonic). And a lot of us are wishing for our normal lives, even the worst parts of them. That in itself is its own type of hilarity. With this quiet sketch, SNL managed to tap into that and turn it into touching comedy.