What day is it today?

Today is Monday , April 20 , 2020 , at least in the continental United States .
It is already Tuesday , April 21 , in some parts of the world .
To some degree , time is an illusion .
We are bound by its forward passage , being the third-dimensional creatures we are , but the perceptions we have placed upon time have been invented .
Humans invented the year .
Humans invented the month .
Humans invented the day , the hour , the minute , the second .
These distinctions are not arbitrary — it really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Earth to orbit the sun — but their creation was not inevitable .
Our numerical system is likely base-10 because we have 10 fingers ; the way we understand time is almost entirely dependent on the fact that we evolved on this planet , circling this sun .
Time , at least as we understand it , is also a byproduct of capitalism .
In his seminal 1967 economic paper “ Work-Discipline and Industrial Capitalism , ” E. P. Thompson notes that in early human cultures , delineations of time were broad understandings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ went down , when the seasons changed .
But as industrialization became the norm , time became a mechanized system that no longer served those who ’ d invented it .
We increasingly served at the beck and call of time , for that is how those who possessed capital could best regulate those who performed the labor .
For we are now at a point where sociologists are discussing the “ problem ” of leisure .
And a part of the problem is : how did it come to be a problem @ @ @ @ @ @ @ convenience with industrial capitalism , was the agent which converted men to new valuations of time ; which taught children even in their infancy to improve each shining hour ; and which saturated men ’ s minds with the equation , time is money .
One recurrent form of revolt within Western industrial capitalism , whether bohemian or beatnik , has often taken the form of flouting the urgency of respectable timevalues .
And the interesting question arises : if Puritanism was a necessary part of the work-ethos which enabled the industrialized world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the past , will the Puritan valuation of time begin to decompose as the pressures of poverty relax ?
Is it decomposing already ?
Will men begin to lose that restless urgency , that desire to consume time purposively , which most people carry just as they carry a watch on their wrists ?
But it remains that on some base level , we will always understand time .
The sun comes up , the sun goes down .
Though we might be inside , where that process is more difficult to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ does not obscure the day and night cycle .
What is lost , as each day blends into the next , in vaguely similar ways , is the mechanistic definition of time , the capitalist definition of time , the industrial definition of time .
We do not know what day it is , but we do know when there is a new day .
To live inside is to lose distinction .
There is a numbing effect that occurs when each day is the same , when our schedules are subsumed by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ undifferentiated time .
And yet isn ’ t this how so many of the less privileged around the world , forced to work jobs involving menial labor , day after day after day , already live ?
Isn ’ t this why we invented the weekend ?
Has this quarantine simply shown to those of us with more economic privilege that our “ free time ” was always a mirage , which could disappear before our eyes , by giving us so much “ free ” time ?
I have a wall calendar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I need to orient myself in time , I look at it .
But even the usefulness of my calendar has started to fray around the edges .
I began writing this story because I couldn ’ t quite believe it was a Thursday , even as I knew it had to be a Thursday .
But it might as well not be .
A cycle that bears the sun across our sky until it sets in the west is a reality ; “ Thursday ” is an invention .
Is it still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I will update this article daily until we don ’ t need it anymore .
I hope there is a time when we know it is Thursday or Tuesday or June 17 without having to look at a calendar or ask each other or Google .
I hope there is a time when going outside to see the sun doesn ’ t feel like exposing yourself to toxic levels of radiation .
( I know I should be taking walks ; every time , I feel like I ’ m risking everything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time in which all this “ free ” time no longer feels like a period we must exploit for maximum value .
I hope there is a time when I remember what it ’ s like to grab lunch with a friend , to watch dogs play in the surf , to breathe in the air and just be .
Until then , find a way to make time have meaning for you .
Read a long book .
Cook an elaborate meal .
Take up knitting .
Write an epic poem .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ always meant to get to .
Sleep .
Remember that time doesn ’ t own you , and that you own time .
This will be over someday , a part of the past .
It will someday be a memory .
Hang on to that .
I ’ ll see you outside again .
For now , it is Monday , April 20 , 2020 .
In some parts of the world , it is Tuesday , April 21 , 2020 .
Are you a “ What day is it today ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ theme song .
It ’ s written by composer Laura Stratford , and it is wonderful .

Today is Wednesday, July 1, 2020, at least in the continental United States. It is already Thursday, July 2, 2020, in some parts of the world. Life isn’t resuming gracefully, but the herky jerky train wreck of America’s reopening certainly speaks to some desire to exit this quarantine period. And so “What Day Is It Today” will exit the stage, too. For now, at least.
To some degree, time is an illusion. We are bound by its forward passage, being the third-dimensional creatures we are, but the perceptions we have placed upon time have been invented. Humans invented the year. Humans invented the month. Humans invented the day, the hour, the minute, the second.
These distinctions are not arbitrary — it really does take about 365 days for the Earth to orbit the sun — but their creation was not inevitable. Our numerical system is likely base-10 because we have 10 fingers; the way we understand time is almost entirely dependent on the fact that we evolved on this planet, circling this sun.
Time, at least as we understand it, is also a byproduct of capitalism. In his seminal 1967 economic paper “Work-Discipline and Industrial Capitalism,” E. P. Thompson notes that in early human cultures, delineations of time were broad understandings of when the sun came up and went down, when the seasons changed. But as industrialization became the norm, time became a mechanized system that no longer served those who’d invented it. We increasingly served at the beck and call of time, for that is how those who possessed capital could best regulate those who performed the labor.
Thompson writes:
For we are now at a point where sociologists are discussing the “problem” of leisure. And a part of the problem is: how did it come to be a problem ? Puritanism, in its marriage of convenience with industrial capitalism, was the agent which converted men to new valuations of time; which taught children even in their infancy to improve each shining hour; and which saturated men’s minds with the equation, time is money. One recurrent form of revolt within Western industrial capitalism, whether bohemian or beatnik, has often taken the form of flouting the urgency of respectable timevalues. And the interesting question arises: if Puritanism was a necessary part of the work-ethos which enabled the industrialized world to break out of the poverty-stricken economies of the past, will the Puritan valuation of time begin to decompose as the pressures of poverty relax? Is it decomposing already? Will men begin to lose that restless urgency, that desire to consume time purposively, which most people carry just as they carry a watch on their wrists?
But it remains that on some base level, we will always understand time. The sun comes up, the sun goes down. Though we might be inside, where that process is more difficult to witness, the fact of our insideness does not obscure the day and night cycle. What is lost, as each day blends into the next, in vaguely similar ways, is the mechanistic definition of time, the capitalist definition of time, the industrial definition of time. We do not know what day it is, but we do know when there is a new day.
To live inside is to lose distinction. There is a numbing effect that occurs when each day is the same, when our schedules are subsumed by what feels like an endless gulf of undifferentiated time. And yet isn’t this how so many of the less privileged around the world, forced to work jobs involving menial labor, day after day after day, already live? Isn’t this why we invented the weekend? Has this quarantine simply shown to those of us with more economic privilege that our “free time” was always a mirage, which could disappear before our eyes, by giving us so much “free” time?
I have a wall calendar hanging above my desk, and when I need to orient myself in time, I look at it. But even the usefulness of my calendar has started to fray around the edges. I began writing this story because I couldn’t quite believe it was a Thursday, even as I knew it had to be a Thursday. But it might as well not be. A cycle that bears the sun across our sky until it sets in the west is a reality; “Thursday” is an invention. Is it still necessary? I don’t know.
What’s important to remember is that time doesn’t own you. You own time. This will be over someday, a part of the past. It will someday be a memory. Hang on to that. I’ll see you outside again.
This story was originally published Friday, March 27, 2020.
Are you a “What day is it today?” superfan? Check out our official theme song. It’s written by composer Laura Stratford, and it is wonderful.


vox--2020-04-20--4/20 in the age of coronavirus, explained

In normal times , April 20 would be 4/20 , the unofficial holiday for celebrating marijuana .
People would be preparing to rally near state capitols , in concerts , and at huge fairs to fill the air with thick , pungent smoke .
But April 20 this year , on Monday , doesn ’ t come during normal times .
With a coronavirus pandemic still going , much of the United States and the rest of the world are staying at home as much as possible to avoid the spread of Covid-19 , the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and rallies that have previously taken place in Denver , San Francisco , Washington , DC , and many other places around the world are not going to happen .
Yet 4/20 will go on .
Before the big day , I got emails from marijuana companies asking , for example , if I was “ throwing a virtual 4/20 smoke sesh.
” ( No , I ’ m not . )
One such company advertised “ awesome marijuana-inspired Zoom backgrounds so you can tune in and drop out , immersing yourself fully @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reference to the backgrounds that can be made for the video conferencing service , Zoom , used by workplaces globally and , apparently , marijuana users throwing virtual 4/20 parties .
My first reaction to all of this was , “ What is this world ?
” But these ads also speak to the broader commercialization and mainstreaming of pot , and its growing acceptance in new realms of American life , as the drug is legalized in much of the country .
That people are creating cannabis-related images for software largely linked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has come from the days when it was mostly associated with hippies and a broader counterculture movement that decried greed , corporate influences , and , really , all things mainstream .
As marijuana is legalized in more states and countries , that kind of shift will continue , with more businesses trying to take advantage of the commercialization of cannabis and reach a growing base of consumers in a newly legal market .
It ’ s a big change from what 4/20 originally was .
What is 4/20 ?
And why is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 20 ?
There are a few possible explanations for why marijuana enthusiasts ’ day of celebration landed on this day , but the real origin remains a bit of a mystery .
Steven Hager , a former editor of the marijuana-focused news outlet High Times , told the New York Times that the holiday came out of a ritual started by a group of high school students in the 1970s .
As Hager explained , a group of Californian teenagers ritualistically smoked marijuana every day at 4:20 pm .
The ritual spread , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ marijuana .
Eventually 420 was converted into 4/20 for calendar purposes , and the day of celebration was born .
( A group of Californians published documents giving this theory legitimacy , but it ’ s unclear if their claims are valid . )
One common belief is that 420 was the California police or penal code for marijuana , but there ’ s no evidence to support those claims .
Another theory is that there are 420 active chemicals in marijuana , hence an obvious connection between the drug and the number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ active ingredients in marijuana , and only about 70 or so are cannabinoids unique to the plant , according to the Dutch Association for Legal Cannabis and Its Constituents as Medicine .
A lesser-known possibility comes from the 1939 short story “ In the Walls of Eryx ” by H.P .
Lovecraft and Kenneth Sterling .
The story describes “ curious mirage-plants ” that seemed fairly similar to marijuana and appeared to get the narrator high at , according to his watch , around 4:20 .
Since the story is from 1939 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ link between marijuana and 420 .
Whatever its origins , 4/20 has become a massive holiday for cannabis aficionados .
What 4/20 stands for varies from person to person .
Some people just want to get high and have fun .
Others see the day as a moment to push for legalization , or celebrate legalization now that more states are adopting it and popular opinion is behind it .
In the 1970s , 4/20 was part of a smaller counterculture movement that embraced marijuana as a symbol to protest against broader systemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wars and the power of corporations in America .
“ Marijuana was the way you said you weren ’ t a suit , ” Keith Humphreys , a drug policy expert at Stanford University , previously told me .
In recent years , marijuana legalization activists have tried to bring a more formal aspect to the celebration , framing it as a moment to push their political agenda .
Organizers for the 2014 Denver rally — during the first year marijuana sales were legal in the state — put out a statement comparing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the time when Jews fled from slavery in Egypt , ” a moment commemorated in Passover celebrations .
“ This year ’ s rally represents the continuing fight for freedom from economic slavery for marginalized members of our community and a rebirth of creative genius that will get us there , ” they wrote .
Businesses are also trying to take advantage of the holiday .
Eddie Miller , the CEO of Invest in Cannabis , which seeks to bring investment into the marijuana industry , told me in the early years of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to build and sponsor major 4/20 gatherings around the country — similar to what other companies , some of which Miller has been involved with , have done with holidays like St. Patrick ’ s Day .
“ Our perspective is 4/20 is a real holiday — no smaller than St. Patrick ’ s Day or Halloween , ” Miller previously told me .
“ It ’ s just nobody knows about it yet .
And our company is going to let everyone know about it.
” Of course , these kinds of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happen — or at least shouldn ’ t happen — in the middle of a coronavirus pandemic in which everyone is being told to stay home as much as possible to flatten the curve .
But that they ’ d certainly happen if we weren ’ t in the middle of a pandemic speaks to how much 4/20 and broader attitudes toward marijuana have changed .
Originally 4/20 was a counterculture holiday to protest , at least in part , the social and legal stigmas against marijuana .
Marijuana legalization undercuts that purpose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to grow , sell , and market pot , marijuana is losing its status as a counterculture symbol — and that , Humphreys speculated , could bring the end of the traditional , countercultural 4/20 .
“ If a corporate marijuana industry adopts 4/20 , it would still be a celebrated event , but not with the same countercultural meaning , ” Humphreys said .
“ People celebrated Christmas long before it became an occasion for an orgy of gift-buying and materialist consumption , but the meaning of the holiday for most people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Companies such as Invest in Cannabis admit they ’ re already leveraging the holiday as another opportunity to promote the industry and its products — much like beer and other alcohol companies now do with St. Patrick ’ s Day .
“ Our perspective is 4/20 is a real holiday — no smaller than St. Patrick “ The media is covering 4/20 as a consumer interest story , ” Miller of Invest in Cannabis said .
“ But some portion of the media is covering 4/20 as a call to arms for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ] there are multiple competitive business conferences that are happening in Denver , the [ San Francisco ] Bay Area , and Las Vegas.
” The pot industry has also gotten directly involved in 4/20 events .
The Cannabis Cup , for example , has become a major event at a selected city ’ s 4/20 rally , where hundreds of vendors show off their finest marijuana products to tens of thousands of attendees .
The event has steadily grown over the years , featuring big concerts from notable musicians like Snoop Dogg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as well as a wide collection of marijuana businesses as sponsors .
The Cannabis Cup has been only one of many events , which also include comedy shows ( like Cheech and Chong ) , marijuana-friendly speed dating , and trade shows for glass pipes and bongs , offering businesses and celebrities various opportunities to push their products and brands .
Things have changed this year : Due to the coronavirus , the Cannabis Cup , scheduled to take place in Oklahoma , was delayed until May 11 to 15 — and that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , depending on how the pandemic rolls on .
Now , that may not mean much to the people who are celebrating 4/20 more traditionally .
Some people don ’ t attend public festivities at all , choosing instead to stay home and enjoy a joint ( or more ) with their friends .
For them , 4/20 remains a more casual affair void of big sponsorships and marketing .
But in public , 4/20 has increasingly become a commercial holiday — with the coronavirus outbreak putting a pause on things for now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counterculture holiday to a more corporate one shows how legalization is changing marijuana .
To many legalizers , this is a sign of their success .
Legalization campaigns often adopt the tagline “ regulate marijuana like alcohol.
” That this is actually happening as the cannabis industry takes a form similar to the alcohol industry is a sign that legalizers are winning .
This has been true even in the middle of a pandemic .
Some states , for example , have deemed liquor stores “ essential ” through their stay-at-home orders and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Some of these states have made a similar determination for marijuana stores , allowing them to stay open despite stay-at-home orders .
It ’ s another clear way that marijuana is increasingly treated like alcohol and other legal drugs .
To some drug policy experts and legalizers , though , this is all a cause for alarm .
The concern is that a big marijuana industry will , similar to the tobacco and alcohol industries , irresponsibly market its drug to kids or users who already consume the drug excessively — with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the desire for profits .
To this end , many drug policy experts see alcohol as a warning , not something to be admired and followed for other drugs .
For decades , big alcohol has successfully lobbied lawmakers to block tax increases and regulations on alcohol , all while marketing its product as fun and sexy in television programs , such as the Super Bowl , that are viewed by millions of Americans , including children .
Meanwhile , alcohol is linked to 88,000 deaths each year in the US .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ you weren If marijuana companies are able to act like the tobacco and alcohol industries have in the past , there ’ s a good chance they ’ ll convince more Americans to try or even regularly use marijuana , and some of the heaviest users may use more of the drug .
And as these companies increase their profits , they ’ ll be able to influence lawmakers in a way that could stifle regulations or other policies that curtail cannabis misuse .
All of that will likely prove bad for public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ certainly will not be as bad as alcohol , since alcohol is simply more dangerous than marijuana .
Pot ’ s risks , for one , tend to be nonfatal or at least much less fatal than alcohol : addiction and overuse , accidents , nondeadly overdoses that lead to mental anguish and anxiety , and , in rare cases , potentially psychotic episodes .
Marijuana has never been definitively linked to any serious ailments — not deadly overdoses or lung disease .
And it ’ s much less likely — around one-tenth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fatal car crashes — to cause deadly accidents than alcohol .
Given this , the focus for drug policy experts tends to be the risk of addiction and overuse .
As Jon Caulkins , a drug policy expert at Carnegie Mellon University , has told me , “ At some level , we know that spending more than half of your waking hours intoxicated for years and years on end is not increasing the likelihood that you ’ ll win a Pulitzer Prize or discover the cure for cancer.
” But these risks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ marijuana industry grows , it ’ s likely that the dangers will be issues the industry just doesn ’ t care much about — and it will market its products excessively for as much profit as possible , even if it means more public health or safety problems along the way .
The grim good news for those concerned with commercialization is that the coronavirus pandemic has forced a temporary halt on some of the commercial activity that could be expected around marijuana this 4/20 .
The bad news is it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out — because , as the past few years of 4/20 celebrations show , cannabis really has evolved from a counterculture symbol to another commodity that companies can make a lot of money from .
For more on marijuana legalization , read Vox ’ s explainer .
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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
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 .

In normal times, April 20 would be 4/20, the unofficial holiday for celebrating marijuana. People would be preparing to rally near state capitols, in concerts, and at huge fairs to fill the air with thick, pungent smoke.
But April 20 this year, on Monday, doesn’t come during normal times. With a coronavirus pandemic still going, much of the United States and the rest of the world are staying at home as much as possible to avoid the spread of Covid-19, the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. That means the large crowds and rallies that have previously taken place in Denver, San Francisco, Washington, DC, and many other places around the world are not going to happen.
Yet 4/20 will go on. Before the big day, I got emails from marijuana companies asking, for example, if I was “throwing a virtual 4/20 smoke sesh.” (No, I’m not.) One such company advertised “awesome marijuana-inspired Zoom backgrounds so you can tune in and drop out, immersing yourself fully in the 4/20 experience” — in reference to the backgrounds that can be made for the video conferencing service, Zoom, used by workplaces globally and, apparently, marijuana users throwing virtual 4/20 parties.
My first reaction to all of this was, “What is this world?” But these ads also speak to the broader commercialization and mainstreaming of pot, and its growing acceptance in new realms of American life, as the drug is legalized in much of the country. That people are creating cannabis-related images for software largely linked to modern workplaces shows how far pot has come from the days when it was mostly associated with hippies and a broader counterculture movement that decried greed, corporate influences, and, really, all things mainstream.
As marijuana is legalized in more states and countries, that kind of shift will continue, with more businesses trying to take advantage of the commercialization of cannabis and reach a growing base of consumers in a newly legal market.
It’s a big change from what 4/20 originally was.
What is 4/20? And why is it on April 20?
4/20 is, in short, a holiday celebrating marijuana.
Why April 20? There are a few possible explanations for why marijuana enthusiasts’ day of celebration landed on this day, but the real origin remains a bit of a mystery.
Steven Hager, a former editor of the marijuana-focused news outlet High Times, told the New York Times that the holiday came out of a ritual started by a group of high school students in the 1970s. As Hager explained, a group of California teenagers ritualistically smoked marijuana every day at 4:20 pm. The ritual spread, and soon 420 became code for smoking marijuana. Eventually, 420 was converted into 4/20 for calendar purposes, and the day of celebration was born. (A group of Californians published documents giving this theory legitimacy, but it’s unclear if their claims are valid.)
One common belief is that 420 was the California police or penal code for marijuana, but there’s no evidence to support that claim.
Another theory is that there are 420 active chemicals in marijuana, hence an obvious connection between the drug and the number. But there are more than 500 active ingredients in marijuana, and only about 70 or so are cannabinoids unique to the plant, according to the Dutch Association for Legal Cannabis and Its Constituents as Medicine.
A lesser-known possibility comes from the 1939 short story “In the Walls of Eryx” by H.P. Lovecraft and Kenneth Sterling. The story describes “curious mirage-plants” that seemed fairly similar to marijuana and appeared to get the narrator high at, according to his watch, around 4:20. Since the story is from 1939, it’s perhaps the earliest written link between marijuana and 420.
Whatever its origins, 4/20 has become a massive holiday for cannabis aficionados.
Marijuana legalization is changing 4/20
What 4/20 stands for varies from person to person. Some people just want to get high and have fun. Others see the day as a moment to push for legalization, or celebrate legalization now that more states are adopting it and popular opinion is behind it.
In the 1970s, 4/20 was part of a smaller counterculture movement that embraced marijuana as a symbol to protest against broader systemic problems in the US, like overseas wars and the power of corporations in America. “Marijuana was the way you said you weren’t a suit,” Keith Humphreys, a drug policy expert at Stanford University, previously told me.
In recent years, marijuana legalization activists have tried to bring a more formal aspect to the celebration, framing it as a moment to push their political agenda. Organizers for the 2014 Denver rally — during the first year marijuana sales were legal in the state — put out a statement comparing the battle for legal marijuana to “the time when Jews fled from slavery in Egypt,” a moment commemorated in Passover celebrations. “This year’s rally represents the continuing fight for freedom from economic slavery for marginalized members of our community and a rebirth of creative genius that will get us there,” they wrote.
Businesses are also trying to take advantage of the holiday. Eddie Miller, the CEO of Invest in Cannabis, which seeks to bring investment into the marijuana industry, told me in the early years of state-level legalization that his company was trying to build and sponsor major 4/20 gatherings around the country — similar to what other companies, some of which Miller has been involved with, have done with holidays like St. Patrick’s Day.
“Our perspective is 4/20 is a real holiday — no smaller than St. Patrick’s Day or Halloween,” Miller previously told me. “It’s just nobody knows about it yet. And our company is going to let everyone know about it.”
Of course, these kinds of massive celebrations aren’t going to happen — or at least shouldn’t happen — in the middle of a coronavirus pandemic in which everyone is being told to stay home as much as possible to flatten the curve. But that they’d certainly happen if we weren’t in the middle of a pandemic speaks to how much 4/20 and broader attitudes toward marijuana have changed.
4/20 is becoming a commercial event
Originally, 4/20 was a counterculture holiday to protest, at least in part, the social and legal stigmas against marijuana. Marijuana legalization undercuts that purpose: As big businesses and corporations begin to grow, sell, and market pot, marijuana is losing its status as a counterculture symbol — and that, Humphreys speculated, could bring the end of the traditional, countercultural 4/20.
“If a corporate marijuana industry adopts 4/20, it would still be a celebrated event, but not with the same countercultural meaning,” Humphreys said. “People celebrated Christmas long before it became an occasion for an orgy of gift-buying and materialist consumption, but the meaning of the holiday for most people was different then than it is now.”
Companies such as Invest in Cannabis admit they’re already leveraging the holiday as another opportunity to promote the industry and its products — much like beer and other alcohol companies now do with St. Patrick’s Day.
“Our perspective is 4/20 is a real holiday — no smaller than St. Patrick ’ s Day or Halloween”
“The media is covering 4/20 as a consumer interest story,” Miller of Invest in Cannabis said. “But some portion of the media is covering 4/20 as a call to arms for the industry — so [in 2015] there are multiple competitive business conferences that are happening in Denver, the [San Francisco] Bay Area, and Las Vegas.”
The pot industry has also gotten directly involved in 4/20 events. The Cannabis Cup, for example, has become a major event at a selected city’s 4/20 rally, where hundreds of vendors show off their finest marijuana products to tens of thousands of attendees. The event has steadily grown over the years, featuring big concerts from notable musicians like Snoop Dogg, Soja, and 2 Chainz, as well as a wide collection of marijuana businesses as sponsors.
The Cannabis Cup has been only one of many events, which also include comedy shows (like Cheech and Chong), marijuana-friendly speed dating, and trade shows for glass pipes and bongs, offering businesses and celebrities various opportunities to push their products and brands.
Things have changed this year: Due to the coronavirus, the Cannabis Cup, scheduled to take place in Oklahoma, was delayed until May 11 to 15 — and that’s still subject to further delays, depending on how the pandemic rolls on.
Now, that may not mean much to the people who are celebrating 4/20 more traditionally. Some people don’t attend public festivities at all, choosing instead to stay home and enjoy a joint (or more) with their friends. For them, 4/20 remains a more casual affair void of big sponsorships and marketing.
But in public, 4/20 has increasingly become a commercial holiday — with the coronavirus outbreak putting a pause on things for now.
4/20’s shift shows how marijuana legalization will change cannabis
The shift in 4/20 from a counterculture holiday to a more corporate one shows how legalization is changing marijuana.
To many legalizers, this is a sign of their success. Legalization campaigns often adopt the tagline “regulate marijuana like alcohol.” That this is actually happening as the cannabis industry takes a form similar to the alcohol industry is a sign that legalizers are winning.
This has been true even in the middle of a pandemic. Some states, for example, have deemed liquor stores “essential” through their stay-at-home orders and allowed them to stay open during lockdowns. Some of these states have made a similar determination for marijuana stores, allowing them to stay open despite stay-at-home orders. It’s another clear way that marijuana is increasingly treated like alcohol and other legal drugs.
To some drug policy experts and legalizers, though, this is all a cause for alarm. The concern is that a big marijuana industry will, similar to the tobacco and alcohol industries, irresponsibly market its drug to kids or users who already consume the drug excessively — with little care for public health and safety over the desire for profits.
To this end, many drug policy experts see alcohol as a warning, not something to be admired and followed for other drugs. For decades, big alcohol has successfully lobbied lawmakers to block tax increases and regulations on alcohol, all while marketing its product as fun and sexy in television programs, such as the Super Bowl, that are viewed by millions of Americans, including children. Meanwhile, alcohol is linked to 88,000 deaths each year in the US.
“Marijuana was the way you said you weren ’ t a suit”
If marijuana companies are able to act like the tobacco and alcohol industries have in the past, there’s a good chance they’ll convince more Americans to try or even regularly use marijuana, and some of the heaviest users may use more of the drug. And as these companies increase their profits, they’ll be able to influence lawmakers in a way that could stifle regulations or other policies that curtail cannabis misuse. All of that will likely prove bad for public health.
The situation almost certainly will not be as bad as alcohol, since alcohol is simply more dangerous than marijuana. Pot’s risks, for one, tend to be nonfatal or at least much less fatal than alcohol: addiction and overuse, accidents, nondeadly overdoses that lead to mental anguish and anxiety, and, in rare cases, potentially psychotic episodes. Marijuana has never been definitively linked to any serious ailments — not deadly overdoses or lung disease. And it’s much less likely — around one-tenth as likely, based on data for fatal car crashes — to cause deadly accidents than alcohol.
Given this, the focus for drug policy experts tends to be the risk of addiction and overuse. As Jon Caulkins, a drug policy expert at Carnegie Mellon University, has told me, “At some level, we know that spending more than half of your waking hours intoxicated for years and years on end is not increasing the likelihood that you’ll win a Pulitzer Prize or discover the cure for cancer.”
But these risks are still risks. Yet as the marijuana industry grows, it’s likely that the dangers will be issues the industry just doesn’t care much about — and it will market its products excessively for as much profit as possible, even if it means more public health or safety problems along the way.
The grim good news for those concerned with commercialization is that the coronavirus pandemic has forced a temporary halt on some of the commercial activity that could be expected around marijuana this 4/20. The bad news is it’s only a pause as the pandemic plays out — because, as the past few years of 4/20 celebrations show, cannabis really has evolved from a counterculture symbol to another commodity that companies can make a lot of money from.
For more on marijuana legalization, read Vox’s explainer.


vox--2020-04-20--What we know about a mass shooting in Nova Scotia, Canada

A shooter killed at least 16 people across Nova Scotia , Canada , police said Sunday .
The suspect , a 51-year-old man , died shortly after being apprehended in Enfield , Nova Scotia , a town about 20 miles north of Halifax .
Police believe he is responsible for a series of shootings that began in Portapique — a small town about 60 miles north of Halifax — around 10:30 pm local time Saturday night .
The suspect then is believed to have “ moved across the northern part of the province and committed what appears to be several @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mounted Police Chief Superintendent Chris Leather .
For at least a few hours on Sunday morning , the suspect was disguised as a police officer .
Officials aren ’ t yet sure of his motive , but Leather said the “ fact that this individual had a uniform and a police car at his disposal certainly speaks to it not being a random act.
” The suspect was ultimately apprehended at an Enfield gas station Sunday morning , after having switched vehicles .
He was arrested about 12 hours after police in Portapique @ @ @ @ @ @ @ person with firearms ” Saturday night .
Mass shootings are rare in Canada , particularly when compared to the United States , in large part because of stringent gun laws put in place after a 1989 shooting that left 14 people dead .
Now , a Canadian wishing to own a gun must register it and undergo training , a risk assessment , and a background check .
It ’ s not yet clear whether the suspect ’ s weapon was registered .
The story is still developing .
Here ’ s what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , so far .
What we know • The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said Monday that at least 16 people were killed .
• At least one of the suspect ’ s victims was a police officer , Const .
Heidi Stevenson , who had been on the force for 23 years .
• At least one other officer was wounded .
• Police believe the suspect targeted some of the victims , but that others were killed at random .
• The shooting began Saturday night ; police in Portapique , Nova @ @ @ @ @ @ @ person with firearms ” at 10:30 pm ADT .
• Residents were instructed to shelter in place ; according to the Associated Press , police found “ many dead ” inside a Portapique home .
• A number of homes were lit on fire ; residents reported seeing at least two burning police vehicles as well .
• By early Sunday morning , the Royal Canadian Mounted Police ( RCMP ) believed the suspect was near a campground in Glenholme , about 10 miles east of Portapique .
• The RCMP tweeted Saturday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a police officer , and was in possession of what appeared to be am RCMP vehicle — it stressed , however , that the suspect was not a member of the mounted police .
• The suspect traveled south for much of Sunday morning , and acquired a new vehicle somewhere near Milford , a town about 35 miles north of Halifax .
• The RCMP caught up to the suspect , identified as 51-year-old Gabriel Wortman of both Halifax and Portapique , at a gas station in Enfield , Nova Scotia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an exchange of gunfire around 10:40 am ADT .
• He died shortly after being taken into police custody .
• On Sunday , Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil called the shooting “ one of the most senseless acts of violence in our province ’ s history , ” and lamented it causing an additional “ heavy burden ” on a community already concerned about the coronavirus .
• A number of other leaders have also expressed condolences , including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau , who said , “ My heart goes out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ terrible situation.
” What we don ’ t know • The firearm used by the shooter , and whether it was registered • How many people were killed • How many people were wounded • The identities of all of the victims

A shooter killed at least 18 people across Nova Scotia, Canada, police said Monday.
The suspect, a 51-year-old man, died shortly after being apprehended in Enfield, Nova Scotia, a town about 20 miles north of Halifax. Police believe he was responsible for a series of shootings that began in Portapique — a small town about 60 miles north of Halifax — around 10:30 pm local time Saturday night. As of Monday, officials said they were conducting investigations at 16 sites across Nova Scotia.
For at least a few hours on Sunday morning, the suspect was disguised as a police officer. Officials aren’t yet sure of his motive, but Royal Canadian Mounted Police Chief Superintendent Chris Leather said Sunday the fact that “this individual had a uniform and a police car at his disposal certainly speaks to it not being a random act.”
The suspect was ultimately apprehended at an Enfield gas station Sunday morning, after having switched vehicles. He was killed about 12 hours after police in Portapique first received a complaint about “a person with firearms” Saturday night.
Mass shootings are rare in Canada, particularly compared with the United States, in large part because stringent gun laws were enacted after a 1989 shooting that left 14 people dead. Now, any Canadian wishing to own a gun must register the firearm and undergo training, a risk assessment, and a background check. It’s not yet clear whether the suspect’s weapon was registered.
Monday, politicians faced a number of questions about new gun control legislation. In response, Canadian Minister of Public Safety Bill Blair promised that Parliament will bring forward new gun control legislation “as quickly as possible” once it returns from a coronavirus-related recess.
The story is still developing. Here’s what we know, and don’t know, so far.
What we know
What we don’t know


vox--2020-04-20--Getting unemployment has been a nightmare for millions of people across the country

Share All sharing options for : Getting unemployment has been a nightmare for millions of people across the country Erin Bradford still hasn ’ t been able to file for unemployment insurance — over a month after she first started trying .
Bradford , an actress in New York City who worked multiple jobs to support her acting career , turned to New York state ’ s unemployment office to file a claim for benefits when she lost her steady work on March 14 .
It has been a frustrating and opaque process for her , to say the least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ average of 100 times a day since I began the process , ” Bradford told me in an email .
“ It feels like it ’ s the early 2000s and you are calling into a radio station .
Most mornings I wake up early so that I can be one of the first people to call in , but apparently a lot of people have had the same idea.
” Bradford is one of an estimated 1.2 million people in New York — and more than 22 million people nationwide — who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the past several weeks and have been trying to access unemployment insurance as the coronavirus continued spreading across the United States .
The staggering fallout of an economic crisis on par with the Great Depression has hit certain sectors of the economy , like restaurants , small businesses , and retail , especially hard .
The recently passed CARES Act expanded unemployment insurance eligibility , meaning most people who have been laid off will qualify for an additional $ 600 a week from the federal government .
The bill also established a new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ PUA ) — that provides benefits for freelancers , gig economy workers , independent contractors , and self-employed individuals who previously were not eligible .
The expanded benefits will continue until July , and members of Congress are already looking at options to extend it .
But the rollout of these benefits has been rocky and uneven .
Some states , like Ohio , won ’ t even start accepting PUA applications until mid-May ( retroactive pay was written into the law , so people who are unable to file until then won @ @ @ @ @ @ @ benefits ) .
The unemployment insurance fiasco is a perfect storm : a massive , crippling recession meeting many state programs that were underfunded and out of date to begin with .
Programs in states like Florida — where former Gov .
Rick Scott purposely designed the online system to make it hard for people to access , the Washington Post reported — have made it even more difficult for people to get help when they need it most .
Current Florida Gov .
Ron DeSantis announced Thursday that just 4 percent of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so far received unemployment benefits — that ’ s 33,623 people out of more than 850,000 applicants .
“ These benefits are layered on top of a system that works well in some states and works terribly in others , ” said Michele Evermore , a senior policy analyst at the National Employment Law Project .
“ When a recession rolls around , how are people surprised that it ’ s hard to get benefits ?
” Where you live can determine how soon you get your unemployment insurance benefits Unemployment insurance benefits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you receive is not the only factor that depends on where you live .
The process to get the money is faster in some states than others .
Vox was contacted by a recently laid-off worker named AJ in Florida , who said he and his wife were trying to access Florida ’ s online unemployment system with very little success .
“ My wife and I try to apply for unemployment and the website does not load .
The phone system also does not work , ” he said .
“ There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going in circles .
We feel abandoned on all levels.
” It ’ s a completely different story in Washington state , where Stevie Hanna got the news she would be laid off from her job at a market research company on April 1 , “ which is not the day to fire people , ” she added .
It was a stressful time ; Hanna had moved to Washington for her job and had lived there only about four months .
With some confusion about whether her work history made her eligible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former state of Michigan , it took about a week for Washington ’ s Employment Security Department to process her claim .
“ Today everything is good , but it was touch and go for a week , ” Hanna told me in a phone interview .
“ But at this point I ’ m impressed that they were able to get me through the system in a few weeks .
...
I have no idea how I got that lucky .
I do feel very fortunate that I am in Washington.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ documentary photographer , also lives in Washington state .
Her work is seasonal , and when the coronavirus hit , she had to cancel the cherry blossom photo shoots she had planned for this spring in Seattle .
Because Stadler owns her own business , she couldn ’ t just apply for traditional UI right off the bat ; she had to wait for Washington to set up its Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program .
“ I know others in other states are having a lot of difficulties filing , so I ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as to not add to an already overloaded system , ” Stadler told me .
“ I ’ ll be applying for benefits on Monday now that they ’ ve given us a firm date for when the system will be able to handle those of us who are self-employed.
” Stadler recognizes she ’ s one of the lucky ones ; her husband is still employed and able to help support her and their two sons .
But she was just starting to turn a profit with her business , and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a blow to her efforts to pay down student loans and have extra income to help pay for the cost of living in Seattle .
“ While we ’ re in a very privileged position , the lost income isn ’ t insignificant , as Seattle is still a very expensive place , ” she said .
In more ways than one , Washington seems to be ahead of the curve with its response to the coronavirus .
Not only have cases and deaths fallen in a state that was considered an initial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Washington also announced that its expanded unemployment insurance benefits — including the PUA program for freelancers — should be up and running by April 18 .
That ’ s a lot sooner compared with some other states .
In New York City , submitting her online application was just the first step for Bradford .
Because she worked multiple part-time jobs , she had to call the unemployment office and speak to a representative over the phone to complete the process .
Then the hard part began .
Bradford told me that each @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of three responses : one telling her that her call couldn ’ t be completed as dialed , one automated message that all lines were busy , and finally , another automated reply that asked questions about her claim ( which she answered using her phone ’ s keypad ) , collected her Social Security number , and transferred her to a representative .
But unless someone is available at that exact moment , callers are disconnected and have to start the process over again , Bradford said .
“ As someone who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , many friends going through this process , and [ I ] can count on one hand the amount of people I know who have been able to get through the phone lines , ” she added .
Bradford got so frustrated that she called Gov .
Andrew Cuomo ’ s office directly .
The last Bradford had heard , New York had redone its website and was no longer asking applicants to call ; instead , people would be contacted directly .
As of April 17 — a month after she first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ received a call .
“ I will be okay for the next month or so , but if this lasts into the summer , that will no longer be the case and my savings will essentially be depleted , ” Bradford told me .
“ It has made me more cautious with my spending , and even when things go back to normal , I and many many others will have to recover from this lost income.
” Many states had underfunded unemployment insurance systems before coronavirus hit Congress passing expanded unemployment benefits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ process of actually getting that money into the bank accounts of people who need it is much harder .
States first have to wait for the Trump administration to issue guidance so they know they ’ re administering a benefit correctly .
Then they have to set up their own policies and interpret them to decide who qualifies , Evermore said .
Finally , states have to program the computers in their unemployment systems with the new information — and some states rely on mainframes and programming that haven ’ t been updated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aspects of UI were weak going into this , ” said Andy Stettner , a senior fellow at the Century Foundation .
“ The IT infrastructure was weak ; most states hadn ’ t gotten off of these ancient mainframes .
The concern is , they ’ ve never done anything with this type of volume.
” A recent report by The Verge ’ s Makena Kelly found that at least 12 states use a decades-old coding language called COBOL in their UI offices , which means specific programmers who know how to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it .
With so many laid-off workers trying to access benefits at once , the old code on some of these systems is crashing websites and leading to other problems .
“ There is no alternative , we just keep going in circles .
We feel abandoned on all levels ” The process is more straightforward for people who have been laid off from an employer and are eligible for regular UI , but it ’ s very complicated for freelancers and others who are waiting for PUA programs to be ready for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mentioned , is seemingly ahead of the curve , with a goal of getting its PUA program up and running by April 18 ; Massachusetts recently announced that it expected to begin accepting PUA claims by April 30 , and officials in Pennsylvania said freelancers and gig workers could start applying by the end of the month .
But other states , including Ohio , are already looking at a May timeline before they can get their PUA programs ready to accept applications , and others haven ’ t released timelines .
New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are asking people to submit PUA claims but are holding on to them until their programs are up and running .
There ’ s consensus in Congress that another relief bill is needed , and Democrats have been talking about either extending the extra $ 600 a week in federal aid or adding more weeks before an individual would be kicked off regular UI benefits ( without the extra $ 600 per week ) , according to a senior Democratic aide .
But the problems that currently exist have led unemployment experts like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also needs to fund the system itself , by helping states add more employees and get better technology to help connect people to the benefits they so badly need .
“ It ’ s really not a sexy item to fund UI administration , ” Evermore said , noting it ’ s an issue that has to compete against other demands , like education funding and cancer research .
“ The only times any improvements have ever happened with UI has been because a recession exposed holes in the coverage.
” House Speaker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recognizes the need , but also admitted it could take weeks before Congress is able to appropriate the money .
( Congress is not set to return to Capitol Hill until May 4 at the earliest . )
“ The states need resources in order to administer the UI , ” Pelosi said .
“ Some are much better prepared than others or just have a different timetable .
So one of the things we may have to do is get more resources to the state agencies that do this.
” In the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are being blown wide open with a mammoth recession .
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 ’ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 .
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Share All sharing options for: Getting unemployment has been a nightmare for millions of people across the country
Erin Bradford still hasn’t been able to file for unemployment insurance — more than a month after she first started trying.
Bradford, an actress in New York City who worked multiple jobs to support her acting career, turned to New York state’s unemployment office to file a claim for benefits when she lost her steady work on March 14. It has been a frustrating and opaque process for her, to say the least.
“I have easily called an average of 100 times a day since I began the process,” Bradford told me in an email. “It feels like it’s the early 2000s and you are calling into a radio station. Most mornings I wake up early so that I can be one of the first people to call in, but apparently a lot of people have had the same idea.”
Bradford is one of an estimated 1.2 million people in New York — and more than 22 million people nationwide — who suddenly found themselves out of work in the past several weeks and have been trying to access unemployment insurance as the coronavirus continued spreading across the United States. The staggering fallout of an economic crisis on par with the Great Depression has hit certain sectors of the economy, like restaurants, small businesses, and retail, especially hard.
The recently passed CARES Act expanded unemployment insurance eligibility, meaning most people who have been laid off will qualify for an additional $600 a week from the federal government. The bill also established a new program — called Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) — that provides benefits for freelancers, gig economy workers, independent contractors, and self-employed individuals who previously were not eligible. The expanded benefits will continue until July, and members of Congress are already looking at options to extend it.
But the rollout of these benefits has been rocky and uneven. Some states, like Ohio, won’t even start accepting PUA applications until mid-May (retroactive pay was written into the law, so people who are unable to file until then won’t lose out on their full benefits).
The unemployment insurance fiasco is a perfect storm: a massive, crippling recession meeting many state programs that were underfunded and out of date to begin with. Programs in states like Florida — where former Gov. Rick Scott purposely designed the online system to make it hard for people to access, the Washington Post reported — have made it even more difficult for people to get help when they need it most.
Current Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Thursday that just 4 percent of people who have applied in Florida have so far received unemployment benefits — that’s 33,623 people out of more than 850,000 applicants.
“These benefits are layered on top of a system that works well in some states and works terribly in others,” said Michele Evermore, a senior policy analyst at the National Employment Law Project. “When a recession rolls around, how are people surprised that it’s hard to get benefits?”
Where you live can determine how soon you get your unemployment insurance benefits
Unemployment insurance benefits vary by state, but the amount you receive is not the only factor that depends on where you live. The process to get the money is faster in some states than others.
Vox was contacted by a recently laid-off worker named AJ in Florida, who said he and his wife were trying to access Florida’s online unemployment system with very little success.
“My wife and I try to apply for unemployment and the website does not load. The phone system also does not work,” he said. “There is no alternative, we just keep going in circles. We feel abandoned on all levels.”
It’s a completely different story in Washington state, where Stevie Hanna got the news she would be laid off from her job at a market research company on April 1, “which is not the day to fire people,” she added.
It was a stressful time; Hanna had moved to Washington for her job and had lived there only about four months. With some confusion about whether her work history made her eligible for benefits in Washington or in her former state of Michigan, it took about a week for Washington’s Employment Security Department to process her claim.
“Today everything is good, but it was touch and go for a week,” Hanna told me in a phone interview. “But at this point I’m impressed that they were able to get me through the system in a few weeks. ... I have no idea how I got that lucky. I do feel very fortunate that I am in Washington.”
Brigit Stadler, a self-employed lifestyle and documentary photographer, also lives in Washington state. Her work is seasonal, and when the coronavirus hit, she had to cancel the cherry blossom photo shoots she had planned for this spring in Seattle. Because Stadler owns her own business, she couldn’t just apply for traditional UI right off the bat; she had to wait for Washington to set up its Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program.
“I know others in other states are having a lot of difficulties filing, so I’ve basically just been checking for updates so as to not add to an already overloaded system,” Stadler told me. “I’ll be applying for benefits on Monday now that they’ve given us a firm date for when the system will be able to handle those of us who are self-employed.”
Stadler recognizes she’s one of the lucky ones; her husband is still employed and able to help support her and their two sons. But she was just starting to turn a profit with her business, and the loss of her photography income has been a blow to her efforts to pay down student loans and have extra income to help pay for the cost of living in Seattle.
“While we’re in a very privileged position, the lost income isn’t insignificant, as Seattle is still a very expensive place,” she said.
In more ways than one, Washington seems to be ahead of the curve with its response to the coronavirus. Not only have cases and deaths fallen in a state that was considered an initial hot spot in the US, but Washington also announced that its expanded unemployment insurance benefits — including the PUA program for freelancers — was scheduled to be up and running by April 18. That was a lot sooner than some other states.
In New York City, submitting her online application was just the first step for Bradford. Because she worked multiple part-time jobs, she had to call the unemployment office and speak to a representative over the phone to complete the process. Then the hard part began.
Bradford told me that each time she called, she got one of three responses: one telling her that her call couldn’t be completed as dialed, one automated message that all lines were busy, and finally, another automated reply that asked questions about her claim (which she answered using her phone’s keypad), collected her Social Security number, and transferred her to a representative. But unless someone is available at that exact moment, callers are disconnected and have to start the process over again, Bradford said.
“As someone who works in entertainment, I have many, many friends going through this process, and [I] can count on one hand the amount of people I know who have been able to get through the phone lines,” she added. Bradford got so frustrated that she called Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office directly.
The last Bradford had heard, New York had redone its website and was no longer asking applicants to call; instead, people would be contacted directly. As of April 17 — a month after she first applied — she hadn’t yet received a call.
“I will be okay for the next month or so, but if this lasts into the summer, that will no longer be the case and my savings will essentially be depleted,” Bradford told me. “It has made me more cautious with my spending, and even when things go back to normal, I and many many others will have to recover from this lost income.”
Many states had underfunded unemployment insurance systems before the coronavirus hit
Congress passing expanded unemployment benefits was just the first step. The process of actually getting that money into the bank accounts of people who need it is much harder.
States first have to wait for the Trump administration to issue guidance so they know they’re administering a benefit correctly. Then they have to set up their own policies and interpret them to decide who qualifies, Evermore said. Finally, states have to program the computers in their unemployment systems with the new information — and some states rely on mainframes and programming that haven’t been updated since the 1970s.
“The key aspects of UI were weak going into this,” said Andy Stettner, a senior fellow at the Century Foundation. “The IT infrastructure was weak; most states hadn’t gotten off of these ancient mainframes. The concern is, they’ve never done anything with this type of volume.”
A recent report by The Verge’s Makena Kelly found that at least 12 states use a decades-old coding language called COBOL in their UI offices, which means specific programmers who know how to use the language are needed to run it. With so many laid-off workers trying to access benefits at once, the old code on some of these systems is crashing websites and leading to other problems.
“There is no alternative, we just keep going in circles. We feel abandoned on all levels.”
The process is more straightforward for people who have been laid off from an employer and are eligible for regular UI, but it’s very complicated for freelancers and others who are waiting for PUA programs to be ready for applicants. Washington state, as previously mentioned, is seemingly ahead of the curve, with a goal of getting its PUA program up and running by April 18. After setting an initial date of April 30, Massachusetts announced it would start accepting PUA applications this week. Officials in Pennsylvania said freelancers and gig workers could start applying by the end of the month.
But other states, including Ohio, are already looking at a May timeline before they can get their PUA programs ready to accept applications, and others haven’t released timelines. New York and Michigan, for instance, are asking people to submit PUA claims but are holding on to them until their programs are up and running.
There’s consensus in Congress that another relief bill is needed, and Democrats have been talking about either extending the extra $600 a week in federal aid or adding more weeks before an individual would be kicked off regular UI benefits (without the extra $600 per week), according to a senior Democratic aide.
But the problems that currently exist have led unemployment experts like Stettner and Evermore to say that Congress also needs to fund the system itself by helping states add more employees and get better technology to help connect people to the benefits they so badly need.
“It’s really not a sexy item to fund UI administration,” Evermore said, noting it’s an issue that has to compete against other demands, like education funding and cancer research. “The only times any improvements have ever happened with UI has been because a recession exposed holes in the coverage.”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi recently told Vox that she recognizes the need, but also admitted it could take weeks before Congress is able to appropriate the money. (Congress is not set to return to Capitol Hill until May 4 at the earliest.)
“The states need resources in order to administer the UI,” Pelosi said. “Some are much better prepared than others or just have a different timetable. So one of the things we may have to do is get more resources to the state agencies that do this.”
In the meantime, the holes in the system are being blown wide open with a mammoth recession.


vox--2020-04-20--What it’s like to deliver weed in a pandemic

Last year , The Goods interviewed a driver employed by the San Jose marijuana dispensary Caliva , who spent her workdays ferrying CBD and THC products to customers around the Bay Area .
She represented a burgeoning network of labor opportunities around the legal cannabis boom ; as growers and cultivators spring up in hot spots like Denver , Oregon , and Massachusetts , so too does the need for weed-fluent marketers , concierges , and delivery professionals .
But like every other industry in 2020 , the still-young American cannabis sector is dealing with the fallout of Covid-19 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gavin Newsom declared dispensaries as “ essential businesses ” alongside grocery stores and pharmacies , making them exceptions to the statewide shelter-in-place order .
For now , that means Caliva drivers are still on the road .
For Bryan , a 57-year old driver who ’ s been working at Caliva for five months and is being identified by a pseudonym to protect his privacy , the work has never been better .
The aftermath of that shelter-in-place mandate sparked a huge influx of Caliva orders .
Californians are stocking up on cannabis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Bryan has happily picked up shifts to stay employed and stay active .
While he does some tech consulting work on the side , he looks at his marijuana delivery job as a mission ; in this moment , as everyone contends with how powerless this pandemic has rendered them , earthly pleasures are some of the only things individuals can control .
We talked about that , as well as the contactless measures he ’ s taken to keep himself and his customers safe , and the satisfaction he feels in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to amid all this darkness .
Our interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity .
So when did coronavirus start affecting your job ?
“ I had never seen panic buying ... like that .
The number of orders that came in just skyrocketed.
” The biggest change happened the day they announced the shelter-in-place .
It happened to be a day I was working at Caliva , and as soon as the announcement came through , our online order system was inundated .
I had never seen panic buying , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ panic buying , like that .
The number of orders that came in just skyrocketed .
I couldn ’ t tell you numbers , but from the delivery bags I saw , it was hundreds of percent increase .
It seems to have been that way ever since .
So many people are concerned about getting their medicine they need , or just a way to escape from being trapped in their house 24/7 .
I ’ m a news junkie , so I knew this thing was coming , but it took @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to “ there ’ s no way in the world we can keep up with this.
” I ’ ve been running nonstop ever since .
What do you remember from that first day ?
Were you driving the whole day ?
I normally work weekend evenings .
So what I can tell you is that before coronavirus , sometimes it can be hard to get a full shift because we stop taking orders at 9 .
But not only have I been getting full shifts now , I ’ ve been working @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more busy than I ’ ve been .
I am able to tell the difference between my recreational and medical users , and my medical users have the same look on their face : relief and gratefulness that they ’ re getting what they need .
I hear so often , “ Thank you for bringing this , I ’ m so glad you guys are still out there.
” I ’ m on the mission side of cannabis .
I ’ ve seen what it can do firsthand medicinally .
I hope @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this silly little weed can do an enormous amount of good .
Are customers more appreciative to you now than they were , say , a month or so ago ?
Do people have more of an emotional reaction to you than they have in the past ?
Very much so .
The vast majority of customers are grateful that we ’ re still in business and still delivering .
During this incredibly busy time , it ’ s been taking longer to make deliveries .
It ’ s not a criticism , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by and large , our customers have been so understanding of the increased delivery times .
Caliva has been great at communicating , they ’ ve set those expectations right up front , and we meet those expectations .
We need to change with the times .
Are we making a lot more money ?
Sure we are .
But more importantly , we ’ re getting people the products that they need to deal with their current reality , which is pretty crappy for most people .
Is it stressful at all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those orders ?
I don ’ t want to sound like an asshole , but so far this coronavirus has been nothing but upside for me personally .
I ’ m getting a lot more hours , and I love the work .
Sometimes I think I sound like a Pollyanna , but every delivery I make , I ’ m making someone ’ s life better .
That really matters to me .
Am I just a delivery guy ?
Yeah , but I ’ m making people happy .
I don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I love driving as an activity .
I ’ m also an extreme introvert , so I don ’ t normally go out to bars .
So it hasn ’ t impacted me that much personally .
So far , this has been good for me , which means I can devote even more energy to caring for our customers .
Have your tips gone up ?
“ In the last two weeks , tipping is up significantly ” Customers can tip if they ’ d like , but we never ask .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks , tipping is up significantly .
Maybe 30 to 50 percent .
There are still people out there who don ’ t understand that everyone in the state is ordering marijuana right now , and there are only so many drivers .
So some people get nasty .
But if you can ’ t understand that we ’ re absolutely buried , and the fact that I ’ m risking my personal safety bringing it to you … those people are rare , and they ’ re never going to be satisfied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dispensaries were deemed essential businesses in California ?
We were wondering that .
When [ the shelter-in-place order ] first came down , it wasn ’ t clear whether we were going to be deemed essential or not .
I ’ m not saying this authoritatively , but from my understanding ... Caliva went to the city in San Jose and made their case , saying that we have customers that depend on us .
How are you socially distancing while you ’ re delivering cannabis ?
We received really solid guidance from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first dispensary in the country doing curbside pickup , so people don ’ t even have to go into the store .
When Caliva says they ’ re going to do things to protect customers and workers , they do it .
We ’ ve been given instructions to be sensitive to how the customer wants to handle the transaction .
I ’ ve had numerous customers who ’ ve come over , and I can see from the look on their face that they want me to keep my distance .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ footstool set up in the middle of the garage , and he walked up and put his stuff on it and walked away , and then I walked up and put my stuff on it and walked away .
I ’ m going to try to behave the way that makes the customer most comfortable , unless they ’ re being really unsafe and they ’ re making me uncomfortable .
But I have a smile , I ask how they ’ re doing , and I try to make their day a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ old enough to remember when marijuana wasn ’ t boutique-y .
It ’ s amazing .
What are you doing to keep yourself safe ?
I ’ m gloved up the whole time .
I never touch customers ’ packages .
I never touch the money , and we do a lot of cash business .
If I don ’ t have my gloves on and I touch something , I ’ m using my hand sanitizer .
Caliva is limiting the amount of people in the store .
The cleaning staff is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emails from various departments with new guidance measures .
They ’ re taking every reasonable precaution that they can .
You mentioned before how you look at marijuana delivery as a mission .
Has that mission felt more personal for you lately , given how many people are looking for something to make their lives better right now ?
Absolutely .
I feel a real sense of accomplishment at the end of a day .
I always feel good .
I ’ m out helping people .
It ’ s the perfect way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the skill sets that I have .
I would never be a hospital worker , but I can be the guy that shows up with a smile bringing you the stuff you really , really need or really , really want .
I find it remarkably rewarding on a number of levels , even more so than before .
Sign up for The Goods ’ newsletter .
Twice a week , we ’ ll send you the best Goods stories exploring what we buy , why we buy it , and why it @ @

Last year, The Goods interviewed a driver employed by the San Jose marijuana dispensary Caliva, who spent her workdays ferrying CBD and THC products to customers around the Bay Area. She represented a burgeoning network of labor opportunities around the legal cannabis boom; as growers and cultivators spring up in hot spots like Denver, Oregon, and Massachusetts, so too does the need for weed-fluent marketers, concierges, and delivery professionals.
But like every other industry in 2020, the still-young American cannabis sector is dealing with the fallout of Covid-19. On March 19, California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared dispensaries as “essential businesses” alongside grocery stores and pharmacies, making them exceptions to the statewide shelter-in-place order. For now, that means Caliva drivers are still on the road.
For Bryan, a 57-year old driver who’s been working at Caliva for five months and is being identified by a pseudonym to protect his privacy, the work has never been better. The aftermath of that shelter-in-place mandate sparked a huge influx of Caliva orders. Californians are stocking up on cannabis to contend with their new reality, and Bryan has happily picked up shifts to stay employed and stay active. While he does some tech consulting work on the side, he looks at his marijuana delivery job as a mission; in this moment, as everyone contends with how powerless this pandemic has rendered them, earthly pleasures are some of the only things individuals can control.
We talked about that, as well as the contactless measures he’s taken to keep himself and his customers safe, and the satisfaction he feels in giving his clients something to look forward to amid all this darkness. Our interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
So when did coronavirus start affecting your job?
“I had never seen panic buying ... like that. The number of orders that came in just skyrocketed.”
The biggest change happened the day they announced the shelter-in-place. It happened to be a day I was working at Caliva, and as soon as the announcement came through, our online order system was inundated. I had never seen panic buying, or what appeared to me to be panic buying, like that. The number of orders that came in just skyrocketed. I couldn’t tell you numbers, but from the delivery bags I saw, it was hundreds of percent increase. It seems to have been that way ever since. So many people are concerned about getting their medicine they need, or just a way to escape from being trapped in their house 24/7.
I’m a news junkie, so I knew this thing was coming, but it took our business from “steady busy” to “there’s no way in the world we can keep up with this.” I’ve been running nonstop ever since.
What do you remember from that first day? Were you driving the whole day?
I normally work weekend evenings. So what I can tell you is that before coronavirus, sometimes it can be hard to get a full shift because we stop taking orders at 9. But not only have I been getting full shifts now, I’ve been working overtime. I am easily 100 percent more busy than I’ve been. I am able to tell the difference between my recreational and medical users, and my medical users have the same look on their face: relief and gratefulness that they’re getting what they need. I hear so often, “Thank you for bringing this, I’m so glad you guys are still out there.” I’m on the mission side of cannabis. I’ve seen what it can do firsthand medicinally. I hope I can help spread the message that this silly little weed can do an enormous amount of good.
Are customers more appreciative to you now than they were, say, a month or so ago? Do people have more of an emotional reaction to you than they have in the past?
Very much so. The vast majority of customers are grateful that we’re still in business and still delivering. During this incredibly busy time, it’s been taking longer to make deliveries. It’s not a criticism, it’s just physics. And by and large, our customers have been so understanding of the increased delivery times. Caliva has been great at communicating, they’ve set those expectations right up front, and we meet those expectations. We need to change with the times. Are we making a lot more money? Sure we are. But more importantly, we’re getting people the products that they need to deal with their current reality, which is pretty crappy for most people.
Is it stressful at all trying to stay on top of all those orders?
I don’t want to sound like an asshole, but so far this coronavirus has been nothing but upside for me personally. I’m getting a lot more hours, and I love the work. Sometimes I think I sound like a Pollyanna, but every delivery I make, I’m making someone’s life better. That really matters to me. Am I just a delivery guy? Yeah, but I’m making people happy. I don’t get frustrated with it. I love driving as an activity. I’m also an extreme introvert, so I don’t normally go out to bars. So it hasn’t impacted me that much personally. So far, this has been good for me, which means I can devote even more energy to caring for our customers.
Have your tips gone up?
“In the last two weeks, tipping is up significantly”
Customers can tip if they’d like, but we never ask. But yes, in the last two weeks, tipping is up significantly. Maybe 30 to 50 percent. There are still people out there who don’t understand that everyone in the state is ordering marijuana right now, and there are only so many drivers. So some people get nasty. But if you can’t understand that we’re absolutely buried, and the fact that I’m risking my personal safety bringing it to you … those people are rare, and they’re never going to be satisfied.
Were you at all surprised that dispensaries were deemed essential businesses in California?
We were wondering that. When [the shelter-in-place order] first came down, it wasn’t clear whether we were going to be deemed essential or not. I’m not saying this authoritatively, but from my understanding ... Caliva went to the city in San Jose and made their case, saying that we have customers that depend on us.
How are you socially distancing while you’re delivering cannabis?
We received really solid guidance from Caliva. In fact, we are the first dispensary in the country doing curbside pickup, so people don’t even have to go into the store. When Caliva says they’re going to do things to protect customers and workers, they do it. We’ve been given instructions to be sensitive to how the customer wants to handle the transaction.
I’ve had numerous customers who’ve come over, and I can see from the look on their face that they want me to keep my distance. I had one guy who had a footstool set up in the middle of the garage, and he walked up and put his stuff on it and walked away, and then I walked up and put my stuff on it and walked away.
I’m going to try to behave the way that makes the customer most comfortable, unless they’re being really unsafe and they’re making me uncomfortable. But I have a smile, I ask how they’re doing, and I try to make their day a little bit better. I’m old enough to remember when marijuana wasn’t boutique-y. It’s amazing.
What are you doing to keep yourself safe?
I’m gloved up the whole time. I never touch customers’ packages. I never touch the money, and we do a lot of cash business. If I don’t have my gloves on and I touch something, I’m using my hand sanitizer. Caliva is limiting the amount of people in the store. The cleaning staff is constantly working. I’m getting emails from various departments with new guidance measures. They’re taking every reasonable precaution that they can.
You mentioned before how you look at marijuana delivery as a mission. Has that mission felt more personal for you lately, given how many people are looking for something to make their lives better right now?
Absolutely. I feel a real sense of accomplishment at the end of a day. I always feel good. I’m out helping people. It’s the perfect way I can contribute to my world with the skill sets that I have. I would never be a hospital worker, but I can be the guy that shows up with a smile bringing you the stuff you really, really need or really, really want. I find it remarkably rewarding on a number of levels, even more so than before.
Sign up for The Goods’ newsletter. Twice a week, we’ll send you the best Goods stories exploring what we buy, why we buy it, and why it matters.


vox--2020-04-20--How Muslims are preparing to observe Ramadan during the coronavirus pandemic

Last Ramadan , Asad Dandia broke his fast surrounded by friends , old and new , at the Islamic Center at New York University , a major community center that he ’ s been a part of for many years .
As they broke their fast at sunset , Muslims from varying communities bonded over their shared meals .
“ I use ‘ communities ’ in the plural because Muslims of New York come from all national , ethnic , social , and denominational backgrounds , and I consider myself blessed to be part of so many , ” Dandia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me .
But with most countries still in varying degrees of lockdown due to the coronavirus , Dandia and many other Muslims around the world will see a starkly different Ramadan this year .
“ With the ongoing pandemic , Ramadan won ’ t be the same .
A lot of community activities will probably be curtailed , but the show must go on , ” said Dandia .
The Muslim holy month of Ramadan , which begins this year on the evening of April 23 , marks the ninth month of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during this month , the Quran — the Muslim holy book — was initially revealed to the Prophet Mohammed , and fasting during this month is one of the five “ pillars ” or core requirements of the Islamic faith .
During this month , from dawn until sunset , Muslims are expected to abstain from food , water , and any activity that is deemed sinful .
People also tend to increase their spiritual activities , such as charity-giving , prayer , and the recitation of the Quran .
However , because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stay at home to flatten the curve and to reduce the spread of Covid-19 , many traditional activities during this month that involve group events and communal worship will not be able to take place or will have to take different forms , including moving online .
Mosques around the world have closed in order to curb the further spread of the disease .
“ If , God forbid , the pandemic continues during Ramadan , Muslims will not be able to pray Taraweeh [ the nightly prayer during Ramadan ] in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Islamic studies scholar who previously taught at Qatar University , told me .
“ Socially , people will be deprived of traditions like swapping dishes between community members , or hosting and attending any community gatherings , ” he says , which are major aspects of Ramadan that have been practiced for more than 1,000 years .
Fawzy told me that , as far as he knows , it is unknown whether Islamic religious activities were ever affected this way in the past .
“ We do know that there have been major @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Plague .
However , we do not know what Islamic scholars or scientists did during that time in terms of managing group religious obligations such as prayer and worship , ” Fawzy said .
“ The mosques will be sad and thus our hearts will also be sad ” With Ramadan just around the corner , Muslims from the United States to Malaysia to the Gaza Strip are preparing for a dramatic shift in their normal Ramadan practices and activities .
In New York , the current epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me that annual activities such as social justice campaigns and other community programs in which he usually partakes will likely get canceled due to the pandemic .
“ With the ongoing pandemic , Ramadan won ’ t be the same .
A lot of community activities will probably be curtailed , but the show must go on.
” “ I always look forward to getting involved in these activities because I don ’ t think we can separate our personal spiritual development from being present among people and working to uplift them , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year , continuing these activities from afar may prove challenging and force Muslims to find new ways to maintain that sense of community .
In Kuala Lumpur , Faizal Hamssin reminisced about the sense of community that comes with Ramadan .
“ The Iftar feasts [ breaking the daily fast ] in Malaysia tend to be inclusive , in the way that it also includes friends who are of different religious backgrounds , eating together and enjoying each other ’ s company , ” he told me .
“ During the second half @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vendors selling traditional Eid attires are usually very busy , it ’ s the best time to look for good once-in-a-year bargains.
” Recalling last year ’ s busy Ramadan festivities , Hamssin said he expects Ramadan will change this year .
“ There won ’ t be any Ramadan bazaars in most parts of the country this year , and if the Movement Control Order continues throughout Ramadan , there also won ’ t be any Taraweeh congregation prayers this year , ” he said .
In the Gaza Strip , where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who live there with scant access to medical supplies and aid , daily survival is already a struggle .
Aya Saleem , a humanitarian and philanthropic activist in Gaza , told me that Ramadan usually brings joy to the people of Gaza as they begin preparing for a month of charity , family , and worship .
“ But in 2020 , because of the coronavirus , this will change .
We won ’ t be able to pray Taraweeh in the mosque in fear of further spreading the virus .
The mosques @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will also be sad , ” Saleem said .
“ We won ’ t be able to visit or host our families and friends , everything will be very difficult.
” “ Perhaps the pandemic will bring us together in new ways we hadn ’ t considered before ” Although both religious and social group activities that occur every Ramadan will likely not exist this year , Fawzy , the Islamic studies scholar , says that doesn ’ t necessarily mean people can ’ t attain the same level of spiritual fulfillment they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he said , can be prayed at home .
“ Praying Taraweeh in a group inside a mosque is not obligatory ; the Prophet Mohammed , peace be upon him , used to pray it individually.
” Fawzy suggests a different method of prayer for Muslim families .
“ A good alternative would be for families to create their own at-home prayer program .
Fathers could , for example , lead the prayer at home — or even his kids if they ’ re old and capable enough.
” But a worry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who may not be surrounded by people who fast at home and therefore rely more heavily on community activities to get them through the month , will likely feel a sense of loss this year .
Dandia said that although that ’ ll likely be the case , there might be a silver lining : “ As a community , we ’ ll be more conscious and intentional about how we serve our people .
We ’ ll have to rethink what it means to remember and center the voices of those in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the margins , who may not have Muslim families or a community to break fast with .
“ Perhaps the pandemic will bring us together in new ways we hadn ’ t considered before , ” Dandia said .
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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 .
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Last Ramadan, Asad Dandia broke his fast surrounded by friends, old and new, at the Islamic Center at New York University, a major community center that he’s been a part of for many years. As they broke their fast at sunset, Muslims from varying communities bonded over their shared meals.
“I use ‘communities’ in the plural because Muslims of New York come from all national, ethnic, social, and denominational backgrounds, and I consider myself blessed to be part of so many,” Dandia, a Brooklyn-born graduate student, told me.
But with most countries still in varying degrees of lockdown due to the coronavirus, Dandia and many other Muslims around the world will see a starkly different Ramadan this year. “With the ongoing pandemic, Ramadan won’t be the same. A lot of community activities will probably be curtailed, but the show must go on,” said Dandia.
The Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which begins this year on the evening of April 23, marks the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar. Muslims believe that during this month, the Quran — the Muslim holy book — was initially revealed to the Prophet Mohammed, and fasting during this month is one of the five “pillars” or core requirements of the Islamic faith.
During this month, from dawn until sunset, Muslims are expected to abstain from food, water, and any activity that is deemed sinful. People also tend to increase their spiritual activities, such as charity-giving, prayer, and the recitation of the Quran.
However, because of the worldwide instruction for people to stay at home to flatten the curve and to reduce the spread of Covid-19, many traditional activities during this month that involve group events and communal worship will not be able to take place or will have to take different forms, including moving online. Mosques around the world have closed in order to curb the further spread of the disease.
“If, God forbid, the pandemic continues during Ramadan, Muslims will not be able to pray Taraweeh [the nightly prayer during Ramadan] in the mosques,” Hassan Fawzy, an Islamic studies scholar who previously taught at Qatar University, told me. “Socially, people will be deprived of traditions like swapping dishes between community members, or hosting and attending any community gatherings,” he says, which are major aspects of Ramadan that have been practiced for more than 1,000 years.
Fawzy told me that, as far as he knows, it is unknown whether Islamic religious activities were ever affected this way in the past. “We do know that there have been major pandemics in the past, such as the Plague. However, we do not know what Islamic scholars or scientists did during that time in terms of managing group religious obligations such as prayer and worship,” Fawzy said.
“The mosques will be sad and thus our hearts will also be sad”
With Ramadan just around the corner, Muslims from the United States to Malaysia to the Gaza Strip are preparing for a dramatic shift in their normal Ramadan practices and activities.
In New York, the current epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in the US, Asad Dandia told me that annual activities such as social justice campaigns and other community programs in which he usually partakes will likely get canceled due to the pandemic.
“With the ongoing pandemic, Ramadan won’t be the same. A lot of community activities will probably be curtailed, but the show must go on.”
“I always look forward to getting involved in these activities because I don’t think we can separate our personal spiritual development from being present among people and working to uplift them,” he told me. But this year, continuing these activities from afar may prove challenging and force Muslims to find new ways to maintain that sense of community.
In Kuala Lumpur, Faizal Hamssin reminisced about the sense of community that comes with Ramadan. “The Iftar feasts [breaking the daily fast] in Malaysia tend to be inclusive, in the way that it also includes friends who are of different religious backgrounds, eating together and enjoying each other’s company,” he told me. “During the second half of Ramadan, the bazaars and local vendors selling traditional Eid attires are usually very busy, it’s the best time to look for good once-in-a-year bargains.”
Recalling last year’s busy Ramadan festivities, Hamssin said he expects Ramadan will change this year. “There won’t be any Ramadan bazaars in most parts of the country this year, and if the Movement Control Order continues throughout Ramadan, there also won’t be any Taraweeh congregation prayers this year,” he said.
In the Gaza Strip, where a years-long Israeli blockade has left Palestinians who live there with scant access to medical supplies and aid, daily survival is already a struggle. Aya Saleem, a humanitarian and philanthropic activist in Gaza, told me that Ramadan usually brings joy to the people of Gaza as they begin preparing for a month of charity, family, and worship.
“But in 2020, because of the coronavirus, this will change. We won’t be able to pray Taraweeh in the mosque in fear of further spreading the virus. The mosques will be sad and thus our hearts will also be sad,” Saleem said. “We won’t be able to visit or host our families and friends, everything will be very difficult.”
“Perhaps the pandemic will bring us together in new ways we hadn’t considered before”
Although both religious and social group activities that occur every Ramadan will likely not exist this year, Fawzy, the Islamic studies scholar, says that doesn’t necessarily mean people can’t attain the same level of spiritual fulfillment they ordinarily would.
For instance, Taraweeh, he said, can be prayed at home. “Praying Taraweeh in a group inside a mosque is not obligatory; the Prophet Mohammed, peace be upon him, used to pray it individually.”
Fawzy suggests a different method of prayer for Muslim families. “A good alternative would be for families to create their own at-home prayer program. Fathers could, for example, lead the prayer at home — or even his kids if they’re old and capable enough.”
But a worry remains: Muslims, especially converts, who may not be surrounded by people who fast at home and therefore rely more heavily on community activities to get them through the month, will likely feel a sense of loss this year.
Dandia said that although that’ll likely be the case, there might be a silver lining: “As a community, we’ll be more conscious and intentional about how we serve our people. We’ll have to rethink what it means to remember and center the voices of those in our communities who’ve been pushed to the margins, who may not have Muslim families or a community to break fast with.
“Perhaps the pandemic will bring us together in new ways we hadn’t considered before,” Dandia said.