vox--2020-03-01--Trump, Jr. said Democrats “seemingly hope” the coronavirus “kills millions.” Pence defended him.

The novel coronavirus and Covid-19 , the disease it causes , have become a global health issue .
But increasingly for President Donald Trump , a member of his family , and his administration officials , the virus is being seen as a weapon the president ’ s enemies hope to use against him as much as it is a public health concern .
The president ’ s son , Donald Trump , Jr. , offered the most pointed encapsulation of this view on Friday , when he told Fox News that Democrats “ seemingly hope that it comes here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that they could end Donald Trump ’ s streak of winning.
” No elected official , Democratic or otherwise , have said any such thing .
Some Democrats — and some Republicans — have , however , been critical of the Trump administration ’ s response to the coronavirus .
Republican Sen. Richard Shelby and Democrat Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer have both called on the administration to spend more to combat the virus , for example .
Despite this , on Sunday , Vice President Mike Pence — who is in charge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to deal with the outbreak — defended the president ’ s son ’ s remarks as “ understandable.
” “ This is no time for politics .
And frankly , I think that was Don Jr. ’ s point : that there has been some very strong rhetoric directed at the president by some members of Congress , ” Pence told CNN ’ s Jake Tapper .
“ But responding to the kind of things that have been hurled is understandable.
” Pence ’ s defense of the president ’ s son is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he and Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar argued on the Sunday morning that Democrats and liberal commentators — not the Trump administration or the right — were to blame for the politicization of the coronavirus .
When NBC ’ s Chuck Todd questioned Pence on Meet the Press over politicizing rhetoric on the right , such as right-wing radio host Rush Limbaugh ’ s claim that Democrats have “ weaponized ” the coronavirus as well as Trump Jr. ’ s inflammatory remarks , Pence declined to condemn them .
Instead he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump Jr. was “ pushing back ” at Trump critics , and that “ it ’ s time for the other side to turn down the volume.
” Pence cited Gail Collins ’ s New York Times column entitled , “ Let ’ s call it Trumpvirus ” as an example of how “ there have been irresponsible voices ” on the left criticizing the president .
Beyond pressure from Democrats for the administration to speed and better fund its response efforts , it is not clear what “ volume ” Pence was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that criticism of his handling of coronavirus in the US is part of a Democratic Party “ hoax.
” “ One of my people came up to me and said , ‘ Mr .
President , they tried to beat you on Russia , Russia , Russia .
That didn ’ t work out too well .
They couldn ’ t do it , ’ ” the president said at a rally in South Carolina Friday .
“ They tried the impeachment hoax .
And this is their new hoax.
” At a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it clear he used the word hoax in connection to the coronavirus — which has killed at least 2,990 people globally and infected at least 22 people in the US — because he felt his administration ’ s work was being attacked .
When questioned over the use of the term hoax on Saturday , Trump said that it referred to “ the action that [ Democrats ] take to try to pin this on somebody because we ’ ve done such a good job.
” He added , “ I don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ government officials ] , and that ’ s the hoax.
” When ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos asked Azar about Trump ’ s use of the term hoax , Sunday Azar deflected .
“ He ’ s talking about the partisan sniping that we ’ re seeing , it ’ s unnecessary , we don ’ t need to have this made a political issue , ” Azar said .
“ We ’ re in a public health crisis here , we need to all be banding together.
” The partisan sniping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus does inarguably call for banding together .
There is still much that isn ’ t known about it , and new cases within the US are being reported daily .
It is true that the US has far fewer Covid-19 cases than other countries , but that does not make the president and his allies ’ use of the virus to to attack political rivals any less worrying — or any less of a distraction from life-or-death work that needs to be done .

The novel coronavirus and Covid-19, the disease it causes, have become a global health issue. But increasingly for President Donald Trump, a member of his family, and his administration officials, the virus is being seen as a weapon the president’s enemies hope to use against him as much as it is a public health concern.
Donald Trump Jr., the president’s son, offered the most pointed encapsulation of this view on Friday when he told Fox News that Democrats “seemingly hope that it comes here, and kills millions of people so that they could end Donald Trump’s streak of winning.”
No elected official, Democratic or otherwise, have said any such thing. Some Democrats — and some Republicans — have, however, been critical of the Trump administration’s response to the coronavirus. Republican Sen. Richard Shelby and Democrat Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer have both called on the administration to spend more to combat the virus, for example.
Despite this, on Sunday, Vice President Mike Pence — who is in charge of the White House’s efforts to deal with the outbreak — defended the president’s son’s remarks as “understandable.”
“This is no time for politics. And frankly, I think that was Don Jr.’s point: that there has been some very strong rhetoric directed at the president by some members of Congress,” Pence told CNN’s Jake Tapper. “But responding to the kind of things that have been hurled is understandable.”
Pence’s defense of the president’s son is just one of several examples of how he and Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar argued on the Sunday morning that Democrats and liberal commentators — not the Trump administration or the right — were to blame for the politicization of the coronavirus.
When NBC’s Chuck Todd questioned Pence on Meet the Press over politicizing rhetoric on the right, such as right-wing radio host Rush Limbaugh’s claim that Democrats have “weaponized” the coronavirus as well as Trump Jr.’s inflammatory remarks, Pence declined to condemn them. Instead he drew attention to liberals.
Pence said Trump Jr. was “pushing back” at Trump critics, and that “it’s time for the other side to turn down the volume.”
Pence cited Gail Collins’s New York Times column titled “Let’s call it Trumpvirus” as an example of how “there have been irresponsible voices” on the left criticizing the president. Beyond pressure from Democrats for the administration to speed and better fund its response efforts, it is not clear what “volume” Pence was referring to.
Trump himself has claimed that criticism of his handling of coronavirus in the US is part of a Democratic Party “hoax.”
“One of my people came up to me and said, ‘Mr. President, they tried to beat you on Russia, Russia, Russia. That didn’t work out too well. They couldn’t do it,’” the president said at a rally in South Carolina Friday. “They tried the impeachment hoax. And this is their new hoax.”
Here’s Trump at his rally tonight in South Carolina dismissing worries about the coronavirus as the “new hoax” pic.twitter.com/Q58d7dI1cb — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 29, 2020
At a Saturday press conference, the president made it clear he used the word hoax in connection to the coronavirus — which has killed at least 2,990 people globally and infected at least 22 people in the US — because he felt his administration’s work was being attacked.
When questioned over the use of the term hoax on Saturday, Trump said that it referred to “the action that [Democrats] take to try to pin this on somebody because we’ve done such a good job.”
He added, “I don’t like it when they are criticizing [government officials], and that’s the hoax.”
When ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos asked Azar about Trump’s use of the term hoax on Sunday, Azar deflected.
“He’s talking about the partisan sniping that we’re seeing, it’s unnecessary, we don’t need to have this made a political issue,” Azar said. “We’re in a public health crisis here, we need to all be banding together.”
The partisan sniping seems to be one-sided — but the coronavirus does inarguably call for banding together. There is still much that isn’t known about it, and new cases within the US are being reported daily. It is true that the US has far fewer Covid-19 cases than other countries, but that does not make the president and his allies’ use of the virus to attack political rivals any less worrying — or any less of a distraction from life-or-death work that needs to be done.


vox--2020-03-01--Biden says he’ll contest the Democratic nomination if no one gets a majority of delegates

Coming off a resounding victory in South Carolina , former Vice President Joe Biden addressed the possibility of a contested convention , sending a clear message to Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders , who currently leads in the delegate count , and who has argued a candidate ought to only need a plurality — not a majority , as party rules dictate — of pledged delegates to become the nominee .
Speaking on CNN ’ s State of the Union on Sunday , Biden said that he would fight for the presidential nomination at the Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ count but does not have at least 1,991 pledged delegates , a number that constitutes a majority .
“ The rules have been set , ” Biden said .
“ You don ’ t change the rules in the middle of the game.
” With analysts beginning to argue that it is unlikely any candidate will have a majority of delegates before the convention , Sanders has begun to challenge these rules .
At a CNN town hall in late February , for instance , Sanders said , “ If I or anybody @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a substantial plurality , I believe that individual , me or anyone else , should be the candidate of the Democratic Party.
” And during an appearance on ABC ’ s This Week Sunday , Sanders said , “ If we go into Milwaukee , into the Democratic Convention , with a lead , having won many , many states , having won the people ’ s vote , and that is reversed at the convention , how do you think people all over this country will feel ?
” Should a candidate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a majority of delegates , current rules stipulate that party leaders — also known as superdelegates — weigh in to help decide the nominee .
Sunday , Sanders also argued a candidate selected in part by superdelegates would be ill equipped to defeat President Donald Trump .
“ If you reject the candidate who has the most votes from the people , and you win it through superdelegates , ” Sanders said , “ do you think you ’ re going to have the energy and the excitement and the grassroots movement to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t think you will.
” With his South Carolina victory , Biden was able to narrow the delegate gap between himself and Sanders .
Biden currently holds 53 delegates , to Sanders ’ s 58 .
Should such a dynamic hold until July , and should both Sanders and Biden fail to meet the 1,991 pledged delegate threshold , Democrats will have to decide whether to pursue the method Biden has advocated for or the one Sanders has suggested .
It is not yet clear what party leaders would do if faced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ February , Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez told MSNBC in his view a candidate needs a majority , whether it is gained though pledged delegates in the primary or through a vote with superdelegate : “ Forty percent at the end of the day , is not enough , ” Perez said .
The manner in which delegates are awarded — and the size of the primary field — makes a contested convention a possibility As Vox ’ s Andrew Prokop has written , the fight for delegates isn ’ t simply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sanders has repeatedly done ) , but also of picking up a more significant share of votes ( which is how Biden , even with dismal showings in Iowa and New Hampshire , holds the second-highest number of delegates ) .
That distinction becomes especially complicated during a race like this , where so many candidates remain .
Heading into Super Tuesday , there are still six candidates in the race : Biden ; Sanders ; Sens .
Amy Klobuchar and Elizabeth Warren ; former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg ; and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ What makes things especially tricky this year is , for the first time in nearly three decades , the Democratic field won ’ t just be a two-candidate contest on Super Tuesday .
Because of that , small changes in the vote count — and particularly in who manages to top the 15 percent threshold necessary to get any delegates — can shape the delegate totals in surprising ways .
For instance , if the leading candidate gets 30 percent of the vote somewhere , they could end up getting around one-third of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exact same vote share , they could also end up with two-thirds of delegates — a dramatic difference , particularly since a majority is necessary to win .
The difference depends entirely on how many other candidates top 15 percent and on how far above it they are .
Voters may not realize that if they cast their ballot for a candidate who ends up falling below that threshold , they could be supercharging the leading candidate ’ s delegate haul .
This can all translate into “ quirky results , ” as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crowded field : thanks to how proportions of votes are rounded , a candidate towards the middle of the field may end up picking up a handful of delegates here and there — enough to cut into a frontrunner ’ s lead .
That ’ s part of reason the majority versus plurality question is being raised now .
There are only 3,979 pledged delegates to go around , and the fact that there are still six people competing for them makes it all the more likely no one candidate will win a @ @

Coming off a resounding victory in South Carolina, former Vice President Joe Biden addressed the possibility of a contested convention, sending a clear message to Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who currently leads in the delegate count, and who has argued a candidate ought to only need a plurality — not a majority, as party rules dictate — of pledged delegates to become the nominee.
Speaking on CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday, Biden said he would fight for the presidential nomination at the Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee in July if Sanders leads in the delegate count but does not have at least 1,991 pledged delegates, a number that constitutes a majority.
“The rules have been set,” Biden said. “You don’t change the rules in the middle of the game.”
With analysts beginning to argue that it is unlikely any candidate will have a majority of delegates before the convention, Sanders has begun to challenge these rules.
At a CNN town hall in late February, for instance, Sanders said, “If I or anybody else goes into the Democratic convention with a substantial plurality, I believe that individual, me or anyone else, should be the candidate of the Democratic Party.”
And during an appearance on ABC’s This Week Sunday, Sanders said, “If we go into Milwaukee, into the Democratic Convention, with a lead, having won many, many states, having won the people’s vote, and that is reversed at the convention, how do you think people all over this country will feel?”
Bernie Sanders: “If you reject the candidate who has the most votes from the people and you win it through superdelegates ... do you think you’re going to have the energy ... and the grassroots movement to defeat (Trump)? I honestly don’t think you will.” https://t.co/wGwD0uWZ3e pic.twitter.com/gcMbyNQIIZ — This Week (@ThisWeekABC) March 1, 2020
Should a candidate fail to come to the convention with a majority of delegates, current rules stipulate that party leaders — also known as superdelegates — weigh in to help decide the nominee. Sunday, Sanders also argued a candidate selected in part by superdelegates would be ill equipped to defeat President Donald Trump.
“If you reject the candidate who has the most votes from the people, and you win it through superdelegates,” Sanders said, “do you think you’re going to have the energy and the excitement and the grassroots movement to defeat Donald Trump? I honestly don’t think you will.”
With his South Carolina victory, Biden was able to narrow the delegate gap between himself and Sanders. Biden currently holds 53 delegates to Sanders’s 58.
Should such a dynamic hold until July, and should both Sanders and Biden fail to meet the 1,991 pledged delegate threshold, Democrats will have to decide whether to pursue the method Biden has advocated for or the one Sanders has suggested.
It is not yet clear what party leaders would do if faced with such a situation, but in February, Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez told MSNBC in his view a candidate needs a majority, whether it is gained though pledged delegates in the primary or through a vote with superdelegates: “Forty percent at the end of the day is not enough,” Perez said.
The manner in which delegates are awarded — and the size of the primary field — makes a contested convention a possibility
As Vox’s Andrew Prokop has written, the fight for delegates isn’t simply a question of winning states (which Sanders has repeatedly done), but also of picking up a more significant share of votes (which is how Biden, even with dismal showings in Iowa and New Hampshire, holds the second-highest number of delegates).
That distinction becomes especially complicated during a race like this, where so many candidates remain. Heading into Super Tuesday, there are still six candidates in the race: Biden; Sanders; Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Elizabeth Warren; former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg; and Rep. Tulsi Gabbard. Prokop explains:
What makes things especially tricky this year is, for the first time in nearly three decades, the Democratic field won’t just be a two-candidate contest on Super Tuesday. Because of that, small changes in the vote count — and particularly in who manages to top the 15 percent threshold necessary to get any delegates — can shape the delegate totals in surprising ways. For instance, if the leading candidate gets 30 percent of the vote somewhere, they could end up getting around one-third of delegates at stake. But with the exact same vote share, they could also end up with two-thirds of delegates — a dramatic difference, particularly since a majority is necessary to win. The difference depends entirely on how many other candidates top 15 percent and on how far above it they are. Voters may not realize that if they cast their ballot for a candidate who ends up falling below that threshold, they could be supercharging the leading candidate’s delegate haul.
This can all translate into “quirky results,” as Prokop has written, in such a crowded field: thanks to how proportions of votes are rounded, a candidate toward the middle of the field may end up picking up a handful of delegates here and there — enough to cut into a frontrunner’s lead.
That’s part of the reason the majority versus plurality question is being raised now. There are only 3,979 pledged delegates to go around, and the fact that there are still six people competing for them makes it all the more likely no one candidate will win a majority.


vox--2020-03-01--Pete Buttigieg drops out of the presidential race

Pete Buttigieg has dropped out of the 2020 Democratic primary , according to the New York Times .
The former South Bend , Indiana , mayor , the winner of the Iowa caucuses and most successful openly gay candidate in primary history , didn ’ t perform well enough in Nevada and South Carolina — ultimately leading the candidate to conclude that the fight was over .
Buttigieg ’ s withdrawal came after a campaign that was , frankly , more successful than anyone first expected it to be .
Mayor Pete , as he ’ s known , was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yet managed to win Iowa and come in for a strong second place in New Hampshire before his ultimate withdrawal .
The mayor initially surged to prominence in March 2019 through a media blitz ( Vox was one outlet he spoke to repeatedly ) , selling himself as an intelligent and relatively progressive young voice committed to reforming a political system rigged against Democrats .
Buttigieg eventually tacked to the center , blasting Medicare-for-all ( which he had once supported ) in debates and on the campaign trail .
As his campaign went @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pete was a candidate with a steady share in the polls and not a flash in the pan — leading to more serious scrutiny from reporters and his competitors alike .
The ensuing controversies focused primarily on his checkered record on racial issues while mayor of South Bend , his career as a McKinsey management consultant , and a notably ostentatious fundraiser at a wine cave in California .
Overall , it was a record that appealed to a swath of highly educated white voters , but largely failed to expand beyond that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but ultimately could never make the former mayor quite viable .
The rise and fall of “ Mayor Pete ” Buttigieg had been seen as a rising star in national Democratic politics since his election as mayor of South Bend , Indiana ’ s fourth-largest city , in 2011 .
Around President Barack Obama ’ s way out of office , he named Buttigieg as one of several future leaders of the Democratic Party .
In 2017 , he ran to be the chair of the Democratic National Committee .
He failed — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of ballots — but that did little to dampen enthusiasm for the young mayor among some party insiders .
When he burst on the presidential scene in early 2019 , he almost seemed lab-engineered to appeal to a variety of Democrats looking for a clear antidote to President Donald Trump .
Early on , Buttigieg emphasized his elite education ( Harvard undergraduate , Rhodes scholar ) , impressive language skills ( he speaks seven of them , apparently ) , and time in the US military as a way of counteracting his lack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to more progressive Democrats by endorsing institutional reforms like abolishing the Electoral College , automatic voter registration , and statehood for Puerto Rico and Washington , DC .
He signaled openness to abolishing the Senate filibuster and packing the Supreme Court with new justices .
The key to his early poll rise , though , seemed to be saying “ yes ” to virtually every media opportunity .
A strong speaker and clearly smart guy , he helped his chances just by getting his face out there to voters who hadn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vox : I interviewed him for a profile during the early 2019 period , and he also appeared on two of our podcasts .
Other aspiring candidates take note : If you want to come up from nowhere , say yes to every journalist who wants to chat .
Of course , just getting out there wasn ’ t enough on its own .
Buttigieg needed to figure out some way to distinguish himself from the pack , a “ lane ” that would allow him to expand beyond the fans who saw @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his campaign seemed to have settled on competing for the relatively moderate lane with longtime frontrunner Joe Biden .
He positioned himself against Bernie Sanders and especially Elizabeth Warren , who looked like the top contender in the fall of 2019 , arguing that Medicare-for-all ’ s abolition of private health insurance was a bridge too far .
In October ’ s debate , for example , he accused Warren of misleading the voters on health care : “ Your signature , senator , is to have a plan for everything — except @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wresting control of the moderate lane , however .
And he made enemies both on the ideological left and among black voters of all ideological stripes , among whom he could never gain any traction .
It ’ s hard to overstate the level of contempt directed toward Buttigieg from Sanders supporters — among the ones I ’ ve spoken with , he was almost certainly their most-hated candidate .
He stood for everything they dislike in their view of the Democratic Party : a party dominated by “ meritocratic ” elites of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the status quo of the American politics .
“ No more Bright Young People with their beautiful families and flawless characters and elite educations and vacuous messages of uplift and togetherness , ” writes Nathan Robinson , the editor of Current Affairs and an early left critic of Buttigieg .
“ Give me real human beings , not CV-padding corporate zombies.
” Buttigieg ’ s campaign didn ’ t exactly do a good job pushing back on this sentiment .
Buttigieg overtly courted wealthy donors , most infamously at a wine cave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ served under Swarovski crystals .
Buttigieg probably needed the money given his comparatively low national profile , but it was a terrible look in a primary heavily focused on the dangers of inequality .
And the other candidates hammered him for it in the debates .
Buttigieg ’ s problem with black voters was likely an even bigger electoral problem .
Several national polls during the campaign showed him with zero African American support .
His time as South Bend mayor included clashes with local black activists over his plan to demolish vacant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police shooting of a black man .
“ You ’ re running for president , and you want black people to vote for you ?
” one of his black constituents said in a town hall after the shooting .
“ That ’ s not going to happen.
” His campaign was aware of this problem , and worked to counteract it .
However , they didn ’ t do a great job : the rollout of the Douglass Plan , the Buttigieg policy slate for addressing racial inequality , was marred by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as supporters without their permission .
A critical piece published in the Root in January detailed a culture of racism inside the South Bend police — and argued , with some evidence , that Buttigieg ignored black officers ’ direct requests for his help .
If you lose leftists and black voters , you need to make up the gap heavily somewhere else .
He managed to do so in the first two majority white contests , Iowa ( where Mayor Pete won ) and New Hampshire ( where he came in second @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to more diverse states , his campaign started to falter .
In Nevada , he came in a distant third , more than 30 percentage points behind the winner , Sanders .
And in South Carolina , the first primary featuring a majority black electorate , he failed to receive even 10 percent of the vote .
While Buttigieg may have failed to win outright in 2020 , the fact that he made it as far as he did is a remarkable success .
He went from being a nobody nationally to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a result that bodes well for the 38-year-old ’ s likely long future in Democratic politics .

Pete Buttigieg has dropped out of the 2020 Democratic primary, according to the New York Times. The former South Bend, Indiana, mayor, the winner of the Iowa caucuses and most successful openly gay candidate in primary history, didn’t perform well enough in Nevada and South Carolina — ultimately leading the candidate to conclude that the fight was over.
Buttigieg’s withdrawal came after a campaign that was, frankly, more successful than anyone first expected it to be. Mayor Pete, as he’s known, was little-known and unqualified by conventional standards — yet he managed to win Iowa and come in for a strong second place in New Hampshire before his ultimate withdrawal.
The mayor initially surged to prominence in March 2019 through a media blitz (Vox was one outlet he spoke to repeatedly), selling himself as an intelligent and relatively progressive young voice committed to reforming a political system rigged against Democrats. Buttigieg eventually tacked to the center, blasting Medicare-for-all (which he had once supported) in debates and on the campaign trail.
As his campaign went on, it became clear that Buttigieg was a candidate with a steady share in the polls and not a flash in the pan — leading to more serious scrutiny from reporters and his competitors alike. The ensuing controversies focused primarily on his checkered record on racial issues while mayor of South Bend, his career as a McKinsey management consultant, and a notably ostentatious fundraiser at a wine cave in California.
Overall, it was a record that appealed to a swath of highly educated white voters, but largely failed to expand beyond that. His campaign way overperformed expectations but ultimately could never make the former mayor quite viable.
The rise and fall of “Mayor Pete”
Buttigieg had been seen as a rising star in national Democratic politics since his election as mayor of South Bend, Indiana’s fourth-largest city, in 2011. Around President Barack Obama’s way out of office, he named Buttigieg as one of several future leaders of the Democratic Party. In 2017, Buttigieg ran to be the chair of the Democratic National Committee. He failed — dropping out just before the first round of ballots — but that did little to dampen enthusiasm for the young mayor among some party insiders.
When he burst on the presidential scene in early 2019, he almost seemed lab-engineered to appeal to a variety of Democrats looking for a clear antidote to President Donald Trump. Early on, Buttigieg emphasized his elite education (Harvard undergraduate, Rhodes scholar), impressive language skills (he speaks seven of them, apparently), and time in the US military as a way of counteracting his lack of national political experience.
He appealed to more progressive Democrats by endorsing institutional reforms like abolishing the Electoral College, creating an automatic voter registration system, and giving statehood to Puerto Rico and Washington, DC. He signaled openness to abolishing the Senate filibuster and packing the Supreme Court with new justices.
The key to his early poll rise, though, seemed to be saying yes to virtually every media opportunity. A strong speaker and a clearly smart guy, he helped his chances just by getting his face out there to voters who hadn’t heard of him. Just speaking for Vox: I interviewed him for a profile during the early 2019 period, and he also appeared on two of our podcasts. Other aspiring candidates take note: If you want to come up from nowhere, say yes to every journalist who wants to chat.
Of course, just getting out there wasn’t enough on its own. Buttigieg needed to figure out some way to distinguish himself from the pack, a “lane” that would allow him to expand beyond the fans who saw his early media appearances.
Eventually, his campaign seemed to have settled on competing for the relatively moderate lane with longtime frontrunner Joe Biden. He positioned himself against Bernie Sanders and especially Elizabeth Warren, who looked like the top contender in the fall of 2019, arguing that Medicare-for-all’s abolition of private health insurance was a bridge too far. In October’s debate, for example, he accused Warren of misleading the voters on health care: “Your signature, senator, is to have a plan for everything — except this.”
Buttigieg never succeeded in fully wresting control of the moderate lane, however. And he made enemies both on the ideological left and among black voters of all ideological stripes, among whom he could never gain any traction.
It’s hard to overstate the level of contempt directed toward Buttigieg from Sanders supporters — among the ones I’ve spoken with, he was almost certainly their most hated candidate. He stood for everything they dislike in their view of the Democratic Party: a party dominated by “meritocratic” elites of malleable ideological commitments who are mostly comfortable with the status quo of the American politics.
“No more Bright Young People with their beautiful families and flawless characters and elite educations and vacuous messages of uplift and togetherness,” writes Nathan Robinson, the editor of Current Affairs and an early left critic of Buttigieg. “Give me real human beings, not CV-padding corporate zombies.”
Buttigieg’s campaign didn’t exactly do a good job pushing back on this sentiment. Buttigieg overtly courted wealthy donors, most infamously at a wine cave in California where $900-a-bottle wine was served under Swarovski crystals. Buttigieg probably needed the money given his comparatively low national profile, but it was a terrible look in a primary heavily focused on the dangers of inequality. And the other candidates hammered him for it in the debates.
Buttigieg’s problem with black voters was likely an even bigger electoral problem. Several national polls during the campaign showed him with zero African American support. His time as South Bend mayor included clashes with local black activists over his plan to demolish vacant homes as well as a June 2019 police shooting of a black man.
“You’re running for president, and you want black people to vote for you?” one of his black constituents said in a town hall after the shooting. “That’s not going to happen.”
His campaign was aware of this problem, and worked to counteract it. However, they didn’t do a great job: The rollout of the Douglass Plan, the Buttigieg policy slate for addressing racial inequality, was marred by his campaign listing some prominent black figures as supporters without their permission. A critical piece published in the Root in January detailed a culture of racism inside the South Bend police — and argued, with some evidence, that Buttigieg ignored black officers’ direct requests for his help.
If you lose leftists and black voters, you need to make up the gap heavily somewhere else. He managed to do so in the first two majority white contests, Iowa (where he won the most delegates) and New Hampshire (where he came in second).
But when the race expanded to more diverse states, his campaign started to falter. In Nevada, he came in a distant third, more than 30 percentage points behind the winner, Sanders. And in South Carolina, the first primary featuring a majority black electorate, he failed to receive even 10 percent of the vote.
While Buttigieg may have failed to win outright in 2020, the fact that he made it as far as he did is a remarkable success. He went from being a nobody nationally to a household name among Democratic primary voters — a result that bodes well for the 38-year-old’s likely long future in Democratic politics.


vox--2020-03-01--Wall Street investors want Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey out. They might get their way.

Jack Dorsey is the CEO of Twitter .
He is also the CEO of Square .
That shouldn ’ t continue any longer , says an investment group , who wants Dorsey to stop running Twitter — or , at the very least , stop running both companies at the same time .
And unlike other people who complain about Twitter , these guys might actually be able to do something about it .
Here ’ s the deal : Elliott Management , an “ activist investor ” firm , has bought a lot of Twitter shares and wants to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thinks pushing out Dorsey will make Wall Street value Twitter more favorably , which would make the value of Elliott ’ s Twitter shares rise .
Elliott has acquired about $ 1 billion worth of Twitter shares , which means it has a sizable stake in Twitter , but nothing close to control of the company .
Now , the firm wants to use that stake to replace four Twitter board members with its own nominees , who would then presumably pressure Dorsey to leave — or at least stop running Square , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first left Twitter .
Reps for Twitter and Elliott declined to comment .
Bloomberg first reported on Elliott ’ s moves .
There is more to the story , but not a lot more .
That ’ s because Elliott , like any other “ activist investor , ” thinks it has found a company whose stock should be worth more than it is today .
So in many ways it doesn ’ t matter what Elliott says , or why it ’ s saying it : As long as Twitter stock goes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In this case , Elliott is diverting from the standard activist investor playbook , which is to lay out a critique of many of Twitter ’ s moves .
This approach would also typically involve asking Twitter to slim down by firing people and/or selling off assets as well as calling for new management .
This time , Elliott isn ’ t bothering with most of that .
Its message so far , expressed initially in the Bloomberg piece that announced its plans , is that Twitter will be worth more if it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the CEO should likely not be Jack Dorsey .
Although Dorsey attracts attention for his personality quirks , Elliott ’ s complaints about his role at Twitter appear to be strictly business-related .
Of note : Unlike many tech companies — and some media companies , including the New York Times and Rupert Murdoch ’ s News Corp. and 21st Century Fox — Twitter doesn ’ t have multiple classes of stock .
Companies with those arrangements often give some shareholders — usually founders and their families — extra voting rights and effective @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dorsey is a plausible target for this kind of move .
As opposed , to , say Mark Zuckerberg .
Activist investing isn ’ t a new concept , but Elliott , run by billionaire Paul Singer , has become an increasingly high-profile example of the idea .
A year ago , for instance , Elliott announced that it had bought a lot of eBay stock and then made a series of demands .
By September 2019 , eBay ’ s CEO resigned , announcing that he was “ not on the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of his board .
Since then eBay has sold off its StubHub ticketing business and now plans on selling its classifieds business — both moves Elliott had wanted .
Last fall , Elliott also went after AT & T , and the firm got that company to reassess its plans to elevate COO John Stankey to CEO , among other moves .
Other Elliott targets include Softbank , the Japanese conglomerate that owns Sprint and has put billions of dollars into tech companies like Uber and WeWork .
Non-US targets have included the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recommended reading : This 2018 New Yorker profile of Singer and Elliott , which should help shoot down facile theories — which you can find on Twitter , of course — about Singer , a prominent Republican donor , going after Twitter for political reasons .
Singer and his team are motivated by money above all else .
They also don ’ t want to “ buy Twitter.
” They want the value of the Twitter shares they bought to increase .
Elliott isn ’ t the first group to point out that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ big , publicly traded companies at the same time could be a problem .
In 2015 , for instance , Twitter ’ s board of directors , which was looking for a new CEO , put out a press release that told Dorsey , who was then the interim Twitter CEO , that he couldn ’ t run Twitter and Square at the same time .
Then Twitter ’ s board changed its mind and gave Dorsey the job , after all .
What ’ s unclear is why Elliott would go after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had both jobs for more than four years .
Twitter stock has lurched around during that timespan , but is a bit higher today than it was a year ago .
The company also seems to be making headway on its plan to concentrate on getting Twitter ’ s user base to spend more time with the service , and to turn that engagement into advertising revenue .
What Twitter doesn ’ t seem able to do is get a significantly bigger audience to start using Twitter , either again or for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its monthly active users numbers stagnated , Twitter stopped reporting those numbers , but they hovered around 300 million at that time .
Facebook , by comparison , has 2.5 billion monthly users .
Dorsey does make an inviting target for critics of every variety : Conservatives will complain that his service unfairly silences them .
Actual Twitter users frequently complain about the toxic environment they find there , while proponents of democracy worry that the service has been a playground for Russia and other state actors attempting to undermine American elections .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ last December , Dorsey announced that he would spend up to six months living in Africa this year .
Nevertheless , Elliott doesn ’ t seem focused so much on ousting an eccentric CEO but , more generally , on boosting Twitter ’ s stock price .
All that said , it ’ s hard to see what Elliott thinks a Dorsey replacement would do that Dorsey hasn ’ t .
And one contingent that is relatively happy with Dorsey are Twitter ’ s 4,800 employees , who tend to see him and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one and the same .
If Elliott gets its way , it may have a hard time convincing Twitter employees that it made the right move .

Jack Dorsey is the CEO of Twitter. He is also the CEO of Square.
That shouldn’t continue any longer, says an investment group, which wants Dorsey to stop running Twitter — or, at the very least, stop running both companies at the same time. And unlike other people who complain about Twitter, these guys might actually be able to do something about it.
Here’s the deal: Elliott Management, an “activist investor” firm, has bought a lot of Twitter shares and wants to replace Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey. It thinks pushing out Dorsey will make Wall Street value Twitter more favorably, which would make the value of Elliott’s Twitter shares rise.
Elliott has acquired about $1 billion worth of Twitter shares, which means it has a sizable stake in Twitter, but nothing close to control of the company. Now, the firm wants to use that stake to replace four Twitter board members with its own nominees, who would then presumably pressure Dorsey to leave — or at least stop running Square, the payments company he founded after he first left Twitter.
Reps for Twitter and Elliott declined to comment. Bloomberg first reported on Elliott’s moves.
There is more to the story, but not a lot more. That’s because Elliott, like any other “activist investor,” thinks it has found a company whose stock should be worth more than it is today. So in many ways it doesn’t matter what Elliott says, or why it’s saying it: As long as Twitter stock goes up, Elliott will be happy.
In this case, Elliott is diverting from the standard activist investor playbook, which is to lay out a critique of many of Twitter’s moves. This approach would also typically involve asking Twitter to slim down by firing people and/or selling off assets as well as calling for new management.
This time, Elliott isn’t bothering with most of that. Its message so far, expressed initially in the Bloomberg piece that announced its plans, is that Twitter will be worth more if it had a full-time CEO, and that the CEO should likely not be Jack Dorsey. Although Dorsey attracts attention for his personality quirks, Elliott’s complaints about his role at Twitter appear to be strictly business-related.
Unlike many tech companies — and some media companies, including the New York Times and Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp and 21st Century Fox — Twitter doesn’t have multiple classes of stock. Companies with those arrangements often give some shareholders — usually founders and their families — extra voting rights and effective control of their companies.
Which means Dorsey is a plausible target for this kind of move. As opposed, to, say Mark Zuckerberg.
Activist investing isn’t a new concept, but Elliott, run by billionaire Paul Singer, has become an increasingly high-profile example of the idea.
A year ago, for instance, Elliott announced that it had bought a lot of eBay stock and then made a series of demands. By September 2019, eBay’s CEO resigned, announcing that he was “not on the same page” as Elliott and the rest of his board. Since then eBay has sold off its StubHub ticketing business and now plans on selling its classifieds business — both moves Elliott had wanted.
Last fall, Elliott also went after AT&T, and the firm got that company to reassess its plans to elevate COO John Stankey to CEO, among other moves. Other Elliott targets include SoftBank, the Japanese conglomerate that owns Sprint and has put billions of dollars into tech companies like Uber and WeWork. Non-US targets have included the governments of Argentina and Peru.
Highly recommended reading: This 2018 New Yorker profile of Singer and Elliott, which should help shoot down facile theories — which you can find on Twitter — about Singer, a prominent Republican donor, going after Twitter for political reasons. Singer and his team are motivated by money above all else. They also don’t want to “buy Twitter.” They want the value of the Twitter shares they bought to increase.
Elliott isn’t the first group to point out that having the same person running two big publicly traded companies at the same time could be a problem. In 2015, Twitter’s board of directors, which was looking for a new CEO, put out a press release that told Dorsey, who was then the interim Twitter CEO, that he couldn’t run Twitter and Square at the same time. Then Twitter’s board changed its mind and gave Dorsey the job, after all.
What’s unclear is why Elliott would go after Dorsey now, since he’s had both jobs for more than four years. Twitter stock has lurched around during that timespan but is a bit higher today than it was a year ago. The company also seems to be making headway on its plan to concentrate on getting Twitter’s user base to spend more time with the service, and to turn that engagement into advertising revenue.
What Twitter doesn’t seem able to do is get a significantly bigger audience to start using Twitter, either again or for the first time. Last year, as its monthly active users numbers stagnated, Twitter stopped reporting those numbers, but they hovered around 300 million at that time. Facebook, by comparison, has 2.5 billion monthly users.
Dorsey does make an inviting target for critics of every variety: Conservatives will complain that his service unfairly silences them. Actual Twitter users frequently complain about the toxic environment they find there, while proponents of democracy worry that the service has been a playground for Russia and other state actors attempting to undermine American elections. It was also somewhat alarming when, last December, Dorsey announced that he would spend up to six months living in Africa this year. Nevertheless, Elliott doesn’t seem focused so much on ousting an eccentric CEO but, more generally, on boosting Twitter’s stock price.
All that said, it’s hard to see what Elliott thinks a Dorsey replacement would do that Dorsey hasn’t. And one contingent that is relatively happy with Dorsey is Twitter’s 4,800 employees, who tend to see him and the company he co-founded in 2006 as one and the same. If Elliott gets its way, it may have a hard time convincing Twitter employees that it made the right move.


vox--2020-03-01--Rhode Island’s first likely coronavirus case comes as Trump ramps up travel restrictions

A Rhode Island man returning from Europe is that state ’ s likely first novel coronavirus case , state officials said Sunday .
The news comes as Washington state announced two new cases of Covid-19 , the disease caused by the novel coronavirus , and the Trump administration says visitors from high-risk areas will be screened before and after arriving in the US .
On Sunday , the Wall Street Journal reported that there is a likely infection in Rhode Island , and Washington announced two new confirmed infections , which would bring that state ’ s total number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patient is reportedly a man in his 40s who traveled to Europe last month .
The newest patients in Washington are both men in their 60s ; both are reportedly in critical condition .
The Rhode Island patient reportedly stopped in Italy , which has more than 1,100 confirmed cases of Covid-19 .
He tested positive for the virus at the state laboratories of the Rhode Island Department of Health ( RIDOH ) , according to local reports .
He is affiliated with Saint Raphael Academy , a private Catholic school in Pawtucket @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement put out by that school .
The statement appears to suggest that the infected person was participating in a field trip to Europe alongside other faculty members and students at the school .
That school will cancel classes for the next two days , the statement reads , “ out of an abundance of caution.
” The governor of Rhode Island , Gina Raimondo , encouraged caution , but said there is not yet cause for alarm .
“ The risk here in Rhode Island , at this point , is low @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for weeks , ” said Raimondo .
“ So the message is , ‘ Be careful and be vigilant , but don ’ t panic.
’ ” State officials said that they are attempting to reach about 40 people who interacted with the patient , will test those who exhibit symptoms , and reiterated that the case is not cause for panic .
“ We are not seeing widespread community transmission in Rhode Island , ” said Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott , the RIDOH director .
While the number of Covid-19 cases is above @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases are in mainland China , South Korea , Iran , and Italy .
China , for instance , has 79,862 confirmed cases as of Sunday evening .
By comparison , the US caseload is fairly small : as of Saturday , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said there were 22 confirmed and presumed positive cases in the US , not counting cases in which people were repatriated .
The cases in Rhode Island and Washington would increase that number by three .
The new cases — as well as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Friday night — have lead American public health officials to call for serious preparations to be made to limit the virus ’ spread , and the Trump administration has begun responding to these requests with new travel protocols .
How the Trump administration is responding President Donald Trump said on Twitter on Sunday that people traveling to the US from affected areas will be screened both before boarding their planes and after arriving stateside .
That news came after the administration announced on Saturday that it would respond to the growing threat by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and issuing “ do not travel ” warnings to affected areas in Italy and South Korea .
Vice President Mike Pence , the newly-appointed head of the government ’ s response to the virus , said Saturday that foreign nationals who have traveled to Iran in the last two weeks will be barred from entering the United States .
Trump has also said that his administration is “ strongly ” considering closing the southern border with Mexico as a result of the virus .
He did not specify how this would help limit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mexico , unlike Iran , does not have many Covid-19 cases — currently , it has only four .
The president has made a number of public statements about the virus in recent days , holding a press conference Saturday to try to allay concerns .
And at a rally on Friday night , he called criticism of his coronavirus response — critics have said the administration ’ s response has been disorganized and that not enough money have been allocated to fight the virus — a Democratic “ hoax , ” pointing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the disease .
Hours later , after an American did die , Trump was asked at a press conference if he regretted linking the virus to the word hoax .
“ No no no , ” Trump responded .
“ ‘ Hoax ’ referring to the action [ Democrats ] take to try and pin this on somebody , because we ’ ve done such a good job .
The hoax is on them.
” The new cases are a reminder the job is not yet done .
Scientists are still working @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still working on a vaccine as well .
In the meantime , public health officials have said normal precautions — washing hands , avoiding exposure to sick people , and frequently wiping down surfaces — are the most effective ways to minimize risk of exposure .

A Rhode Island man returning from Europe is that state’s likely first novel coronavirus case, state officials said Sunday. The news comes as Washington state announced two new cases of Covid-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, and the Trump administration says visitors from high-risk areas will be screened before and after arriving in the US.
On Sunday, the Wall Street Journal reported that there is a likely infection in Rhode Island, and Washington announced two new confirmed infections, which would bring that state’s total number of cases to eight.
The Rhode Island patient is reportedly a man in his 40s who traveled to Europe last month. The newest patients in Washington are both men in their 60s; both are reportedly in critical condition.
The Rhode Island patient reportedly stopped in Italy, which has more than 1,100 confirmed cases of Covid-19. He tested positive for the virus at the state laboratories of the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH), according to local reports.
He is affiliated with Saint Raphael Academy, a private Catholic school in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, according to a statement put out by that school. The statement appears to suggest that the infected person was participating in a field trip to Europe alongside other faculty members and students at the school.
That school will cancel classes for the next two days, the statement reads, “out of an abundance of caution.”
The governor of Rhode Island, Gina Raimondo, encouraged caution but said there is not yet cause for alarm.
“The risk here in Rhode Island, at this point, is low and we have been preparing for this for weeks,” said Raimondo. “So the message is, ‘Be careful and be vigilant, but don’t panic.’”
State officials said that they are attempting to reach about 40 people who interacted with the patient, will test those who exhibit symptoms, and reiterated that the case is not cause for panic.
“We are not seeing widespread community transmission in Rhode Island,” said Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott, the RIDOH director.
While the number of Covid-19 cases is above 87,000 globally, the majority of those cases are in mainland China, South Korea, Iran, and Italy. China, for instance, has 79,862 confirmed cases as of Sunday evening.
By comparison, the US caseload is fairly small: As of Saturday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said there were 22 confirmed and presumed positive cases in the US, not counting cases in which people were repatriated. The cases in Rhode Island and Washington would increase that number by three.
The new cases — as well as the first US coronavirus-related death, which occurred Friday night — have led American public health officials to call for serious preparations to be made to limit the virus’s spread, and the Trump administration has begun responding to these requests with new travel protocols.
How the Trump administration is responding
President Donald Trump said on Twitter on Sunday that people traveling to the US from affected areas will be screened both before boarding their planes and after arriving stateside.
Coronavirus: In addition to screening travelers “prior to boarding” from certain designated high risk countries, or areas within those countries, they will also be screened when they arrive in America. Thank you! @VP @SecAzar @CDCgov @CDCDirector — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 1, 2020
That news came after the administration announced on Saturday that it would respond to the growing threat by expanding its existing travel ban on Iran and issuing “do not travel” warnings to affected areas in Italy and South Korea.
Vice President Mike Pence, the newly appointed head of the government’s response to the virus, said Saturday that foreign nationals who have traveled to Iran in the last two weeks will be barred from entering the United States.
Trump has also said that his administration is “strongly” considering closing the southern border with Mexico as a result of the virus. He did not specify how this would help limit the spread of the novel virus; Mexico, unlike Iran, does not have many Covid-19 cases — currently, it has only four.
The president has made a number of public statements about the virus in recent days, holding a press conference Saturday to try to allay concerns. And at a rally on Friday night, he called criticism of his coronavirus response — critics have said the administration’s response has been disorganized and that not enough money has been allocated to fight the virus — a Democratic “hoax,” pointing out that no Americans had yet died of the disease.
Hours later, after an American did die, Trump was asked at a press conference if he regretted linking the virus to the word hoax.
“No no no,” Trump responded. “‘Hoax’ referring to the action [Democrats] take to try and pin this on somebody, because we’ve done such a good job. The hoax is on them.”
The new cases are a reminder the job is not yet done. Scientists are still working to understand the virus, and are still working on a vaccine as well. In the meantime, public health officials have said normal precautions — washing hands, avoiding exposure to sick people, and frequently wiping down surfaces — are the most effective ways to minimize the risk of exposure.


vox--2020-03-01--Joe Biden’s victory in South Carolina could foreshadow a strong performance in the South

Former Vice President Joe Biden trounced his competition in South Carolina ’ s Democratic presidential primary on Saturday , beating national frontrunner Sen. Bernie Sanders by nearly 30 percentage points and the rest of the field by around 40 percentage points , or more .
The victory , which marked Biden ’ s first win of the primary season , gave new life to his struggling campaign .
And it was a result that suggests he may be poised to perform well in a number of states with similar demographics on Super Tuesday — when a third of the primary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Historically speaking , South Carolina is an important bellwether state in presidential primaries , because it is typically a strong predictor of how other southern states with large African American populations like Alabama and Louisiana will vote .
Biden won South Carolina in large part because he won 61 percent of the black vote there , and has long said he sees black voters are the foundation of his base of support .
While the race is still unfolding , there is some evidence beyond South Carolina ’ s results to suggest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strongly among black voters in Nevada , who helped him to his second place finish there , and is polling well in other states in which black voters make up a large share of the electorate .
If Biden sweeps the South by a large margin on Tuesday , it could revive what was increasingly looking like a quixotic bid for the White House , and once again make him the most viable moderate contender for the nomination .
But Super Tuesday could also deal him — and every other candidate in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Should Sanders dominate the contests that day , especially in California and Texas , the delegates the senator would receive from those victories could eclipse any strong performance that Biden puts up in the South .
What South Carolina tells us about contests to come Biden ’ s victory in South Carolina helped put an end to a streak of underwhelming performances .
It wasn ’ t just his first primary win in 2020 — it was the first primary he ’ s won in three bids for the White House over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the real reason that South Carolina matters is what it says about the future : it often provides foreshadowing of how Democrats in the South ( especially black Democrats ) are thinking about presidential candidates .
As Vox ’ s Li Zhou explains , the state reflects , and likely influences , voter decision-making throughout the region : Historically , at least four Southern states — Alabama , Louisiana , Georgia , and Mississippi — have voted for the same Democratic nominee as South Carolina , giving this candidate a windfall of delegates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trend to the fact that many of these states have similar demographics as South Carolina ’ s electorate , which in addition to being majority African American is also majority women .
“ Right after South Carolina , a lot of Southern states with similar demographics hold contests , ” says Gibbs Knotts , a College of Charleston political science professor and author of First in the South , a book dedicated to examining the role of the state ’ s primary .
This cycle , in particular , given the size of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ poised to help with the winnowing process and clearly indicate who will perform well in diverse states .
“ If you can not pick up black support in South Carolina , how the hell are you going to get it three days later elsewhere ?
” says [ Democratic strategist Clay ] Middleton .
Biden ’ s odds of performing strongly in the South are high .
According to FiveThirtyEight ’ s polling models , Biden is favored to win every Southern state on Super Tuesday except Texas .
The chief driver of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ black voters .
National polls show Sanders neck-and-neck with Biden among black voters , but in terms of voter turnout so far , Biden has the edge .
For instance , Biden beat Sanders among black voters in the Nevada caucuses — who made up 11 percent of the electorate — by 10 percentage points .
And in South Carolina , Biden received 61 percent of the black vote , while Sanders won just 16 percent .
If Biden continues to do well in states that have similar political and demographic landscapes to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign a significant boost by locking down the South .
The South will help Biden , but won ’ t secure the nomination for him On Super Tuesday , six southern states will be headed to the polls , and Biden is leading in the polls in almost all of them .
In Alabama , North Carolina , Virginia , Tennessee , and Arkansas , Biden is the frontrunner .
Combined , those states have 356 pledged delegates up for grabs .
But it ’ s important to remember Democratic primaries are not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those states , he will have to split those delegates with any and all other candidates who receive more than 15 percent of the vote .
And Biden will face another big problem , even if he receives the majority of those 356 delegates : the combined delegate total of California and Texas .
Sanders is leading in both those states , and they have 643 pledged delegates between them — almost double the amount of the southern states where Biden leads .
And that ’ s to say nothing of the delegates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states in which Sanders — or some other Biden rival — leads , including some states with very respectable delegate offerings like Massachusetts ( 91 delegates ) and Colorado ( 67 delegates ) .
In other words , Biden ’ s strategy of winning the South may not advance his candidacy in and of itself .
To remain a viable candidate , he will also need to do well enough in states Sanders currently leads to receive delegates .
And even if the former vice president does so , if Sanders has a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ build up an insurmountable lead in the delegates , making it impossible for any candidate to catch up to him in the delegate count .
However if Sanders underperforms his polling , and if Biden does well , there is a chance for the former vice president to emerge as the main opposition to the Sanders insurgency — or at least to wound Sanders ’ s campaign enough that the senator falls short of a delegate majority before the Democratic National Convention in July .

Former Vice President Joe Biden trounced his competition in South Carolina’s Democratic presidential primary on Saturday, beating national frontrunner Sen. Bernie Sanders by nearly 30 percentage points and the rest of the field by around 40 percentage points or more.
The victory, which marked Biden’s first win of the primary season, gave new life to his struggling campaign. And it was a result that suggests he may be poised to perform well in a number of states with similar demographics on Super Tuesday — when a third of the primary’s delegates are up for grabs.
Historically speaking, South Carolina is an important bellwether state in presidential primaries, because it is typically a strong predictor of how other southern states with large African American populations like Alabama and Louisiana will vote. Biden won South Carolina in large part because he won 61 percent of the black vote there, and has long said black voters are the foundation of his support.
While the race is still unfolding, there is some evidence beyond South Carolina’s results to suggest that claim is true — Biden performed strongly among black voters in Nevada, who helped him to his second-place finish there, and is polling well in other states in which black voters make up a large share of the electorate.
If Biden sweeps the South by a large margin on Tuesday, it could revive what was increasingly looking like a quixotic bid for the White House and once again make him the most viable moderate contender for the nomination.
But Super Tuesday could also deal him — and every other candidate in the race — a nearly lethal blow: Should Sanders dominate the contests that day, especially in California and Texas, the delegates the senator would receive from those victories could eclipse any strong performance that Biden puts up in the South.
What South Carolina tells us about contests to come
Biden’s victory in South Carolina helped put an end to a streak of underwhelming performances. It wasn’t just his first primary win in 2020 — it was the first primary he’s won in three bids for the White House over the course of his political career.
But the real reason South Carolina matters is what it says about the future: It often provides foreshadowing of how Democrats in the South (especially black Democrats) are thinking about presidential candidates. As Vox’s Li Zhou explains, the state reflects, and likely influences, voter decision-making throughout the region:
Historically, at least four Southern states — Alabama, Louisiana, Georgia, and Mississippi — have voted for the same Democratic nominee as South Carolina, giving this candidate a windfall of delegates. Democratic strategist Antjuan Seawright attributes this trend to the fact that many of these states have similar demographics as South Carolina’s electorate, which in addition to being majority African American is also majority women. “Right after South Carolina, a lot of Southern states with similar demographics hold contests,” says Gibbs Knotts, a College of Charleston political science professor and author of First in the South, a book dedicated to examining the role of the state’s primary. This cycle, in particular, given the size of the Democratic field, the state is poised to help with the winnowing process and clearly indicate who will perform well in diverse states. “If you cannot pick up black support in South Carolina, how the hell are you going to get it three days later elsewhere?” says [Democratic strategist Clay] Middleton.
Biden’s odds of performing strongly in the South are high. According to FiveThirtyEight’s polling models, Biden is favored to win every Southern state on Super Tuesday except Texas.
The chief driver of that is Biden’s strength among black voters. National polls show Sanders neck-and-neck with Biden among black voters, but in terms of voter turnout so far, Biden has the edge.
For instance, Biden beat Sanders among black voters in the Nevada caucuses — who made up 11 percent of the electorate — by 10 percentage points. And in South Carolina, Biden received 61 percent of the black vote while Sanders won just 16 percent.
If Biden continues to do well in states that have similar political and demographic landscapes to South Carolina, he could give his campaign a significant boost by locking down the South.
The South will help Biden, but it won’t secure the nomination for him
On Super Tuesday, six southern states will have primaries, and Biden is leading in the polls in almost all of them. In Alabama, North Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, and Arkansas, Biden is the frontrunner. Combined, those states have 356 pledged delegates up for grabs.
But it’s important to remember Democratic primaries are not winner-take-all; should Biden win all of those states, he will have to split those delegates with any and all other candidates who receive more than 15 percent of the vote.
And Biden will face another big problem, even if he receives the majority of those 356 delegates: the combined delegate total of California and Texas. Sanders is leading in both those states, and they have 643 pledged delegates between them — almost double the amount of the southern states where Biden leads.
And that’s to say nothing of the delegates on offer in the other Super Tuesday states in which Sanders — or some other Biden rival — leads, including some states with very respectable delegate offerings like Massachusetts (91 delegates) and Colorado (67 delegates).
In other words, Biden’s strategy of winning the South may not advance his candidacy in and of itself. To remain a viable candidate, he will also need to do well enough in states Sanders currently leads to receive delegates. And even if the former vice president does so, if Sanders has a dominant performance on Tuesday, he could build up an insurmountable lead in the delegates, making it impossible for any candidate to catch up to him in the delegate count.
However, if Sanders underperforms his polling and if Biden does well, there is a chance for the former vice president to emerge as the main opposition to the Sanders insurgency — or at least to wound Sanders’s campaign enough that the senator falls short of a delegate majority before the Democratic National Convention in July.


vox--2020-03-01--First coronavirus death in the US reported in Washington state

The first Covid-19 death in the United States was announced Saturday by Washington state health officials .
In a Saturday press conference , President Donald Trump said the death occurred “ overnight , ” and that the person who died was a woman in her 50s .
Robert Redfield , director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) , said Sunday evening the person who died was “ erroneously identified the patient as a female.
” During the press conference , Redfield added that the person who died had not traveled recently .
Officials with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ give Vox any further details about the death .
The death comes following a Friday report of four new Covid-19 — the disease caused by the novel coronavirus known as SARS-CoV-2 — cases in three US states : one in Oregon , one in California and two in Washington .
The news of the death comes on the same day South Korean officials reported the biggest daily jump in infections in the country since the virus was first discovered six weeks ago and the day after the World Health Organization raised its Covid-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
While all previous US cases could be traced back to overseas travel or contact with someone already diagnosed with the virus , the origins of three of recently-reported cases are unknown .
This has led medical experts to raise concerns that Covid-19 might be spreading within the US .
“ If we were worried yesterday , we are even more worried today , ” William Schaffner , an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center , told the New York Times .
“ Now we have to ask : How widely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out there ?
” An official in the Seattle area said the city may soon recommend people avoid areas and events where they would be in close contact with other people , such as parties , sporting events , and concerts .
There are 15 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in the US to date according to the CDC , not including 44 US citizens who were aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship near Japan , the three citizens who were repatriated from Wuhan , China , and these four latest cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but not yet by the CDC .
Coronavirus cases in South Korea jump to 3,150 — marking biggest daily jump in weeks As US health officials work to respond to the reports of new cases , South Korean officials announced more than 800 new cases of Covid-19 Saturday , bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 3,150 .
The new cases mark the biggest daily jump in infections in the country .
The first South Korean novel coronavirus case was just discovered six weeks ago , and since that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths due to the virus .
South Korean officials are calling the increase a “ critical moment ” in the virus ’ s spread , and have warned people to practice “ social distancing ” for the next few days .
“ We have asked you to refrain from taking part in public events , including a religious gathering or protest , this weekend , ” vice health minister Kim Kang-lip told reporters Saturday .
“ Please stay at home and refrain from going outside and minimize contact with other people.
” In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ordered a campaign to stop the spread of coronavirus Saturday .
Officials there called the move “ preemptive , ” as no cases have yet been reported in the totalitarian country , but it is possible that the secretive regime is hiding an outbreak .
North Korea has already closed its border with Russia and with China , where the virus first emerged in December .
Earlier this week , South Korean officials increased its virus threat level to the highest point since 2009 .
Doing so gave the government a legal basis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ limit tourism , and close both schools and cities , though officials have not yet made moves to do so .
More than 650 of the cases in South Korea are from Daegu , a southern city that ’ s home to a controversial church at the center of the outbreak .
Many of the city ’ s cases have been connected to followers of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus after a parishioner left a hospital at least four times to attend services before being diagnosed with the virus .
South Korea has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , following behind China .
But there have been large recent outbreaks on multiple continents .
In particular , large numbers of novel coronavirus cases have been reported in Iran ( 593 cases ) and Italy ( 889 cases ) .
23 cases have been identified in the UK , including one Saturday with similarly unknown origins as the US cases discovered Friday .
France has banned public gatherings of more than 5,000 people after announcing new outbreaks , bringing their count up to 73 confirmed cases .
A confirmed case in Lagos @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the African continent — has also sparked alarm .
While there is still plenty unknown about the novel coronavirus ( including how exactly it spreads and how deadly it is ) , the CDC has warned communities to prepare for it to spread in the US .
Experts say US citizens should not panic , but that there are good ways to protect oneself .
That includes , yes , washing your hands .
But wearing a face mask isn ’ t helpful if you aren ’ t sick ( although it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if you are ) .
And , if possible , experts have advised stocking up on a few weeks worth of supplies as well as making a plan for what you would do if you or your family were kept from school , day care , or work .

The first Covid-19 death in the United States was announced Saturday by Washington state health officials. In a Saturday press conference, President Donald Trump said the death occurred “overnight,” and that the person who died was a woman in her 50s. Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said Sunday evening the person who died was “erroneously identified the patient as a female.”
During the press conference, Redfield added that the person who died had not traveled recently. Officials with the Washington state Department of Health declined to give Vox any further details about the death.
The death comes following a Friday report of four new Covid-19 — the disease caused by the novel coronavirus known as SARS-CoV-2 — cases in three US states: one in Oregon, one in California and two in Washington.
The news of the death comes on the same day South Korean officials reported the biggest daily jump in infections in the country since the virus was first discovered six weeks ago and the day after the World Health Organization raised its Covid-19 risk assessment worldwide to the highest level.
While all previous US cases could be traced back to overseas travel or contact with someone already diagnosed with the virus, the origins of three of recently-reported cases are unknown. This has led medical experts to raise concerns that Covid-19 might be spreading within the US.
“If we were worried yesterday, we are even more worried today,” William Schaffner, an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, told the New York Times. “Now we have to ask: How widely, really widely, is this virus out there?”
An official in the Seattle area said the city may soon recommend people avoid areas and events where they would be in close contact with other people, such as parties, sporting events, and concerts.
There are 15 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in the US to date according to the CDC, not including 44 US citizens who were aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship near Japan, the three citizens who were repatriated from Wuhan, China, and these four latest cases, which have been verified locally, but not yet by the CDC.
Coronavirus cases in South Korea jump to 3,150 — marking biggest daily jump in weeks
As US health officials work to respond to the reports of new cases, South Korean officials announced more than 800 new cases of Covid-19 Saturday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 3,150.
The new cases mark the biggest daily jump in infections in the country. The first South Korean novel coronavirus case was just discovered six weeks ago, and since that time, it has already suffered 17 deaths due to the virus. South Korean officials are calling the increase a “critical moment” in the virus’s spread, and have warned people to practice “social distancing” for the next few days.
“We have asked you to refrain from taking part in public events, including a religious gathering or protest, this weekend,” vice health minister Kim Kang-lip told reporters Saturday. “Please stay at home and refrain from going outside and minimize contact with other people.”
In North Korea, leader Kim Jong-un also ordered a campaign to stop the spread of coronavirus Saturday. Officials there called the move “preemptive,” as no cases have yet been reported in the totalitarian country, but it is possible that the secretive regime is hiding an outbreak. North Korea has already closed its border with Russia and with China, where the virus first emerged in December.
Earlier this week, South Korean officials increased its virus threat level to the highest point since 2009. Doing so gave the government a legal basis to restrict public transportation and flights, limit tourism, and close both schools and cities, though officials have not yet made moves to do so.
More than 650 of the cases in South Korea are from Daegu, a southern city that’s home to a controversial church at the center of the outbreak. Many of the city’s cases have been connected to followers of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus after a parishioner left a hospital at least four times to attend services before being diagnosed with the virus.
South Korea has the second-highest number of confirmed cases worldwide, following behind China. But there have been large recent outbreaks on multiple continents. In particular, large numbers of novel coronavirus cases have been reported in Iran (593 cases) and Italy (889 cases).
23 cases have been identified in the UK, including one Saturday with similarly unknown origins as the US cases discovered Friday.
France has banned public gatherings of more than 5,000 people after announcing new outbreaks, bringing their count up to 73 confirmed cases.
A confirmed case in Lagos, Nigeria — the largest city on the African continent — has also sparked alarm.
While there is still plenty unknown about the novel coronavirus (including how exactly it spreads and how deadly it is), the CDC has warned communities to prepare for it to spread in the US.
Experts say US citizens should not panic, but that there are good ways to protect oneself. That includes, yes, washing your hands. But wearing a face mask isn’t helpful if you aren’t sick (although it’s a good idea to wear one if you are). And, if possible, experts have advised stocking up on a few weeks worth of supplies as well as making a plan for what you would do if you or your family were kept from school, day care, or work.


vox--2020-03-01--China has censored the Archive of Our Own, one of the internet’s largest fanfiction websites

The Archive of Our Own ( AO3 ) , the Hugo-winning fanfiction website , is the latest casualty of Chinese censorship , amid a continued crackdown in the country on queer content , sexually explicit content , and websites based abroad .
Reports surfaced on February 29 that AO3 was no longer accessible through the national Chinese web , and the site appears to be blocked from view within the country , according to Comparitech , a service that allows users to check whether China has blocked a website .
In a tweet confirming the ban , the Organization for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ runs AO3 , seemed surprised .
It ’ s unclear whether the OTW was contacted by Chinese authorities before the site was blocked .
( Vox has reached out to the OTW for comment . )
The news immediately spawned unverified rumors that one of China ’ s biggest recent fandoms had inspired the ban .
The Untamed is an internationally popular 2019 Chinese web series based on a queer romance novel originally published online .
And there are more than 14,000 fanfics related to The Untamed on AO3 .
The rumors , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , involved the large adjacent fandom for The Untamed ’ s main actor , Xiao Zhan , and focused on unsubstantiated reports of a harassment campaign launched by critics of Xiao Zhan against AO3 fanfic writers who wrote about him .
The Untamed premiered on Netflix in October and has only grown its following since then , while Xiao Zhan has become a huge celebrity since the show ’ s release .
So the idea that fanfiction about the actor had led to the reported censorship of AO3 within China brought widespread alarm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fans issuing calls to “ protect Xiao Zhan ” from further harassment .
On March 1 , after a day of online outrage , Xiao ’ s studio reportedly issued a public apology for “ occupying public resources.
” But although the rumors wreaked havoc within The Untamed ’ s fandom ( amid simultaneous attempts to halt the spread of misinformation ) it seems very likely that the timing was purely coincidental .
It ’ s more likely that AO3 became a target of China ’ s ongoing attempts to suppress queer and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of its larger dedicated pattern of internet censorship .
Chinese censors have been preparing for new , tighter restrictions on the type of content considered acceptable to post online In January , the Chinese government announced that beginning March 1 , it would be enacting new regulations against content on Chinese websites .
The new rules include restrictions on “ negative ” content .
This is likely part of China ’ s ongoing effort to curtail internet discussion about the months-long Hong Kong protests ( which call for a return to the region @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many other aspects of its restrictive government .
The regulations also aim to hold specific websites accountable for the content posted on them .
According to Variety , the new laws place the onus on individual websites to ensure that the content posted on them is primarily positive , uplifting , and devoid of misinformation .
A nebulous list of unacceptable content includes content that “ harms the nation ’ s honor and interests , ” and any type of “ sexual innuendo ... sex , gore or horror , ” and anything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” These are extremely broad terms which appear to push websites that operate in China toward more zealous self-censorship .
It ’ s possible that the Archive of Our Own , which has always been strident about not censoring content , became one of the first casualties under the new law .
Then again , it ’ s likely that AO3 would have been censored with or without the new law taking effect , because China has in recent years been cracking down on queer and sexually explicit online content — both of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ level of censorship has been occurring in China for some time ; in 2011 , a censor agency , the Beijing Cultural Law Enforcement Agency , removed 43 online novels deemed pornographic amid a crackdown on dozens of websites .
In 2014 , a man from Hunan Province was sentenced to a year in prison for the crime of writing pornography .
In 2015 , the publishing website Quidian became a target of censorship , with authors reporting that they were unable to publish any type of queer content , explicit or not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to fear of violating China ’ s “ internet cleansing ” laws .
In China , the website Jinjiang is a major publishing platform , comparable to AO3 or Wattpad ( another fanfiction site ) .
Thousands of novels , including queer romance and explicit romance novels , have been published on Jinjiang , which has been around for nearly two decades , avoiding censorship largely by self-censoring authors first .
But even though it ’ s an enormous platform with millions of readers , authors frequently publish under pseudonyms to protect their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ queer censorship and Chinese laws against profiting from pornography .
( Jinjiang , incidentally , is also the website where the novel The Untamed is based on , Mo Dao Zu Shi , was first published in 2015 . )
In 2018 , an author who published on Jinjiang was arrested and sentenced to 10 years in prison for illegally profiting from sales of her explicitly queer writing .
In 2019 , another Jinjiang author was sentenced to 4 years in prison for illegally selling her work independently , outside of an official @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in China in 1997 , and the creation of queer subject matter is technically legal , the harsh sentences issued over minor associated crimes like these effectively oppress queer content by establishing a high risk for anyone creating it .
Meanwhile , alongside the arrests , Jinjiang itself was removing and self-censoring much of its queer content in an attempt to placate the government .
The popular China-based social media platform Lofter , which is similar to Tumblr and hosts fanart and other online art , likewise came under fire for hosting explicit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It ’ s worth noting that outside the domain of fiction , it is legal to share information and news about queer issues on sites like the enormous social media platform Weibo ( which is essentially China ’ s equivalent to Twitter ) .
But that ’ s because in 2018 , after Weibo attempted its own cleanup of queer content , Weibo users launched a major sitewide protest , which caused the site to backtrack .
Though the government tolerates queer news on social media platforms , the oppressive atmosphere surrounding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ websites like Weibo to self-censor their users , encourage tension and fear rather than freedom of expression .
It ’ s unclear how long social media platforms like Weibo will be able to maintain any sort of permissive stance in the face of China ’ s ever-increasing restrictions on internet content .
But it ’ s unsurprising that a website like Archive of Our Own , designed to promote freedom of expression in the form of fanfiction , would be in the line of fire .
It might not be an obvious observation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ subversion .
But in a repressive society where everything from expression of queer identity to jokes about Winnie the Pooh can draw the ire of the government , even fans can become an enemy of the state .

The Archive of Our Own (AO3), the Hugo-winning fanfiction website, is the latest casualty of Chinese censorship, amid a continued crackdown in the country on queer content, sexually explicit content, and websites based abroad.
Reports surfaced on February 29 that AO3 was no longer accessible through the national Chinese web, and the site appears to be blocked from view within the country, according to Comparitech, a service that allows users to check whether China has blocked a website. In an emailed statement, the Organization for Transformative Works, the nonprofit group that runs AO3, confirmed the ban and told Vox the organization had not been contacted by Chinese authorities before the site was blocked:
The OTW can confirm that ArchiveofOurOwn.org and AO3.org appear to be unavailable in China. We can also confirm that the connection issue does not originate with the AO3 or Archive of Our Own and appears to originate within China itself. Chinese users concerned about their content can rest assured that the issue is one of connection availability, and not one of content being removed from the Archive of Our Own. We are looking into the problem, but at this time we are unable to offer any further insight as to the source or cause of the connection issue or solutions to it; the OTW has not had any communication with or from Chinese authorities.
Unfortunately, the Archive of Our Own is currently inaccessible in China. We've investigated, and it is not due to anything on our end. We're keeping Chinese users updated on our Weibo: https://t.co/B4r3IEj0fU — AO3 Status (@AO3_Status) February 29, 2020
The news immediately spawned unverified rumors that one of China’s biggest recent fandoms had inspired the ban. The Untamed is an internationally popular 2019 Chinese web series based on a queer romance novel originally published online. And there are more than 14,000 fanfics related to The Untamed on AO3. The rumors, which surfaced from within the Chinese internet, involved the large adjacent fandom for The Untamed’s main actor, Xiao Zhan, and focused on unsubstantiated reports of a harassment campaign launched by fans of Xiao Zhan against AO3 fanfic writers who wrote about him. (Fans have denied responsibility and argued that the campaign was orchestrated by critics.)
The Untamed premiered on Netflix in October and has only grown its following since then, while Xiao Zhan has become a huge celebrity since the show’s release. So the idea that fanfiction about the actor had led to the reported censorship of AO3 within China brought widespread alarm, finger-pointing, and outcry, with fans issuing calls to “protect Xiao Zhan” from further harassment. On March 1, after a day of online outrage, Xiao’s studio reportedly issued a public apology for “occupying public resources.”
#Trending! #XiaoZhan's studio apologizes for occupying public resources following recent controversy involving fans. Rumors allege that Xiao's fans reported fanfiction site AO3, leading to its subsequent shutdown in China and drawing the ire of many of the site's users.#肖战 pic.twitter.com/Hm0tC9P763 — Trending Weibo (@TrendingWeibo) March 1, 2020
But although the rumors wreaked havoc within The Untamed’s fandom (amid simultaneous attempts to halt the spread of misinformation) it seems very likely that the timing was purely coincidental. It’s more likely that AO3 became a target of China’s ongoing attempts to suppress queer and explicit media content, as a part of its larger dedicated pattern of internet censorship.
Chinese censors have been preparing for new, tighter restrictions on content considered acceptable to post online
In January, the Chinese government announced that beginning March 1, it would be enacting new regulations against content on Chinese websites. The new rules include restrictions on “negative” content. This is likely part of China’s ongoing effort to curtail internet discussion about the months-long Hong Kong protests (which call for a return to the region’s former democratic government) and many other aspects of its restrictive government. The regulations also aim to hold specific websites accountable for the content posted on them.
According to Variety, the new laws place the onus on individual websites to ensure that the content posted on them is primarily positive, uplifting, and devoid of misinformation. A nebulous list of unacceptable content includes content that “harms the nation’s honor and interests,” and any type of “sexual innuendo ... sex, gore or horror,” and anything that could potentially “violate social mores.”
These are extremely broad terms which appear to push websites that operate in China toward more zealous self-censorship. It’s possible that the Archive of Our Own, which has always been strident about not censoring content, became one of the first casualties under the new law.
Then again, it’s likely that AO3 would have been censored with or without the new law taking effect, because China has in recent years been cracking down on queer and sexually explicit online content — both of which AO3 has in abundance.
This level of censorship has been occurring in China for some time; in 2011, a censor agency, the Beijing Cultural Law Enforcement Agency, removed 43 online novels deemed pornographic amid a crackdown on dozens of websites. In 2014, a man from Hunan Province was sentenced to a year in prison for the crime of writing pornography.
In 2015, the publishing website Quidian became a target of censorship, with authors reporting that they were unable to publish any type of queer content, explicit or not, without the website removing it due to fear of violating China’s “internet cleansing” laws.
In China, the website Jinjiang is a major publishing platform, comparable to AO3 or Wattpad (another fanfiction site). Thousands of novels, including queer romance and explicit romance novels, have been published on Jinjiang, which has been around for nearly two decades, avoiding censorship largely by self-censoring authors first. But even though it’s an enormous platform with millions of readers, authors frequently publish under pseudonyms to protect their identities because of the complex issue of queer censorship and Chinese laws against profiting from pornography. (Jinjiang, incidentally, is also the website where the novel The Untamed is based on, Mo Dao Zu Shi, was first published in 2015.)
In 2018, an author who published queer fiction on Jinjiang was arrested and sentenced to 10 years in prison for illegally profiting from sales of her explicitly pornographic writing. In 2019, another Jinjiang author was sentenced to 4 years in prison for illegally selling her work independently, outside of an official publishing house. Though homosexuality was legalized in China in 1997, and the creation of queer subject matter is technically legal, the harsh sentences issued over minor associated crimes like these effectively oppress queer content by establishing a high risk for anyone creating it. Meanwhile, alongside the arrests, Jinjiang itself was removing and self-censoring much of its queer content in an attempt to placate the government. The popular China-based social media platform Lofter, which is similar to Tumblr and hosts fanart and other online art, likewise came under fire for hosting explicit content, as did other publishing websites.
It’s worth noting that outside the domain of fiction, it is legal to share information and news about queer issues on sites like the enormous social media platform Weibo (which is essentially China’s equivalent to Twitter). But that’s because in 2018, after Weibo attempted its own cleanup of queer content, Weibo users launched a major sitewide protest, which caused the site to backtrack. Though the government tolerates queer news on social media platforms, the oppressive atmosphere surrounding the topic, and the pressure on websites like Weibo to self-censor their users, encourage tension and fear rather than freedom of expression.
It’s unclear how long social media platforms like Weibo will be able to maintain any sort of permissive stance in the face of China’s ever-increasing restrictions on internet content. But it’s unsurprising that a website like Archive of Our Own, designed to promote freedom of expression in the form of fanfiction, would be in the line of fire.
It might not be an obvious observation that fanfiction can be an act of subversion. But in a repressive society where everything from expression of queer identity to jokes about Winnie the Pooh can draw the ire of the government, even fans can become an enemy of the state.
Correction, January 10, 2:50 pm: Corrected to note that fans of Xiao Zhan have denied responsibility for the alleged harassment campaign against AO3 fanfic writers, saying instead that critics were responsible.