vox--2020-12-20--Stories from a Lost Year

Stories from a Lost Year

Life in 2020 has been dominated by big stories .
The Covid-19 pandemic .
Protests against multiple centuries of systemic racism and injustice .
An impeachment .
A presidential election .
Murder hornets .
But beneath every one of these big stories is a long list of smaller personal ones .
Everyone ’ s experience of 2020 has been different , and everyone ’ s story has something worth hearing .
I went looking for those stories , in hopes of understanding the events of this year from the ground level .
What I found was remarkable .
I talked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ baby pig back to health .
I talked to a sex worker who very quickly had to figure out how to make his business Covid-19-safe .
I discussed opening up a marriage — at a time when nobody can see anybody in person — with someone who did just that .
I talked to a woman who fell in love with her mailman , and a postal carrier who grew distressed at how little her rural community seemed to be taking Covid-19 seriously .
I ’ ll be sharing 14 of those stories @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think they all underline the fact that no matter how dramatic or mundane your year was , it was that much more fascinating or difficult or compelling because of the times in which it took place .
This year is almost over , and another will follow .
I ’ m so glad we all got through it together .
We ’ ve lost so much in 2020 .
But we ’ ve found some things , too .
A woman , an injured baby pig , and a series of revelations “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is holy lying under the stars with friends and a pig sleeping in the crook of your arm.
” Non-monogamy , Zoom sex , and the agonizing wait to kiss your partner “ As soon as I started taking non-monogamy seriously , it was like any other coming out.
” A dad , his son , and the bittersweet realization of life ’ s true priorities “ In America , we say everything we do is for our child , but we spend a lot of time working and accumulating money and stuff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Coming out — over the phone , to your mom , and across a language barrier “ I can ’ t do any of my old standup comedy .
And I don ’ t want to do it .
I literally am starting over from scratch.
” Marriage , kids , two jobs , maskless customers , and # BlackLivesMatter in the rural South A sudden crisis , online sex work , and a better understanding of privilege A new dress , a new self-acceptance , and a sudden onset of the soul

Life in 2020 has been dominated by big stories. The Covid-19 pandemic. Protests against multiple centuries of systemic racism and injustice. An impeachment. A presidential election. Murder hornets.
But beneath every one of these big stories is a long list of smaller personal ones. Everyone’s experience of 2020 has been different, and everyone’s story has something worth hearing. I went looking for those stories, in hopes of understanding the events of this year from the ground level.
What I found was remarkable. I talked to a woman who nursed an injured baby pig back to health. I talked to a sex worker who very quickly had to figure out how to make his business Covid-19-safe. I discussed opening up a marriage — at a time when nobody can see anybody in person — with someone who did just that. I talked to a woman who fell in love with her mailman, and a postal carrier who grew distressed at how little her rural community seemed to be taking Covid-19 seriously.
I’ll be sharing 14 of those stories over the next few weeks. I think they all underline the fact that no matter how dramatic or mundane your year was, it was that much more fascinating or difficult or compelling because of the times in which it took place.
This year is almost over, and another will follow. I’m so glad we all got through it together.
We’ve lost so much in 2020. But we’ve found some things, too.
“It’s easier to believe everything is holy lying under the stars with friends and a pig sleeping in the crook of your arm.”
“As soon as I started taking non-monogamy seriously, it was like any other coming out.”
“In America, we say everything we do is for our child, but we spend a lot of time working and accumulating money and stuff that we don’t need.”
“I can’t do any of my old standup comedy. And I don’t want to do it. I literally am starting over from scratch.”
“The first couple weeks, I sucked at life. I sucked at everything.”
“Online sex work has amplified the loneliness for some customers. I’m talking to them because they’re paying.”
“That day, for the first time, I saw myself. And I knew I was trans. Holy shit.”
“I asked him, ‘How’s everything going? How can we help?’ And I accidentally told him that I loved him.”
“There are certain ways — and maybe it’s not cool to say this — in which quarantine has been helpful.”
“I love just looking at his face when he sees there are other people in the world!”
“I haven’t contracted Covid yet. I’ve been lucky, because my bubble is probably huge.”
“It feels like I’ve never stopped playing Russian roulette because I never stopped working.”
“It’s been a lifeline. I don’t have very big classes but when we meet up [over Zoom], we check in with each other. We see how we’re doing.”
“Your to-do list, some days, it has just the one thing on it: Stay alive. And if you can do that, it’s a successful day.”


vox--2020-12-20--Saturday Night Live has elected its new Joe Biden

There ’ s a new Joe Biden on Saturday Night Live : cast member Alex Moffat .
Moffat assumed the role of the president-elect during the cold open of December 19 ’ s episode , hosted by Kristen Wiig .
Moffat is replacing Jim Carrey , who most recently portrayed Biden during the first six episodes of the show ’ s current season .
Carrey announced that his tenure had ended in a tweet posted Saturday afternoon .
“ Though my term was only meant to be 6 weeks , I was thrilled to be elected as your SNL President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ duty , ” wrote Carrey .
“ I would love to go forward knowing that Biden was the victor because I nailed that shit.
” Carrey ’ s final appearance as Biden aired on November 7 , the Saturday that Biden ’ s victory was called by most decision desks .
Remaining in her role as Vice President-elect Kamala Harris is Maya Rudolph , who starred alongside Moffat ( with Kate McKinnon as President Donald Trump ’ s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani , and Beck Bennett , in his regular role as current @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cold open .
The sketch took on this week ’ s biggest live event : Pence receiving the Covid-19 vaccine on camera .
And it centered on the irony of Pence being among the first to receive the vaccine , given that he has downplayed the severity of the pandemic and — as the leader of the federal coronavirus task force — is one of the officials responsible for the US ’ s failed response .
The entire sketch is embedded up top , for you to judge Moffat-as-Biden for yourself .
Hopefully @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Carrey did ; the beloved comedian was lambasted for his wily , Ace Ventura-esque take on the then-nominee .
“ As the real-life chaos of this election spirals only further downward , and Actual Biden grows ever more stoic and exasperated within it , the sheer wrongness of this approach only intensifies , ” reads a piece from October by the Ringer ’ s Rob Harvilla , who called Carrey ’ s turn a “ disaster.
” “ Even if you love the impressionist — and even if you ’ re voting for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you can cower and wince in the destabilizing presence of the impression itself , ” Harvilla wrote .
Correction , December 20 , 2020 : An earlier version of this article misidentified who Kate McKinnon portrayed — it was Rudy Giuliani , not Dr. Anthony Fauci .

There’s a new Joe Biden on Saturday Night Live: cast member Alex Moffat. Moffat assumed the role of the president-elect during the cold open of December 19’s episode, hosted by Kristen Wiig.
Moffat is replacing Jim Carrey, who most recently portrayed Biden during the first six episodes of the show’s current season. Carrey announced that his tenure had ended in a tweet posted Saturday afternoon.
“Though my term was only meant to be 6 weeks, I was thrilled to be elected as your SNL President ... comedy’s highest call of duty,” wrote Carrey. “I would love to go forward knowing that Biden was the victor because I nailed that shit.”
Though my term was only meant to be 6 weeks,I was thrilled to be elected as your SNL President...comedy’s highest call of duty. I would love to go forward knowing that Biden was the victor because I nailed that shit. But I am just one in a long line of proud, fighting SNL Bidens! — Jim Carrey (@JimCarrey) December 19, 2020
Carrey’s final appearance as Biden aired on November 7, the Saturday that Biden’s victory was called by most decision desks.
Remaining in her role as Vice President-elect Kamala Harris is Maya Rudolph, who starred alongside Moffat (with Kate McKinnon as President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, and Beck Bennett, in his regular role as current Vice President Mike Pence) in the cold open.
The sketch took on this week’s biggest live event: Pence receiving the Covid-19 vaccine on camera. And it centered on the irony of Pence being among the first to receive the vaccine, given that he has downplayed the severity of the pandemic and — as the leader of the federal coronavirus task force — is one of the officials responsible for the US’s failed response.
The entire sketch is embedded up top, for you to judge Moffat-as-Biden for yourself. Hopefully he’ll earn better reviews than Carrey did; the beloved comedian was lambasted for his wily, Ace Ventura-esque take on the then-nominee.
“As the real-life chaos of this election spirals only further downward, and Actual Biden grows ever more stoic and exasperated within it, the sheer wrongness of this approach only intensifies,” reads a piece from October by the Ringer’s Rob Harvilla, who called Carrey’s turn a “disaster.”
“Even if you love the impressionist — and even if you’re voting for the guy he’s impersonating — you can cower and wince in the destabilizing presence of the impression itself,” Harvilla wrote.
Correction, December 20, 2020: An earlier version of this article misidentified who Kate McKinnon portrayed — it was Rudy Giuliani, not Dr. Anthony Fauci.


vox--2020-12-20--The Fed’s surprise role in stimulus talks, explained

Just as it seemed Congress might finally reach a deal on a new stimulus package , there was a new and unexpected wrinkle : Some Republicans suddenly discovered they were really worried about a handful of emergency lending programs from the Federal Reserve that most Americans have probably never even heard of .
The issue initially appeared as if it might derail talks , but senators were able to reach an agreement Saturday night amid concerns the Fed scuffle could sideline a relief package altogether .
Republicans and Democrats this week have been inching toward a $ 900 billion agreement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Covid-19 pandemic rages on , and they made plans to attach the deal to government spending legislation that must be passed by Sunday night to avoid a government shutdown .
Both sides made some concessions in the bill — Democrats let go of aid for state and local governments , and Republicans dropped their ask for liability shields for corporations ( which would ensure companies couldn ’ t be sued for coronavirus-related issues ) .
But then , Sen. Pat Toomey ( R-PA ) led a push by Republicans to try to rein @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capabilities to intervene in the economy , through lending programs aimed at small businesses and state and local governments .
Specifically , Toomey said he wanted to wind down emergency lending programs that were created by the CARES Act back in March ; and , on top of that , include provisions in this new legislation that would stop the Fed from being able to restart those programs — or create similar ones .
Toomey ’ s argument is that the Fed , which has taken extraordinary actions to try to boost the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lender of “ first resort ” instead of “ last resort , ” as it is meant to be , if its powers are extended .
Democrats , on the other hand , cried foul and argued that this has nothing to do with when businesses and governments turn to the Fed , and that the effort actually represents an effort from Republicans to limit the economic tools available to President-elect Joe Biden before he even takes office .
“ After weeks of refusing to acknowledge Biden ’ s victory , some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidency is more important than helping our economy recover , ” Sen. Elizabeth Warren ( D-MA ) said in a statement on Friday .
“ Proposals to sabotage President Biden and our nation ’ s economy are reckless , they ’ re wrong , and they have no place in this legislation.
” On Saturday evening , Democrats and Republicans struck a tentative deal on the Fed lending programs .
As part of the agreement , the CARES Act lending programs will be wound down at the end of the year , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and they won ’ t be restarted or duplicated without congressional approval .
In a statement , Toomey said this would “ preserve Fed independence and prevent Democrats from hijacking these programs for political and social policy purposes.
” Democrats had expressed concern that if the language on new Fed limits was too broad in the final legislation , this would severely weaken the Fed ’ s ability to do emergency lending in times of economic stress .
Toomey insisted that the language is targeted and that concerns about its broader impact — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden ’ s presidency — are overblown .
The tentative agreement suggests both sides now agree the language is focused enough to prevent broad overhauls to the Fed ’ s powers .
The situation has been a bit of an odd one .
Republicans have been dead set against support for state and local governments throughout the pandemic , and this appears , in part , to be a way to make sure the Biden administration doesn ’ t find a workaround to get them money through the Fed .
At the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ question haven ’ t worked very well so far — localities weren ’ t really picking up what the Fed was putting down .
Democrats say that the programs could be improved to work better under a Biden administration and therefore be used by more potential borrowers : Essentially , that they may not be a panacea , but they ’ re not not worth trying .
Still , according to former Federal Reserve economist Claudia Sahm , Democrats may be overly optimistic about how effective the programs might be in the future @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to at least work better in a Biden administration than Trump , ” Sahm told me , “ but they were never going to do , without more congressional authority , what Democrats wanted.
” The Fed is supposed to be there when things are really bad In the midst of the Great Depression in 1932 , Congress authorized the Federal Reserve to make direct loans in emergencies .
That basically means that in big moments of economic crisis , you want the central bank to be there to make sure markets don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fed makes those loans under section 13 ( 3 ) of the Federal Reserve Act .
In the wake of the 2008-2009 financial crisis , Congress put some restrictions around the Fed ’ s emergency lending powers in the Dodd-Frank Act of 2010 , which , among other things , required the central bank to go through Treasury to make loans .
So when the Covid-19 pandemic hit , Congress , through the CARES Act , directed $ 454 billion toward the Treasury Department to backstop emergency lending programs , including one aimed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ municipalities .
A lot of that money wasn ’ t used , and in November , Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin asked the Fed to return it at the end of the year .
Fed Chair Jerome Powell agreed to return the money , albeit begrudgingly .
As Politico ’ s Victoria Guida laid out on Twitter , Toomey , a longtime skeptic of the Fed ’ s power , wants to make sure the CARES Act-related lending programs are permanently ended , because he and other Republicans worry Democrats will give “ overly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and states .
Republicans want to make sure the programs are ended now to block incoming Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen ( assuming she ’ s confirmed ) from using other funds to restart the programs .
The rub here has been , in part , exactly what the language Toomey is describing would do .
If it blocks new emergency lending programs for small businesses and municipalities , that ’ s bad for those potential loan recipients , but would just leave them in a fairly similar position to where they are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ haven ’ t been generous enough that many states and businesses were willing to try to take them on , though Democrats argue that under Biden that could be fixed .
The larger concern was that it might hamstring the Fed ’ s ability to exercise its broad emergency powers and do real , lasting damage to the central bank and its role in fighting economic downturns .
Former Fed Chair Ben Bernanke issued a statement over the weekend warning about the potential implications of the GOP ’ s proposal .
He stressed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Fed be able to “ respond promptly to damaging disruptions in credit markets ” and that such ability not be curtailed .
“ The relief act should ensure , at least , that the Federal Reserve ’ s emergency lending authorities , as they stood before the CARES Act , remain fully intact and available to respond to future crises , ” he said .
The US doesn ’ t want to end up in a situation where the Fed has to ask Congress every single time it wants to use emergency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Toomey said in an email that the senator did not want to change how the Fed operates generally .
The spokesperson said that a speech the Pennsylvania Republican delivered on the Senate floor on Saturday “ makes clear that the intent of this language is narrow and is not a sweeping rewrite of section 13 ( 3 ) , as some have suggested.
” As Jordan Weissmann at Slate pointed out , however , Republicans wanted to block the Fed from restarting lending programs that are “ similar ” to those from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ similar ” means is the problem .
“ If your language is very squishy , that can either mean you have a very expansive interpretation of it , or you have a very narrow interpretation of it , ” Sahm said .
And if the definition of “ similar ” is too expansive , that could dangerously kneecap the Fed .
“ These emergency facilities , that power to do emergency lending , that is more important than monetary policy , than bank regulations .
This is the thing that the Fed does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ absolutely have to have , ” she said .
“ These are core powers of the Fed , and so if you ’ re taking this away , you ’ re really crippling the Fed.
” “ The risk is that it greatly diminishes the ability of the Fed to exercise its emergency powers and support the economy in the next crisis , ” Roberto Perli , a partner at the finance analysis firm Cornerstone Macro , told Bloomberg .
“ If I were the Fed , I would strenuously oppose this.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ situation using the Fed The American people need help , and they need help now .
Millions are at risk of eviction in January , millions are out of work , and millions are hungry .
Congress has the power to change this , and it needs to do it .
It ’ s not clear what the real good-faith argument is for why curbing the Fed ’ s emergency lending programs mid-pandemic is worth mass homelessness or stopping people from accessing basic necessities .
But on its face , this is an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can do on the economy when he takes office .
Especially in the event where Congress won ’ t take action — which it ’ s failed to do , basically , since March — you want the Fed to have all the tools in the toolbox available .
And it ’ s reasonable to assume congressional inaction will continue into the Biden administration , making the Fed an even more important part of an economic recovery .
It is true that a lot of states and businesses weren ’ t falling over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but there ’ s an argument to be made that that ’ s not really the point : Just the knowledge that the Fed is there as a last-resort lender is meaningful in shoring up confidence in the economy and keeping financial markets moving .
The Fed just saying it would buy corporate bonds kept the corporate bond market moving in the spring .
The fear that the Fed would help Biden get money to state and local governments defies easy explanation .
Many in the GOP seem to believe that budget @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and therefore have little desire to do anything to help , or , in this case , seem hell-bent on blocking any potential aid .
States run by Democrats are absolutely not the only ones facing tax revenue declines , but also , lawmakers represent all Americans , not just the ones who align with them politically .
“ It is clear that Republicans in Congress and the administration do not want to give money to state and local governments , ” Sahm said .
Why Republicans would be willing to hurt their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic ones is far less clear .
The argument that the Fed should need to rely more on Congress to get the go-ahead on emergency lending programs is tough to swallow , given the events of this year .
It was good back in March that Treasury and the Fed could quickly work together to really turn on emergency facilities and enact other market-stabilizing measures .
Imagine them having to go through Congress , which is right now getting by on a two-day bill to fund the government , because it couldn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same time every year .
And if Republicans really do want to reform 13 ( 3 ) powers , like lawmakers did for Dodd-Frank , doing so hastily seems less than ideal .
“ To rewrite 13 ( 3 ) lending law like that on the fly seems pretty disturbing , ” Bharat Ramamurti , a member of the Congressional Oversight Commission that oversees the CARES Act funds , told Slate .
He pointed out on Twitter that the GOP ’ s current position seems like a radical evolution of their earlier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fall , Republicans were trying to end the CARES Act ’ s current lending programs , not permanently strip the Fed of those powers .
Now , the tentative deal suggests lawmakers are basically back to where they were then .
Of course , there ’ s no way to know intentions here .
Maybe this was another GOP-led effort to tank stimulus .
Maybe Republicans just can not stand the idea of states getting help .
Maybe they really want to tie Biden ’ s hands .
Or maybe Toomey really thinks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reforms at the Fed , so he took it .
But time is running out — a deal ( or an extension ) has to be passed before midnight Sunday to avoid a government shutdown — and a haphazard fix to a supposed problem that a couple of weeks ago wasn ’ t even on the radar is a roadblock the American people don ’ t need .
Now , there seems to be a solution .
Let ’ s hope it sticks .

Just as it seemed Congress might finally reach a deal on a new stimulus package, there was a new and unexpected wrinkle: Some Republicans suddenly discovered they were really worried about a handful of emergency lending programs from the Federal Reserve that most Americans have probably never even heard of.
The issue initially appeared as if it might derail talks, but senators were able to reach an agreement Saturday night amid concerns the Fed scuffle could sideline a relief package altogether.
Republicans and Democrats this week have been inching toward a $900 billion agreement to help boost the economy as the Covid-19 pandemic rages on, and they made plans to attach the deal to government spending legislation that must be passed by Sunday night to avoid a government shutdown.
Both sides made some concessions in the bill — Democrats let go of aid for state and local governments, and Republicans dropped their ask for liability shields for corporations (which would ensure companies couldn’t be sued for coronavirus-related issues). But then, Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA) led a push by Republicans to try to rein in some of the Fed’s capabilities to intervene in the economy, through lending programs aimed at small businesses and state and local governments.
Specifically, Toomey said he wanted to wind down emergency lending programs that were created by the CARES Act back in March; and, on top of that, include provisions in this new legislation that would stop the Fed from being able to restart those programs — or create similar ones.
Toomey’s argument is that the Fed, which has taken extraordinary actions to try to boost the economy during the pandemic, risks becoming a lender of “first resort” instead of “last resort,” as it is meant to be, if its powers are extended.
Democrats, on the other hand, cried foul and argued that this has nothing to do with when businesses and governments turn to the Fed, and that the effort actually represents an effort from Republicans to limit the economic tools available to President-elect Joe Biden before he even takes office.
“After weeks of refusing to acknowledge Biden’s victory, some Republicans have now decided that sabotaging his presidency is more important than helping our economy recover,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) said in a statement on Friday. “Proposals to sabotage President Biden and our nation’s economy are reckless, they’re wrong, and they have no place in this legislation.”
On Saturday evening, Democrats and Republicans struck a tentative deal on the Fed lending programs. As part of the agreement, the CARES Act lending programs will be wound down at the end of the year, the funds for them will be rescinded, and they won’t be restarted or duplicated without congressional approval. In a statement, Toomey said this would “preserve Fed independence and prevent Democrats from hijacking these programs for political and social policy purposes.”
Democrats had expressed concern that if the language on new Fed limits was too broad in the final legislation, this would severely weaken the Fed’s ability to do emergency lending in times of economic stress. Toomey insisted that the language is targeted and that concerns about its broader impact — both with respect to future crises and Biden’s presidency — are overblown. The tentative agreement suggests both sides now agree the language is focused enough to prevent broad overhauls to the Fed’s powers.
The situation has been a bit of an odd one. Republicans have been dead set against support for state and local governments throughout the pandemic, and this appears, in part, to be a way to make sure the Biden administration doesn’t find a workaround to get them money through the Fed.
At the same time, the CARES Act programs in question haven’t worked very well so far — localities weren’t really picking up what the Fed was putting down. Democrats say that the programs could be improved to work better under a Biden administration and therefore be used by more potential borrowers: Essentially, that they may not be a panacea, but they’re not not worth trying.
Still, according to former Federal Reserve economist Claudia Sahm, Democrats may be overly optimistic about how effective the programs might be in the future.
“Those programs had the potential to at least work better in a Biden administration than Trump,” Sahm told me, “but they were never going to do, without more congressional authority, what Democrats wanted.”
The Fed is supposed to be there when things are really bad
In the midst of the Great Depression in 1932, Congress authorized the Federal Reserve to make direct loans in emergencies. That basically means that in big moments of economic crisis, you want the central bank to be there to make sure markets don’t go too haywire.
The Fed makes those loans under section 13(3) of the Federal Reserve Act. In the wake of the 2008-2009 financial crisis, Congress put some restrictions around the Fed’s emergency lending powers in the Dodd-Frank Act of 2010, which, among other things, required the central bank to go through Treasury to make loans.
So when the Covid-19 pandemic hit, Congress, through the CARES Act, directed $454 billion toward the Treasury Department to backstop emergency lending programs, including one aimed at mid-sized businesses and another aimed at municipalities.
A lot of that money wasn’t used, and in November, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin asked the Fed to return it at the end of the year. Fed Chair Jerome Powell agreed to return the money, albeit begrudgingly.
As Politico’s Victoria Guida laid out on Twitter, Toomey, a longtime skeptic of the Fed’s power, wants to make sure the CARES Act-related lending programs are permanently ended, because he and other Republicans worry Democrats will give “overly generous loans” to businesses, cities, and states. Republicans want to make sure the programs are ended now to block incoming Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen (assuming she’s confirmed) from using other funds to restart the programs.
The rub here has been, in part, exactly what the language Toomey is describing would do. If it blocks new emergency lending programs for small businesses and municipalities, that’s bad for those potential loan recipients, but would just leave them in a fairly similar position to where they are now. The terms of the loans haven’t been generous enough that many states and businesses were willing to try to take them on, though Democrats argue that under Biden that could be fixed.
The larger concern was that it might hamstring the Fed’s ability to exercise its broad emergency powers and do real, lasting damage to the central bank and its role in fighting economic downturns.
Former Fed Chair Ben Bernanke issued a statement over the weekend warning about the potential implications of the GOP’s proposal. He stressed that it is “vital” that the Fed be able to “respond promptly to damaging disruptions in credit markets” and that such ability not be curtailed. “The relief act should ensure, at least, that the Federal Reserve’s emergency lending authorities, as they stood before the CARES Act, remain fully intact and available to respond to future crises,” he said.
The US doesn’t want to end up in a situation where the Fed has to ask Congress every single time it wants to use emergency lending.
On Saturday, a spokesperson for Toomey said in an email that the senator did not want to change how the Fed operates generally. The spokesperson said that a speech the Pennsylvania Republican delivered on the Senate floor on Saturday “makes clear that the intent of this language is narrow and is not a sweeping rewrite of section 13(3), as some have suggested.”
As Jordan Weissmann at Slate pointed out, however, Republicans wanted to block the Fed from restarting lending programs that are “similar” to those from the CARES Act. What exactly “similar” means is the problem.
“If your language is very squishy, that can either mean you have a very expansive interpretation of it, or you have a very narrow interpretation of it,” Sahm said. And if the definition of “similar” is too expansive, that could dangerously kneecap the Fed.
“These emergency facilities, that power to do emergency lending, that is more important than monetary policy, than bank regulations. This is the thing that the Fed does, it’s the thing we absolutely have to have,” she said. “These are core powers of the Fed, and so if you’re taking this away, you’re really crippling the Fed.”
“The risk is that it greatly diminishes the ability of the Fed to exercise its emergency powers and support the economy in the next crisis,” Roberto Perli, a partner at the finance analysis firm Cornerstone Macro, told Bloomberg. “If I were the Fed, I would strenuously oppose this.”
This is a bit of a hostage situation using the Fed
The American people need help, and they need help now. Millions are at risk of eviction in January, millions are out of work, and millions are hungry. Congress has the power to change this, and it needs to do it. It’s not clear what the real good-faith argument is for why curbing the Fed’s emergency lending programs mid-pandemic is worth mass homelessness or stopping people from accessing basic necessities.
But on its face, this is an effort by Republicans to limit what Biden can do on the economy when he takes office. Especially in the event where Congress won’t take action — which it’s failed to do, basically, since March — you want the Fed to have all the tools in the toolbox available. And it’s reasonable to assume congressional inaction will continue into the Biden administration, making the Fed an even more important part of an economic recovery.
It is true that a lot of states and businesses weren’t falling over themselves to get loans from the Fed, but there’s an argument to be made that that’s not really the point: Just the knowledge that the Fed is there as a last-resort lender is meaningful in shoring up confidence in the economy and keeping financial markets moving. The Fed just saying it would buy corporate bonds kept the corporate bond market moving in the spring.
The fear that the Fed would help Biden get money to state and local governments defies easy explanation. Many in the GOP seem to believe that budget shortfalls are only a blue state problem and therefore have little desire to do anything to help, or, in this case, seem hell-bent on blocking any potential aid. States run by Democrats are absolutely not the only ones facing tax revenue declines, but also, lawmakers represent all Americans, not just the ones who align with them politically.
“It is clear that Republicans in Congress and the administration do not want to give money to state and local governments,” Sahm said. Why Republicans would be willing to hurt their own states in order to also hurt Democratic ones is far less clear.
The argument that the Fed should need to rely more on Congress to get the go-ahead on emergency lending programs is tough to swallow, given the events of this year. It was good back in March that Treasury and the Fed could quickly work together to really turn on emergency facilities and enact other market-stabilizing measures. Imagine them having to go through Congress, which is right now getting by on a two-day bill to fund the government, because it couldn’t meet a deadline that comes at the same time every year.
And if Republicans really do want to reform 13(3) powers, like lawmakers did for Dodd-Frank, doing so hastily seems less than ideal. “To rewrite 13(3) lending law like that on the fly seems pretty disturbing,” Bharat Ramamurti, a member of the Congressional Oversight Commission that oversees the CARES Act funds, told Slate.
He pointed out on Twitter that the GOP’s current position seems like a radical evolution of their earlier stance: In stimulus negotiations in the fall, Republicans were trying to end the CARES Act’s current lending programs, not permanently strip the Fed of those powers. Now, the tentative deal suggests lawmakers are basically back to where they were then.
Of course, there’s no way to know intentions here. Maybe this was another GOP-led effort to tank stimulus. Maybe Republicans just cannot stand the idea of states getting help. Maybe they really want to tie Biden’s hands. Or maybe Toomey really thinks this was his one shot at getting reforms at the Fed, so he took it.
But time is running out — a deal (or an extension) has to be passed before midnight Sunday to avoid a government shutdown — and a haphazard fix to a supposed problem that a couple of weeks ago wasn’t even on the radar is a roadblock the American people don’t need. Now, there seems to be a solution. Let’s hope it sticks.


vox--2020-12-20--The Lost Year: Coming out — over the phone, to your mom, across a language barrier

This is The Lost Year , a series of stories about our lived experiences in 2020 , as told to Vox critic at large Emily VanDerWerff .
One group that ’ s been particularly hard hit by quarantine is live performers , people who can no longer get up on stage in front of an excited audience to put on a show .
Standup comedians , especially , have struggled during the pandemic , since so much of developing their jokes stems from seeing what an audience responds to .
Nina , a standup comic living in Los Angeles , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : She ’ s a trans woman who self-accepted and started taking hormones in 2019 but didn ’ t come out publicly until well into quarantine , which means she hasn ’ t yet performed as her authentic self .
She ’ s spent the past several months writing lots and lots of new material , much of which revolves around her experiences as a newly out trans woman — but she has no idea whether any of it will work with audiences .
She ’ s also had to navigate the experience @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speaks limited English , while she herself speaks limited Vietnamese .
Nina couldn ’ t simply travel to visit her mother , which would have been her preference , and instead had to work up the nerve for a fraught phone call .
Here ’ s Nina ’ s story , as she told it to me .
With standup , you need constant feedback .
You ’ ll think a joke is really funny , and then you ’ ll do it onstage and it bombs hard .
Social media is kind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ ve had the confidence from “ This joke got over 100 likes on social media ” — and then I go onstage and it does not translate .
There have been virtual open mics , but I ’ ve been lazy in that regard .
So I ’ m writing a lot , because I ’ m at home and have nothing else to do .
A lot of the jokes that I have , I ’ m not sure where they stand .
I love them all , but the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Some things just don ’ t translate to in-person joke-telling .
That ’ s why I ’ m so antsy to get onstage and see what actually works .
How mortifying would it be if nothing does ?
I started really writing jokes about being trans in quarantine .
It was very therapeutic .
I had been writing this stuff for a while now because I was closeted for a long time , but I wasn ’ t able to even post it online .
It felt very freeing .
All of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dam and doing nothing about trans material .
And quarantine kind of forced me to keep writing all of this material that I had been keeping to myself .
I even made a joke about how I was only doing trans material , like my set list would only say “ TRANS ” on it .
I fear that I ’ m being annoying , but I love it so much .
I feel free to express any opinion or idea that I want to , whereas before it felt like I was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I don ’ t know if these jokes are funny yet , but I like the fact that I can write them .
So maybe quarantine was a blessing .
That feels horrible to say , but I ’ ve been so productive .
I started hormones on December 23 , 2019 .
So I was medically transitioning before quarantine was happening .
My plan was that I wanted to look more feminine and feel more comfortable in my body before claiming my identity .
That ’ s not necessary , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ changes would be subtle , because I would see people every day .
I had to start wearing sports bras to work in March , when I had been on hormones for three months .
I didn ’ t want anyone knowing anything .
It was nerve-wracking trying to remain closeted while seeing everybody all the time .
Then quarantine happened and people didn ’ t see me for four or five months .
I got to transition at my own pace , and it felt safer .
But when people started seeing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pressure to come out .
While the pressure was off , I think I got lazy with my transition a little bit .
If I had been at work all the time and I was out , I probably would have worked on my voice and presentation more .
I finally came out [ publicly ] in October , but I had been on hormones for almost a year while closeted .
When I did come out , no one remarked that they had noticed anything , not one person .
I presented @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but people just thought I was a feminine dude .
They were blind to it , even when it was getting pretty obvious .
I was wearing makeup !
I don ’ t know if people assumed I was a quirky dude or what .
Maybe they just didn ’ t want to say anything .
But coming out to family was a lot different , whether you ’ re in quarantine or not .
This year was tricky .
I wanted to tell them in person , but there was a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very good at speaking Vietnamese , and my mom ’ s not very good at speaking English .
My plan originally was to write a letter , just to fully articulate things so there wasn ’ t any misunderstanding .
Then the plan was to come out to my cousin and have her act as my voice , since she speaks Vietnamese fluently .
But it was just too far removed , so I ended up calling my mom after mulling it over for so long .
I ’ m glad I did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to connect to her .
It was an emotional conversation , and she ended up not really understanding .
Maybe a letter could have been better in that regard , but she could tell me how she felt , and I could expand on something she didn ’ t get .
I just had a follow-up phone call with her , and every time I have a conversation with her , I ’ m always , like , “ That went really well !
” And then she ’ ll call me “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the sweetest way , too !
“ I love you , son !
” with all these heart emojis .
For me , a lot of the agony of calling her was the anticipation .
By the time I did come out to her , it was the fourth phone call , which was so agonizing because every time , it would take me so long to push that little green phone-call button .
The first time I did it , she was at work .
So I told her to call @ @ @ @ @ @ @ talk .
She calls me back .
I ’ m super nervous , working up the energy to come out again .
And she ’ s , like , “ Hey , I just want to let you know I don ’ t have time to talk right now , but I will call you when I can.
” I was , like , “ All right .
Great .
Thanks.
” So by the time I finally did come out to her , it wasn ’ t really agonizing .
I was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this over with.
” Even if I wasn ’ t transitioning , I would miss the stage .
But especially with this , I can ’ t do any of my old material .
And I don ’ t even want to do it .
I literally am starting over from scratch , and I can ’ t perform .
It ’ s maddening .
I miss the immediate feedback of if a joke works or not .
Parts of it are a little indescribable .
Whenever a joke does work , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ laughing , instead of getting a thumbs-up online .
There ’ s a directness to it that you can ’ t get online .
I did do a couple of in-person open mics before quarantine happened , and the trans jokes played really well .
Some of that has to do with how there ’ s not that many trans comedians , so it ’ s a unique take , which is a big part of the battle for people ’ s attention .
If you ’ re not being funny , at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re at least engaging the audience .
As soon as I go up onstage and come out as trans , I have everyone ’ s attention .
But that ’ s why I ’ m not trusting of those reactions .
People were extra engaged , and they might have laughed at very mediocre jokes .
I ’ ve just been burned too many times .
I ’ m constantly doubting myself .
Especially with new material , I ’ ll come in confident and real hot , and then I just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ m super rusty is at the forefront of my brain .
People say , “ Oh , you have to hit a certain number of stages a week , and if you don ’ t , you ’ re going to get rusty.
” But none of us are hitting the stages like that , so there ’ s a comforting thought that we ’ re all on the same level .
That ’ s part of the competitive side of me .
But I am rusty .
I ’ m so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of one of my new jokes : By not transitioning earlier , I feel like I lost my childhood .
But transitioning as an adult during quarantine at least gives me the awkward experience of a middle school girl coming back from summer break with boobs .
Next : Marriage , kids , two jobs , maskless customers , and # BlackLivesMatter in the rural South

This is The Lost Year, a series of stories about our lived experiences in 2020, as told to Vox critic at large Emily VanDerWerff.
One group that’s been particularly hard hit by quarantine is live performers, people who can no longer get up on stage in front of an excited audience to put on a show. Standup comedians, especially, have struggled during the pandemic, since so much of developing their jokes stems from seeing what an audience responds to.
Nina, a standup comic living in Los Angeles, has an even bigger set of concerns: She’s a trans woman who self-accepted and started taking hormones in 2019 but didn’t come out publicly until well into quarantine, which means she hasn’t yet performed as her authentic self. She’s spent the past several months writing lots and lots of new material, much of which revolves around her experiences as a newly out trans woman — but she has no idea whether any of it will work with audiences.
She’s also had to navigate the experience of coming out to a mother who speaks limited English, while she herself speaks limited Vietnamese. Nina couldn’t simply travel to visit her mother, which would have been her preference, and instead had to work up the nerve for a fraught phone call.
Here’s Nina’s story, as she told it to me.
With standup, you need constant feedback. You’ll think a joke is really funny, and then you’ll do it onstage and it bombs hard. Social media is kind of a barometer, but so often I’ve had the confidence from “This joke got over 100 likes on social media” — and then I go onstage and it does not translate.
There have been virtual open mics, but I’ve been lazy in that regard. So I’m writing a lot, because I’m at home and have nothing else to do. A lot of the jokes that I have, I’m not sure where they stand. I love them all, but the true test is sharing them onstage. Some things just don’t translate to in-person joke-telling. That’s why I’m so antsy to get onstage and see what actually works. How mortifying would it be if nothing does?
I started really writing jokes about being trans in quarantine. It was very therapeutic. I had been writing this stuff for a while now because I was closeted for a long time, but I wasn’t able to even post it online. It felt very freeing. All of a sudden, it was like opening a dam and doing nothing about trans material. And quarantine kind of forced me to keep writing all of this material that I had been keeping to myself.
I even made a joke about how I was only doing trans material, like my set list would only say “TRANS” on it. I fear that I’m being annoying, but I love it so much. I feel free to express any opinion or idea that I want to, whereas before it felt like I was holding back this major part of myself. I don’t know if these jokes are funny yet, but I like the fact that I can write them. So maybe quarantine was a blessing. That feels horrible to say, but I’ve been so productive.
I started hormones on December 23, 2019. So I was medically transitioning before quarantine was happening. My plan was that I wanted to look more feminine and feel more comfortable in my body before claiming my identity. That’s not necessary, but it felt comfortable for me. The changes would be subtle, because I would see people every day. I had to start wearing sports bras to work in March, when I had been on hormones for three months. I didn’t want anyone knowing anything. It was nerve-wracking trying to remain closeted while seeing everybody all the time.
Then quarantine happened and people didn’t see me for four or five months. I got to transition at my own pace, and it felt safer. But when people started seeing me again, I almost felt more pressure to come out. While the pressure was off, I think I got lazy with my transition a little bit. If I had been at work all the time and I was out, I probably would have worked on my voice and presentation more. I finally came out [publicly] in October, but I had been on hormones for almost a year while closeted.
When I did come out, no one remarked that they had noticed anything, not one person. I presented femininely for most of my adult life, but people just thought I was a feminine dude. They were blind to it, even when it was getting pretty obvious. I was wearing makeup! I don’t know if people assumed I was a quirky dude or what. Maybe they just didn’t want to say anything.
But coming out to family was a lot different, whether you’re in quarantine or not. This year was tricky. I wanted to tell them in person, but there was a language barrier. I’m not very good at speaking Vietnamese, and my mom’s not very good at speaking English. My plan originally was to write a letter, just to fully articulate things so there wasn’t any misunderstanding.
Then the plan was to come out to my cousin and have her act as my voice, since she speaks Vietnamese fluently. But it was just too far removed, so I ended up calling my mom after mulling it over for so long. I’m glad I did it like that because it allowed me to connect to her. It was an emotional conversation, and she ended up not really understanding. Maybe a letter could have been better in that regard, but she could tell me how she felt, and I could expand on something she didn’t get.
I just had a follow-up phone call with her, and every time I have a conversation with her, I’m always, like, “That went really well!” And then she’ll call me “son” later. She does it in the sweetest way, too! “I love you, son!” with all these heart emojis.
For me, a lot of the agony of calling her was the anticipation. By the time I did come out to her, it was the fourth phone call, which was so agonizing because every time, it would take me so long to push that little green phone-call button. The first time I did it, she was at work. So I told her to call me back when she had time to talk. She calls me back. I’m super nervous, working up the energy to come out again. And she’s, like, “Hey, I just want to let you know I don’t have time to talk right now, but I will call you when I can.” I was, like, “All right. Great. Thanks.” So by the time I finally did come out to her, it wasn’t really agonizing. I was like, “Let’s get this over with.”
Even if I wasn’t transitioning, I would miss the stage. But especially with this, I can’t do any of my old material. And I don’t even want to do it. I literally am starting over from scratch, and I can’t perform. It’s maddening. I miss the immediate feedback of if a joke works or not. Parts of it are a little indescribable. Whenever a joke does work, it’s very euphoric to see people laughing, instead of getting a thumbs-up online. There’s a directness to it that you can’t get online.
I did do a couple of in-person open mics before quarantine happened, and the trans jokes played really well. Some of that has to do with how there’s not that many trans comedians, so it’s a unique take, which is a big part of the battle for people’s attention. If you’re not being funny, at least be interesting. And then you’re at least engaging the audience. As soon as I go up onstage and come out as trans, I have everyone’s attention. But that’s why I’m not trusting of those reactions. People were extra engaged, and they might have laughed at very mediocre jokes. I’ve just been burned too many times. I’m constantly doubting myself. Especially with new material, I’ll come in confident and real hot, and then I just get crushed.
The fear that I’m super rusty is at the forefront of my brain. People say, “Oh, you have to hit a certain number of stages a week, and if you don’t, you’re going to get rusty.” But none of us are hitting the stages like that, so there’s a comforting thought that we’re all on the same level. That’s part of the competitive side of me. But I am rusty. I’m so rusty.
Oh! I just thought of one of my new jokes: By not transitioning earlier, I feel like I lost my childhood. But transitioning as an adult during quarantine at least gives me the awkward experience of a middle school girl coming back from summer break with boobs.
Next: Marriage, kids, two jobs, maskless customers, and #BlackLivesMatter in the rural South


vox--2020-12-21--2020 felt like a “wasted year” for many young adults

Marie Keller had a plan : She was going to move out when she finished school , get an apartment , and commute back-and-forth to visit her girlfriend .
At 22 , Marie is in a time of life known for possibilities .
But the pandemic , as it has for so many , has turned those possibilities upside down : She finished her senior project in her dad ’ s apartment as he recovered from an aneurism , did not move , and , as a first-generation student , wasn ’ t able to walk in her college graduation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a farmhand , the only job to call her back after she began applying in March .
“ I feel like there is so much I ’ m supposed to be doing , but I don ’ t know what it is or how I ’ m supposed to get it done because of the pandemic , ” she said .
“ I can ’ t wait until it ’ s safe to have a big party with my friends .
We ’ ll have fancy cheese and show off our first homes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the moments we missed.
” For 20-somethings , this year has been far from fantasy versions of young adulthood : popular conceptions of one ’ s twenties depict a period of life driven by adventure , exploration , and ambition that is promptly tied up and “ figured out ” by 30 .
But the reality of 2020 has punctured the belief that this period of one ’ s life is uniquely transformational , defined by the grades hard won , jobs hustled for , and adventures that weave the story of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ never entirely realistic before , and — during a year in which external markers of success seemed insignificant and business as usual vanished for most — it certainly isn ’ t now .
Young people ages 18 to 29 are moving back in with their parents at record rates ( and , often , that ’ s spun as some sort of moral failing , an innate inability to “ make ” it on your own , without regard for the circumstances , culture , and caregiving that might play a role ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been booted from campuses , losing jobs , communities , and stability in the process .
The pandemic is set to exacerbate postponement of “ key ” life events , including getting married , having kids , or buying homes , which were already happening later compared to previous generations , if one chooses to or can do them at all .
A popular meme depicts the contrast between young people today and their parents ’ generation when it comes to major life decisions .
Black and brown young adults are feeling the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ data published by the Center for Law and Social Policy ( CLASP ) shows that 53 percent of Hispanic young adults and 45 percent of Black young adults are experiencing unemployment during the pandemic , compared to 38 percent of white young people .
But framing these statistics as “ setbacks ” relies on myths about a period of life that were always mired by harsh realities — from job failures to becoming a caretaker for aging parents to navigating finances and health insurance sometimes for the first time solo .
Of course @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happen in young adulthood nor are young adults the only ones who have experienced a year of pause , loss , or personal chaos .
But because this period is often heralded as a crucial period of identity formation , it ’ s worth looking at how that narrative isn ’ t serving anyone — young adults included .
Darcey N. Powell , an associate professor of psychology at Roanoke College , explained that people often compartmentalize young adulthood into two , rather contradictory , bubbles : either full of exploration with limited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all out “ without acknowledging that it ’ s much more intricate and there ’ s much more heterogeneity than that , ” she said .
Powell noted that these “ perceived norms ” can ’ t predict behavior but do influence individuals .
This includes personal-level norms , like your perception of friends and family .
But entertainment and media as well as social media have “ likely contributed to the cultivation of the false dichotomy ” of young adulthood , Powell said .
The idealization of this time of life is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dripping with nostalgia for road trips and first loves and mistakes made that can be turned into easily digestible chunks of wisdom ; in lists outlining the most successful under 30 ; in wistful reminders that now is the time to live it up before “ real life ” sets in , conveniently ignoring how many young people have been managing adult roles and responsibilities for a long time .
Powell explained that “ violated expectations ” occur when your thoughts about what will happen don ’ t align with what you think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moment common .
This feels like a defining theme of 2020 .
“ I would suspect this pandemic has likely increased stress related to doing so since securing employment , acquiring a partner , and so forth is significantly more difficult , ” she said on the influence of these norms .
Shontise McKinney , a 25-year-old mom to two sons pursuing her college degree , started the year brimming with optimism .
But because of the pandemic , she lost her job , which left Shontise worrying about housing instabilities in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ future for many , ” she said .
“ It ’ s hard to live in the present when we are concerned about surviving a pandemic along with creating a life for ourselves.
” Meanwhile , Courtney ( who asked that her last name not be used to protect her privacy ) , 26 , was supposed to be getting married next month .
A lot of her twenties , she explained , was spent making choices to make things “ good in the way that I thought they were supposed to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and having a good time but also having a solid , long-term relationship ; as a first-generation college graduate and a first-generation American on her mom ’ s side , she thought getting the right job and having the right partner would bring her joy .
But earlier in the fall , her relationship ended , and now , she ’ s single for the first time in a decade .
“ It ’ s definitely not that fun , glamorous , or dressed-up-to-go-out exploring of my life that I thought I would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being 26 and single during a pandemic .
2020 , instead , brought a different kind of exploration : “ I think one misconception I had about my twenties would be that I had done a lot of exploring that I needed to do , or I didn ’ t need to , because I knew what I wanted , ” Courtney said .
Now , she ’ s reconsidering what she actually wants and needs .
“ Are there things that I was rushing full speed ahead on , where the motion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I was going , or if there were roadside stops that I wanted to make ?
” For some young adults , 2020 has been a chance to reconfigure — or acknowledge — how they really want their lives to be LuTisha , 27 , has worked on three political campaigns within the last year and has felt the devastating realities of 2020 : She has lost several relatives to Covid and recalls the impact of having to break the news of those deaths to her mom in a parking lot .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of joy in my life , ” she explained .
“ For me , if anything , this year has shown me that my life is too short — you never know when you ’ re going to take your last breath , so why not live in the moment ?
” With that in mind , LuTisha decided to get married this year without any hesitation .
The embrace of joy and love , “ as a Black woman in a time where we ’ re being killed in our own homes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , she said .
The Instagram-illustrated myth of the carefree 20-somethings has long felt painfully out of touch with many young adults — which is perhaps one of the reasons that quips of selfishness and irresponsibility and rootless freedom blanketed on entire generations of young people have always felt baffling .
“ I wish that we were talking more about inequalities in this life phase , ” said Pamela Aronson , PhD , professor of sociology and an affiliate faculty member of Women ’ s and Gender Studies at the University of Michigan-Dearborn.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ different for young people from different racial and class backgrounds.
” It ’ s crucial to note that a lot of the pressures commonly aligned with “ being young ” can ’ t be divorced from race , class , and socioeconomics .
“ The myth is that young people go off to college and try on identities , ” said Aronson .
“ But the reality is that only middle and upper-middle-class youth have the space to be able to do so.
” A 2020 report from Hope Center found that , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the survey , 58 percent were experiencing basic-needs insecurity .
An estimated 12 to 18 percent of caregivers in the United States are between the ages of 18 and 24 , and young adults have the lowest rate of access to employer-based health insurance .
Meanwhile , student debt continues to grow .
And , as research from CLASP points out , U.S. youth and young adults — “ particularly those from communities of color — were facing disproportionately higher rates of poverty , unemployment , income inequality , debt , and unmet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before the pandemic .
Of course , young adults aren ’ t the only ones struggling .
America ’ s blatant ageism and lack of consideration for elderly people have been underscored again and again during the pandemic .
And it ’ s worth examining the youth-centric pressures of American society that can make people feel the need to figure out their lives as fast as possible .
What happens in young adulthood undoubtedly matters , especially given how much identity formation unfolds during this time of life .
But the fixation on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in classist , sexist stereotypes : You don ’ t stop learning , or experiencing fun , or trying new things past the “ prime of your life ” years — and tethering those ideals to a certain age ignores how many young people have been doing the “ adult ” stuff , like working multiple jobs or raising kids or caring for family members , this entire time .
Rushing to get your life together before “ real life ” settles in makes it seem like there ’ s a New Year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years carry the most value .
But this is a fantasy that , once punctured , should free us .
The idealization of young adulthood doesn ’ t render the rest of one ’ s life less consequential .
Rainesford Stauffer is a writer , Kentuckian , and author of the forthcoming book about young adulthood , An Ordinary Age , out in May 2021 , from Harper Perennial .
You can find her on Twitter @ Rainesford .

Marie Keller had a plan: She was going to move out when she finished school, get an apartment, and commute back and forth to visit her girlfriend. At 22, Marie is in a time of life known for possibilities.
But the pandemic, as it has for so many, has turned those possibilities upside down: She finished her senior project in her dad’s apartment as he recovered from an aneurism, did not move, and, as a first-generation student, wasn’t able to walk in her college graduation ceremony. She is currently working as a farmhand, the only job to call her back after she began applying in March.
“I feel like there is so much I’m supposed to be doing, but I don’t know what it is or how I’m supposed to get it done because of the pandemic,” she said. “I can’t wait until it’s safe to have a big party with my friends. We’ll have fancy cheese and show off our first homes to each other, talk about all of the moments we missed.”
For 20-somethings, this year has been far from fantasy versions of young adulthood: popular conceptions of one’s 20s depict a period of life driven by adventure, exploration, and ambition that is promptly tied up and “figured out” by 30. But the reality of 2020 has punctured the belief that this period of one’s life is uniquely transformational, defined by the grades hard won, jobs hustled for, and adventures that weave the story of one’s life. That was never entirely realistic before, and — during a year in which external markers of success seemed insignificant and business as usual vanished for most — it certainly isn’t now.
Young people ages 18 to 29 are moving back in with their parents at record rates (and, often, that’s spun as some sort of moral failing, an innate inability to “make” it on your own, without regard for the circumstances, culture, and caregiving that might play a role). Meanwhile, many college students have been booted from campuses, losing jobs, communities, and stability in the process. The pandemic is set to exacerbate postponement of “key” life events, including getting married, having kids, or buying homes, which were already happening later compared to previous generations, if one chooses to or can do them at all. A popular meme depicts the contrast between young people today and their parents’ generation when it comes to major life decisions.
Black and brown young adults are feeling the pandemic’s impacts the most — data published by the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) shows that 53 percent of Hispanic young adults and 45 percent of Black young adults are experiencing unemployment during the pandemic, compared to 38 percent of white young people.
But framing these statistics as “setbacks” relies on myths about a period of life that were always marred by harsh realities — from job failures to becoming a caretaker for aging parents to navigating finances and health insurance sometimes for the first time solo. Of course, these things don’t only happen in young adulthood, nor are young adults the only ones who have experienced a year of pause, loss, or personal chaos. But because this period is often heralded as a crucial period of identity formation, it’s worth looking at how that narrative isn’t serving anyone — young adults included.
Darcey N. Powell, an associate professor of psychology at Roanoke College, said that people often compartmentalize young adulthood into two, rather contradictory, bubbles: either full of exploration with limited responsibilities, or a period to figure it all out, “without acknowledging that it’s much more intricate and there’s much more heterogeneity than that,” she said.
Powell said these “perceived norms” can’t predict behavior but do influence individuals. This includes personal-level norms, like your perception of friends and family. But entertainment and media as well as social media have “likely contributed to the cultivation of the false dichotomy” of young adulthood, she said.
The idealization of this time of life is everywhere: in films and TV shows dripping with nostalgia for road trips and first loves and mistakes made that can be turned into easily digestible chunks of wisdom; in lists outlining the most successful under 30; in wistful reminders that now is the time to live it up before “real life” sets in, conveniently ignoring how many young people have been managing adult roles and responsibilities for a long time.
Powell explained that “violated expectations” occur when your thoughts about what will happen don’t align with what you think, feel, or experience. This feels like a defining theme of 2020. “I would suspect this pandemic has likely increased stress related to doing so since securing employment, acquiring a partner, and so forth is significantly more difficult,” she said on the influence of these norms.
Shontise McKinney, a 25-year-old mom to two sons who is also pursuing her college degree, started the year brimming with optimism. But because of the pandemic, she lost her job, which left Shontise worrying about housing instabilities in the future. “Covid has obscured the future for many,” she said. “It’s hard to live in the present when we are concerned about surviving a pandemic along with creating a life for ourselves.”
Meanwhile, Courtney (who asked that her last name not be used to protect her privacy), 26, was supposed to be getting married next month. A lot of her 20s, she explained, was spent making choices to make things “good in the way that I thought they were supposed to be good.”
That meant going to college and having a good time, but also having a solid, long-term relationship; as a first-generation college graduate and a first-generation American on her mom’s side, she thought getting the right job and having the right partner would bring her joy. But earlier in the fall, her relationship ended, and now, she’s single for the first time in a decade.
“It’s definitely not that fun, glamorous, or dressed-up-to-go-out exploring of my life that I thought I would be doing,” she said about being 26 and single during a pandemic. 2020, instead, brought a different kind of exploration: “I think one misconception I had about my 20s would be that I had done a lot of exploring that I needed to do, or I didn’t need to, because I knew what I wanted,” Courtney said. Now, she’s reconsidering what she actually wants and needs. “Are there things that I was rushing full speed ahead on, where the motion of rushing was distracting me from where I was going, or if there were roadside stops that I wanted to make?”
For some young adults, 2020 has been a chance to reconfigure — or acknowledge — how they really want their lives to be
LuTisha, 27, has worked on three political campaigns within the last year and has felt the devastating realities of 2020: She has lost several relatives to Covid-19 and recalls the impact of having to break the news of those deaths to her mom in a parking lot. But, “I’ve had a lot of joy in my life,” she said. “For me, if anything, this year has shown me that my life is too short — you never know when you’re going to take your last breath, so why not live in the moment?”
With that in mind, LuTisha decided to get married this year without any hesitation. The embrace of joy and love, “as a Black woman in a time where we’re being killed in our own homes by the police,” is powerful, she said.
The Instagram-illustrated myth of the carefree 20-somethings has long felt painfully out of touch with many young adults — which is perhaps one of the reasons that quips of selfishness and irresponsibility and rootless freedom blanketed on entire generations of young people have always felt baffling.
“I wish that we were talking more about inequalities in this life phase,” said Pamela Aronson, professor of sociology and an affiliate faculty member of women’s and gender studies at the University of Michigan-Dearborn. “The transition to adulthood looks very different for young people from different racial and class backgrounds.”
It’s crucial to note that a lot of the pressures commonly aligned with “being young” can’t be divorced from race, class, and socioeconomics. “The myth is that young people go off to college and try on identities,” said Aronson. “But the reality is that only middle- and upper-middle-class youth have the space to be able to do so.”
A 2020 report from Hope Center found that, of more than 38,000 students responding to their survey, 58 percent were experiencing basic-needs insecurity. An estimated 12 percent to 18 percent of caregivers in the United States are between the ages of 18 and 24, and young adults have the lowest rate of access to employer-based health insurance. Meanwhile, student debt continues to grow. And, as research from CLASP points out, US youth and young adults — “particularly those from communities of color — were facing disproportionately higher rates of poverty, unemployment, income inequality, debt, and unmet health and mental health needs” even before the pandemic.
Of course, young adults aren’t the only ones struggling. America’s blatant ageism and lack of consideration for elderly people have been underscored again and again during the pandemic. And it’s worth examining the youth-centric pressures of American society that can make people feel the need to figure out their lives as fast as possible.
What happens in young adulthood undoubtedly matters, especially given how much identity formation unfolds during this time of life. But the fixation on young adulthood feels at least somewhat rooted in classist, sexist stereotypes: You don’t stop learning, or experiencing fun, or trying new things past the “prime of your life” years — and tethering those ideals to a certain age ignores how many young people have been doing the “adult” stuff, like working multiple jobs or raising kids or caring for family members, this entire time.
Rushing to get your life together before “real life” settles in makes it seem like there’s a New Year’s Eve-style countdown clock on what years carry the most value. But this is a fantasy that, once punctured, should free us. The idealization of young adulthood doesn’t render the rest of one’s life less consequential.
Rainesford Stauffer is a writer, Kentuckian, and author of the forthcoming book about young adulthood, An Ordinary Age, out in May 2021, from Harper Perennial. You can find her on Twitter @Rainesford.


vox--2020-12-21--What happens if a gorilla gets Covid-19?

There are around 1,000 mountain gorillas left in the wild , and about 460 of them live in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda .
In the park ’ s very dense , high-altitude forest ( hence the name “ impenetrable ” ) , veterinarian Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka is working to keep them alive through the Covid-19 pandemic .
No gorilla has come down with Covid-19 , but Kalema-Zikusoka fears what might happen if one did .
Gorillas live in tight-knit groups , so a respiratory infection could easily spread among them .
Infected gorillas could get sick and die , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disease .
Kalema-Zikusoka founded the nonprofit Conservation Through Public Health , where she works with the local community , and the park , to keep the gorillas healthy , and create a tourism economy that ’ s sustainable for both the gorillas and the people who live near them .
“ This virus is a threat to the gorillas , ” she said on a recent Zoom call from Entebbe , Uganda , where she lives .
“ Before , we never used to have to wear a mask when you visit the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Also new : Visitors must stay 32 feet ( 10 meters ) away from the animals , up from 23 feet ( 7 meters ) before the pandemic .
Visitors now also get their temperatures checked upon arrival .
Kalema-Zikusoka told me about other precautions in place to protect the animals — what she ’ d do if one got sick , and how to quarantine these 300-plus-pound animals should they be exposed .
She also described the intense and competing challenges conservation groups like hers face to keep the animals safe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the pandemic , poaching increased .
But when tourism resumed this fall , the threat of spreading disease to the gorillas increased .
“ Tourism is a good thing , but it has to be done in a responsible way so that it doesn ’ t end up wiping out the very species , ” she says .
“ It ’ s a very delicate balance.
” This conversation has been edited for length and clarity .
The gorillas in Bwindi — do they often come close to humans ?
Yes .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the park , and about 200 are habituated for tourism and research .
What does habituated mean ?
They will let people approach them ?
Habituated generally means ... you can get as close as 5 , 7 meters to them .
It means they won ’ t run away when they see a human being .
Do the gorillas come in close enough contact with people that you have to worry about respiratory diseases like Covid-19 ?
Yes , we definitely do worry about it .
There have always been strict guidelines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ away from them ] .
But some of the gorillas , which are so used to people , can get even closer .
So actually , that ’ s why we thought that during the pandemic we really needed to reduce their proximity to people .
Before , we never used to have to wear a mask when you visit the gorillas , but now you have to wear a mask when you visit the gorillas .
And I think it ’ s going to continue to be emphasized even after the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we ’ re going to continue with all these regulations .
I imagine you can ’ t put a mask on a gorilla or have them protect themselves .
Absolutely not .
You can ’ t .
And the problem with them is that they don ’ t know how to social distance .
They are in a harem with a lead silverback and many females and babies and a few other adult males .
And they ’ re always grooming each other , they ’ re always moving together as a group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Covid-19 , it ’ s very easy for the rest of them to get it because they don ’ t know how to social distance .
So the best we can do is teach people to social distance from them .
And also at the same time , hand hygiene has really been reinforced , and use of hand sanitizer .
Is this a constant problem : diseases passing between people and these gorillas ?
Yes .
Disease becomes an issue once you habituate [ gorillas ] for tourism and research , because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sick .
Either when gorillas are visited inside the park [ or ] when gorillas go out of the park to people ’ s gardens , they can pick up diseases .
In 1996 , actually , one of the first outbreaks that I had to handle was when the gorillas walked outside the park to eat people ’ s banana plants and they found dirty clothing and scarecrows and got scabies .
It caused death in an infant .
So , yeah , we ’ re worried about those kinds of diseases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ big worry for us , other diseases that cause the common cold , and other viral respiratory diseases .
Is it generally the case that any virus that can infect a human can infect a gorilla ?
Yes , all of them , because we share 98.4 percent genetic material and can easily make each other sick .
Let ’ s say a gorilla gets Covid-19 .
What happens next ?
Do you worry if one gorilla gets sick , it could kill them ?
Do we know how Covid-19 would present itself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that it has varied effects in people — some people don ’ t show symptoms , some people it ’ s mild symptoms , others it ’ s very severe .
We feel that the same thing could happen with the gorillas .
We ’ ve known that when gorillas get diseases like scabies , it ’ s very severe in the gorillas , more severe than it would be in a human being .
People , gorillas , chimps , and other old-world primates like some of the monkeys and baboons , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the SARS-CoV-2 virus attaches to .
Which probably means that the way that it can make us sick is the way that it can make them sick .
Are you prepared to treat the gorillas ?
Is there a plan ?
We definitely would .
If the gorillas were to get it , there ’ s a contingency plan that has been developed with other conservation partners .
It ’ s been led by the International Gorilla Conservation Programme .
If Covid-19 gets into one gorilla , that gorilla group has to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to mix with any other gorilla group .
Once they start to mix , then we have a complete disaster on our hands , complete disaster .
So the first thing is to cordon off that group .
How do you quarantine gorillas ?
So the park rangers have to be with them 24 hours basically to make sure they don ’ t mix with other groups .
At least they have to be with them from the beginning of the day to the end of the day because at night they don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stay in their nests .
If one gets sick , would you use some of the therapies that have been developed for humans , or ...
They ’ ll be treated with the same things that are being used to treat people .
But it ’ s much more difficult to treat a wild animal than it is to treat a human being .
You can ’ t provide the same level of intensive treatment to a wild gorilla as you would a human being who you can put in a hospital ward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and days .
Because there ’ s just over 1,000 mountain gorillas remaining in the world ... we wouldn ’ t want Covid-19 to be the reason why they ’ re being wiped out .
When you said you can ’ t put them on a ventilator for days : Why not ?
Because the gorillas are living in the wild and as much as possible we don ’ t want to disrupt them , bring them into a captive setting , put them though all of this and then release them back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even return with more diseases that can affect the others .
So it ’ s a very delicate balance .
It ’ s very , very rare that we take in a gorilla , treat it in a hospital setting , and then release them out .
As much as possible , we do all the treatments in the field .
How do you treat them in the field ?
You have to dart them with the drug because the mountain gorillas are not ... they only eat the food that they ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They ’ re not fed .
We don ’ t feed the mountain gorillas .
They ’ re completely free-ranging , they ’ re completely wild .
Why resuming gorilla tourism is worth the risk Is resuming tourism worth the risk of potentially bringing Covid-19 into the park ?
Yes .
We think that is worth the risk , for sure .
The local communities of Bwindi have become so reliant on gorilla tourism to survive — which is good and bad .
It ’ s good in that they feel that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ future of the gorillas is tied in with their future .
So they really protect [ them ] .
When tourism went down and there was no tourists coming in , everybody was struggling .
The local economy suffered and poaching went up .
In other parts of Africa , people actually eat gorillas as a delicacy .
So if you don ’ t have tourism , it ’ s very hard to protect the gorillas because grant money is not necessarily enough , especially now .
The only gorilla subspecies whose population @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is happening .
Do the gorillas notice anything unusual going on ?
Do you think the gorillas know something different is happening ?
Have they noticed people wearing masks or noticed the greater distance between them and people ?
I guess they were used to being visited often by people every day .
Different people come and spend an hour with them and go away .
And so one thing I think they ’ re finding a bit strange is that they can ’ t get close to people like they used to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ de-habituating them .
But one thing that we ’ ve been happy about is that more gorillas are being born .
More gorillas are being born this year than other years .
And we don ’ t know whether it ’ s to do with a lack of tourism or just coincidental .
Research has to be done on that .
As we see the vaccines for humans get approved by various governments , could you potentially vaccinate these gorillas , or is that not something that would happen ?
Vaccination of gorillas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to vaccinate gorillas we have to make sure that it ’ s really , really , really safe for humans .
I think it ’ s going to take a while to see how humans react to the vaccine .
And we need to see how much they are actually protected as a result of the vaccine .
Yeah , we need more data to know whether it ’ s safe on the gorillas .
Would you say this pandemic is an existential threat to gorillas ?
This virus is a threat to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ threat to gorillas , chimpanzees , orangutans — the three non-human great apes .
Just this morning I was having a chat with people working with orangutans and we were talking about some of the things that I ’ m talking about with you : how do we protect these great apes during a pandemic like Covid-19 , the people looking after them , the people who come to visit them .
It ’ s also a big threat to other wildlife .
It came from wildlife , it can easily go back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ something that we ’ re all very concerned about .

There are around 1,000 mountain gorillas left in the wild, and about 460 of them live in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda. In the park’s very dense, high-altitude forest (hence the name “impenetrable”), veterinarian Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka is working to keep them alive through the Covid-19 pandemic.
No gorilla has come down with Covid-19, but Kalema-Zikusoka fears what might happen if one did. Gorillas live in tight-knit groups, so a respiratory infection could easily spread among them. Infected gorillas could get sick and die, or possibly suffer long-term consequences from the disease.
Kalema-Zikusoka founded the nonprofit Conservation Through Public Health, where she works with the local community, and the park, to keep the gorillas healthy, and create a tourism economy that’s sustainable for both the gorillas and the people who live near them.
“This virus is a threat to the gorillas,” she said on a recent Zoom call from Entebbe, Uganda, where she lives. “Before, we never used to have to wear a mask when you visit the gorillas, but now you have to.” Also new: Visitors must stay 32 feet (10 meters) away from the animals, up from 23 feet (7 meters) before the pandemic. Visitors now also get their temperatures checked upon arrival.
Kalema-Zikusoka told me about other precautions in place to protect the animals — what she’d do if one got sick, and how to quarantine these 300-plus-pound animals should they be exposed. She also described the intense and competing challenges conservation groups like hers face to keep the animals safe these days: When tourism dropped due to the pandemic, poaching increased. But when tourism resumed this fall, the threat of spreading disease to the gorillas increased.
“Tourism is a good thing, but it has to be done in a responsible way so that it doesn’t end up wiping out the very species,” she says. “It’s a very delicate balance.”
This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
A gorilla can’t social distance
Brian Resnick
The gorillas in Bwindi — do they often come close to humans?
Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka
Yes. There’s about 459 gorillas in the park, and about 200 are habituated for tourism and research.
Brian Resnick
What does habituated mean? They will let people approach them?
Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka
Habituated generally means ... you can get as close as 5, 7 meters to them. It means they won’t run away when they see a human being.
Brian Resnick
Do the gorillas come in close enough contact with people that you have to worry about respiratory diseases like Covid-19?
Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka
Yes, we definitely do worry about it.
There have always been strict guidelines [for humans to stay 23 feet away from them]. But some of the gorillas, which are so used to people, can get even closer. So actually, that’s why we thought that during the pandemic we really needed to reduce their proximity to people.
Before, we never used to have to wear a mask when you visit the gorillas, but now you have to wear a mask when you visit the gorillas.
And I think it’s going to continue to be emphasized even after the pandemic, whenever it ends. I think we’re going to continue with all these regulations.
Brian Resnick
I imagine you can’t put a mask on a gorilla or have them protect themselves.
Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka
Absolutely not. You can’t. And the problem with them is that they don’t know how to social distance. They are in a harem with a lead silverback and many females and babies and a few other adult males. And they’re always grooming each other, they’re always moving together as a group. So if one of them gets Covid-19, it’s very easy for the rest of them to get it because they don’t know how to social distance.
So the best we can do is teach people to social distance from them. And also at the same time, hand hygiene has really been reinforced, and use of hand sanitizer.
Many human diseases can infect gorillas
Brian Resnick
Is this a constant problem: diseases passing between people and these gorillas?
Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka
Yes. Disease becomes an issue once you habituate [gorillas] for tourism and research, because you get close enough to make them sick. Either when gorillas are visited inside the park [or] when gorillas go out of the park to people’s gardens, they can pick up diseases.
In 1996, actually, one of the first outbreaks that I had to handle was when the gorillas walked outside the park to eat people’s banana plants and they found dirty clothing and scarecrows and got scabies. It caused death in an infant.
So, yeah, we’re worried about those kinds of diseases. Influenza viruses are also a very big worry for us, other diseases that cause the common cold, and other viral respiratory diseases.
Brian Resnick
Is it generally the case that any virus that can infect a human can infect a gorilla?
Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka
Yes, all of them, because we share 98.4 percent genetic material and can easily make each other sick.
Let’s say a gorilla gets Covid-19. What happens next?
Brian Resnick
Do you worry if one gorilla gets sick, it could kill them? Do we know how Covid-19 would present itself in a gorilla?
Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka
The same way that it has varied effects in people — some people don’t show symptoms, some people it’s mild symptoms, others it’s very severe. We feel that the same thing could happen with the gorillas. We’ve known that when gorillas get diseases like scabies, it’s very severe in the gorillas, more severe than it would be in a human being.
People, gorillas, chimps, and other old-world primates like some of the monkeys and baboons, we share the same protein receptor that the SARS-CoV-2 virus attaches to. Which probably means that the way that it can make us sick is the way that it can make them sick.
Brian Resnick
Are you prepared to treat the gorillas? Is there a plan?
Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka
We definitely would. If the gorillas were to get it, there’s a contingency plan that has been developed with other conservation partners. It’s been led by the International Gorilla Conservation Programme.
If Covid-19 gets into one gorilla, that gorilla group has to be quarantined — it’s not allowed to mix with any other gorilla group. Once they start to mix, then we have a complete disaster on our hands, complete disaster. So the first thing is to cordon off that group.
Brian Resnick
How do you quarantine gorillas?
Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka
So the park rangers have to be with them 24 hours basically to make sure they don’t mix with other groups. At least they have to be with them from the beginning of the day to the end of the day because at night they don’t move around. They just stay in their nests.
Brian Resnick
If one gets sick, would you use some of the therapies that have been developed for humans, or ...
Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka
They’ll be treated with the same things that are being used to treat people.
But it’s much more difficult to treat a wild animal than it is to treat a human being. You can’t provide the same level of intensive treatment to a wild gorilla as you would a human being who you can put in a hospital ward, put on a ventilator for days and days. Because there’s just over 1,000 mountain gorillas remaining in the world ... we wouldn’t want Covid-19 to be the reason why they’re being wiped out.
Brian Resnick
When you said you can’t put them on a ventilator for days: Why not?
Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka
Because the gorillas are living in the wild and as much as possible we don’t want to disrupt them, bring them into a captive setting, put them though all of this and then release them back to the wild, because they could even return with more diseases that can affect the others. So it’s a very delicate balance. It’s very, very rare that we take in a gorilla, treat it in a hospital setting, and then release them out. As much as possible, we do all the treatments in the field.
Brian Resnick
How do you treat them in the field?
Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka
You have to dart them with the drug because the mountain gorillas are not ... they only eat the food that they’re supposed to eat in the forest. They’re not fed. We don’t feed the mountain gorillas. They’re completely free-ranging, they’re completely wild.
Why resuming gorilla tourism is worth the risk
Brian Resnick
Is resuming tourism worth the risk of potentially bringing Covid-19 into the park?
Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka
Yes. We think that is worth the risk, for sure. The local communities of Bwindi have become so reliant on gorilla tourism to survive — which is good and bad. It’s good in that they feel that the gorillas are their survival. The future of the gorillas is tied in with their future. So they really protect [them].
When tourism went down and there was no tourists coming in, everybody was struggling. The local economy suffered and poaching went up. In other parts of Africa, people actually eat gorillas as a delicacy.
So if you don’t have tourism, it’s very hard to protect the gorillas because grant money is not necessarily enough, especially now. The only gorilla subspecies whose population is increasing is the one where tourism is happening.
Do the gorillas notice anything unusual going on?
Brian Resnick
Do you think the gorillas know something different is happening? Have they noticed people wearing masks or noticed the greater distance between them and people?
Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka
I guess they were used to being visited often by people every day. Different people come and spend an hour with them and go away. And so one thing I think they’re finding a bit strange is that they can’t get close to people like they used to. So we’re kind of de-habituating them.
But one thing that we’ve been happy about is that more gorillas are being born. More gorillas are being born this year than other years. And we don’t know whether it’s to do with a lack of tourism or just coincidental. Research has to be done on that.
Could a gorilla be vaccinated?
Brian Resnick
As we see the vaccines for humans get approved by various governments, could you potentially vaccinate these gorillas, or is that not something that would happen?
Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka
Vaccination of gorillas cannot be ruled out, but to vaccinate gorillas we have to make sure that it’s really, really, really safe for humans. I think it’s going to take a while to see how humans react to the vaccine. And we need to see how much they are actually protected as a result of the vaccine.
Yeah, we need more data to know whether it’s safe on the gorillas.
Brian Resnick
Would you say this pandemic is an existential threat to gorillas?
Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka
This virus is a threat to the gorillas. It definitely is a threat to gorillas, chimpanzees, orangutans — the three non-human great apes. Just this morning I was having a chat with people working with orangutans and we were talking about some of the things that I’m talking about with you: how do we protect these great apes during a pandemic like Covid-19, the people looking after them, the people who come to visit them.
It’s also a big threat to other wildlife. It came from wildlife, it can easily go back to wildlife, and that’s something that we’re all very concerned about.