vox--2020-03-17--A grocery worker on coronavirus shopping

We ’ ve all seen the scenes of anxious customers tearing through grocery aisles , loading toilet paper , hand sanitizer , and canned goods into piled-high shopping carts .
The mania comes after thousands of work-from-home orders , vast state-wide lockdowns , a declared National Emergency , and an unnerving sense of ambiguity about how much the coronavirus will alter American life .
The survivalist instinct is to stockpile goods and hope that a decade-worth of toilet paper might spare you from what ’ s to come .
Unfortunately , people like Chris , a 67-year-old woman who works @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is caught in the crossfire of the panic .
Chris is employed by QFC , a Pacific Northwest supermarket chain that she describes as having three floors and a dense supply of goods .
Despite that , she tells me that the store can barely keep up with demand .
Bottles of hand sanitizer last 20 minutes , the chicken gets cleared out immediately , dry goods disappear within hours .
All of this has left Chris feeling vulnerable .
Seattle is one of the epicenters of the domestic Covid-19 outbreak .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ falls into the bracket of people most vulnerable to a serious illness if she contracts the virus .
States like New York and Ohio have closed down museums , movie theaters , bars , and restaurants in the wake of the pandemic , but core community infrastructure like grocery stores and pharmacies remain open .
Chris ’ s work schedule isn ’ t going anywhere .
She ’ s expected to be on the linoleum floor , surrounded by a swarm of nervy patrons , each of whom could potentially pass her the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ self-isolating at home .
She informed her employer last Wednesday that she will be taking a temporary leave of absence after deciding that the chances of contracting coronavirus at her job were too great to risk it .
Right now , there is no social safety net for people like Chris .
She is no longer generating an income , and rent is bearing down in two weeks ( though a moratorium on evictions in Washington state has been signed ) .
The Trump administration fast-tracked a sick-leave bill to keep infectious workers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same guarantee does not exist for elderly or immunocompromised people who are staffing the few private institutions that will , in all likelihood , remain open for the remainder of the pandemic .
Chris says she feels caught between two bad options : She needs to make money in order to live , but her current means of employment might kill her .
We spoke about that , as well as about how the panic buying has affected her grocery store ’ s bottom line , and the shreds of optimism she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ community .
So when did the panic buying start to pick up at your store ?
“ Ever since that Saturday they have been there every single day , buying everything ” It was when Governor Inslee declared a state of emergency [ on Feb. 29 ] .
We were just swamped .
They were all over the place .
They cleared the shelves .
And this isn ’ t a small store .
We ’ ve got three levels , and it ’ s practically a full city block .
They cleared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gone , anything that had to do with antiseptic sprays or wipes was gone .
They went to the Clorox , never mind the hand sanitizer .
We hadn ’ t ordered in anticipation of this , so we ran out .
Ever since that Saturday they have been there every single day , buying everything .
We put hand sanitizer on the shelf and it ’ s gone in 20 minutes .
Has this been high stress for you ?
Back in September I fell and broke my elbow , and my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people who look confused and find out if they ’ re looking for something and to help them find that .
Basically , I was thrown right into the middle of all these people .
I ’ ve seen what ’ s been going on .
I ’ ve seen all the rice and beans disappear , be it dry goods or canned .
They cleared out the chicken .
We can ’ t keep chicken in .
At this point we ’ re over-ordering , and the staff of the store is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been something else .
They keep buying water .
Why do you need water ?
So a number of states have moved to shut down everything except for grocery stores and pharmacies .
What does it feel like knowing that for as long as we ’ re under quarantine , you ’ ll still be going to work and be out and about when everyone else is shut in ?
Here ’ s the thing .
I ’ ve been taking this in stride .
But last Sunday , when I saw that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and while I was keeping up on all the medical news and what ’ s going on , it hit me that , you know , I ’ m not in a good situation here .
On Wednesday I called in and said I needed to take a leave of absence to the end of the month .
So right now I ’ m negotiating to find a way to have an income while preemptively quarantining .
Because I ’ m in that vulnerable group .
I have a realistic outlook .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ horrible pandemic without getting sick at some point .
I absolutely expect for that to happen .
But I don ’ t want to get sick before we ’ re past the peak of infections .
If I do get it and I get it seriously , I don ’ t want to be stuck out in the streets because there ’ s no room in the hospital .
I ’ m reading Twitter reports from doctors in Italy about how they have to make this gut-wrenching decision about who they treat .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ die .
I don ’ t want to be stuck in that , and I don ’ t want to contribute to that .
“ I do not expect to get through this horrible pandemic without getting sick at some point ” The problem is I also need to have an income and health insurance , and I don ’ t know how to do that while self-quarantining .
It ’ s an awful decision : Go to work and put your life at risk , or lose your job , lose your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I haven ’ t committed either way at this point .
I ’ m trying to find a way to stay home .
Trump came out a week ago and announced a national sick-leave plan .
Are you holding out hope for some sort of legislation that will allow people like you , in that vulnerable group , to stay home while keeping an income ?
It seems to me like it ’ s an oversight that they didn ’ t specify that — some way for the elderly or compromised to stay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the initiative and being the first state to call an emergency and open up all sorts of federal help .
He has been able to get some leniency in unemployment .
But right now , the requirement is that you have to be sick in order to be able to get that .
It ’ s an oversight that they didn ’ t take that further , to offer that to vulnerable people before they get sick .
I ’ ve got my fingers crossed .
I ’ ve been making as much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I hope that at some point it will occur to the people in power that they need to open this up more .
When you ’ re at the store , surrounded by all these people , do you feel vulnerable ?
Absolutely .
I ’ m pretty much concentrated on giving the best service I can to people .
If they are looking for a product we don ’ t have , I ’ ll pull out my phone and find where they can get it .
I give them new information @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my best .
But when I ’ m in the break room or before I go into work or after I get off , I have concerns .
And that ’ s what ’ s made me stay home with no income coming in , looking at the bills coming at the end of the month .
I don ’ t have savings , at this point all my credit is approaching max , and I ’ ve got rent coming up in a week or two .
I don ’ t know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Do I worry about that , or do I just go ahead and go to work ?
At this point I don ’ t think it ’ s safe .
The virus has spread too much in Seattle .
I think what finally started to get to me was two days before I made this decision , Amazon cleared up all their offices after an employee got sick .
That building was right near my dentist ’ s office where I was getting dental care .
It ’ s too close .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t want to be glib about a serious situation , but I am curious : Do you have an idea how profitable all this panic buying has been for the store ’ s bottom line ?
“ Ordinarily , we do in the mid-single-digit thousands , and last week we did , I think , $ 200,000 ” I know that it ’ s doing good business .
Ordinarily , we do in the mid-single-digit thousands , and last week we did , I think , $ 200,000 .
It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but on the other hand , people are being worked to death .
You have all these people coming in , and a lot of them are pissed off that they can ’ t find what they need to get , they ’ re pissed off that they have to wait in line for so long , but no matter what store you go to you run into those issues .
We ’ re ordering huge amounts of stuff to try to keep up with the demand .
Are customers still polite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ given day , over the last four years , you have a few assholes .
They feel privileged and entitled , and no matter what you do they take it as an opportunity to mistreat you in some way .
But I ’ m finding that because of the panic , everyone ’ s a little bit in shock .
So they ’ re very tolerant .
There ’ s a hashtag called # WeGotThisSeattle .
If you look on there , it ’ s a very reassuring bunch of tweets .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s changing from being a sit-down restaurant to a takeout burger place .
You ’ ve got people offering to do grocery runs for each other .
Since nobody is coming to concerts , the symphony is doing these live streams on the internet , so you can sit back and watch that .
It ’ s amazing to see how people are stepping up .
By and large , everybody is trying to help everybody else out , because we ’ re all in this together .
Sign up for The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we ’ ll send you the best Goods stories exploring what we buy , why we buy it , and why it matters .

We’ve all seen the scenes of anxious customers tearing through grocery aisles, loading toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and canned goods into piled-high shopping carts. The mania comes after thousands of work-from-home orders, vast state-wide lockdowns, a declared National Emergency, and an unnerving sense of ambiguity about how much the coronavirus will alter American life. The survivalist instinct is to stockpile goods and hope that a decade-worth of toilet paper might spare you from what’s to come. Unfortunately, people like Chris, a 67-year-old woman who works at a grocery store in Seattle, is caught in the crossfire of the panic. Chris is one of 70+ people who have shared their experience working in the service industry with us.
Chris is employed by QFC, a Pacific Northwest supermarket chain that she describes as having three floors and a dense supply of goods. Despite that, she tells me that the store can barely keep up with demand. Bottles of hand sanitizer last 20 minutes, the chicken gets cleared out immediately, dry goods disappear within hours. All of this has left Chris feeling vulnerable. Seattle is one of the epicenters of the domestic Covid-19 outbreak. She understands that at her age, she falls into the bracket of people most vulnerable to a serious illness if she contracts the virus. States like New York and Ohio have closed down museums, movie theaters, bars, and restaurants in the wake of the pandemic, but core community infrastructure like grocery stores and pharmacies remain open. Chris’s work schedule isn’t going anywhere. She’s expected to be on the linoleum floor, surrounded by a swarm of nervy patrons, each of whom could potentially pass her the disease.
Right now, Chris is self-isolating at home. She informed her employer last Wednesday that she will be taking a temporary leave of absence after deciding that the chances of contracting coronavirus at her job were too great to risk it. Right now, there is no social safety net for people like Chris. She is no longer generating an income, and rent is bearing down in two weeks (though a moratorium on evictions in Washington state has been signed). The Trump administration fast-tracked a sick-leave bill to keep infectious workers at home, but thus far, the same guarantee does not exist for elderly or immunocompromised people who are staffing the few private institutions that will, in all likelihood, remain open for the remainder of the pandemic. Chris says she feels caught between two bad options: She needs to make money in order to live, but her current means of employment might kill her. We spoke about that, as well as about how the panic buying has affected her grocery store’s bottom line, and the shreds of optimism she finds in the attitude of the Seattle community.
So when did the panic buying start to pick up at your store?
“Ever since that Saturday they have been there every single day, buying everything”
It was when Governor Inslee declared a state of emergency [on Feb. 29]. We were just swamped. They were all over the place. They cleared the shelves. And this isn’t a small store. We’ve got three levels, and it’s practically a full city block. They cleared out the non-perishables, toilet paper was gone, anything that had to do with antiseptic sprays or wipes was gone. They went to the Clorox, never mind the hand sanitizer. We hadn’t ordered in anticipation of this, so we ran out. Ever since that Saturday they have been there every single day, buying everything. We put hand sanitizer on the shelf and it’s gone in 20 minutes.
Has this been high stress for you?
Back in September I fell and broke my elbow, and my main job is to go up to people who look confused and find out if they’re looking for something and to help them find that. Basically, I was thrown right into the middle of all these people. I’ve seen what’s been going on. I’ve seen all the rice and beans disappear, be it dry goods or canned. They cleared out the chicken. We can’t keep chicken in. At this point we’re over-ordering, and the staff of the store is working really hard. It’s been something else. They keep buying water. Why do you need water?
So a number of states have moved to shut down everything except for grocery stores and pharmacies. What does it feel like knowing that for as long as we’re under quarantine, you’ll still be going to work and be out and about when everyone else is shut in?
Here’s the thing. I’ve been taking this in stride. But last Sunday, when I saw that the crowds were not going down, and while I was keeping up on all the medical news and what’s going on, it hit me that, you know, I’m not in a good situation here. On Wednesday I called in and said I needed to take a leave of absence to the end of the month. So right now I’m negotiating to find a way to have an income while preemptively quarantining. Because I’m in that vulnerable group.
I have a realistic outlook. I do not expect to get through this horrible pandemic without getting sick at some point. I absolutely expect for that to happen. But I don’t want to get sick before we’re past the peak of infections. If I do get it and I get it seriously, I don’t want to be stuck out in the streets because there’s no room in the hospital. I’m reading Twitter reports from doctors in Italy about how they have to make this gut-wrenching decision about who they treat. They’re having to let people die. I don’t want to be stuck in that, and I don’t want to contribute to that.
“I do not expect to get through this horrible pandemic without getting sick at some point”
The problem is I also need to have an income and health insurance, and I don’t know how to do that while self-quarantining. It’s an awful decision: Go to work and put your life at risk, or lose your job, lose your income, and lose your insurance. I haven’t committed either way at this point. I’m trying to find a way to stay home.
Trump came out a week ago and announced a national sick-leave plan. Are you holding out hope for some sort of legislation that will allow people like you, in that vulnerable group, to stay home while keeping an income?
It seems to me like it’s an oversight that they didn’t specify that — some way for the elderly or compromised to stay home. I applaud Inslee for taking the initiative and being the first state to call an emergency and open up all sorts of federal help. He has been able to get some leniency in unemployment. But right now, the requirement is that you have to be sick in order to be able to get that. It’s an oversight that they didn’t take that further, to offer that to vulnerable people before they get sick. I’ve got my fingers crossed. I’ve been making as much noise as I can about this. I hope that at some point it will occur to the people in power that they need to open this up more.
When you’re at the store, surrounded by all these people, do you feel vulnerable?
Absolutely. I’m pretty much concentrated on giving the best service I can to people. If they are looking for a product we don’t have, I’ll pull out my phone and find where they can get it. I give them new information. I really do try to do my best. But when I’m in the break room or before I go into work or after I get off, I have concerns. And that’s what’s made me stay home with no income coming in, looking at the bills coming at the end of the month. I don’t have savings, at this point all my credit is approaching max, and I’ve got rent coming up in a week or two. I don’t know what I’m going to do. Do I worry about that, or do I just go ahead and go to work? At this point I don’t think it’s safe. The virus has spread too much in Seattle. I think what finally started to get to me was two days before I made this decision, Amazon cleared up all their offices after an employee got sick. That building was right near my dentist’s office where I was getting dental care. It’s too close. A reasonable person would worry.
I don’t want to be glib about a serious situation, but I am curious: Do you have an idea how profitable all this panic buying has been for the store’s bottom line?
“Ordinarily, we do in the mid-single-digit thousands, and last week we did, I think, $200,000”
I know that it’s doing good business. Ordinarily, we do in the mid-single-digit thousands, and last week we did, I think, $200,000. It’s been really good for them financially, but on the other hand, people are being worked to death. You have all these people coming in, and a lot of them are pissed off that they can’t find what they need to get, they’re pissed off that they have to wait in line for so long, but no matter what store you go to you run into those issues. We’re ordering huge amounts of stuff to try to keep up with the demand.
Are customers still polite despite all of that?
On any given day, over the last four years, you have a few assholes. They feel privileged and entitled, and no matter what you do they take it as an opportunity to mistreat you in some way. But I’m finding that because of the panic, everyone’s a little bit in shock. So they’re very tolerant. There’s a hashtag called #WeGotThisSeattle. If you look on there, it’s a very reassuring bunch of tweets. There’s a fine dining restaurant that’s changing from being a sit-down restaurant to a takeout burger place. You’ve got people offering to do grocery runs for each other. Since nobody is coming to concerts, the symphony is doing these live streams on the internet, so you can sit back and watch that. It’s amazing to see how people are stepping up. By and large, everybody is trying to help everybody else out, because we’re all in this together.
Help Vox’s reporting
We’re looking to hear from people who work in the service industry in the US about their experiences related to the coronavirus. Share your story in the form below, and we might use it in an upcoming video, article, or podcast episode. (You can also access the Google form here.)


vox--2020-03-17--When polls close on March 17 — and when we might get results

Despite a wave of cancellations and postponements in response to the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic — with everything from the NBA to Broadway on hold — three states are set to go forward with their presidential primaries as scheduled on Tuesday , March 17 .
Voters in Arizona , Florida , and Illinois will all vote in what is expected to be another good day for former Vice President Joe Biden .
In Ohio , however , Gov .
Mike DeWine announced late on Monday that in-person voting for the primary would not go forward as scheduled due to the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state is “ supporting a lawsuit seeking to postpone in-person voting until June 2.
” But while some primary contests are delayed because of the outbreak , one thing is clear .
At this point , there are just two candidates with a real shot at claiming the Democratic nomination for president : Biden and progressive rival Sen. Bernie Sanders .
( Rep. Tulsi Gabbard is technically still in the race , despite having claimed only two delegates . )
About 450 delegates will be up for grabs , with Ohio ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ primaries are still one of the biggest delegate hauls of the race ; Florida is both the largest state voting Tuesday and the most Biden-friendly .
Here are the poll closing times , in Eastern time and local , listed alphabetically by state : • Arizona : 9/10 pm ET , 7 pm local ( Arizona is in Mountain time , but only portions of the state observe daylight saving time , which means that much of the state is three hours off Eastern time right now ) Some states could be called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : In Florida , for example , Biden holds a hefty polling lead that could indicate a quick resolution to that race .
And none of the states to vote on March 17 rely heavily on mail-in voting , which delayed results in California and Washington earlier this month .
Biden ’ s margin of victory could make all the difference While polling isn ’ t prophecy , all signs point to a sweep by Biden on Tuesday .
He leads in the FiveThirtyEight state-level polling averages by 23.8 ( Arizona ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ points ( Illinois ) , and nothing from Sunday ’ s 11th Democratic debate would suggest that Sanders has been able to blunt the former vice president ’ s standing in the polls .
That means the key question for Sanders will be one of margins : Can he prevent Biden from claiming a mathematically insurmountable delegate lead in the primary ?
Before Ohio ’ s postponement , Vox ’ s Andrew Prokop pointed out that March 17 might be a do-or-die moment for the Sanders campaign : It ’ s “ the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sanders comeback can change from implausible to near-impossible.
” If Sanders doesn ’ t exit after Tuesday , however , you can expect a partially coronavirus-induced lull in the Democratic primary going forward .
Georgia postponed its March 24 primary until May .
And the next major delegate-awarding day isn ’ t until April 28 ( though there could still be a handful of primaries , including the symbolically significant Wisconsin , in the interim ) .
But first , both candidates will have to see how things unfold on Tuesday .

Despite a wave of cancellations and postponements in response to the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic — with everything from the NBA to Broadway on hold — three states are set to go forward with their presidential primaries as scheduled on Tuesday, March 17.
Voters in Arizona, Florida, and Illinois will all vote in what is expected to be another good day for former Vice President Joe Biden.
In Ohio, however, Gov. Mike DeWine announced late on Monday that in-person voting for the primary would not go forward as scheduled due to the coronavirus. According to Politico, the state is “supporting a lawsuit seeking to postpone in-person voting until June 2.”
But while some primary contests are delayed because of the pandemic, one thing is clear. At this point, there are just two candidates with a real shot at claiming the Democratic nomination for president: Biden and progressive rival Sen. Bernie Sanders. (Rep. Tulsi Gabbard is technically still in the race, despite having claimed only two delegates.)
About 450 delegates will be up for grabs, with Ohio’s election seemingly postponed. The March 17 primaries are still one of the biggest delegate hauls of the race; Florida is both the largest state voting Tuesday and the most Biden-friendly.
Here are the poll closing times, in Eastern time and local, listed alphabetically by state:
Arizona: 9/10 pm ET, 7 pm local (Arizona is in Mountain time, but only portions of the state observe daylight saving time, which means that much of the state is three hours off Eastern time right now)
9/10 pm ET, 7 pm local (Arizona is in Mountain time, but only portions of the state observe daylight saving time, which means that much of the state is three hours off Eastern time right now) Florida: 7/8 pm ET, 7 pm local (the Florida Panhandle is partially in Central time)
7/8 pm ET, 7 pm local (the Florida Panhandle is partially in Central time) Illinois: 8 pm ET, 7 pm local
Some states could be called soon after polls close on primary night: In Florida, for example, Biden holds a hefty polling lead that could indicate a quick resolution to that race.
And none of the states to vote on March 17 rely heavily on mail-in voting, which delayed results in California and Washington earlier this month.
Biden’s margin of victory could make all the difference
While polling isn’t prophecy, all signs point to a sweep by Biden on Tuesday. He leads in the FiveThirtyEight state-level polling averages by 23.8 (Arizona), 41.2 (Florida), and 30 points (Illinois), and nothing from Sunday’s 11th Democratic debate would suggest that Sanders has been able to blunt the former vice president’s standing in the polls.
That means the key question for Sanders will be one of margins: Can he prevent Biden from claiming a mathematically insurmountable delegate lead in the primary?
Before Ohio’s postponement, Vox’s Andrew Prokop pointed out that March 17 might be a do-or-die moment for the Sanders campaign: It’s “the day where the delegate math for a Sanders comeback can change from implausible to near-impossible.”
If Sanders doesn’t exit after Tuesday, however, you can expect a partially coronavirus-induced lull in the Democratic primary going forward. Georgia postponed its March 24 primary until May. And the next major delegate-awarding day isn’t until April 28 (though there could still be a handful of primaries, including the symbolically significant Wisconsin, in the interim).
But first, both candidates will have to see how things unfold on Tuesday.


vox--2020-03-17--The 2020 election calendar

The 2020 election calendar

Share All sharing options for : The 2020 election calendar The Democratic presidential primary has been going on for months .
But 2020 — the election year — is here , and it ’ s an understatement to say that it will be a busy year in US politics .
March began with Super Tuesday on March 3 : the biggest delegate prize of the primary calendar .
As the year continues , the primary calendar is scheduled to run through June , followed by the Democratic and Republican conventions ( in July and August , respectively ) , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
However , the threat of coronavirus has led several states to move their primaries , including a last-minute change in Ohio .
That ’ s where this calendar comes in .
Here are the most important events of the 2020 election cycle .
Bookmark this page to refer back to , add it to your Google Calendar by clicking the plus sign on the bottom right of this page , or subscribe through a calendar app of your choice .
This page and the calendar subscriptions will be updated as dates change @ @ @ @ @ @ @ R : Polls were closed by an emergency order ) Read all of our coverage from the June debates here .
Read all of our coverage from the July debates here .
Read all of our coverage of the September debate here .
• Second town hall on climate change on MSNBC Read all of our coverage from the October debate here .
Read all of our coverage from the November debate here .
Read all of our coverage from the December debate here .
Read all of our coverage from the Iowa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coverage from the New Hampshire primaries here .
Read all of our coverage from the South Carolina primary here .
Read all of our coverage from Super Tuesday here .
Read all of our coverage from the March 10 primaries here .

Share All sharing options for: The 2020 election calendar
Vox answers your biggest questions about the 2020 US presidential election .
This story is part of a group of stories called
The 2020 presidential election is ramping into high gear.
Joe Biden announced his running mate, California Sen. Kamala Harris, and Democrats and Republicans held their first virtual conventions this summer. Biden and President Donald Trump accepted their parties’ official nominations for president, and the fall campaign season is upon us.
The presidential debates began September 29 and run through October, including the vice presidential debate on October 7. The second presidential debate, scheduled for October 15, was canceled after Trump tested positive for Covid-19, then refused to agree to debate virtually. One more debate is scheduled for October 22.
Election Day itself, of course, will fall on Tuesday, November 3.
Read on for the important events of the 2020 election cycle and bookmark this page to refer back to. You can also add it to your Google Calendar by clicking the plus sign on the bottom right of this page, or subscribe through a calendar app of your choice. This page and the calendar subscriptions will be updated as dates and information change.
And check out our guides on how to vote early and by mail.
September 2020
September 29
Presidential debate in Cleveland, Ohio, at the Case Western Reserve/Cleveland Clinic joint campus
October 2020
October 7
Vice presidential debate in Salt Lake City at the University of Utah
October 22
Presidential debate in Nashville, Tennessee, at Belmont University
November 2020
November 3
Election Day
Past 2020 election coverage
June 2019
June 26-27
Read all of our coverage from the June debates here.
July 2019
July 30-31
Read all of our coverage from the July debates here.
September 2019
September 4
September 12
Read all of our coverage of the September debate here.
September 19-20
October 2019
October 15
Read all of our coverage from the October debate here.
November 2019
November 20
Read all of our coverage from the November debate here.
December 2019
December 19
Read all of our coverage from the December debate here.
January 2020
January 14
February 2020
February 3
Iowa caucuses
Read all of our coverage from the Iowa caucuses here.
February 7
February 11
New Hampshire primaries
Read all of our coverage from the New Hampshire primaries here.
February 19
February 22
Nevada caucuses
February 25
February 29
South Carolina primary
Read all of our coverage from the South Carolina primary here.
March 2020
March 3 (Super Tuesday)
Alabama primaries (D, R)
American Samoa caucuses (D)
Arkansas primaries (D, R)
California primaries (D, R)
Colorado primaries (D, R)
Maine primaries (D, R)
Massachusetts primaries (D, R)
Minnesota primaries (D, R)
North Carolina primaries (D, R)
Oklahoma primaries (D, R)
Tennessee primaries (D, R)
Texas primaries (D, R)
Utah primaries (D, R)
Vermont primaries (D, R)
Virginia primary (D)
Democrats Abroad primary (through March 10)
Read all of our coverage from Super Tuesday here.
March 10
Idaho primaries (D, R)
Michigan primaries (D, R)
Mississippi primaries (D, R)
Missouri primaries (D, R)
North Dakota caucuses (D)
Washington primaries (D, R)
Read all of our coverage from the March 10 primaries here.
March 12
Virgin Islands caucuses
March 14
Guam caucuses (R)
Northern Marianas convention (D)
March 15
March 17
Arizona primary (D)
Florida primaries (D, R)
Illinois primaries (D, R)
Northern Marianas convention (R)
Read all of our coverage from the March 17 primaries here.
March 24
American Samoa caucuses (R)
April 2020
April 7
Wisconsin primaries (D, R; April 7 is the election date and mail-in vote postmark deadline following court rulings, as of 8 pm ET on April 6)
April 10
Alaska primary (D; vote-by-mail only; results will be available no later than 11:59 pm on April 11)
April 17
Wyoming caucuses (D; vote-by-mail only)
April 28
Ohio primaries (D, R; vote-by-mail only)
May 2020
May 2
Kansas primary (D)
Guam caucuses (D)
May 7-9
Wyoming state convention (R)
May 12
Nebraska primaries (D, R)
May 19
Oregon primaries (D, R)
June 2020
June 2
Delaware primaries (D, R)
District of Columbia primaries (D, R)
Indiana primaries (D, R)
Maryland primaries (D, R)
Montana primaries (D, R)
New Mexico primaries (D, R)
Pennsylvania primaries (D, R)
Rhode Island primaries (D, R)
South Dakota primaries (D, R)
June 6
Virgin Islands caucuses (D)
June 7
Puerto Rico primary (R)
June 9
Georgia primaries (D, R)
West Virginia primaries (D, R)
June 23
Kentucky primaries (D, R)
New York primaries (D, R)
July 2020
July 7
New Jersey primaries (D, R)
July 11
Louisiana primaries (D, R)
August 2020
August 11
Connecticut primaries (D, R)
August 17-20
Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Read our coverage of the Democratic convention here.
August 24-27
Republican National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina
Read our coverage of the Republican convention here.


vox--2020-03-16--It looks like Ohio’s primary won’t be happening on Tuesday after all

The Ohio primary is now off .
According to Gov .
Mike DeWine , who had urged courts to delay the election , Ohio ’ s state health director Amy Acton has declared a health emergency and closed the polls — which were scheduled to open Tuesday — as a result .
DeWine ’ s announcement , which came late Monday , followed a tumultuous back-and-forth over whether the primary should take place .
Earlier in the day , the governor had advocated for the state to push the primary to early June in order to protect voters and poll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Franklin County judge , however , said the efforts to postpone the primary weren ’ t “ timely ” enough and ordered the election to continue as planned .
DeWine has emphasized that holding the primary could endanger people as the coronavirus continues to spread .
“ During this time when we face an unprecedented public health crisis , to conduct an election tomorrow would would force poll workers and voters to place themselves at a unacceptable health risk of contracting coronavirus , ” DeWine said in a statement .
DeWine also noted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stations would contradict new guidance from the Trump administration , which has called on people to avoid gatherings of 10 or more people .
“ We can ’ t tell people it ’ s in their best interest to stay home and at the same time tell people to go vote , ” DeWine said .
He added that Ohio Secretary of State Frank LeRose would seek a remedy through the courts to figure out “ voting options ” for those who still wanted to participate in the primary .
At this point @ @ @ @ @ @ @ primary would be rescheduled .
The state , as of Monday , had seen 50 positive tests for the coronavirus .
It ’ s one of four major states that was scheduled to hold a primary on Tuesday .
The other three , Florida , Illinois , and Arizona , are still slated to move forward with their elections .
The logistics of this Tuesday ’ s primaries have been especially fraught , given recent CDC recommendations about social distancing and avoiding crowded places , a descriptor that can often refer to polling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long lines .
All four states had imposed some precautions to help protect voters and polling workers : They ’ ve shifted hundreds of polling stations away from senior living facilities to other community locations like school and libraries , extended polling hours and committed to rigorously sanitizing machines .
As major cities close down in-person service at restaurants and bars , and discourage other widely attended events like sports games , however , the decision to hold primaries on Tuesday continues to raise questions about how to most effectively protect those participating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from public health experts for recommending key precautionary measures like closing down large events and in-person college classes early on in the crisis .
States with later primaries , including Georgia , Kentucky and Louisiana , have all pushed theirs back .
While the states holding primaries this week were faced with unique challenges given the timing of their elections , states that have races later in the calendar could continue to encourage voter participation amid the coronavirus outbreak via vote-by-mail and absentee options .
In Ohio , for example , absentee ballots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in states like Washington , which has already voted , mail-in voting comprised the majority of the ballots that were cast .
Due to the coronavirus outbreak in Washington , mail-in voting in the state likely played a major role in encouraging voter turnout despite the need to maintain social distancing .
Turnout for its primary in 2020 was at 47 percent , up from 35 percent in 2016 , though it ’ s worth noting that the primary that year was non-binding for Democrats ( it took place after a state caucus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ella Nilsen has reported , there ’ s an effort by Sen. Ron Wyden ( D-OR ) to make vote-by-mail much more accessible ahead of the November general election , in case states are still facing challenges related to the coronavirus at that time .
A bill that he ’ s proposed would enable all voters to get a mail-in ballot if 25 percent of states declare a state of emergency .
It would also guarantee $ 500 million in federal funding that would be doled out to states attempting to implement these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Washington DC enable all voters to request an absentee ballot or vote by mail , Nilsen writes .
The 16 other states , including Texas , New York , and Massachusetts , require an excuse for voters to use absentee ballots .
A reform that ’ s known for increasing access to the ballot box , vote-by-mail could well become more popular under the current circumstances .

The Ohio primary is now off.
According to Gov. Mike DeWine, who had urged courts to delay the election, Ohio’s state health director Amy Acton has declared a health emergency and closed the polls — which were scheduled to open Tuesday — as a result.
Here is the three-page order signed tonight by @OHdeptofhealth Director @DrAmyActon that closes all polling locations in #Ohio due to the risk of #COVID19 faced by both voters and poll workers. #COVID19OhioReady pic.twitter.com/XRd4zJH4so — Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) March 17, 2020
DeWine’s announcement, which came late Monday, followed a tumultuous back-and-forth over whether the primary should take place. Earlier in the day, the governor had advocated for the state to push the primary to early June in order to protect voters and poll workers from the coronavirus outbreak. A Franklin County judge, however, said the efforts to postpone the primary weren’t “timely” enough and ordered the election to continue as planned.
DeWine has emphasized that holding the primary could endanger people as the coronavirus continues to spread.
“During this time when we face an unprecedented public health crisis, to conduct an election tomorrow would would force poll workers and voters to place themselves at a unacceptable health risk of contracting coronavirus,” DeWine said in a statement.
DeWine also noted that urging people to go to polling stations would contradict new guidance from the Trump administration, which has called on people to avoid gatherings of 10 or more people.
“We can’t tell people it’s in their best interest to stay home and at the same time tell people to go vote,” DeWine said. He added that Ohio Secretary of State Frank LeRose would seek a remedy through the courts to figure out “voting options” for those who still wanted to participate in the primary. At this point, it’s unclear when the primary would be rescheduled.
The state, as of Monday, had seen 50 positive tests for the coronavirus. It’s one of four major states that was scheduled to hold a primary on Tuesday. The other three, Florida, Illinois, and Arizona, are still slated to move forward with their elections.
The logistics of this Tuesday’s primaries have been especially fraught, given recent CDC recommendations about social distancing and avoiding crowded places, a descriptor that can often refer to polling stations where voters end up queuing in long lines.
All four states had imposed some precautions to help protect voters and polling workers: They’ve shifted hundreds of polling stations away from senior living facilities to other community locations like school and libraries, extended polling hours and committed to rigorously sanitizing machines.
As major cities close down in-person service at restaurants and bars, and discourage other widely attended events like sports games, however, the decision to hold primaries on Tuesday continues to raise questions about how to most effectively protect those participating in them.
DeWine has garnered praise from public health experts for recommending key precautionary measures like closing down large events and in-person college classes early on in the crisis.
States with later primaries, including Georgia, Kentucky and Louisiana, have all pushed theirs back.
Mail-in voting and absentee ballots could make a big difference
While the states holding primaries this week were faced with unique challenges given the timing of their elections, states that have races later in the calendar could continue to encourage voter participation amid the coronavirus outbreak via vote-by-mail and absentee options.
In Ohio, for example, absentee ballots can be submitted via mail. And in states like Washington, which has already voted, mail-in voting comprised the majority of the ballots that were cast.
Due to the coronavirus outbreak in Washington, mail-in voting in the state likely played a major role in encouraging voter turnout despite the need to maintain social distancing. Turnout for its primary in 2020 was at 47 percent, up from 35 percent in 2016, though it’s worth noting that the primary that year was non-binding for Democrats (it took place after a state caucus vote).
As Vox’s Ella Nilsen has reported, there’s an effort by Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) to make vote-by-mail much more accessible ahead of the November general election, in case states are still facing challenges related to the coronavirus at that time. A bill that he’s proposed would enable all voters to get a mail-in ballot if 25 percent of states declare a state of emergency. It would also guarantee $500 million in federal funding that would be doled out to states attempting to implement these initiatives.
Currently, 34 states and Washington DC enable all voters to request an absentee ballot or vote by mail, Nilsen writes. The 16 other states, including Texas, New York, and Massachusetts, require an excuse for voters to use absentee ballots.
A reform that’s known for increasing access to the ballot box, vote-by-mail could well become more popular under the current circumstances.


vox--2020-03-16--The Google and Verily coronavirus websites are off to a rocky start

Two days after President Donald Trump announced that Google was racing to build a site to help Americans find coronavirus testing , people are still confused about what ’ s actually going on .
In the aftermath of the announcement , reports emerged that Google was not fully aware of the plan Trump said the company was participating in .
Given the threat the novel coronavirus poses to the US , this is not a good sign .
Trump said at a Sunday press conference , his earlier comments about Google had been “ substantiated ” and thanked “ the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” A few hours later , a site made by Google ’ s sister company went live with a tool for coronavirus risk screening that directed residents of two counties in Northern California to test centers .
It wasn ’ t long before the Verily site ran into trouble .
People with symptoms were told they weren ’ t eligible for the screening program , and those who were needed a Google login to use the tool .
On top of that , the Verily site reached capacity by Monday morning .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ site ground to a halt , Google said that the informational website it planned to launch earlier this week would be delayed .
The announcement came not long after Vanity Fair reported that President Trump was angry at Jared Kushner for overselling Google ’ s plans , before the president announced the new website at a White House press conference last week .
Now that the Verily site has seen the light of day and the Google site is delayed , it ’ s more clear than ever that the Google website Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the American public will use to find coronavirus testing .
The situation is much more complicated than that .
Here ’ s what ’ s really going on Google does have a plan for responding to the coronavirus , but it ’ s not what the president said it was .
Rather than creating a site that guides people to testing locations , Google itself is building something much simpler .
The company announced on Saturday that it is “ partnering with the US Government in developing a nationwide website that includes information @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testing information.
” The site Trump promised on Friday sounds much more like what ’ s being developed by the life sciences research company Verily , which is related to Google but is a distinct company .
Verily said on Friday after Trump ’ s speech that it “ is in the early stages of development ” of a tool to triage potential coronavirus patients and “ is planning to roll testing out in the Bay Area , with the hope of expanding more broadly over time.
” Verily used to be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Google and Verily are subsidiaries of their parent company Alphabet .
Since Google and Verily are separate companies , it ’ s hard to know how closely the two are collaborating on the efforts .
When Recode contacted Verily for more details about the project , the company directed us to a blog post it published on Sunday , shortly before the pilot site went live .
The new Verily coronavirus triage site works through the company ’ s existing Project Baseline website , and it launched ahead of schedule on the evening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ screening process starts by asking people if they ’ re symptomatic , though only those who say they have severe symptoms are directed to log in with a Google account to find a testing site .
The new Verily screening site only serves residents of San Mateo and Santa Clara counties in Northern California .
With limitations like this in mind , it ’ s clear that Verily ’ s new tool is quite different from the site Trump described on Friday .
Trump announced a website that did not exist In a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that “ Google has 1,700 engineers working on ” a website that would help people figure out if they needed a coronavirus test and to direct them to testing sites .
As we now know , this statement was not entirely true .
The reality of Google ’ s role in addressing the coronavirus outbreak is more complex and , in some ways , more productive .
Within an hour of the president ’ s Rose Garden speech on Friday , the company ’ s press team pushed back against Trump ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , drawing a distinction between the two companies and clarifying that the Verily site was only nearing a testing phase , rather than being almost ready to launch .
This is actually a generous depiction of the truth behind the Trump declaration .
According to the New York Times , the plan for Verily to build a website to help with coronavirus testing was “ in its infancy.
” And Verily only has about 1,000 employees .
The 1,700 number that Trump claimed in his speech actually refers to the number of Google @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s speech , filled out a form volunteering to help Verily with its coronavirus triage site in the coming “ days and weeks.
” Even then , the Verily project was only meant to be used by health care workers .
Suffice it to say , Trump ’ s Rose Garden speech altered these plans .
It wasn ’ t until after Trump ’ s speech that Google announced plans for its information website , and it appears the launch of Verily ’ s triage site was expedited as a result of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration also sent an updated statement on Saturday , saying that the triage site could be rolled out in nine hotspots for coronavirus cases in the US .
Then , when asked directly about the Google website and the timing of its launch at a press conference on Sunday , Vice President Mike Pence said that “ at some point early next week we will have a website go up.
” He did not specifically say that this would be a Google website but rather alluded that state governments and local retailers would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same reality that Trump described in his Friday speech — there ’ s little reason to believe that most Americans will be able to access a website that will direct them to a nearby testing site in the near future — but it ’ s a start .
Easier access to information about the outbreak is certainly a positive thing as the outbreak continues to evolve in the US .
But Google told the Verge on Monday evening that its informational website was still not ready .
“ With local and national guidance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with relevant agencies and authorities to roll out a website later this week that will surface authoritative information for people in the US , including on screening and testing , ” the company said in a statement .
Maybe , if everything works out , Google and its affiliates will develop all kinds of websites that can someday save lives .
For now , Verily has rolled out one pilot site for Bay Area residents this week , and its plans for future expansion remain unclear .
Google ’ s website has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s CEO , who described a project in the works So it ’ s not quite accurate to say that Trump lied last Friday .
It ’ s worse than that .
Really , Trump gave a sales pitch based on piecemeal information collated by his son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner .
The backstory of how the president publicly shared this twisted mess of misinformation is a wild but familiar ride .
In dueling reports published Saturday night , the New York Times and the Washington Post both explained how Kushner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fighting the coronavirus outbreak .
Kushner found a promising pitch after conversations with Verily ’ s chief executive Andy Conrad , who described a project in the works .
It wasn ’ t until Thursday , the day before Trump ’ s big Rose Garden announcement , that Google CEO Sundar Pichai put out the call for Google engineers to volunteer in “ a planning effort ” to help with coronavirus testing .
At some point before that , Kushner and his cohort had decided to make the half-baked Verily plan public — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it .
Part of this public announcement included a poster with a very simple flow chart to illustrate how the hypothetical Google site might work .
Dr. Deborah Birx , the White House ’ s coronavirus response coordinator , presented the chart on Friday and described how testing would start with a “ screening website … facilitated by Google.
” According to the Washington Post , “ Pence and Kushner personally worked with digital staffers to design the graphic elements of the poster.
” There ’ s no indication that Google was involved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Yet Trump ’ s overpromising sales pitch worked in a way .
On Sunday , Verily announced a new “ collaboration with the California Governor ’ s office , federal , state and local public health authorities.
” The company said : It ’ s unclear when Verily had originally planned to launch its pilot site , and who knows how quickly Google would have made its internal volunteer efforts public if Trump hadn ’ t misinterpreted them in an extremely public speech .
Then again , the philosophy of moving fast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up all that well in a public health crisis .
“ It ’ s going to be very quickly done , unlike websites of the past , ” Trump said of the Google website that Google wasn ’ t actually building at the time of his speech .
There ’ s a case to be made that a hastily built coronavirus site could do more harm than good if it doesn ’ t work properly .
Trump ’ s coronavirus misinformation shows why it ’ s essential to prevent even more misinformation The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much of Google ’ s real efforts to fight the coronavirus outbreak are focused on protecting people from misinformation .
The company says it ’ s working to stop “ phishing , conspiracy theories , malware and misinformation ” on its platforms while “ promoting authoritative information through Google Search and YouTube.
” There ’ s also a new box on Google ’ s homepage that offers five tips for what people can do to stop the spread of the coronavirus .
That the company responded so quickly to the misinformation Trump shared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president ’ s speech — is similarly heartening .
Still , it remains to be seen if the now-rushed Verily website will do much good .
Based on what we know , it will be designed to direct Bay Area residents to any of three local coronavirus testing sites for the foreseeable future .
If we believe the Trump administration ’ s latest statements , the site could be put to use in up to nine hotspots around the country , though it ’ s not yet clear where those hotspots are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Trump failed to mention , meanwhile , sounds like it could be most useful to the most people .
The value of a boring-but-useful website feels like the most optimistic takeaway from all this .
While Trump described a transformative and ambitious website that didn ’ t exist , Google and other tech companies have been building smaller but much more productive solutions , including simple but authoritative links to the World Health Organization ( WHO ) and other trustworthy resources .
It would be wonderful if Silicon Valley giants could solve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just like it would be remarkable if banning all international travel would prevent the virus from spreading further within US borders .
But that ’ s just not how this works .
A magic website — much like a poorly planned travel ban — is no panacea .
Experts say that social distancing is key to help slow the spread of the pandemic .
Other basic precautions like washing your hands and staying informed are also productive .
If tech companies can focus their resources on anything for now , it makes sense @ @ @ @ @ @ @ information about the coronavirus outbreak and how to slow it down .
Despite Trump ’ s misleading remarks , it sounds like Google is making progress in doing just that .
Updated , March 16 , 2020 , 9:40 pm ET : This story has been updated with details about the Verily website launch on Sunday night as well as new information about Google ’ s informational website being delayed .

Nearly two weeks after President Donald Trump announced on March 13 that Google was racing to build a site to help Americans find coronavirus testing, people are still confused about what’s actually going on. In the aftermath of the announcement, reports emerged that Google was not fully aware of the plan Trump said the company was participating in. Given the threat the novel coronavirus poses to the US, this is not a good sign.
Trump said at a March 15 press conference that his earlier comments about Google had been “substantiated” and thanked “the head of Google, a great gentleman.” A few hours later, a site made by Google’s sister company Verily went live with a tool for coronavirus risk screening that directed residents of two counties in Northern California to test centers. It wasn’t long before the Verily site ran into trouble. People with symptoms were told they weren’t eligible for the screening program, and those who were needed a Google login to use the tool. On top of that, the Verily site reached capacity the morning after launch. Google announced a week later that it would expand to two more testing sites in Northern California.
After being delayed by several days, Google finally launched its coronavirus portal on March 21. The informational website includes “state-based information, safety and prevention tips, search trends related to COVID-19, and further resources for individuals, educators and businesses,” according to Google’s announcement. It does not include the things Trump said the site would include, like information about local testing sites. The belated launch came not long after Vanity Fair reported that President Trump was angry at Jared Kushner for overselling Google’s plans, before the president announced the new website at a White House press conference.
Now that the Verily and Google sites are live, it’s more clear than ever that the website Trump described is not what the American public will use to find coronavirus testing. The situation is much more complicated than that.
Here’s what’s really going on
Google does have a plan for responding to the coronavirus, but it’s not what the president said it was. Rather than creating a dynamic site that guides people to testing locations, what Google built is much simpler. The company announced on March 15 that it was “partnering with the US Government in developing a nationwide website that includes information about COVID-19 symptoms, risk, and testing information.” The new Google site includes plenty of information culled from sources like the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO). It does not include much information about how to find testing centers.
The site Trump initially promised sounds much more like what’s being developed by the life sciences research company Verily, which is related to Google but is a distinct company. After Trump’s speech, Verily said that it was “in the early stages of development” of a tool to triage potential coronavirus patients and “is planning to roll testing out in the Bay Area, with the hope of expanding more broadly over time.” Verily used to be a subsidiary of Google, but now both Google and Verily are subsidiaries of their parent company Alphabet. Since Google and Verily are separate companies, it’s hard to know how closely the two are collaborating on the efforts.
When Recode contacted Verily for more details about the project, the company directed us to a blog post it published shortly before the pilot site went live on March 15. The new Verily coronavirus triage site works through the company’s existing Project Baseline website, and it launched ahead of schedule. The screening process starts by asking people if they’re symptomatic, though only those who say they have severe symptoms are directed to log in with a Google account to find a testing site.
The Verily screening site now serves residents of San Mateo, Santa Clara, Riverside, and Sacramento counties in California. With limitations like this in mind, it’s clear that Verily’s new tool is quite different from the site Trump described in mid March.
Trump announced a website that did not exist
In his bold but unexpected announcement on March 13, Trump said that “Google has 1,700 engineers working on” a website that would help people figure out if they needed a coronavirus test and to direct them to testing sites. As we now know, this statement was not entirely true. The reality of Google’s role in addressing the coronavirus outbreak is more complex and, in some ways, more productive.
Within an hour of the president’s Rose Garden speech, the company’s press team pushed back against Trump’s announcement and tweeted a statement from Verily, drawing a distinction between the two companies and clarifying that the Verily site was only nearing a testing phase, rather than being almost ready to launch.
This is actually a generous depiction of the truth behind the Trump declaration. According to the New York Times, the plan for Verily to build a website to help with coronavirus testing was “in its infancy” at the time of Trump’s announcement. And Verily only has about 1,000 employees. The 1,700 number that Trump claimed in his speech actually refers to the number of Google engineers who, the Thursday before Trump’s speech, filled out a form volunteering to help Verily with its coronavirus triage site in the coming “days and weeks.” Even then, the Verily project was only meant to be used by health care workers.
Suffice it to say, Trump’s Rose Garden speech altered these plans. It wasn’t until after Trump’s speech that Google announced plans for its informational website, and it appears the launch of Verily’s triage site was expedited as a result of Trump’s remarks. The Trump administration also sent an updated statement on March 16, saying that the triage site could be rolled out in nine hotspots for coronavirus cases in the US. Then, when asked directly about the Google website and the timing of its launch at a press conference on March 15, Vice President Mike Pence said that “at some point early next week we will have a website go up.” He did not specifically say that this would be a Google website but rather implied that state governments and local retailers would be collaborators.
The CDC and the WHO recommend several basic measures to help prevent the spread of Covid-19: Wash your hands often for at least 20 seconds.
Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects.
Practice social distancing, and stay home when you are sick.
Contact a health worker if you have symptoms; fever and a dry cough are most common. Guidance may change. Stay informed, and stay safe, with Vox’s coronavirus coverage hub.
This is not the same reality that Trump described in his original speech — there’s little reason to believe that most Americans will be able to access a website that will direct them to a nearby testing site in the near future — but it’s a start. Easier access to information about the outbreak is certainly a positive thing as it continues to evolve in the US. But more than a week after Trump’s speech, Google told The Verge that its informational website was still not ready but that it would “surface authoritative information for people in the US, including on screening and testing.”
Again, the informational Google site launched on March 21 and included very little information on screening and testing.
Maybe, if everything works out, Google and its affiliates will continue to develop all kinds of websites that can someday save lives. For now, Verily has rolled out a pilot site for a limited number of residents, and its plans for future expansion remain unclear. Google’s informational website is not at all what Trump described.
Jared Kushner talked to Verily’s CEO, who described a project in the works
So it’s not quite accurate to say that Trump lied about the Google site. It’s worse than that. Really, Trump gave a sales pitch based on piecemeal information collated by his son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner.
The backstory of how the president publicly shared this twisted mess of misinformation is a wild but familiar ride. In dueling reports published on March 14, the New York Times and the Washington Post both explained how Kushner had asked tech executives for help in fighting the coronavirus outbreak. Kushner found a promising pitch in conversations with Verily’s chief executive Andy Conrad, who described a project in the works. It wasn’t until the day before Trump’s big Rose Garden announcement that Google CEO Sundar Pichai put out the call for Google engineers to volunteer in “a planning effort” to help with coronavirus testing. At some point before that, Kushner and his cohort had decided to make the half-baked Verily plan public — and put Google’s name on it.
Part of this public announcement included a poster with a very simple flow chart to illustrate how the hypothetical Google site might work. Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House’s coronavirus response coordinator, presented the chart on Friday and described how testing would start with a “screening website … facilitated by Google.” According to the Washington Post, “Pence and Kushner personally worked with digital staffers to design the graphic elements of the poster.” There’s no indication that Google was involved in this part of the planning process.
Yet Trump’s overpromising sales pitch worked in a way. Two days after his speech, Verily announced a new “collaboration with the California Governor’s office, federal, state and local public health authorities.” The company said:
Californians will be able to take an online COVID-19 screener survey through Project Baseline beginning Monday, March 16. People who meet eligibility and requirements for testing will be directed to mobile testing sites based on capacity, where they will complete a nasal swab test. Once tested, individuals will be informed of their COVID-19 test results within a few days.
It’s unclear when Verily had originally planned to launch its pilot site, and who knows how quickly Google would have made its internal volunteer efforts public if Trump hadn’t misinterpreted them in an extremely public speech.
Then again, the philosophy of moving fast and breaking things doesn’t hold up all that well in a public health crisis. “It’s going to be very quickly done, unlike websites of the past,” Trump said of the Google website that Google wasn’t actually building at the time of his speech. There’s a case to be made that a hastily built coronavirus site could do more harm than good if it doesn’t work properly.
Trump’s coronavirus misinformation shows why it’s essential to prevent even more misinformation
The awful irony of all this is that much of Google’s real efforts to fight the coronavirus outbreak are focused on protecting people from misinformation. The company says it’s working to stop “phishing, conspiracy theories, malware and misinformation” on its platforms while “promoting authoritative information through Google Search and YouTube.” There’s also a new box on Google’s homepage that offers five tips for what people can do to stop the spread of the coronavirus. That the company responded so quickly to the misinformation Trump shared — it was within an hour of the president’s speech — is similarly heartening.
Still, it remains to be seen if the now-rushed Verily website will do much good. The site is currently designed to direct Bay Area residents to any of five local coronavirus testing sites. If we believe the Trump administration’s latest statements, the site could be put to use in as many as nine hotspots around the country, though it’s not yet clear where those hotspots are or when this might happen. The informational Google website — which, again, is not what Trump described — sounds like it could be most useful to the most people.
The value of a boring-but-useful website feels like the most optimistic takeaway from all this. While Trump described a transformative and ambitious website that didn’t exist, Google and other tech companies have been building smaller but much more productive solutions, including simple but authoritative links to the World Health Organization (WHO) and other trustworthy resources. It would be wonderful if Silicon Valley giants could solve America’s testing problem overnight, just like it would be remarkable if banning all international travel would prevent the virus from spreading further within US borders. But that’s just not how this works.
A magic website — much like a poorly planned travel ban — is no panacea. Experts say that social distancing is key to help slow the spread of the pandemic. Other basic precautions like washing your hands and staying informed are also productive. If tech companies can focus their resources on anything for now, it makes sense that those efforts focus on spreading valid information about the coronavirus outbreak and how to slow it down. Despite Trump’s misleading remarks, it sounds as though Google is making progress in doing just that.
Updated, March 23, 2020, 1:10 pm ET: This story has been updated with details about the informational Google website and expansion of the Verily site.


vox--2020-03-17--Joe Biden wins the Illinois primary

Joe Biden wins the Illinois primary

Former Vice President Joe Biden has won the Democratic presidential primary in Illinois , gaining more ground as the party ’ s 2020 frontrunner .
The former vice president has been steadily gaining momentum following the South Carolina primary , Super Tuesday , and the March 10 primaries .
And he came into Tuesday , March 17 , well positioned to win in multiple states , including Illinois , the state his former boss Barack Obama represented in the US Senate .
While some polling showed a small lead in the state for Sen. Bernie Sanders in February , by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lead .
A total of 155 pledged delegates are up for grabs in Illinois , not an insignificant amount of the total 1,991 needed for candidates to clinch the nomination .
Biden ’ s win will yield him the majority of those 155 delegates , and will help him to further build on his delegate lead on Sanders .
It also will allow him to make a stronger electability case : Demographically , Illinois is among the states that most closely matches the Democratic electorate of the United States .
That ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ politicians and experts that it should come first in the primary process , instead of Iowa and New Hampshire , which are largely rural and white .
Illinois Gov .
J.B. Pritzker seized on this fact in February , tweeting that Illinois should be “ first in the nation ” to vote .
Biden ’ s victory marks the second consecutive presidential primary loss for Sanders in the state : Hillary Clinton defeated the Vermont senator in Illinois in 2016 , but not by a wide margin — the difference in the popular @ @ @ @ @ @ @ percentage points , and the delegate split was nearly even .
Although we don ’ t yet have final results , the vote count so far suggests the delegate split will favor Biden this time .
Obama likely could have tipped the scales more for Biden had he wanted , given his roots in the state , but he has thus far declined to endorse any candidates .
But the former vice president did pick up a number of key endorsements heading into the Illinois primary , including from Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tammy Duckworth , and multiple members of the House of Representatives .
Leaders of the Chicago Teachers Union backed Sanders , as did many state and local leaders .
Heading into Tuesday , state officials in Illinois encouraged voters to practice social distancing in light of coronavirus fears , leading to some question about whether vote totals would differ from polling .
Despite a request from the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners that the state shut down in-person voting and a shortage of poll workers , polls were kept open , a decision @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Illinois is a reliably blue state , and thus probably won ’ t see a ton of campaigning heading into the general election in November .
But before then , Biden will need more big wins to secure the nomination — his next chance to do so will come in April , when delegate-rich states Pennsylvania and New York are scheduled to vote .

Former Vice President Joe Biden has won the Democratic presidential primary in Illinois, gaining more ground as the party’s 2020 frontrunner.
The former vice president has been steadily gaining momentum following the South Carolina primary, Super Tuesday, and the March 10 primaries. And he came into Tuesday, March 17, well positioned to win in multiple states, including Illinois, the state his former boss Barack Obama represented in the US Senate. While some polling showed a small lead in the state for Sen. Bernie Sanders in February, by March, polling gave Biden a commanding lead.
A total of 155 pledged delegates are up for grabs in Illinois, not an insignificant amount of the total 1,991 needed for candidates to clinch the nomination. Biden’s win will yield him the majority of those 155 delegates, and will help him to further build on his delegate lead on Sanders.
It also will allow him to make a stronger electability case: Demographically, Illinois is among the states that most closely matches the Democratic electorate of the United States. That’s why there has been some suggestion among politicians and experts that it should come first in the primary process, instead of Iowa and New Hampshire, which are largely rural and white. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker seized on this fact in February, tweeting that Illinois should be “first in the nation” to vote.
If you’re looking for a state whose people represent the diversity of America, look no further than Illinois. It’s time for the most representative state in the country to be the first in the nation. https://t.co/2BeB4MQIcD — JB Pritzker (@JBPritzker) February 4, 2020
Biden’s victory marks the second consecutive presidential primary loss for Sanders in the state: Hillary Clinton defeated the Vermont senator in Illinois in 2016, but not by a wide margin — the difference in the popular vote between the pair was about two percentage points, and the delegate split was nearly even.
Although we don’t yet have final results, the vote count so far suggests the delegate split will favor Biden this time. Obama likely could have tipped the scales more for Biden had he wanted, given his roots in the state, but he has thus far declined to endorse any candidates.
But the former vice president did pick up a number of key endorsements heading into the Illinois primary, including from Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, Illinois Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, and multiple members of the House of Representatives. Leaders of the Chicago Teachers Union backed Sanders, as did many state and local leaders.
Heading into Tuesday, state officials in Illinois encouraged voters to practice social distancing in light of coronavirus fears, leading to some question about whether vote totals would differ from polling. Despite a request from the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners that the state shut down in-person voting and a shortage of poll workers, polls were kept open, a decision that appeared to lead to low turnout.
Illinois is a reliably blue state, and thus probably won’t see a ton of campaigning heading into the general election in November. But before then, Biden will need more big wins to secure the nomination — his next chance to do so will come in April, when delegate-rich states Pennsylvania and New York are scheduled to vote.


vox--2020-03-17--March 17 primaries: Live results

March 17 primaries: Live results

The Democratic presidential race is adjusting to a stark new reality : Candidates are campaigning and voters are heading to the polls in the middle of a coronavirus outbreak .
That isn ’ t stopping three out of the four states that had primaries scheduled March 17 .
Polls were ( or are still ) open in Florida , Illinois , and Arizona — though Ohio has delayed its own .
Ohio Gov .
Mike DeWine announced he is moving to postpone that state ’ s primary until June 2 owing to the coronavirus outbreak .
After a legal back-and-forth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allowed the delay to proceed , the Columbus Dispatch reported .
Ohio voters who have already cast early ballots or voted through the mail will still have their votes counted , though results likely won ’ t be reported Tuesday night .
The three other states are proceeding as normal .
The Democratic primary has narrowed to a two-man race between former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders ( I-VT ) .
But since last Tuesday ’ s primaries coincided with a growing concern about coronavirus , both candidates have transitioned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as not to risk exposing campaign staff , volunteers , voters , or themselves to the spreading virus .
As for the state of the race itself , Biden is the current frontrunner with about 150 more delegates than Sanders .
The fundamentals of the March 17 primaries look favorable for Biden as well ; Arizona ’ s Latino population could be a bright spot for Sanders , but Florida ’ s Latino population is not nearly as favorable to the Vermont senator .
And Florida has far more delegates up for grabs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worth noting that Tuesday ’ s elections could be especially unpredictable due to America ’ s current public health crisis .
On Monday , President Donald Trump announced new federal guidelines calling for gatherings of no more than 10 people to mitigate the spread of coronavirus .
We have yet to see whether coronavirus will dampen turnout in any of these states , but it ’ s a real possibility .
Polls begin closing at 7 pm ET , and the last ones in Arizona will close at 10 pm ET .
Vox @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thanks to Decision Desk : With Ohio postponing its primary , the number of delegates being allotted on Tuesday will drop from 577 pledged delegates to 441 .
Even so , it will still be a decisive day in the Democratic presidential primary ; more than half of the pledged delegates available nationally will be allotted by March 17 .
We ’ ll post who wins each of the states holding primaries Tuesday below , once Decision Desk makes a call .
How to think about the delegate math so far The delegate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it did a week ago .
That ’ s because since March 14 , two big variables have fallen into place .
First of all , the long-awaited primary results from California ’ s Super Tuesday finally came in .
Sanders won the delegate-rich state , but it didn ’ t give him a massive boost in the race for delegates .
Sanders picked up 156 delegates from California , compared to 108 for Biden .
Second , Biden romped in most of the six March 10 contests .
He both won in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like Missouri and Mississippi , as well as states that were more contested like Michigan , Washington , and Idaho ( Biden did lose North Dakota to Sanders ) .
As Vox ’ s Andrew Prokop noted , March 10 was expected to be Sanders ’ s last best hope for a comeback , and it was not .
The odds for him surprising on March 17 looked even worse , given Florida , which Biden won by a comfortable margin , has the largest delegate haul on Tuesday .
March 17 is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cross the halfway mark of allotted pledged delegates .
Over 50 percent of pledged delegates will be spoken for by the time these contests are said and done , even with Ohio moving its primary .
If Biden pulls ahead yet again , the race could effectively be over .
What to expect in the March 17 primaries March 17 will be a big test of whether Biden has the nomination locked up or whether Sanders still has a fighting chance .
We also have yet to see how the coronavirus impacts turnout @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is low , how that could impact the potential outcome of the election itself .
Right now , most national and state polls are predominantly showing Biden in a strong position .
While parts of Illinois and Arizona that are Latino-heavy could go for Sanders , Latinos in Florida don ’ t feel the same .
Here ’ s how Vox ’ s Nicole Narea explains the difference : Along with Biden ’ s win in Florida , he also has comfortable leads in Arizona and Ohio .
The FiveThirtyEight model predicts Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there are some heavily Latino congressional districts where Sanders could pick up some votes .
While Sanders is expected to overperform Biden among Arizona ’ s Latino voters , it could be a telling shift if Biden holds his own in the community .
While Trump told reporters he thought postponing elections “ is unnecessary , ” he announced new federal guidelines limiting gatherings to just 10 people .
Those contradictory messages could spur voters in each state to stay home rather than risk their health to cast their ballots .
By Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told reporters they had “ extremely low turnout ” in the morning , per MSNBC ’ s Garrett Haake .
There is already a push from some federal lawmakers to enact vote-by-mail in all states in response to coronavirus , but even if that happens it may realistically be closer to the November general election , rather than during the rest of the primaries this spring .

The Democratic presidential race is adjusting to a stark new reality: Candidates are campaigning and voters headed to the polls in the middle of a coronavirus outbreak.
That isn’t stopping three out of the four states that had primaries scheduled March 17. Polls still opened in Florida, Illinois, and Arizona — though Ohio has delayed its voting.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced he is moving to postpone that state’s primary until June 2 owing to the coronavirus outbreak. After a legal back-and-forth Monday night, the Ohio Supreme Court allowed the delay to proceed, the Columbus Dispatch reported. Ohio voters who have already cast early ballots or voted through the mail will still have their votes counted, though results likely won’t be reported Tuesday night. The three other states are proceeding as normal.
The Democratic primary has narrowed to a two-man race between former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT). But since last Tuesday’s primaries coincided with a growing concern about coronavirus, both candidates have transitioned their campaigns to largely virtual operations so as not to risk exposing campaign staff, volunteers, voters, or themselves to the spreading virus.
As for the state of the race itself, Biden is the current frontrunner with about 150 more delegates than Sanders. The fundamentals of the March 17 primaries look favorable for Biden as well; Arizona’s Latino population could be a bright spot for Sanders, but Florida’s Latino population is not nearly as favorable to the Vermont senator. And Florida has far more delegates up for grabs than Arizona does.
It’s worth noting that Tuesday’s elections could be especially unpredictable due to America’s current public health crisis. On Monday, President Donald Trump announced new federal guidelines calling for gatherings of no more than 10 people to mitigate the spread of coronavirus.
We have yet to see whether coronavirus will dampen turnout in any of these states, but it’s a real possibility.
Polls begin closing at 7 pm ET, and the last ones in Arizona will close at 10 pm ET. Vox will be covering the results live, thanks to Decision Desk:
With Ohio postponing its primary, the number of delegates being allotted on Tuesday will drop from 577 pledged delegates to 441. Even so, it will still be a decisive day in the Democratic presidential primary; more than half of the pledged delegates available nationally will be allotted by March 17.
The quick results, by state
We’ll post who wins each of the states holding primaries Tuesday below, once Decision Desk makes a call.
Florida (219 delegates) — Winner: Joe Biden
Arizona (67 delegates) — Winner: Joe Biden
Illinois (155 delegates) — Winner: Joe Biden
Ohio (136 delegates) — Election postponed.
How to think about the delegate math so far
The delegate math is looking a lot clearer than it did a week ago. That’s because since March 14, two big variables have fallen into place.
First of all, the long-awaited primary results from California’s Super Tuesday finally came in. Sanders won the delegate-rich state, but it didn’t give him a massive boost in the race for delegates. Sanders picked up 156 delegates from California, compared to 108 for Biden.
Second, Biden romped in most of the six March 10 contests. He both won in states where he was expected to, like Missouri and Mississippi, as well as states that were more contested like Michigan, Washington, and Idaho (Biden did lose North Dakota to Sanders).
As Vox’s Andrew Prokop noted, March 10 was expected to be Sanders’s last best hope for a comeback, and it was not. The odds for him surprising on March 17 looked even worse, given Florida, which Biden won by a comfortable margin, has the largest delegate haul on Tuesday.
March 17 is key for another reason: We officially cross the halfway mark of allotted pledged delegates. Over 50 percent of pledged delegates will be spoken for by the time these contests are said and done, even with Ohio moving its primary.
If Biden pulls ahead yet again, the race could effectively be over.
What to expect in the March 17 primaries
March 17 will be a big test of whether Biden has the nomination locked up or whether Sanders still has a fighting chance.
We also have yet to see how the coronavirus impacts turnout on voting day, and if turnout is low, how that could impact the potential outcome of the election itself.
Right now, most national and state polls are predominantly showing Biden in a strong position. While parts of Illinois and Arizona that are Latino-heavy could go for Sanders, Latinos in Florida don’t feel the same. Here’s how Vox’s Nicole Narea explains the difference:
Whereas Mexican Americans made up the vast majority of Latino voters in those previous contests, Florida’s Latinos are primarily Cuban, Puerto Rican, and Venezuelan, and they have different political preferences. Cubans in particular tend to lean more conservative and backed Trump in 2016. Both Cubans and Venezuelans are also wary of socialism, so it follows that Sanders, a self-identified democratic socialist and progressive, isn’t getting their support.
Along with Biden’s win in Florida, he also has comfortable leads in Arizona and Ohio. The FiveThirtyEight model predicts Biden will likely win Illinois but also notes there are some heavily Latino congressional districts where Sanders could pick up some votes. While Sanders is expected to overperform Biden among Arizona’s Latino voters, it could be a telling shift if Biden holds his own in the community.
While Trump told reporters he thought postponing elections “is unnecessary,” he announced new federal guidelines limiting gatherings to just 10 people. Those contradictory messages could spur voters in each state to stay home rather than risk their health to cast their ballots. By Tuesday morning, a Chicago Election Board official told reporters they had “extremely low turnout” in the morning, per MSNBC’s Garrett Haake.
There is already a push from some federal lawmakers to enact vote-by-mail in all states in response to coronavirus, but even if that happens it may realistically be closer to the November general election, rather than during the rest of the primaries this spring.