vox--2020-09-08--The best $141 I ever spent: A skateboard

It took me 15 minutes to decide that what I needed to do during the pandemic was learn how to skateboard .
It wasn ’ t an impulse decision .
I had been thinking about getting into skating for a few years now — like you would a tattoo or a piercing — but could never justify the “ risk ” it posed to my main hobby : amateur bike racing .
How stupid would I feel if I broke a wrist just trying to push down the street , completely negating hundreds of hours spent training on the bike @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chance for bike racing in the foreseeable future , now seemed about as good a time as any to finally jump into something I had been admiring from afar .
After months and months of watching skateboard videos — developing this theoretical understanding of why I enjoyed one person ’ s skating over another — I wanted to know how it felt .
In short : It looked fun , and I wanted to do it .
It was also nice that it was the total opposite of cycling in that I wouldn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of fancy , expensive equipment to participate .
All I would need to skateboard was to simply buy a skateboard .
On a Thursday afternoon in early April , after quickly pulling together some recommendations from friends — what size board do I get , how big should my wheels be ?
— I bought a complete skateboard off the internet for $ 141.60 .
It was the easiest decision I ’ ve ever made in my entire life , despite the fact that I am a 31-year-old man with no health insurance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shame in skateboarding as an adult .
Nothing reminds you of your own mortality more than being bad at something you maybe used to be good at , while also being judged by teenagers , as Dan Ozzi recently wrote for MEL .
“ I wouldn ’ t dare become one of those old guys I hated as a kid , ” writes Ozzi about getting back into skateboarding during the pandemic .
“ The kind of grown man who thinks he ’ s impressing teens by telling them he used to skate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asks to use their board so he can show them the world ’ s shittiest kickflip.
” Picking up skating in your 30s and beyond , the trend stories tell us , signals some sort of desperation .
You ’ re either going through a midlife crisis or trying to hide one .
No one just picks up skateboarding , it would seem .
You must be going through something if you think that awkwardly rolling around on your useless wooden toy , risking a hospital visit the entire time , is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bad at a specific thing , even if it ’ s a silly little hobby , we turn it into an indictment of ourselves I considered this , and then decided not to worry about it .
It was the easiest , most logical choice : What good would it do me to compare myself , an adult teaching himself to skate , to those who ’ ve been skating for decades , or the teens who have nothing to do but throw themselves off stair sets ?
I was special in my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
All I had to do , then , was go skate .
The sheer simplicity of it all was a revelation .
I had spent the past decade devoting an incredible amount of time , money , and energy into being a perfectly mediocre amateur bike racer .
I spent dozens of hours a week riding my bike , driving hundreds of miles every weekend for races , and planning my vacations as if they were training camps .
And up until a few months ago , this is exactly how I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I loved the feeling of the slow gradual building of fitness and skills that bike racing demands — to know that as long as I keep training and racing , I ’ ll eventually be lining up with the pros .
But because bike racing is , well , racing , every time I got on the bike , it wasn ’ t really for me , it was to beat the person next to me .
Bike racing forces us to find worth in relation to others .
In the same week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ power record on the bike — a sort of benchmark for cycling fitness — I also landed my first 180 on the skateboard .
The former felt unceremonious ; an inevitable result of years of hard work .
The latter felt sublime , like I had unlocked this new and unknown ability within myself .
Every day , I would get on my skateboard , roll over to a nearby schoolyard , and over the course of an hour , have these little moments of , “ Holy moly , I can ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” I wasn ’ t just teaching myself how to skate , I was teaching myself how to be not good at something .
There is a pressure , I think , to be good at everything we do .
That everything in our lives must somehow perfectly match our talents and passions , and if we can just find those , then everything will be fine .
But when we ’ re bad at a specific thing , even if it ’ s a silly little hobby , we turn it into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t feel bad because we ’ re bad at something , we feel bad because others are better than us .
They ’ re more productive and successful because they ’ ve “ found ” their thing , we tell ourselves , and the fact that you haven ’ t means that you ’ re in the wrong place .
We dress it up with language like “ talent ” and “ passion , ” but it ’ s only capitalism trying to maximize productivity .
This sort of pressure has inevitably @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s not enough to clock in and earn a paycheck ; we need to have side-hustles and passion projects .
A sentiment that is now so commonplace that the VC industry is champing at the bit to usher in this “ hustle economy ” — a grim future in which everyone is passing the same $ 20 around to watch yoga classes and makeup tutorials .
When we think about getting into a hobby , we ’ re inundated with guides to The Best Ways to get into them , or cautioned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comes to learning something , there ’ s a push to fast-forward through the awkward learning bits , or better yet skip them entirely .
How can you possibly make any money off of your passions if you aren ’ t any good at them ?
Skateboarding , because it is so indescribably difficult , diffuses this pressure to be “ good.
” Among skateboarders , it ’ s commonly known , accepted , and celebrated that the pros bail all the time .
You might not be able to do a backside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10-foot drop onto the street , but you can watch one of the best skaters on the planet , Mason Silva , struggle for hours to land it and relate it to your own experience of struggling to land a stationary kickflip on an empty tennis court .
It goes both ways .
Recently , I was struggling to land a frontside boardslide on a shin-high bench at the nearby skatepark .
For over an hour , I would try and try and try this basic trick on this simple feature while much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stuff around me .
After dozens and dozens of failed attempts — sometimes I ’ d barely get onto the bench , sometimes the board would get hung up on the bench and refuse to slide , sometimes I ’ d get onto the bench but my weight was distributed wrong so the board would slide out from under me — I managed to almost land one .
My rear truck barely got off the ground , I slid on the bench for a fraction of a second , and I landed with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ground .
Immediately , a nearby skater , who up until then hadn ’ t even acknowledged my existence , shouted , “ DUDE , you ’ ve got it the next one for sure !
” He knew , and he understood .
Skateboarding has taught me that I can acknowledge that I ’ m bad but still celebrate when I manage to do something good Skateboarding has taught me that I can acknowledge that I ’ m bad but still celebrate when I manage to do something good .
I know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not very impressive , but I still can ’ t help but feel jacked up after I ollie over a traffic cone .
( Luckily , I haven ’ t seriously hurt myself — knock on wood — enough to really question if doing something where I mess up a lot is worth my time . )
It ’ s been a revelatory experience , given that the pandemic and economic recession has absolutely destroyed any lofty career goals I might have had .
In the Before Times , I might have blamed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or talent — but now that things are truly in the shitter for very obvious reasons outside of my control , I can finally accept my station in life .
My entire professional career has been marked by trying to replicate the success of my peers — of setting these arbitrary benchmarks based on the accomplishments of others .
Trying to learn how to skate in my 30s has led me to question that .
Why should I feel like I need to match the output and ambition of others ?
I know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but being thrown so violently off the careerist treadmill , I feel like the best , and maybe only , thing I can do right now is to just see where my path takes me .
Merely existing is so difficult right now that I owe it to myself to celebrate all the small successes , even if they don ’ t exactly line up with this imagined ideal trajectory I ’ d like my life to take .
I can ’ t just go out there and will myself into doing a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I can ’ t just go out there and will myself into a respected , stable job .
I ’ ve arrived at this quiet acceptance that all I can really do is just keep plugging away ; eventually I ’ ll surprise myself and land something .
Steve Rousseau is a writer living in Philadelphia .
His work has appeared in Businessweek , Vice , and OneZero .
He writes a newsletter about World of Warcraft .
Help keep Vox free for all Millions turn to Vox each month to understand what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the coronavirus crisis to a racial reckoning to what is , quite possibly , the most consequential presidential election of our lifetimes .
Our mission has never been more vital than it is in this moment : to empower you through understanding .
But our distinctive brand of explanatory journalism takes resources — particularly during a pandemic and an economic downturn .
Even when the economy and the news advertising market recovers , your support will be a critical part of sustaining our resource-intensive work , and helping everyone make sense of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from as little as $ 3 .

It took me 15 minutes to decide that what I needed to do during the pandemic was learn how to skateboard.
It wasn’t an impulse decision. I had been thinking about getting into skating for a few years now — like you would a tattoo or a piercing — but could never justify the “risk” it posed to my main hobby: amateur bike racing. How stupid would I feel if I broke a wrist just trying to push down the street, completely negating hundreds of hours spent training on the bike?
When the pandemic wiped out any chance for bike racing in the foreseeable future, now seemed about as good a time as any to finally jump into something I had been admiring from afar. After months and months of watching skateboard videos — developing this theoretical understanding of why I enjoyed one person’s skating over another — I wanted to know how it felt.
In short: It looked fun, and I wanted to do it. It was also nice that it was the total opposite of cycling in that I wouldn’t need to get a bunch of fancy, expensive equipment to participate. All I would need to skateboard was to simply buy a skateboard.
On a Thursday afternoon in early April, after quickly pulling together some recommendations from friends — what size board do I get, how big should my wheels be? — I bought a complete skateboard off the internet for $141.60. It was the easiest decision I’ve ever made in my entire life, despite the fact that I am a 31-year-old man with no health insurance.
There’s a lot of shame in skateboarding as an adult. Nothing reminds you of your own mortality more than being bad at something you maybe used to be good at, while also being judged by teenagers, as Dan Ozzi recently wrote for MEL. “I wouldn’t dare become one of those old guys I hated as a kid,” writes Ozzi about getting back into skateboarding during the pandemic. “The kind of grown man who thinks he’s impressing teens by telling them he used to skate ‘back in the day’ and asks to use their board so he can show them the world’s shittiest kickflip.”
Picking up skating in your 30s and beyond, the trend stories tell us, signals some sort of desperation. You’re either going through a midlife crisis or trying to hide one. No one just picks up skateboarding, it would seem. You must be going through something if you think that awkwardly rolling around on your useless wooden toy, risking a hospital visit the entire time, is a good idea.
When we’re bad at a specific thing, even if it’s a silly little hobby, we turn it into an indictment of ourselves
I considered this, and then decided not to worry about it. It was the easiest, most logical choice: What good would it do me to compare myself, an adult teaching himself to skate, to those who’ve been skating for decades, or the teens who have nothing to do but throw themselves off stair sets? I was special in my own incompetence, and therefore beyond comparison. All I had to do, then, was go skate.
The sheer simplicity of it all was a revelation. I had spent the past decade devoting an incredible amount of time, money, and energy into being a perfectly mediocre amateur bike racer. I spent dozens of hours a week riding my bike, driving hundreds of miles every weekend for races, and planning my vacations as if they were training camps. And up until a few months ago, this is exactly how I wanted to spend my free time. I loved the feeling of the slow gradual building of fitness and skills that bike racing demands — to know that as long as I keep training and racing, I’ll eventually be lining up with the pros. But because bike racing is, well, racing, every time I got on the bike, it wasn’t really for me, it was to beat the person next to me. Bike racing forces us to find worth in relation to others.
In the same week that I set a new all-time 20-minute power record on the bike — a sort of benchmark for cycling fitness — I also landed my first 180 on the skateboard. The former felt unceremonious; an inevitable result of years of hard work. The latter felt sublime, like I had unlocked this new and unknown ability within myself. Every day, I would get on my skateboard, roll over to a nearby schoolyard, and over the course of an hour, have these little moments of, “Holy moly, I can’t believe I just did that!” I wasn’t just teaching myself how to skate, I was teaching myself how to be not good at something.
There is a pressure, I think, to be good at everything we do. That everything in our lives must somehow perfectly match our talents and passions, and if we can just find those, then everything will be fine.
But when we’re bad at a specific thing, even if it’s a silly little hobby, we turn it into an indictment of ourselves. We don’t feel bad because we’re bad at something, we feel bad because others are better than us. They’re more productive and successful because they’ve “found” their thing, we tell ourselves, and the fact that you haven’t means that you’re in the wrong place. We dress it up with language like “talent” and “passion,” but it’s only capitalism trying to maximize productivity.
This sort of pressure has inevitably bled into our leisure time. It’s not enough to clock in and earn a paycheck; we need to have side-hustles and passion projects. A sentiment that is now so commonplace that the VC industry is champing at the bit to usher in this “hustle economy” — a grim future in which everyone is passing the same $20 around to watch yoga classes and makeup tutorials. When we think about getting into a hobby, we’re inundated with guides to The Best Ways to get into them, or cautioned against making Beginner Mistakes. When it comes to learning something, there’s a push to fast-forward through the awkward learning bits, or better yet skip them entirely. How can you possibly make any money off of your passions if you aren’t any good at them?
Skateboarding, because it is so indescribably difficult, diffuses this pressure to be “good.” Among skateboarders, it’s commonly known, accepted, and celebrated that the pros bail all the time. You might not be able to do a backside 360 over a wall and into a 10-foot drop onto the street, but you can watch one of the best skaters on the planet, Mason Silva, struggle for hours to land it and relate it to your own experience of struggling to land a stationary kickflip on an empty tennis court.
It goes both ways. Recently, I was struggling to land a frontside boardslide on a shin-high bench at the nearby skatepark. For over an hour, I would try and try and try this basic trick on this simple feature while much better skaters effortlessly skated the much gnarlier stuff around me. After dozens and dozens of failed attempts — sometimes I’d barely get onto the bench, sometimes the board would get hung up on the bench and refuse to slide, sometimes I’d get onto the bench but my weight was distributed wrong so the board would slide out from under me — I managed to almost land one. My rear truck barely got off the ground, I slid on the bench for a fraction of a second, and I landed with half of my foot dragging on the ground. Immediately, a nearby skater, who up until then hadn’t even acknowledged my existence, shouted, “DUDE, you’ve got it the next one for sure!” He knew, and he understood.
Skateboarding has taught me that I can acknowledge that I’m bad but still celebrate when I manage to do something good
Skateboarding has taught me that I can acknowledge that I’m bad but still celebrate when I manage to do something good. I know that my skating is, objectively, not very impressive, but I still can’t help but feel jacked up after I ollie over a traffic cone. (Luckily, I haven’t seriously hurt myself — knock on wood — enough to really question if doing something where I mess up a lot is worth my time.)
It’s been a revelatory experience, given that the pandemic and economic recession has absolutely destroyed any lofty career goals I might have had. In the Before Times, I might have blamed my misfortune on a lack of effort or talent — but now that things are truly in the shitter for very obvious reasons outside of my control, I can finally accept my station in life.
My entire professional career has been marked by trying to replicate the success of my peers — of setting these arbitrary benchmarks based on the accomplishments of others. Trying to learn how to skate in my 30s has led me to question that. Why should I feel like I need to match the output and ambition of others? I know it sounds a little New Age-y, but being thrown so violently off the careerist treadmill, I feel like the best, and maybe only, thing I can do right now is to just see where my path takes me. Merely existing is so difficult right now that I owe it to myself to celebrate all the small successes, even if they don’t exactly line up with this imagined ideal trajectory I’d like my life to take.
I can’t just go out there and will myself into doing a kickflip, much in the same way I can’t just go out there and will myself into a respected, stable job. I’ve arrived at this quiet acceptance that all I can really do is just keep plugging away; eventually I’ll surprise myself and land something.
Steve Rousseau is a writer living in Philadelphia. His work has appeared in Businessweek, Vice, and OneZero. He writes a newsletter about World of Warcraft.


vox--2020-09-08--Beethoven’s 5th Symphony, explained

Beethoven’s 5th Symphony, explained

We know Beethoven ’ s Fifth Symphony like we know the Top 40 — that striking opening melody of dun dun dun DUNNNN that builds in tempo and volume to a climactic restatement , leaving the listener in suspense .
We ’ ve heard it in films and commercials .
It ’ s been parodied in Saturday morning cartoons and disco-ized in Saturday Night Fever .
The Fifth is a given , so much so that it blends into the background .
But how well do we really know this practically omnipresent piece of music ?
What ’ s so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Of all the symphonies of the bewigged classical “ greats , ” why is this one still stuck in our heads more than two centuries later ?
We ’ re trying to answer these questions by giving Beethoven ’ s symphony the same treatment we give to pop songs by artists like Drake and Billie Eilish on our podcast Switched on Pop — this time with the accompaniment of the New York Philharmonic .
The 5th , a new four-part series , breaks down the music and meaning of this inescapable symphony so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ears .
In the first episode , which you can listen to now , we talk to the musicians of the Philharmonic about how the symphony ’ s stormy first movement come to life .
The orchestra has performed the Fifth almost 900 times since they debuted it in the US in 1842 , so they know their way around it .
Conductor Jaap van Zweden told us he feels the weight of that history every time he lifts his baton .
“ If you work with the New York Philharmonic , this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first day they started to play concerts … it ’ s like a bloodline.
” Even so , every time the orchestra performs this work , there ’ s a tension in the air .
Those opening notes are always “ a very tricky moment ” for van Zweden .
More than 60 musicians have to come in together perfectly .
They have to nail that famous theme , because the whole symphony is riding on them .
According to van Zweden , this is “ the most important thing when I walk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should be one long line till the last note of the last movement … it is like almost one sentence.
” He wants the audience on the edge of their seat , paying attention to each twist and turn in an instrumental epic .
If they get it right , van Zweden and his musicians create the start of a musical drama that ricochets between victory and defeat over four movements .
To hear it , we have to listen like a pop fan from the 1800s , to translate the symphony ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
When the drama of the symphony comes into focus , we can better assess what it means to us today , and decide how we want to commemorate a composer who represents liberation and resilience for some , elitism and exclusion for others .
The Fifth is the key to unlocking Beethoven ’ s complicated legacy — and it all starts with the first four notes .
Dun dun dun DUNNN .
The first episode of The 5th is available now .
Subscribe to Switched on Pop wherever you find podcasts , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Spotify , and Stitcher .
Help keep Vox free for all Millions turn to Vox each month to understand what ’ s happening in the news , from the coronavirus crisis to a racial reckoning to what is , quite possibly , the most consequential presidential election of our lifetimes .
Our mission has never been more vital than it is in this moment : to empower you through understanding .
But our distinctive brand of explanatory journalism takes resources — particularly during a pandemic and an economic downturn .
Even when the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , your support will be a critical part of sustaining our resource-intensive work , and helping everyone make sense of an increasingly chaotic world .
Contribute today from as little as $ 3 .

We know Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony like we know the Top 40 — that striking opening melody of dun dun dun DUNNNN that builds in tempo and volume to a climactic restatement, leaving the listener in suspense. We’ve heard it in films and commercials. It’s been parodied in Saturday morning cartoons and disco-ized in Saturday Night Fever. The Fifth is a given, so much so that it blends into the background.
But how well do we really know this practically omnipresent piece of music? What’s so special about those famous opening notes? Of all the symphonies of the bewigged classical “greats,” why is this one still stuck in our heads more than two centuries later?
Beethoven's 5th — the postmodern megamix pic.twitter.com/0BIR5GJ878 — Switched On Pop (@SwitchedOnPop) September 8, 2020
We’re trying to answer these questions by giving Beethoven’s symphony the same treatment we give to pop songs by artists like Drake and Billie Eilish on our podcast Switched on Pop — this time with the accompaniment of the New York Philharmonic. The 5th, a new four-part series, breaks down the music and meaning of this inescapable symphony so that we can hear it with fresh ears.
In the first episode, which you can listen to now, we talk to the musicians of the Philharmonic about how the symphony’s stormy first movement comes to life. The orchestra has performed the Fifth almost 900 times since they debuted it in the US in 1842, so they know their way around it. Conductor Jaap van Zweden told us he feels the weight of that history every time he lifts his baton. “If you work with the New York Philharmonic, this piece is in their DNA from the first day they started to play concerts … it’s like a bloodline.”
Even so, every time the orchestra performs this work, there’s a tension in the air. Those opening notes are always “a very tricky moment” for van Zweden. More than 60 musicians have to come in together perfectly. They have to nail that famous theme because the whole symphony is riding on them.
According to van Zweden, this is “the most important thing when I walk onstage,” that the piece “should be one long line till the last note of the last movement … it is like almost one sentence.” He wants the audience on the edge of their seat, paying attention to each twist and turn in an instrumental epic.
If they get it right, van Zweden and his musicians create the start of a musical drama that ricochets between victory and defeat over four movements. To hear it, we have to listen like a pop fan from the 1800s, to translate the symphony’s abstract melodies into heroes and villains.
When the drama of the symphony comes into focus, we can better assess what it means to us today, and decide how we want to commemorate a composer who represents liberation and resilience for some, elitism and exclusion for others. The Fifth is the key to unlocking Beethoven’s complicated legacy — and it all starts with the first four notes. Dun dun dun DUNNNN.
The first episode of The 5th is available now.
Subscribe to Switched on Pop wherever you find podcasts, including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.


vox--2020-09-08--The Senate is back from recess — and still at an impasse over stimulus

The Senate is back from its summer recess this week , though it ’ s unclear what — if anything — that means for progress on more stimulus for Americans dealing with the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic .
On the one hand , there is some movement : Senate Republicans have announced a vote on a new “ skinny ” stimulus bill , which is much narrower than what Democrats have proposed , that could take place as early as Thursday .
According to Bloomberg , this bill is slated to include $ 500 billion to $ 700 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the $ 2.2 trillion Democrats have said they ’ re interested in allocating .
That figure is down from the more than $ 3 trillion opening bid Democrats proposed in May .
Republicans ’ proposal contains funding for a weekly $ 300 unemployment insurance supplement as well as support for school reopenings , the US Postal Service , small businesses and coronavirus testing .
It does not include , however , additional money for state and local governments , or another stimulus check similar to the one-time $ 1,200 payment issued to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in adjusted gross income .
Republicans introduced their new “ skinny ” bill Tuesday afternoon , and the vote on it will mark the most significant action the upper chamber has taken on a stimulus proposal in months .
However , the bill is effectively a messaging vehicle , allowing Republicans to point to a tangible effort they ’ ve made to get aid out to people , and to put pressure on Democrats , who are expected to vote against it .
( The House passed the HEROES Act in May , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it up since . )
Because of Democratic opposition , the bill likely won ’ t get the 60 votes it needs to clear a filibuster threshold and advance .
If it fails , Congress will ultimately be left at the same impasse it has been stuck at for weeks .
And against this backdrop , this week ’ s vote functions primarily as a way for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to squeeze Democrats on a reduced aid proposal , while ginning up campaign material for battleground lawmakers .
“ Working families @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrat leaders think citizens ’ pain may help their political fortunes , ” McConnell said in a statement on Tuesday .
“ The Senate will vote and the American people will be watching.
” Democrats have long said that the scope of the current economic crisis , which has resulted in more than 30 million people filing for unemployment , over 100,000 small businesses closing permanently , and thousands of evictions , requires an expansive solution , which Republicans have balked at .
Democrats have also emphasized that they passed stimulus legislation in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aren ’ t the ones dragging their feet .
“ This emaciated bill is only intended to help vulnerable Republican Senators by giving them a ‘ check the box ’ vote to maintain the appearance that they ’ re not held hostage by their extreme right-wing that doesn ’ t want to spend a nickel to help people , ” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a Tuesday statement responding to Republicans ’ plans .
While it ’ s possible a failed vote on the Republican bill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ongoing stimulus negotiations , and push both parties to offer fresh concessions , it ’ s also likely that the current stalemate will simply continue .
In the meantime , millions of Americans are still waiting on much-needed aid .
Senate Republicans are trying to put pressure on Democrats Republicans ’ vote on their “ skinny ” bill this week is an effort to put further heat on the Democrats as November ’ s general election approaches .
According to a CNBC/Change Research survey that came out in early August , voters in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ equally for the expiration of enhanced unemployment insurance .
More Republican senators than Democrats , however , are vulnerable this cycle , according to Cook Political Report , meaning equal blame could nevertheless result in greater electoral losses for the GOP come November .
Since Democrats are expected to vote down Republicans ’ bill this week , the GOP could use this fact as campaign fodder in key swing states including Arizona and North Carolina , two of the places that are seen as narrow toss-ups that could ultimately determine which party controls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Pelosi noted , incumbent Republicans in battleground states could use this vote to argue that they ’ re focused on helping their constituents while Democrats are obstructing aid .
The issue with this framing , though , is that it omits Republicans ’ longstanding role in blocking a more expansive aid package — including the extension of a weekly $ 600 in supplementary unemployment insurance .
For months , Republicans have resisted supporting a more generous stimulus package because a notable faction in their conference , led by critics including Sens .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ averse to any additions to the deficit .
Earlier this summer , for example , McConnell offered up a trillion-dollar proposal that garnered internal pushback .
The amount any package allocates for unemployment insurance as well as funding for state and local governments is a recurring point Republicans have cited in their opposition to more stimulus .
They ’ ve argued that the weekly supplement should be reduced , so people aren ’ t incentivized to stay on unemployment instead of returning to work , and have suggested that states will use federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facing before the coronavirus pandemic .
Democrats , meanwhile , note that there aren ’ t presently enough jobs for people to return to — and argue states are in desperate need of funds because of the pandemic itself , pointing to cuts to key social services that states have already had to make due to revenue shortfalls .
The expected failure of the bill vote this week will likely add some pressure to both parties , with Republicans compelled to continue working toward a compromise and Democrats forced to continue explaining their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s been offered .
The impasse has persisted as another government funding deadline approaches While the vote this week could help spur new action , it could also leave lawmakers in pretty much the same place they ’ ve been for some time .
If the outcome is the latter , Congress has a few weeks until it ’ s set to leave for recess yet again in early October to attempt another round of negotiations — and get something done .
Recently , there has been some indication that both Republicans and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The president and I believe we should do more stimulus , ” Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin , one of the main negotiators for the White House , said during an appearance on Fox News Sunday over the weekend .
Democrats , too , have said they ’ re eager to approve more funding , though they ’ ve stood firm on avoiding narrower measures .
“ Democrats want to work on bipartisan legislation that will meet the urgent needs of the American people but Republicans continue to move in the wrong direction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The negotiations on the stimulus are also taking place as a deadline over government funding looms at the end of this month .
If that deadline isn ’ t met , the federal government will be forced to shut down , lacking the funds needed to pay worker salaries and maintain services run by agencies including the IRS and the Food and Drug Administration .
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have signaled , however , that they ’ re open to advancing a continuing resolution that would keep the government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any potential government shutdown .
At the very least , they appear keen to avoid that particular disagreement for now .
Help keep Vox free for all Millions turn to Vox each month to understand what ’ s happening in the news , from the coronavirus crisis to a racial reckoning to what is , quite possibly , the most consequential presidential election of our lifetimes .
Our mission has never been more vital than it is in this moment : to empower you through understanding .
But our distinctive brand of explanatory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic and an economic downturn .
Even when the economy and the news advertising market recovers , your support will be a critical part of sustaining our resource-intensive work , and helping everyone make sense of an increasingly chaotic world .
Contribute today from as little as $ 3 .

The Senate is back from its summer recess this week, though it’s unclear what — if anything — that means for progress on more stimulus for Americans dealing with the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic.
On the one hand, there is some movement: Senate Republicans have announced a vote on a new “skinny” stimulus bill, which is much narrower than what Democrats have proposed, that could take place as early as Thursday. According to Bloomberg, this bill is slated to include $500 billion to $700 billion in aid, a far cry from the $2.2 trillion Democrats have said they’re interested in allocating. That figure is down from the more than $3 trillion opening bid Democrats proposed in May.
Republicans’ proposal contains funding for a weekly $300 unemployment insurance supplement as well as support for school reopenings, the US Postal Service, small businesses and coronavirus testing. It does not include, however, additional money for state and local governments, or another stimulus check similar to the one-time $1,200 payment issued to all Americans making $75,000 or less in adjusted gross income.
Republicans introduced their new “skinny” bill Tuesday afternoon, and the vote on it will mark the most significant action the upper chamber has taken on a stimulus proposal in months. However, the bill is effectively a messaging vehicle, allowing Republicans to point to a tangible effort they’ve made to get aid out to people, and to put pressure on Democrats, who are expected to vote against it. (The House passed the HEROES Act in May, but the Senate has declined to take it up since.)
Because of Democratic opposition, the bill likely won’t get the 60 votes it needs to clear a filibuster threshold and advance. If it fails, Congress will ultimately be left at the same impasse it has been stuck at for weeks. And against this backdrop, this week’s vote functions primarily as a way for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to squeeze Democrats on a reduced aid proposal, while ginning up campaign material for battleground lawmakers.
“Working families must not suffer more than necessary because Democrat leaders think citizens’ pain may help their political fortunes,” McConnell said in a statement on Tuesday. “The Senate will vote and the American people will be watching.”
Democrats have long said that the scope of the current economic crisis, which has resulted in more than 30 million people filing for unemployment, over 100,000 small businesses closing permanently, and thousands of evictions, requires an expansive solution, which Republicans have balked at. Democrats have also emphasized that they passed stimulus legislation in the House three months ago — and aren’t the ones dragging their feet.
“This emaciated bill is only intended to help vulnerable Republican Senators by giving them a ‘check the box’ vote to maintain the appearance that they’re not held hostage by their extreme right-wing that doesn’t want to spend a nickel to help people,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a Tuesday statement responding to Republicans’ plans.
While it’s possible a failed vote on the Republican bill this week could inject new energy into ongoing stimulus negotiations, and push both parties to offer fresh concessions, it’s also likely that the current stalemate will simply continue. In the meantime, millions of Americans are still waiting on much-needed aid.
Senate Republicans are trying to put pressure on Democrats
Republicans’ vote on their “skinny” bill this week is an effort to put further heat on the Democrats as November’s general election approaches. According to a CNBC/Change Research survey that came out in early August, voters in swing states have blamed both parties roughly equally for the expiration of enhanced unemployment insurance. More Republican senators than Democrats, however, are vulnerable this cycle, according to Cook Political Report, meaning equal blame could nevertheless result in greater electoral losses for the GOP come November.
Since Democrats are expected to vote down Republicans’ bill this week, the GOP could use this fact as campaign fodder in key swing states including Arizona and North Carolina, two of the places that are seen as narrow toss-ups that could ultimately determine which party controls the Senate next term. As Schumer and Pelosi noted, incumbent Republicans in battleground states could use this vote to argue that they’re focused on helping their constituents while Democrats are obstructing aid.
The issue with this framing, though, is that it omits Republicans’ longstanding role in blocking a more expansive aid package — including the extension of a weekly $600 in supplementary unemployment insurance.
For months, Republicans have resisted supporting a more generous stimulus package because a notable faction in their conference, led by critics including Sens. Rand Paul and Ted Cruz, is averse to any additions to the deficit. Earlier this summer, for example, McConnell offered up a trillion-dollar proposal that garnered internal pushback.
The amount any package allocates for unemployment insurance as well as funding for state and local governments is a recurring point Republicans have cited in their opposition to more stimulus. They’ve argued that the weekly supplement should be reduced, so people aren’t incentivized to stay on unemployment instead of returning to work, and have suggested that states will use federal funding to address budget gaps they were facing before the coronavirus pandemic. Democrats, meanwhile, note that there aren’t presently enough jobs for people to return to — and argue states are in desperate need of funds because of the pandemic itself, pointing to cuts to key social services that states have already had to make due to revenue shortfalls.
The expected failure of the bill vote this week will likely add some pressure to both parties, with Republicans compelled to continue working toward a compromise and Democrats forced to continue explaining their opposition to the limited funding that’s been offered.
The impasse has persisted as another government funding deadline approaches
While the vote this week could help spur new action, it could also leave lawmakers in pretty much the same place they’ve been for some time. If the outcome is the latter, Congress has a few weeks until it’s set to leave for recess yet again in early October to attempt another round of negotiations — and get something done. Recently, there has been some indication that both Republicans and Democrats are willing to negotiate further.
“The president and I believe we should do more stimulus,” Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, one of the main negotiators for the White House, said during an appearance on Fox News Sunday over the weekend. Democrats, too, have said they’re eager to approve more funding, though they’ve stood firm on avoiding narrower measures.
“Democrats want to work on bipartisan legislation that will meet the urgent needs of the American people but Republicans continue to move in the wrong direction,” Schumer and Pelosi said Tuesday.
The negotiations on the stimulus are also taking place as a deadline over government funding looms at the end of this month. If that deadline isn’t met, the federal government will be forced to shut down, lacking the funds needed to pay worker salaries and maintain services run by agencies including the IRS and the Food and Drug Administration.
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have signaled, however, that they’re open to advancing a continuing resolution that would keep the government funded in the short term, preventing any potential government shutdown.
At the very least, they appear keen to avoid that particular disagreement for now.


vox--2020-09-08--Live results for the New Hampshire and Rhode Island primaries

The second-to-last primaries of the 2020 election cycle take place Tuesday , when voters in New Hampshire and Rhode Island head to the polls .
In New Hampshire , most of the interesting action is on the Republican side of the ticket .
GOP voters there will choose nominees who will try to unseat two Democrats : Freshman Rep. Chris Pappas in the First Congressional District , and two-term Sen. Jeanne Shaheen .
Both of those primaries will test President Donald Trump ’ s influence with the state ’ s Republicans .
Trump not only endorsed candidates in each race @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Senate , and former State Department official Matt Mowers in the House contest ) but also gave both of them a shoutout during his August 28 rally in the state .
New Hampshire Democrats will get to weigh in on one noteworthy race as they select their nominee for this fall ’ s gubernatorial election , who will likely run against popular Republican incumbent Gov .
Chris Sununu .
The Rhode Island primaries are all but decided : Of the state ’ s three US House and Senate races on the ballot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — in the state ’ s Second Congressional District — has an active primary Tuesday .
Vox is covering the results live , with our partners at Decision Desk HQ .
One of New Hampshire ’ s most interesting primaries Tuesday will take place in the state ’ s First Congressional District .
Of the five candidates vying to unseat freshman Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas , two Matts have emerged as frontrunners : The Trump-endorsed Matt Mowers and Air Force veteran Matt Mayberry .
Mowers has fundraised about quadruple what Mayberry has .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ nominee from a four-person field .
Two Army veterans have risen to the top of the pack : Trump-endorsed lawyer Bryant “ Corky ” Messner and Don Bolduc .
Messner leads Bolduc both in fundraising — having raked in more than $ 4 million as of August 19 , while Bolduc had less than a quarter of that — and in noteworthy endorsements ( those of Sens .
Rand Paul and Tom Cotton , in addition to Trump ’ s ) .
Whoever wins will go on to face — and likely lose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a race that Inside Elections rated “ solid Democratic.
” New Hampshire Executive Councilor Andru Volinsky , who helps administer the state government as an elected member of the executive branch , and state Senate Majority Leader Dan Feltes are competing to be the Democratic nominee for governor .
Both men are Concord-based attorneys who have done stints representing low-income defendants ( Feltes at a legal advocacy organization ; Volinsky as a public defender ) before they became public officials .
They share strong critiques of Sununu and agree on a number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s John DiStaso has explained , they have a few differences when it comes to climate and tax policy .
“ Their divergent views on broad-based tax means the primary could be defining moment for the future of the Democratic Party in New Hampshire , ” DiStaso wrote in August .
Traditionally , Democrats running statewide have pledged to veto tax increases ; Volinsky , while not proposing taxes of his own , has refused to make that promise .
Volinsky has also been endorsed by progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders ; in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Sanders ’ campaign in New Hampshire .
Republican incumbent Gov .
Chris Sununu has a primary to weather as well , but the popular governor is expected to coast to victory .
Seven in 10 likely voters approve of Sununu ’ s time in office , a number that jumps to 94 percent for Republicans , according to a University of New Hampshire poll taken August 28 to September 1 .
That advantage should serve him well come November : He leads over both of his most likely opponents by more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Poll closings vary by municipality , but polls will remain open until at least 7 pm local time .
In Rhode Island ’ s Second Congressional District , longtime Democratic Rep. Jim Langevin is fending off a primary challenge from lawyer Dylan Conley .
With $ 1.3 million in the bank as of August 19 , Langevin has a significant fundraising advantage over Conley , who had just $ 9,000 , according to Roll Call .
The district ’ s Republican voters will also pick their candidate to challenge Langevin .
Whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unsuccessfully ran for the seat in the 2012 primary ) or Bob Lancia ( a former state representative ) who wins on Tuesday , they ’ ll face a steep uphill battle in November : Langevin has won the solidly Democratic district 10 times running .
In counties holding primary elections , polls close at 8 pm ET .
Help keep Vox free for all Millions turn to Vox each month to understand what ’ s happening in the news , from the coronavirus crisis to a racial reckoning to what is , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election of our lifetimes .
Our mission has never been more vital than it is in this moment : to empower you through understanding .
But our distinctive brand of explanatory journalism takes resources — particularly during a pandemic and an economic downturn .
Even when the economy and the news advertising market recovers , your support will be a critical part of sustaining our resource-intensive work , and helping everyone make sense of an increasingly chaotic world .
Contribute today from as little as $ 3 .

The second-to-last primaries of the 2020 election cycle take place Tuesday, when voters in New Hampshire and Rhode Island head to the polls.
In New Hampshire, most of the interesting action is on the Republican side of the ticket. GOP voters there will choose nominees who will try to unseat two Democrats: Freshman Rep. Chris Pappas in the First Congressional District, and two-term Sen. Jeanne Shaheen.
Both of those primaries will test President Donald Trump’s influence with the state’s Republicans. Trump not only endorsed candidates in each race (lawyer Bryant “Corky” Messner for Senate, and former State Department official Matt Mowers in the House contest) but also gave both of them a shoutout during his August 28 rally in the state.
New Hampshire Democrats will get to weigh in on one noteworthy race as they select their nominee for this fall’s gubernatorial election, who will likely run against popular Republican incumbent Gov. Chris Sununu.
The Rhode Island primaries are all but decided: Of the state’s three US House and Senate races on the ballot come November, only one of them — in the state’s Second Congressional District — has an active primary Tuesday.
Vox is covering the results live, with our partners at Decision Desk HQ.
New Hampshire live results
One of New Hampshire’s most interesting primaries Tuesday will take place in the state’s First Congressional District. Of the five candidates vying to unseat freshman Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas, two Matts have emerged as frontrunners: The Trump-endorsed Matt Mowers and Air Force veteran Matt Mayberry. Mowers has fundraised about quadruple what Mayberry has.
Republican voters will also pick a Senate nominee from a four-person field. Two Army veterans have risen to the top of the pack: Trump-endorsed lawyer Bryant “Corky” Messner and Don Bolduc. Messner leads Bolduc both in fundraising — having raked in more than $4 million as of August 19, while Bolduc had less than a quarter of that — and in noteworthy endorsements (those of Sens. Rand Paul and Tom Cotton, in addition to Trump’s). Whoever wins will go on to face — and likely lose to — Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, in a race that Inside Elections rated “solid Democratic.”
New Hampshire Executive Councilor Andru Volinsky, who helps administer the state government as an elected member of the executive branch, and state Senate Majority Leader Dan Feltes are competing to be the Democratic nominee for governor. Both men are Concord-based attorneys who have done stints representing low-income defendants (Feltes at a legal advocacy organization; Volinsky as a public defender) before they became public officials. They share strong critiques of Sununu and agree on a number of policy issues.
But as WMUR9’s John DiStaso has explained, they have a few differences when it comes to climate and tax policy. “Their divergent views on broad-based tax means the primary could be defining moment for the future of the Democratic Party in New Hampshire,” DiStaso wrote in August. Traditionally, Democrats running statewide have pledged to veto tax increases; Volinsky, while not proposing taxes of his own, has refused to make that promise. Volinsky has also been endorsed by progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders; in 2016, he served as legal counsel to Sanders’ campaign in New Hampshire.
Republican incumbent Gov. Chris Sununu has a primary to weather as well, but the popular governor is expected to coast to victory. Seven in 10 likely voters approve of Sununu’s time in office, a number that jumps to 94 percent for Republicans, according to a University of New Hampshire poll taken August 28 to September 1. That advantage should serve him well come November: He leads over both of his most likely opponents by more than 20 points, per the same poll.
Poll closings vary by municipality, but polls will remain open until at least 7 pm local time.
Rhode Island live results
In Rhode Island’s Second Congressional District, longtime Democratic Rep. Jim Langevin is fending off a primary challenge from lawyer Dylan Conley. With $1.3 million in the bank as of August 19, Langevin has a significant fundraising advantage over Conley, who had just $9,000, according to Roll Call.
The district’s Republican voters will also pick their candidate to challenge Langevin. Whether it’s Donald Robbio (who unsuccessfully ran for the seat in the 2012 primary) or Bob Lancia (a former state representative) who wins on Tuesday, they’ll face a steep uphill battle in November: Langevin has won the solidly Democratic district 10 times running.
In counties holding primary elections, polls close at 8 pm ET.
ntribute today from as little as $3.


vox--2020-09-08--Two experts explain why solving the housing crisis helps the climate

There ’ s a saying that California ’ s present is America ’ s future , and this summer has done much to bolster that impression .
The wildfires ravaging the state are the most visceral demonstration yet of what climate change can do to the US .
Those fires are largely fought by prison laborers , who are in short supply due to Covid-19 outbreaks , bringing two of America ’ s other big crises into the mix .
And the recession caused by Covid-19 is prompting fears of mass evictions in the state , as in much of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these varied crises is housing .
California ’ s housing shortage and upward rent spirals in places like the Bay Area and Los Angeles are perhaps the worst of anywhere in the US .
The success of the tech industry in San Francisco and its environs ( and increasingly Southern California too ) has brought incredible prosperity , but without homes for migrants to live in , it ’ s also boosted property values to unprecedented levels , pricing out all but the richest residents from many neighborhoods .
I was lucky enough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California working to adopt policy changes that would create enough housing to meet the state ’ s needs , and perhaps construct a framework that other states can emulate to meet housing demand .
Annie Fryman is a senior adviser focusing on housing policy to state Sen. Scott Wiener , a Democrat whose district includes San Francisco and some surrounding areas .
Fryman helped Wiener design both successful ( as in SB 35 , a law that streamlines approval of housing projects in municipalities that have failed to build enough housing ) and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that sought to dramatically increase housing near transit ) measures that seek to expand housing supply in the state .
SB 50 in particular has been the center of heated debate given how sweeping and ambitious it is in expanding rights to build new multifamily housing units in an attempt to provide housing for all .
When we spoke , Fryman and Wiener had just been narrowly defeated in efforts to legalize duplex housing statewide in neighborhoods previously zoned only for single-family houses .
Leonora Camner is the executive director of Abundant Housing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ group “ committed to education and advocacy on the affordability , livability , and sustainability benefits of more housing ” in Southern California .
Camner also serves on the housing commission for her home city of Santa Monica .
Fryman , Camner , and I came together over Zoom to discuss the duplex bill , the racist history of zoning in California , how better land use policy can help fight climate change , and much , much more .
It ’ s a great conversation .
My full conversation with Fryman and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Subscribe to Future Perfect wherever you get your podcasts , including Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , Spotify , and Stitcher .
Help keep Vox free for all Millions turn to Vox each month to understand what ’ s happening in the news , from the coronavirus crisis to a racial reckoning to what is , quite possibly , the most consequential presidential election of our lifetimes .
Our mission has never been more vital than it is in this moment : to empower you through understanding .
But our distinctive brand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during a pandemic and an economic downturn .
Even when the economy and the news advertising market recovers , your support will be a critical part of sustaining our resource-intensive work , and helping everyone make sense of an increasingly chaotic world .
Contribute today from as little as $ 3 .

There’s a saying that California’s present is America’s future, and this summer has done much to bolster that impression. The wildfires ravaging the state are the most visceral demonstration yet of what climate change can do to the US. Those fires are largely fought by prison laborers, who are in short supply due to Covid-19 outbreaks, bringing two of America’s other big crises into the mix. And the recession caused by Covid-19 is prompting fears of mass evictions in the state, as in much of the country.
At the center of these varied crises is housing. California’s housing shortage and upward rent spirals in places like the Bay Area and Los Angeles are perhaps the worst of anywhere in the US. The success of the tech industry in San Francisco and its environs (and increasingly Southern California too) has brought incredible prosperity, but without homes for migrants to live in, it’s also boosted property values to unprecedented levels, pricing out all but the richest residents from many neighborhoods.
I was lucky enough to talk recently to two activists in California working to adopt policy changes that would create enough housing to meet the state’s needs, and perhaps construct a framework that other states can emulate to meet housing demand.
Annie Fryman is a senior adviser focusing on housing policy to state Sen. Scott Wiener, a Democrat whose district includes San Francisco and some surrounding areas. Fryman helped Wiener design both successful (as in SB 35, a law that streamlines approval of housing projects in municipalities that have failed to build enough housing) and unsuccessful (SB 50, a law that sought to dramatically increase housing near transit) measures that seek to expand housing supply in the state.
SB 50 in particular has been the center of heated debate given how sweeping and ambitious it is in expanding rights to build new multifamily housing units in an attempt to provide housing for all. When we spoke, Fryman and Wiener had just been narrowly defeated in efforts to legalize duplex housing statewide in neighborhoods previously zoned only for single-family houses.
Leonora Camner is the executive director of Abundant Housing LA, a nonprofit, volunteer-driven advocacy group “committed to education and advocacy on the affordability, livability, and sustainability benefits of more housing” in Southern California. Camner also serves on the housing commission for her home city of Santa Monica.
Fryman, Camner, and I came together over Zoom to discuss the duplex bill, the racist history of zoning in California, how better land use policy can help fight climate change, and much, much more. It’s a great conversation.
My full conversation with Fryman and Camner can be heard on Future Perfect.
Subscribe to Future Perfect wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.


vox--2020-09-08--Apple fires back at Epic Games in the latest legal wrangling over Fortnite

Fortnite has released its latest season , but millions of its players won ’ t be able to enjoy it : The game has been pulled from Apple ’ s App Store , leaving iOS and macOS users unable to update to the highly anticipated Season 4 .
But this struggle is bigger than one update , one game , or even one company .
Fortnite ’ s Apple user base is the newest casualty in a years-long antitrust battle between developers and one of the world ’ s richest companies .
Epic Games sued Apple in mid-August , claiming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ practices violate the Sherman Act .
Epic says that Apple ’ s requirement that all mobile apps come through its App Store ( and the 30 percent commission Apple charges for app sales and in-app purchases ) is a monopoly , and that Epic — as well as its fellow developers and their customers — should have alternatives .
On September 8 , Apple filed its response , and asked a federal judge to award it damages .
Apple , a $ 2 trillion company , has not only refused to consider changing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also kicked Fortnite out of the App Store .
Apple also wanted to cut off Epic ’ s access to its developer tools program , which would have affected any apps that use Epic ’ s Unreal Engine .
While a court granted Epic ’ s request for a temporary restraining order that prevented Apple from doing so until a hearing next month , it would not force Apple to restore Fortnite to the App Store .
So the game remains banned , leaving iOS and macOS players unable to update their apps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also means they can only play other Apple users who are also stuck in Season 3 , as the rest of the Fortnite community update to the new season .
For its part , Apple has said that Fortnite will be allowed back into the App Store if and when it follows the store ’ s terms and conditions .
As Recode ’ s Peter Kafka explained , apps on Apple mobile devices have to go through the company ’ s App Store , which charges a 30 percent commission for app purchases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the app itself .
As a “ freemium ” game , Fortnite makes all of its money through in-app purchases of its virtual currency , and Apple gets a cut of that .
When Epic attempted to get around this by offering customers the option of purchasing Fortnite currency directly from Epic at a discount , Apple kicked Fortnite out of the store for violating its terms of service .
Epic responded with a lawsuit , joining an ever-louder chorus of developers and legislators who have accused the App Store of monopolistic practices @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apps offered on its devices .
And now Apple is firing back with a lawsuit of its own .
At a hearing scheduled for September 28 , a judge will decide whether or not Epic will get a preliminary injunction that will force Apple to let Fortnite back into the App Store .
And this is surely only the beginning of a protracted legal battle .
The outcome of all this could significantly change the app ecosystem Apple helped create , possibly to developers ’ and consumers ’ benefits .
Right now , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ App Store can be mutually beneficial to Apple and app developers When the App Store launched on iPhones in 2008 , it was pitched as a win-win .
Developers would have easy access to Apple users as well as tools to create and sell the apps they made — all of which was especially good for small developers that didn ’ t have the resources to do so otherwise .
In return , Apple would get a rapidly expanding roster of apps to offer its consumers and a steady stream of cash from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of paid apps as well as in-app purchases .
This concept has largely been a success .
The App Store now offers millions of apps , and Apple says that in 2019 alone it generated more than $ 500 billion , most of which was not subject to the 30 percent commission Apple takes off in-app purchases and paid apps .
Because the App Store is the only way consumers can get apps on their iOS devices , Apple has been able to make whatever rules and set whatever prices it wants around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ therefore , have to agree to them or else lose their access to hundreds of millions of potential customers .
For years , developers have complained about this , but they ’ ve had little recourse .
As Epic recently found out , if you break the rules , you get banned .
Developers have also accused Apple of using inside knowledge about which apps do well to inform its own decisions about which native apps to develop .
Many of those Apple-made apps come preloaded on iOS devices and can ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pushed to customers in a way that third-party versions are not .
Apple also gives its native apps access to certain features , like Siri , that third-party apps don ’ t have , although the company has recently made efforts to give third-party apps that access .
These complaints , brewing for years , are now coming to the forefront as a handful of major developers protest against the perceived monopoly .
Epic is far from the only company to complain about the App Store .
Spotify has been especially vocal .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ antitrust complaint with the European Commission in March 2019 , saying it was forced to increase subscription rates for in-app subscriptions to make up for Apple ’ s fee .
( Subscription services like Spotify are charged a 30 percent commission for their first year , after which it ’ s 15 percent . )
Spotify has also claimed that Apple made its own rival streaming music service , Apple Music , after seeing Spotify ’ s success on its platform .
Prompted by Spotify ’ s complaint , the European Commission announced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Apple for antitrust violations .
If the company is found to have violated the EC ’ s antitrust rules , consequences for Apple could be severe : a fine of up to 10 percent of the company ’ s annual revenue .
There have been legal issues in the United States , too .
A few months after Spotify ’ s complaint in June 2019 , American developers sued Apple , saying its rules and the lack of an app store alternative gave the company an unfair monopoly and drove up prices .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in May 2019 gave the green light to a class-action lawsuit from iPhone owners accusing Apple ’ s App Store of violating antitrust laws .
If Apple loses the lawsuit — or decides to settle — the company could be on the hook for a massive payout to millions of App Store customers .
Apple may also decide to change its App Store policies to avoid more lawsuits and payouts .
As for Epic , it has long been a critic of app store commissions in general .
The company even refused to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ store until April 2020 , but because Android doesn ’ t force users to get apps through that store , Android users could still get the game .
This wasn ’ t possible for its Apple customers , and Fortnite has been in the App Store since 2018 .
According to the Wall Street Journal , the game has been downloaded on more than 130 million Apple devices and generated $ 1.2 billion in App Store spending — a tidy sum for Epic and Apple , but apparently not enough for Epic .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Apple and Google to ban Fortnite from their stores by offering users the option to purchase virtual currency from Epic within the app , violating both companies ’ rules .
Both companies responded by banning Fortnite .
Epic responded by suing both companies .
It ’ s also mobilized its user base on social media , releasing a cheeky video and encouraging its users to share the hashtag # FreeFortnite .
Following the Epic lawsuit , Facebook — which has its own antitrust issues — jumped on the bandwagon , claiming that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ businesses using Facebook ’ s new paid events feature .
Facebook is urging Apple to temporarily waive its commission , as Facebook is waiving its own commissions on the new feature for a year , giving any and all paid events proceeds to the pages that offer them .
The social media giant framed this as a way to help businesses struggling during the Covid-19 pandemic , and as a result , Apple ’ s refusal to waive the fee could be seen as harmful to those businesses .
Apple claims that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the costs it incurs to host the apps .
This includes peace of mind , as requiring consumers to download apps directly from the App Store helps the company ensure they meet certain standards and are secure — which is especially important when it comes to things like credit card information .
The origins of the 30 percent cut are from the cut that Apple took from iTunes sales — between 30 and 40 percent per track .
Back when the App Store was introduced , then-CEO Steve Jobs said the 30 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for running the store , ” and that Apple didn ’ t “ intend to make any money ” from it .
That may have been true in 2008 when the App Store launched with a few hundred apps , but Apple now makes billions from App Store commissions every year .
Apple also maintains that the vast majority of App Store apps are free , which means most of the apps benefit from the App Store ecosystem while giving Apple nothing in return .
Free apps usually make their money from ads @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parties , which Apple doesn ’ t get a cut of .
Apple has also pointed out in a recent study it commissioned that its commission is on par with the rest of the industry .
But this ignores the fact that the industry was created by Apple in the first place and that other app stores followed its lead when setting their own commissions .
What this means for customers So , what does this all mean for you , the Apple App Store customer ?
Right now , it means you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if you already have it , you can ’ t download updates — which means you can ’ t play the new Season 4 .
You can still play Season 3 , but your opponents will be limited to fellow Apple players .
Everyone with a non-iOS device that has an updated app will move to Season 4 , and inter-season battles are impossible .
Players who use other platforms will also feel the effects if they can ’ t play their friends with Apple devices .
Just how long this will last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agrees to the other ’ s demands — or which company prevails if this drags on long enough to reach the courtroom .
Beyond Fortnite , Apple users may also be paying inflated prices for paid apps and in-app purchases that were set so developers could account for that 30 percent commission .
As some developers have decided to forgo in-app purchases entirely to avoid paying Apple a commission , you might have taken the extra step of paying for app subscriptions on developers ’ websites rather than through the apps themselves .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ apps ” like Spotify and Netflix , but Fortnite does not qualify .
Apple ’ s rules also don ’ t make it easy for customers to figure out how to do this : As evidenced by Fortnite ’ s removal from its store , Apple is now digging in its heels and defending these policies .
But the company has given in on occasion — for instance , by allowing “ premium ” video providers like Amazon Prime Video to use its own payment systems for in-app purchases and avoid the 30 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be seen if providers like Disney , which debuted its “ Premier Access ” for Disney+ subscribers on September 4 with a $ 29.99 Mulan rental , will qualify for this or if it will be forced to either pay the commission or go the Spotify route to circumvent in-app purchases . )
In a slight relaxing of the status quo , the upcoming iOS 14 will allow users to set third-party apps as their default email and web browsing apps for the first time .
But these concessions have also fueled developer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arbitrarily enforced and preference is given to some companies over others .
None of this is a good look for Apple as antitrust investigations into it , both in the United States and abroad , heat up .
Sen. Elizabeth Warren has helped lead this charge , saying in March 2019 that Apple should have to choose between selling apps and offering an app store .
To do both gives the company an unfair advantage over its competitors .
“ Apple and Google have bullied competitors who need their platform just to exist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and services , ” Warren told Recode .
“ If we let companies act as both the umpire and one of the teams competing , they will continue to rig the game in their favor.
” In January 2020 , CEOs from a few smaller companies testified before the House antitrust subcommittee about how tech giants , including Apple , have so much control and power that they usually own the market and offer their own products in it , making it impossible for other companies to compete .
“ After years of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ small businesses are beginning to speak out about the monopoly power of the tech giants , ” Stacy Mitchell , the co-director of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance and well-known thorn in Big Tech ’ s side , told Recode .
“ The tech platforms are a major threat to innovation and entrepreneurship .
Developers and small firms are starting to tell their stories — and more than just about anything else , that ’ s driving momentum in Congress , and it ’ s making it clear how much the antitrust agencies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lost time.
” One way Apple could possibly avoid antitrust regulation — and satisfy Epic Games — is by allowing its mobile devices to obtain apps outside of the App Store , as Android does .
This could give more money to developers and allow them to charge users less .
But it also introduces new risks to the users if alternate app stores don ’ t have the same security standards as Apple or its in-app purchasing system .
Consumers trust Apple , and it has a track record to back that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have nearly as many security and malware issues that Android apps do .
Part of the reason that Apple ’ s security reputation is much better is because the company strives to control every aspect of its devices , including the apps and security measures they ’ re forced to put in place .
Consumers pay a premium for this , and so do developers .
There ’ s also the possibility that Apple will be able to insist on continuing to operate as normal .
Developers will have to decide if the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Apple ’ s consumers .
If enough of them remove their apps from the store , consumers may well decide to purchase a device with a different operating system that gives them access to the apps the App Store doesn ’ t .
If they stay , Apple ’ s large cut may mean less money to the developer that would go toward improving existing apps or creating more , or that customers are paying more than they otherwise would if the App Store had some competition .
Apple , which once dealt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a services company — which means its income is also increasingly coming from those services rather than sales .
Cutting off some of that income , either by giving developers an App Store alternative or lowering the commission , will likely force the company to make up that money some other way .
And the customer always pays for that , one way or another .
Update , September 8 , 3 pm ET : This story has been updated to include new details about legal actions between Apple and Epic Games .
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Fortnite has released its latest season, but millions of its players won’t be able to enjoy it: The game has been pulled from Apple’s App Store, leaving iOS and macOS users unable to update to the highly anticipated Season 4. But this struggle is bigger than one update, one game, or even one company. Fortnite’s Apple user base is the newest casualty in a years-long antitrust battle between developers and one of the world’s richest companies.
Epic Games sued Apple in mid-August, claiming that the company’s App Store practices violate the Sherman Act. Epic says that Apple’s requirement that all mobile apps come through its App Store (and the 30 percent commission Apple charges for app sales and in-app purchases) is a monopoly, and that Epic — as well as its fellow developers and their customers — should have alternatives. On September 8, Apple filed its response, and asked a federal judge to award it damages.
Apple, a $2 trillion company, has not only refused to consider changing its lucrative business model, but it also kicked Fortnite out of the App Store. Apple also wanted to cut off Epic’s access to its developer tools program, which would have affected any apps that use Epic’s Unreal Engine. While a court granted Epic’s request for a temporary restraining order that prevented Apple from doing so until a hearing next month, it would not force Apple to restore Fortnite to the App Store. So the game remains banned, leaving iOS and macOS players unable to update their apps to the just-released Season 4. It also means they can only play other Apple users who are also stuck in Season 3, as the rest of the Fortnite community update to the new season. For its part, Apple has said that Fortnite will be allowed back into the App Store if and when it follows the store’s terms and conditions.
As Recode’s Peter Kafka explained, apps on Apple mobile devices have to go through the company’s App Store, which charges a 30 percent commission for app purchases as well as any purchases made within the app itself. As a “freemium” game, Fortnite makes all of its money through in-app purchases of its virtual currency, and Apple gets a cut of that. When Epic attempted to get around this by offering customers the option of purchasing Fortnite currency directly from Epic at a discount, Apple kicked Fortnite out of the store for violating its terms of service. Epic responded with a lawsuit, joining an ever-louder chorus of developers and legislators who have accused the App Store of monopolistic practices, given its total control over the apps offered on its devices. And now Apple is firing back with a lawsuit of its own.
At a hearing scheduled for September 28, a judge will decide whether or not Epic will get a preliminary injunction that will force Apple to let Fortnite back into the App Store. And this is surely only the beginning of a protracted legal battle. The outcome of all this could significantly change the app ecosystem Apple helped create, possibly to developers’ and consumers’ benefits. Right now, however, everyone is losing.
The App Store can be mutually beneficial to Apple and app developers
When the App Store launched on iPhones in 2008, it was pitched as a win-win. Developers would have easy access to Apple users as well as tools to create and sell the apps they made — all of which was especially good for small developers that didn’t have the resources to do so otherwise. In return, Apple would get a rapidly expanding roster of apps to offer its consumers and a steady stream of cash from commissions it took off the purchase price of paid apps as well as in-app purchases. This concept has largely been a success. The App Store now offers millions of apps, and Apple says that in 2019 alone it generated more than $500 billion, most of which was not subject to the 30 percent commission Apple takes off in-app purchases and paid apps.
Because the App Store is the only way consumers can get apps on their iOS devices, Apple has been able to make whatever rules and set whatever prices it wants around all app purchases. App developers, therefore, have to agree to them or else lose their access to hundreds of millions of potential customers. For years, developers have complained about this, but they’ve had little recourse. As Epic recently found out, if you break the rules, you get banned.
Developers have also accused Apple of using inside knowledge about which apps do well to inform its own decisions about which native apps to develop. Many of those Apple-made apps come preloaded on iOS devices and can’t be deleted, and they’re pushed to customers in a way that third-party versions are not. Apple also gives its native apps access to certain features, like Siri, that third-party apps don’t have, although the company has recently made efforts to give third-party apps that access.
These complaints, brewing for years, are now coming to the forefront as a handful of major developers protest against the perceived monopoly.
Developers are fighting back
Epic is far from the only company to complain about the App Store. Spotify has been especially vocal. The Sweden-based music streaming platform filed an antitrust complaint with the European Commission in March 2019, saying it was forced to increase subscription rates for in-app subscriptions to make up for Apple’s fee. (Subscription services like Spotify are charged a 30 percent commission for their first year, after which it’s 15 percent.) Spotify has also claimed that Apple made its own rival streaming music service, Apple Music, after seeing Spotify’s success on its platform.
Prompted by Spotify’s complaint, the European Commission announced in June 2020 that it was investigating Apple for antitrust violations. If the company is found to have violated the EC’s antitrust rules, consequences for Apple could be severe: a fine of up to 10 percent of the company’s annual revenue.
There have been legal issues in the United States, too. A few months after Spotify’s complaint in June 2019, American developers sued Apple, saying its rules and the lack of an app store alternative gave the company an unfair monopoly and drove up prices. This is after the Supreme Court ruling in May 2019 gave the green light to a class-action lawsuit from iPhone owners accusing Apple’s App Store of violating antitrust laws. If Apple loses the lawsuit — or decides to settle — the company could be on the hook for a massive payout to millions of App Store customers. Apple may also decide to change its App Store policies to avoid more lawsuits and payouts.
As for Epic, it has long been a critic of app store commissions in general. The company even refused to offer Fortnite in Google’s Play store until April 2020, but because Android doesn’t force users to get apps through that store, Android users could still get the game. This wasn’t possible for its Apple customers, and Fortnite has been in the App Store since 2018. According to the Wall Street Journal, the game has been downloaded on more than 130 million Apple devices and generated $1.2 billion in App Store spending — a tidy sum for Epic and Apple, but apparently not enough for Epic.
On August 13, Epic basically dared Apple and Google to ban Fortnite from their stores by offering users the option to purchase virtual currency from Epic within the app, violating both companies’ rules. Both companies responded by banning Fortnite. Epic responded by suing both companies. It’s also mobilized its user base on social media, releasing a cheeky video and encouraging its users to share the hashtag #FreeFortnite.
Following the Epic lawsuit, Facebook — which has its own antitrust issues — jumped on the bandwagon, claiming that the Apple tax will harm the pages and businesses using Facebook’s new paid events feature. Facebook is urging Apple to temporarily waive its commission, as Facebook is waiving its own commissions on the new feature for a year, giving any and all paid events proceeds to the pages that offer them. The social media giant framed this as a way to help businesses struggling during the Covid-19 pandemic, and as a result, Apple’s refusal to waive the fee could be seen as harmful to those businesses.
The App Store advantage
Apple claims that the 30 percent App Store commission helps pay for the costs it incurs to host the apps. This includes peace of mind, as requiring consumers to download apps directly from the App Store helps the company ensure they meet certain standards and are secure — which is especially important when it comes to things like credit card information.
The origins of the 30 percent cut are from the cut that Apple took from iTunes sales — between 30 and 40 percent per track. Back when the App Store was introduced, then-CEO Steve Jobs said the 30 percent commission was needed to “pay for running the store,” and that Apple didn’t “intend to make any money” from it. That may have been true in 2008 when the App Store launched with a few hundred apps, but Apple now makes billions from App Store commissions every year.
Apple also maintains that the vast majority of App Store apps are free, which means most of the apps benefit from the App Store ecosystem while giving Apple nothing in return. Free apps usually make their money from ads and by selling their data to third parties, which Apple doesn’t get a cut of. Apple has also pointed out in a recent study it commissioned that its commission is on par with the rest of the industry. But this ignores the fact that the industry was created by Apple in the first place and that other app stores followed its lead when setting their own commissions.
What this means for customers
So, what does this all mean for you, the Apple App Store customer? Right now, it means you can’t download Fortnite or, if you already have it, you can’t download updates — which means you can’t play the new Season 4. You can still play Season 3, but your opponents will be limited to fellow Apple players. Everyone with a non-iOS device that has an updated app will move to Season 4, and inter-season battles are impossible. Players who use other platforms will also feel the effects if they can’t play their friends with Apple devices. Just how long this will last depends on which company blinks first and agrees to the other’s demands — or which company prevails if this drags on long enough to reach the courtroom.
Beyond Fortnite, Apple users may also be paying inflated prices for paid apps and in-app purchases that were set so developers could account for that 30 percent commission. As some developers have decided to forgo in-app purchases entirely to avoid paying Apple a commission, you might have taken the extra step of paying for app subscriptions on developers’ websites rather than through the apps themselves. Apple allows this for so-called “reader apps” like Spotify and Netflix, but Fortnite does not qualify. Apple’s rules also don’t make it easy for customers to figure out how to do this:
Decent chance we are imagining conflict. A little difficult to imagine Disney doing anything to irk Apple in any circumstance. Look how mute Spotify has to be. pic.twitter.com/Rz24WQOZwV — Peter Kafka (@pkafka) August 15, 2020
As evidenced by Fortnite’s removal from its store, Apple is now digging in its heels and defending these policies. But the company has given in on occasion — for instance, by allowing “premium” video providers like Amazon Prime Video to use its own payment systems for in-app purchases and avoid the 30 percent commission. (It remains to be seen if providers like Disney, which debuted its “Premier Access” for Disney+ subscribers on September 4 with a $29.99 Mulan rental, will qualify for this or if it will be forced to either pay the commission or go the Spotify route to circumvent in-app purchases.)
In a slight relaxing of the status quo, the upcoming iOS 14 will allow users to set third-party apps as their default email and web browsing apps for the first time. But these concessions have also fueled developer complaints that Apple’s guidelines are arbitrarily enforced and preference is given to some companies over others.
None of this is a good look for Apple as antitrust investigations into it, both in the United States and abroad, heat up. Sen. Elizabeth Warren has helped lead this charge, saying in March 2019 that Apple should have to choose between selling apps and offering an app store. To do both gives the company an unfair advantage over its competitors.
“Apple and Google have bullied competitors who need their platform just to exist, all while favoring their own products and services,” Warren told Recode. “If we let companies act as both the umpire and one of the teams competing, they will continue to rig the game in their favor.”
In January 2020, CEOs from a few smaller companies testified before the House antitrust subcommittee about how tech giants, including Apple, have so much control and power that they usually own the market and offer their own products in it, making it impossible for other companies to compete.
“After years of living in fear, more companies and small businesses are beginning to speak out about the monopoly power of the tech giants,” Stacy Mitchell, the co-director of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance and well-known thorn in Big Tech’s side, told Recode. “The tech platforms are a major threat to innovation and entrepreneurship. Developers and small firms are starting to tell their stories — and more than just about anything else, that’s driving momentum in Congress, and it’s making it clear how much the antitrust agencies have to do to make up for lost time.”
One way Apple could possibly avoid antitrust regulation — and satisfy Epic Games — is by allowing its mobile devices to obtain apps outside of the App Store, as Android does. This could give more money to developers and allow them to charge users less. But it also introduces new risks to the users if alternate app stores don’t have the same security standards as Apple or its in-app purchasing system.
Consumers trust Apple, and it has a track record to back that up. Apple apps don’t have nearly as many security and malware issues that Android apps do. Part of the reason that Apple’s security reputation is much better is because the company strives to control every aspect of its devices, including the apps and security measures they’re forced to put in place. Consumers pay a premium for this, and so do developers.
There’s also the possibility that Apple will be able to insist on continuing to operate as normal. Developers will have to decide if the Apple tax is worth the access to Apple’s consumers. If enough of them remove their apps from the store, consumers may well decide to purchase a device with a different operating system that gives them access to the apps the App Store doesn’t. If they stay, Apple’s large cut may mean less money to the developer that would go toward improving existing apps or creating more, or that customers are paying more than they otherwise would if the App Store had some competition.
Apple, which once dealt primarily in goods, is increasingly becoming a services company — which means its income is also increasingly coming from those services rather than sales. Cutting off some of that income, either by giving developers an App Store alternative or lowering the commission, will likely force the company to make up that money some other way. And the customer always pays for that, one way or another.
Update, September 8, 3 pm ET: This story has been updated to include new details about legal actions between Apple and Epic Games.
Peter Kafka contributed reporting to this story.
Open Sourced is made possible by Omidyar Network. All Open Sourced content is editorially independent and produced by our journalists.


vox--2020-09-08--Join the Vox Book Club to talk The Idiot with Elif Batuman live on Zoom

The Vox Book Club is linking to Bookshop.org to support local and independent booksellers .
Elif Batuman ’ s The Idiot was one of the best books of 2017 : weird and funny and tender and deeply , obsessively fixated on language .
It ’ s a tricky and compelling book to talk about , which is why I am so relieved that as the Vox Book Club spends September discussing The Idiot , we ’ ll be able to call in the big guns .
On Wednesday , September 30 , at 5 pm , we ’ ll be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and you can RSVP now .
The Idiot is a strange campus novel for this very strange back-to-school season .
It concerns 18-year-old Selin , who is a freshman at Harvard in 1995 , just as email is becoming widely adopted .
Selin wants to study language , to figure out what words are and why they can ’ t just be the things they mean , but the more she studies them , the more confused she gets .
When she kicks off an email correspondence with a boy in her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
There ’ s tons to talk about here : language , semiotics , the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis , the lost art of email correspondence , and why flirting is so confusing .
( Truly , the boy from the Russian class does not deserve Selin . )
And I am so excited to get to delve into it all with Batuman , and with you too .
Our first discussion post on The Idiot will go up on Friday , September 11 , and our live event will be on September 30 at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ talk until 5:45 pm , with the last 10 minutes reserved for questions from the audience , and at the end of the event , I ’ ll reveal our October book pick .
We would love to see you there .
RSVP now , and be sure to sign up for the Vox Book Club newsletter to make sure you don ’ t miss anything .
Help keep Vox free for all Millions turn to Vox each month to understand what ’ s happening in the news , from the coronavirus crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , quite possibly , the most consequential presidential election of our lifetimes .
Our mission has never been more vital than it is in this moment : to empower you through understanding .
But our distinctive brand of explanatory journalism takes resources — particularly during a pandemic and an economic downturn .
Even when the economy and the news advertising market recovers , your support will be a critical part of sustaining our resource-intensive work , and helping everyone make sense of an increasingly chaotic world .
Contribute today from as little as @ @ @

The Vox Book Club is linking to Bookshop.org to support local and independent booksellers.
Elif Batuman’s The Idiot was one of the best books of 2017: weird and funny and tender and deeply, obsessively fixated on language. It’s a tricky and compelling book to talk about, which is why I am so relieved that as the Vox Book Club spends September discussing The Idiot, we’ll be able to call in the big guns. On Wednesday, September 30, at 5 pm, we’ll be talking with Batuman herself live on Zoom, and you can RSVP now.
The Idiot is a strange campus novel for this very strange back-to-school season. It concerns 18-year-old Selin, who is a freshman at Harvard in 1995, just as email is becoming widely adopted. Selin wants to study language, to figure out what words are and why they can’t just be the things they mean, but the more she studies them, the more confused she gets. When she kicks off an email correspondence with a boy in her Russian class, her confusion becomes total.
There’s tons to talk about here: language, semiotics, the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, the lost art of email correspondence, and why flirting is so confusing. (Truly, the boy from the Russian class does not deserve Selin.) And I am so excited to get to delve into it all with Batuman, and with you too.
Our first discussion post on The Idiot will go up on Friday, September 11, and our live event will be on September 30 at 5 pm Eastern. We’ll talk until 5:45 pm, with the last 10 minutes reserved for questions from the audience, and at the end of the event, I’ll reveal our October book pick. We would love to see you there. RSVP now, and be sure to sign up for the Vox Book Club newsletter to make sure you don’t miss anything.