vox--2020-12-08--Joe Biden’s win is about to be confirmed again — and again

Despite President Donald Trump ’ s refusal to concede his defeat , Joe Biden will be confirmed as the winner of the presidential election this Tuesday — and again next week and again in early January before he ’ s finally sworn in .
This Tuesday , December 8 , is what is known as the safe harbor deadline .
If states have settled their presidential election results by this date , federal law states that those results shall be considered “ conclusive ” for the purpose of counting electoral votes .
That doesn ’ t quite set the results @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ll explain .
But overall , nearly every state has certified its results already , with the few remaining ones expected to do so soon .
The next big date is Monday , December 14 , when the Electoral College votes .
In each state and the District of Columbia , the 538 electors who make up the Electoral College will cast the votes that will technically make Biden the next president .
There ’ s little drama here .
The states Biden won have appointed elector slates of Democrats , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But it ’ s the next step in making things official .
Then , on Wednesday , January 6 , Congress counts the electoral votes .
This is also mainly ceremonial .
We ’ ll know the count in advance because the votes will be public on December 14 .
The one minor hitch is that a Trump ally in the House plans to challenge that count .
But for that challenge to succeed , both the House and the Senate would have to agree to overrule the electoral votes .
The Democrat-controlled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with this , so the challenge won ’ t change the outcome .
Two weeks after that , on January 20 , Biden will be inaugurated as the next president .
The next week will bring two deadlines Trump ’ s floundering effort to overturn the results of the election has had several focuses .
He ’ s ( unsuccessfully ) tried to prevent key states Biden won from certifying their results .
He ’ s ( unsuccessfully ) tried to get judges to step in and prevent certifications .
And he ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republican state legislators in those states to step in and appoint Trump-supporting electors .
Time is about to officially run out on all these fronts .
First , this Tuesday , December 8 , is the safe harbor deadline .
This is set in federal law , which says that if a state has resolved any “ controversy or contest ” over the appointment of electors by this day , that resolution is “ conclusive , and shall govern in the counting of the electoral votes.
” However , the safe harbor deadline @ @ @ @ @ @ @ results in stone .
Its main purpose was to prevent results settled in the states from being later overturned by the federal government — to grant the states “ safe harbor ” from federal interference .
This year in particular , no substantive effort to overturn the results ( in Congress , the courts , or state legislatures ) has gained steam , so safe harbor probably isn ’ t necessary .
It ’ s mainly relevant because states themselves have targeted this deadline to try and have their results finalized .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have its results certified and electors appointed on schedule ( though some lawsuits are still pending ) .
The more consequential approaching date is on Monday , December 14 , when the Electoral College actually casts its votes .
Each state , in accordance with the vote results , appoints a slate of people as electors — Biden ’ s preferred people are appointed in states where Biden won , and Trump ’ s people are appointed in states where Trump won .
Together , those 538 people make up the Electoral @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be cast separately in each state and the District of Columbia and announced publicly — officially have the power to make the next president .
There have been “ faithless electors ” in the past , people who didn ’ t vote for the candidate who won their state , but such defections are rare ( most electors are picked for the job by their party precisely because they are strong partisans ) , and Biden ’ s lead is big enough that it ’ s incredibly unlikely enough faithless electors could overturn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defect ) .
So the Electoral College vote will also be mainly a formality .
But it will be an important one .
Because after it , statewide Republican officials and GOP state legislators — the politicians Trump has tried to lobby to overturn the results — will no longer play a role in the process .
The action , such as it is , will move on to Congress .
Democrats control the House , so any challenge to the results will fail in Congress On January 6 , 2021 , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will convene to count the votes cast by the Electoral College the previous month .
This congressional count is the final formal step in making the presidential election results official before the inauguration itself .
Usually , this is a formality .
But sometimes , there ’ s a last-minute kerfuffle because there is a process by which members of Congress can challenge the vote count .
We likely will get such a challenge — Rep. Mo Brooks ( R-AL ) has said he will file one , though he needs to find @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the challenge to advance .
This would not be unprecedented .
In 2005 , Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones ( D-OH ) and Sen. Barbara Boxer ( D-CA ) made such a challenge to George W. Bush ’ s win in Ohio .
( In 2017 , some House Democrats tried to challenge Trump ’ s win in certain states , but the attempt was fruitless because no senators would join them . )
If a representative and senator support a challenge , what happens next is that the joint session of Congress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senate will each hold a vote on the challenge .
Here ’ s the key part , though : Unless a majority in both the House and Senate vote to sustain the challenge , it will fail .
So because Democrats control the House , any attempt to overturn the election for Trump will surely be voted down by them .
It may well fail in the Senate as well ; several Republican senators have recognized Biden ’ s victory .
That means this challenge will basically just be a stunt and it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
What it would do is guarantee a recorded vote in both the House and Senate about whether they should allow Biden ’ s win , which could put some swing state or swing district Republican members of Congress in an uncomfortable position .
( This could be a particular issue for some Senate Republicans in 2022 — do they risk a primary challenge by recognizing Biden ’ s win or do they back Trump ’ s challenge and endanger their general election chances ? )
In 2005 , the vote on Tubbs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bush ’ s Ohio win resulted in its overwhelming rejection — by 267-31 in the House and 74-1 in the Senate .
Yet if Trump himself is still disputing the results , and much of the Republican electorate agrees with him , the tally may not be so lopsided this time around .
But again , because Democrats control the House , there ’ s no plausible way for a challenge to succeed .
Biden ’ s win is already clear — and it will just be made clear again on each of @ @ @ @

Despite President Donald Trump’s refusal to concede his defeat, Joe Biden will be confirmed as the winner of the presidential election this Tuesday — and again next week and again in early January before he’s finally sworn in.
This Tuesday, December 8, is what is known as the safe harbor deadline. If states have settled their presidential election results by this date, federal law states that those results shall be considered “conclusive” for the purpose of counting electoral votes. That doesn’t quite set the results in stone just yet, as I’ll explain. But overall, nearly every state has certified its results already, with the few remaining ones expected to do so soon.
The next big date is Monday, December 14, when the Electoral College votes. In each state and the District of Columbia, the 538 electors who make up the Electoral College will cast the votes that will technically make Biden the next president. There’s little drama here. The states Biden won have appointed elector slates of Democrats, who are certain to vote for Biden. But it’s the next step in making things official.
Then, on Wednesday, January 6, Congress counts the electoral votes. This is also mainly ceremonial. We’ll know the count in advance because the votes will be public on December 14. The one minor hitch is that a Trump ally in the House plans to challenge that count. But for that challenge to succeed, both the House and the Senate would have to agree to overrule the electoral votes. The Democrat-controlled House obviously wouldn’t go along with this, so the challenge won’t change the outcome.
Two weeks after that, on January 20, Biden will be inaugurated as the next president.
The next week will bring two deadlines
Trump’s floundering effort to overturn the results of the election has had several focuses. He’s (unsuccessfully) tried to prevent key states Biden won from certifying their results. He’s (unsuccessfully) tried to get judges to step in and prevent certifications. And he’s (unsuccessfully) tried to get Republican state legislators in those states to step in and appoint Trump-supporting electors.
Time is about to officially run out on all these fronts.
First, this Tuesday, December 8, is the safe harbor deadline. This is set in federal law, which says that if a state has resolved any “controversy or contest” over the appointment of electors by this day, that resolution is “conclusive, and shall govern in the counting of the electoral votes.”
However, the safe harbor deadline doesn’t necessarily set the state results in stone. Its main purpose was to prevent results settled in the states from being later overturned by the federal government — to grant the states “safe harbor” from federal interference.
This year in particular, no substantive effort to overturn the results (in Congress, the courts, or state legislatures) has gained steam, so safe harbor probably isn’t necessary. It’s mainly relevant because states themselves have targeted this deadline to try and have their results finalized. And indeed, every state is on track to have its results certified and electors appointed on schedule (though some lawsuits are still pending).
The more consequential approaching date is on Monday, December 14, when the Electoral College actually casts its votes.
Each state, in accordance with the vote results, appoints a slate of people as electors — Biden’s preferred people are appointed in states where Biden won, and Trump’s people are appointed in states where Trump won. Together, those 538 people make up the Electoral College. Their votes — which will be cast separately in each state and the District of Columbia and announced publicly — officially have the power to make the next president.
There have been “faithless electors” in the past, people who didn’t vote for the candidate who won their state, but such defections are rare (most electors are picked for the job by their party precisely because they are strong partisans), and Biden’s lead is big enough that it’s incredibly unlikely enough faithless electors could overturn it (37 electors would have to defect).
So the Electoral College vote will also be mainly a formality. But it will be an important one. Because after it, statewide Republican officials and GOP state legislators — the politicians Trump has tried to lobby to overturn the results — will no longer play a role in the process. The action, such as it is, will move on to Congress.
Democrats control the House, so any challenge to the results will fail in Congress
On January 6, 2021, a joint session of the newly elected Congress will convene to count the votes cast by the Electoral College the previous month. This congressional count is the final formal step in making the presidential election results official before the inauguration itself.
Usually, this is a formality. But sometimes, there’s a last-minute kerfuffle because there is a process by which members of Congress can challenge the vote count. We likely will get such a challenge — Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL) has said he will file one, though he needs to find at least one senator to join him for the challenge to advance.
This would not be unprecedented. In 2005, Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D-OH) and Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) made such a challenge to George W. Bush’s win in Ohio. (In 2017, some House Democrats tried to challenge Trump’s win in certain states, but the attempt was fruitless because no senators would join them.)
If a representative and senator support a challenge, what happens next is that the joint session of Congress splits up, and the House and Senate will each hold a vote on the challenge. Here’s the key part, though: Unless a majority in both the House and Senate vote to sustain the challenge, it will fail.
So because Democrats control the House, any attempt to overturn the election for Trump will surely be voted down by them. It may well fail in the Senate as well; several Republican senators have recognized Biden’s victory.
That means this challenge will basically just be a stunt and it won’t actually overturn the outcome. What it would do is guarantee a recorded vote in both the House and Senate about whether they should allow Biden’s win, which could put some swing state or swing district Republican members of Congress in an uncomfortable position. (This could be a particular issue for some Senate Republicans in 2022 — do they risk a primary challenge by recognizing Biden’s win or do they back Trump’s challenge and endanger their general election chances?)
In 2005, the vote on Tubbs Jones and Boxer’s challenge to Bush’s Ohio win resulted in its overwhelming rejection — by 267-31 in the House and 74-1 in the Senate. Yet if Trump himself is still disputing the results, and much of the Republican electorate agrees with him, the tally may not be so lopsided this time around.
But again, because Democrats control the House, there’s no plausible way for a challenge to succeed. Biden’s win is already clear — and it will just be made clear again on each of these key dates.


vox--2020-12-08--How Biden could reverse Trump’s nativist legacy on the border

The border has been the focal point of President Donald Trump ’ s restrictionist immigration agenda .
Beyond erecting more than 400 miles of border wall , he has put up elaborate barriers to asylum and humanitarian protections that have largely escaped widespread public scrutiny , with the exception of his policy of separating migrant families .
Unraveling these policies will prove to be an early test of President-elect Joe Biden ’ s commitment to not only dismantling Trump ’ s nativist immigration legacy but also improving on the Obama-era approach to immigration enforcement , which involved record deportations and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ task before Biden is immense .
Trump has limited how many asylum seekers can be processed at the border daily and forced thousands of migrants to wait in Mexico for a chance to have their day in court in the US under the “ Remain in Mexico ” policy , officially known as the Migrant Protection Protocols ( MPP ) .
He has brokered agreements with Central American countries that have allowed the US to send asylum seekers back to those countries and enacted secretive programs that allow immigration officials to rapidly process @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issued rules preventing drastically narrowing the circumstances under which people are eligible for asylum .
And he has invoked the pandemic as a means of expelling tens of thousands of migrants , including unaccompanied children .
That framework of interlocking policies has been effective in keeping out all but the minuscule number arriving on the southern border .
But Biden has vowed to reverse most of those policies and pursue reforms that would better facilitate the humane and orderly processing of asylum seekers .
Biden can make big strides quickly , taking administrative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policies such as MPP .
But some Trump policies — especially those promulgated by regulation or subject to ongoing legal challenges — could prove more time-consuming to roll back , involving additional procedural and logistical challenges .
“ The president-elect has been very clear that he intends to roll back many of these policies and restore the rule of law by honoring America ’ s obligations under US and international law to provide refuge to people fleeing persecution , ” Tom Jawetz , vice president of immigration policy at the Center for American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will require not only careful planning and close coordination by governmental and nongovernmental actors but also swift reversal of the changes that the Trump administration made to distort and destroy US asylum law.
” Some of Trump ’ s restrictive policies on the border will be easier to undo than others .
Upon taking office , Biden will be under pressure to quickly dismantle MPP , which was created by a policy memo in January 2019 that could easily be rescinded .
But it ’ s unclear what would happen to the more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or were previously subject to the program , including those who continue to wait in encampments along the US-Mexico border to be called in for their court dates in the US .
Before the pandemic , they would often have to wait months for a hearing .
Since March , the Trump administration has suspended all their hearings indefinitely on account of Covid-19 .
The American Immigration Lawyers Association has proposed that the incoming Biden administration grant temporary humanitarian parole to those subject to MPP , allowing them to enter the US and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including asylum .
But Biden has yet to elaborate on how he would process MPP asylum seekers .
While Biden can take action on MPP immediately , unraveling Trump ’ s regulatory scheme , including his regulations drastically limiting asylum eligibility for migrants arriving on the border , will likely be a months-long process .
The Biden administration would have to issue new regulations to rescind any of the regulations Trump has finalized , including likely going through the burdensome process of giving the public notice and the opportunity to comment .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ subject to ongoing litigation through a court settlement .
Those regulations include one that limits asylum seekers from obtaining work authorization while they wait , sometimes for months , for their application to be processed .
The Biden administration could also invoke the Congressional Review Act , which allows lawmakers to reverse regulations that were enacted in the last 60 working days of Congress , which extends back to March .
That could cover Trump ’ s final regulation expanding the groups of crimes that make people ineligible for asylum , including convictions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ID .
Trump used the Congressional Review Act to overturn a total of 16 Obama-era regulations when he first took office .
However , using the act requires passing a joint resolution in both chambers of Congress , which could be difficult if Democrats don ’ t have control of the Senate .
Advocates have also called on Biden to withdraw regulations denying asylum to people who travel through another country before arriving in the US or who apply for asylum between ports of entry , which have been blocked by federal courts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that would vastly expand immigration officials ’ authority to turn away asylum seekers .
The question remains , however , whether Biden would prioritize enacting all of these changes during his first 100 days while he is juggling competing priorities , including the pandemic response and economic recovery .
CNN reported that the Biden team is overwhelmed by the prospect of unraveling Trump ’ s policies at the border — the legacy of Trump ’ s senior adviser and immigration hardliner Stephen Miller .
“ They ’ re realizing that they have two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mess of things , ” a source familiar with the transition told CNN .
“ People are really overwhelmed trying to figure out the sheer issues , the sheer number of pieces you have to coordinate .
This is the genius of Stephen Miller.
” It ’ s not clear how Biden will tackle Trump ’ s pandemic-related border restrictions While Trump had made obtaining asylum near-impossible before the pandemic , he invoked Covid-19 as a means of shutting the door on virtually all asylum seekers arriving on the southern border .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in March under Title 42 , a section of the Public Health Safety Act , that allows the US government to temporarily block noncitizens from entering the US “ when doing so is required in the interest of public health.
” It largely replaced other policies as the Trump administration ’ s primary means of keeping out migrants amid the pandemic , resulting in the expulsions of more than 250,000 people from March through October and effective until the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention determines that the further spread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a serious danger to public health.
” Biden has left open the possibility of maintaining the Title 42 program at least temporarily .
But it ’ s not clear that there remains a legitimate public health rationale for keeping the policy in place , given that the level of community transmission inside the US is already so high .
Immigrant advocates have argued that the US can continue to protect vulnerable immigrants without adverse consequences to public health .
Jennifer Podkul , the vice president of policy and advocacy at the legal aid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said in a press call that the administration could at least create exceptions for particularly vulnerable classes of migrants .
By court order last month , unaccompanied children , for example , can no longer be expelled under the policy .
But at least 13,000 such children had already been deported under the policy , often with little if any notice to their parents or legal counsel and even if they showed no symptoms of the virus .
Others had been held in hotels along the border for extended periods under the program @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be weighing whether to maintain the Title 42 program as a means of stemming migration temporarily at a time when many Americans support such restrictions .
An August NPR/Ipsos poll found that 58 percent of Americans support “ banning the entry of asylum seekers and refugees into the US ” to curb the spread of Covid-19 .
“ They ’ re coming into office in January .
It ’ s highly likely that Covid conditions will continue to be in an emergency state , ” Doris Meissner , a senior fellow at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of what was then called the Immigration and Naturalization Service under the Clinton administration , said in a press call .
“ So it is possible that we would see a new administration maintain the CDC guidance at the border , at least for some period of time , which would also then gain some time for putting changes into place that allow for a more functional system for granting asylum.
” A surge in migration at the border could present an early challenge for Biden Under Trump , the migrants arriving at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and unaccompanied children .
But once the pandemic hit , immigration authorities observed changing migration flows : Fewer families have been apprehended , and single adults have been attempting to cross the border without authorization multiple times .
In October , CBP apprehended 4,501 families and 57,206 single adults .
That ’ s roughly half the number of families and more than double the number of single adults who were apprehended in the same month in 2019 .
Jessica Bolter , an associate policy analyst at the Migration Policy Institute , said in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t likely to last , meaning that the incoming Biden administration should be prepared to address family migration at the border .
But the president-elect also needs to choose his next moves carefully , she added : Migrant flows often respond to changes in US policy , and his administration will likely be looking to avoid encouraging a surge on the border .
In the months immediately following Trump ’ s inauguration , for example , there were record-low apprehensions as migrants waited for a signal of what his policies would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the entire border , migrants flocked to sectors where it had yet to go into effect .
“ If and when the future Biden administration changes these restrictive policies , it will have to do so with great care and planning , and in a way that balances humanitarian concerns while avoiding a rush on the border that could overwhelm resources and result in a renewed sense throughout the country that the border is out of control , ” Bolter said .
It already appears that unaccompanied children are arriving in increasing numbers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Biden if the trend holds .
CBP has taken more than 9,900 children into custody since September 8 and apprehended nearly 1,000 unaccompanied children over just six days in late November .
The agency has projected in court filings that the flow of unaccompanied children could increase by 50 percent by late March 2021 .
While Biden served as vice president , the Obama administration was criticized for its response to the unprecedented influx of unaccompanied children in 2014 .
Though Border Patrol can not legally hold such children for more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their custody for longer than that or were sent to intermediate detention centers , some of which were temporary facilities on military bases after the government ran out of beds in more suitable facilities .
That is a situation that Biden is aiming to avoid repeating .
He has already vowed to “ surge humanitarian resources ” to the border , including asylum officers who can conduct an initial screening of migrants ’ claims for protection , and ensure that US Citizenship and Immigration Services ’ asylum division takes the lead on processing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the immigration courts .
But some advocates have urged him to go further in empowering asylum officers via regulation to be able to grant asylum as part of their initial interviews , speeding up processing .
“ I think they ’ re going to be worried about a sudden flow of people coming to the border or perception of a border out of control , ” Andrew Selee , president of the Migration Policy Institute , said in a press call .
“ Nothing says more than caravans in terms of public perception @ @

The border has been the focal point of President Donald Trump’s restrictionist immigration agenda. Beyond erecting more than 400 miles of border wall, he has put up elaborate barriers to asylum and humanitarian protections that have largely escaped widespread public scrutiny, with the exception of his policy of separating migrant families.
Unraveling these policies will prove to be an early test of President-elect Joe Biden’s commitment to not only dismantling Trump’s nativist immigration legacy but also improving on the Obama-era approach to immigration enforcement, which involved record deportations and an expansion of family detention.
The task before Biden is immense. Trump has limited how many asylum seekers can be processed at the border daily and forced thousands of migrants to wait in Mexico for a chance to have their day in court in the US under the “Remain in Mexico” policy, officially known as the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP).
He has brokered agreements with Central American countries that have allowed the US to send asylum seekers back to those countries and enacted secretive programs that allow immigration officials to rapidly process and deport asylum seekers.
He has issued rules preventing drastically narrowing the circumstances under which people are eligible for asylum. And he has invoked the pandemic as a means of expelling tens of thousands of migrants, including unaccompanied children.
That framework of interlocking policies has been effective in keeping out all but the minuscule number arriving on the southern border. But Biden has vowed to reverse most of those policies and pursue reforms that would better facilitate the humane and orderly processing of asylum seekers.
Biden can make big strides quickly, taking administrative actions immediately after assuming office to end policies such as MPP. But some Trump policies — especially those promulgated by regulation or subject to ongoing legal challenges — could prove more time-consuming to roll back, involving additional procedural and logistical challenges.
“The president-elect has been very clear that he intends to roll back many of these policies and restore the rule of law by honoring America’s obligations under US and international law to provide refuge to people fleeing persecution,” Tom Jawetz, vice president of immigration policy at the Center for American Progress, said. “Doing this will require not only careful planning and close coordination by governmental and nongovernmental actors but also swift reversal of the changes that the Trump administration made to distort and destroy US asylum law.”
Undoing Trump’s policies is Biden’s first priority
Some of Trump’s restrictive policies on the border will be easier to undo than others.
Upon taking office, Biden will be under pressure to quickly dismantle MPP, which was created by a policy memo in January 2019 that could easily be rescinded. But it’s unclear what would happen to the more than 67,000 migrants who are currently enrolled or were previously subject to the program, including those who continue to wait in encampments along the US-Mexico border to be called in for their court dates in the US. Before the pandemic, they would often have to wait months for a hearing. Since March, the Trump administration has suspended all their hearings indefinitely on account of Covid-19.
The American Immigration Lawyers Association has proposed that the incoming Biden administration grant temporary humanitarian parole to those subject to MPP, allowing them to enter the US and later apply for more permanent immigration benefits, including asylum. But Biden has yet to elaborate on how he would process MPP asylum seekers.
While Biden can take action on MPP immediately, unraveling Trump’s regulatory scheme, including his regulations drastically limiting asylum eligibility for migrants arriving on the border, will likely be a months-long process.
The Biden administration would have to issue new regulations to rescind any of the regulations Trump has finalized, including likely going through the burdensome process of giving the public notice and the opportunity to comment. It could also try to revise regulations subject to ongoing litigation through a court settlement. Those regulations include one that limits asylum seekers from obtaining work authorization while they wait, sometimes for months, for their application to be processed.
The Biden administration could also invoke the Congressional Review Act, which allows lawmakers to reverse regulations that were enacted in the last 60 working days of Congress, which extends back to March. That could cover Trump’s final regulation expanding the groups of crimes that make people ineligible for asylum, including convictions for drug possession and having a fake ID.
Trump used the Congressional Review Act to overturn a total of 16 Obama-era regulations when he first took office. However, using the act requires passing a joint resolution in both chambers of Congress, which could be difficult if Democrats don’t have control of the Senate.
Advocates have also called on Biden to withdraw regulations denying asylum to people who travel through another country before arriving in the US or who apply for asylum between ports of entry, which have been blocked by federal courts, as well as a proposed rule that would vastly expand immigration officials’ authority to turn away asylum seekers.
The question remains, however, whether Biden would prioritize enacting all of these changes during his first 100 days while he is juggling competing priorities, including the pandemic response and economic recovery. CNN reported that the Biden team is overwhelmed by the prospect of unraveling Trump’s policies at the border — the legacy of Trump’s senior adviser and immigration hardliner Stephen Miller.
“They’re realizing that they have two months to figure out a really complicated mess of things,” a source familiar with the transition told CNN. “People are really overwhelmed trying to figure out the sheer issues, the sheer number of pieces you have to coordinate. This is the genius of Stephen Miller.”
It’s not clear how Biden will tackle Trump’s pandemic-related border restrictions
While Trump had made obtaining asylum near-impossible before the pandemic, he invoked Covid-19 as a means of shutting the door on virtually all asylum seekers arriving on the southern border.
The Trump administration began expelling migrants to Mexico in March under Title 42, a section of the Public Health Safety Act, that allows the US government to temporarily block noncitizens from entering the US “when doing so is required in the interest of public health.” It largely replaced other policies as the Trump administration’s primary means of keeping out migrants amid the pandemic, resulting in the expulsions of more than 250,000 people from March through October and effective until the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention determines that the further spread of Covid-19 has “ceased to be a serious danger to public health.”
Biden has left open the possibility of maintaining the Title 42 program at least temporarily. But it’s not clear that there remains a legitimate public health rationale for keeping the policy in place, given that the level of community transmission inside the US is already so high.
Immigrant advocates have argued that the US can continue to protect vulnerable immigrants without adverse consequences to public health. Jennifer Podkul, the vice president of policy and advocacy at the legal aid group Kids in Need of Defense, said in a press call that the administration could at least create exceptions for particularly vulnerable classes of migrants.
By court order last month, unaccompanied children, for example, can no longer be expelled under the policy. But at least 13,000 such children had already been deported under the policy, often with little if any notice to their parents or legal counsel and even if they showed no symptoms of the virus. Others had been held in hotels along the border for extended periods under the program.
Still, the Biden administration might be weighing whether to maintain the Title 42 program as a means of stemming migration temporarily at a time when many Americans support such restrictions. An August NPR/Ipsos poll found that 58 percent of Americans support “banning the entry of asylum seekers and refugees into the US” to curb the spread of Covid-19.
“They’re coming into office in January. It’s highly likely that Covid conditions will continue to be in an emergency state,” Doris Meissner, a senior fellow at the Migration Policy Institute who served as commissioner of what was then called the Immigration and Naturalization Service under the Clinton administration, said in a press call. “So it is possible that we would see a new administration maintain the CDC guidance at the border, at least for some period of time, which would also then gain some time for putting changes into place that allow for a more functional system for granting asylum.”
A surge in migration at the border could present an early challenge for Biden
Under Trump, the migrants arriving at the southern border have primarily been families and unaccompanied children. But once the pandemic hit, immigration authorities observed changing migration flows: Fewer families have been apprehended, and single adults have been attempting to cross the border without authorization multiple times.
In October, CBP apprehended 4,501 families and 57,206 single adults. That’s roughly half the number of families and more than double the number of single adults who were apprehended in the same month in 2019.
Jessica Bolter, an associate policy analyst at the Migration Policy Institute, said in a press call that this shift isn’t likely to last, meaning that the incoming Biden administration should be prepared to address family migration at the border.
But the president-elect also needs to choose his next moves carefully, she added: Migrant flows often respond to changes in US policy, and his administration will likely be looking to avoid encouraging a surge on the border. In the months immediately following Trump’s inauguration, for example, there were record-low apprehensions as migrants waited for a signal of what his policies would be. And before MPP was implemented across the entire border, migrants flocked to sectors where it had yet to go into effect.
“If and when the future Biden administration changes these restrictive policies, it will have to do so with great care and planning, and in a way that balances humanitarian concerns while avoiding a rush on the border that could overwhelm resources and result in a renewed sense throughout the country that the border is out of control,” Bolter said.
It already appears that unaccompanied children are arriving in increasing numbers, which could potentially pose a challenge for Biden if the trend holds. CBP has taken more than 9,900 children into custody since September 8 and apprehended nearly 1,000 unaccompanied children over just six days in late November. The agency has projected in court filings that the flow of unaccompanied children could increase by 50 percent by late March 2021.
While Biden served as vice president, the Obama administration was criticized for its response to the unprecedented influx of unaccompanied children in 2014. Though Border Patrol cannot legally hold such children for more than 72 hours, many children remained in their custody for longer than that or were sent to intermediate detention centers, some of which were temporary facilities on military bases after the government ran out of beds in more suitable facilities.
That is a situation that Biden is aiming to avoid repeating. He has already vowed to “surge humanitarian resources” to the border, including asylum officers who can conduct an initial screening of migrants’ claims for protection, and ensure that US Citizenship and Immigration Services’ asylum division takes the lead on processing their cases to ease the burden on the immigration courts. But some advocates have urged him to go further in empowering asylum officers via regulation to be able to grant asylum as part of their initial interviews, speeding up processing.
“I think they’re going to be worried about a sudden flow of people coming to the border or perception of a border out of control,” Andrew Selee, president of the Migration Policy Institute, said in a press call. “Nothing says more than caravans in terms of public perception.”


vox--2020-12-08--How to get a hobby this winter

How to get a hobby this winter

Winter will suck .
We gathered some of Vox ’ s coziest minds to help you make it suck less .
A friend of mine , likely not meaning to sound so withering , once turned to me unprompted and said , “ Alanna ... you really have a lot of hobbies.
” She wasn ’ t wrong , even if her delivery made me sound at best like a twee little forest nymph wearing a crown made of acorns , and at worst like a dilettante cavorting from activity to activity .
I do have an at times alarming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crafty variety .
I ’ ve been knitting for almost 25 years and have taught it to students of all ages for the past dozen or so ( I ’ ve also written two books about it ) ; I crochet , embroider , do a little bit of weaving and needle-felting , and have dabbled with clay , jewelry-making , and , for a departure that might just make me sound even more like Matilda ’ s Miss Honey , sing in a choir .
You might think this makes me well-suited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assure you it does not .
I ’ ve been barely inclined to pick up a ball of yarn since March .
Still , in the rare moments when I have felt motivated to make something , it ’ s had a demonstrable effect on my mental health , or at least on nudging along the inexorable passage of time in a way that does not include my cellphone .
This general set of benefits has not gone unnoticed by the people in my life — anecdotally , I ’ ve never had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how to knit than I did between late March and early May of this year , when it became clear that Covid-19 was not going away after a few weeks of sheltering in place .
As those of us who inexplicably chose to live somewhere with winter staring down its icy barrel , those requests have picked back up , maybe with a slightly more desperate tinge .
Everyone , it seems , wants to get a hobby .
Some general rules about crafting ( spoiler : there really aren ’ t any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ love it , isn ’ t necessarily for everyone .
The learning curve can be steep and , for some folks , it can require too much concentration to be truly soothing .
With that in mind , here ’ s how to figure out which craft might be right for you , and how to get started without abandoning it in frustration .
The first thing to know when picking up a new hobby is that you will almost certainly be bad at it , and that is okay .
In fact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ favorite aspects of making stuff — the permission to fail repeatedly in a wildly low-stakes environment .
It ’ s also one of my favorite parts of teaching children .
Obviously , young people are as variable and multifaceted as adults , but I ’ ve found that the former have a far more comfortable relationship with not instantly being experts at a new task , while the latter are more inclined to give up the minute it becomes clear that they will not immediately become Etsy moguls .
That ’ s another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , perhaps paradoxically , valuable : how separate it is from my actual work , and how it makes me feel productive without that productivity being tied to the pursuit of money .
Of course , plenty of people make their living in part or wholly by selling what they make , and there ’ s absolutely nothing wrong with picking up a craft with the hope that you might be able to sell your finished products .
Especially at the beginning stages , though , I ’ d advise against focusing on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ instead concentrate on turning off your anxious brain , deciding which skills you ’ d like to get the hang of , or thinking about who you might like to give the first ( or , let ’ s be real , third ) fruit of your labors to .
No shame whatsoever if that recipient is yourself .
So how do you choose which craft is right for you ?
There ’ s no such thing as a “ crafty person ” versus a non-crafty one , IMO , but your mileage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time , attention , and money you ’ re willing or able to invest .
This goes triple during , say , a pandemic , when it should be considered a rousing victory simply to get through the day .
The crafts I tend to recommend to beginners range from deceptively simple ( like embroidery and beading ) to a somewhat steeper learning curve ( knitting ) , and there are plenty of ways to go about procuring the materials and the resources you ’ ll need to learn for each .
You @ @ @ @ @ @ @ difficult they ’ ll be before you decide to dive in yourself .
Some general rules of thumb : Your first and best friend in this regard will be the internet ; basically every new craft I ’ ve ever taught myself was thanks to YouTube , or at least to the Instagram accounts , forum posts , and tutorials of people I found online .
There are also plenty of paid classes , like the ones you can find on Craftsy , which cover everything from crochet to cake decorating .
Whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ free route , give yourself room to dig around and see what you come up with , and whose teaching and aesthetic styles you vibe with .
There are also plenty of preassembled kits that are perfect for when you don ’ t want to have to amass all the necessary materials for a given craft yourself ; these tend to be pricier than acquiring supplies yourself , however ( for example , a beginner knitting kit could easily run you $ 60 , while buying similar materials a la carte can clock @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and you may find that written directions aren ’ t enough for your particular learning style .
That said , kits are often easy , of high quality , and can make excellent gifts for the aspiring crafter in your life .
If cost is a barrier , or even if it ’ s not , I ’ m a big fan of letting whatever materials you already have on hand be your guide .
If you have a forgotten stash of neon Sculpey clay or an inherited box of yarn , now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out how to use them .
Odds are , too , that someone in your orbit — a friend , a neighbor , a member of a religious or community group — has random supplies to give away as well .
Keep an eye on your local Buy Nothing page to see if anyone is willing to facilitate a safe and distanced pickup .
Okay , let ’ s get to the actual crafts There are , by my highly journalistic count , ten bajillion possible crafts you could pick up at this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more that would require heavy machinery and/or a complete lifestyle overhaul .
I ’ m going to focus on the ones I have some facility with and that can easily be done in the smallest of apartments and remotest of areas : embroidery , air-dry clay , and knitting .
That ’ s roughly the order of difficulty as well .
Again , this is a deeply non-exhaustive list of resources and materials , so feel beyond free to use whatever you have , can find , are drawn to , matches your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world is your fibrous oyster .
Embroidery can comprise a bunch of different crafts , like needlepoint and cross-stitch , which often require patterns and gridded fabric and particular stitches ; here , I mean “ using thread on fabric to create images , ” which is far more straightforward than it might at first appear .
If you ’ ve ever sewn a button back onto a shirt , you know all you need to get started .
Still , I recommend this YouTube video as a jumping-off point , which is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ soundtrack as a bonus .
Your first project should likely be a simple image or phrase meant to be displayed in a hoop , rather than immediately jumping to embroidering a denim jacket or a pillow , but your life , your rules .
For materials , you ’ ll want to get : • An embroidery hoop ; I prefer wood but plastic works too , and shoot for 6 ” or 7 ” in diameter if possible • A pack of embroidery needles ; you will certainly lose one or all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the technical term for “ thick thread ” ) in whatever colors you like best • Sturdy cotton fabric ; white or cream is easiest to see your work on , but you can definitely get creative with colors • A pencil if you want to sketch out your image in advance , which I highly recommend , especially if it will include any kind of lettering If you ’ re interested in a kit , check out these ones by ChloeArtCrafts on Etsy , which have rave reviews and feature cute @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you follow an impossibly cool girl on Instagram who perpetually posts time-lapses of herself at a pottery wheel and always seems to be running to and from the kiln with beautifully glazed pots and mugs .
Unfortunately , you likely do not have a pottery wheel nor a kiln in your house , so you can not easily become that girl during a pandemic .
That ’ s where air-dry clay comes in .
The name is pretty self-evident , but it doesn ’ t require heat to become firm nor for paint @ @ @ @ @ @ @ really decent versions available for very little money .
This is an especially great activity to do with kids , although be careful when it comes to any surfaces or fabrics you might be crafting around ; acrylic paint can be an absolute nightmare to wash out .
This requires less of a hard-and-fast materials list or tutorial because a lot of it is just playing around and seeing what you enjoy , but it can be somewhat annoying when you ’ re first figuring out how the clay itself works .
Here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ goes over how to make an imprinted jewelry dish , and shows the importance of keeping the clay damp but not too wet as well as what to do if you start to see cracks .
The only thing you REALLY need here is the clay itself and a cup of water for moistening it , but if you want to shape or paint your project with any facility , there are some other materials to keep an eye out for : • I ’ ve used both Crayola and DAS clays and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a bit easier to store because it comes in a tub , while DAS is maybe a hair smoother and less likely to crack , so really it ’ s down to what ’ s available to you .
• Some sort of tool that can serve as a rolling pin ( like an empty bottle of wine ) • Some sort of tool that can serve as a carving implement ( like an X-Acto blade or a small , sharp knife ) • A cup of water and paper towels for keeping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a regular towel or rag but it might be tough to get clean afterward • Acrylic paints , sealant ( although fair warning that you likely won ’ t be able to make food-safe projects even if you do seal them ) , and a paintbrush or two if you ’ d like to decorate your work .
For the kit-seekers , I ’ ve heard good things about a company called Sculpd , which provides everything you ’ ll need to get started and has some very chic paint colors to boot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scare you off of knitting altogether , because it ’ s really The Thing that ’ s anchored me and brought me comfort in the roughest of times .
I wrote an intro knitting book this year that focuses on how to knit a hat even as an absolute beginner ; it ’ s my personal philosophy that so many adults have sour memories of learning to knit because they actually just hated knitting scarves , so repetitive and interminable and which nobody really wants in the first place .
If you ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just yet nor give your money to a stranger on the internet ( fair ! )
, here is a series of videos by KnittingHelp that I often point newbies toward .
It ’ s as relaxing as a bathtub and half a Xanax and will help you get started with the basic building blocks of the craft .
I also highly recommend getting an account on Ravelry , which is a free social media site slash pattern resource and where I ’ ve found virtually all of the resources and inspiration in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will vary depending on what you ’ d like to knit first .
Here are some fairly universal options : • A set of circular knitting needles , which you can use to knit round things like hats and sleeves or flat ones like scarves .
I recommend sticking with size 7 needles , which are on the thin side of medium , and 16- or 24-inch length for flexibility • Yarn that corresponds with your needle size ( very thick yarn , for example , requires thicker needles ) .
In this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weight , which for our purposes basically means medium .
Pick up two or three skeins ( which is yarnese for those twisty hanks you sometimes see rather than balls ) and you ’ ll be able to make at least one hat plus a few other small projects .
• A yarn needle , which confusingly sounds a lot like a “ knitting needle ” but is actually the name for what is essentially a super-jumbo sewing needle you ’ ll use to close up any seams or get rid of any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ KnitPicks , a lovely and very affordable yarn retailer , has a line of beginner kits if you ’ d prefer to go that route .
And here ’ s some more info in an article I wrote a few years back about how to get started ; it doesn ’ t totally hold up mid-pandemic because you likely won ’ t be visiting a yarn store and rubbing skeins against your neck any time soon , yet it hopefully provides some useful additional context .
Above all , I implore you not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when it comes to knitting but really in whatever craft you choose ; if you truly hate it , you can always find another , and you might surprise yourself by pushing through .
We ’ re going to be stuck inside for a while — we might as well make something .

Winter will suck. We gathered some of Vox’s coziest minds to help you make it suck less.
A friend of mine, likely not meaning to sound so withering, once turned to me unprompted and said, “Alanna ... you really have a lot of hobbies.”
She wasn’t wrong, even if her delivery made me sound at best like a twee little forest nymph wearing a crown made of acorns, and at worst like a dilettante cavorting from activity to activity. I do have an at times alarming number of hobbies, mostly of the crafty variety. I’ve been knitting for almost 25 years and have taught it to students of all ages for the past dozen or so (I’ve also written two books about it); I crochet, embroider, do a little bit of weaving and needle-felting, and have dabbled with clay, jewelry-making, and, for a departure that might just make me sound even more like Matilda’s Miss Honey, sing in a choir.
You might think this makes me well-suited for quarantine during the pandemic; I assure you it does not. I’ve been barely inclined to pick up a ball of yarn since March. Still, in the rare moments when I have felt motivated to make something, it’s had a demonstrable effect on my mental health, or at least on nudging along the inexorable passage of time in a way that does not include my cellphone.
This general set of benefits has not gone unnoticed by the people in my life — anecdotally, I’ve never had more people ask me to teach them how to knit than I did between late March and early May of this year, when it became clear that Covid-19 was not going away after a few weeks of sheltering in place.
As those of us who inexplicably chose to live somewhere with winter staring down its icy barrel, those requests have picked back up, maybe with a slightly more desperate tinge. Everyone, it seems, wants to get a hobby.
Some general rules about crafting (spoiler: there really aren’t any)
Knitting, for all that I love it, isn’t necessarily for everyone. The learning curve can be steep and, for some folks, it can require too much concentration to be truly soothing. With that in mind, here’s how to figure out which craft might be right for you, and how to get started without abandoning it in frustration.
The first thing to know when picking up a new hobby is that you will almost certainly be bad at it, and that is okay. In fact, it’s one of my favorite aspects of making stuff — the permission to fail repeatedly in a wildly low-stakes environment. It’s also one of my favorite parts of teaching children. Obviously, young people are as variable and multifaceted as adults, but I’ve found that the former have a far more comfortable relationship with not instantly being experts at a new task, while the latter are more inclined to give up the minute it becomes clear that they will not immediately become Etsy moguls.
That’s another side of crafting that I personally find, perhaps paradoxically, valuable: how separate it is from my actual work, and how it makes me feel productive without that productivity being tied to the pursuit of money. Of course, plenty of people make their living in part or wholly by selling what they make, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with picking up a craft with the hope that you might be able to sell your finished products. Especially at the beginning stages, though, I’d advise against focusing on that as your end goal, and instead concentrate on turning off your anxious brain, deciding which skills you’d like to get the hang of, or thinking about who you might like to give the first (or, let’s be real, third) fruit of your labors to. No shame whatsoever if that recipient is yourself.
So how do you choose which craft is right for you? There’s no such thing as a “crafty person” versus a non-crafty one, IMO, but your mileage may vary in terms of how much time, attention, and money you’re willing or able to invest. This goes triple during, say, a pandemic, when it should be considered a rousing victory simply to get through the day.
The crafts I tend to recommend to beginners range from deceptively simple (like embroidery and beading) to a somewhat steeper learning curve (knitting), and there are plenty of ways to go about procuring the materials and the resources you’ll need to learn for each. You can even get a sense of how difficult they’ll be before you decide to dive in yourself.
Some general rules of thumb: Your first and best friend in this regard will be the internet; basically every new craft I’ve ever taught myself was thanks to YouTube, or at least to the Instagram accounts, forum posts, and tutorials of people I found online. There are also plenty of paid classes, like the ones you can find on Craftsy, which cover everything from crochet to cake decorating. Whether you’re going the paid or free route, give yourself room to dig around and see what you come up with, and whose teaching and aesthetic styles you vibe with.
There are also plenty of preassembled kits that are perfect for when you don’t want to have to amass all the necessary materials for a given craft yourself; these tend to be pricier than acquiring supplies yourself, however (for example, a beginner knitting kit could easily run you $60, while buying similar materials a la carte can clock in at around half that), and you may find that written directions aren’t enough for your particular learning style. That said, kits are often easy, of high quality, and can make excellent gifts for the aspiring crafter in your life.
If cost is a barrier, or even if it’s not, I’m a big fan of letting whatever materials you already have on hand be your guide. If you have a forgotten stash of neon Sculpey clay or an inherited box of yarn, now’s a great time to figure out how to use them. Odds are, too, that someone in your orbit — a friend, a neighbor, a member of a religious or community group — has random supplies to give away as well. Keep an eye on your local Buy Nothing page to see if anyone is willing to facilitate a safe and distanced pickup.
Okay, let’s get to the actual crafts
There are, by my highly journalistic count, ten bajillion possible crafts you could pick up at this very moment, and likely ten quadrillion more that would require heavy machinery and/or a complete lifestyle overhaul. I’m going to focus on the ones I have some facility with and that can easily be done in the smallest of apartments and remotest of areas: embroidery, air-dry clay, and knitting. That’s roughly the order of difficulty as well. Again, this is a deeply non-exhaustive list of resources and materials, so feel beyond free to use whatever you have, can find, are drawn to, matches your current energy level, whatever. The world is your fibrous oyster.
Embroidery
Embroidery can comprise a bunch of different crafts, like needlepoint and cross-stitch, which often require patterns and gridded fabric and particular stitches; here, I mean “using thread on fabric to create images,” which is far more straightforward than it might at first appear.
If you’ve ever sewn a button back onto a shirt, you know all you need to get started. Still, I recommend this YouTube video as a jumping-off point, which is quite clear and has a jazzy little soundtrack as a bonus. Your first project should likely be a simple image or phrase meant to be displayed in a hoop, rather than immediately jumping to embroidering a denim jacket or a pillow, but your life, your rules.
For materials, you’ll want to get:
An embroidery hoop; I prefer wood but plastic works too, and shoot for 6” or 7” in diameter if possible
A pack of embroidery needles; you will certainly lose one or all of them
Embroidery floss (this is the technical term for “thick thread”) in whatever colors you like best
Sturdy cotton fabric; white or cream is easiest to see your work on, but you can definitely get creative with colors
Scissors; kitchen scissors are fine
A pencil if you want to sketch out your image in advance, which I highly recommend, especially if it will include any kind of lettering
If you’re interested in a kit, check out these ones by ChloeArtCrafts on Etsy, which have rave reviews and feature cute, modern images.
Air-dry clay
Chances are, you follow an impossibly cool girl on Instagram who perpetually posts time-lapses of herself at a pottery wheel and always seems to be running to and from the kiln with beautifully glazed pots and mugs. Unfortunately, you likely do not have a pottery wheel nor a kiln in your house, so you cannot easily become that girl during a pandemic. That’s where air-dry clay comes in. The name is pretty self-evident, but it doesn’t require heat to become firm nor for paint to set, and there are some really decent versions available for very little money. This is an especially great activity to do with kids, although be careful when it comes to any surfaces or fabrics you might be crafting around; acrylic paint can be an absolute nightmare to wash out.
This requires less of a hard-and-fast materials list or tutorial because a lot of it is just playing around and seeing what you enjoy, but it can be somewhat annoying when you’re first figuring out how the clay itself works. Here’s a solid YouTube tutorial that goes over how to make an imprinted jewelry dish, and shows the importance of keeping the clay damp but not too wet as well as what to do if you start to see cracks.
The only thing you REALLY need here is the clay itself and a cup of water for moistening it, but if you want to shape or paint your project with any facility, there are some other materials to keep an eye out for:
I’ve used both Crayola and DAS clays and really liked them both. Crayola is a bit easier to store because it comes in a tub, while DAS is maybe a hair smoother and less likely to crack, so really it’s down to what’s available to you.
Some sort of tool that can serve as a rolling pin (like an empty bottle of wine)
Some sort of tool that can serve as a carving implement (like an X-Acto blade or a small, sharp knife)
A cup of water and paper towels for keeping the clay moist; you could use a regular towel or rag but it might be tough to get clean afterward
Acrylic paints, sealant (although fair warning that you likely won’t be able to make food-safe projects even if you do seal them), and a paintbrush or two if you’d like to decorate your work.
For the kit-seekers, I’ve heard good things about a company called Sculpd, which provides everything you’ll need to get started and has some very chic paint colors to boot.
Knitting
I hope I didn’t scare you off of knitting altogether, because it’s really The Thing that’s anchored me and brought me comfort in the roughest of times. I wrote an intro knitting book this year that focuses on how to knit a hat even as an absolute beginner; it’s my personal philosophy that so many adults have sour memories of learning to knit because they actually just hated knitting scarves, so repetitive and interminable and which nobody really wants in the first place.
If you’re not looking to make a hat just yet nor give your money to a stranger on the internet (fair!), here is a series of videos by KnittingHelp that I often point newbies toward. It’s as relaxing as a bathtub and half a Xanax and will help you get started with the basic building blocks of the craft. I also highly recommend getting an account on Ravelry, which is a free social media site slash pattern resource and where I’ve found virtually all of the resources and inspiration in my own knitting life.
Your materials will vary depending on what you’d like to knit first. Here are some fairly universal options:
A set of circular knitting needles, which you can use to knit round things like hats and sleeves or flat ones like scarves. I recommend sticking with size 7 needles, which are on the thin side of medium, and 16- or 24-inch length for flexibility
Yarn that corresponds with your needle size (very thick yarn, for example, requires thicker needles). In this case, I’d suggest worsted weight, which for our purposes basically means medium. Pick up two or three skeins (which is yarnese for those twisty hanks you sometimes see rather than balls) and you’ll be able to make at least one hat plus a few other small projects.
A yarn needle, which confusingly sounds a lot like a “knitting needle” but is actually the name for what is essentially a super-jumbo sewing needle you’ll use to close up any seams or get rid of any dangling bits of yarn at the end
Scissors; again, kitchen scissors are fine.
KnitPicks, a lovely and very affordable yarn retailer, has a line of beginner kits if you’d prefer to go that route. And here’s some more info in an article I wrote a few years back about how to get started; it doesn’t totally hold up mid-pandemic because you likely won’t be visiting a yarn store and rubbing skeins against your neck any time soon, yet it hopefully provides some useful additional context.
Above all, I implore you not to give up right away, particularly when it comes to knitting but really in whatever craft you choose; if you truly hate it, you can always find another, and you might surprise yourself by pushing through. We’re going to be stuck inside for a while — we might as well make something.


vox--2020-12-08--Fox News is using the coronavirus as just another cudgel to attack the libs

Fox News ’ s coverage of record-high US coronavirus case numbers and hospitalizations is a stark example of how the network ’ s “ news ” programming sometimes serves as news-adjacent propaganda for the right .
According to the Covid Tracking Project , the seven-day average of new coronavirus cases , hospitalizations , and deaths are all currently at record levels , with deaths exceeding 2,000 per day .
But on Monday and Tuesday , Fox News ’ s coverage of the ongoing humanitarian disaster glorified resistance to public health measures officials have imposed in hopes of slowing the spread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believe that lockdowns may have negative effects , ” claimed Covid-19 contrarian Alex Berenson during a softball interview on Tuesday with America ’ s Newsroom host Sandra Smith .
Along similar lines , Monday ’ s edition of Outnumbered devoted an entire segment to a sheriff in California who says he won ’ t enforce the governor ’ s public health regulations .
“ A lot of these governors are very focused using this power trip that they now have and shutting people down without giving them real evidence or real science to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ News contributor Katie Pavlich on the show .
Monday ’ s America ’ s Newsroom featured a friendly interview with an attorney representing a Staten Island bar owner who allegedly assaulted an officer who tried to enforce shutdown orders .
Hours later , anchor Bill Hemmer interviewed a “ frustrated restaurant owner ” in Los Angles who said , “ Yes , the numbers are spiking , but we knew that would happen in the winter , right ?
...
The solution that they ’ re giving is worse than the cure.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trying to relay your story , your message , ” Hemmer replied .
( The same restaurant owner was interviewed on Fox News on Tuesday . )
Keep in mind that all of these examples come from Fox News ’ s daytime programming , which supposedly focuses on news , instead of the commentary of primetime hosts Tucker Carlson , Sean Hannity , and Laura Ingraham .
If anything , the commentary shows have been even more egregious — to cite one example , host Steve Hilton on Sunday said , “ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ One data point illustrates Fox News ’ s broader framing .
According to transcripts compiled by SnapStream , coronavirus “ restrictions ” were mentioned 28 times during the network ’ s programming on Monday , while “ hospitalizations ” were mentioned just eight times .
And that point of emphasis was impossible to miss on Tuesday as well .
Ironically , if there ’ s any group that should be especially concerned about spiking coronavirus cases , it ’ s Fox News viewers , 53 percent of whom are older than 65 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health officials have repeatedly warned that the risk of adverse outcomes advances with age .
But instead of doing the responsible thing and encouraging people to follow public health science ( not to mention common sense ) by recommending they avoid crowds and stay home until the situation is more under control or a vaccine is available , the message Fox News is sending its viewers is that the real problem is regulations hurting business owners .
That ’ s not to say that the pain business owners and their workers are feeling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economic situation is dire , and some economists expect things to get worse barring the unlikely approval of massive government aid .
But the underlying problem is the coronavirus and the lack of federal help for those affected , not the fact that state and local governments are trying to slow the spread by discouraging people from spending time in places where they ’ re at risk .
You might recall that Fox News was widely criticized during the early days of the pandemic for downplaying its severity and promoting unproven , potentially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not talk about hydroxychloroquine as much these days , but their effort to use the pandemic as a cudgel to own the libs is similarly irresponsible .
Studies have shown that consumers of misleading cable news coverage of the coronavirus are less likely to follow public health guidelines .
By framing the pandemic as primarily an economic problem caused by liberal policies instead of a public health problem caused by a novel virus ( and exacerbated by a shortsighted federal response ) , Fox News is not only endangering its viewers — it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has now killed nearly 300,000 Americans into yet another culture war issue .
Correction : This piece originally said over 60 percent of Fox ’ s viewers were over 65 .
Fox News says it is 53 percent .

Fox News’s coverage of record-high US coronavirus case numbers and hospitalizations is a stark example of how the network’s “news” programming sometimes serves as news-adjacent propaganda for the right.
According to the Covid Tracking Project, the seven-day average of new coronavirus cases, hospitalizations, and deaths are all currently at record levels, with deaths exceeding 2,000 per day. But on Monday and Tuesday, Fox News’s coverage of the ongoing humanitarian disaster glorified resistance to public health measures officials have imposed in hopes of slowing the spread.
“There are many reasons to believe that lockdowns may have negative effects,” claimed Covid-19 contrarian Alex Berenson during a softball interview on Tuesday with America’s Newsroom host Sandra Smith.
Along similar lines, Monday’s edition of Outnumbered devoted an entire segment to a sheriff in California who says he won’t enforce the governor’s public health regulations.
“A lot of these governors are very focused using this power trip that they now have and shutting people down without giving them real evidence or real science to back it up,” opined Fox News contributor Katie Pavlich on the show.
Monday’s America’s Newsroom featured a friendly interview with an attorney representing a Staten Island bar owner who allegedly assaulted an officer who tried to enforce shutdown orders. Hours later, anchor Bill Hemmer interviewed a “frustrated restaurant owner” in Los Angles who said, “Yes, the numbers are spiking, but we knew that would happen in the winter, right? ... The solution that they’re giving is worse than the cure.”
“I thought you were excellent just trying to relay your story, your message,” Hemmer replied. (The same restaurant owner was interviewed on Fox News on Tuesday.)
Keep in mind that all of these examples come from Fox News’s daytime programming, which supposedly focuses on news, instead of the commentary of primetime hosts Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity, and Laura Ingraham. If anything, the commentary shows have been even more egregious — to cite one example, host Steve Hilton on Sunday said, “I want to see a lockdown rebellion.”
One data point illustrates Fox News’s broader framing. According to transcripts compiled by SnapStream, coronavirus “restrictions” were mentioned 28 times during the network’s programming on Monday, while “hospitalizations” were mentioned just eight times. And that point of emphasis was impossible to miss on Tuesday as well.
Fox News continues to center its coronavirus coverage around resistance to public health measures pic.twitter.com/TFKFHhZTTZ — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) December 8, 2020
Ironically, if there’s any group that should be especially concerned about spiking coronavirus cases, it’s Fox News viewers, 53 percent of whom are older than 65, according to Nielsen Media Research. Public health officials have repeatedly warned that the risk of adverse outcomes advances with age.
But instead of doing the responsible thing and encouraging people to follow public health science (not to mention common sense) by recommending they avoid crowds and stay home until the situation is more under control or a vaccine is available, the message Fox News is sending its viewers is that the real problem is regulations hurting business owners.
Fox's MO for covering covid-19: They note the records, but focus on the business impacts of "lockdowns..." https://t.co/DdZ3D6KbAo — Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) December 8, 2020
That’s not to say that the pain business owners and their workers are feeling right now should be ignored. The economic situation is dire, and some economists expect things to get worse barring the unlikely approval of massive government aid. But the underlying problem is the coronavirus and the lack of federal help for those affected, not the fact that state and local governments are trying to slow the spread by discouraging people from spending time in places where they’re at risk.
You might recall that Fox News was widely criticized during the early days of the pandemic for downplaying its severity and promoting unproven, potentially dangerous miracle cures. Network hosts may not talk about hydroxychloroquine as much these days, but their effort to use the pandemic as a cudgel to own the libs is similarly irresponsible.
Studies have shown that consumers of misleading cable news coverage of the coronavirus are less likely to follow public health guidelines. By framing the pandemic as primarily an economic problem caused by liberal policies instead of a public health problem caused by a novel virus (and exacerbated by a shortsighted federal response), Fox News is not only endangering its viewers — it’s turning a dangerous virus that has now killed nearly 300,000 Americans into yet another culture war issue.
Correction: This piece originally said over 60 percent of Fox’s viewers were over 65. Fox News says it is 53 percent.


I’m so over brands

On Monday , I was reading through Curbed ’ s list of all the New York City businesses that have closed largely due to lack of financial support throughout the COVID-19 pandemic .
On the list was a Brooklyn bar called Burnside , a place where I ’ ve played endless hours of pub trivia , celebrated birthdays , downed picklebacks , and even had my first date with my now-spouse .
The bar ’ s closure , as well as the loss of many other businesses that made up the beautiful and enticing fabric of the city , is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and mounting hits to local culture was completely preventable , as we ’ ve pointed out again and again and again .
If only there had been a rent freeze .
If only there ’ d been better federal assistance .
But there wasn ’ t , and now beloved restaurants , bars , shops , galleries , theaters , and all the other places that make life ’ s trudge more tolerable are disappearing .
As calls for bailouts go unanswered , as the democrats and republicans of Congress fail to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spends his remaining days in the White House acting like a grotesque toddler who won ’ t let anyone change his shit-ballooning diaper ( in this figurative portrait , we are — I ’ m sorry — the diaper ) , what left is there to do ?
Order takeout from your remaining favorite places and cry .
At least that ’ s what I ’ m doing .
I describe my headspace to you so that you understand my overreaction to the news that KFC was partnering with Lifetime ( Television for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a “ mini movie ” starring Mario Lopez as a sexy Colonel Sanders .
This inoffensive , trivial branding is par for the course when it comes to modern marketing .
In 2020 , why wouldn ’ t A.C. Slater from Saved by the Bell be playing a tarted-up fried chicken magnate in what my colleague Jenny G. Zhang accurately described as an extended commercial ?
And yet , frivolous and unsurprising as it is , something about its existence made me furious .
The existence of this stupid mini movie appears @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and I feel cruel for snuffing out that rare spark of joy .
But while A Recipe for Seduction might seem like it ’ s not all that serious , KFC having the money for this kind of stunt only further illuminates the discrepancies between small independent businesses that are set up to fail and the major corporations that are propped up to succeed .
Of course , KFC is only one small part of this .
In a devastating year , McDonald ’ s “ U.S .
sales [ roared ] @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s is luring in customers with free gaming consoles and expensive Fortnite endorsements .
These are things that small businesses are not able to do , especially when fast-food franchises have been given a whopping $ 1 billion of the limited stimulus loans allotted for small businesses .
While Twitter gets excited about sexy Colonel Sanders , restaurants are continuing to close at staggering rates .
I write this not to chide — mature adults are able to hold multiple truths in their heads at once , such as “ independent restaurants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s joke around about this KFC/Lifetime partnership because we need a break from being constantly depressed.
” And just because I ’ ve grown cynical and scornful , it doesn ’ t mean everyone else needs to live that way .
Honestly , I don ’ t recommend it !
Still , though , I can ’ t help but resent these brands and their hold over our lives when all I want — and what I really need — is to sit with my friends in our favorite dark bar while drinking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fries , and joking around with a bartender we ’ ve come to know and love through years of being a regular .
If that were safe and possible , maybe then I could lighten up .
Only none of us can do that because our favorite dark bars are disappearing ; chains , with their sense-dulling monotony and corny viral marketing campaigns , could be all that remains .

On Monday, I was reading through Curbed’s list of all the New York City businesses that have closed largely due to lack of financial support throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. On the list was a Brooklyn bar called Burnside, a place where I’ve played endless hours of pub trivia, celebrated birthdays, downed picklebacks, and even had my first date with my now-spouse.
The bar’s closure, as well as the loss of many other businesses that made up the beautiful and enticing fabric of the city, is objectively sad. The loss of livelihood and mounting hits to local culture was completely preventable, as we’ve pointed out again and again and again. If only there had been a rent freeze. If only there’d been better federal assistance. But there wasn’t, and now beloved restaurants, bars, shops, galleries, theaters, and all the other places that make life’s trudge more tolerable are disappearing. As calls for bailouts go unanswered, as the democrats and republicans of Congress fail to be remotely useful, and as Donald Trump spends his remaining days in the White House acting like a grotesque toddler who won’t let anyone change his shit-ballooning diaper (in this figurative portrait, we are — I’m sorry — the diaper), what left is there to do? Order takeout from your remaining favorite places and cry. At least that’s what I’m doing.
I describe my headspace to you so that you understand my overreaction to the news that KFC was partnering with Lifetime (Television for Women) on A Recipe for Seduction, a “mini movie” starring Mario Lopez as a sexy Colonel Sanders. This inoffensive, trivial branding is par for the course when it comes to modern marketing. In 2020, why wouldn’t A.C. Slater from Saved by the Bell be playing a tarted-up fried chicken magnate in what my colleague Jenny G. Zhang accurately described as an extended commercial? And yet, frivolous and unsurprising as it is, something about its existence made me furious.
The existence of this stupid mini movie appears to have excited a share of people, and I feel cruel for snuffing out that rare spark of joy. But while A Recipe for Seduction might seem like it’s not all that serious, KFC having the money for this kind of stunt only further illuminates the discrepancies between small independent businesses that are set up to fail and the major corporations that are propped up to succeed. Of course, KFC is only one small part of this. In a devastating year, McDonald’s “U.S. sales [roared] back in the third quarter.” Wendy’s is luring in customers with free gaming consoles and expensive Fortnite endorsements. These are things that small businesses are not able to do, especially when fast-food franchises have been given a whopping $1 billion of the limited stimulus loans allotted for small businesses.
While Twitter gets excited about sexy Colonel Sanders, restaurants are continuing to close at staggering rates. I write this not to chide — mature adults are able to hold multiple truths in their heads at once, such as “independent restaurants need help” and “let’s joke around about this KFC/Lifetime partnership because we need a break from being constantly depressed.” And just because I’ve grown cynical and scornful, it doesn’t mean everyone else needs to live that way. Honestly, I don’t recommend it!
Still, though, I can’t help but resent these brands and their hold over our lives when all I want — and what I really need — is to sit with my friends in our favorite dark bar while drinking Tecates, sharing a basket of matchstick fries, and joking around with a bartender we’ve come to know and love through years of being a regular. If that were safe and possible, maybe then I could lighten up. Only none of us can do that because our favorite dark bars are disappearing; chains, with their sense-dulling monotony and corny viral marketing campaigns, could be all that remains.