vox--2020-09-14--Why some counterprotests to Black Lives Matter are turning violent

Saturday , September 5 , was supposed to be the day Louisville reveled in one of its most celebrated traditions — the Kentucky Derby — the coronavirus notwithstanding .
Instead , much of the attention on the city that day was directed to just outside the dirt track at Churchill Downs , where the Louisville Metro Police Department and the National Guard assembled tall barricades in anticipation of protesters calling for results in the Breonna Taylor case , which has seen little movement in the seven months since the about-to-be-27-year-old was fatally shot by police in her home .
Protesters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ militia .
While there were no spectators in the stands ( fans were all virtual ) , hundreds of armed members of NFAC — the Not Fucking Around Coalition — positioned themselves on the grass outside the complex hours before the event .
The group of Black men and women assembled with weapons and announced themselves to the police as “ the response not the threat.
” “ We had hoped to come back to Louisville to celebrate a victory with these people .
We had hoped that [ the Taylor case ] @ @ @ @ @ @ @ group ’ s leader , John “ Grandmaster Jay ” Johnson , said at Saturday ’ s event .
Some in the Black community had previously urged Churchill Downs to cancel the Kentucky Derby to show solidarity with the fight for racial justice .
But the group dispersed before the Derby even began when a white militia group appeared .
Though Johnson told reporters he had an agreement with local police departments about NFAC ’ s presence , he said the agreement was breached when that other armed collective — who said they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NFAC — was allowed in the same space .
Meanwhile , a few miles away in downtown Louisville , Black Lives Matter protesters clashed with members of the far-right armed militia group American Patriots USA earlier in the day .
Protesters carried Black Lives Matter flags and chanted “ Breonna Taylor ” as the counterprotesters carried Trump Keep America Great flags and chanted “ USA ” and “ Back the Blue , ” referring to police .
Protests against police violence and for racial justice have been happening around the country since May @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killing of George Floyd went viral .
While counterprotesters have been showing up in cities for just as long , in recent weeks , tensions have gotten more heated and violence at the hands of extremists has turned fatal .
That same Labor Day weekend , protesters and armed militia gathered in the streets of other cities in the wake of other deadly clashes .
On Labor Day , more than 1,000 supporters of Trump , including Patriot Prayer supporters , QAnon conspiracy theory supporters , and members of the Proud Boys , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the president and Aaron Danielson , a Patriot Prayer supporter who was killed in a clash the previous weekend in Portland by Michael Rienoehl , who considered himself an antifa supporter .
Protesters also clashed with police and counterprotesters in Rochester over the previous police killing of Daniel Prude , leading to the resignation of top law enforcement officials .
“ We first went out thinking it would be a peaceful protest , but things turned on the first night , ” said Danielle Ponder , a public defender based in Rochester @ @ @ @ @ @ @ video of Prude ’ s killing was released on September 2 .
“ We were met with pepper spray completely unprovoked .
It was like war , unlike anything I ’ ve ever seen .
We can ’ t stop now , and I hope this empowers people to demand more.
” The intensity and frequency of these clashes makes it apparent that there will be more to come as summer draws to a close , and with two months until Election Day .
And protesters have made it clear that they will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Far-right counterprotesters , on the other hand , are feeling greater pressure to maintain the status quo of a Trump presidency .
Add local and federal officials calling in more police or the National Guard as a solution , and tensions only rise .
The chaos could result in more division and deaths , taking the focus off one of the largest civil rights movement in history and its mission to seek justice for Black lives .
Why clashes are on the rise and in the headlines A new report from the Armed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in collaboration with Princeton University ’ s Bridging Divides Initiative , identified 7,750 Black Lives Matter protests from May 26 through August 22 at 2,400 locations across the US .
An examination of these events found that 93 percent of them remained peaceful while protests at about 220 locations turned “ violent ” — defined as the destruction of property , and including clashes between protesters and police and counterprotesters .
The report also found that in these places the violence was restricted to specific blocks of the city and not widespread .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ remained largely peaceful over the course of about four months , the report warned that a hyper-polarized environment spurred by state forces that take “ a more heavy-handed approach to dissent ” will only make non-state actors “ more active and assertive , ” and that counterdemonstrators will “ resolve their political disputes in the street ” ahead of the election .
“ Without significant mitigation efforts , these risks will continue to intensify in the lead-up to the vote , ” the authors wrote .
The report also noted the National Guard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least 55 times since the killing of George Floyd in late May , which has only inflamed tensions .
It also found that government forces disproportionately used force — fired tear gas , rubber bullets , and pepper spray , or beat protesters with batons — when intervening in Black Lives Matter protests , relative to other kinds of demonstrations .
In Portland , for example , federal agents were sent to ostensibly keep the peace in July , but instead used excessive force and detained people in unmarked vehicles , only reescalating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Homeland Security agents in Portland , “ the percentage of violent demonstrations has risen from under 17 % to over 42 % , suggesting that the federal response has only aggravated unrest , ” the report states .
Counterprotest activity is also on the rise , a trend that can quickly escalate the number of violent clashes , according to the report : In the nights following the police shooting of Jacob Blake on August 23 in Kenosha , Wisconsin , armed counterprotesters visited the city to purportedly protect it from looting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse , fatally shot two people and injured another , and was later charged with first-degree intentional homicide .
This unrest would give rise to more unrest in Portland where Trump supporters clashed with antifa members — both groups separate from peaceful Black Lives Matter protesters — resulting in the death of Danielson .
Clashes will only continue to increase if police and state and federal officials continue their heavy-handed approach to demonstrators .
“ The current administration seems to thrive in the context of disorder , so you can imagine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more , which is just going to spin off confrontations , ” University of Michigan political scientist Christian Davenport told Vox .
The recent clashes have historical precedent , rooted in the urban disturbances of the 1960s and ’ 70s .
Beginning in 1964 , tensions between Black demonstrators and law enforcement caused riots across cities like Rochester , Philadelphia , and Newark .
By 1967 , hundreds of cities had experienced long , hot summers marked by urban rebellion and unrest .
Ponder , too , sees the resemblance to the civil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out there with tanks and dogs !
” she said of the current Rochester protests .
“ I ’ m out there wearing a T-shirt and jeans and we are being met by people flanked in complete military uniforms and officers in riot gear .
It felt like a complete war zone .
At one point we ran into a church .
And I just kept thinking , ‘ We ’ re hiding from our government in a church.
’ They even pepper sprayed the outside of the church !
” Because of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ performances , Davenport said .
“ To what extent can protesters stay seemingly nonviolent but persistent ?
” While the Black Lives Matter protesters are there to draw attention to systemic oppression , the presence of the far-right counterprotesters represents a desire to resist social change .
“ These people aren ’ t upset .
They believe they are protecting that which they see as the natural order .
They see these other people as the heretics and the threat , ” Davenport said .
And the increased presence of other non-state actors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ serves to “ openly intimidate perceived ‘ enemies , ’ ” like the counterprotesters , according to the report .
Though violence has not erupted every time these groups are present , tensions can escalate quickly .
In the end , counterprotest dynamics tend to squeeze out middle-of-the-road protesters .
“ We then have a race , not to the middle , but to the extremes , ” Davenport said .
Making things more complicated and further compromising peaceful protesters is that right-wing counterprotesters and the government have overlapping interests .
Some are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for law and order like the president does and chanting “ Back the Blue ” to signal their support for the work of law enforcement .
In one video from Labor Day weekend , a counterprotester told a Black Lives Matter supporter that they were there to support the police but not the “ bad eggs ” in the police force .
“ We ’ re not out here defending the actions of them fucking bad cops .
At all .
They need justice .
But at the same time , we can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a few on everybody.
” Flying next to the counterprotester was a large Trump 2020 flag .
“ You have an ill-informed group that ’ s already hostile and a group that has way too much information about their lives and they ’ re frustrated about what ’ s going on and you stick these people out in the street with a lackadaisical police effort , this does not bode well , ” Davenport said .
Why activists will keep organizing ahead of the election and after it Through all this , Black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from their demands : The desire to completely rethink how criminal justice and law enforcement systems function in America .
Ponder says their demands are clear in Rochester .
Protesters are calling for the resignation of Mayor Lovely Warren and Deputy Mayor James Smith .
They ’ re asking that the officers involved in Prude ’ s killing be prosecuted — Prude , who had a clinical history of mental illness , died after officers put a mesh “ spit hood ” over his head — and that the city enact “ Daniel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prohibit officers from responding to mental health calls for help .
They ’ re also asking for the immediate demilitarization of the police , since 86 percent of all adult arrests in Rochester are misdemeanors .
Last , activists are calling for the defunding of the Rochester Police Department , which receives about $ 100 million per year .
The school district ’ s budget was recently cut by about 20 percent while the police department only received a 5 percent cut , Ponder said .
And they will continue to be out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ percent of peaceful demonstrations across the country , until their demands are met .
The election has little bearing on this .
While the election is often thought of as a nice end point used to facilitate mobilization , the difficulty with thinking about Black Lives Matter only in the context of the election is losing “ the deeper narrative that folks are generationally upset , ” Davenport said .
“ It ’ s not every four years .
It ’ s several decades worth of stuff that led us to this point @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Whether Black Lives Matter activists will choose to shift strategy in an effort to position themselves away from right-wing agents provocateurs , particularly ahead of the election , is still left to be seen , but questions about the connections between clashes and the election may take away from the deeper goals of the movement .
“ What would this turn into if Black Lives Matter and associates could say , ‘ Let ’ s shift the nature of our confrontation with violence-generating agents in a way that allows us to put @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our behavior or presence to be manipulated in a manner that could potentially lead to something that facilitates this other narrative .
Let ’ s not participate in what has become the anti-performance of our grievance .
We ’ re not going to be fodder for this war machine , ’ ” Davenport said .
Ponder , meanwhile , is thinking about change that needs to start locally in Rochester — “ There are thousands of people who could have been Daniel Prude because our officers continue to dehumanize the Black community ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continue to uplift and inspire young people , despite the repeated clashes with law enforcement and counterprotesters .
“ I have never seen such a Black movement .
I have never seen so many young Black people in the street protesting , ” she said .
“ I hope this empowers them to demand more from their elected officials .
And I hope they become the elected officials to really shift the paradigm and transform our system of policing and criminal justice.
” Help keep Vox free for all Millions turn to Vox @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 .
Even when the economy and the news advertising market recovers , your support will be a critical part of sustaining our resource-intensive work .
If you have already contributed , thank you .
If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ helping everyone make sense of an increasingly chaotic world : Contribute today from as little as $ 3 .

Saturday, September 5, was supposed to be the day Louisville reveled in one of its most celebrated traditions — the Kentucky Derby — the coronavirus notwithstanding.
Instead, much of the attention on the city that day was directed to just outside the dirt track at Churchill Downs, where the Louisville Metro Police Department and the National Guard assembled tall barricades in anticipation of protesters calling for results in the Breonna Taylor case, which has seen little movement in the seven months since the about-to-be-27-year-old was fatally shot by police in her home. Protesters showed up — and so did armed militia.
While there were no spectators in the stands (fans were all virtual), hundreds of armed members of NFAC — the Not Fucking Around Coalition — positioned themselves on the grass outside the complex hours before the event. The group of Black men and women assembled with weapons and announced themselves to the police as “the response not the threat.”
“We had hoped to come back to Louisville to celebrate a victory with these people. We had hoped that [the Taylor case] would have been closed,” the group’s leader, John “Grandmaster Jay” Johnson, said at Saturday’s event. Some in the Black community had previously urged Churchill Downs to cancel the Kentucky Derby to show solidarity with the fight for racial justice.
But the group dispersed before the Derby even began when a white militia group appeared. Though Johnson told reporters he had an agreement with local police departments about NFAC’s presence, he said the agreement was breached when that other armed collective — who said they were there to protect the city against NFAC — was allowed in the same space.
Meanwhile, a few miles away in downtown Louisville, Black Lives Matter protesters clashed with members of the far-right armed militia group American Patriots USA earlier in the day. Protesters carried Black Lives Matter flags and chanted “Breonna Taylor” as the counterprotesters carried Trump Keep America Great flags and chanted “USA” and “Back the Blue,” referring to police.
Protests against police violence and for racial justice have been happening around the country since May, when video of the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd went viral. While counterprotesters have been showing up in cities for just as long, in recent weeks, tensions have gotten more heated and violence at the hands of extremists has turned fatal.
That same Labor Day weekend, protesters and armed militia gathered in the streets of other cities in the wake of other deadly clashes. On Labor Day, more than 1,000 supporters of Trump, including Patriot Prayer supporters, QAnon conspiracy theory supporters, and members of the Proud Boys, gathered in northwest Oregon to express support for the president and Aaron Danielson, a Patriot Prayer supporter who was killed in a clash the previous weekend in Portland by Michael Rienoehl, who considered himself an antifa supporter.
Protesters also clashed with police and counterprotesters in Rochester over the previous police killing of Daniel Prude, leading to the resignation of top law enforcement officials.
“We first went out thinking it would be a peaceful protest, but things turned on the first night,” said Danielle Ponder, a public defender based in Rochester who has protested every night since the video of Prude’s killing was released on September 2. “We were met with pepper spray completely unprovoked. It was like war, unlike anything I’ve ever seen. We can’t stop now, and I hope this empowers people to demand more.”
The intensity and frequency of these clashes makes it apparent that there will be more to come as summer draws to a close, and with two months until Election Day. And protesters have made it clear that they will not stop until justice is delivered. Far-right counterprotesters, on the other hand, are feeling greater pressure to maintain the status quo of a Trump presidency. Add local and federal officials calling in more police or the National Guard as a solution, and tensions only rise. The chaos could result in more division and deaths, taking the focus off one of the largest civil rights movement in history and its mission to seek justice for Black lives.
Why clashes are on the rise and in the headlines
A new report from the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data project, in collaboration with Princeton University’s Bridging Divides Initiative, identified 7,750 Black Lives Matter protests from May 26 through August 22 at 2,400 locations across the US. An examination of these events found that 93 percent of them remained peaceful while protests at about 220 locations turned “violent” — defined as the destruction of property, and including clashes between protesters and police and counterprotesters. The report also found that in these places the violence was restricted to specific blocks of the city and not widespread.
Yet, despite the fact that protests remained largely peaceful over the course of about four months, the report warned that a hyper-polarized environment spurred by state forces that take “a more heavy-handed approach to dissent” will only make non-state actors “more active and assertive,” and that counterdemonstrators will “resolve their political disputes in the street” ahead of the election.
“Without significant mitigation efforts, these risks will continue to intensify in the lead-up to the vote,” the authors wrote.
The report also noted the National Guard had been deployed across the country at least 55 times since the killing of George Floyd in late May, which has only inflamed tensions. It also found that government forces disproportionately used force — fired tear gas, rubber bullets, and pepper spray, or beat protesters with batons — when intervening in Black Lives Matter protests, relative to other kinds of demonstrations.
In Portland, for example, federal agents were sent to ostensibly keep the peace in July, but instead used excessive force and detained people in unmarked vehicles, only reescalating tensions. After the deployment of Department of Homeland Security agents in Portland, “the percentage of violent demonstrations has risen from under 17% to over 42%, suggesting that the federal response has only aggravated unrest,” the report states.
Counterprotest activity is also on the rise, a trend that can quickly escalate the number of violent clashes, according to the report:
Between 24 May and 22 August, over 360 counter-protests were recorded around the country, accounting for nearly 5% of all demonstrations. Of these, 43 — nearly 12% — turned violent, with clashes between pro-police demonstrators and demonstrators associated with the BLM movement, for example. In July alone, ACLED records over 160 counter-protests, or more than 8% of all demonstrations. Of these, 18 turned violent.
In the nights following the police shooting of Jacob Blake on August 23 in Kenosha, Wisconsin, armed counterprotesters visited the city to purportedly protect it from looting and vandalism. One such vigilante, 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse, fatally shot two people and injured another, and was later charged with first-degree intentional homicide. This unrest would give rise to more unrest in Portland where Trump supporters clashed with antifa members — both groups separate from peaceful Black Lives Matter protesters — resulting in the death of Danielson.
Clashes will only continue to increase if police and state and federal officials continue their heavy-handed approach to demonstrators. “The current administration seems to thrive in the context of disorder, so you can imagine that there’s going to be more, which is just going to spin off confrontations,” University of Michigan political scientist Christian Davenport told Vox.
The recent clashes have historical precedent, rooted in the urban disturbances of the 1960s and ’70s. Beginning in 1964, tensions between Black demonstrators and law enforcement caused riots across cities like Rochester, Philadelphia, and Newark. By 1967, hundreds of cities had experienced long, hot summers marked by urban rebellion and unrest.
Ponder, too, sees the resemblance to the civil rights movement. “State troopers were out there with tanks and dogs!” she said of the current Rochester protests. “I’m out there wearing a T-shirt and jeans and we are being met by people flanked in complete military uniforms and officers in riot gear. It felt like a complete war zone. At one point we ran into a church. And I just kept thinking, ‘We’re hiding from our government in a church.’ They even pepper sprayed the outside of the church!”
Because of these historical connections, there are dueling performances, Davenport said. “To what extent can protesters stay seemingly nonviolent but persistent?”
While the Black Lives Matter protesters are there to draw attention to systemic oppression, the presence of the far-right counterprotesters represents a desire to resist social change. “These people aren’t upset. They believe they are protecting that which they see as the natural order. They see these other people as the heretics and the threat,” Davenport said.
And the increased presence of other non-state actors, like antifa and the NFAC, serves to “openly intimidate perceived ‘enemies,’” like the counterprotesters, according to the report. Though violence has not erupted every time these groups are present, tensions can escalate quickly.
In the end, counterprotest dynamics tend to squeeze out middle-of-the-road protesters. “We then have a race, not to the middle, but to the extremes,” Davenport said.
Making things more complicated and further compromising peaceful protesters is that right-wing counterprotesters and the government have overlapping interests. Some are there with guns, touting a need for law and order like the president does and chanting “Back the Blue” to signal their support for the work of law enforcement.
In one video from Labor Day weekend, a counterprotester told a Black Lives Matter supporter that they were there to support the police but not the “bad eggs” in the police force. “We’re not out here defending the actions of them fucking bad cops. At all. They need justice. But at the same time, we can’t blame the actions of just a few on everybody.” Flying next to the counterprotester was a large Trump 2020 flag.
“You have an ill-informed group that’s already hostile and a group that has way too much information about their lives and they’re frustrated about what’s going on and you stick these people out in the street with a lackadaisical police effort, this does not bode well,” Davenport said.
Why activists will keep organizing ahead of the election and after it
Through all this, Black Lives Matter protesters have never shied away from their demands: The desire to completely rethink how criminal justice and law enforcement systems function in America.
Ponder says their demands are clear in Rochester. Protesters are calling for the resignation of Mayor Lovely Warren and Deputy Mayor James Smith. They’re asking that the officers involved in Prude’s killing be prosecuted — Prude, who had a clinical history of mental illness, died after officers put a mesh “spit hood” over his head — and that the city enact “Daniel’s Law,” which would prohibit officers from responding to mental health calls for help.
They’re also asking for the immediate demilitarization of the police, since 86 percent of all adult arrests in Rochester are misdemeanors. Last, activists are calling for the defunding of the Rochester Police Department, which receives about $100 million per year. The school district’s budget was recently cut by about 20 percent while the police department only received a 5 percent cut, Ponder said.
And they will continue to be out in the streets, much like 93 percent of peaceful demonstrations across the country, until their demands are met. The election has little bearing on this.
While the election is often thought of as a nice end point used to facilitate mobilization, the difficulty with thinking about Black Lives Matter only in the context of the election is losing “the deeper narrative that folks are generationally upset,” Davenport said. “It’s not every four years. It’s several decades worth of stuff that led us to this point that Democrats and Republicans are responsible for.”
Whether Black Lives Matter activists will choose to shift strategy in an effort to position themselves away from right-wing agents provocateurs, particularly ahead of the election, is still left to be seen, but questions about the connections between clashes and the election may take away from the deeper goals of the movement.
“What would this turn into if Black Lives Matter and associates could say, ‘Let’s shift the nature of our confrontation with violence-generating agents in a way that allows us to put forward pressure but doesn’t allow our behavior or presence to be manipulated in a manner that could potentially lead to something that facilitates this other narrative. Let’s not participate in what has become the anti-performance of our grievance. We’re not going to be fodder for this war machine,’” Davenport said.
Ponder, meanwhile, is thinking about change that needs to start locally in Rochester — “There are thousands of people who could have been Daniel Prude because our officers continue to dehumanize the Black community” — but also hopes the movement will continue to uplift and inspire young people, despite the repeated clashes with law enforcement and counterprotesters.
“I have never seen such a Black movement. I have never seen so many young Black people in the street protesting,” she said. “I hope this empowers them to demand more from their elected officials. And I hope they become the elected officials to really shift the paradigm and transform our system of policing and criminal justice.”


vox--2020-09-14--“Unprecedented”: What’s behind the California, Oregon, and Washington wildfires

The one word experts keep using to describe the gargantuan ongoing wildfires in the western United States is “ unprecedented.
” California is experiencing some of the largest fires right now .
The 755,600-acre August Complex Fire is now the largest blaze in state history , and statewide , a total of more than 3.1 million acres have gone up in smoke , a record area for a single year .
Nearby coastal states like Oregon and Washington are also seeing record blazes , some of which are encroaching on major population centers .
In Oregon , more than 40,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and down the West Coast , at least 35 people have been killed in the recent fires .
“ This is truly the bellwether for climate change on the West Coast , ” said Oregon Gov .
Kate Brown on Face the Nation on Sunday .
“ And this is a wake-up call for all of us that we have got to do everything in our power to tackle climate change.
” Washington state has seen dozens of fires that have consumed more than half a million acres .
“ This is an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said Washington Gov .
Jay Inslee in a September 9 press conference .
“ The grass is so dry , the temperatures are so hot , and the winds are so heavy ... and these conditions are exacerbated by the changing climate.
” The National Interagency Fire Center reports that across 12 states , 100 large wildfires have burned 4.6 million acres .
Some of the largest blazes burning in the West as of September 14 are in a map below , and the Los Angeles Times has a map of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wildfires are a natural part of many ecosystems in these western states , serving to rejuvenate forests and grasslands .
But the scale , intensity , speed , location , and timing of the recent infernos stand out .
They are a part of a pattern of growing fire risk , emerging from a confluence of factors exacerbated by humans , spanning from ignitions to urban planning to forest management to climate change .
What makes the 2020 wildfires in the West stand out among recent years with epic blazes With so many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s important to remember that there is a lot of variability in the specific factors at play for a given fire , from the ignition source to what kind of landscape is burning to the local conditions spreading the flames .
However , there are some common factors that tie many of these blazes together and make them exceptional .
The weather and the warming climate : Record heat this summer baked much of the western United States , with states like California experiencing their hottest August on record .
Many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ record or near-record heat throughout the summer and into September .
The summer was capped with a punishing heat wave that settled across the region in August and September and drove temperatures well into triple digits .
It has also been extremely dry in California , Oregon , and Washington this summer , with large sections of each state under “ severe drought ” conditions and some areas reaching “ extreme drought.
” That heat and dryness turned grasses , shrubs , and trees into easy tinder , ready to ignite at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the weather has provided that spark .
The vast majority of wildfires in the United States are ignited by human sources — power lines , cigarette butts , machinery , or , in the case of one infamous recent fire , a gender reveal stunt .
But a strange dry lightning storm near the San Francisco Bay Area in August led to more than 11,000 lightning strikes and triggered more than 300 fires in its wake .
The causes of many other fires across the region are still being investigated .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the climate changes , and in many of the burning areas , the climate has already shifted in ways to worsen fire risk .
“ What you can say is that our fire seasons here in California have on average expanded by 75 days , ” said Lynnette Round , a spokesperson for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection .
“ Our summers are longer which means that conditions are hotter , they ’ re drier , and that makes us more susceptible to wildfires.
” Forecasts across many parts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expected to remain hot and dry for the coming weeks .
And as the fall approaches , seasonal winds are expected to pick up , increasing the odds of spreading fires .
The timing : Recent extreme weather is a major factor behind why so many fires are burning at the same time .
Different biomes — from coniferous forests to chaparral — are usually primed to burn at different times of the year .
So across the West , fires are typically staggered throughout the season , with the peak of wildfires @ @ @ @ @ @ @ south into the autumn .
But dozens of fires are simultaneously burning across huge swaths of the West , a rare occurrence , even in fire-prone regions .
“ Having this many large fires break out simultaneously and , in many cases , move through populated areas so quickly all at once is unprecedented in Oregon , ” said Jason Cox , a spokesperson for the Oregon Department of Forestry , in an email .
In some jurisdictions , several nearby fires have been grouped into larger “ complexes ” to coordinate firefighting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ One hallmark of the recent blazes has been how quickly they gained ground , spreading over hundreds of thousands of acres in just a few hours .
It ’ s a sign of just how much dry fuel was ready to burn .
“ It ’ s the rates of spread that are really impactful and impressive , and also I would say largely due to this trajectory of warming and drying that we ’ re on from climate change , ” said Matthew Hurteau , an associate professor of biology at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Oregon , for example , saw a 72-hour period where 900,000 acres burned .
Cox explained that in the entire 20th century , Oregon saw just six megafires , defined as blazes spanning more than 100,000 acres .
In the first decades of the 21st century , Oregon has seen 11 , but never more than two megafires in a given year .
“ Now over just a couple days , there are five wildfires of this size burning , ” Cox said .
“ The largest wildfire of the 20th century @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 1933 at 261,000 acres .
We have seen more than twice that many acres burn over just a couple days.
” ( By comparison , the Tillamook Burn took more than 10 days . )
Another unusual aspect of the recent wildfires is how much they ’ ve kept their momentum , especially at night .
In California , the Bear Fire , part of the North Complex Fire , burned more than 100,000 acres in 24 hours after igniting .
A substantial amount of this happened through the night , when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and firefighters make progress .
“ This North Complex , which is currently burning , and we ’ re seeing this in Oregon and Washington too , these really extreme fire behaviors are occurring in the middle of the night , ” said Hurteau .
“ That kind of fire growth , especially at night , that ’ s a climate signal for sure.
” The health toll : At least 35 people have died in the recent wildfires , and the smoke is affecting the health of millions now subjected to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world .
Such reductions in air quality can have devastating consequences for respiratory and cardiovascular health , increasing the rates of heart attacks , asthma attacks , and strokes .
Around the world , pollution from tiny particles like those from wildfire smoke remains one of the largest health threats to humanity .
But it will take time to see those signals emerge from the current blazes .
The resources strained by the pandemic : These fires are also coming during the Covid-19 pandemic , which has made it harder to recruit fire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ additional precautions to limit the spread of the virus .
“ With the pandemic starting earlier in the year , we had time to develop some best practices , ” said Cox .
“ Specifically , we ’ ve limited access to fire camps , implemented firefighting modules where firefighters stay with a specific team , spread out fire crews and taken other physical distancing measures.
” However , with so many wildfires at the same time , there ’ s less personnel to go around .
“ This recent weather event caused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a time when firefighting resources were stretched very thin across the entire western United States , with all three West Coast states fully engaged in fighting fires when these new fires broke out , ” said Cox .
Washington , Oregon , and California also rely on inmates to bolster their firefighting efforts .
But with severe Covid-19 outbreaks in prisons , some inmates were released to relieve overcrowding , while others were sidelined by infections or quarantines .
Some countries have been reluctant to send firefighting help to the US because of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic .
( California has passed a new law aimed at helping released inmates get firefighting jobs . )
California and Oregon have now obtained federal disaster declarations to get help from federal agencies to fight the wildfires .
The wildfire situation is still changing rapidly , but it ’ s clear that 2020 is going to be a year for the record books across much of the West .
And with the current trends in the climate and human activity worsening wildfire risks , it may not hold that record 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 .
Even when the economy and the news advertising market recovers , your support will be a critical part of sustaining our resource-intensive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , thank you .
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The one word experts keep using to describe the gargantuan ongoing wildfires in the western United States is “unprecedented.”
California is experiencing some of the largest fires right now. The 755,600-acre August Complex Fire is now the largest blaze in state history, and statewide, a total of more than 3.1 million acres have gone up in smoke, a record area for a single year.
Nearby coastal states like Oregon and Washington are also seeing record blazes, some of which are encroaching on major population centers. In Oregon, more than 40,000 people were forced to evacuate.
Up and down the West Coast, at least 35 people have been killed in the recent fires.
“This is truly the bellwether for climate change on the West Coast,” said Oregon Gov. Kate Brown on Face the Nation on Sunday. “And this is a wake-up call for all of us that we have got to do everything in our power to tackle climate change.”
Washington state has seen dozens of fires that have consumed more than half a million acres. “This is an extraordinary series of events we have suffered,” said Washington Gov. Jay Inslee in a September 9 press conference. “The grass is so dry, the temperatures are so hot, and the winds are so heavy ... and these conditions are exacerbated by the changing climate.”
The National Interagency Fire Center reports that across 12 states, 100 large wildfires have burned 4.6 million acres. Some of the largest blazes burning on the coast as of September 15 are in a map below, and the Los Angeles Times has a map of other significant fires in the West.
Wildfires are a natural part of many ecosystems in these western states, serving to rejuvenate forests and grasslands. But the scale, intensity, speed, location, and timing of the recent infernos stand out. They are a part of a pattern of growing fire risk, emerging from a confluence of factors exacerbated by humans, spanning from ignitions to urban planning to forest management to climate change.
What makes the 2020 wildfires in the West stand out among recent years with epic blazes
With so many fires burning across a wide region, it’s important to remember that there is a lot of variability in the specific factors at play for a given fire, from the ignition source to what kind of landscape is burning to the local conditions spreading the flames. However, there are some common factors that tie many of these blazes together and make them exceptional.
The weather and the warming climate: Record heat this summer baked much of the western United States, with states like California experiencing their hottest August on record. Many cities and counties across the West experienced record or near-record heat throughout the summer and into September. The summer was capped with a punishing heat wave that settled across the region in August and September and drove temperatures well into triple digits.
It has also been extremely dry in California, Oregon, and Washington this summer, with large sections of each state under “severe drought” conditions and some areas reaching “extreme drought.”
That heat and dryness turned grasses, shrubs, and trees into easy tinder, ready to ignite at the slightest spark.
And in some cases, the weather has provided that spark. The vast majority of wildfires in the United States are ignited by human sources — power lines, cigarette butts, machinery, or, in the case of one infamous recent fire, a gender reveal stunt. But a strange dry lightning storm near the San Francisco Bay Area in August led to more than 11,000 lightning strikes and triggered more than 300 fires in its wake. The causes of many other fires across the region are still being investigated.
The record-breaking weather comports with what scientists expect as the climate changes, and in many of the burning areas, the climate has already shifted in ways to worsen fire risk.
“What you can say is that our fire seasons here in California have on average expanded by 75 days,” said Lynnette Round, a spokesperson for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. “Our summers are longer which means that conditions are hotter, they’re drier, and that makes us more susceptible to wildfires.”
Forecasts across many parts of the West show that conditions are expected to remain hot and dry for the coming weeks. And as the fall approaches, seasonal winds are expected to pick up, increasing the odds of spreading fires.
The timing: Recent extreme weather is a major factor behind why so many fires are burning at the same time. Different biomes — from coniferous forests to chaparral — are usually primed to burn at different times of the year. So across the West, fires are typically staggered throughout the season, with the peak of wildfires starting in northern areas midsummer and moving south into the autumn.
But dozens of fires are simultaneously burning across huge swaths of the West, a rare occurrence, even in fire-prone regions.
“Having this many large fires break out simultaneously and, in many cases, move through populated areas so quickly all at once is unprecedented in Oregon,” said Jason Cox, a spokesperson for the Oregon Department of Forestry, in an email.
In some jurisdictions, several nearby fires have been grouped into larger “complexes” to coordinate firefighting efforts.
The size and speed: One hallmark of the recent blazes has been how quickly they gained ground, spreading over hundreds of thousands of acres in just a few hours. It’s a sign of just how much dry fuel was ready to burn.
“It’s the rates of spread that are really impactful and impressive, and also I would say largely due to this trajectory of warming and drying that we’re on from climate change,” said Matthew Hurteau, an associate professor of biology at the University of New Mexico who studies wildfires.
Oregon, for example, saw a 72-hour period where 900,000 acres burned. Cox explained that in the entire 20th century, Oregon saw just six megafires, defined as blazes spanning more than 100,000 acres. In the first decades of the 21st century, Oregon has seen 11, but never more than two megafires in a given year.
“Now over just a couple days, there are five wildfires of this size burning,” Cox said. “The largest wildfire of the 20th century in Oregon was the first Tillamook Burn in 1933 at 261,000 acres. We have seen more than twice that many acres burn over just a couple days.” (By comparison, the Tillamook Burn took more than 10 days.)
Another unusual aspect of the recent wildfires is how much they’ve kept their momentum, especially at night. In California, the Bear Fire, part of the North Complex Fire, burned more than 100,000 acres in 24 hours after igniting. A substantial amount of this happened through the night, when typically temperatures drop, relative humidity rises, and firefighters make progress.
“This North Complex, which is currently burning, and we’re seeing this in Oregon and Washington too, these really extreme fire behaviors are occurring in the middle of the night,” said Hurteau. “That kind of fire growth, especially at night, that’s a climate signal for sure.”
The health toll: At least 35 people have died in the recent wildfires, and the smoke is affecting the health of millions now subjected to some of the dirtiest air in the world.
Per this app, Portland has the worst air quality of any major city in the world right now, and it’s not even close.
In smaller towns across Oregon, the AQI is even worse. pic.twitter.com/lNDBC2bZYX — Tuck Woodstock (@tuckwoodstock) September 11, 2020
Such reductions in air quality can have devastating consequences for respiratory and cardiovascular health, increasing the rates of heart attacks, asthma attacks, and strokes. Around the world, pollution from tiny particles like those from wildfire smoke remains one of the largest health threats to humanity. But it will take time to see those signals emerge from the current blazes.
The resources strained by the pandemic: These fires are also coming during the Covid-19 pandemic, which has made it harder to recruit fire crews and has forced responders to take additional precautions to limit the spread of the virus.
“With the pandemic starting earlier in the year, we had time to develop some best practices,” said Cox. “Specifically, we’ve limited access to fire camps, implemented firefighting modules where firefighters stay with a specific team, spread out fire crews and taken other physical distancing measures.”
However, with so many wildfires at the same time, there’s less personnel to go around.
“This recent weather event caused wildfires to grow explosively in Oregon at a time when firefighting resources were stretched very thin across the entire western United States, with all three West Coast states fully engaged in fighting fires when these new fires broke out,” said Cox.
Washington, Oregon, and California also rely on inmates to bolster their firefighting efforts. But with severe Covid-19 outbreaks in prisons, some inmates were released to relieve overcrowding, while others were sidelined by infections or quarantines. Some countries have been reluctant to send firefighting help to the US because of the country’s poor handling of the pandemic. (California has passed a new law aimed at helping released inmates get firefighting jobs.)
California and Oregon have now obtained federal disaster declarations to get help from federal agencies to fight the wildfires.
The wildfire situation is still changing rapidly, but it’s clear that 2020 is going to be a year for the record books across much of the West. And with the current trends in the climate and human activity worsening wildfire risks, it may not hold that record for long.


vox--2020-09-14--Meet the students thriving in remote learning

Among teachers and students , there ’ s a widespread understanding that online courses are a poor substitute for the quintessential education experience .
They remove the social aspect of schooling , and make the collaboration and group-work aspects of scholarship nearly impossible .
Broadly , those concerns have merit ; in 2018 , the New York Times reported that on average , students in digital classes tended to perform worse than those who studied directly with a teacher .
But since the country entered its unprecedented distance learning experiment this spring , there ’ s been a growing contingent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actually enjoying their cyberspace syllabus more than the physical version .
“ I ’ m an introvert who deals with a lot of social anxiety , ” said Maude , a 20-year-old special care counseling student in Quebec who has been taking remote classes since March and into the new school year .
“ In an online classroom , I don ’ t have to be around people or feel apprehensive about asking the teacher questions .
Instead , I ’ m as calm as I can be , in my safe space @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and experts have voiced concerns over how digital school will impact students ’ development , many have pointed out that some students are thriving in the new environment .
“ I can ’ t say enough about how this closure has changed my entire approach to teaching because I see how it has been an amazing respite for so many students , ” said Rosie Reid , California ’ s 2019 Teacher of the Year , in an interview with Edutopia .
There ’ s no one reason why remote learning — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hands-off assignments depending on the school — fits better for some students more than others .
Some enjoy how loose and untethered an online education is .
Others have struggled for years with the social anxiety inherent in a classroom , and are finally at peace doing schoolwork in the safety of their bedroom .
Nobody fears being late for class anymore .
One student told me this extended break from campus has revealed that many of his general education responsibilities aren ’ t substantial , and that maybe they ’ d be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ times a week .
I spoke to four students who expressed the surprising joys of digital schooling .
These students , at least , are not necessarily thrilled about going back to in-person classes when the pandemic finally allows them to do so .
“ I have ADHD , and I ’ ve been able to focus on my schoolwork so much better now ” Like many students around the country , I first heard my school would be closing down in March after they extended our spring break for two weeks .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , when I was in middle school , and the administration restarted the year by sending over material on Schoology [ virtual classroom software ] .
We just did our work at home .
For this year , which is my first year of high school , I ’ ve had a lot more meetings over Zoom alongside the Schoology work .
I have to check in every day , things like that .
Last year , all I had to do was fill out an attendance sheet of what we did on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the teacher .
It ’ s a lot more robust now .
These days , I can expect to talk to my teachers every day .
I didn ’ t expect to enjoy online classes as much as I have .
At first , I was pretty frustrated .
It felt like a raw deal to have to do schoolwork while also not being able to see my friends every day .
The best part , by far , is that I typically finish all of my work by around 10 in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ afternoon .
Like , I ’ ll wake up at 7:30 and be done with school before the morning is over .
When it started , both my parents and I were wondering if we were screwing up .
Like , “ Are we missing something here ?
” But no , that ’ s just kinda how it works when you ’ re out of a classroom .
I have ADHD , and I ’ ve been able to focus on my schoolwork so much better now that there ’ s not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s one of the reasons I think I ’ ve been able to get the work done so much faster .
I don ’ t have to worry about people talking or other background noise .
One of the things that has always bothered me is the buzzing from the fluorescent lights .
That ’ s been eliminated entirely .
I ’ ve also noticed that my grades have improved since pivoting to distance learning , though I ’ m not sure if that ’ s because they ’ ve been giving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve just been able to concentrate better .
My friends and I have been talking about some of the efficiency issues in school .
Even before the pandemic , I tended to get my work done fairly quickly , so Covid has only made me question the schedule more .
It ’ s bittersweet for my friends and I ; we finish school early , but we still don ’ t get to hang out with each other .
If we could do both , that ’ d be ideal .
“ In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of my energy trying to calm down ” In March , all of our classes went online , and by the summer it became clear that I was going to be headed to school digitally for the foreseeable future .
I didn ’ t have many details beyond that .
We just kind of stood pat until July , when all the details were confirmed .
I ’ m 20 years old and study special care counseling in Quebec , and for now , I ’ m doing all my classwork and studies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are students out there who probably have a difficult time focusing on their academics from their bedroom .
But if I ’ m being honest , I was thrilled when I heard we ’ d be pivoting to a purely digital environment .
I ’ m an introvert who deals with a lot of social anxiety , but in an online classroom , I don ’ t have to be around people or feel apprehensive about speaking up .
I struggle to raise my hand in class , and usually I end up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to get my three to four questions I had .
Now , I can just ask whenever I want in online chat .
I ’ m as calm as I can be , in my safe space at home .
These days , I wake up around 8 am and plan a to-do list .
After that , I jump right into my homework and take a short break for a couple of minutes every hour and a half .
We ’ re sent PowerPoint presentations and short videos to simulate all the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to worry about getting to all of my classes on time , and because of that , I ’ m much more efficient .
I ’ ve become proactive in my studies .
I don ’ t procrastinate nearly as much , and as a whole , I find myself far more on top of things from a logistical perspective .
In physical classes , I spent so much of my energy trying to calm down .
There are some downsides , though .
This was my last semester of classes for my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to not be around my incredible teachers from that program .
School is supposed to be spent surrounded by people passionate about the same things you are , so you can all develop your skills together .
We won ’ t be able to enjoy that in the way we should .
Also , this semester has actually cost me more money than my previous ones .
My tuition goes to the libraries and cafes on campus that we can ’ t use right now .
That doesn ’ t seem particularly fair @ @ @ @ @ @ @ colleges evaluate some of the advantages of online classes in the future .
I ’ m going to miss them when they ’ re gone .
They ’ re not perfect for every curriculum , but personally , I ’ ve found them to be very useful .
I was at the tail end of spring break , and my district extended that break for a week once Covid hit .
Things kind of progressed from there , and we moved to a fully online system that semester .
It was a mix @ @ @ @ @ @ @ m in a position of privilege .
I have access to the resources to get online and all that stuff .
There are people in my community who are doing a lot worse than me , and school is an escape for them .
It ’ s a weird dynamic .
But despite that , I ’ ve really enjoyed doing school virtually .
My high school is divided into a bunch of different academies , and I study Photoshop and Premiere Pro .
So most of the time I don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to register my attendance and then I can do whatever I want .
The idea is that I ’ ll spend those hours working on my various different portfolios , but effectively , they ’ re allowing us total free time .
I ’ ve never been the type to cut class , but it ’ s crazy that we ’ ve been afforded that opportunity .
It feels like I ’ m still on summer break .
I barely have any academic meetings now .
I guess , in a weird way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time in my academic career .
As a senior , I ’ ve knocked out most of my general studies , so all I ’ ve got left are the digital art ventures I would be doing anyway .
It feels like after Covid , high schools around the country are going to revert right back into the five-days-a-week model .
That seems shortsighted to me .
All of this has really made me reconsider if in-person classes are that useful for students like me .
Even before Covid , I did the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home .
I think I focus best when I ’ m in my room , and within my specialized curriculum , I ’ ve come to believe that there ’ s a huge amount of filler in the education system .
I homed in on Photoshop and Premiere Pro since I was a freshman , and most of my other general education courses seemed unnecessary .
Why am I taking an AP biology class when I could be taking more communications classes ?
It doesn ’ t make much sense to me .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ people using the quadratic formula are high school students and high school teachers .
It doesn ’ t bleed over into real life .
“ The constant stress of where I ’ m supposed to be , and when I ’ m supposed to be there , is all gone now ” I ’ ve been doing online classes at Duke for about half a semester cumulatively .
At the beginning , I was pretty bummed out about it .
Obviously , I didn ’ t want to go to in-person classes during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , so I was concerned about my safety .
But also , graduate school is a lot of money .
It ’ s probably overpriced to begin with , and that value has certainly changed without the in-person community .
There was nothing I could do about that .
Duke is a huge institution , and I ’ m just me .
But surprisingly , the longer I ’ ve done these online classes , the more I ’ ve valued them .
I work 25 hours a week in public policy , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It was really difficult to go from class to my job , then back to class in a single day .
It was a balancing act for me and so many other grad students .
All of that bedlam , the constant stress of where I ’ m supposed to be , and when I ’ m supposed to be there , is all gone now .
There ’ s more opportunity , when I ’ m between classes , to just chill out and be a human , without worrying about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s funny , this pandemic has been an extremely stressful time for everyone .
But at the same time , at least I don ’ t need to worry about being late for lecture .
It ’ s the little things , right ?
I think if I ’ m being honest with myself , I ’ m going to miss these online classes when they ’ re gone .
I ’ m not going to miss our current moment , obviously , or miss grappling with the real value of my current @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way I was able to spend my time , and how I feel right now .
It ’ s the best it can be right now , and I ’ m enjoying it more than I thought I would .
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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to empower you through understanding .
But our distinctive brand of explanatory journalism takes resources .
Even when the economy and the news advertising market recovers , your support will be a critical part of sustaining our resource-intensive work .
If you have already contributed , thank you .
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Among teachers and students, there’s a widespread understanding that online courses are a poor substitute for the quintessential education experience. They remove the social aspect of schooling, and make the collaboration and group-work aspects of scholarship nearly impossible. Broadly, those concerns have merit; in 2018, the New York Times reported that on average, students in digital classes tended to perform worse than those who studied directly with a teacher.
But since the country entered its unprecedented distance learning experiment this spring, there’s been a growing contingent of students who’ve found themselves actually enjoying their cyberspace syllabus more than the physical version. “I’m an introvert who deals with a lot of social anxiety,” said Maude, a 20-year-old special care counseling student in Quebec who has been taking remote classes since March and into the new school year. “In an online classroom, I don’t have to be around people or feel apprehensive about asking the teacher questions. Instead, I’m as calm as I can be, in my safe space at home.”
While teachers, parents, and experts have voiced concerns over how digital school will impact students’ development, many have pointed out that some students are thriving in the new environment. “I can’t say enough about how this closure has changed my entire approach to teaching because I see how it has been an amazing respite for so many students,” said Rosie Reid, California’s 2019 Teacher of the Year, in an interview with Edutopia.
There’s no one reason why remote learning — which ranges from more hands-on instruction to hands-off assignments depending on the school — fits better for some students more than others. Some enjoy how loose and untethered an online education is. Others have struggled for years with the social anxiety inherent in a classroom, and are finally at peace doing schoolwork in the safety of their bedroom. Nobody fears being late for class anymore. One student told me this extended break from campus has revealed that many of his general education responsibilities aren’t substantial, and that maybe they’d be better off with classes two or three times a week.
I spoke to four students who expressed the surprising joys of digital schooling. These students, at least, are not necessarily thrilled about going back to in-person classes when the pandemic finally allows them to do so.
“I have ADHD, and I’ve been able to focus on my schoolwork so much better now”
Jacob, 14, Minnesota
Like many students around the country, I first heard my school would be closing down in March after they extended our spring break for two weeks. That was back in my spring semester, when I was in middle school, and the administration restarted the year by sending over material on Schoology [virtual classroom software]. We just did our work at home.
For this year, which is my first year of high school, I’ve had a lot more meetings over Zoom alongside the Schoology work. I have to check in every day, things like that. Last year, all I had to do was fill out an attendance sheet of what we did on a school day and send it into the teacher. It’s a lot more robust now. These days, I can expect to talk to my teachers every day.
I didn’t expect to enjoy online classes as much as I have. At first, I was pretty frustrated. It felt like a raw deal to have to do schoolwork while also not being able to see my friends every day. The best part, by far, is that I typically finish all of my work by around 10 in the morning, rather than 3 in the afternoon. Like, I’ll wake up at 7:30 and be done with school before the morning is over. When it started, both my parents and I were wondering if we were screwing up. Like, “Are we missing something here?” But no, that’s just kinda how it works when you’re out of a classroom.
I have ADHD, and I’ve been able to focus on my schoolwork so much better now that there’s not a constant commotion around me. That’s one of the reasons I think I’ve been able to get the work done so much faster. I don’t have to worry about people talking or other background noise. One of the things that has always bothered me is the buzzing from the fluorescent lights. That’s been eliminated entirely. I’ve also noticed that my grades have improved since pivoting to distance learning, though I’m not sure if that’s because they’ve been giving us less work or that I’ve just been able to concentrate better.
My friends and I have been talking about some of the efficiency issues in school. Even before the pandemic, I tended to get my work done fairly quickly, so Covid has only made me question the schedule more. It’s bittersweet for my friends and I; we finish school early, but we still don’t get to hang out with each other. If we could do both, that’d be ideal.
“In physical classes, I spent so much of my energy trying to calm down”
Maude, 20, Quebec
In March, all of our classes went online, and by the summer it became clear that I was going to be headed to school digitally for the foreseeable future. I didn’t have many details beyond that. We just kind of stood pat until July, when all the details were confirmed. I’m 20 years old and study special care counseling in Quebec, and for now, I’m doing all my classwork and studies from home.
I understand that there are students out there who probably have a difficult time focusing on their academics from their bedroom. But if I’m being honest, I was thrilled when I heard we’d be pivoting to a purely digital environment. I’m an introvert who deals with a lot of social anxiety, but in an online classroom, I don’t have to be around people or feel apprehensive about speaking up. I struggle to raise my hand in class, and usually I end up waiting until the end of a session to get my three to four questions I had. Now, I can just ask whenever I want in online chat. I’m as calm as I can be, in my safe space at home.
These days, I wake up around 8 am and plan a to-do list. After that, I jump right into my homework and take a short break for a couple of minutes every hour and a half. We’re sent PowerPoint presentations and short videos to simulate all the lessons. I don’t have to worry about getting to all of my classes on time, and because of that, I’m much more efficient. I’ve become proactive in my studies. I don’t procrastinate nearly as much, and as a whole, I find myself far more on top of things from a logistical perspective. In physical classes, I spent so much of my energy trying to calm down.
There are some downsides, though. This was my last semester of classes for my program, so it’s sad to not be around my incredible teachers from that program. School is supposed to be spent surrounded by people passionate about the same things you are, so you can all develop your skills together. We won’t be able to enjoy that in the way we should. Also, this semester has actually cost me more money than my previous ones. My tuition goes to the libraries and cafes on campus that we can’t use right now. That doesn’t seem particularly fair.
But overall, I really hope colleges evaluate some of the advantages of online classes in the future. I’m going to miss them when they’re gone. They’re not perfect for every curriculum, but personally, I’ve found them to be very useful.
“The classroom feels outdated”
Gideon, 17, Florida
I was at the tail end of spring break, and my district extended that break for a week once Covid hit. Things kind of progressed from there, and we moved to a fully online system that semester. It was a mix of emotions for me. I’m in a position of privilege. I have access to the resources to get online and all that stuff. There are people in my community who are doing a lot worse than me, and school is an escape for them. It’s a weird dynamic.
But despite that, I’ve really enjoyed doing school virtually. My high school is divided into a bunch of different academies, and I study Photoshop and Premiere Pro. So most of the time I don’t have live meetings. I just needed to register my attendance and then I can do whatever I want. The idea is that I’ll spend those hours working on my various different portfolios, but effectively, they’re allowing us total free time. I’ve never been the type to cut class, but it’s crazy that we’ve been afforded that opportunity. It feels like I’m still on summer break. I barely have any academic meetings now.
I guess, in a weird way, this pandemic intersected with the perfect time in my academic career. As a senior, I’ve knocked out most of my general studies, so all I’ve got left are the digital art ventures I would be doing anyway. It feels like after Covid, high schools around the country are going to revert right back into the five-days-a-week model. That seems shortsighted to me.
All of this has really made me reconsider if in-person classes are that useful for students like me. Even before Covid, I did the vast majority of my creative work at home. I think I focus best when I’m in my room, and within my specialized curriculum, I’ve come to believe that there’s a huge amount of filler in the education system. I homed in on Photoshop and Premiere Pro since I was a freshman, and most of my other general education courses seemed unnecessary. Why am I taking an AP biology class when I could be taking more communications classes? It doesn’t make much sense to me. The classroom feels outdated. The only people using the quadratic formula are high school students and high school teachers. It doesn’t bleed over into real life.
“The constant stress of where I’m supposed to be, and when I’m supposed to be there, is all gone now”
Nick, 26, North Carolina
I’ve been doing online classes at Duke for about half a semester cumulatively. At the beginning, I was pretty bummed out about it. Obviously, I didn’t want to go to in-person classes during a pandemic. I’m immunocompromised, so I was concerned about my safety. But also, graduate school is a lot of money. It’s probably overpriced to begin with, and that value has certainly changed without the in-person community. There was nothing I could do about that. Duke is a huge institution, and I’m just me.
But surprisingly, the longer I’ve done these online classes, the more I’ve valued them. I work 25 hours a week in public policy, so my schedule was already pretty squeezed. It was really difficult to go from class to my job, then back to class in a single day. It was a balancing act for me and so many other grad students. All of that bedlam, the constant stress of where I’m supposed to be, and when I’m supposed to be there, is all gone now. There’s more opportunity, when I’m between classes, to just chill out and be a human, without worrying about my next pit stop.
It’s funny, this pandemic has been an extremely stressful time for everyone. But at the same time, at least I don’t need to worry about being late for lecture. It’s the little things, right?
I think if I’m being honest with myself, I’m going to miss these online classes when they’re gone. I’m not going to miss our current moment, obviously, or miss grappling with the real value of my current experience. But I will miss the way I was able to spend my time, and how I feel right now. It’s the best it can be right now, and I’m enjoying it more than I thought I would.


vox--2020-09-14--In these uncertain times, Degrassi is the ultimate comfort

I ’ ve been living alone in my New York apartment for the last month .
It ’ s been great !
No offense to my two roommates , whom I love dearly .
But when they both ditched me to spend some time at their much larger , nicer , cheaper ( a.k.a .
free ) parents ’ homes , I felt a brief twinge of loneliness .
Geez , I thought , after I returned upstairs to my empty place after helping my roommate pack several weeks ’ worth of luggage into her father ’ s car .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ by myself every single freaking day ?
And then I walked in , and I flopped on the couch , and the more pleasant reality sunk in : Everything that happened in my apartment was now in my control .
I didn ’ t have to navigate the idiosyncrasies of my roommates ’ schedules .
There would be no mid-afternoon work or FaceTime calls in the living room , no awkward conversations about whose turn it is to use the TV .
If I wanted to have a Zoom meeting , I could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or without headphones .
I stripped off my pants victoriously , cheering to my newfound solitude .
I blasted the same song over and over , dancing and singing and happy and shirtless and pants-less .
I played video games and watched 90 Day Fiancé late into the night .
I ate Oreos for dinner and poured wine into a Pikachu glass .
On day one , my verdict on living the single life was clear : Hell yeah !
By day nine or so , I had to relitigate that decree .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and exhausted , realizing I hadn ’ t spoken aloud to another human in hours .
Playing the Stop Making Sense soundtrack on loop didn ’ t count as a conversation .
I paused it , and I absorbed the silence that surrounded me .
I felt bloated by it .
And I felt lonely .
I ’ ve only lived alone once before , in college , when I had a single dorm room senior year .
I lived next door to one best friend and a floor above two others , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be alone if I didn ’ t want to .
But oftentimes I was , procrastinating for hours on my thesis .
The silence was crushing , even with music playing constantly .
The paradox was that to focus , I needed to be surrounded by others , or by the bustle of life that existed without me having to make it so .
It was during that senior year of college that I first got back into Degrassi .
The Canadian teen drama franchise has been running since the late 1980s , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is Degrassi : The Next Generation .
It aired for 14 seasons with nearly 400 episodes on the teen-focused Nickelodeon spinoff channel The N between 2001 and 2015 — and , over that period , introduced different Canadian teens and their wildly stressful teen dramas to get obsessed with .
I ’ d starting watching Degrassi back in my preteen days , at what might have been the height of its US popularity .
This was back when the idea of abortion was still so taboo in pop culture that an episode where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decides to get one wasn ’ t aired in the US when it was first released .
Teen shows weren ’ t exactly quaint at the time ; The OC and One Tree Hill contained tons of sex and didn ’ t shy away from big or complicated topics .
But Degrassi ’ s takes always felt authentic , not jarring .
The Degrassi teens ’ problems with relationships , gossip , drugs , death , body image issues , and garage band setlists were never so outrageous that I couldn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The show combined over-the-top melodrama with an authenticity rare on American TV .
New actors usually joined the cast when they were about 15 years old — the same age as the high school freshmen they ’ d be playing when they debuted .
They ’ d age alongside with their characters , playing them until they graduated high school , or even until they were well into college , before eventually leaving the show .
Meanwhile , many of Degrassi ’ s adult characters had previously appeared as teens on the franchise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an extremely rich canon .
( Emma , Next Generation ’ s first true “ protagonist , ” was the baby that teen mom Spike gave birth to at the end of the Degrassi High in 1991 , in fact ; on Next Generation , Spike was played by the same actress who had played her as a teen . )
I fell into the depths of this Canadian soap opera as a tween who lived vicariously through other people my age .
I was deeply shy , unfashionable , and far more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than high school gossip and romance .
Thank you , Degrassi , for letting me experience what that kind of more social , less self-conscious teenage-dom was like .
So when I returned to the show 10 years later as a senior in college , Degrassi was reabsorbing in my isolation .
I streamed it every night for several weeks , letting it play on my little TV as I crawled into bed at 3 am .
I ’ d eaten all my dinners alone in my room for days , and my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ theses and exams .
But at least I was keeping up with Ashley and Jimmy ’ s torrid relationship , Spinner ’ s cancer diagnosis , and Liberty ’ s pregnancy saga .
For the most part , I ’ ve avoided sustained loneliness since I finished college and started working .
These last six months have been a stark change .
I sit far away from people at the park to avoid their breath when they have conversations with their friends .
I miss listening in to their drama , and I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the kinds of background noises and unpredictable moments that comfort me during periods of depression , loneliness , and self-loathing .
Now , between working from my cramped apartment and not being able to see people in groups , having friends leave the city for home , and lacking places to spend my free time , I ’ ve felt completely out of control .
I sometimes feel so alone that I cry uncontrollably , or I sleep for hours on end , or I forget to eat because I ’ m so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I can take all of this .
The summer was rough enough ; what will the fall be like ?
And the winter ?
What happens if one of my closest friends moves out of the city , like he ’ s been thinking about since the pandemic began ?
What happens if another best friend doesn ’ t come back from her parents ’ house in a literal different country ?
What happens if I can ’ t stand it , being alone like this , being uncomfortable like this , being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there ’ s always Degrassi .
Upon a friend ’ s recommendation not long into my experience of living solo , I downloaded the free Pluto TV app ( which works on your browser , too ) .
It ’ s been around for a few years , but he ’ d only discovered it when he hit peak pandemic boredom .
Much like traditional cable TV , there are tons of channels with 24/7 programming , a real throwback that eliminates the specific choices required of streaming .
And the only thing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ watch — the specific programming that ’ s on is at Pluto ’ s discretion .
There ’ s a channel that exclusively plays old clips of The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson .
There ’ s a channel that plays footage of popular new video games all day .
There ’ s a channel that only plays episodes of Survivor .
There are channels about cars , interior design , and Black Lives Matter-related news .
There ’ s a channel that airs a variety of classic Nickelodeon shows , a personal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Degrassi channel that plays Degrassi : The Next Generation all day long .
That is its only programming .
It ’ s the best thing that ’ s maybe ever happened to me — I ’ ve now fallen deep into this preprogrammed rabbit hole , letting Pluto TV take me to all the different parts of the Degrassi kids ’ high school years .
As far as I can tell , the channel is working through every episode in order , but since I ’ m not awake 24/7 , there ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But I know the show will eventually come back to where I left off , and watching it always rekindles different memories .
I ’ d totally forgotten about the Paige-Spinner-Terri love triangle !
And oh , my god , wait , yes , now I remember : Sean came back from the Army for a minute , prompting Emma to take her top off in front of the whole school to prove to him she ’ s grown up !
Did I totally skip past the “ Degrassi Goes Hollywood ” story @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wow , I definitely still have a crush on the deeply troubled Craig .
( Obviously I could never forget baby Drake , a.k.a .
Jimmy , who spends half the show in a wheelchair . )
These are the lives that I have once again gotten wrapped up in while my own has felt unstable and uninteresting and unfulfilling .
Part of it is the familiarity , the comfort of already knowing the Degrassi cast and the show ’ s flaws .
( How many kids have to die at a school @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a sex scandal , and rampant bullying for people to pull their kids out of it ? )
The later seasons of Next Generation , after the original teens move on , are definitely subpar .
But the magic and novelty of all of these friends who grow up together is still entrancing .
Degrassi doesn ’ t inspire me to reminisce about my high school days , since what happens on the show is so different from what I lived through .
But I am eagerly obsessed with the daily lives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as they ’ re far more engaging than my own .
And the Pluto TV concept has played a special part in rekindling my obsession .
Much as old-school cable does , the Pluto TV platform prevents me from having direct control over what I ’ m watching .
Once I switch on the Degrassi channel , that ’ s it : I have ceded any further decisionmaking in a way that feels relaxing , not overwhelming like the powerlessness I feel in the real world right now .
There ’ s a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know what to anticipate .
But it only tells me so much .
I don ’ t have to sift through what I remember to be the “ good ” and the “ bad ” seasons .
If I stumble upon an episode I ’ ve seen before and didn ’ t like or one I don ’ t care about at the moment , well , there ’ s some other channel playing something else I can watch in the meantime .
During times of overbearing sadness , I ’ ve often @ @ @ @ @ @ @ precisely what to watch .
Embracing the fact that I can ’ t do anything about most of the circumstances surrounding me is something I haven ’ t felt able to do during the pandemic .
And if skipping out on the tedium of streaming decision-making also means I can engross myself in the melodramatic lives of Canadian teens to pass the time and find solitude , I ’ m extra willing to cede control .
My cable TV-like trip into suburban Ontario has been a mighty salve for my depressing , pandemic-induced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ roommates will come back eventually , and I will probably yearn for the quiet again .
But for now , in the halls of Degrassi , I feel less lonely .
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I’ve been living alone in my New York apartment for the last month. It’s been great! No offense to my two roommates, whom I love dearly. But when they both ditched me to spend some time at their much larger, nicer, cheaper (a.k.a. free) parents’ homes, I felt a brief twinge of loneliness.
Geez, I thought, after I returned upstairs to my empty place after helping my roommate pack several weeks’ worth of luggage into her father’s car. What am I going to do all by myself every single freaking day?
And then I walked in, and I flopped on the couch, and the more pleasant reality sunk in: Everything that happened in my apartment was now in my control. I didn’t have to navigate the idiosyncrasies of my roommates’ schedules. There would be no mid-afternoon work or FaceTime calls in the living room, no awkward conversations about whose turn it is to use the TV. If I wanted to have a Zoom meeting, I could do so wherever I wanted, with or without headphones.
I stripped off my pants victoriously, cheering to my newfound solitude. I blasted the same song over and over, dancing and singing and happy and shirtless and pants-less. I played video games and watched 90 Day Fiancé late into the night. I ate Oreos for dinner and poured wine into a Pikachu glass.
On day one, my verdict on living the single life was clear: Hell yeah!
By day nine or so, I had to relitigate that decree. I lay on the couch, unshowered and exhausted, realizing I hadn’t spoken aloud to another human in hours. Playing the Stop Making Sense soundtrack on loop didn’t count as a conversation. I paused it, and I absorbed the silence that surrounded me. I felt bloated by it. And I felt lonely.
I’ve only lived alone once before, in college, when I had a single dorm room senior year. I lived next door to one best friend and a floor above two others, so I didn’t have to be alone if I didn’t want to. But oftentimes I was, procrastinating for hours on my thesis. The silence was crushing, even with music playing constantly. The paradox was that to focus, I needed to be surrounded by others, or by the bustle of life that existed without me having to make it so.
It was during that senior year of college that I first got back into Degrassi. The Canadian teen drama franchise has been running since the late 1980s, but the version most American 20-somethings know is Degrassi: The Next Generation. It aired for 14 seasons with nearly 400 episodes on the teen-focused Nickelodeon spinoff channel The N between 2001 and 2015 — and, over that period, introduced different Canadian teens and their wildly stressful teen dramas to get obsessed with.
I’d starting watching Degrassi back in my preteen days, at what might have been the height of its US popularity. This was back when the idea of abortion was still so taboo in pop culture that an episode where 15-year-old Manny (my best girl) decides to get one wasn’t aired in the US when it was first released. Teen shows weren’t exactly quaint at the time; The OC and One Tree Hill contained tons of sex and didn’t shy away from big or complicated topics. But Degrassi’s takes always felt authentic, not jarring. The Degrassi teens’ problems with relationships, gossip, drugs, death, body image issues, and garage band setlists were never so outrageous that I couldn’t imagine them happening in my hometown.
The show combined over-the-top melodrama with an authenticity rare on American TV. New actors usually joined the cast when they were about 15 years old — the same age as the high school freshmen they’d be playing when they debuted. They’d age alongside with their characters, playing them until they graduated high school, or even until they were well into college, before eventually leaving the show. Meanwhile, many of Degrassi’s adult characters had previously appeared as teens on the franchise’s older series, which established an extremely rich canon. (Emma, Next Generation’s first true “protagonist,” was the baby that teen mom Spike gave birth to at the end of the Degrassi High in 1991, in fact; on Next Generation, Spike was played by the same actress who had played her as a teen.)
I fell into the depths of this Canadian soap opera as a tween who lived vicariously through other people my age. I was deeply shy, unfashionable, and far more interested in video games and indie music than high school gossip and romance. Thank you, Degrassi, for letting me experience what that kind of more social, less self-conscious teenage-dom was like.
So when I returned to the show 10 years later as a senior in college, Degrassi was reabsorbing in my isolation. I streamed it every night for several weeks, letting it play on my little TV as I crawled into bed at 3 am. I’d eaten all my dinners alone in my room for days, and my friends were hung up in their own theses and exams. But at least I was keeping up with Ashley and Jimmy’s torrid relationship, Spinner’s cancer diagnosis, and Liberty’s pregnancy saga.
For the most part, I’ve avoided sustained loneliness since I finished college and started working. These last six months have been a stark change.
I sit far away from people at the park to avoid their breath when they have conversations with their friends. I miss listening in to their drama, and I miss petting their dogs. These are the kinds of background noises and unpredictable moments that comfort me during periods of depression, loneliness, and self-loathing.
Now, between working from my cramped apartment and not being able to see people in groups, having friends leave the city for home, and lacking places to spend my free time, I’ve felt completely out of control. I sometimes feel so alone that I cry uncontrollably, or I sleep for hours on end, or I forget to eat because I’m so anxious and worried about how much longer I can take all of this. The summer was rough enough; what will the fall be like? And the winter? What happens if one of my closest friends moves out of the city, like he’s been thinking about since the pandemic began? What happens if another best friend doesn’t come back from her parents’ house in a literal different country?
What happens if I can’t stand it, being alone like this, being uncomfortable like this, being so bored like this?
Well, there’s always Degrassi. Upon a friend’s recommendation not long into my experience of living solo, I downloaded the free Pluto TV app (which works on your browser, too). It’s been around for a few years, but he’d only discovered it when he hit peak pandemic boredom. Much like traditional cable TV, there are tons of channels with 24/7 programming, a real throwback that eliminates the specific choices required of streaming. And the only thing you can choose is what channel to watch — the specific programming that’s on is at Pluto’s discretion. There’s a channel that exclusively plays old clips of The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson. There’s a channel that plays footage of popular new video games all day. There’s a channel that only plays episodes of Survivor. There are channels about cars, interior design, and Black Lives Matter-related news. There’s a channel that airs a variety of classic Nickelodeon shows, a personal fave.
There’s also a Degrassi channel that plays Degrassi: The Next Generation all day long. That is its only programming. It’s the best thing that’s maybe ever happened to me — I’ve now fallen deep into this preprogrammed rabbit hole, letting Pluto TV take me to all the different parts of the Degrassi kids’ high school years. As far as I can tell, the channel is working through every episode in order, but since I’m not awake 24/7, there’s plenty I miss out on. But I know the show will eventually come back to where I left off, and watching it always rekindles different memories. I’d totally forgotten about the Paige-Spinner-Terri love triangle! And oh, my god, wait, yes, now I remember: Sean came back from the Army for a minute, prompting Emma to take her top off in front of the whole school to prove to him she’s grown up! Did I totally skip past the “Degrassi Goes Hollywood” story arc the first time around? And wow, I definitely still have a crush on the deeply troubled Craig. (Obviously I could never forget baby Drake, a.k.a. Jimmy, who spends half the show in a wheelchair.)
These are the lives that I have once again gotten wrapped up in while my own has felt unstable and uninteresting and unfulfilling. Part of it is the familiarity, the comfort of already knowing the Degrassi cast and the show’s flaws. (How many kids have to die at a school that’s already had a shooting, a sex scandal, and rampant bullying for people to pull their kids out of it?) The later seasons of Next Generation, after the original teens move on, are definitely subpar. But the magic and novelty of all of these friends who grow up together is still entrancing. Degrassi doesn’t inspire me to reminisce about my high school days, since what happens on the show is so different from what I lived through. But I am eagerly obsessed with the daily lives of these characters all the same, as they’re far more engaging than my own.
And the Pluto TV concept has played a special part in rekindling my obsession. Much as old-school cable does, the Pluto TV platform prevents me from having direct control over what I’m watching. Once I switch on the Degrassi channel, that’s it: I have ceded any further decision-making in a way that feels relaxing, not overwhelming like the powerlessness I feel in the real world right now. There’s a channel guide on the app so I know what to anticipate. But it only tells me so much. I don’t have to sift through what I remember to be the “good” and the “bad” seasons. If I stumble upon an episode I’ve seen before and didn’t like or one I don’t care about at the moment, well, there’s some other channel playing something else I can watch in the meantime.
During times of overbearing sadness, I’ve often found it too difficult to think about precisely what to watch. Embracing the fact that I can’t do anything about most of the circumstances surrounding me is something I haven’t felt able to do during the pandemic. And if skipping out on the tedium of streaming decision-making also means I can engross myself in the melodramatic lives of Canadian teens to pass the time and find solitude, I’m extra willing to cede control.
My cable TV-like trip into suburban Ontario has been a mighty salve for my depressing, pandemic-induced indoors and socially distant lifestyle. My roommates will come back eventually, and I will probably yearn for the quiet again. But for now, in the halls of Degrassi, I feel less lonely.