huffpost--2020-04-24--Poll: A Pandemic Hasn't Done Much To Change Americans' Views On Immigration

ASSOCIATED PRESS An 83 % majority of Americans currently say social distancing is at least somewhat effective in helping to control the nation ’ s coronavirus outbreak , compared to 55 % who say the same of limiting immigration .
By a more than two-to-one margin , Americans see immigration into the U.S. as mostly a good thing for the country , a new HuffPost/YouGov survey finds .
The poll was taken after President Donald Trump announced he would suspend some immigration into the U.S. for 60 days .
The Wednesday order , which will temporarily halt the issuing of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outside the U.S. , includes broad exceptions and is likely to face legal challenges .
Although the White House has cited health concerns to justify its previous immigration limits , the president cast this week ’ s order primarily as an economic decision .
“ By pausing immigration , we ’ ll help put unemployed Americans first in line for jobs as America reopens , ” Trump said Tuesday .
“ We must first take care of the American worker.
” Public attitudes on immigration , however , don ’ t appear to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the coronavirus pandemic .
Americans say , 54 % to 21 % , that immigration into the U.S. is a good thing for the country .
Just 15 % say immigration has a negative effect on them personally , with one-quarter seeing a positive personal effect and the rest unaffected or unsure .
Roughly three-quarters say they believe the U.S. is a nation of immigrants , and a 58 % majority support providing a legal way for undocumented immigrants already in the United States to become citizens .
All those results are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ survey in which Americans said , 56 % to 20 % , that immigration to the country was , on the whole , a good thing .
An 83 % majority of Americans currently say social distancing is at least somewhat effective in helping to control the nation ’ s coronavirus outbreak , compared to 55 % who say the same of limiting immigration .
Forty-six percent say social distancing is very effective , with 29 % saying the same of immigration restrictions .
Use the widget below to further explore the results @ @ @ @ @ @ @ menu at the top to select survey questions and the buttons at the bottom to filter the data by subgroups : The HuffPost/YouGov poll consisted of 1,000 completed interviews conducted April 22-24 among U.S. adults , using a sample selected from YouGov ’ s opt-in online panel to match the demographics and other characteristics of the adult U.S. population .
HuffPost has teamed up with YouGov to conduct daily opinion polls .
You can learn more about this project and take part in YouGov ’ s nationally representative opinion polling .
More details @ @ @ @ @ @ @ here .
Most surveys report a margin of error that represents some but not all potential survey errors .
YouGov ’ s reports include a model-based margin of error , which rests on a specific set of statistical assumptions about the selected sample rather than the standard methodology for random probability sampling .
If these assumptions are wrong , the model-based margin of error may also be inaccurate .

An 83% majority of Americans currently say social distancing is at least somewhat effective in helping to control the nation’s coronavirus outbreak, compared to 55% who say the same of limiting immigration. ASSOCIATED PRESS
By a more than two-to-one margin, Americans see immigration into the U.S. as mostly a good thing for the country, a new HuffPost/YouGov survey finds.
The poll was taken after President Donald Trump announced he would suspend some immigration into the U.S. for 60 days. The Wednesday order, which will temporarily halt the issuing of green cards to immigrants who are currently outside the U.S., includes broad exceptions and is likely to face legal challenges.
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Although the White House has cited health concerns to justify its previous immigration limits, the president cast this week’s order primarily as an economic decision.
“By pausing immigration, we’ll help put unemployed Americans first in line for jobs as America reopens,” Trump said Tuesday. “We must first take care of the American worker.”
Public attitudes on immigration, however, don’t appear to have been substantially affected by the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Americans say, 54% to 21%, that immigration into the U.S. is a good thing for the country. Just 15% say immigration has a negative effect on them personally, with one-quarter seeing a positive personal effect and the rest unaffected or unsure.
Roughly three-quarters say they believe the U.S. is a nation of immigrants, and a 58% majority support providing a legal way for undocumented immigrants already in the United States to become citizens.
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All those results are broadly similar to a November 2019 HuffPost/YouGov survey in which Americans said, 56% to 20%, that immigration to the country was, on the whole, a good thing.
An 83% majority of Americans currently say social distancing is at least somewhat effective in helping to control the nation’s coronavirus outbreak, compared to 55% who say the same of limiting immigration. Forty-six percent say social distancing is very effective, with 29% saying the same of immigration restrictions.
Use the widget below to further explore the results of the HuffPost/YouGov survey, using the menu at the top to select survey questions and the buttons at the bottom to filter the data by subgroups:
The HuffPost/YouGov poll consisted of 1,000 completed interviews conducted April 22-24 among U.S. adults, using a sample selected from YouGov’s opt-in online panel to match the demographics and other characteristics of the adult U.S. population.
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HuffPost has teamed up with YouGov to conduct daily opinion polls. You can learn more about this project and take part in YouGov’s nationally representative opinion polling. More details on the polls’ methodology are available here.


huffpost--2020-04-25--He Sewed Masks In His Prison Cell. 30 Miles Away, His Mother Was Dying Of COVID-19.

Antonia eventually remarried , had two more children , Josephine and Joseph , but then got divorced .
She and the children lived in an apartment in the South Bronx .
For Hernandez ’ s 10th birthday , Antonia held a party in the lobby of the building .
Hernandez was ecstatic , running through the building with his friends , holding a $ 5 bill he ’ d been given as a gift .
When he got back down to the lobby , he saw people running out of the building and gathered in a crowd by the corner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s legs and saw his mother lying on the ground .
She ’ d been caught in an altercation between two men and struck by a stray bullet .
Hernandez was initially incarcerated in Puerto Rico , when he was 19 .
He eventually moved back to New York City and had a daughter , Shamira , whom he gave to his sister , Josephine , to raise .
He says he started taking heroin and other drugs due to depression , and in October 2002 , he was convicted for using a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ boss , with whom he said she was having an affair , after he said the boss , another man and his girlfriend attacked him .
“ The only thing I ask is to keep Mom alive or to allow me to see her just for 10 minutes , ” he said .
“ After that , they can bring me back to prison and put me under it or send me to the moon for all I care .
I ’ m just afraid of Mom dying and not being able to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hernandez was , according to a friend and Josephine , distraught when Josephine called the prison on Thursday night to let him know she planned to have Antonia removed from life support .
She asked the officer with whom she spoke if there was any way for Hernandez to leave the prison to see their mother .
The officer said that due to the pandemic no one was being let off of the premises and that even she had a funeral that she could not attend .

This article was reported in partnership with Type Investigations.
On Tuesday evening, Francisco Hernandez returned to his cell, put up the state-issued blanket he uses as a curtain, and wept. A few hours earlier, word had traveled through Sing Sing Correctional Facility in Ossining, New York, that Ramon Escobar, who’d been housed 11 cells away from Hernandez, had died of COVID-19.
The Westchester County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed that Escobar died of COVID-19. Escobar’s was the fourth COVID-19 death at the prison and the seventh in the New York state prison system as a whole, according to New York Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) data.
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Hernandez, 48, wept not just because he’d lost a friend but because it’s how he falls asleep most nights. For the past two weeks, his mother, Antonia McCarthy, has been at Lincoln Hospital in the Bronx, sedated and intubated, fighting her own battle against the novel coronavirus. Hernandez’s mother is a paraplegic, having been injured in a shooting decades ago. She has numerous health issues and was initially admitted to the hospital in February with sepsis from a bone infection. Hernandez was afraid COVID-19 would kill her.
Hernandez said he wrote the superintendent of the prison asking if there was some way to see his mother, if even through a video visit. He said he never received a response. He also wrote lawyers and advocates at Prisoners Legal Services of New York (PLS-NY) and Release Aging People in Prison to see if they could help.
When Hernandez was imprisoned 20 years ago for assault and attempted murder, he promised his mother he would change and would make it out of prison to help his sister to care for their mother. He completed a number of educational and other programs and said that in the past decade he has maintained a relatively clean disciplinary record, with only minor infractions. (DOCCS did not immediately respond to a request for Hernandez’s records.)
“I wanted to achieve that goal of coming home and doing everything I said I was going to do,” said Hernandez, who has three years left until his release date. “But now this virus happened, and I feel I swam oceans only to drown at the shore.”
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As COVID-19 spreads in prisons and jails, Hernandez and others inside say they are facing a system that is doing too little to protect them and are also frantic that they can’t do anything to protect their loved ones from the virus that has killed more than 16,100 people across New York state.
“I’ve never been so afraid of anything in my life, and believe me, fear wasn’t something embedded in me growing up,” Hernandez said.
At the prison, Hernandez is surrounded by reminders of the virus, both in the work he has been assigned and the work he chooses to do. He works in the intake area, processing the belongings of men coming into the prison and those leaving. As such, he has had to sort through the contents of the cells of men who have died of COVID-19.
The items are spread out on a table, and officers tell Hernandez which items to save — mainly photographs, letters and legal paperwork — so that they can be sent to family members. Everything else, now just the detritus of decades spent in prison, is thrown away.
“It was sad how these fellow inmates’ entire life was being thrown out into the garbage,” Hernandez said. “You think about what you’re doing, and most of the time it goes through your head, ‘How about if this is me next time?’”
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Watching As The Death Toll Rises
When Hernandez returns to his cell in the evenings, he hand-sews masks. He has made about 36 so far from state-issued handkerchiefs, T-shirts and the elastic cut from underwear.
Hernandez and his neighbor Bruce Bryant initially wanted to send the masks to health care workers, but Hernandez said they didn’t receive a response from the superintendent about how they could get the masks to hospitals. So, he started giving them to other men at the prison.
Initially, the men at Sing Sing were not allowed to cover their faces at all. “We do not have access to hand sanitizers, nor masks. Everyone else in the world are wearing masks, except us prisoners as if our right to be free from disease and infections, our right to live does not matter,” wrote one man at Sing Sing to his attorney, Steven Zeidman, two weeks ago.
Now the men can cover their faces with handkerchiefs issued by the prison, but many say it’s hard to keep those in place, which has created a need for the masks Hernandez makes.
Hernandez watches the news as he sews.
“Reality sinks in from being distracted back to Mom,” he said. “Can’t stop focusing on the number of the death toll and always wonder every time it rises if Mom is within it.”
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It was Antonia McCarthy who taught Hernandez to sew. She was 18 when she had him, and when he was 2, she divorced his father and moved from Puerto Rico to New York City. Antonia didn’t know anyone and didn’t speak English. Hernandez remembers moving from shelter to shelter until his mother got an apartment and a sewing job at a factory. She had to work double shifts to make ends meet, and she often left Hernandez alone in their apartment in the Bronx.
“I was maybe 4 or 5, and always before leaving she used to tell me, ‘Francisco, don’t make no noise, don’t open the door and ‘specially don’t turn the stove on. If you need to eat something, I made you P and J sandwiches with your sippy cup. You do that and I will bring you a Snickers bar in the morning,’” Hernandez said. “I did that righteously, and in the morning I had my favorite chocolate bar by my pillow.”
Antonia eventually remarried, had two more children, Josephine and Joseph, but then got divorced. She and the children lived in an apartment in the South Bronx. For Hernandez’s 10th birthday, Antonia held a party in the lobby of the building. Hernandez was ecstatic, running through the building with his friends, holding a $5 bill he’d been given as a gift. When he got back down to the lobby, he saw people running out of the building and gathered in a crowd by the corner store. He crawled between people’s legs and saw his mother lying on the ground. She’d been caught in an altercation between two men and struck by a stray bullet.
Illustration: HuffPost; Photos: Getty Images
“I immediately started screaming and crying,” Hernandez said. “She was just there looking at me, not crying or even in pain, to my recollection, and said, ‘Francisco, why are you crying? You’re 10 years old, and big boys don’t cry.’”
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Hernandez said he continued to cry hysterically because the blood wouldn’t stop flowing from the wound in her neck. He used his $5 bill to try to make the bleeding stop.
Hernandez said the trauma of the event and the immediate aftermath set him on the course that led to prison. Again, he was on his own, this time left to care for his younger siblings because his mother was hospitalized for months. She underwent several surgeries as the bullet had shattered her collar bone, ricocheted and become wedged in her spine, paralyzing her from the waist down.
“I remember for the first month or so being alone with them in the apartment, just Mom’s friends and neighbors watching over us. I was terrified when the light bill wasn’t paid and they cut the lights off,” he said.
Eventually, Hernandez was sent to Puerto Rico to live with his maternal aunt and grandmother, and his siblings went to live with their father. They did not see each other for several years.
Hernandez said he acted out and didn’t do well in school in part because he blamed himself for the fact that his mother had been shot and paralyzed by the bullet that is still lodged in her spine.
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“I never asked for a big party; as a matter of fact, I was happy with the fudge chocolate Pepperidge Farm [cookies] and pint of ice cream we used to eat on the kitchen floor,” said Hernandez, referring to how he and his mother would spend his birthdays in their first few years in New York. “A day that’s supposed to be happy for me had turned into my worst nightmare. How can I forgive myself?”
Hernandez was initially incarcerated in Puerto Rico, when he was 19. He eventually moved back to New York City and had a daughter, Shamira, whom he gave to his sister, Josephine, to raise. He says he started taking heroin and other drugs due to depression, and in October 2002, he was convicted for using a razor to cut his girlfriend and her boss, with whom he said she was having an affair, after he said the boss, another man and his girlfriend attacked him.
Hernandez said he has matured in prison. “It’s been a lot of years in a 4-by-10 space doing the same thing over and over and again and again,” he said. “I’m 48, going on 49 years old this year, and I am at the point that I’m not the mean kid growing up no more.”
Desperate To Say Goodbye
On Thursday morning, a doctor called Hernandez’s sister, Josephine McCarthy, to say that, although they had lowered sedation levels in the hopes that Antonia could be revived, they could not detect any brain activity.
Josephine said her mother was vibrant — she cooked, cleaned and took great pride in decorating her apartment.
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“There were times me and [my brother] Joey would get her dressed and take her in her wheelchair to the nightclub Salsa con Fuego,” Josephine said. “We would have dinner and she would dance in her chair and move her arms.”
Josephine called a family meeting on Thursday night, and she decided not to proceed with keeping Antonia alive with a tracheostomy and feeding tube.
Hernandez’s daughter, Shamira, 28, says her grandmother would not want to live that way.
“The agony is killing all of us slowly,” Shamira said. “I want, if she is going to die, for her to do it in a way that is going to be good for her, not good for us. I want her to go out decently.”
A DOCCS spokesperson said on Thursday that Hernandez’s request for a video visit with his mother had not been received but that the facility also doesn’t have the technology to accommodate such a request. DOCCS has allowed for three free 30-minute phone calls and five free stamps per week on the electronic messaging system JPay, so that incarcerated people can remain in contact with family members, given the pandemic.
On Friday, Prisoners Legal Services of New York, the advocacy group Hernandez had written for help, received his letter and contacted the prison to try to arrange for him to call his mother.
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“It was my understanding that they were going to try to accommodate his request, but now, based upon what they’ve been told, it doesn’t seem as if his mother would know,” said PLS-NY Executive Director Karen Murtagh. “We were told by the facility that his sister called and said their mother was brain dead and was going to be taken off the ventilator. They said they would take him out of his cell so he could grieve.”
“I’m just afraid of Mom dying and not being able to see her before she goes underground.” - Francisco Hernandez
Melissa DeRosa, a top aide to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, said at a press conference Thursday that the state hasn’t seen the kind of outbreak in prison officials had feared ― according to DOCCS, 269 of the approximately 43,000 people incarcerated in state prisons have tested positive for COVID-19. She said previously that DOCCS has begun the process of releasing those 55 or older who have 90 days or less remaining on their sentence, and whose initial crime was not a violent felony or sex offense. The governor’s office did not respond to inquiries about what would happen in cases of other people seeking early release.
Hernandez is not saying he deserves to be released early — “I committed a crime, and there was a victim involved,” he said. He just wants to see his mother one last time.
“The only thing I ask is to keep Mom alive or to allow me to see her just for 10 minutes,” he said. “After that, they can bring me back to prison and put me under it or send me to the moon for all I care. I’m just afraid of Mom dying and not being able to see her before she goes underground.”
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Hernandez was, according to a friend and Josephine, distraught when Josephine called the prison on Thursday night to let him know she planned to have Antonia removed from life support. She asked the officer with whom she spoke if there was any way for Hernandez to leave the prison to see their mother. The officer said that due to the pandemic no one was being let off of the premises and that even she had a funeral that she could not attend.


huffpost--2020-04-25--Allison Janney And Hugh Jackman Get Twisted In HBO’s Fantastic ‘Bad Education’

When we first see Allison Janney in “ Bad Education , ” she exudes respectability .
Janney plays Pam Gluckin , a ladder-climbing administrator at a distinguished Long Island high school who settles two months ’ worth of expenses and arranges a meeting at City Hall before first period is over .
Minutes later , she ’ s sitting on the bleachers feeding her boss Frank Tassone — played by Hugh Jackman , also wearing competence on his sleeve — a pastrami sandwich and joking about all the moms who hang on his every handsome word .
You ’ d @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Based on a true scandal first exposed in 2002 , “ Bad Education ” is a gripping and diabolically funny psychodrama about the largest public-school embezzlement scheme in American history .
Pam , it turns out , was cooking the books to pay off her credit card bills and fund various luxuries , including lavish home renovations .
She ’ d stolen $ 250,000 by the time an accountant found reason to question her financial reports .
Despite asking for Pam ’ s resignation and ostensibly rebuking her , Frank knew exactly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — and that ’ s only the tip of this $ 11.2 million racket .
“ It was great casting to put Hugh and me in these roles because we have played very easily likable characters , ” Janney said by phone earlier this week .
“ I think we both play very real , human people who can be quirky at times .
In this script , you could see that these were characters that were very well-liked .
Frank was a demigod in the community .
Pam liked how that rubbed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with him and everyone loves Frank .
He could do no wrong .
It was perfect because no one would suspect .
Then when you slowly start to realize what ’ s going on , it ’ s even more shocking .
Who ’ s going to look behind the curtain with these two ?
” The script by Mike Makowsky ― writer of the 2018 film “ I Think We ’ re Alone Now ” and an alumnus of the real Long Island school ― hews closely to the specifics of Gluckin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A 2004 New York magazine feature detailing the scandal describes her as gregarious , resourceful and dedicated to her job in spite of her transgressions .
Gluckin and Tassone were close confidants .
She ’ d endured more than one messy divorce , and he was living a double life at home , the details of which came spilling out .
Both collected six-figure salaries , but they sought extravagances beyond what their incomes afforded them .
“ Bad Education ” becomes a portrait of the lengths some people will go to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ second feature from Cory Finley , who also directed 2018 ’ s “ Thoroughbreds , ” a tart “ Heathers ” -esque thriller about suburban teen girls ( Anya Taylor-Joy and Olivia Cooke ) who plot a murder .
HBO purchased “ Education ” out of last year ’ s Toronto International Film Festival , paying a hefty $ 20 million for the broadcast rights .
Finley and his producers couldn ’ t have known at the time how fortuitous that would be , as the movie will now debut when theaters are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the coronavirus .
It joins the ranks of HBO ’ s best original movies , from “ And the Band Played On ” and “ Introducing Dorothy Dandridge ” to “ Wit ” and “ Behind the Candelabra.
” “ I knew early on , before we started generating lists of names , that we needed a very sympathetic , grounded Frank and Pam , ” Finley said .
“ We needed actors that could go to dark places but could really bring you along and feel like rounded human beings and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We didn ’ t know if we could get someone of Hugh and Allison ’ s caliber , but we were super lucky that I think Hugh had a similar reaction .
Around the time we were casting was not too long after the amazing ‘ I , Tonya ’ run , and I ’ d always loved Allison.
” Jackman indeed felt similarly .
“ It was about the character , about doing something I hadn ’ t done before — I think something that audiences wouldn ’ t expect me to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t yet seen from me — and I ’ m fascinated by human nature , ” he told The Daily Beast .
The pair had to telegraph the entire subtext of their characters ’ relationship in only a few scenes together .
When Pam taunts Frank with a bite of her sandwich , it ’ s because he ’ s on a strict vanity diet .
He ’ s grimacing as he finishes a charcoal smoothie the color of tar .
“ I won ’ t tell anyone , ” Pam coos @ @ @ @ @ @ @ face .
Janney snarls while doing this , a tongue-in-cheek moment that signifies their easy rapport , and Jackman offers a knowing grin in response .
“ The pastrami sandwich was my favorite because it ’ s such a fun little character moment , but it also is the movie in miniature : the two of them conspiring to eat something he shouldn ’ t be eating , and the joy of that , ” Finley said .
“ It was a really small moment in the script .
It just said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ Both Hugh and Allison were such good improvisers .
I had a sense that Allison had that skill , but I was amazed at how good Hugh was at it as well .
I learned over the shoot to wait an extra beat before calling cut because if you just ask these actors to stay in their characters after their scripted section had run out , little interesting things would happen .
In the final cut of the movie , we stay in that sandwich moment long past the moment the scripted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were fully improvised .
We also had a bee that kept bothering Allison because we were shooting outside .
I think you can still see it in one moment .
She sort of swats at something offscreen.
” Janney imagined that Pam ’ s misappropriations started small , as they often do for crooks .
She needed to bankroll her daughter ’ s college tuition and no one noticed , so why not fix her car muffler , too ?
Might as well add the Christmas presents and beach house facelift to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I ’ m imagining it just with a drip , drip of things that she kept justifying over and over and over , until it became , ’ You know what ?
I ’ m entitled to this .
I deserve this , ’ ” Janney said .
“ Then it just became very messy .
Keeping up with the Joneses seemed very important to her in this script .
I think they absolutely were drunk with their own power.
” Beyond the casting , what makes “ Bad Education ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are meant to be havens where kids are protected and bolstered as they mature into upstanding contributors to society .
Being an educator is among the most noble of professions , and yet here are two who decided their line of work had rendered them impervious to guilt .
“ People inherently want to trust the people who are in power , trust the people that hold the purse strings , ” Janney said .
“ You want to believe that everyone has the best intentions , wants the best for your school @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It goes to show you that you shouldn ’ t blindly trust people .
You should always have checks and balances , especially for people in power who are supposed to be doing the right things for everybody .
That ’ s just , unfortunately , what we ’ re dealing with today in more ways than one .
”

Hugh Jackman and Allison Janney in "Bad Education." HBO
When we first see Allison Janney in “Bad Education,” she exudes respectability. Janney plays Pam Gluckin, a ladder-climbing administrator at a distinguished Long Island high school who settles two months’ worth of expenses and arranges a meeting at City Hall before first period is over. Minutes later, she’s sitting on the bleachers feeding her boss Frank Tassone — played by Hugh Jackman, also wearing competence on his sleeve — a pastrami sandwich and joking about all the moms who hang on his every handsome word. You’d hardly believe Pam Gluckin is a criminal.
Based on a true scandal first exposed in 2002, “Bad Education” is a gripping and diabolically funny psychodrama about the largest public-school embezzlement scheme in American history. Pam, it turns out, was cooking the books to pay off her credit card bills and fund various luxuries, including lavish home renovations. She’d stolen $250,000 by the time an accountant found reason to question her financial reports. Despite asking for Pam’s resignation and ostensibly rebuking her, Frank knew exactly what she’d been up to — and that’s only the tip of this $11.2 million racket.
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“Bad Education,” premiering Saturday on HBO, uses its actors’ charms as a disarming mechanism. Janney and Jackman are the ideal surrogates for a story about sympathetic people doing dastardly things. After all, who is more sympathetic than Allison Janney and Hugh Jackman? Their built-in appeal lulls us into security before the movie upends the audience’s every assumption.
“It was great casting to put Hugh and me in these roles because we have played very easily likable characters,” Janney said by phone earlier this week. “I think we both play very real, human people who can be quirky at times. In this script, you could see that these were characters that were very well-liked. Frank was a demigod in the community. Pam liked how that rubbed off on her, that she works with him and everyone loves Frank. He could do no wrong. It was perfect because no one would suspect. Then when you slowly start to realize what’s going on, it’s even more shocking. Who’s going to look behind the curtain with these two?”
Allison Janney and Hugh Jackman in "Bad Education." HBO
The script by Mike Makowsky ― writer of the 2018 film “I Think We’re Alone Now” and an alumnus of the real Long Island school ― hews closely to the specifics of Gluckin’s and Tassone’s lives. A 2004 New York magazine feature detailing the scandal describes her as gregarious, resourceful and dedicated to her job in spite of her transgressions. Gluckin and Tassone were close confidants. She’d endured more than one messy divorce, and he was living a double life at home, the details of which came spilling out. Both collected six-figure salaries, but they sought extravagances beyond what their incomes afforded them. “Bad Education” becomes a portrait of the lengths some people will go to secure wealth.
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The film marks the second feature from Cory Finley, who also directed 2018’s “Thoroughbreds,” a tart “Heathers”-esque thriller about suburban teen girls (Anya Taylor-Joy and Olivia Cooke) who plot a murder. HBO purchased “Education” out of last year’s Toronto International Film Festival, paying a hefty $20 million for the broadcast rights. Finley and his producers couldn’t have known at the time how fortuitous that would be, as the movie will now debut when theaters are closed and everyone is stuck indoors due to the coronavirus. It joins the ranks of HBO’s best original movies, from “And the Band Played On” and “Introducing Dorothy Dandridge” to “Wit” and “Behind the Candelabra.”
“I knew early on, before we started generating lists of names, that we needed a very sympathetic, grounded Frank and Pam,” Finley said. “We needed actors that could go to dark places but could really bring you along and feel like rounded human beings and never tip over into cartoon villains. We didn’t know if we could get someone of Hugh and Allison’s caliber, but we were super lucky that I think Hugh had a similar reaction. Around the time we were casting was not too long after the amazing ‘I, Tonya’ run, and I’d always loved Allison.”
Jackman indeed felt similarly. “It was about the character, about doing something I hadn’t done before — I think something that audiences wouldn’t expect me to do, with some twists they hadn’t yet seen from me — and I’m fascinated by human nature,” he told The Daily Beast.
The pair had to telegraph the entire subtext of their characters’ relationship in only a few scenes together. When Pam taunts Frank with a bite of her sandwich, it’s because he’s on a strict vanity diet. He’s grimacing as he finishes a charcoal smoothie the color of tar. “I won’t tell anyone,” Pam coos as she waves the food in his face. Janney snarls while doing this, a tongue-in-cheek moment that signifies their easy rapport, and Jackman offers a knowing grin in response.
Cory Finley on the set of "Bad Education." HBO
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“The pastrami sandwich was my favorite because it’s such a fun little character moment, but it also is the movie in miniature: the two of them conspiring to eat something he shouldn’t be eating, and the joy of that,” Finley said. “It was a really small moment in the script. It just said, ‘Pam feeds him the pastrami sandwich.’ Both Hugh and Allison were such good improvisers. I had a sense that Allison had that skill, but I was amazed at how good Hugh was at it as well. I learned over the shoot to wait an extra beat before calling cut because if you just ask these actors to stay in their characters after their scripted section had run out, little interesting things would happen. In the final cut of the movie, we stay in that sandwich moment long past the moment the scripted scene ends. The last several bits were fully improvised. We also had a bee that kept bothering Allison because we were shooting outside. I think you can still see it in one moment. She sort of swats at something offscreen.”
Janney imagined that Pam’s misappropriations started small, as they often do for crooks. She needed to bankroll her daughter’s college tuition and no one noticed, so why not fix her car muffler, too? Might as well add the Christmas presents and beach house facelift to the list while she’s at it.
“I’m imagining it just with a drip, drip of things that she kept justifying over and over and over, until it became, ’You know what? I’m entitled to this. I deserve this,’” Janney said. “Then it just became very messy. Keeping up with the Joneses seemed very important to her in this script. I think they absolutely were drunk with their own power.”
Beyond the casting, what makes “Bad Education” so riveting is its setting. Schools are meant to be havens where kids are protected and bolstered as they mature into upstanding contributors to society. Being an educator is among the most noble of professions, and yet here are two who decided their line of work had rendered them impervious to guilt.
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huffpost--2020-04-24--Trump Will 'Somehow' Try To Delay Election, Biden Warns

“ Mark my words , I think he is gon na try to kick back the election somehow , come up with some rationale why it can ’ t be held , ” the former vice president told donors during a virtual fundraiser , according to a pool report cited by multiple outlets .
Biden also suggested that Trump is doing “ all he can to make it very hard for people to vote ” in the ballot with his attempts to use an emergency federal loan as leverage over the Postal Service to bring it further under his administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in God ’ s name is that about ?
” he asked .
“ Other than trying to let the word out that he ’ s going to do all he can to make it very hard for people to vote .
That ’ s the only way he thinks he can possibly win.
” To be clear , Trump himself can not cancel or delay the election .
The power to change the election date falls on Congress .
And should the vote be postponed , Trump ’ s term in office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2021 , anyway , Slate noted .
During the event , Biden also warned of Russian interference in the election and said the controversial primary that Republicans pushed ahead with in Wisconsin earlier this month ( which forced thousands of people to head to the polls despite a statewide stay-at-home order due to the coronavirus pandemic ) had sent a “ giant warning flare to the nation.
” “ Republicans were trying to force in-person voting no matter the health cost , ” he said .
“ We have to figure out how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and fair and safe election in November , and no one should have to risk their lives to cast a ballot.
” Actor Robert De Niro last year floated a theory that if Trump , who has repeatedly joked about being president for life , won the 2020 election , then he could declare war to remain in office for a third term .
The 22nd Amendment of the U.S. Constitution , however , prevents a president from serving more than two terms .

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Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden on Thursday warned that President Donald Trump may try to delay the 2020 election.
“Mark my words, I think he is gonna try to kick back the election somehow, come up with some rationale why it can’t be held,” the former vice president told donors during a virtual fundraiser, according to a pool report cited by multiple outlets.
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Biden also suggested that Trump is doing “all he can to make it very hard for people to vote” in the ballot with his attempts to use an emergency federal loan as leverage over the Postal Service to bring it further under his administration’s control.
“Imagine threatening not to fund the post office,” Biden said at the online event, titled “A Fabulous Evening With Vice President Joe Biden.”
“Now what in God’s name is that about?” he asked. “Other than trying to let the word out that he’s going to do all he can to make it very hard for people to vote. That’s the only way he thinks he can possibly win.”
To be clear, Trump himself cannot cancel or delay the election. The power to change the election date falls on Congress. And should the vote be postponed, Trump’s term in office would automatically end on Jan. 20, 2021, anyway, Slate noted.
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During the event, Biden also warned of Russian interference in the election and said the controversial primary that Republicans pushed ahead with in Wisconsin earlier this month (which forced thousands of people to head to the polls despite a statewide stay-at-home order due to the coronavirus pandemic) had sent a “giant warning flare to the nation.”
“Republicans were trying to force in-person voting no matter the health cost,” he said. “We have to figure out how we are going to conduct a full and fair and safe election in November, and no one should have to risk their lives to cast a ballot.”
Actor Robert De Niro last year floated a theory that if Trump, who has repeatedly joked about being president for life, won the 2020 election, then he could declare war to remain in office for a third term. The 22nd Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, however, prevents a president from serving more than two terms.


huffpost--2020-04-17--Director Tayarisha Poe Has Been Waiting Her Whole Life For 'Selah and the Spades'

There ’ s a scene in Tayarisha Poe ’ s feature debut , “ Selah and the Spades , ” that will make you sit up and pay attention .
In it , Paloma ( Celeste O ’ Connor ) , a new student at an elite Philadelphia boarding school , slinks around the gymnasium taking pictures of the spirit squad , focusing most of her gaze and lens at Selah , one of the most powerful girls at school .
With the team behind her speaking only when spoken to , Selah ( Lovie Simone ) goes into a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world may want them to do and be , they are , in fact , the ones in control .
From the lengths of their skirts to the height of their burpees to the arch in their body rolls , they have autonomy and have no intention of letting it go .
With its abrupt cuts , off-kilter and out-of-focus close-ups and a steady drumbeat , it becomes crystal clear that this scene , inspired by Spike Lee ’ s love for surrealism , sets up a thread that runs throughout this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and maintaining control .
But for Selah , who may look innocent , there are no boundaries to how far she will go to stay on top of her grades , her lucrative drug-running game and her easily manipulated friends Paloma and Maxxie ( Jerome Jharrel ) .
But what happens when a control freak feels all that power slowly slip away ?
In Selah ’ s case , she begins to crack and unleashes on anyone who poses a threat to her legacy .
Specifically , when I was in college , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ writing stories since I was a little kid .
I didn ’ t have the language back then that I wanted to be a director or screenwriter .
I actually thought I was going to be a lawyer and go to trial and somehow convince people of what I wrote in stories .
I didn ’ t know .
[ Laughs ] But when I got to college , it hit me that regular people are the people making movies and that you don ’ t have to go to the school they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the exact person they tell you you need to know , you just have to make a movie .
With writing , I daydream a lot , even now , but less because I have a job and bills .
But part of daydreaming and writing feel like the same thing , a chance for you to create a new world completely of your own making .
I love that !
Now , when it comes to directing , I love being around other people and collaborating with them .
With writing , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everything is in your hands and comes down to you , but with directing , it ’ s a community coming together to tell a story .
[ Like Selah ] , I also went to boarding school for high school .
Growing up and watching TV shows , it was always such a shock to me when the students would go home to their parents at the end of the day .
Like , their parents had so much access to their teenagers ’ lives .
I found as a teenager , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ easier to be away from home .
Now , high school was hard , really hard , but it was also really fun .
I lived with my friends and got to eat ramen at midnight while studying for exams .
There was also an insularness to my world , it felt like being in a microcosm of society : We even had our own language .
So I wanted to tell a story that captured some of that .
With the first draft , I had a bridge with this train wreck @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lake and then there is this whole scene with them underwater .
[ Laughs ] There was no way , but I wrote that scene like I had all the money and resources in the world , which is what we should all do .
Show people that you know what you want , think big in the beginning .
But then , yes , I did spend time making it more achievable .
It ’ s shot like that because the perspective is extremely focused .
You are in Selah ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attention to what she is paying attention to .
And all of this beauty and luxury of this campus , you only see pockets of it , because she is used to it , bored by it even .
Selah is fixated on figuring out her legacy .
It was a risk , and I had to fight for it , convince people that this was the way we should go .
It ’ s so rare that we even get to see Black people on screen just thinking about things , contemplating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stories are about trying to escape trauma , encountering it and recovering from it .
But for Selah , I hate even saying it , but for her , she is the traumatizer .
And we get to see her thinking about it .
But we also get to see people thinking in the film outside of these moments of doing damage to others , but just Black people outside daydreaming , playing , shooting the fucking breeze .
That ’ s why I love that scene of Selah , Paloma and Maxie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I don ’ t always want to feel like I have to save the world ; there are times when I just want to exist and chill .
I think Selah is asexual , but she doesn ’ t have the words for it , which happens .
For Paloma , she can fall in love with anybody and loves love , and she wants to be loved , which is why she does all of these things for Selah .
This is a story about power and unrequited love .
And Selah @ @ @ @ @ @ @ loved by her .
Selah will never love her the way she wants her to , but she will use Paloma ’ s love to get what she wants , every single time .
Right ?
But in terms of sexuality , it was important for me to make these characters who they were but not make it this huge talking point .
When I was in high school , I didn ’ t have the language for my sexual identity , and I still don ’ t feel like I do now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Any label past Tayarisha , I don ’ t want it .
I am like , “ Oh , I feel this way today , but will I feel this way tomorrow ?
” So in the script , the characters kind of follow that same thinking .
They just are who they are .
First , it was very important for me to help build those bonds between them because if people don ’ t like each other , you can see that on screen .
But now Lovie and Celeste @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on vacation multiple times .
It ’ s great .
As a director , I had to build comradery with them as well .
I just turned 30 , so I was 28 when we made the film , but I treated them as equals , like a big sister .
Also , it was about me being able to be vulnerable with them and talk about how I felt when I was a teenager and how looking back , I had grown from those experiences .
That matters , because none of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of them could embody that teenager and make it believable .
That means they had to be comfortable with each other and with me .
Right !
That conversation is over , dead .
And for folks who keep asking that , they deserve every ounce of Twitter hate that comes their way !
[ Laughs ] But , yes , it feels fucking amazing to be part of this moment .
This is exactly what I wanted when I was a teenager ; this is what I lived for .
And to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not too much older or younger than me ... we must have all been as teenagers like “ Jesus fucking Christ , I just want a movie about me at this age , trying to figure our lives !
”

Tayarisha Poe, the director of "Selah and the Spades." Courtesy of Tayarisha Poe
There’s a scene in Tayarisha Poe’s feature debut, “Selah and the Spades,” that will make you sit up and pay attention. In it, Paloma (Celeste O’Connor), a new student at an elite Philadelphia boarding school, slinks around the gymnasium taking pictures of the spirit squad, focusing most of her gaze and lens at Selah, one of the most powerful girls at school. With the team behind her speaking only when spoken to, Selah (Lovie Simone) goes into a stylistic diatribe about how, despite what the world may want them to do and be, they are, in fact, the ones in control. From the lengths of their skirts to the height of their burpees to the arch in their body rolls, they have autonomy and have no intention of letting it go.
“Because when you’re 17, you have to grab on to that control wherever you can and hold tight for dear life because they always try to take it from you, don’t they?” Selah asks.
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With its abrupt cuts, off-kilter and out-of-focus close-ups and a steady drumbeat, it becomes crystal clear that this scene, inspired by Spike Lee’s love for surrealism, sets up a thread that runs throughout this indie gem: the importance of gaining and maintaining control. But for Selah, who may look innocent, there are no boundaries to how far she will go to stay on top of her grades, her lucrative drug-running game and her easily manipulated friends Paloma and Maxxie (Jerome Jharrel). But what happens when a control freak feels all that power slowly slip away? In Selah’s case, she begins to crack and unleashes on anyone who poses a threat to her legacy.
While Poe has crafted this cunning and, at times, terrifying villain, her nuanced script carves out just enough space to humanize Selah, with Simone leaning into those moments, giving one of the most memorable performances of the year. Yes, this film thematically and tonally feels familiar — “Heathers,” “Lord of the Flies” and even “Goodfellas” — but with Poe at the helm, centering on this Black girl at this school with these problems, the result feels refreshing and brand new.
HuffPost sat down with the 30-year-old Philadelphia native to talk about her own experiences attending boarding school to create this insular world and how this new rise in indie films about Black girlhood makes her “so fucking happy.”
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Before we get into the film, let’s talk about your beginnings. When did you know that you wanted to be a filmmaker?
Specifically, when I was in college, but before then, I was always writing stories since I was a little kid. I didn’t have the language back then that I wanted to be a director or screenwriter. I actually thought I was going to be a lawyer and go to trial and somehow convince people of what I wrote in stories. I didn’t know. [Laughs] But when I got to college, it hit me that regular people are the people making movies and that you don’t have to go to the school they tell you to go to or know the exact person they tell you you need to know, you just have to make a movie.
What do you love about filmmaking?
With writing, I daydream a lot, even now, but less because I have a job and bills. But part of daydreaming and writing feel like the same thing, a chance for you to create a new world completely of your own making. I love that! Now, when it comes to directing, I love being around other people and collaborating with them. With writing, you spend so much time alone and everything is in your hands and comes down to you, but with directing, it’s a community coming together to tell a story.
Celeste O'Connor, left, Lovie Simone and Jharrel Jerome in "Selah and the Spades." Courtesy of Amazon Studios
With your love for storytelling, why was “Selah and the Spades” the story you wanted to tell?
[Like Selah], I also went to boarding school for high school. Growing up and watching TV shows, it was always such a shock to me when the students would go home to their parents at the end of the day. Like, their parents had so much access to their teenagers’ lives. I found as a teenager, it was so much more thrilling and easier to be away from home. Now, high school was hard, really hard, but it was also really fun. I lived with my friends and got to eat ramen at midnight while studying for exams. There was also an insularness to my world, it felt like being in a microcosm of society: We even had our own language. So I wanted to tell a story that captured some of that.
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Speaking of insular worlds, outside of Selah going home, the entire film takes place on the school’s campus. Did you write it that way at first, constantly thinking about budget restraints, or for the first draft did you go all in not worrying about money?
With the first draft, I had a bridge with this train wreck and they fall off the bridge into a lake and then there is this whole scene with them underwater. [Laughs] There was no way, but I wrote that scene like I had all the money and resources in the world, which is what we should all do. Show people that you know what you want, think big in the beginning. But then, yes, I did spend time making it more achievable.
Even in this insular world, it’s even more insular. Outside of Selah, her friends, the other three cliques and maybe the headmasterl (played by Jesse Williams), we don’t see a lot of other students. It’s so tightly shot, which must be intentional. It’s a risk, but it works.
It’s shot like that because the perspective is extremely focused. You are in Selah’s focus. You’re paying attention to what she is paying attention to. And all of this beauty and luxury of this campus, you only see pockets of it, because she is used to it, bored by it even. Selah is fixated on figuring out her legacy. It was a risk, and I had to fight for it, convince people that this was the way we should go.
Fight for it like how?
Usually, with a story like this, we would enter this world through Paloma’s character, the younger person who is learning through her teacher, Selah. But I kept asking myself, why the fuck am I making this story? I remember being 13 and everyone telling me how angry I was. I wasn’t angry. I was confused and emotional, trying to figure things out, so I wrote this for her.
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Lovie Simone stars in "Selah and the Spades." Ashley Bean/Amazon Studios
Speaking of Selah... boy, she is something else! Her mother, her obsession with grades, perfection, all of that, but her need to control. It gave me so much anxiety.
Going into the script, her being controlling was always the facet of who she is, and it’s generational: those scenes with her mother [played by Gina Torres] who is constantly talking about Selah’s potential. All of that made Selah become someone obsessed with being able to understand other people’s potential and what they are capable of, hence Paloma.
But for Selah, her control comes directly from the desire to feel safe. This is something I didn’t understand while writing the script, but I definitely feel and understand it now. Recently, I was telling my mom how thrown off I’ve felt since the coronavirus and being locked in, and she was like, “That’s because you can’t project yourself two months into the future, you can’t plan your life and you don’t know what it’s going to look like.”
Selah doesn’t fare well with uncertainty either. Control makes us feel safe, and when you’re Black and a girl and so many people are trying to control you and take your control away, you can feel out of whack and lash out.
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That’s what I appreciate about the film, is that even in her awfulness, she’s not a full-on monster. Selah lives with the things she does to other people; she thinks about it. That’s important for all characters, but especially for Black ones.
It’s so rare that we even get to see Black people on screen just thinking about things, contemplating their lives. So much of our stories are about trying to escape trauma, encountering it and recovering from it. But for Selah, I hate even saying it, but for her, she is the traumatizer. And we get to see her thinking about it. But we also get to see people thinking in the film outside of these moments of doing damage to others, but just Black people outside daydreaming, playing, shooting the fucking breeze. That’s why I love that scene of Selah, Paloma and Maxie running around outside and having fun. I don’t always want to feel like I have to save the world; there are times when I just want to exist and chill.
Last week a friend of mine asked me if the film was queer, given this tension between Selah and Paloma. I initially said no, but I’m thinking yes, maybe? What say you?
Lovie, Celeste and I talked about the characters’ sexuality a lot, but do you really want to know what I think?
I absolutely want to know! [Laughs]
I think Selah is asexual, but she doesn’t have the words for it, which happens. For Paloma, she can fall in love with anybody and loves love, and she wants to be loved, which is why she does all of these things for Selah. This is a story about power and unrequited love. And Selah knows how desperate Paloma is to be loved by her. Selah will never love her the way she wants her to, but she will use Paloma’s love to get what she wants, every single time.
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Damn, Selah really is the absolute worst.
Celeste O'Connor plays "Paloma" in "Selah and the Spades." Ashley Bean/Amazon Studios
Right? But in terms of sexuality, it was important for me to make these characters who they were but not make it this huge talking point. When I was in high school, I didn’t have the language for my sexual identity, and I still don’t feel like I do now, even having more access to language. Any label past Tayarisha, I don’t want it. I am like, “Oh, I feel this way today, but will I feel this way tomorrow?” So in the script, the characters kind of follow that same thinking. They just are who they are.
One of the most important jobs of a director is working with actors to build a bond off-set that will translate on set and on the screen. What did you do to cultivate your relationship with them?
First, it was very important for me to help build those bonds between them because if people don’t like each other, you can see that on screen. But now Lovie and Celeste are best friends. They have gone on vacation multiple times. It’s great. As a director, I had to build comradery with them as well. I just turned 30, so I was 28 when we made the film, but I treated them as equals, like a big sister. Also, it was about me being able to be vulnerable with them and talk about how I felt when I was a teenager and how looking back, I had grown from those experiences. That matters, because none of this was going to work unless each of them could embody that teenager and make it believable. That means they had to be comfortable with each other and with me.
That’s about trust. One of my favorite details in the film is the scene where they were all on the bus getting ready for prom and Selah is sitting down, gelling her edges with a toothbrush. I love it so much. But it wasn’t written like that. It may have had her doing something generic, like reapplying her lipstick, but Lovie came up to me and asked can she do her edges instead, and it was so sweet and so perfect, and she trusted me enough to say something and trusted that I would listen to her.
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Right now, this is an exciting moment in filmmaking. From “Jinn” to “Jezebel” to “Premature” to the upcoming “Miss Juneteenth,” “Selah and the Spades” is part of this important rise in Black filmmakers exploring Black girlhood. It’s amazing but, most important, I better not hear one more person on Twitter talking about “Where is our Black ‘Lady Bird’?” Girl, bye.
Right! That conversation is over, dead. And for folks who keep asking that, they deserve every ounce of Twitter hate that comes their way! [Laughs] But, yes, it feels fucking amazing to be part of this moment. This is exactly what I wanted when I was a teenager; this is what I lived for. And to see these other filmmakers, who are not too much older or younger than me... we must have all been as teenagers like “Jesus fucking Christ, I just want a movie about me at this age, trying to figure our lives!”


huffpost--2020-04-02--Why On Earth Is Wisconsin Holding An Election On April 7?

“ The state of Wisconsin ’ s Legislature and governor are not willing to step up and say there ’ s a public health crisis and make it absolutely clear that we should not be allowing poll workers and voters to congregate on April 7 , ” the U.S. district judge for Wisconsin ’ s Western District said at the end of a four-hour hearing on Wednesday .
Still , he said he was powerless to postpone the election , which is set to take place Tuesday as the coronavirus continues to spread around the country and Wisconsinites are under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are presidential primaries for both parties and , perhaps more importantly , a state Supreme Court general election .
On Thursday , Conley ruled that the election would not be postponed .
He instead extended the deadline for the receipt of absentee ballots to April 13 and allowed voters who could not find a witness to send a written statement asserting that .
It will be left to individual clerks to accept these excuses from the witness signature requirement , Conley said .
Multiple states have pushed back primaries or moved to all-mail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a measure crucial to slowing the spread of the coronavirus .
But Wisconsin ’ s Democratic governor and Republicans in the state Legislature , led by Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald and Assembly Speaker Robin Vos , have refused to postpone next week ’ s election .
What ’ s more , the GOP leaders further oppose expanding absentee voting and loosening ID and witness requirements .
The complications of conducting an election during the pandemic are increasingly evident .
Wisconsin may not be capable of meeting its constitutional obligation , “ in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ participate , ” according to Ned Foley , director of the election law program at Ohio State University ’ s Moritz College of Law .
Sixty percent of Wisconsin municipalities face volunteer staffing shortages for their polling locations .
Some municipalities are incapable of properly staffing even one polling station .
Wisconsin Gov .
Tony Evers ( D ) called up the National Guard to man polling stations , but that will not even fill the shortage .
Reducing the number of polling sites would mean crowding more people into fewer spaces at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not to congregate in groups of 10 or more .
“ I hope that people do not go to the polls on Tuesday , ” Barrett told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel on Wednesday .
“ As much as I want them to vote , I do not want them to put their lives in jeopardy , I don ’ t want them to put the health and safety of our poll workers in jeopardy.
” A record-shattering 1 million-plus Wisconsinites are trying to avoid in-person voting by requesting absentee ballots from the Wisconsin Elections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Central Time is the final day to request one . )
But the mailing of those ballots to voters could be delayed as the Republican-controlled state Legislature refused to appropriate extra money for the commission to process and respond to requests .
Ballots are supposed to be due on election day .
There are also requirements for verifying absentee ballots and preventing fraud made far more difficult by social-distancing requirements .
Voters are required to have a witness observe their ballot and sign a statement that they did so .
But that could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alone and are social-distancing .
The commission issued guidelines suggesting people have a family member or friend witness through a window .
The voter would then leave their ballot outside for 24 hours , so that it would become decontaminated after any potential exposure to the virus .
Then the witness would sign it .
For voters who may not be able to call on family or friends , the commission suggested enlisting the mail carrier or a food or app delivery worker .
The commission also suggested voters FaceTime , Zoom or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gig worker to witness them voting .
But Evers and his Republican counterparts in the Legislature insist on holding the election on April 7 despite Evers ’ stay-at-home order and the rising coronavirus caseload and death toll across the country .
They do not , however , see eye to eye on what the state should do to ensure the safe and valid conduct of the election .

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Judge William Conley’s assessment was blunt.
“The state of Wisconsin’s Legislature and governor are not willing to step up and say there’s a public health crisis and make it absolutely clear that we should not be allowing poll workers and voters to congregate on April 7,” the U.S. district judge for Wisconsin’s Western District said at the end of a four-hour hearing on Wednesday.
Still, he said he was powerless to postpone the election, which is set to take place Tuesday as the coronavirus continues to spread around the country and Wisconsinites are under a stay-at-home order. On the ballot are presidential primaries for both parties and, perhaps more importantly, a state Supreme Court general election.
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Conley is overseeing challenges from the Democratic Party and grassroots groups as they seek either to delay the election or expand absentee voting options. They hope to drop requirements like voter identification and witness signatures and extend deadlines for when ballots can be received.
On Thursday, Conley ruled that the election would not be postponed. He instead extended the deadline for the receipt of absentee ballots to April 13 and allowed voters who could not find a witness to send a written statement asserting that. It will be left to individual clerks to accept these excuses from the witness signature requirement, Conley said.
Multiple states have pushed back primaries or moved to all-mail elections so residents can stay home, a measure crucial to slowing the spread of the coronavirus. But Wisconsin’s Democratic governor and Republicans in the state Legislature, led by Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald and Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, have refused to postpone next week’s election. What’s more, the GOP leaders further oppose expanding absentee voting and loosening ID and witness requirements.
“Their goal is to suppress the vote as much as possible and make barriers to voting as high as possible,” Courtney Beyer, communications director for the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, said.
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The judicial race is crucial to determine the partisan tilt of the state’s highest court. Justice Daniel Kelly, endorsed by President Donald Trump and linked to state conservative groups, is up against Jill Karofsky, a state district judge who is endorsed by local progressive groups and, most recently, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).
President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally on Jan. 14, 2020, in Milwaukee. He has endorsed Justice Daniel Kelly in the state's April 7 judicial election. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Conservatives currently hold a 5-2 advantage over progressive-leaning justices in the Wisconsin Supreme Court, and they are set to rule on a case that could purge 240,000 voters from the rolls ahead of the November general election. Trump won Wisconsin in 2016 by fewer than 23,000 votes.
For the past decade, Republicans at the state and federal levels have worked to restrict voting across the country in a manner designed to hurt voter turnout among Democratic constituencies. That includes Wisconsin Republicans, who enacted a stringent voter identification requirement in 2011 and are currently seeking court approval for the massive voter roll purge.
“You’d never have a Republican elected in this country again,” Trump said of Democratic efforts to expand absentee and early voting options during the coronavirus pandemic.
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Nightmare Conditions
“The state of Wisconsin is ignoring [public health] data and endangering its population,” Conley said during Wednesday’s hearing.
The complications of conducting an election during the pandemic are increasingly evident. Wisconsin may not be capable of meeting its constitutional obligation, “in which every eligible voter is able to participate,” according to Ned Foley, director of the election law program at Ohio State University’s Moritz College of Law.
The Democratic Party of Wisconsin, the Democratic National Committee, Sanders and many local grassroots groups have called on the state to postpone the election.
Sixty percent of Wisconsin municipalities face volunteer staffing shortages for their polling locations. Some municipalities are incapable of properly staffing even one polling station. Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) called up the National Guard to man polling stations, but that will not even fill the shortage. Reducing the number of polling sites would mean crowding more people into fewer spaces at a time when residents are told to not to congregate in groups of 10 or more.
The situation is so dire that Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, who has supported an all-mail election, has called on voters not to go to the polls.
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“I hope that people do not go to the polls on Tuesday,” Barrett told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel on Wednesday. “As much as I want them to vote, I do not want them to put their lives in jeopardy, I don’t want them to put the health and safety of our poll workers in jeopardy.”
A record-shattering 1 million-plus Wisconsinites are trying to avoid in-person voting by requesting absentee ballots from the Wisconsin Elections Commission. (Thursday at 5 p.m. Central Time is the final day to request one.) But the mailing of those ballots to voters could be delayed as the Republican-controlled state Legislature refused to appropriate extra money for the commission to process and respond to requests. Ballots are supposed to be due on election day.
A worker helps a drive-up voter outside the Frank P. Zeidler Municipal Building on March 30 in Milwaukee. The city is now allowing drive-up early voting for the state's April 7 election. ASSOCIATED PRESS
“We are hearing from people all over the state who requested absentee ballots who haven’t received them yet,” Beyer said.
The results of the election will also be delayed, as the limited number of clerks counting votes do not have the resources to handle the crush of absentee ballots.
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There are also requirements for verifying absentee ballots and preventing fraud made far more difficult by social-distancing requirements. Voters are required to have a witness observe their ballot and sign a statement that they did so. But that could be increasingly difficult for people who live alone and are social-distancing.
The commission issued guidelines suggesting people have a family member or friend witness through a window. The voter would then leave their ballot outside for 24 hours, so that it would become decontaminated after any potential exposure to the virus. Then the witness would sign it. For voters who may not be able to call on family or friends, the commission suggested enlisting the mail carrier or a food or app delivery worker. The commission also suggested voters FaceTime, Zoom or Skype with their mail carrier or Instacart gig worker to witness them voting.
Thousands of absentee ballots have already been deemed invalid by the commission as voters could not find a witness or included a selfie instead of a picture of their mandated voter identification.
“It’s a nightmare,” Beyer said.
The Election Will Happen
The courts are not going to postpone the election though. That’s the job of the state’s elected officials, not a federal judge, Conley said on Wednesday.
But Evers and his Republican counterparts in the Legislature insist on holding the election on April 7 despite Evers’ stay-at-home order and the rising coronavirus caseload and death toll across the country. They do not, however, see eye to eye on what the state should do to ensure the safe and valid conduct of the election.
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Evers called for expanding voting options, including sending every voter an absentee ballot, changing deadlines such as the last day to request an absentee ballot, while waiving restrictions like voter identification and witness signatures.
Fitzgerald and Vos strongly oppose mailing absentee ballots to every voter in the state or the waiver of voter ID and witness signature requirements. The only change they have openly supported is allowing absentee ballots to be received after election day if they were postmarked on election day.


huffpost--2020-04-02--Florida Governor Exempts Religious Services From Stay-At-Home Order

Florida Gov .
Ron DeSantis ( R ) undercut his own stay-at-home order by exempting religious services from that necessary step to slow the spread of the coronavirus .
DeSantis issued the statewide order Wednesday afternoon , telling Floridians to “ limit movements and personal interactions outside the house ” to only those deemed “ essential.
” The order followed mounting pressure on DeSantis to do something after he ’ d said days earlier that he was waiting for the White House coronavirus task force to recommend such an order .
In March , DeSantis had resisted calls to shut @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country gathered in Florida for spring break .
If the governor had finally decided to take the threat seriously , his order carved out a large exception for religious services conducted in churches , synagogues and other houses of worship , which are deemed to be “ essential business ” and thus exempt from the stay-at-home mandate .
Florida has nearly 7,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 .
The actual number of cases in the state and across the country is likely much higher than reported , but a lack of testing and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the threat have led to insufficient data on just how many people are infected .
DeSantis ’ labeling of in-person church services as essential could provide a loophole for Florida megachurch pastor Rodney Howard-Browne , who was charged with two misdemeanors on Monday after he held services despite a county order not to .
The negative effects of gathering for religious services during a pandemic have already been demonstrated by a French megachurch that became a hotspot for the spread of the coronavirus .
On Thursday , Dr. Anthony Fauci , who is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the deadly outbreak , cautioned against states making many exemptions to their stay-at-home orders .
“ I can ’ t make any official proclamations here , but I can say : Really seriously consider , are those exemptions appropriate when you think about what ’ s going on ?
” Fauci said .
“ And I urge the people of the leadership at the state level to really take a close look at those kinds of decisions .
”

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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) undercut his own stay-at-home order by exempting religious services from that necessary step to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
DeSantis issued the statewide order Wednesday afternoon, telling Floridians to “limit movements and personal interactions outside the house” to only those deemed “essential.” The order followed mounting pressure on DeSantis to do something after he’d said days earlier that he was waiting for the White House coronavirus task force to recommend such an order. In March, DeSantis had resisted calls to shut down beaches as college students from across the country gathered in Florida for spring break.
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If the governor had finally decided to take the threat seriously, his order carved out a large exception for religious services conducted in churches, synagogues and other houses of worship, which are deemed to be “essential business” and thus exempt from the stay-at-home mandate.
Florida has nearly 7,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19. The actual number of cases in the state and across the country is likely much higher than reported, but a lack of testing and a White House that has repeatedly downplayed the threat have led to insufficient data on just how many people are infected.
DeSantis’ labeling of in-person church services as essential could provide a loophole for Florida megachurch pastor Rodney Howard-Browne, who was charged with two misdemeanors on Monday after he held services despite a county order not to.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) issued a similar stay-at-home order allowing church services in his state to continue.
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The negative effects of gathering for religious services during a pandemic have already been demonstrated by a French megachurch that became a hotspot for the spread of the coronavirus.
“The tipping point was the evangelical gathering in Mulhouse,” France’s health minister, Olivier Véran, told the Journal du Dimanche newspaper. “The epidemic spread across the country from the gathering.”
A comment left by a HuffPost reader. HuffPost US
On Thursday, Dr. Anthony Fauci, who is helping to lead the U.S. response to the deadly outbreak, cautioned against states making many exemptions to their stay-at-home orders. “I can’t make any official proclamations here, but I can say: Really seriously consider, are those exemptions appropriate when you think about what’s going on?” Fauci said. “And I urge the people of the leadership at the state level to really take a close look at those kinds of decisions.”
A comment left by a HuffPost reader. HuffPost US


huffpost--2020-04-02--These Companies Are Actually Hiring During The Coronavirus Pandemic

Because the coronavirus pandemic is limiting business to essential services , many Americans are out of work right now .
More than 6.6 million people applied for unemployment benefits last week , a grim new record , according to the Department of Labor .
Some industries are delaying start dates for new hires .
About 64 % of talent acquisition leaders who work in mid-size and large banking , financial and investment institutions said that they are delaying start dates , according to a Talent Acquisition Leadership Keynotes/RecruitiFi joint survey .
In response to the spread of COVID-19 , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ places like New Jersey , Michigan and Los Angeles have created their own local job listing portals .
Are there any employers who are actively hiring right now ?
Yes , especially in industries that are meeting the demands of the pandemic , including retail , delivery , military , taxes , remote learning and health care .
According to LinkedIn ’ s survey of jobs posted between March 15-21 , the companies with the most open jobs in America are : A word of caution : If you are job-searching , you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about their working conditions right now .
Jobs in some of these industries require frequent exposure to the public , heightening the risk of contracting the coronavirus .
Walmart workers have told HuffPost that they feel unprotected from the virus and feel pressure to interact with crowds of customers as the epidemic spreads .
At an Amazon fulfillment center in Staten Island , New York , workers staged a walkout to protest what they say is a lack of coronavirus-related safety precautions .
On March 30 , Instacart workers went on strike to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expanded sick leave .
With that said , here are the most in-demand industries that are actively hiring right now : Unsurprisingly , health care workers , who are the front-line responders to the pandemic , are in high demand .
Glassdoor , which allows employers to post jobs , reported an uptick in job listings for scientists and data specialists on March 2 .
Drugstores are also hiring .
CVS Health said it is hiring 50,000 store associates , home delivery drivers and distribution center employees , and Walgreens said it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ technicians and shift leads .
Grocery stores are essential businesses continuing to hire to meet new demand .
Kroger said it is hiring 20,000 workers , and Albertson ’ s , the parent company of Safeway , United Supermarkets and other grocers , said it is hiring 30,000 new store associates .
There is also an increasing demand for the comfort of pizza right now .
Pizza Hut said it is hiring for more than 30,000 positions , and Domino ’ s said it is hiring 10,000 workers right now .
Walmart , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , aims to hire 150,000 new temporary associates by the end of May to work in stores , distribution centers and fulfillment centers .
Discount retail chains Dollar General and Dollar Tree also announced they are hiring thousands of workers .
Home improvement company Lowe ’ s said it is looking to onboard 30,000 new workers .
Outschool , an online marketplace for live classes , said it is hiring 5,000 new teachers to start offering classes in the next two weeks .

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Because the coronavirus pandemic is limiting business to essential services, many Americans are out of work right now. More than 6.6 million people applied for unemployment benefits last week, a grim new record, according to the Department of Labor.
Some industries are delaying start dates for new hires. About 64% of talent acquisition leaders who work in mid-size and large banking, financial and investment institutions said that they are delaying start dates, according to a Talent Acquisition Leadership Keynotes/RecruitiFi joint survey.
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In response to the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, some places like New Jersey, Michigan and Los Angeles have created their own local job listing portals.
Are there any employers who are actively hiring right now? Yes, especially in industries that are meeting the demands of the pandemic, including retail, delivery, military, taxes, remote learning and health care.
According to LinkedIn’s survey of jobs posted between March 15-21, the companies with the most open jobs in America are:
7-Eleven Army National Guard KPMG Amazon Genentech Lowe’s HCA Healthcare Intuit Nepris Whole Foods
A word of caution: If you are job-searching, you should definitely consider how current employees feel about their working conditions right now. Jobs in some of these industries require frequent exposure to the public, heightening the risk of contracting the coronavirus.
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Walmart workers have told HuffPost that they feel unprotected from the virus and feel pressure to interact with crowds of customers as the epidemic spreads. At an Amazon fulfillment center in Staten Island, New York, workers staged a walkout to protest what they say is a lack of coronavirus-related safety precautions. On March 30, Instacart workers went on strike to demand protective equipment, hazard pay and expanded sick leave.
With that said, here are the most in-demand industries that are actively hiring right now:
1. Health Care And Health Retail
Unsurprisingly, health care workers, who are the front-line responders to the pandemic, are in high demand. Glassdoor, which allows employers to post jobs, reported an uptick in job listings for scientists and data specialists on March 2.
Drugstores are also hiring. CVS Health said it is hiring 50,000 store associates, home delivery drivers and distribution center employees, and Walgreens said it is hiring 9,500 customer service associates, pharmacy technicians and shift leads.
2. Grocery Stores
Grocery stores are essential businesses continuing to hire to meet new demand. Kroger said it is hiring 20,000 workers, and Albertson’s, the parent company of Safeway, United Supermarkets and other grocers, said it is hiring 30,000 new store associates.
3. Food And Convenience Stores
7-Eleven announced last week that it is hiring 20,000 new store employees to meet the demands of COVID-19.
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There is also an increasing demand for the comfort of pizza right now. Pizza Hut said it is hiring for more than 30,000 positions, and Domino’s said it is hiring 10,000 workers right now.
4. Retail, Shipping And Delivery
Retail employers are conducting hiring sprees right now.
Walmart, the largest private employer in the U.S., aims to hire 150,000 new temporary associates by the end of May to work in stores, distribution centers and fulfillment centers.
In mid-March, Amazon announced it is hiring 100,000 new warehouse and delivery workers.
Discount retail chains Dollar General and Dollar Tree also announced they are hiring thousands of workers. Home improvement company Lowe’s said it is looking to onboard 30,000 new workers.
Grocery delivery company Instacart said it is hiring 300,000 shoppers as independent contractors.
5. Telecommunications
As people abruptly transition to remote work, the companies that create tools that facilitate this telework are actively hiring.
Outschool, an online marketplace for live classes, said it is hiring 5,000 new teachers to start offering classes in the next two weeks.
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Videoconferencing app Zoom, work chat app Slack, and Microsoft each have hundreds of listings.
6. Unemployment Insurance
To handle the rise in unemployment insurance claims, states like Washington, Florida and New York are hiring workers to help process the overwhelming number of unemployment insurance claimants.


huffpost--2020-04-02--U.S. Navy Relieves Commander Of Coronavirus-Stricken Aircraft Carrier, Report Says

WASHINGTON ( Reuters ) - The U.S. Navy on Thursday relieved the commander of the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt , who wrote a scathing letter that leaked to the public asking the Navy for stronger measures to control a coronavirus outbreak onboard the ship .
The removal of Captain Brett Crozier from the command of the 5,000-person vessel , which was first reported by Reuters , was announced by acting U.S. Navy Secretary Thomas Modly , who said the commander exercised poor judgment .
Modly said the letter was sent through the chain of command but Crozier did not safeguard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Over 100 personnel on the ship have tested positive for the coronavirus so far .
In the four-page letter , Crozier described a bleak situation aboard the nuclear-powered carrier as more sailors tested positive for the highly contagious respiratory virus .
He called for “ decisive action ” : removing over 4,000 sailors from the ship and isolating them .
He said that unless the Navy acted immediately , it would be failing to properly safeguard “ our most trusted asset - our sailors.
” The letter put the Pentagon on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to keep the warship ’ s crew members safe , and alarmed the families of those aboard the vessel , whose home port is in San Diego .
The carrier was in the Pacific when the Navy reported its first coronavirus case a week ago .
It has since docked at U.S .
Naval Base Guam on the southern end of the American island territory in the western Pacific .

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Navy on Thursday relieved the commander of the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt, who wrote a scathing letter that leaked to the public asking the Navy for stronger measures to control a coronavirus outbreak onboard the ship.
The removal of Captain Brett Crozier from the command of the 5,000-person vessel, which was first reported by Reuters, was announced by acting U.S. Navy Secretary Thomas Modly, who said the commander exercised poor judgment.
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Modly said the letter was sent through the chain of command but Crozier did not safeguard it from being released outside the chain.
“It raised alarm bells unnecessarily,” Modly said.
Over 100 personnel on the ship have tested positive for the coronavirus so far.
In the four-page letter, Crozier described a bleak situation aboard the nuclear-powered carrier as more sailors tested positive for the highly contagious respiratory virus.
He called for “decisive action”: removing over 4,000 sailors from the ship and isolating them. He said that unless the Navy acted immediately, it would be failing to properly safeguard “our most trusted asset - our sailors.”
The letter put the Pentagon on the defensive about whether it was doing enough to keep the warship’s crew members safe, and alarmed the families of those aboard the vessel, whose home port is in San Diego.
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huffpost--2020-06-03--Obama Steps Out As Nation Confronts Confluence Of Crises

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — Former President Barack Obama is taking on an increasingly public role as the nation confronts a confluence of historic crises that has exposed deep racial and socioeconomic inequalities in America and reshaped the November election .
In doing so , Obama is signaling a willingness to sharply critique his successor , President Donald Trump , and fill what many Democrats see as a national leadership void .
On Wednesday , he ’ ll hold a virtual town hall event with young people to discuss policing and the civil unrest that has followed the death of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Obama will call for turning the protests over Floyd ’ s death into policy change and will urge specific reforms to ensure safer policing and increased trust between communities and law enforcement .
“ We ’ re in a political season , but our country is also at an inflection point , ” said Valerie Jarrett , a longtime friend and adviser to Obama .
“ President Obama is not going to shy away from that dialogue simply because he ’ s not in office anymore.
” Obama was already beginning to emerge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Democratic presidential bid when the coronavirus pandemic swept across the U.S. , killing more than 100,000 people , and the economy began to crater .
The crises scrambled the Biden campaign ’ s plans for how to begin deploying Obama as their chief surrogate ahead of the November election , but also gave the former president a clear opening to start publicly arguing what he has signaled to friends and associates privately for the past three years : that he does not believe Trump is up for the job .
Addressing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last month , Obama said the pandemic had “ fully , finally torn back the curtain on the idea that so many of the folks in charge know what they ’ re doing.
” And in a nationally televised broadcast celebrating graduating high school seniors , Obama said many “ so-called grown-ups , including some with fancy titles and important jobs , ” do only what ’ s convenient and feels good .
Floyd ’ s death , however , has drawn a more visceral and personal reaction from the nation ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ black man , died after a white police officer pressed his knee into Floyd ’ s neck for several minutes even after he stopped moving and pleading for air .
In a lengthy written statement last week , Obama said that while he understood that millions of Americans were eager to “ just get back to normal ” when the pandemic abates , it shouldn ’ t be forgotten that normal life for people of color in the U.S. involves being treated differently on account of their race .
Tensions across the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the former president ’ s statement .
His town hall on Wednesday will mark his first in-person comments since law enforcement officers aggressively cleared peaceful protesters from a park outside the White House so Trump could walk across for a photo opportunity at a nearby church .
Trump has cheered harsh crackdowns on the protests , some of which have turned violent , and threatened to deploy active-duty military to the states if local officials could not get the demonstrations under control .
He appeared to be backing down from that position this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Wednesday that he did not believe such action was warranted .
“ President Obama ’ s voice is a reminder that we used to have a president who sought to bridge our divides , and we can have one again if we elect Joe Biden , ” said TJ Ducklo , a campaign spokesman .
Obama grappled with police brutality against minorities as president , including in Ferguson , Missouri , where clashes broke out after the death of Michael Brown , a black 18-year-old .
After Brown ’ s death , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enact broad policing reforms , though most were halted under the Trump administration .
Biden , who served as Obama ’ s vice president , called this week for restoring some of the previous administration ’ s actions in the wake of Floyd ’ s death and the killing of other black Americans .
Biden also called for Congress to take immediate steps , including outlawing chokeholds .

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Former President Barack Obama is taking on an increasingly public role as the nation confronts a confluence of historic crises that has exposed deep racial and socioeconomic inequalities in America and reshaped the November election.
In doing so, Obama is signaling a willingness to sharply critique his successor, President Donald Trump, and fill what many Democrats see as a national leadership void. On Wednesday, he’ll hold a virtual town hall event with young people to discuss policing and the civil unrest that has followed the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
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Aides said Obama will call for turning the protests over Floyd’s death into policy change and will urge specific reforms to ensure safer policing and increased trust between communities and law enforcement.
“We’re in a political season, but our country is also at an inflection point,” said Valerie Jarrett, a longtime friend and adviser to Obama. “President Obama is not going to shy away from that dialogue simply because he’s not in office anymore.”
Obama was already beginning to emerge from political hibernation to endorse Joe Biden’s Democratic presidential bid when the coronavirus pandemic swept across the U.S., killing more than 100,000 people, and the economy began to crater. The crises scrambled the Biden campaign’s plans for how to begin deploying Obama as their chief surrogate ahead of the November election, but also gave the former president a clear opening to start publicly arguing what he has signaled to friends and associates privately for the past three years: that he does not believe Trump is up for the job.
Addressing graduates of historically black colleges and universities last month, Obama said the pandemic had “fully, finally torn back the curtain on the idea that so many of the folks in charge know what they’re doing.” And in a nationally televised broadcast celebrating graduating high school seniors, Obama said many “so-called grown-ups, including some with fancy titles and important jobs,” do only what’s convenient and feels good.
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Floyd’s death, however, has drawn a more visceral and personal reaction from the nation’s first black president. Floyd, a black man, died after a white police officer pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck for several minutes even after he stopped moving and pleading for air.
In a lengthy written statement last week, Obama said that while he understood that millions of Americans were eager to “just get back to normal” when the pandemic abates, it shouldn’t be forgotten that normal life for people of color in the U.S. involves being treated differently on account of their race.
“This shouldn’t be ‘normal’ in 2020 America. It can’t be ‘normal,’” Obama wrote.
Tensions across the country have escalated further in the days since the former president’s statement. His town hall on Wednesday will mark his first in-person comments since law enforcement officers aggressively cleared peaceful protesters from a park outside the White House so Trump could walk across for a photo opportunity at a nearby church.
Trump has cheered harsh crackdowns on the protests, some of which have turned violent, and threatened to deploy active-duty military to the states if local officials could not get the demonstrations under control. He appeared to be backing down from that position this week, and Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Wednesday that he did not believe such action was warranted.
Biden’s campaign welcomed Obama stepping forward during this moment.
“President Obama’s voice is a reminder that we used to have a president who sought to bridge our divides, and we can have one again if we elect Joe Biden,” said TJ Ducklo, a campaign spokesman.
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Obama grappled with police brutality against minorities as president, including in Ferguson, Missouri, where clashes broke out after the death of Michael Brown, a black 18-year-old. After Brown’s death, Obama’s Justice Department moved to enact broad policing reforms, though most were halted under the Trump administration.
Biden, who served as Obama’s vice president, called this week for restoring some of the previous administration’s actions in the wake of Floyd’s death and the killing of other black Americans. Biden also called for Congress to take immediate steps, including outlawing chokeholds.
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