The real risk factor is different — By Justin Davidson In the early months of the pandemic, it became deceptively obvious that dense cities were dangerous. As COVID-19 stampeded through New York, those who had options dispersed themselves into nature, while the Trump administration wrote off COVID-19 as a strictly urban disease — unfortunate for Democrats, immigrants…

On one of the last days of normal life, I put my daughter and her classmates at risk — By Willy Blackmore I made cupcakes for my daughter’s birthday this year: vanilla cake topped with pale-blue frosting. I love to cook, and when it comes to baking, I am more than comfortable with things like bread and pies. But the kind of artfully frosted desserts that she’s become enthralled…

Don’t blame school workers for trying to protect themselves from danger — By Sarah Jones In a pandemic, a new school year is a source of panic, not relief, for parents. There are no good options, no way for anything to feel truly normal again. Some school districts are moving ahead with plans to reopen as normal; others are going all remote…

What would make a young professional throw a gasoline-filled beer bottle at a cop car? — By Lisa Miller It’s an audacious choice to pause in front of an Applebee’s restaurant on Flatbush Avenue and grant an impromptu interview to a video journalist shortly before you allegedly throw a Molotov cocktail into a police car. But the city was out of its collective mind that night…

Terrified teachers. Obstinate officials. Exhausted parents. Inside the messy, bungled battle to reopen New York City’s schools. — By Keith Gessen In late June, while public-school students across the city were attending their graduation or “step-up” ceremonies over Zoom, the NYC Department of Education, as part of its planning for school reopening in the fall, asked every principal in the system to measure their buildings. Armed with floor…

Joe Biden has a long list of veep possibilities led by Kamala Harris, and probably not much of an inclination to gamble — By Ed Kilgore On Tuesday, Joe Biden set off a new wave of speculation about his running mate when cameras captured his handwritten talking points about Kamala Harris ( “Do not hold grudges”; “Campaigned with me & Jill”; “Talented”; “Great help to campaign”; “Great respect for her”). What that means…

Six years ago, her son Michael Brown was killed in Ferguson. The officer has faced no charges. — By Mosi Secret Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson shot and killed 18-year-old Michael Brown around this time of year, when the high summer sun in Missouri heats the pavement to temperatures that sear the skin. There are concerts, and at night the riverfront lights up with fireworks. Around this time…

When Joe Biden predicted Trump would try this, Republicans laughed — By Jonathan Chait Three months ago, Joe Biden predicted that President Trump would eventually try to delay the November election. “Mark my words,” he told a fundraiser, “I think he is going to try to kick back the election somehow.” Conservatives exploded in outrage at the suggestion. “Biden’s unfounded accusation…

“There’s this doomsday feeling…” — By Marian Bull This past Saturday, one of the most prominent features of the CARES Act, the enhanced unemployment benefit that added $600 per week to the typical allowance, came to an end. Americans who lost their jobs due to the coronavirus pandemic were left to wonder: What happens now…