Seems to be business as usual at @PHXSkyHarbor, where I’m waiting to board the first flight of my (long) trip to Salvador, Brazil, to see my mom. But I’ve noticed something interesting—and concerning—about people’s perceptions about #coronavirusus#COVID19 here in Arizona. 1/
2/ Several people I know have dismissed #coronavirus#COVID19 and all of them mentioned the same fact: The flu kills more people and we don’t freak out about it. All of these people have something in common: They’re conservative Republicans who don’t trust the media much.
3/ I’m not saying this w/ the intention of making a political statement. Rather, it’s out of concern that a large # of Americans may not be taking #coronavirus as seriously as they should bc they don’t trust the media. That is dangerous.
4/ On the plane, a lady busts out a box of sanitizing wipes and offers it to everyone around her, including me. We all took a couple of wipes and cleaned table, armrests. “We’re all in this together,” she says. Indeed. #coronavirus
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
#THREAD I was intrigued by the number of older homeless Americans begging for money at traffic lights in Phoenix. I decided to find out why and that became the central idea for this @NYTMag story: nytimes.com/2020/09/30/mag…
Here is some of what I learned while reporting it:
2/ The more I looked into homelessness among older Americans, the more it seemed like an obvious story few chose to see (or many refused to see?). These could be your parents. They could be you. How did we get here? Some smart researchers have known the answer for a while, but …
3/ … policymakers haven’t truly given the issue the necessary attention and response it demands. @DennisCulhane of @Penn led a study released last year forecasting that the number of homeless people age 65+ would triple by 2030. aisp.upenn.edu/wp-content/upl… This shouldn't be a ...
1/ On June 30, 2013, 19 Granite Mountain Hotshots left their station in Prescott, Ariz., for what was supposed to be a routine wildfire in the nearby town of Yarnell, but never returned. Their deaths impacted my life in ways I’d have never imagined.
2/ I covered their deaths for @nytimes, but what fascinated me was the lives they lived and the families they left behind. I devoted much of the next three years to learning about them for my first book, “The Fire Line,” published by @Flatironbooks.
This was only the beginning.
3/ I acquired a deep knowledge of wildfires, thanks to the firefighters, fire ecologists and meteorologists who patiently answered my questions and the instructors I had at the Arizona Wildfire and Incident Management Academy, where I trained.
1/ How NOT to start an email: "I read your article about Angel Palazuelos and I'd like to see if we can persuade/aid him in transferring to a better school than ASU for his sophomore year."
The writer offered to use her contacts to get him into Harvard.
Here's why she's wrong:
2/ Don't game the system. Admission to college ought to be gained by merit, which ought to be measured beyond the results of standardized tests.
The game is rigged exactly because of the role that money, influence and connections have played in college admissions.
3/ Don't assume you know better. The "right" college isn't necessarily the best known college, or the most prestiged. It's one that has the greatest potential to offer a holistic experience, to foster intellectual, emotional and personal growth. A place that will prop you up.
A historic decision by the Supreme Court on #DACA, but still so much work to be done. For now, though, some 700k young immigrants — who are all more American than I’ll ever be — can sigh in relief. #HomeIsHere
Let’s not forget that there is widespread support for granting legal status to #DACA recipients — 74% over all, and 54% among Republican voters. pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020…
#DACA recipients still don’t have permanent status. The Supreme Court blocked the end of DACA, but its decision says a president CAN end the program, but must do it properly.
Congress has tried and failed for 20 years to bring about #immigration reform. What is it going to take?
In my narrative writing class at @Cronkite_ASU, students have the (rare) opportunity of spending the semester working on a single story. Their work this semester is amazing AND I'D LOVE TO SEE THEIR STORIES PUBLISHED. Editors: My DMs are open! Here's a thread on they're about:
1/ @molboha spent 4 months at youth suicide hotline staffed entirely by teens, who are busy w/ school, work and a social life, all while learning how to talk their peers off the ledge.
2/ @molboha told me: "Watching 16-, 17-year-olds work a hotline with such ease and professionalism when they could be at a Friday night football game made me realize what a unique story this was. They care deeply about the work, I'm just lucky they trust me enough to share it."
1/ Another semester is ending at @Cronkite_ASU, but this one is so, so different. I can't hug my students. I can't take them out for a farewell Arnold Palmer. I can't meet their families at convocation and praise them for raising a great human.
But here is what I CAN do:
2/ I CAN tell them there is opportunity in the challenges we face. One of the most remarkable things I've witnessed is how my students used today's challenges not to complain, or to cower, or to lose hope. They used the challenge to learn and grow.
3/ I CAN tell them that adaptability is one of the most valuable skills in journalism and life. They showed me how quickly and smoothly they can adapt, and how willing and ready they were to help one another through their struggles.