#all the food stalls of african restaurants in berlin

[nelkenbabe]

there was this african book festival in berlin last summer, and i still think about it every few days, checking to see if there is a 2023 date. there were so many fantastic things there, but something that stayed with me is the panel with the author of The First Woman, Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi

she talked about the protagonist of the novel, and especially how it took years and years to publish it. how Kirabo, the mc, had been with her for decades (?) before the manuscript was accepted. how she would do mundane tasks, like swimming in a pool, and ask herself: would Kirabo enjoy this? what kind of bathing suit would she wear? how she knew Kirabo inside and out, almost like a friend

as somebody who has had their own characters live in their brain since they were a child, this was so validating. my character Risa is the only thing that can lull me to sleep. it always felt silly, i still feel silly, bursting with all this information about this person that isn’t real. the intense adoration for a figment of my imagination, knowing dialogue that was never written down by heart

it was validating as a writer (-ish) to hear such an accomplished, impressive author talk excitedly about her character and nodding eagerly when a question about Kirabo was asked

it was just such a good day. i hadn’t even read the book yet, but i bought it there on the spot and asked her to sign it, and she was so nice about it

[newstfionline]

Headlines

Trump Extends Social Distancing Guidelines Through End of April (NYT) President Trump retreated Sunday from his desire to relax coronavirus guidelines by Easter, announcing instead that all Americans must continue to avoid nonessential travel, going to work, eating at bars and restaurants, or gathering in groups of more than 10 for at least another month and perhaps until June. The grim recommendation, which the president made in the White House Rose Garden, came just a day before the end of a two-week period in which the world’s largest economy has largely shut down with staggering consequences: businesses shuttered, schools and colleges emptied, and social life all but suspended.

Jobless filings may set another record (Bloomberg) The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits may set a record for a second straight week, following last week’s report of 3.28 million filings. The darkest prediction sees that figure almost doubling. And with so many out of work, nobody knows what will happen when $81 billion worth of rent comes due April 1. Tenants in New York City may be allowed to use existing security deposits, but it would be a temporary fix at best.

Older retail workers say they’re worried about their health--but need the money (Washington Post) The number of retirement-age Americans working in retail has increased steadily since the 2008 recession as they try to make ends meet. Nearly one-quarter of retail workers are 55 or older, and 7 percent are over 65, according to Labor Department data, which means that the demographic most vulnerable to the coronavirus is increasingly on its front lines, selling groceries, medicine and other necessities to crowds of shoppers. Although supermarkets across the country have implemented seniors-only hours and priority home delivery for their older customers, they have made few accommodations for their 4.4 million employees who are 55-plus. Many store employees say they do not have access to protective gear such as gloves or enough disinfectant to wipe down cash registers, leaving them to choose either a steady paycheck or their health.

Hay fever or virus? For allergy sufferers, a season of worry (AP) The spring breezes of 2020 are carrying more than just tree pollen. There’s a whiff of paranoia in the air. For millions of seasonal allergy sufferers, the annual onset of watery eyes and scratchy throats is bumping up against the global spread of a new virus that produces its own constellation of respiratory symptoms. Forecasters are predicting a brutal spring allergy season for swaths of the U.S. at the same time that COVID-19 cases are rising dramatically. That’s causing angst for people who never have had to particularly worry about their hay fever, other than to stock up on antihistamines, decongestants and tissues. Now they’re asking: Are these my allergies? Or something more sinister? (And bystanders are sometimes asking the same.)

Coronavirus response highlights deepening partisan divide (AP) In Los Angeles, Mayor Eric Garcetti has instituted a shutdown on a city of nearly 4 million people and threatened uncooperative business owners with power shutoffs and arrest. In Mississippi, home to nearly 3 million people, Gov. Tate Reeves has allowed most businesses to stay open--even restaurants, so long as they serve no more than 10 people at a time. The divergent approaches are evidence that not even a global pandemic can bridge the gaping political divisions of the Trump era. Republican leaders have been far more likely to resist the most aggressive social distancing measures. But in the more crowded population centers on the East and West coasts where the disease first appeared, the Democrats in charge have been more willing to embrace strict steps such as curfews, sweeping business closures and law enforcement assistance. “This epidemic has been a window into our politics,” said Larry Levitt, who leads health policy for the Kaiser Family Foundation, which has been tracking responses. “Particularly over the past couple of weeks, a political divide has emerged.”

Gas is cheap, but for many motorists there’s nowhere to go (AP) U.S. gasoline prices have dropped to their lowest levels in four years, and they are almost sure to go lower as oil prices plunge. Price-tracking services put the national average Monday around $2 a gallon. Some stations were spotted charging under a dollar. But don’t expect a stampede to the pumps. Demand is weak because so many Americans are under shelter-in-place rules and businesses have been shuttered because of the coronavirus outbreak. “For most Americans who are home practicing social distancing and not driving to work or taking their children to school, you are only filling up maybe once a week, maybe every couple of weeks,” said Jeanette Casselano, a spokeswoman for the AAA auto club. “You are not reaping the benefits.”

UK’s Prince Charles, 71, out of self-isolation and in good health (Reuters) British heir-to-the-throne Prince Charles, who had tested positive for coronavirus, is out of self-isolation after seven days and is in good health, his spokesman said on Monday.

EasyJet to ground fleet (Washington Post) EasyJet, one of Europe’s largest airlines, said it would ground its entire fleet as demand collapses in the face of government restrictions on travel.

British government pledges $93 million to bring stranded Britons home (Washington Post) The British government on Monday pledged up to $93 million to bring Britons stranded overseas home, saying it would pay for chartered flights if needed. Like thousands of American travelers, many Britons have found themselves marooned abroad because of the coronavirus, suddenly struggling to get home as borders and airports close or commercial flights are canceled.

Amid border closures, European couples separated by coronavirus now meet and kiss across makeshift barriers (Washington Post) It took decades to make the European Union largely borderless, but when the coronavirus spread across Europe, many of the abandoned barriers were reinstated within days, temporarily separating couples, friends and colleagues. The sudden reemergence of frontiers in Europe has led to scenes that few people could have imagined only a month ago: couples kissing across border barriers, unable to cross to the other side that was just a footstep away not long ago. Standing along a makeshift border fence between Switzerland and southern Germany--a frontier that could easily be crossed during normal times--German resident Kati Sallai-Balog saw her partner for the first time in 12 days last Friday on the other side. “It’s absurd,” she told the local Südkurier newspaper. Crossing the border can be fined. “It’s a bit like in [East Germany],” another resident was quoted as saying by the German press agency, referring to the Berlin Wall.

Hungary passes coronavirus bill giving Orban sweeping powers (Washington Post) The Hungarian parliament Monday passed a bill allowing its populist prime minister Viktor Orban to govern unchallenged for an emergency period with no clear time limit. The government has argued the measures are necessary to fight the coronavirus outbreak, but rights groups say it effectively suspends democracy in the country by removing checks and balances on the executive and allowing Orban to govern by decree. The legislation is another cause of concern for the European Union, which already launched punitive proceedings against Hungary due to concerns over the slipping rule of law in the country.

Japan prepares stimulus (Foreign Policy) After initially saying coronavirus funds would be taken from existing budgets, Japan is now preparing a stimulus package from a supplementary budget that will be put together over the next 10 days. In a press conference, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said his government would “lay out a stimulus package of unprecedented size that will exceed the one compiled after the Lehman crisis.”

North Korea says US clearly doesn’t want nuclear talks (AP) North Korea says “reckless remarks” by U--S-- Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made it clear that Washington has no intention of resuming nuclear talks and Pyongyang warned that it is now compelled to pay back “the pains the U--S-- has imposed on our people.”

Taliban attacks continue (NYT) The Taliban on Saturday attacked several provinces in northern Afghanistan, overrunning large parts of one district even as American diplomats expressed optimism that a peace process stalled over the release of prisoners was getting back on track. The insurgents launched major assaults in three northern province--in Kunduz, whose capital was overrun by the Taliban repeatedly in recent years, as well as in Faryab and Badakhshan. The fighting rages despite an appeal for a cease-fire on humanitarian grounds to slow the spread of the coronavirus across the country.​

Crisis in the Sahel Becoming France’s Forever War (NYT) When France sent its forces into Mali, a former French colony, after armed Islamists took control of the West African country’s northern cities, their mission was supposed to last only a few weeks. That was seven years ago. Since then, the terrorist threat has spread across a vast sweep of land south of the Sahara known as the Sahel, and France’s counterterrorism fight has spread with it. As a result, more than 10,000 West Africans have died, over a million have fled their homes and military forces from West Africa and France have suffered many losses. And still, the battle is hardly finished.

Africa’s megacity Lagos braces for two-week coronavirus lockdown (Reuters) Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari’s announcement imposing a 14-day lockdown on sub-Saharan Africa’s biggest city triggered a last-minute rush on Monday as people hurried to stock up on food and other supplies.

Zimbabwe locks down to fight coronavirus amid economic crisis (Reuters) Zimbabwe began a 21-day nationwide lockdown on Monday, following South Africa in implementing tough anti-coronavirus measures that are likely to hurt an economy already suffering from hyperinflation and food shortages.