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| A Kennedy Wins N.J. Primary to Take on Trump Loyalist | A Kennedy Wins N.J. Primary to Take on Trump Loyalist |
| (8 days later) | |
| In a rebuke of a potent New Jersey political machine, Amy Kennedy, a former schoolteacher whose husband is a nephew of President John F. Kennedy, won Tuesday’s primary battle to take on Jeff Van Drew, a freshman congressman who defected from the Democrats with a pledge of loyalty to President Trump. | In a rebuke of a potent New Jersey political machine, Amy Kennedy, a former schoolteacher whose husband is a nephew of President John F. Kennedy, won Tuesday’s primary battle to take on Jeff Van Drew, a freshman congressman who defected from the Democrats with a pledge of loyalty to President Trump. |
| Ms. Kennedy’s main opponent, Brigid Callahan Harrison — who was backed by both of New Jersey’s United States senators and two of its longtime political power brokers — conceded the race in a YouTube video soon after the polls closed at 8 p.m. An hour later, The Associated Press declared Ms. Kennedy the winner. | Ms. Kennedy’s main opponent, Brigid Callahan Harrison — who was backed by both of New Jersey’s United States senators and two of its longtime political power brokers — conceded the race in a YouTube video soon after the polls closed at 8 p.m. An hour later, The Associated Press declared Ms. Kennedy the winner. |
| New Jersey’s primary election was conducted mainly using mail-in ballots, and the official results were not expected to be known for at least a week as ballots, which needed to be postmarked by Tuesday to be counted, trickled in. | New Jersey’s primary election was conducted mainly using mail-in ballots, and the official results were not expected to be known for at least a week as ballots, which needed to be postmarked by Tuesday to be counted, trickled in. |
| It was the first broad test of voting by mail in New Jersey, making Election Day as much a referendum on the voting method as on the candidates who were running. | It was the first broad test of voting by mail in New Jersey, making Election Day as much a referendum on the voting method as on the candidates who were running. |
| Ms. Kennedy, a mother of five, will now challenge Mr. Van Drew, who left the Democratic Party in December and was endorsed by Mr. Trump. | Ms. Kennedy, a mother of five, will now challenge Mr. Van Drew, who left the Democratic Party in December and was endorsed by Mr. Trump. |
| “People here in South Jersey are ready for change,” Ms. Kennedy said in a victory speech that aired live on Facebook a little after 10 p.m. “We need leaders who will feel when we hurt, listen when we speak, provide direction, guidance, and show up when it matters.” | “People here in South Jersey are ready for change,” Ms. Kennedy said in a victory speech that aired live on Facebook a little after 10 p.m. “We need leaders who will feel when we hurt, listen when we speak, provide direction, guidance, and show up when it matters.” |
| Ms. Kennedy, who was introduced by Gov. Philip D. Murphy, focused on Mr. Van Drew, saying, “We’ve had enough of you, and Donald Trump.” | Ms. Kennedy, who was introduced by Gov. Philip D. Murphy, focused on Mr. Van Drew, saying, “We’ve had enough of you, and Donald Trump.” |
| In a taped concession speech, Dr. Harrison, a professor of political science at Montclair State University, urged Democrats to unite behind Ms. Kennedy. “Each of us has the responsibility to get involved and help her any way we can,” she said. | In a taped concession speech, Dr. Harrison, a professor of political science at Montclair State University, urged Democrats to unite behind Ms. Kennedy. “Each of us has the responsibility to get involved and help her any way we can,” she said. |
| Ms. Kennedy, 41, was backed by Mr. Murphy, and the race was seen as a proxy war between the governor and his two main Democratic rivals, George E. Norcross III, an insurance executive who wields significant power in Trenton, and Stephen M. Sweeney, the Senate president. | Ms. Kennedy, 41, was backed by Mr. Murphy, and the race was seen as a proxy war between the governor and his two main Democratic rivals, George E. Norcross III, an insurance executive who wields significant power in Trenton, and Stephen M. Sweeney, the Senate president. |
| Progressive groups that supported Ms. Kennedy said the results demonstrated that the once-invincible clout Democratic Party county leaders have wielded in New Jersey no longer offered an ironclad path to victory. | Progressive groups that supported Ms. Kennedy said the results demonstrated that the once-invincible clout Democratic Party county leaders have wielded in New Jersey no longer offered an ironclad path to victory. |
| “For decades, the South Jersey Democratic machine has been a barrier to progressive change,” said Sue Altman, the leader of the left-leaning Working Families Alliance. “This is an absolutely huge win for progressives.” | “For decades, the South Jersey Democratic machine has been a barrier to progressive change,” said Sue Altman, the leader of the left-leaning Working Families Alliance. “This is an absolutely huge win for progressives.” |
| Mr. Norcross released a statement praising Ms. Kennedy’s campaign. | Mr. Norcross released a statement praising Ms. Kennedy’s campaign. |
| “Congratulations to Amy Kennedy, who has won a strong victory in today’s primary,” said Mr. Norcross, a member of the Democratic National Committee whose brother, Donald Norcross, represents a neighboring district in Congress. “As I said months ago, I look forward to supporting the Democratic nominee in the general election.” | “Congratulations to Amy Kennedy, who has won a strong victory in today’s primary,” said Mr. Norcross, a member of the Democratic National Committee whose brother, Donald Norcross, represents a neighboring district in Congress. “As I said months ago, I look forward to supporting the Democratic nominee in the general election.” |
| The contest for the Second Congressional District, which stretches from Atlantic City west to the Pennsylvania border, now represents a race between Mr. Trump, who held a raucous rally for Mr. Van Drew in Wildwood, N.J., and the Kennedy political dynasty. Mr. Trump beat Hillary Clinton by 5 percentage points in the district, which for 24 years before Mr. Van Drew’s election was represented by a Republican. | The contest for the Second Congressional District, which stretches from Atlantic City west to the Pennsylvania border, now represents a race between Mr. Trump, who held a raucous rally for Mr. Van Drew in Wildwood, N.J., and the Kennedy political dynasty. Mr. Trump beat Hillary Clinton by 5 percentage points in the district, which for 24 years before Mr. Van Drew’s election was represented by a Republican. |
| With help from Mr. Norcross, Dr. Harrison notched the support of six of the district’s eight county chairs, but Ms. Kennedy won the coveted Democratic Party line in Atlantic County, where more than a third of the district’s voters live. | With help from Mr. Norcross, Dr. Harrison notched the support of six of the district’s eight county chairs, but Ms. Kennedy won the coveted Democratic Party line in Atlantic County, where more than a third of the district’s voters live. |
| Will Cunningham, 34, a lawyer and a former investigator for the House Committee on Oversight and Reform who campaigned as a progressive, also mounted a lively primary challenge that effectively leveraged social media during a time when most traditional campaigning was halted by the coronavirus pandemic. | Will Cunningham, 34, a lawyer and a former investigator for the House Committee on Oversight and Reform who campaigned as a progressive, also mounted a lively primary challenge that effectively leveraged social media during a time when most traditional campaigning was halted by the coronavirus pandemic. |
| New Jersey voters also were deciding dozens of other primary races, including a Republican primary to take on Representative Andy Kim, a Democrat in a swing district. | New Jersey voters also were deciding dozens of other primary races, including a Republican primary to take on Representative Andy Kim, a Democrat in a swing district. |
| Only about half of the state’s polling sites were open for the filing of provisional ballots, and voters could also deliver ballots in person to drop boxes set up in each county. | Only about half of the state’s polling sites were open for the filing of provisional ballots, and voters could also deliver ballots in person to drop boxes set up in each county. |
| Mr. Murphy has said he was watching to see how the voting went before determining how broadly to rely on mailed ballots for the presidential election in November, where the stakes will be much higher. | Mr. Murphy has said he was watching to see how the voting went before determining how broadly to rely on mailed ballots for the presidential election in November, where the stakes will be much higher. |
| “We’re going to be watching very closely for any shenanigans that we hear about,” Mr. Murphy, a Democrat, said on Monday. | “We’re going to be watching very closely for any shenanigans that we hear about,” Mr. Murphy, a Democrat, said on Monday. |
| In states like Washington that have long embraced voting by mail, there has been no evidence that it leads to widespread fraud. That has not dulled sharp attacks by Mr. Trump, who has made dozens of false claims about the process and had predicted that it would result in “the most corrupt election in the history of our country.” | In states like Washington that have long embraced voting by mail, there has been no evidence that it leads to widespread fraud. That has not dulled sharp attacks by Mr. Trump, who has made dozens of false claims about the process and had predicted that it would result in “the most corrupt election in the history of our country.” |
| In the midst of the pandemic, there was nothing normal about how candidates campaigned. And Election Day itself veered sharply from the typical script. | In the midst of the pandemic, there was nothing normal about how candidates campaigned. And Election Day itself veered sharply from the typical script. |
| There were no perfunctory photographs of candidates casting votes with their spouses and no insider buzz around victory parties or early poll results. Get-out-the-vote efforts began weeks ago, as campaigns were able to check on who had returned ballots and who had not. | There were no perfunctory photographs of candidates casting votes with their spouses and no insider buzz around victory parties or early poll results. Get-out-the-vote efforts began weeks ago, as campaigns were able to check on who had returned ballots and who had not. |
| Those who had not were targeted by telephone and text. | Those who had not were targeted by telephone and text. |
| Hector Oseguera, 32, a lawyer who lost his primary challenge in northern New Jersey against Representative Albio Sires, said his campaign had planned to send 500,000 text messages to voters in the two weeks before Election Day, with a goal of contacting each voter four or five times. | Hector Oseguera, 32, a lawyer who lost his primary challenge in northern New Jersey against Representative Albio Sires, said his campaign had planned to send 500,000 text messages to voters in the two weeks before Election Day, with a goal of contacting each voter four or five times. |
| Updated July 7, 2020 | |
| The coronavirus can stay aloft for hours in tiny droplets in stagnant air, infecting people as they inhale, mounting scientific evidence suggests. This risk is highest in crowded indoor spaces with poor ventilation, and may help explain super-spreading events reported in meatpacking plants, churches and restaurants. It’s unclear how often the virus is spread via these tiny droplets, or aerosols, compared with larger droplets that are expelled when a sick person coughs or sneezes, or transmitted through contact with contaminated surfaces, said Linsey Marr, an aerosol expert at Virginia Tech. Aerosols are released even when a person without symptoms exhales, talks or sings, according to Dr. Marr and more than 200 other experts, who have outlined the evidence in an open letter to the World Health Organization. | |
| Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. | |
| Scientists around the country have tried to identify everyday materials that do a good job of filtering microscopic particles. In recent tests, HEPA furnace filters scored high, as did vacuum cleaner bags, fabric similar to flannel pajamas and those of 600-count pillowcases. Other materials tested included layered coffee filters and scarves and bandannas. These scored lower, but still captured a small percentage of particles. | |
| A commentary published this month on the website of the British Journal of Sports Medicine points out that covering your face during exercise “comes with issues of potential breathing restriction and discomfort” and requires “balancing benefits versus possible adverse events.” Masks do alter exercise, says Cedric X. Bryant, the president and chief science officer of the American Council on Exercise, a nonprofit organization that funds exercise research and certifies fitness professionals. “In my personal experience,” he says, “heart rates are higher at the same relative intensity when you wear a mask.” Some people also could experience lightheadedness during familiar workouts while masked, says Len Kravitz, a professor of exercise science at the University of New Mexico. | |
| The steroid, dexamethasone, is the first treatment shown to reduce mortality in severely ill patients, according to scientists in Britain. The drug appears to reduce inflammation caused by the immune system, protecting the tissues. In the study, dexamethasone reduced deaths of patients on ventilators by one-third, and deaths of patients on oxygen by one-fifth. | |
| The coronavirus emergency relief package gives many American workers paid leave if they need to take time off because of the virus. It gives qualified workers two weeks of paid sick leave if they are ill, quarantined or seeking diagnosis or preventive care for coronavirus, or if they are caring for sick family members. It gives 12 weeks of paid leave to people caring for children whose schools are closed or whose child care provider is unavailable because of the coronavirus. It is the first time the United States has had widespread federally mandated paid leave, and includes people who don’t typically get such benefits, like part-time and gig economy workers. But the measure excludes at least half of private-sector workers, including those at the country’s largest employers, and gives small employers significant leeway to deny leave. | |
| So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. | |
| Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. | |
| A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. | |
| If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) | |
| If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. | |
| Employees at election boards in New Jersey’s 21 counties were also in uncharted territory, having to confirm signatures on ballots while also tallying votes. | Employees at election boards in New Jersey’s 21 counties were also in uncharted territory, having to confirm signatures on ballots while also tallying votes. |
| “This can serve as a test run for November,” said John Froonjian, the executive director of the William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy at Stockton University. “New Jersey has to be prepared to learn from what happens today and the next few days.” | “This can serve as a test run for November,” said John Froonjian, the executive director of the William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy at Stockton University. “New Jersey has to be prepared to learn from what happens today and the next few days.” |
| Professor Froonjian moderated an online debate last month between three of the Democrats competing to run against Mr. Van Drew, who was elected as a Democrat and joined the Republican Party in December after voting against Mr. Trump’s impeachment. | Professor Froonjian moderated an online debate last month between three of the Democrats competing to run against Mr. Van Drew, who was elected as a Democrat and joined the Republican Party in December after voting against Mr. Trump’s impeachment. |
| Mr. Van Drew’s campaign to win re-election will be one of the most-watched congressional races this year, and the Democratic primary to choose a candidate to try to unseat him quickly turned toxic. | Mr. Van Drew’s campaign to win re-election will be one of the most-watched congressional races this year, and the Democratic primary to choose a candidate to try to unseat him quickly turned toxic. |
| Ms. Kennedy, an advocate for mental health reform, was far better funded than her opponents, in part because of $500,000 in loans she made to her campaign. | Ms. Kennedy, an advocate for mental health reform, was far better funded than her opponents, in part because of $500,000 in loans she made to her campaign. |
| In the final weeklong sprint to Election Day, a super PAC aligned with Mr. Norcross spent nearly half a million dollars on television advertising on behalf of Dr. Harrison. But in a race where most voters had sent in ballots weeks earlier, it proved to be too late. | In the final weeklong sprint to Election Day, a super PAC aligned with Mr. Norcross spent nearly half a million dollars on television advertising on behalf of Dr. Harrison. But in a race where most voters had sent in ballots weeks earlier, it proved to be too late. |
| Ms. Kennedy will be on the ballot in November alongside a voter referendum question about whether to legalize marijuana in New Jersey, a proposal she opposes but Mr. Murphy has championed. Her husband, who has spoken frequently about his struggle with addiction, is ardently against legalizing marijuana. | Ms. Kennedy will be on the ballot in November alongside a voter referendum question about whether to legalize marijuana in New Jersey, a proposal she opposes but Mr. Murphy has championed. Her husband, who has spoken frequently about his struggle with addiction, is ardently against legalizing marijuana. |
| The final results of a Republican primary in a nearby South Jersey congressional district that also had its share of intrigue remained unclear. A former business executive, David Richter, 54, who had initially planned to challenge Mr. Van Drew in a general election as a Republican, switched districts after Mr. Van Drew switched parties. | The final results of a Republican primary in a nearby South Jersey congressional district that also had its share of intrigue remained unclear. A former business executive, David Richter, 54, who had initially planned to challenge Mr. Van Drew in a general election as a Republican, switched districts after Mr. Van Drew switched parties. |
| He was facing a former elected county official, Kate Gibbs, who is 20 years younger. As a woman, Ms. Gibbs could appeal to female voters — a coveted group for Republicans hoping to expand their reach in New Jersey. | He was facing a former elected county official, Kate Gibbs, who is 20 years younger. As a woman, Ms. Gibbs could appeal to female voters — a coveted group for Republicans hoping to expand their reach in New Jersey. |
| The winner will take on Mr. Kim, who narrowly won election in 2018 after a drawn-out campaign against a key ally of Mr. Trump’s. | The winner will take on Mr. Kim, who narrowly won election in 2018 after a drawn-out campaign against a key ally of Mr. Trump’s. |