Forced Family Separation Is Torture

Also: Donald Trump Finally Addressed Coronavirus. It Did Not Make Me Feel Better ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  [View in Browser]( | [Donate [WBUR]]( [WBUR](  [WBUR]( March 1, 2020 Dear Cog reader, This week: Like everyone else, we've been consumed and concerned by all the news about the coronavirus. The dean of the Boston University School of Public Health, Dr. Sandro Galea, [writes]( President Trump's ambivalence towards COVID-19 is a danger to us all. Infectious disease specialist, Dr. Pranay Sinha, [writes]( the U.S. is well-positioned to fight the virus, but only if we prop up the global health infrastructure. (Elsewhere: This Washington Post [fact check]( of Trump's Wednesday press conference is worth a read. And, this terrifying/incredibly informative [episode]( The Daily podcast is 25 minutes well spent.) We'll be watching carefully the results of the South Carolina presidential primary this weekend, and gearing up for Super Tuesday. Be sure to check back Monday, when we'll have short pieces making the best case for each of the leading Democratic candidates. Have a good weekend, and don't forget to wash your hands. — Frannie Carr Toth Co-editor, Cognoscenti newsletters@wbur.org Must Reads url[Forced Family Separation Isn't Just Traumatic. It's Torture]( I try to put myself in these parents’ shoes, daring to imagine what it would be like if my own children were suddenly taken away from me, writes Katie Peeler. It is unfathomable.   #%23%23[Twitter](   #%23%23[Facebook](    [Donald Trump Finally Addressed Coronavirus. It Did Not Make Me Feel Better]( "Whatever happens, we're totally prepared" is not going to cut it, writes Sandro Galea. The president's ambivalence towards COVID-19 is a danger to us all. [Ahead Of Super Tuesday, Wading Through The Muck Of Indecision]( I will vote for whoever the Democrats put up, writes Rebecca Knight. But I desperately want that nominee to be our best shot.  Support the news [Elizabeth Warren's Anger Is Risky. It's Also Necessary]( Warren's aggression on the debate stage isn’t just a tactic, and it certainly isn’t just for show. It’s rooted in the belief that power shouldn’t be for sale. [The U.S. Is Well Suited To Fight Coronavirus, But Only If We Fund Science]( As coronavirus threatens to become a pandemic, writes Dr. Pranay Sinha, the Trump administration is dismantling America’s global health infrastructure. [The South Carolina Debate Was Destined To Be A Disaster]( The latest Democratic debate was loud, desperate and unavoidable, writes Joanna Weiss. Bookmarks "The worst thing for a Trump reelection is the market going down, consumer confidence weakening, talk of a potential recession, and then, God forbid, if there’s a pandemic or something, all of a sudden Bernie Sanders talking about free health care doesn’t sound like the craziest thing in the world." ("[Coronavirus Could Be The Most Important Issue Of The 2020 Election]( The Boston Globe) "I don’t actually think beauty is restricted to certain types of women at all. I don’t think you need to be thin to have sex or find love. I know all this but am sorry to report that I only like myself thin. My weight has probably occupied 50 percent of my thinking for my entire life. I am on a diet now. I just lost eight pounds. I want to lose 15 more." ("[The Diet Industrial Complex Got Me, And It Will Never Let Me Go]( New York Times) "The women weren’t work wives or best friends. They were just colleagues who felt strongly that for newsrooms to survive and thrive, they needed to create an environment where women could advance in leadership." ("[The Boston Globe Needed A Better Family Leave Policy. Meet The Six Women Who Made It Happen]( Poynter) “ I try to put myself in these parents’ shoes, daring to imagine what it would be like if my own children were suddenly taken away from me... — Katie Peeler,["Forced Family Separation Isn't Just Traumatic. It's Torture"]( From The Archives [The Case For Eating Oysters — Even If You're A Vegan]( We can’t be 100 percent sure they don’t feel pain in some way we don’t understand, writes Rich Barlow. But then again, the same is true of plants.      If you’d like to write for Cognoscenti, send your submission, pasted into your email and not as an attachment, to opinion@wbur.org. Please tell us in one line what the piece is about, and please tell us in one line who you are. 😎 Forward to a friend. They can sign up [here](. 📣 Give us your feedback: newsletters@wbur.org 📨 Get more WBUR stories sent to your inbox. 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