| THE LEDE
It is about to get warm outside in much of the US. This is normally a good thing, unless you are a sadist. But this summer is going to be radically different, with areas across the country trying to figure out how to reopen as the coronavirus continues to spread.
This leaves many politicians in an unprecedented bind. That’s especially true for mayors and local leaders in dense areas, where asking people to stay in their homes is often asking them to risk sweltering heat. If you’re New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (and congrats on your job and height), the choice you have is abysmal: Do you risk crowding in city parks and beaches, or do you try and force people inside, where many lack access to air conditioning and are at risk of heatstroke? De Blasio’s answer so far has been a little of each: raising the potential of limiting park access while relenting to opening up more roads to pedestrians.
Inequality has been the political story of the pandemic. The same people who have been disproportionately hit by the coronavirus — people who can’t afford steep utility bills — could now face a grueling summer inside.
And: Let’s be clear, the best political event of this week was Maria DeCotis’s absolutely stellar interpretation of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s recent monologue about his daughter’s new boyfriend.
READ RECEIPTS Texting with Lily Adams Lily Adams is Democratic strategist with deep experience across recent presidential campaigns — she was a top communications aide on Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign, the communications director on Sen. Kamala Harris’s 2020 campaign, and is now chief communications officer for Unite the Country, a super PAC backing Joe Biden. We texted late Thursday afternoon about the campaign and this whole bad/weird time. P.S. If you like this newsletter, help keep our reporting free for all. Support BuzzFeed News by becoming a member here. (Monthly memberships are available worldwide.) 📝 This letter was edited and brought to you by Matt Berman, Veronica Dulin, and BuzzFeed News. You can always reach us here.
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