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"The purpose of SB-14 was to prevent in-person voter fraud," Republican state Sen. Tommy Williams said. He was one of several Republican legislators called by Texas to testify.
Williams said he supported the bill because he thinks that voter impersonation occurs more than the numbers indicate. He testified that someone voted under his grandfather's name until 1994 — 60 years after he died.
Republican state Sen. Jose Aliseda echoed Sen. Williams' sentiments that the bill was not intended to disenfranchise minorities.
"The public expected us to pass the legislation," he said. Aliseda testified that his constituents supported an ID law. Whether the law curbs voter fraud, he said, what was most important was that Texans' wanted the legislation.
Del Valle, Texas, resident Juan Rosa said the ID law is a valuable safeguard. Rosa, who is from El Salvador, became a citizen in 2002 and has voted since then, he said. Latinos will have an impact in politics, he said, but first they need to vote. "We can't actually raise up our voice if we don't vote," Rosa said.
The Texas Democratic Party has called the ID law an attempt to disenfranchise a community that has the potential to change the politics in a state that has been Republican for 30 years. Sixty-five percent of Latino voters said they would back Democrats in the 2010 election, according to the Pew Hispanic Center; 22 percent said they would vote Republican.
The Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law, a group opposing strict photo ID laws, reported that 6.3 percent of Latino voters in Texas lack the correct form of ID, compared to 4.3 percent of non-Latinos.
Until the photo ID law passed in 2011, Texans could vote by showing a variety of non-photo IDs ranging from their voter registration card to a utility bill showing their name and address.
Under SB-14, voters would be required to show photo ID, which could include a U.S. passport, driver's license, military ID, citizenship certificate with a photo, an election identification certificate or a license to carry a concealed handgun.
Opponents also cite the burden placed on Texas residents to obtain the documents to acquire a government-issued photo ID.
Under the new law, the Texas Department of Public Safety would offer free photo IDs to registered voters who lack a valid ID. Individuals still would be required to present a birth certificate, citizenship papers, or additional documentation to obtain a state ID — documents many do not have, said Denise Lieberman, a civil rights lawyer with the Advancement Project, a Washington, D.C.-based policy, communications and legal action group committed to racial justice.
Lieberman and other opponents have argued that low-income, Latino residents do not have the money to pay for documents such as a birth certificate, which costs $22 in Texas, and more if it is mailed to voters. Supporters disagree.
Republican state Sen. Williams testified in the federal hearing that owning a birth certificate is a "fact of life" because it is necessary for so many things. So requiring voters to purchase one to obtain an ID isn't an undue financial burden, he said.
Voter ID legislation also has forced states to consider the efficiency and accessibility of offices that issue photo IDs.
Democratic state Sen. Wendy Davis and Democratic state Rep. Rafael Anchia said their Texas constituents — many of whom work hourly wage jobs and rely on public transportation — also would be affected by the cost and time-consuming process of obtaining ID.
Eighty-one of the 254 counties in Texas do not have a Department of Motor Vehicles office, meaning an individual living in West Texas in Fort Hancock would have to travel either 50 miles west to El Paso or 66 miles east to Van Horn, Texas, where the office is only open Thursdays.
Despite his support for the voter ID law, Republican state Rep. Jose Aliseda — whose constituents mostly are rural farmers — acknowledged that it would be a burden on his district to require people to take a day off and drive 60 miles round trip to get an ID. Paying for the documents required to obtain a free election identification card would also be a financial burden, he said.
Anchia opposes SB-14, but he does not oppose a Texas photo ID law in the future. Legislators need to balance access to the franchise with ballot box security he said, and the Texas law does not strike that balance.
Ana Lastra, Lizzie Chen, Khara Persad and Jack Fitzpatrick of News21 contributed to this article. Lindsey Ruta, Annelise Russell and Ana Lastra were Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation Fellows, and Jack Fitzpatrick and Khara Persad were Hearst Foundations Fellows this summer for News21.
None of those documents are valid proof under the voter ID laws.
Do all of these “undocumented citizens” have Social Security Numbers? Or do they all not work, or work for cash under the table only?
Even when I received my Social Security Number in 1963 (I found the paperwork when my last parent died) you were required to present one of the following: (a) a valid birth certificate showing you were born in the US, (b) a valid US Passport, or (c) Federal certificate of naturalization.
By the time my first daughter was born, 26 years ago, I was not allowed to take her home until the paperwork was done to apply for a Certificate of Live Birth and an application for her Social Security Number.
Uhhhh…isn’t this profiling? Profiling latinos? Wait a minute…whenever I read a story about Joe Arpaio, I read accusations that he’s profiling Latinos and that it’s bad. But, now we’re doing it for a voting thing and it’s OK now? Huh? I’m so confused.
Austin community activist/campaign worker Rachael Torres grew up in East Austin where she witnessed an influx of non-Latinos into the predominantly Latino neighborhood. Voting is important to Torres who recalls her grandmother walking up to a mile to pay a poll tax to vote.
Provides technical assistance in the Traffic Engineering Section for various programs to include Residential Permit Parking Districts Community Parking Districts, and other parking restriction programs. Conducts field studies, collects and analyzes field data. Uses GIS software and SQL queries to prepare maps and creates/manages/maintains underlying geodatabase attributes and domain information to incorporate into the county's enterprise GIS system. Coordinates with staff to ensure data is accurate and up-to-date. Determines sign locations in the field, and prepares GIS maps showing sign installation locations. Prepares sign graphics and spreadsheets for vendor orders. Reviews signs for meeting FHWA reflectivity requirements. Implements the annual asset management plan for signs, and conducts annual county-wide sign inventory. Creates necessary sign maintenance orders and location maps, and tracks asset replacements. Places public hearing signs in field locations. Performs other duties as assigned, including activities such as providing assistance as needed with other parking and traffic management programs.
May establish and monitor project schedules and assist others by maintaining paper and electronic files of information.
Ability to maintain effective relationships with County officials, employees and the public.
Any combination of education, experience, and training equivalent to high school graduation or a GED issued by a state department of education; plus three years of paraprofessional planning or zoning related work, as defined by the area to which assigned.
The appointee to this position will be required to complete a criminal background and driving record check to the satisfaction of the employer.
Strong computer skills; experience with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to include creating/editing geodatabases, domains and SQL queries; ArcCatalog, ArcToolbox and generating MapBooks. Strong verbal and writing skills with experience in a variety of software tools to include Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Publisher. Technical expertise related to transportation planning and traffic engineering. Experience conducting field data collection and data analysis. Experience in signage placement and installation in addition to familiarity with MUTCD and FHWA standards.
Work is generally sedentary. However, employee may be required to do some walking, standing, bending, and carrying of items under 25 pounds in weight. All duties performed with or without reasonable accommodations.
The Tony Awards were last night, and CBS and James Corden had the difficult challenge of putting on a celebrity awards show on the day of the deadliest mass shooting in American history. That despicable act of hate didn’t ruin the Tonys: if anything, it turned the annual Broadway awards extravaganza into a celebration of life and perseverance, an act of defiance against the terror the shooter tried to spread. A lot of people needed something like the Tonys after a long day of such sorrow and horror, and the show itself didn’t disappoint, with unforgettable performances, great comedy from the host and sketches, and a tasteful and graceful acknowledgement of the catastrophe in Orlando, both from the show itself and from Frank Langella, who gave a stirring, heartfelt speech while accepting his award for best leading actor in a play.
The California union that provided major funding for successful ballot campaigns to expand Medicaid in three red states this year is already looking for where to strike next to expand Obamacare coverage in the Donald Trump era.
Leaders of SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West declined to identify which states they might target in 2020. But the six remaining states where Medicaid could be expanded through the ballot are on the group's radar: Florida, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Wyoming.
Officials at the Fairness Project, the progressive advocacy group the UHW created in 2015 to spearhead these and other ballot campaigns, said this year’s health care-fueled blue wave marked a turning point for the Affordable Care Act — and Medicaid expansion in particular.
Still, many of the biggest states that have refused Obamacare’s coverage expansion for low-income adults, including Texas and Georgia, are legally barred from putting the question directly to voters. And many Republican leaders remain staunchly opposed to the program.
In Wisconsin, where Democrat Tony Evers toppled Gov. Scott Walker after campaigning on Medicaid expansion, GOP lawmakers are vowing to block the program. In Georgia, where the governor’s race remains undecided, Republican Brian Kemp routinely rails against it as an unaffordable “government takeover of health care.” Oklahoma Gov.-elect Kevin Sitt opposes expansion and is calling for cuts to the state's existing program, which is among the stingiest in the nation.
Even in the states that just voted to expand, GOP lawmakers are considering work requirements and other conservative policies that would curtail enrollment.
Lawmakers from remaining holdout states also say any campaign sponsored by a California union would face skepticism.
The Fairness Project argues that this year’s initiatives were successful because local organizers ran good ground campaigns, got buy-in from some Republican officials and portrayed the issue as nonpartisan — not an easy task, given longstanding GOP promises to repeal Obamacare. The stigma of union money wasn’t a major obstacle in red states this year, group officials said, where they succeeded in passing several minimum wage hikes in addition to Medicaid expansion.
“If you want to accuse us of caring for tens of thousands of people and wanting to get them health care, well, we're guilty of that,” said executive director Jonathan Schleifer.
In all, the Fairness Project spent $6 million on the three Medicaid campaigns. The group and UHW declined to say how much came from the union, versus small donors, though the UHW says it was a "major contributor."
Now, the Fairness Project is starting conversations with groups in states that may attempt to put the question to voters in 2020. Though officials declined to name the states, progressive advocacy groups in Florida and Oklahoma confirmed to POLITICO they reached out to the Fairness Project asking how to pursue their own expansion ballot measures.
Vicky Neapolitan-Scott, a Pensacola-based social worker and leader of the electoral activist Indivisible chapter in northwest Florida, said she was also inspired by the success of the Medicaid expansion initiatives to reach out to the Fairness Project.
“Watching it pass in Nebraska, Utah and Idaho gave us a lot of hope for getting it passed here,” she said.
If Republican gubernatorial candidate Ron DeSantis prevails in the ongoing Florida recount, that would likely take Medicaid expansion off the table for at least four years — unless voters approve it through the ballot in 2020. Florida ballot standards are tougher than most, since the state requires 60 percent of voters to approve an initiative. But Florida health care advocates say this year’s ballot measure restoring voting rights for 1.4 million ex-felons, which passed with 64 percent support, is a hopeful sign for a Medicaid expansion referendum to cover more than 600,000 in the state.
To bring Medicaid expansion to other holdout states, the Fairness Project said it wants to use the same battle plan that’s already worked elsewhere. That involves searching for states with the right elements in place, bringing in millions in funding and an army of staffers to conduct polls, gather the signatures to get the question on the ballot and campaign hard for passage. Schleifer, the executive director, emphasized that the collaboration with local groups requires a “long runway” — beginning at least a year before the election takes place.
That was the case in Nebraska, where Democrats in the minority in the state legislature had for years waged a fruitless battle to pass an expansion bill. State Sen. Adam Morfeld, who introduced two failed measures, said he reached out to the Fairness Project last November on the same night Maine voters became the first in the country to approve Medicaid expansion through the ballot.
“They provided more than a million dollars in seed funding to help collect the signatures, which demonstrated to our local folks on the ground that we were organized and serious and encouraged them to contribute,” Morfeld said.
In other states, including Utah, the Fairness Project reached out first to make the case.
In all three states this year, the Fairness Project poll-tested and deployed an effective “hybrid message” that emphasized both Medicaid expansion’s fiscal benefits for state budgets and health benefits for individuals and families. The campaign worked to counter messages from conservative policymakers opposing Medicaid expansion, who have long cautioned it would be an unaffordable entitlement that would crowd out state funding for education and other public priorities.
“We focused on showing people how their friends and neighbors would benefit,” Schleifer said.
A recent popular meme comparing the past and current profile pictures of people on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter could be a technique designed to capture a user’s personal data, experts warn.
The so-called “10 Year Challenge” that invites people to compare their first profiles from a decade ago to their current one could be secretly mining data to improve facial recognition algorithms. The meme could be innocent fun, or it could carry with it something more nefarious, they warn.
It gives Facebook “a perfect storm for machine learning,” Amy Webb, a professor at NYU Stern School of Business, told reporters Wednesday, referring to the challenge, which generated 5.2 million Facebook engagements in three days, according to the social media monitoring tool Talkwalker.
“It presented Facebook with a terrified opportunity to learn, to train their systems to better recognize small changes,” said Webb, a tech expert who is writing a book about how unchecked artificial intelligence can manipulate people.
Concerns about the “10 Year Challenge” cropped up Wednesday after author Kate O’Neill wrote an editorial warning readers about the meme. She pointed out that the meme fills social media platforms with thousands of photos, posted side-by-side, taken within a fixed period. It’s easier for an algorithm to analyze those data because they are placed in an order, according to O’Neill.
Still, the Silicon Valley company has used facial recognition intelligence for years to recognize users. Engineers are also rolling out video AI products like Portal, which allows a camera to follow users as they wonder about their offices or rooms and automatically focus on your face.
Gardeners often put too little effort into learning about their soil, but knowing what's in your soil is so important when deciding what to plant and what is needed for proper bed preparation. Soil is the primary source of water and nutrients for plants and must also provide sufficient oxygen to the root system.
In addition, soil is full of beneficial microorganisms (bacteria and fungi) that help plants be healthy. Although you may not realize it, bed preparation also is done to encourage high populations of these organisms, primarily through the addition of organic matter to the soil.
There are different kinds of soils in southeast Louisiana. Knowing the characteristics of the soil in your gardens is necessary to selecting plants that will grow well in the soil you have, or to understanding how you may need to modify your soil to benefit the plants you would like to grow.
You can learn about your soil through experience and talking to individuals knowledgeable about the soils in your area. A great place to start is your local parish LSU AgCenter Extension office. Your county agent will be able to familiarize you with the characteristics of your soil.
You also can have your soil tested by the LSU AgCenter Soil Testing Laboratory in Baton Rouge for $10. Kits to submit soil samples for analysis are available from your local Extension office and some nurseries.
You can have your soil tested by the LSU AgCenter Soil Testing Laboratory in Baton Rouge for $10.
The test will tell you the texture and the fertility level for a number of major plant nutrients, pH and salts levels. You should get your test results back in two to three weeks -- just in time to prepare beds for our prime planting season. The results will help you decide what fertilizer to use.
We have some ability to change the characteristics of the soil in garden beds. However, it is best to choose plants that are adapted to the soil conditions that already exist. Rather than attempting to change the pH, choose plants that like the existing pH. If there is an area of your landscape where drainage is poor, choose plants that thrive in damp, poorly drained soil.
Trees typically are planted into individual holes, not beds, and you should not add anything to the soil you use to fill in around their roots. Trees' roots will spend their life growing in the native soil beyond the planting hole, so it is best for the roots to get used to the soil they will be growing in from the time they are planted.
If you decide the soil you are dealing with is simply too poor to garden in (sometimes seen around new construction, where the site was filled with subsoil), you may decide to abandon the soil and bring in a soil mix to make your beds.
If you do this, do not excavate a bed and fill it will garden soil or topsoil. This will create a drainage problem: The bed will act much like a bathtub. Instead, build up the bed, with the soil mix about 12 inches deep on top of the existing soil.
Shrubs, ground covers and, especially, vegetables, annuals and perennials, should be planted into well-prepared beds. Because the roots of shrubs, ground covers, vegetables, annuals and perennials will live in the bed for the life of the plants, the soil in beds is usually improved in some way with amendments. Soil amendments are materials blended with the soil to enhance the growth of plants to be placed in the bed.
First, do a thorough job of removing any unwanted vegetation in the bed. This might mean taking up existing turf to create a new bed, or just cleaning out weeds that have grown up in an existing bed. Weeds or turf grass may be removed physically or killed with a herbicide (glyphosate is commonly used for this, as it does not leave a toxic residue in the soil).
When the weeds or turf have been dealt with, turn the soil over to a depth of at least 8 inches using a shovel, spade or garden fork and break up the large clods. You may also use a tiller for this step; make sure you till deep enough.
Next, spread any desired amendments over the turned soil. You will almost always want to add 2 to 4 inches of organic matter. I think homemade compost is the best, and every gardener should have a compost pile. If you can't make your own, you can also buy compost from local companies that produce it, or bagged from your local nursery.
Other suitable choices of organic matter include aged manure (available from local stables or bagged at nurseries), alfalfa meal and agricultural byproducts, such as cotton gin trash, bagasse or rice hulls. Or, if your soil is especially heavy, finely ground composted pine bark is excellent for improving drainage and loosening the soil.
I cannot stress too much how beneficial the addition of organic matter is. Remember that it also encourages high populations of the microorganisms that help plants grow better.
The pH of the soil can be made more acidic with the addition of sulfur or more alkaline with the addition of lime. But remember, it is better to choose plants that are adapted to the natural pH of the soil.
You may also add a fertilizer to the soil during bed preparation. You should provide nutrients that a soil test has determined are low. A general-purpose fertilizer is usually appropriate; suitable organic fertilizers or commercial fertilizers also could be used. Be moderate when applying fertilizers. Excessive fertilizer applications can lead to nutrient runoff into drains and eventually pollution of surface bodies of water such as lakes and streams.
Finally, thoroughly blend all of the amendments into the upper 8 to 10 inches of the bed soil. A garden tiller is great for this step, but it also can be done by hand if the soil is not too heavy. Rake the bed smooth and shape the sides, and you're ready to plant.
When you finish, you will find that the bed is several inches higher than it was before preparation. This is desirable, as it will help improve drainage.
Like most gardeners, I have a busy schedule, and I generally do not have time to do things in the garden that are optional or not critical. But I never scrimp on bed preparation despite the time and effort it involves. It is a key technique to successful gardening, and worth every bit of the work that goes into it.
It's too late this year for antifungal sprays to treat citrus fruit rot, but it might be worth spraying in the spring to prevent a recurrence.
I have a large grapefruit tree that is more than 15 years old and has been a prolific producer of fruit. But this year, as the fruit ripens, they have large brown spots that start to rot the fruit. I have several other citrus trees that appear to have the same problem. Can you help me determine what the problem is, and what I can do to cure it? Thanks.
There seems to be lots more fruit fungal diseases out this year on our citrus trees. Blame the wet, rainy spring this year, and all the rain in late summer has not helped, either. We usually have very few problems with fungal diseases and typically do not spray preventively for them. It's way too late for any sprays to help at this point. The infections have all already occurred. You will just have to take the losses this year. Although we generally don't spray for diseases, you may decide to spray next year to minimize chances diseases will be this bad again. Spray with a copper-type fungicide next spring (Liquid Copper, Copper Soap, Copper Fungicide and other brands). Timing is important. The first fungicide application should be made before the tree blooms to protect the foliage of the spring growth flush. Applications to protect the developing fruit should be made when almost all of the flowers have fallen off, and again three or four weeks later.
The front of our house has a circular driveway that is planted with Gumpo azaleas that were here when we moved in four years ago. They were in good health upon our arrival. Since then, the oak trees that they sit under have grown thicker. And this, coupled with last year's drought, has apparently left them with a lot of dead bare spots. I used electric shears two weeks ago to get an even look, but now they look really pitiful. I have started to prune out the dead branches and bushes. At this point in the season, what would be the best course of action to give them the best chance for a successful spring season?
If you had contacted me before pruning, I would have suggested you simply leave the plants alone for the time being. You pruned at the wrong time, unfortunately. We do not want to stimulate growth this late in the season with winter on the way. And, azaleas don't want to grow now -- they are trying to get ready for the winter. So, the timing on this has worked against the azaleas. In addition, the flower buds for next spring were already set on your Gumpo azaleas, so the shearing removed most of the flower buds, and you will see a much smaller spring bloom as a result. At this point, I can't think of anything for you to do now. Anything that you can see that is absolutely, clearly dead may be pruned. But, since you cut off a lot of the foliage, some branches with no leaves may still be alive. Next year, in March, fertilize them with an azalea fertilizer following label directions. Fertilize again in June or July. Water deeply and thoroughly occasionally as needed next summer. It was a pretty wet summer this year; if water were an issue, they should have improved over the summer. The fact that they haven't done better likely indicates that shade is a primary issue, and that situation will only get worse over time.
Dan Gill is extension horticulturist with the LSU AgCenter.
President Trump promised an immigrant ban to vet new arrivals. He delivered on his pledge, and we see the majority of Americans approve. We see most Europeans also want such a policy, said Michael Modrikamen leader of the Belgian People's Party.
The international affairs think tank Chatham House released a poll suggesting the majority of people in ten EU countries would support an immigration ban on Muslim-majority countries. The survey was held before President Trump signed his controversial executive order doing just that in the US.
RT: We saw a few protests in Europe in response to Trump signing the immigration ban. But we also now have a poll showing people would support a halt in migrants from Muslim countries. Are you surprised the majority of people are alarmed by the issue?
— RT (@RT_com) 9 февраля 2017 г.
Michael Modrikamen: I am not at all surprised because previous polls were indicating the same concern from Europeans all across Europe. It just confirms that European citizens still have good sense, know directly in which direction they want to go. Unfortunately our leaders – both at the EU level, but also at the national level - are totally detached from the concerns of the citizens. Indeed, there is what I would call a real abyss between what the citizens expect and what our politician leaders propose.
RT: Angela Merkel was an architect for an open-door Europe, wasn’t she?
MM: Yes, obviously she is also out of touch. You know what is surprising? That everybody looks appalled by the fact that Trump did first what he had promised to do. And this is what we expect also in Europe. He promised a ban in order to vet the people and put the proceedings. He delivered, and we see that the majority of Americans also approve [it.] And then we see that most Europeans would also expect such a policy.
MM: It is not in place because of judicial activism. You have to know that for sure part of the Americans do not approve it. But you have to know also that all the riots and all the events are for most of them organized and funded notably by Mr. [George] Soros, a billionaire with a very liberal agenda. We see also this kind of judicial activism. In this situation, they came and clearly picked up very progressive judge that came with a very astonishing judgment in order to suspend Mr. Trump’s order, which is also appalling. How can a judge, which is totally unelected at this stage just be able to suspend the decision made by the President, who is elected by the majority of Americans – at least, according to the system? We see by the way the same judicial activism in Europe with the Syrian visa in Belgium at the court of justice would like to have issued. The will of the people should prevail… It is not for the judges to rule, but the politicians.
There’s a fun little motif in “Teachers” that finds the characters of New Girl stumbling over their words, dropping whatever they’re holding, and running away. It only happens twice, so maybe it falls short of becoming a motif; its two instances, both in school-set flashbacks, qualify as a callback according to the 1970 Nakamura Sitcom Writer Accords. But it reflects the whole of “Teachers” nonetheless, an episode that catches the roommates as they flee, turning them right around in order to face their problems.
In general, season four has found the leads projecting outward, only rarely turning inward to consider where the characters are in their lives. I get the feeling the show’s writers felt like season three was a little too insular, a little too focused on romances and conflicts involving the six leads and the six leads alone. There was a lot of amusement in that increasingly claustrophobic setup, but it did make New Girl’s world feel smaller than it actually is. To go too far in the opposite direction would risk isolating the characters we tune in to watch every week, but season four has done an elegant job of peppering in auxiliary players like Jess’ dad and Principal Foster, while introducing new faces like Sergeant Dorado and the titular character of “Julie Berkman’s Older Sister.” But the show has had another personality built for world-building under its nose (and under its roof) since the middle of the third season: Coach.
From a practical standpoint, sending Coach offsite for the week also gives New Girl the chance to do a throwback Nick-Schmidt-Winston story, setting up a Guys’ Night that won’t be a typical Guys’ Night because these three weirdos are involved. True to expectations, Guys’ Night turns into another “Teachers” seminar, as Schmidt learns to do laundry, Winston learns how to “read a ruler,” and Nick learns how to love. It’s silly, but in that New Girl way that’s enriched by character and performance and the genuine affection the writers and actors have for these fictional people. There’s only the lightest of mocking when Schmidt demonstrates his detergent deficiency—Jake Johnson, Max Greenfield, and Lamorne Morris are playing to extremes here, but there’s more honesty in how their characters interact while left alone than there is in a hundred chest-thumping portrayals of male bonding.
The guys’ shortcomings are narratively thin but thematically rich, and they make excellent fodder for the most amusing editing tricks of season four. It’s been a while since New Girl pulled out a montage (not since “Dice”?), and “Teachers” has two of them, garnering laughs by mapping the low stakes of laundry duty and rudimentary measurement onto that old montage standby: The training sequence. Jess and Ryan’s whirlwind partnership at the conference is similarly a variation on a theme, a quick-cut “getting to know you” routine from a romantic comedy in which one of the partners wants nothing to do with romance. A sitcom has so many methods of telling a joke at its disposal, so it’s great to see New Girl still using those methods at this point in its run. It’s one thing for Nick, Schmidt, and Winston to build a tent and listen to Foreigner after Nick absentmindedly cops to being clueless about a basic human emotion. It’s an entirely different, much better thing to leap from Nick saying “What are we going to do, sit around all night and talk about love?” to the image of a blanket pup tent and the bittersweet tones of “I Want To Know What Love Is.” The late Sherwood Schwartz would tell you as much.
Its characters might not always act this way, but New Girl is not the type of show to cut and run. It presents itself with a situation like guys’ night or Jess and Ryan’s forbidden romance and it goes for it, no apologies, with the energy of a well-paced montage and the comedic force of a good Gilligan cut. “Teachers” takes things a little slower, laying pipe for Jess’ new relationship instead of throwing the pair in bed together. (There’s still a kiss, though.) There are echoes of Nick-and-Jess in this beginning, like the off-limits nature of the coupling or the “Table 34” vibe of Brenda Brown’s symposium games, but “Teachers” carries it off with such pluck that those similarities are easily overlooked for now. (I mean, just look at Zooey Deschanel’s face after Julian Morris catches her at the end of the obstacle course. This show is still invested 100 percent in this stuff.) That’s just the show’s way, and I don’t suspect it will drop the Ryan plot and run away anytime soon.