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      A congresswoman's predicament: what to wear? Cori Bush and AOC talk it out

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      Last night newly elected Democratic congresswoman Cori Bush, who made history this year when she defeated a 10-term incumbent and became the first Black woman elected to Congress in Missouri, tweeted a practical concern about entering the House of Congress. “The reality of being a regular person going to Congress is it’s really expensive to get the business clothes I need,” she said.

      Cori Bush
      (@CoriBush)
      The reality of being a regular person going to Congress is that it’s really expensive to get the business clothes I need for the Hill. So I’m going thrift shopping tomorrow.Should I do a fashion show? ⬇️

      November 11, 2020

      Bush, the single mother of two children, gave up her health insurance to run for office, leaving full time work as an ordained pastor and nurse. She now finds herself having to dress for a place where people are used to inordinate means: in 2018, the median net-worth of a congressperson was $511,000, eight times that of the average US household. The majority of her colleagues at Congress are also millionaires – meanwhile, Bush will not receive her first paycheck until after inauguration on 20 January , potentially later depending on how long it takes Trump to acknowledge defeat.
      Bush is not the first to have these practical concerns. Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib responded to Bush, saying she shops in thrift stores. Ayanna Pressley responded with make up tips.
      Alexandria Ocasio Cortez offered to go shopping with Bush. Ocasio Cortez, who was a waitress before being elected to Congress, has always spoken openly about how borrowing from friends, thrift shopping and a clothing rental subscription her friend bought her got her through her first term in the house. More

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      in US Politics

      We left the UK for Portland expecting a liberal dream. That wasn’t the reality

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      It was Labor Day. We were having a barbecue in our back garden when gale-force winds started out of nowhere. As we scrambled to hold down plates and glasses, our neighbour’s horse chestnut trees swayed menacingly, their leaves swirling around us.Over the next hour, smoke filled the air and the sky changed from bright blue to dirty grey. We moved everything inside and shut up the house. Soon after, the power went. We had no idea what was happening: rumours started online that protestors – some said Antifa, some said Proud Boys – were starting fires on the outskirts of the city.We soon learned the truth: a “rare wind event” had caused wildfires to spread rapidly across Oregon, including to forests south of Portland. As the week progressed, the fires and smoke intensified and people were evacuated from neighbouring towns. Portlanders now had three reasons to wear a mask: coronavirus, police teargas and deadly smoke.I refreshed local fire maps every 15 minutes, tracking the flames’ path. My husband and I discussed whether we should plan an escape route but we would have been met by smoke from other wildfires in almost any possible direction. Local government advice was to stay put unless an evacuation warning was issued. We held tight. More