csmonitor--2020-06-22--Daily for June 22, 2020

Daily for June 22, 2020

When her hunger grew too great , Sharmila Moonga began to eat blank pages from her diary .
Alone in her apartment this spring , she says two weeks passed without a meal .
At first she welcomed the challenge of life under lockdown , enjoying her private independence .
Then her leftover rice and lentils dwindled .
The aides who oversaw her cancer treatment – and often brought her food – discontinued visits .
Neighbors in her apartment building in the Queens borough of New York City became ill .
Living with a disability , she found solo trips @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Sikh temple that greeted her with the occasional meal closed its doors .
“ It was a combination of fear and ... well , I ’ m not doing so bad , because I have a roof over my head , ” she says .
“ I don ’ t really have much to complain about.
” There was also the embarrassment , says Ms. Moonga , of being unable to fend for herself .
She attempted to ask for free meal delivery through the city ’ s hotline , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and faint , she spent days taking medicine on an empty stomach .
She found COVID Care Neighbor Network on Facebook , a mutual aid group in Queens .
On May 1 , a bag brimming with rice , fruit , pasta , and canned food was delivered to her building .
“ It ’ s like Christmas – the joy of you receiving something that you so desperately need , ” she says .
Editor ’ s note : As a public service , all our coronavirus coverage is free .
No @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a thousand families in Queens , the diverse borough once home to the pandemic ’ s epicenter and over a fifth of the city ’ s “ essential ” workforce .
The effort has been headquartered out of the garage of Nuala O ’ Doherty-Naranjo – a community organizer running for New York state legislature – as a stopgap for New Yorkers when city services aren ’ t enough .
A patchwork of collaborators have joined in , including displaced immigrant workers and repurposed campaign volunteers .
For Ms. O ’ Doherty-Naranjo and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the public health crisis trumped politics .
“ I ’ m exhausted , ” she said with a laugh Friday , four days from the June 23 primary .
“ Normally in a campaign you go to political events , you go to parades – I think my time feeding my neighbors was very well spent .
How could we not do it ?
” The crisis has thrown the city ’ s inequality into sharp relief , she says .
As the city reels from the virus and inches toward reopening , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restore dignity block by block .
In Ms. Moonga ’ s words , “ They don ’ t pass judgment.
” It ’ s all hands on deck outside the garage .
Over the next few hours , some 120 families in central Queens will receive a bag with a day ’ s worth of food .
Hair swept back into a low ponytail , Ms. O ’ Doherty-Naranjo directs more than a dozen masked volunteers on a May afternoon to put this bag in that car , guided by a rainbow-rowed spreadsheet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trunk .
With a platform pressing education , health care , and transportation , Ms. O ’ Doherty-Naranjo paused her campaign for New York State Assembly on March 13 to focus on neighbors ’ needs .
Her outreach began with sticky notes on doors .
A Facebook group emerged , as did nearly 800 volunteers .
“ I have to be part of the solution , ” says volunteer Cordelia Persen .
“ I can ’ t just sit at home and watch the pain of my own neighbors.
” People call into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by volunteers .
For help accessing government benefits and other resources , callers pair up with social workers from nonprofit partner Together We Can Community Resource Center , which oversees fundraising .
After WNYC profiled Ms. Moonga in May , COVID Care received $ 1,800 in donations within 24 hours .
“ I want to go out of business , ” said Ms. O ’ Doherty-Naranjo last month .
Yet the effort continued through last week , with at least 1,864 donated bags of groceries , 4,015 calls , and $ 45,000 raised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ food pantry that will expand outreach in the high-need neighborhood of Corona .
The first American-born of her Irish family , she and her Ecuadorian husband have lived in Jackson Heights since 2001 , where her activism has ranged from education and safer streets to community gardening .
She also spent over 20 years as a Manhattan prosecutor .
Over Easter weekend , she helped a Nepalese Tibetan couple assign power of attorney over their children to a friend .
The couple was gravely ill with COVID-19 , and worried for their toddler @ @ @ @ @ @ @ really meaningful , ” says Pratima Maharjan , who recovered along with her husband .
“ I really trust her and love her.
” The majority of District 34 ’ s residents are foreign-born , and 6 out of 10 are Hispanic .
The district overlaps with Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ’ s territory .
Ahead of Tuesday ’ s crowded primary , Ms. O ’ Doherty-Naranjo isn ’ t the only Democratic state assembly hopeful who pivoted to community service .
Candidate Jessica González-Rojas temporarily halted her campaign March 12 .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I wouldn ’ t dare put my community at risk because I ’ m trying to win a political seat , ” says Ms. González-Rojas , former executive director at the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health .
Her team put down their clipboards and set up a phone bank to track residents ’ needs .
She says thousands received deliveries of groceries , medicine , and other essentials , as well as help applying to government aid .
She also hosted a virtual town hall for English and Spanish speakers on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Puerto Rican parents , the Latina candidate prioritizes high-quality health care for all , along with immigrant and LGBTQ rights and criminal justice reform .
Candidate Joy Chowdhury , a Bangladeshi American immigrant taxi driver and labor organizer , seeks to bolster the working class through a “ Gig Worker ’ s New Deal.
” Health care and affordable housing are also on his agenda .
“ I represent a community of laborers who have been underrepresented , who have kind of no voice , no guaranteed income , no health care – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” says Mr. Chowdhury , also a member of the U.S. National Guard .
With family back in Bangladesh to support , he ’ s spent the pandemic juggling community service , the need to earn a living , and his campaign , which was “ minimized to a near pause for many weeks in late March to much of April.
” Mr. Chowdhury is part of the women-led Queens Mutual Aid Network , a borough-wide initiative he says has organized grocery deliveries to over 1,000 families since late March .
As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he organized special deliveries during Ramadan .
The immigrant advocate also donated 10 masks to COVID Care volunteers .
According to his campaign website , white incumbent Assembly Member Michael DenDekker suspended campaigning on March 12 ( the governor ultimately reduced petitioning requirements due to the pandemic ) .
The six-term Democrat ’ s outreach has included distributing food and personal protective equipment , as well as helping constituents with unemployment insurance claims , a spokesman for Mr. DenDekker wrote the Monitor over email .
In a city of over 8 million people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Over the course of the pandemic , the city ’ s estimate has grown to 2.2 million .
New York City disperses some 1.5 million free meals a day via pickup sites and home deliveries – a network overseen by mayor-appointed “ Food Czar ” Kathryn Garcia , Department of Sanitation commissioner .
While the city ’ s estimated 360,000 unauthorized workers are ineligible for benefits like federal stimulus checks , food stamps , or unemployment insurance , the city ’ s emergency food resources are offered regardless of immigration status .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ city that no New Yorker will go hungry because of this crisis , ” the department ’ s assistant commissioner for public affairs , Joshua Goodman , told the Monitor in May .
“ Anyone in need should not be afraid to reach out for help.
” Ms. O ’ Doherty-Naranjo has called the city ’ s meal handouts inefficient , and favors more temporary aid that would allow unauthorized families to shop for themselves .
She says the majority of COVID Care callers for weeks have been food-insecure immigrants .
“ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ families can go on their own to the grocery store with dignity , buy the culturally appropriate food they want ... and cook in their own home , ” she says .
Due to federal coronavirus relief , every New York public school student – no matter immigration status – will receive up to $ 420 for food benefits .
Some New Yorkers have reported kinks in the emergency food system .
Ms. Moonga says she called New York City ’ s 311 hotline three or four times to inquire about free meal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t discern her accent as a British Indian woman , she says , so it directed her to the wrong department each time ( once to “ noise complaints ” ) .
Citywide closures of food pantries and soup kitchens peaked at 39 % by mid-April , according to a report published this month .
Economic and social distancing constraints forced these sites to shutter , according to the findings of the city ’ s largest hunger-relief organization , Food Bank for New York City .
The Bronx – the city ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outbreak – had half its emergency food programs close , followed by Queens at 38 % .
Hourslong lines at food pantries also made headlines .
( Mr. Goodman , the city spokesman , notes that proper social distancing leads to longer lines . )
When Dudley Stewart saw lines of locals waiting for handouts at churches and schools , it spurred him to partner with COVID Care .
The co-owner of Queensboro restaurant in Jackson Heights had already been donating meals to frontline heroes at an overwhelmed city-run hospital .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ great to be able to provide meals to health care workers , it seems like there ’ s a lot of people whose need is far , far greater in this moment , ” he says .
COVID Care used Queensboro ’ s walk-in refrigerators and kitchen space to assemble food donations for weeks .
Mr. Stewart says the eatery will soon open for sidewalk seating under the city ’ s “ Phase 2.
” Felipe Idrovo , an Ecuadorian immigrant who supports Ms. O ’ Doherty-Naranjo ’ s campaign , started delivering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ next month , the candidate ’ s family and his fellow church members helped him move as he was forced to find a new apartment – while battling COVID-19 .
Mr. Idrovo had a rough spring .
He lost his factory job in March ( by April , the city ’ s unemployment rate tripled ) .
The virus canceled church and his volunteer work on the board of immigrant-rights group Make the Road New York .
His brother died of COVID-19 after nine years in a nursing home .
Now recovered , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ personal boon .
“ I ’ m staying active doing what I can , ” he says .
“ It really helps unload my pain.
” On a bright May day at the edge of a Queens neighborhood , dozens of men stand with their backs to a fence .
One steps to the curb with arm extended , a plea to drivers exiting the highway .
But there are no moving jobs , no construction , no gardening gigs .
An hour passes and no one stops .
The day laborers wait @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ There ’ s been no work for two months , ” says Jonathan , an unauthorized immigrant from Guatemala who preferred not to print his last name .
“ Many of our friends live on the street now .
They could no longer pay rent , ” says another , who declined to give his name for security .
COVID Care has handed out 470 bagged lunches to day laborers .
Today Jonathan is one of the lucky ones .
He thanks the volunteers .
Clutching the brown paper bag with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he says .
While manufacturing and construction revived June 8 under the city ’ s “ Phase 1 ” reopening , Pedro Rodriguez says unauthorized workers ’ families are still three months behind on rent and other utilities , which take priority over food .
“ Poverty is the real enemy , ” he says .
Mr. Rodriguez is the executive director of La Jornada , a food pantry that has relied on mutual-aid volunteers to help deliver groceries to residents of the Corona neighborhood .
Need has exploded .
In January @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a week .
Now up to 6,000 families are served weekly ; Mr. Rodriguez estimates a third are unauthorized .
Partnered with COVID Care and Together We Can , last week it launched a new food pantry at the Queens Museum , with the goal of feeding 1,000 families a week as COVID Care ceases regular deliveries .
“ Now millions of people have felt poverty and they ’ ve never felt that before , ” he says .
As those who lost jobs begin to return to work , he wonders if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inspire a new empathy for others .
“ What will happen to their views on the poor , on the needy , on the widow , on the orphan , on immigrants ... since they were part of that group ?
” Ms. Moonga says she offers her food to struggling neighbors in her building .
She continued to receive COVID Care groceries every few weeks , along with weekly check-in calls .
She recently asked the group if it were possible to find some yarn .
Thanks to a stranger ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more pandemic blessing .
She hadn ’ t touched knitting since the summer of 2018 , when she was diagnosed with cancer .
“ It ’ s like heaven , ” says Ms. Moonga .
She gifted one volunteer a rose-colored crochet heart .
Editor ’ s note : This story has been updated to clarify the primary candidates ’ political affiliations as Democrats .
As a public service , all our coronavirus coverage is free .
No paywall .

In Queens, residents become the coronavirus safety net Collapse
Sarah Matusek/The Christian Science Monitor View caption Hide caption Nuala O'Doherty-Naranjo and her daughter strategize COVID Care Neighbor Network food deliveries outside their Jackson Heights garage on May 1, 2020, in Queens, New York.
When her hunger grew too great, Sharmila Moonga began to eat blank pages from her diary. Alone in her apartment this spring, she says two weeks passed without a meal.
At first she welcomed the challenge of life under lockdown, enjoying her private independence. Then her leftover rice and lentils dwindled.
The aides who oversaw her cancer treatment – and often brought her food – discontinued visits. Neighbors in her apartment building in the Queens borough of New York City became ill. Living with a disability, she found solo trips to the grocery store were practically impossible. The Sikh temple that greeted her with the occasional meal closed its doors.
“It was a combination of fear and ... well, I’m not doing so bad, because I have a roof over my head,” she says. “I don’t really have much to complain about.”
There was also the embarrassment, says Ms. Moonga, of being unable to fend for herself. She attempted to ask for free meal delivery through the city’s hotline, but the automated system failed her. Frustrated and faint, she spent days taking medicine on an empty stomach.
She found COVID Care Neighbor Network on Facebook, a mutual aid group in Queens. On May 1, a bag brimming with rice, fruit, pasta, and canned food was delivered to her building.
“It’s like Christmas – the joy of you receiving something that you so desperately need,” she says.
Editor’s note: As a public service, all our coronavirus coverage is free. No paywall.
COVID Care has fed over a thousand families in Queens, the diverse borough once home to the pandemic’s epicenter and over a fifth of the city’s “essential” workforce. The effort has been headquartered out of the garage of Nuala O’Doherty-Naranjo – a community organizer running for New York state legislature – as a stopgap for New Yorkers when city services aren’t enough.
A patchwork of collaborators have joined in, including displaced immigrant workers and repurposed campaign volunteers. For Ms. O’Doherty-Naranjo and fellow candidates committed to community service, the public health crisis trumped politics.
“I’m exhausted,” she said with a laugh Friday, four days from the June 23 primary. “Normally in a campaign you go to political events, you go to parades – I think my time feeding my neighbors was very well spent. How could we not do it?”
The crisis has thrown the city’s inequality into sharp relief, she says. As the city reels from the virus and inches toward reopening, mutual aid efforts like COVID Care help restore dignity block by block. In Ms. Moonga’s words, “They don’t pass judgment.”
“Epicenter of the epicenter”
It’s all hands on deck outside the garage. Over the next few hours, some 120 families in central Queens will receive a bag with a day’s worth of food. Hair swept back into a low ponytail, Ms. O’Doherty-Naranjo directs more than a dozen masked volunteers on a May afternoon to put this bag in that car, guided by a rainbow-rowed spreadsheet. Another car stops and pops its trunk.
“Oh great! Another donation!”
Sarah Matusek/The Christian Science Monitor View caption Hide caption COVID Care Neighbor Network volunteers prepare bags of donated groceries in Queens, New York, May 1, 2020. The mutual aid group has fed over a thousand of the borough's families in need during the pandemic.
With a platform pressing education, health care, and transportation, Ms. O’Doherty-Naranjo paused her campaign for New York State Assembly on March 13 to focus on neighbors’ needs. Her outreach began with sticky notes on doors. A Facebook group emerged, as did nearly 800 volunteers.
“I have to be part of the solution,” says volunteer Cordelia Persen. “I can’t just sit at home and watch the pain of my own neighbors.”
People call into the COVID Care phone line, staffed by volunteers. For help accessing government benefits and other resources, callers pair up with social workers from nonprofit partner Together We Can Community Resource Center, which oversees fundraising. After WNYC profiled Ms. Moonga in May, COVID Care received $1,800 in donations within 24 hours.
“I want to go out of business,” said Ms. O’Doherty-Naranjo last month. Yet the effort continued through last week, with at least 1,864 donated bags of groceries, 4,015 calls, and $45,000 raised. The new focus is a just-launched food pantry that will expand outreach in the high-need neighborhood of Corona.
The first American-born of her Irish family, she and her Ecuadorian husband have lived in Jackson Heights since 2001, where her activism has ranged from education and safer streets to community gardening. She also spent over 20 years as a Manhattan prosecutor. Over Easter weekend, she helped a Nepalese Tibetan couple assign power of attorney over their children to a friend. The couple was gravely ill with COVID-19, and worried for their toddler and 18-month-old.
“Her help was really meaningful,” says Pratima Maharjan, who recovered along with her husband. “I really trust her and love her.”
The majority of District 34’s residents are foreign-born, and 6 out of 10 are Hispanic. The district overlaps with Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s territory.
Ahead of Tuesday’s crowded primary, Ms. O’Doherty-Naranjo isn’t the only Democratic state assembly hopeful who pivoted to community service. Candidate Jessica González-Rojas temporarily halted her campaign March 12.
“I’m a public health person. I wouldn’t dare put my community at risk because I’m trying to win a political seat,” says Ms. González-Rojas, former executive director at the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health.
Her team put down their clipboards and set up a phone bank to track residents’ needs. She says thousands received deliveries of groceries, medicine, and other essentials, as well as help applying to government aid. She also hosted a virtual town hall for English and Spanish speakers on public benefits.
Born to Paraguayan and Puerto Rican parents, the Latina candidate prioritizes high-quality health care for all, along with immigrant and LGBTQ rights and criminal justice reform.
Candidate Joy Chowdhury, a Bangladeshi American immigrant taxi driver and labor organizer, seeks to bolster the working class through a “Gig Worker’s New Deal.” Health care and affordable housing are also on his agenda.
“I represent a community of laborers who have been underrepresented, who have kind of no voice, no guaranteed income, no health care – I don’t have health care,” says Mr. Chowdhury, also a member of the U.S. National Guard. With family back in Bangladesh to support, he’s spent the pandemic juggling community service, the need to earn a living, and his campaign, which was “minimized to a near pause for many weeks in late March to much of April.”
Mr. Chowdhury is part of the women-led Queens Mutual Aid Network, a borough-wide initiative he says has organized grocery deliveries to over 1,000 families since late March. As a volunteer dispatcher and delivery driver, he organized special deliveries during Ramadan. The immigrant advocate also donated 10 masks to COVID Care volunteers.
According to his campaign website, white incumbent Assembly Member Michael DenDekker suspended campaigning on March 12 (the governor ultimately reduced petitioning requirements due to the pandemic). The six-term Democrat’s outreach has included distributing food and personal protective equipment, as well as helping constituents with unemployment insurance claims, a spokesman for Mr. DenDekker wrote the Monitor over email.
Hunger emergency
In a city of over 8 million people, typically 1.2 million are food insecure. Over the course of the pandemic, the city’s estimate has grown to 2.2 million.
New York City disperses some 1.5 million free meals a day via pickup sites and home deliveries – a network overseen by mayor-appointed “Food Czar” Kathryn Garcia, Department of Sanitation commissioner. While the city’s estimated 360,000 unauthorized workers are ineligible for benefits like federal stimulus checks, food stamps, or unemployment insurance, the city’s emergency food resources are offered regardless of immigration status.
“We have a commitment in this city that no New Yorker will go hungry because of this crisis,” the department’s assistant commissioner for public affairs, Joshua Goodman, told the Monitor in May. “Anyone in need should not be afraid to reach out for help.”
Ms. O’Doherty-Naranjo has called the city’s meal handouts inefficient, and favors more temporary aid that would allow unauthorized families to shop for themselves. She says the majority of COVID Care callers for weeks have been food-insecure immigrants.
“The best step is food stamps, so families can go on their own to the grocery store with dignity, buy the culturally appropriate food they want ... and cook in their own home,” she says. Due to federal coronavirus relief, every New York public school student – no matter immigration status – will receive up to $420 for food benefits.
Some New Yorkers have reported kinks in the emergency food system. Ms. Moonga says she called New York City’s 311 hotline three or four times to inquire about free meal delivery. The automated system couldn’t discern her accent as a British Indian woman, she says, so it directed her to the wrong department each time (once to “noise complaints”).
Citywide closures of food pantries and soup kitchens peaked at 39% by mid-April, according to a report published this month. Economic and social distancing constraints forced these sites to shutter, according to the findings of the city’s largest hunger-relief organization, Food Bank for New York City. The Bronx – the city’s poorest borough and current center of the outbreak – had half its emergency food programs close, followed by Queens at 38%.
Hourslong lines at food pantries also made headlines. (Mr. Goodman, the city spokesman, notes that proper social distancing leads to longer lines.) When Dudley Stewart saw lines of locals waiting for handouts at churches and schools, it spurred him to partner with COVID Care. The co-owner of Queensboro restaurant in Jackson Heights had already been donating meals to frontline heroes at an overwhelmed city-run hospital.
“We realized that as much as it was great to be able to provide meals to health care workers, it seems like there’s a lot of people whose need is far, far greater in this moment,” he says. COVID Care used Queensboro’s walk-in refrigerators and kitchen space to assemble food donations for weeks. Mr. Stewart says the eatery will soon open for sidewalk seating under the city’s “Phase 2.”
Felipe Idrovo, an Ecuadorian immigrant who supports Ms. O’Doherty-Naranjo’s campaign, started delivering for COVID Care in March. The next month, the candidate’s family and his fellow church members helped him move as he was forced to find a new apartment – while battling COVID-19.
Mr. Idrovo had a rough spring. He lost his factory job in March (by April, the city’s unemployment rate tripled). The virus canceled church and his volunteer work on the board of immigrant-rights group Make the Road New York. His brother died of COVID-19 after nine years in a nursing home.
Now recovered, Mr. Idrovo says volunteering has been a personal boon.
“I’m staying active doing what I can,” he says. “It really helps unload my pain.”
“Poverty is the real enemy”
On a bright May day at the edge of a Queens neighborhood, dozens of men stand with their backs to a fence. One steps to the curb with arm extended, a plea to drivers exiting the highway. But there are no moving jobs, no construction, no gardening gigs.
An hour passes and no one stops. The day laborers wait, as they do every day.
“There’s been no work for two months,” says Jonathan, an unauthorized immigrant from Guatemala who preferred not to print his last name.
“Many of our friends live on the street now. They could no longer pay rent,” says another, who declined to give his name for security.
COVID Care has handed out 470 bagged lunches to day laborers. Today Jonathan is one of the lucky ones. He thanks the volunteers. Clutching the brown paper bag with a sandwich inside, he’s happy, he says.
While manufacturing and construction revived June 8 under the city’s “Phase 1” reopening, Pedro Rodriguez says unauthorized workers’ families are still three months behind on rent and other utilities, which take priority over food. “Poverty is the real enemy,” he says.
Mr. Rodriguez is the executive director of La Jornada, a food pantry that has relied on mutual-aid volunteers to help deliver groceries to residents of the Corona neighborhood.
Need has exploded. In January, La Jornada served some 1,000 families a week. Now up to 6,000 families are served weekly; Mr. Rodriguez estimates a third are unauthorized. Partnered with COVID Care and Together We Can, last week it launched a new food pantry at the Queens Museum, with the goal of feeding 1,000 families a week as COVID Care ceases regular deliveries.
“Now millions of people have felt poverty and they’ve never felt that before,” he says. As those who lost jobs begin to return to work, he wonders if the past months’ economic ruin will inspire a new empathy for others.
“What will happen to their views on the poor, on the needy, on the widow, on the orphan, on immigrants ... since they were part of that group?”
Ms. Moonga says she offers her food to struggling neighbors in her building. She continued to receive COVID Care groceries every few weeks, along with weekly check-in calls. She recently asked the group if it were possible to find some yarn.
Thanks to a stranger’s donation, the yarn has become one more pandemic blessing. She hadn’t touched knitting since the summer of 2018, when she was diagnosed with cancer.
“It’s like heaven,” says Ms. Moonga. She gifted one volunteer a rose-colored crochet heart.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to clarify the primary candidates’ political affiliations as Democrats. As a public service, all our coronavirus coverage is free. No paywall.


csmonitor--2020-05-01--The global jolt toward creative thinking

Right now around the world one of the largest creative exercises of the 21st century is taking place : Thousands of political leaders are deciding when to reopen their economies as the COVID-19 threat fades .
To balance the difficult trade-offs in ending a lockdown , they must challenge old ways of thinking and invent new approaches .
But they are not alone .
In their isolation at home , families are shedding habits and learning to solve problems posed by the pandemic .
With classrooms closed , schools are testing their assumptions about how students learn .
Retailers are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ With their workers returning soon , manufacturers are experimenting with new workplace techniques and supply chains for a post-pandemic world .
In the rush to invent a vaccine , thousands of researchers are breaking new ground in scientific thinking .
The coronavirus may have weakened much of society .
But the great weakening has stirred a great awakening .
People are digging deeper for inspiration and breaking mental chains .
Trends like digitization and online learning have been fast-forwarded .
Peter Coleman , a Columbia University professor who studies the impact of societal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a major crisis “ are more open and their thinking is more flexible than it was before.
” They listen to alternative ideas and discard old realities .
Over many shocks , they can attain an irreversible innovation in thought .
They also see the utility of unity where once they reveled in playing up differences with others .
“ The extraordinary shock to our system that the coronavirus pandemic is bringing has the potential to break America out of the 50-plus year pattern of escalating political and cultural polarization we have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to change course toward greater national solidarity and functionality , ” Dr. Coleman writes .
“ The time for change is clearly ripening.
” Even in the midst of the crisis , it is time to celebrate the shift toward creativity and unity .
One example is “ The Call to Unite , ” a 24-hour global streamathon that starts May 1 at 8 p.m. Eastern time .
The event has pulled together dozens of global leaders and celebrities to reflect on the long-term meaning of the crisis .
The goal : “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this moment into possibility for tomorrow ... and inspire you to pay it forward.
” Much of daily life – shopping , working , worshipping , governing – has been turned inside out but also has been given an overdue review .
The exercise in fresh thinking , while unwelcome at first , could be here to last .
Parts of life may eventually return to the prior normal .
The ability to envision a new life may not .

Right now around the world one of the largest creative exercises of the 21st century is taking place: Thousands of political leaders are deciding when to reopen their economies as the COVID-19 threat fades. To balance the difficult trade-offs in ending a lockdown, they must challenge old ways of thinking and invent new approaches.
But they are not alone. In their isolation at home, families are shedding habits and learning to solve problems posed by the pandemic. With classrooms closed, schools are testing their assumptions about how students learn.
Retailers are trying new ways to keep customers. With their workers returning soon, manufacturers are experimenting with new workplace techniques and supply chains for a post-pandemic world. In the rush to invent a vaccine, thousands of researchers are breaking new ground in scientific thinking.
The coronavirus may have weakened much of society. But the great weakening has stirred a great awakening. People are digging deeper for inspiration and breaking mental chains. Trends like digitization and online learning have been fast-forwarded.
Peter Coleman, a Columbia University professor who studies the impact of societal shocks, writes that people coming out of a major crisis “are more open and their thinking is more flexible than it was before.” They listen to alternative ideas and discard old realities. Over many shocks, they can attain an irreversible innovation in thought.
They also see the utility of unity where once they reveled in playing up differences with others.
“The extraordinary shock to our system that the coronavirus pandemic is bringing has the potential to break America out of the 50-plus year pattern of escalating political and cultural polarization we have been trapped in, and help us to change course toward greater national solidarity and functionality,” Dr. Coleman writes. “The time for change is clearly ripening.”
Even in the midst of the crisis, it is time to celebrate the shift toward creativity and unity.
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One example is “The Call to Unite,” a 24-hour global streamathon that starts May 1 at 8 p.m. Eastern time. The event has pulled together dozens of global leaders and celebrities to reflect on the long-term meaning of the crisis. The goal: “to help you turn the pain of this moment into possibility for tomorrow ... and inspire you to pay it forward.”
Much of daily life – shopping, working, worshipping, governing – has been turned inside out but also has been given an overdue review. The exercise in fresh thinking, while unwelcome at first, could be here to last. Parts of life may eventually return to the prior normal. The ability to envision a new life may not.


csmonitor--2020-05-01--Puppy love: Corgis join popular American dog rankings

America 's dogs are having their day as the coronavirus keeps many people at home more with their pets and spurs so much adoption and fostering that some shelters ' kennels have emptied .
But while much is changing for people and pooches around the country , here 's something holding as steady as a dog with a favorite toy : Labrador retrievers remain the nation 's most popular purebreds for a record-extending 29th year , according to American Kennel Club rankings being released Friday .
The rest of the top 10 includes German shepherds ; golden retrievers ; French @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; Rottweilers ; German shorthaired pointers – and , for the first time , Pembroke Welsh corgis .
The rankings indicate the relative popularity of different breeds among the 589,868 purebred dogs , mostly puppies , that joined the nation 's oldest dog registry last year .
Registration is voluntary .
The list includes the 193 breeds that the AKC recognizes – no Labradoodles , puggles , Yorkipoos , or other `` designer '' hybrids , at least for now .
Breeds sometimes get added over time .
The chart also does n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up a vast share of the estimated 77 million or more canines in U.S. homes .
Pembroke Welsh corgis ( not to be confused with somewhat larger , longer-tailed Cardigan Welsh corgis ) have a long history of herding cattle and sheep in their native Wales .
But Pembrokes have become best known as companions of their most famous fancier , the U.K. 's Queen Elizabeth II .
Another Pembroke was California 's social-media-friendly `` first dog '' for a time during former Gov .
Jerry Brown 's administration in the 2010s .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for being spunky and sociable .
`` They 're really darned cute ... and they 're just fun to be with , '' said Bobbe Lord of Boonton , New Jersey , a longtime owner and breeder .
Ms. Lord surmises Pembrokes got a boost in recent years from some popular , corgi-focused social media accounts and the Netflix series `` The Crown , '' which chronicles Queen Elizabeth II 's life .
Ms. Lord appreciates the interest in her beloved breed but also worries about inexperienced people thinking they can make big @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If you 're doing it right , that does n't happen , '' she said .
The English foxhound is the rarest breed in the new rankings .
The sizable , high-stamina and vocal hounds have a long history in the U.S. but are n't often found as purely house pets .
Fans tend to deploy the dogs for their traditional , pack-hunting purpose .
`` It 's a beautiful breed .
I just do n't think people see them enough to know about them , '' says AKC spokeswoman Brandi Hunter .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ humane groups have complained that the popularity of purebred dogs leads people to buy pedigreed puppies instead of adopting mixed-breed pets that need homes .
And for years , the AKC has countered that breeding helps pair dogs with owners who want to know what to expect in a canine , whether the priority is fugitive-tracking acumen or an activity level that matches the household 's .
Now , those on all sides of the debate have something to cheer in common : The coronavirus crisis has prompted more people to seek out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York-based American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals says it has gotten over 1,500 online applications to foster dogs and cats since March 15 , six times more than the same period last year .
Seventy percent more animals have actually gone into foster homes in recent weeks , compared to last year .
`` During this period of great uncertainty , one bright spot has been the incredibly compassionate response from people willing to open their homes to adopt and foster vulnerable shelter animals , '' CEO Matt Bershadker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need foster homes right now but notes that could change as kitten season continues .
Dog breeders are also getting more inquiries : Ms. Lord says she 's been fielding five to seven a day lately , though she has no puppies available .
The AKC urges purebred-seekers to research breeds for the right fit and to plan ahead for pet care for when – someday – people return to more normal routines .
`` We are in a very unique situation being at home all of the time , '' Ms. Hunter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , that will not always be the case . ''
This story was reported by The Associated Press .
Editor ’ s note : As a public service , the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage .
It ’ s free .

America's dogs are having their day as the coronavirus keeps many people at home more with their pets and spurs so much adoption and fostering that some shelters' kennels have emptied.
But while much is changing for people and pooches around the country, here's something holding as steady as a dog with a favorite toy: Labrador retrievers remain the nation's most popular purebreds for a record-extending 29th year, according to American Kennel Club rankings being released Friday.
The rest of the top 10 includes German shepherds; golden retrievers; French bulldogs; bulldogs; poodles; beagles; Rottweilers; German shorthaired pointers – and, for the first time, Pembroke Welsh corgis.
The rankings indicate the relative popularity of different breeds among the 589,868 purebred dogs, mostly puppies, that joined the nation's oldest dog registry last year. Registration is voluntary.
The list includes the 193 breeds that the AKC recognizes – no Labradoodles, puggles, Yorkipoos, or other "designer" hybrids, at least for now. Breeds sometimes get added over time.
The chart also doesn't reflect the everyday mixed-breed dogs that make up a vast share of the estimated 77 million or more canines in U.S. homes.
Pembroke Welsh corgis (not to be confused with somewhat larger, longer-tailed Cardigan Welsh corgis) have a long history of herding cattle and sheep in their native Wales.
But Pembrokes have become best known as companions of their most famous fancier, the U.K.'s Queen Elizabeth II. Another Pembroke was California's social-media-friendly "first dog" for a time during former Gov. Jerry Brown's administration in the 2010s.
The short-legged, long-bodied breed is known for being spunky and sociable.
"They're really darned cute ... and they're just fun to be with," said Bobbe Lord of Boonton, New Jersey, a longtime owner and breeder.
Ms. Lord surmises Pembrokes got a boost in recent years from some popular, corgi-focused social media accounts and the Netflix series "The Crown," which chronicles Queen Elizabeth II's life.
Ms. Lord appreciates the interest in her beloved breed but also worries about inexperienced people thinking they can make big money by breeding trendy puppies.
"If you're doing it right, that doesn't happen," she said.
The English foxhound is the rarest breed in the new rankings. The sizable, high-stamina and vocal hounds have a long history in the U.S. but aren't often found as purely house pets. Fans tend to deploy the dogs for their traditional, pack-hunting purpose.
"It's a beautiful breed. I just don't think people see them enough to know about them," says AKC spokeswoman Brandi Hunter.
For years, animal-rights advocates and some humane groups have complained that the popularity of purebred dogs leads people to buy pedigreed puppies instead of adopting mixed-breed pets that need homes.
And for years, the AKC has countered that breeding helps pair dogs with owners who want to know what to expect in a canine, whether the priority is fugitive-tracking acumen or an activity level that matches the household's.
Now, those on all sides of the debate have something to cheer in common: The coronavirus crisis has prompted more people to seek out dogs, every which way.
The New York-based American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals says it has gotten over 1,500 online applications to foster dogs and cats since March 15, six times more than the same period last year. Seventy percent more animals have actually gone into foster homes in recent weeks, compared to last year.
"During this period of great uncertainty, one bright spot has been the incredibly compassionate response from people willing to open their homes to adopt and foster vulnerable shelter animals," CEO Matt Bershadker said. The ASPCA doesn't currently need foster homes right now but notes that could change as kitten season continues.
Dog breeders are also getting more inquiries: Ms. Lord says she's been fielding five to seven a day lately, though she has no puppies available.
The AKC urges purebred-seekers to research breeds for the right fit and to plan ahead for pet care for when – someday – people return to more normal routines.
"We are in a very unique situation being at home all of the time," Ms. Hunter notes. "For many of us, that will not always be the case."
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This story was reported by The Associated Press.
Editor’s note: As a public service, the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage. It’s free.


csmonitor--2020-06-12--Daily for June 12, 2020

Daily for June 12, 2020

Preparing the lifeguard station from which he watches over sea bathers in Taiwan ’ s Kenting National Park , Su Chenzhe takes a moment to reflect on events in Hong Kong , some 400 miles away across the Taiwan Strait .
“ We don ’ t want today ’ s Hong Kong to be tomorrow ’ s Taiwan , ” the young man with a swimmer ’ s build says one morning as he surveys the waves breaking at his beach in southernmost Pingtung County .
“ I want Taiwan to be a free , democratic country.
” Mr. Su @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slogans one hears increasingly across a fervently democratic Taiwan – and especially in the pro-Hong Kong bookshops and coffeehouses of the capital , Taipei – as mainland China steps up actions weakening Hong Kong ’ s semi-autonomous status and democratic political system .
Like Hong Kong , Taiwan in the eyes of China ’ s Communist Party government is a province – governed separately for now but ultimately to be fully united with the mainland under Communist rule , by force if necessary .
Beijing vows to take over Taiwan , invoking the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” formula of Hong Kong policy – a plan rejected , say polls , by more than 85 % of Taiwan ’ s 23 million people .
And it is this stance from the increasingly aggressive authorities in Beijing that has many Taiwanese keeping a sharp eye on events in Hong Kong , attending boisterous pro-Hong Kong marches , and invoking cautionary slogans like “ Today ’ s Hong Kong , tomorrow ’ s Taiwan !
” No one anticipates any steps threatening Taiwan ’ s autonomy on the order of the mainland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any time soon .
Beijing would seem to have its hands full managing events in Hong Kong and other restive regions like Xinjiang and Tibet , economic fallout from the coronavirus , the U.S.-China trade spat , and steering China ’ s rise to dominance in a dynamic Asia .
Moreover , Taiwan ’ s relations with the United States have strengthened under President Donald Trump , and the island ’ s president , Tsai Ing-wen , has played her limited cards adeptly , foreign policy experts say .
She has recently showcased @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with transparency ( as opposed to the mainland ) and clarity at home .
And , they say , she has deftly inserted Taiwan into the collection of democracies , starting with the U.S. , that have condemned China ’ s attacks on Hong Kong ’ s democratic system and its status as a semi-autonomous entity .
What does worry some experts in Asian security issues , however , is that China might misjudge the U.S. , seeing it as weak and distracted with multiple crises and thus unlikely to respond to Chinese @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American president might be tempted to take dramatic steps concerning Taiwan to put fresh meat on the bones of his increasingly anti-China stance in the run-up to November elections .
“ The U.S. now has three crises – in public health , in the economy , and the political crisis playing out on the streets – and so what I ’ m arguing is that the [ Chinese Communist Party ] might think that U.S. leadership and America ’ s strengths are weakened , and that could lead to some dangerous miscalculations , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ specialist in Asian security affairs and former analyst at the Congressional Research Service .
“ But China should not make that mistake , ” she adds , noting that if anything , Taiwan ’ s position in what she calls the “ coalition of democracies ” standing up to China over Hong Kong is stronger than ever .
Other experts underscore Mr. Trump ’ s penchant for dramatic foreign policy actions – meeting with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un , recognizing Jerusalem as Israel ’ s capital and moving the U.S. Embassy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ choose Taiwan as a way of dramatizing his newfound toughness on China .
“ Imagine a major incident in the South China Sea , ” where China has been stepping up its fighter jet reconnaissance flights in Taiwan ’ s airspace , “ and I wouldn ’ t be surprised to see any of a number of dramatic steps in response , like rushing through more sophisticated arms sales to Taipei or even inviting President Tsai to the White House , ” says Harry Kazianis , an expert in U.S.-China relations and East @ @ @ @ @ @ @ National Interest in Washington .
“ Basically , it would be the U.S. recognizing Taiwan as a separate entity ” from China .
Taiwan ’ s public overwhelmingly supports closer economic and political ties with the U.S. , while rating the U.S. more favorably than mainland China by a nearly 2-to-1 margin , according to a May poll by the Pew Research Center .
“ There is no doubt Taiwan will get closer to the U.S. and further away ” from the People ’ s Republic of China ( PRC ) , says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ professor at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville , Texas .
For many analysts , it was China ’ s aggression , heightened by its tightening grip on Hong Kong , that led to President Tsai ’ s landslide reelection victory in January .
Her Democratic Progressive Party considers Taiwan an independent country , though Ms. Tsai is careful not to enflame the independence-unification debate .
Ms. Tsai is “ a stable hand at the tiller .
She does not create surprises for anyone , ” says Kharis Templeman , an adviser on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But to understand Beijing ’ s pressure on both Hong Kong and Taiwan , it ’ s important to consider Communist Party leaders ’ concerns about discontent at home , some Asia experts say .
“ The Chinese Communist Party is now experiencing some domestic internal pressure , ” in part over its handling of the coronavirus , says Dr. Weng , who is also a research fellow at National Chengchi University in Taiwan .
“ There are a lot of complaints , ” he adds .
“ They have to show the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take over Hong Kong.
” In recent months , Beijing has adopted a similar toughened posture toward Taiwan , escalating military patrols around the island , which lies just 80 miles off the coast of mainland China , while waging a constant barrage of cyberattacks and disinformation .
Beijing has become “ even more aggressive in military threats , [ diplomatically ] poaching Taiwan ’ s allies , preventing Taiwan from participating in international organizations , ” says Ketty W. Chen , vice president of the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy in Taipei .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Taiwan from participation in the World Health Organization , even though Taiwan has been on the front line of the coronavirus pandemic .
But if anything , this approach has backfired , says Dr. Chen .
“ The PRC government and President Xi [ Jinping ] have painted themselves into a corner and have to treat Taiwan harshly , ” she adds , “ but then what to do after that ?
” Meanwhile , China ’ s pressure tactics are wearing thin , say Taiwanese interviewed across the island .
“ China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they are constantly attacking us !
” says Jojo Lin , a recent college graduate and one of the record number of voters who cast their ballot for Ms. Tsai .
In her inauguration address in May , Ms. Tsai took her trademark balanced approach , calling for peace and stability and urging both sides to “ find a way to coexist over the long term.
” But she confirmed Taiwan ’ s opposition to Beijing ’ s reunification policy : “ We will not accept the Beijing authorities ’ use of ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” she said , “ to dwarf Taiwan and destroy the cross-strait status quo.
” With both Beijing ’ s aggression and her public ’ s regard for the U.S. on the rise , Ms. Tsai is likely to continue highlighting her strong relations with Washington .
At the same time , it may not be in her interest to see Taiwan become a pawn in what the National Interest ’ s Mr. Kazianis calls a “ rhetorical cold war ” between the two superpowers .
Last week Secretary of State Mike Pompeo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for its “ obscene propaganda ” about U.S. street protests even as China represses individual freedoms .
“ When people – such as those in Hong Kong and Taiwan – with common roots in an awe-inspiring civilization … embrace freedom , that freedom is crushed , and the people subordinated to Party dictates and demands.
” That their freedom has been “ crushed ” might be news to the Taiwanese .
But being mentioned in the same breath as Hong Kong is also reassurance that Taiwan ’ s standing in Washington , long @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now on stronger footing .
“ Suddenly it ’ s cool to be pro-Taiwan again in U.S. foreign policy circles , ” says Mr. Kazianis .
“ What it amounts to is a de facto recognition of Taiwan ’ s existence as a separate entity ” from mainland China .
Still , many experts caution that Taiwan must remain “ realistic , ” as Ms. Kan says , and understand that even an increasingly anti-China U.S. will have to carefully tend its relations with Asia ’ s rising superpower , the world ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than in the past , Taiwan enjoys bipartisan support in Washington , especially in the Congress , and is viewed as one of the partners in a free and open Indo-Pacific , ” says Ms. Kan. “ That said , I see no paradigm shift ” in the triangle of U.S.-China-Taiwan relations .

How China’s heavy steps in Hong Kong reverberate in Taiwan Collapse
Preparing the lifeguard station from which he watches over sea bathers in Taiwan’s Kenting National Park, Su Chenzhe takes a moment to reflect on events in Hong Kong, some 400 miles away across the Taiwan Strait.
“We don’t want today’s Hong Kong to be tomorrow’s Taiwan,” the young man with a swimmer’s build says one morning as he surveys the waves breaking at his beach in southernmost Pingtung County. “I want Taiwan to be a free, democratic country.”
Mr. Su’s words echo the conversations and slogans one hears increasingly across a fervently democratic Taiwan – and especially in the pro-Hong Kong bookshops and coffeehouses of the capital, Taipei – as mainland China steps up actions weakening Hong Kong’s semi-autonomous status and democratic political system.
Like Hong Kong, Taiwan in the eyes of China’s Communist Party government is a province – governed separately for now but ultimately to be fully united with the mainland under Communist rule, by force if necessary. Beijing vows to take over Taiwan, invoking the same “one country, two systems” formula of Hong Kong policy – a plan rejected, say polls, by more than 85% of Taiwan’s 23 million people.
And it is this stance from the increasingly aggressive authorities in Beijing that has many Taiwanese keeping a sharp eye on events in Hong Kong, attending boisterous pro-Hong Kong marches, and invoking cautionary slogans like “Today’s Hong Kong, tomorrow’s Taiwan!”
No one anticipates any steps threatening Taiwan’s autonomy on the order of the mainland’s tightening grip on Hong Kong any time soon. Beijing would seem to have its hands full managing events in Hong Kong and other restive regions like Xinjiang and Tibet, economic fallout from the coronavirus, the U.S.-China trade spat, and steering China’s rise to dominance in a dynamic Asia.
Moreover, Taiwan’s relations with the United States have strengthened under President Donald Trump, and the island’s president, Tsai Ing-wen, has played her limited cards adeptly, foreign policy experts say. She has recently showcased the advantages of handling the coronavirus crisis with transparency (as opposed to the mainland) and clarity at home. And, they say, she has deftly inserted Taiwan into the collection of democracies, starting with the U.S., that have condemned China’s attacks on Hong Kong’s democratic system and its status as a semi-autonomous entity.
Risk of miscalculation
What does worry some experts in Asian security issues, however, is that China might misjudge the U.S., seeing it as weak and distracted with multiple crises and thus unlikely to respond to Chinese provocations. Others wonder if a mercurial American president might be tempted to take dramatic steps concerning Taiwan to put fresh meat on the bones of his increasingly anti-China stance in the run-up to November elections.
“The U.S. now has three crises – in public health, in the economy, and the political crisis playing out on the streets – and so what I’m arguing is that the [Chinese Communist Party] might think that U.S. leadership and America’s strengths are weakened, and that could lead to some dangerous miscalculations,” says Shirley Kan, an independent specialist in Asian security affairs and former analyst at the Congressional Research Service.
“But China should not make that mistake,” she adds, noting that if anything, Taiwan’s position in what she calls the “coalition of democracies” standing up to China over Hong Kong is stronger than ever.
Other experts underscore Mr. Trump’s penchant for dramatic foreign policy actions – meeting with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and moving the U.S. Embassy there – and posit that he could choose Taiwan as a way of dramatizing his newfound toughness on China.
Ann Wang/Reuters View caption Hide caption Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen waves to the crowd in Keelung, Taiwan, June 9, 2020.
“Imagine a major incident in the South China Sea,” where China has been stepping up its fighter jet reconnaissance flights in Taiwan’s airspace, “and I wouldn’t be surprised to see any of a number of dramatic steps in response, like rushing through more sophisticated arms sales to Taipei or even inviting President Tsai to the White House,” says Harry Kazianis, an expert in U.S.-China relations and East Asian security at the Center for the National Interest in Washington. “Basically, it would be the U.S. recognizing Taiwan as a separate entity” from China.
Taiwan’s public overwhelmingly supports closer economic and political ties with the U.S., while rating the U.S. more favorably than mainland China by a nearly 2-to-1 margin, according to a May poll by the Pew Research Center.
“There is no doubt Taiwan will get closer to the U.S. and further away” from the People’s Republic of China (PRC), says Dennis Lu-Chung Weng, a political science professor at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas.
For many analysts, it was China’s aggression, heightened by its tightening grip on Hong Kong, that led to President Tsai’s landslide reelection victory in January. Her Democratic Progressive Party considers Taiwan an independent country, though Ms. Tsai is careful not to enflame the independence-unification debate.
Ms. Tsai is “a stable hand at the tiller. She does not create surprises for anyone,” says Kharis Templeman, an adviser on the Hoover Institution Project on Taiwan.
Jacob Turcotte/Staff
But to understand Beijing’s pressure on both Hong Kong and Taiwan, it’s important to consider Communist Party leaders’ concerns about discontent at home, some Asia experts say.
“The Chinese Communist Party is now experiencing some domestic internal pressure,” in part over its handling of the coronavirus, says Dr. Weng, who is also a research fellow at National Chengchi University in Taiwan. “There are a lot of complaints,” he adds. “They have to show the people ... they are strong enough to take over Hong Kong.”
Pressure tactics
In recent months, Beijing has adopted a similar toughened posture toward Taiwan, escalating military patrols around the island, which lies just 80 miles off the coast of mainland China, while waging a constant barrage of cyberattacks and disinformation.
Beijing has become “even more aggressive in military threats, [diplomatically] poaching Taiwan’s allies, preventing Taiwan from participating in international organizations,” says Ketty W. Chen, vice president of the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy in Taipei. Beijing, for example, has barred Taiwan from participation in the World Health Organization, even though Taiwan has been on the front line of the coronavirus pandemic.
But if anything, this approach has backfired, says Dr. Chen. “The PRC government and President Xi [Jinping] have painted themselves into a corner and have to treat Taiwan harshly,” she adds, “but then what to do after that?”
Meanwhile, China’s pressure tactics are wearing thin, say Taiwanese interviewed across the island.
“China wants to unite with us, but they are constantly attacking us!” says Jojo Lin, a recent college graduate and one of the record number of voters who cast their ballot for Ms. Tsai.
In her inauguration address in May, Ms. Tsai took her trademark balanced approach, calling for peace and stability and urging both sides to “find a way to coexist over the long term.” But she confirmed Taiwan’s opposition to Beijing’s reunification policy: “We will not accept the Beijing authorities’ use of ‘one country, two systems,’” she said, “to dwarf Taiwan and destroy the cross-strait status quo.”
“It’s cool to be pro-Taiwan again”
With both Beijing’s aggression and her public’s regard for the U.S. on the rise, Ms. Tsai is likely to continue highlighting her strong relations with Washington. At the same time, it may not be in her interest to see Taiwan become a pawn in what the National Interest’s Mr. Kazianis calls a “rhetorical cold war” between the two superpowers.
Last week Secretary of State Mike Pompeo issued a statement blasting the Communist Party for its “obscene propaganda” about U.S. street protests even as China represses individual freedoms. “When people – such as those in Hong Kong and Taiwan – with common roots in an awe-inspiring civilization … embrace freedom, that freedom is crushed, and the people subordinated to Party dictates and demands.”
That their freedom has been “crushed” might be news to the Taiwanese. But being mentioned in the same breath as Hong Kong is also reassurance that Taiwan’s standing in Washington, long secondary to relations with Beijing, is now on stronger footing.
“Suddenly it’s cool to be pro-Taiwan again in U.S. foreign policy circles,” says Mr. Kazianis. “What it amounts to is a de facto recognition of Taiwan’s existence as a separate entity” from mainland China.
Still, many experts caution that Taiwan must remain “realistic,” as Ms. Kan says, and understand that even an increasingly anti-China U.S. will have to carefully tend its relations with Asia’s rising superpower, the world’s second-largest economy.
“Much more than in the past, Taiwan enjoys bipartisan support in Washington, especially in the Congress, and is viewed as one of the partners in a free and open Indo-Pacific,” says Ms. Kan. “That said, I see no paradigm shift” in the triangle of U.S.-China-Taiwan relations.
Ann Scott Tyson’s reporting included some from Taiwan.


csmonitor--2020-02-03--Part company? Or be good company?

Part company? Or be good company?

A glance at recent headlines might leave the impression that much of the world is decoupling .
Nations are cutting ties with China over a virus outbreak .
Last week Britain split from the European Union .
In the U.S. , Democrats and Republicans are more divided than ever as impeachment comes to an end and primary voting starts for the 2020 elections .
Even the British royal family has its “ Megxit ” as Prince Harry and Meghan , the Duchess of Sussex , depart for North America .
Yet what is often missing in such stories are those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the other and try to repair the breach with a measure of respect and compassion , even a helping hand .
Take Brexit , which has left a certain bitterness on either side of the English Channel .
In an open letter to the British people , French President Emmanuel Macron said “ you are not leaving Europe ” despite the lowering of the Union Jack outside the European Parliament on Jan. 31 .
He praised Britons as influential players in Europe .
He offered to deepen ties on security and open @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the strength of our unrivaled ties.
” He predicted Britain and continental Europe may end up closer than can be imagined .
In June the French leader plans to award London with the Legion of Honor in hopes of reviving cross-channel ties .
Meanwhile , European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU seeks an “ unprecedented partnership ” with Britain as the two sides start talks to negotiate a new trade relationship .
As for China , which faces criticism of its response to the coronavirus outbreak as well as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , many world leaders are stepping up to offer sympathy and aid .
President Donald Trump , for example , offered “ any help that is necessary.
” The EU made a similar offer .
South Korea , Singapore , Japan , and several other countries are sending assistance .
“ If we help China deal with this , I think the problem becomes smaller for everyone else , ” said Singapore ’ s health minister , Gan Kim Yong .
In the U.S. , where partisanship seems at a peak , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to challenge the nation ’ s rigid binary politics and to end a cycle of political revenge .
Dozen of nonpartisan citizen groups are trying to improve public discourse with humility and listening , even a sharing of personal vulnerability to modern life .
New third parties such as Serve America Movement are getting on ballots .
And as the Senate moves to acquit Mr. Trump , some senators plan to repair the damage to their institution by reaching across the aisle .
Perhaps the greatest challenge to the extreme polarization comes from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ numbers are at a near-record high of 45 % , up from 38 % last October .
While many independents lean left or right , they represent the possibility of a dialogue across differences and the exchange of ideas instead of insults .
Many try to find the best in an opponent ’ s opinion and even be thankful for it .
Gratitude for those who disagree with you , writes scholar Arthur C. Brooks in his 2019 book , “ Love Your Enemies , ” is the best “ contempt killer.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then be reciprocated .
Gratitude , generosity , humility , and listening can help recouple a people who are divided or end ruptures between nations .

A glance at recent headlines might leave the impression that much of the world is decoupling. Nations are cutting ties with China over a virus outbreak. Last week Britain split from the European Union. In the U.S., Democrats and Republicans are more divided than ever as impeachment comes to an end and primary voting starts for the 2020 elections.
Even the British royal family has its “Megxit” as Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, depart for North America.
Yet what is often missing in such stories are those on one side who recognize the suffering of the other and try to repair the breach with a measure of respect and compassion, even a helping hand.
Take Brexit, which has left a certain bitterness on either side of the English Channel.
In an open letter to the British people, French President Emmanuel Macron said “you are not leaving Europe” despite the lowering of the Union Jack outside the European Parliament on Jan. 31. He praised Britons as influential players in Europe. He offered to deepen ties on security and open a “new chapter ... based on the strength of our unrivaled ties.” He predicted Britain and continental Europe may end up closer than can be imagined.
In June the French leader plans to award London with the Legion of Honor in hopes of reviving cross-channel ties. Meanwhile, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU seeks an “unprecedented partnership” with Britain as the two sides start talks to negotiate a new trade relationship.
As for China, which faces criticism of its response to the coronavirus outbreak as well as extreme isolation as airline travel becomes restricted, many world leaders are stepping up to offer sympathy and aid.
President Donald Trump, for example, offered “any help that is necessary.” The EU made a similar offer. South Korea, Singapore, Japan, and several other countries are sending assistance. “If we help China deal with this, I think the problem becomes smaller for everyone else,” said Singapore’s health minister, Gan Kim Yong.
In the U.S., where partisanship seems at a peak, a number of countervailing forces are at work to challenge the nation’s rigid binary politics and to end a cycle of political revenge.
Dozen of nonpartisan citizen groups are trying to improve public discourse with humility and listening, even a sharing of personal vulnerability to modern life. New third parties such as Serve America Movement are getting on ballots. And as the Senate moves to acquit Mr. Trump, some senators plan to repair the damage to their institution by reaching across the aisle.
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Perhaps the greatest challenge to the extreme polarization comes from the rise of independent voters. Their numbers are at a near-record high of 45%, up from 38% last October. While many independents lean left or right, they represent the possibility of a dialogue across differences and the exchange of ideas instead of insults. Many try to find the best in an opponent’s opinion and even be thankful for it.
Gratitude for those who disagree with you, writes scholar Arthur C. Brooks in his 2019 book, “Love Your Enemies,” is the best “contempt killer.” It shows respect and dignity which might then be reciprocated. Gratitude, generosity, humility, and listening can help recouple a people who are divided or end ruptures between nations.


csmonitor--2020-03-13--Why context matters on coronavirus crisis

Unlike other outbreaks in modern times , the coronavirus has touched – and in some cases overturned – lives thousands of miles away from where it originated in Wuhan , China .
In the U.S. , school systems have closed or gone online , everything from Disney World to Broadway to the NBA is shut down , and companies are mandating employees work from home .
As testing increases , the number of cases is expected to surge .
Italy went on lockdown , the largest peacetime restriction of movement in history .
But amid the unprecedented containment efforts , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus itself – while not fully understood at this early stage – is not as pernicious as other challenges the globe has faced .
That is not to say the world should carry on as normal .
“ Flatten the curve ” is the new mantra from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , as a strategy that could ultimately prevent health care systems from being overwhelmed .
Government officials have urged prudence , not panic , but too often media reports don ’ t equip readers with the context needed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more complicated as the crisis has been politicized , especially in the U.S. , where President Donald Trump was under heavy criticism for downplaying COVID-19 early on .
On Friday afternoon , he declared a national emergency , giving states access to $ 50 billion in aid , among other measures including expanded testing .
But just reporting on the number of cases can make it hard to remember that scientists say more people are mild or asymptomatic than not , and many more recover than the focus on the death toll would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ society , as observers have pointed out , can be seen as a collective way of caring for the most vulnerable people .

Unlike other outbreaks in modern times, the coronavirus has touched – and in some cases overturned – lives thousands of miles away from where it originated in Wuhan, China. In the U.S., school systems have closed or gone online, everything from Disney World to Broadway to the NBA is shut down, and companies are mandating employees work from home. As testing increases, the number of cases is expected to surge. Italy went on lockdown, the largest peacetime restriction of movement in history. But amid the unprecedented containment efforts, it’s easy to forget that the coronavirus itself – while not fully understood at this early stage – is not as pernicious as other challenges the globe has faced.
That is not to say the world should carry on as normal. “Flatten the curve” is the new mantra from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as a strategy that could ultimately prevent health care systems from being overwhelmed. Government officials have urged prudence, not panic, but too often media reports don’t equip readers with the context needed to stay calm. It has gotten more complicated as the crisis has been politicized, especially in the U.S., where President Donald Trump was under heavy criticism for downplaying COVID-19 early on. On Friday afternoon, he declared a national emergency, giving states access to $50 billion in aid, among other measures including expanded testing.
But just reporting on the number of cases can make it hard to remember that scientists say more people are mild or asymptomatic than not, and many more recover than the focus on the death toll would indicate. The measures being taken by society, as observers have pointed out, can be seen as a collective way of caring for the most vulnerable people.
SOURCE: Data compiled by Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering, Imperial College London | Sara Miller Llana, Karen Norris/Staff
Why We Wrote This Government officials have urged prudence, not panic, but too often media reports don’t equip readers with the context needed to stay calm.


csmonitor--2020-03-13--Why coronavirus crisis may keep Putin in office until 2036

“ Putin is seen as a rock of stability , ” says Mikhail Chernysh of the Institute of Sociology in Moscow .
“ He has legitimacy and trust in the eyes of the public , who see him as the guarantor of social peace and stability .
It seems likely that he has succumbed to demands from the elite that he create this option that he might stay beyond 2024.
” Analysts say the amendment that would allow Mr. Putin to potentially remain president until 2036 might have been brought on by the coronavirus panic , crashing oil prices , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But for Russia ’ s ruling political class , legitimacy is a perpetual sore point .
The first months of 2020 have been scary , and threaten greater turmoil in the near future .
As a huge package of amendments that will completely overhaul Russia ’ s constitution worked its way through parliament this week , authorities unveiled a last-minute change that would allow Vladimir Putin to run again for president after what was meant to be his final term in that role .
But Russian experts say that the sudden change @ @ @ @ @ @ @ power grab , but rather Russian elites ’ desire for a steady hand in increasingly uncertain times .
When Vladimir Putin first announced sweeping constitutional reforms two months ago to rebalance relations between Russia ’ s presidency and its parliament , it looked like he was paving the way to leave the presidency in 2024 .
That almost certainly would include taking up another authoritative role , but one within a more collective leadership .
But that goal appears to have been overtaken by a more ambitious ideological project – and , perhaps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As the huge package of amendments that will completely overhaul Russia ’ s constitution worked its way through parliament this week , authorities unveiled a last-minute change that will allow Mr. Putin to run again for president after what was supposed to have been his final term .
Russian experts say that the sudden change in plan may not have been a power grab – since the presidency will still be weakened under the reforms – but rather Russian elites ’ desire for a steady hand in increasingly uncertain times .
“ Putin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” says Mikhail Chernysh , an expert with the official Institute of Sociology in Moscow .
“ If you look at sociological data , it is clear that few institutions enjoy much public trust .
But Putin has become an institution in his own right .
He has legitimacy and trust in the eyes of the public , who see him as the guarantor of social peace and stability .
It seems likely that he has succumbed to demands from the elite that he create this option that he might stay beyond @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the constitution ” It ’ s hard to overstate the significance of this constitutional remake , which has now been passed through both houses of parliament and been approved by all 85 regions of the country , and will now be voted on in a public referendum on April 22 .
The 68-page constitutional reform package , including almost 400 amendments , will now aim to alter the ideological nature of the state by overlaying the liberal character of the 1993 constitution authored by Boris Yeltsin with the social conservatism that has marked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ family values , heterosexual marriage , faith in God , and a ban on questioning the defense of the “ Fatherland , ” such as the country ’ s role in World War II .
It will also enshrine economic rights , such as indexation of pensions and a guaranteed minimum income pegged to the official subsistence level .
Aside from some minor tweaks , Mr. Putin has avoided major constitutional changes for almost two decades .
But for Russia , which has had five different constitutions in a little more than a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a reversion to the unfortunate tradition in which each new leader redefines the nature of the state through the prism of his own beliefs and goals – which is pretty much the reverse of how a constitution functions in most Western countries .
“ This is Putin putting his personal imprint on the constitution ” much as Nicholas II , Lenin , Stalin , Brezhnev , and Yeltsin did in the past , says Yevgeny Gontmakher , an economic sociologist and member of the liberal Committee of Civil Initiatives .
“ Of course @ @ @ @ @ @ @ constitution .
It becomes just a piece of paper , subject to change whenever power shifts.
” Analysts say the last-moment amendment that would reset the constitutional clock and allow Mr. Putin to run again in 2024 , potentially remaining president until 2036 , was probably not part of the original plan and might have been brought on by the coronavirus panic – which is just starting to hit Russia – crashing oil prices and adding to the general sense of impending chaos .
“ This new amendment is actually in contradiction to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” says Sergei Markov , a former Kremlin adviser .
“ Putin wanted to create a transitional system , to reduce the country ’ s traditional dependence on a single strong leader while himself remaining in an influential post .
Why would he want to return to the presidency with diminished powers ?
” But for Russia ’ s ruling political class , which can not claim to have been elected in free and fair democratic polls , legitimacy is a perpetual sore point .
Analysts say that the first months of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ greater turmoil in the near future .
“ In fact , Putin would probably like to leave , if he could find a way to go and enjoy his old age , ” Mr. Chernysh says .
“ But he is a hostage to the elites .
He is the only institution that can provide cohesion , and ensure that open conflict won ’ t break out if he goes .
It is by no means certain that he will run again , but he apparently needs to provide this symbolic reassurance at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experts think the ideological additions to the constitution are little more than an effort to bring out the vote on April 22 , since many ordinary Russians are indifferent to changes in the power structure but might be attracted by slogans that espouse traditional values and promises of economic security .
“ I don ’ t take seriously the amendments about traditional marriage , faith , or history , ” says Viktor Sheinis , one of the authors of Russia ’ s 1993 constitution .
“ They are just included because there are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by these ideas.
” But Mr. Markov , the former Putin adviser , says these amendments were added during the process of public consultations over the past two months , and that the authorities felt they had to be included .
“ Traditional values like God , nation , and family run very deep in the Russian popular consciousness , ” he says .
“ These are dangerous times for Russia , especially the conflict with the West .
People want to define who we are , what we stand for , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ amendments.
” Opinion polls suggest that younger Russians are more modern-minded and tolerant than their elders , so cementing a ban on same-sex marriage in the constitution , and other traditional values , could conceivably present an impediment to social evolution in the future , some experts say .
“ Perhaps we are not at the same stage as Western societies , but young Russians are different , more worldly than older ones , ” says Mr. Chernysh .
“ However , since constitutions don ’ t play the same role in shaping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they do in , say , the U.S. , it ’ s probably not the obstacle to progress that it might appear to be .
I am sure that if social mores change , we ’ ll find a way to change the laws too .
”

In January, Vladimir Putin seemed to be laying out a future for Russia where the country would no longer revolve around the presidency. But this week he unexpectedly shifted gears. Why?
“Putin is seen as a rock of stability,” says Mikhail Chernysh of the Institute of Sociology in Moscow. “He has legitimacy and trust in the eyes of the public, who see him as the guarantor of social peace and stability. It seems likely that he has succumbed to demands from the elite that he create this option that he might stay beyond 2024.”
Analysts say the amendment that would allow Mr. Putin to potentially remain president until 2036 might have been brought on by the coronavirus panic, crashing oil prices, and the general sense of impending chaos. But for Russia’s ruling political class, legitimacy is a perpetual sore point. The first months of 2020 have been scary, and threaten greater turmoil in the near future.
As a huge package of amendments that will completely overhaul Russia’s constitution worked its way through parliament this week, authorities unveiled a last-minute change that would allow Vladimir Putin to run again for president after what was meant to be his final term in that role. But Russian experts say that the sudden change in plan may not have been a power grab, but rather Russian elites’ desire for a steady hand in increasingly uncertain times.
When Vladimir Putin first announced sweeping constitutional reforms two months ago to rebalance relations between Russia’s presidency and its parliament, it looked like he was paving the way to leave the presidency in 2024. That almost certainly would include taking up another authoritative role, but one within a more collective leadership.
But that goal appears to have been overtaken by a more ambitious ideological project – and, perhaps, a touch of coronavirus panic.
As the huge package of amendments that will completely overhaul Russia’s constitution worked its way through parliament this week, authorities unveiled a last-minute change that will allow Mr. Putin to run again for president after what was supposed to have been his final term. Russian experts say that the sudden change in plan may not have been a power grab – since the presidency will still be weakened under the reforms – but rather Russian elites’ desire for a steady hand in increasingly uncertain times.
Why We Wrote This In January, Vladimir Putin seemed to be laying out a future for Russia where the country would no longer revolve around the presidency. But this week he unexpectedly shifted gears. Why?
“Putin is seen as a rock of stability,” says Mikhail Chernysh, an expert with the official Institute of Sociology in Moscow. “If you look at sociological data, it is clear that few institutions enjoy much public trust. But Putin has become an institution in his own right. He has legitimacy and trust in the eyes of the public, who see him as the guarantor of social peace and stability. It seems likely that he has succumbed to demands from the elite that he create this option that he might stay beyond 2024.”
“Putting his imprint on the constitution”
It’s hard to overstate the significance of this constitutional remake, which has now been passed through both houses of parliament and been approved by all 85 regions of the country, and will now be voted on in a public referendum on April 22.
The 68-page constitutional reform package, including almost 400 amendments, will now aim to alter the ideological nature of the state by overlaying the liberal character of the 1993 constitution authored by Boris Yeltsin with the social conservatism that has marked the Putin era. That includes traditional family values, heterosexual marriage, faith in God, and a ban on questioning the defense of the “Fatherland,” such as the country’s role in World War II. It will also enshrine economic rights, such as indexation of pensions and a guaranteed minimum income pegged to the official subsistence level.
Aside from some minor tweaks, Mr. Putin has avoided major constitutional changes for almost two decades. But for Russia, which has had five different constitutions in a little more than a century, this massive new project represents a reversion to the unfortunate tradition in which each new leader redefines the nature of the state through the prism of his own beliefs and goals – which is pretty much the reverse of how a constitution functions in most Western countries.
“This is Putin putting his personal imprint on the constitution” much as Nicholas II, Lenin, Stalin, Brezhnev, and Yeltsin did in the past, says Yevgeny Gontmakher, an economic sociologist and member of the liberal Committee of Civil Initiatives. “Of course this devalues the whole idea of a constitution. It becomes just a piece of paper, subject to change whenever power shifts.”
Dmitri Lovetsky/AP View caption Hide caption Street art sculptor Alexander Pravdin stands near his work, a 3-ton stone with a crown named "The Monument to Russian President Vladimir Putin," in Siversky settlement, 37 miles south of St. Petersburg, Russia, on March 11, 2020.
Analysts say the last-moment amendment that would reset the constitutional clock and allow Mr. Putin to run again in 2024, potentially remaining president until 2036, was probably not part of the original plan and might have been brought on by the coronavirus panic – which is just starting to hit Russia – crashing oil prices and adding to the general sense of impending chaos.
“This new amendment is actually in contradiction to the main thrust of the reform package,” says Sergei Markov, a former Kremlin adviser. “Putin wanted to create a transitional system, to reduce the country’s traditional dependence on a single strong leader while himself remaining in an influential post. Why would he want to return to the presidency with diminished powers?”
But for Russia’s ruling political class, which cannot claim to have been elected in free and fair democratic polls, legitimacy is a perpetual sore point. Analysts say that the first months of 2020 have been scary, and threaten greater turmoil in the near future.
“In fact, Putin would probably like to leave, if he could find a way to go and enjoy his old age,” Mr. Chernysh says. “But he is a hostage to the elites. He is the only institution that can provide cohesion, and ensure that open conflict won’t break out if he goes. It is by no means certain that he will run again, but he apparently needs to provide this symbolic reassurance at this very tumultuous time.”
Winning over the public?
Many Russian experts think the ideological additions to the constitution are little more than an effort to bring out the vote on April 22, since many ordinary Russians are indifferent to changes in the power structure but might be attracted by slogans that espouse traditional values and promises of economic security.
“I don’t take seriously the amendments about traditional marriage, faith, or history,” says Viktor Sheinis, one of the authors of Russia’s 1993 constitution. “They are just included because there are groups of the population who are attracted by these ideas.”
But Mr. Markov, the former Putin adviser, says these amendments were added during the process of public consultations over the past two months, and that the authorities felt they had to be included.
“Traditional values like God, nation, and family run very deep in the Russian popular consciousness,” he says. “These are dangerous times for Russia, especially the conflict with the West. People want to define who we are, what we stand for, and so we have to have these ideological amendments.”
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Opinion polls suggest that younger Russians are more modern-minded and tolerant than their elders, so cementing a ban on same-sex marriage in the constitution, and other traditional values, could conceivably present an impediment to social evolution in the future, some experts say.
“Perhaps we are not at the same stage as Western societies, but young Russians are different, more worldly than older ones,” says Mr. Chernysh. “However, since constitutions don’t play the same role in shaping people’s lives in Russia as they do in, say, the U.S., it’s probably not the obstacle to progress that it might appear to be. I am sure that if social mores change, we’ll find a way to change the laws too.”


csmonitor--2020-04-16--No, we’re not running out of food. It just looks that way.

“ I think we ’ re overreacting , ” says Chris Mejia-Argueta at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology .
“ I am very certain we ’ re not going to run out of food.
” In the food industry , a rapid adjustment to this unprecedented shift in demand is underway .
And while some items are in short supply , the prospect of an overall shortage of food is far-fetched , say industry experts .
Sure , shoppers may have to substitute brands and food items .
But there is still plenty of food to go around , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shut their doors to help slow the spread of COVID-19 , Americans have been shopping more for groceries and eating at home .
Everyone has seen the empty supermarket shelves , particularly during the first week of state-ordered lockdowns .
Those scenes , coupled with recent reports of dumped crops and milk , have jolted shoppers who fret about food supplies going forward .
Mountains of rotting squash in Florida .
Midwest dairy farmers pouring milk down the drain .
A South Dakota pork processing plant ordered to shut down after 400 employees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are the empty supermarket shelves where the flour and yeast – and toilet paper – used to be .
It ’ s enough to make a shopper worry if there ’ s enough food to go around .
“ I think the entire American public is getting a lesson in the supply chain , ” says Mike Troy , editorial director of Progressive Grocer .
“ I bet they wish they weren ’ t. ” Editor ’ s note : As a public service , all our coronavirus coverage is free .
No @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weren ’ t if they knew , say food supply experts , that the lessons they ’ re getting are likely wrong .
“ I think we ’ re overreacting , ” says Chris Mejia-Argueta , director of the Food and Retail Operations Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology , referring to reports of disruptions to the food industry .
“ I am very certain we ’ re not going to run out of food.
” Still , he understands why people may feel anxious if they don ’ t grasp exactly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to meet the crisis and simply see headlines about rotting vegetables and shuttered slaughterhouses .
“ It ’ s human nature to worry about things that are a mystery to us , ” he says .
The “ black box ” aspect of the food system “ creates uncertainty .
And uncertainty leads to hoarding and fear.
” Those feelings were on display last week in a Massachusetts supermarket where a woman wearing a face mask rooted at the back of near-empty shelves of dried beans .
She rolled her cart down the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dozen cans of black beans , pintos , kidneys .
“ Emergency beans , ” she told an onlooker .
“ Can ’ t have enough .
... Or maybe this is too much ?
” She moved as though to put some back , but then thought better of it , and shrugged .
“ Nah .
Could be last chance.
” To reduce such uncertainty , says Mr. Mejia-Argueta , “ we have to remember that the episodes we ’ re hearing about are local , and expected.
” The U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no nationwide shortages of food , though inventories may run low in grocery stores before restocking .
“ Food production and manufacturing are widely dispersed throughout the U.S. and there are currently no widespread disruptions reported in the supply chain , ” it reported last month .
None of which means that grocery shopping will feel normal any time soon .
Hoarding should fade as at-home stockpiles have been built .
But shoppers may still need to substitute , says Mr. Mejia-Argueta .
When a favorite Italian pasta is absent , a store @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Cheerios , we ’ ll eat oatmeal .
Substitution helps the supply chain by spreading demand more evenly across a store ’ s stock .
Grocery retailers and the supply chain as a whole are busy adapting , too .
They are figuring out how shoppers respond to variable supplies of items and how much they need to stock and to put on display .
And , by knowing in advance what ’ s available from their suppliers , they can use promotions to nudge shoppers to choose some products over others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” says Mr. Mejia-Argueta .
Before the pandemic , 54 % of U.S. food dollars were spent on meals away from home .
Now suppliers are scrambling to redirect food from restaurants and food service to retailers for at-home eating , a sudden and unprecedented shift in consumption .
Take bacon , for example .
Doug Baker , an executive at FMI , the food industry association , points out that “ the 20 pounds of bacon intended for food service may be repackaged under a store brand in 1 pound consumer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happen overnight .
Likewise , logistics resources are being diverted into food transport .
“ One of the hardest parts now is how to move cargo from its source to where people need it , ” says Mr. Mejia-Argueta .
“ More truckers are needed , so truckers are being diverted into the food supply system from other sectors that are momentarily quiet.
” Trucks that used to carry auto parts might now be hauling flour .
As a supply-chain scientist , Mr. Mejia-Argueta has looked at what could happen to severely disrupt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ risks would come from panic purchasing and hoarding , workforce shortages due to illness , and a disaster-case economic crisis .
Evidence of every one of those worst-case scenarios is already present , but not to any extent deemed threatening .
“ I would tell people , to be honest , that you don ’ t need to worry .
The supply chain will be resilient and robust enough to manage this without any issue .
We will find a way , ” he says .
Editor ’ s note : As a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is free .
No paywall .

Panic buying at supermarkets spiked in the first weeks of COVID-19 lockdowns. But the food supply chain has since adjusted, making further shortages unlikely.
“I think we’re overreacting,” says Chris Mejia-Argueta at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “I am very certain we’re not going to run out of food.”
In the food industry, a rapid adjustment to this unprecedented shift in demand is underway. And while some items are in short supply, the prospect of an overall shortage of food is far-fetched, say industry experts. Sure, shoppers may have to substitute brands and food items. But there is still plenty of food to go around, and logistical bottlenecks are easing.
As restaurants shut their doors to help slow the spread of COVID-19, Americans have been shopping more for groceries and eating at home. Everyone has seen the empty supermarket shelves, particularly during the first week of state-ordered lockdowns. Those scenes, coupled with recent reports of dumped crops and milk, have jolted shoppers who fret about food supplies going forward.
Mountains of rotting squash in Florida. Midwest dairy farmers pouring milk down the drain. A South Dakota pork processing plant ordered to shut down after 400 employees tested positive for coronavirus.
Then there are the empty supermarket shelves where the flour and yeast – and toilet paper – used to be. It’s enough to make a shopper worry if there’s enough food to go around.
“I think the entire American public is getting a lesson in the supply chain,” says Mike Troy, editorial director of Progressive Grocer. “I bet they wish they weren’t.”
Why We Wrote This Panic buying at supermarkets spiked in the first weeks of COVID-19 lockdowns. But the food supply chain has since adjusted, making further shortages unlikely.
Editor’s note: As a public service, all our coronavirus coverage is free. No paywall.
They might especially wish they weren’t if they knew, say food supply experts, that the lessons they’re getting are likely wrong.
“I think we’re overreacting,” says Chris Mejia-Argueta, director of the Food and Retail Operations Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, referring to reports of disruptions to the food industry. “I am very certain we’re not going to run out of food.”
Still, he understands why people may feel anxious if they don’t grasp exactly how the food supply chain is adapting to meet the crisis and simply see headlines about rotting vegetables and shuttered slaughterhouses. “It’s human nature to worry about things that are a mystery to us,” he says. The “black box” aspect of the food system “creates uncertainty. And uncertainty leads to hoarding and fear.”
Those feelings were on display last week in a Massachusetts supermarket where a woman wearing a face mask rooted at the back of near-empty shelves of dried beans. She rolled her cart down the aisle, then scooped up a couple dozen cans of black beans, pintos, kidneys.
Melanie Stetson Freeman/Staff View caption Hide caption Food supply chain expert Chris Mejia Argueta, director of the Food and Retail Operations Lab at MIT, poses by his home, on April 7, 2020, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He says better understanding of the supply chain can help prevent hoarding.
“Emergency beans,” she told an onlooker. “Can’t have enough. ... Or maybe this is too much?” She moved as though to put some back, but then thought better of it, and shrugged. “Nah. Could be last chance.”
To reduce such uncertainty, says Mr. Mejia-Argueta, “we have to remember that the episodes we’re hearing about are local, and expected.”
Stockpiles and substitutions
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration insists there are no nationwide shortages of food, though inventories may run low in grocery stores before restocking. “Food production and manufacturing are widely dispersed throughout the U.S. and there are currently no widespread disruptions reported in the supply chain,” it reported last month.
None of which means that grocery shopping will feel normal any time soon. Hoarding should fade as at-home stockpiles have been built. But shoppers may still need to substitute, says Mr. Mejia-Argueta. When a favorite Italian pasta is absent, a store brand will have to do. Instead of Cheerios, we’ll eat oatmeal. Substitution helps the supply chain by spreading demand more evenly across a store’s stock.
Grocery retailers and the supply chain as a whole are busy adapting, too. They are figuring out how shoppers respond to variable supplies of items and how much they need to stock and to put on display. And, by knowing in advance what’s available from their suppliers, they can use promotions to nudge shoppers to choose some products over others, “without us even knowing it,” says Mr. Mejia-Argueta.
Before the pandemic, 54% of U.S. food dollars were spent on meals away from home. Now suppliers are scrambling to redirect food from restaurants and food service to retailers for at-home eating, a sudden and unprecedented shift in consumption.
From auto parts to flour cargoes
Take bacon, for example. Doug Baker, an executive at FMI, the food industry association, points out that “the 20 pounds of bacon intended for food service may be repackaged under a store brand in 1 pound consumer packages.” But that doesn’t happen overnight.
Likewise, logistics resources are being diverted into food transport. “One of the hardest parts now is how to move cargo from its source to where people need it,” says Mr. Mejia-Argueta. “More truckers are needed, so truckers are being diverted into the food supply system from other sectors that are momentarily quiet.” Trucks that used to carry auto parts might now be hauling flour.
As a supply-chain scientist, Mr. Mejia-Argueta has looked at what could happen to severely disrupt food production and distribution. The main risks would come from panic purchasing and hoarding, workforce shortages due to illness, and a disaster-case economic crisis.
Evidence of every one of those worst-case scenarios is already present, but not to any extent deemed threatening.
Get stories that
empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
“I would tell people, to be honest, that you don’t need to worry. The supply chain will be resilient and robust enough to manage this without any issue. We will find a way,” he says.
Editor’s note: As a public service, all our coronavirus coverage is free. No paywall.