csmonitor--2020-09-09--What nursing homes need: Lockdown safety – and room for hugs

The basic question in considering reopening , says one nursing home CEO : “ Is it safe ?
” Desperate for reconnection , relatives of the more than 1 million nursing home residents have scrambled for creative workarounds – from strained video calls to bucket truck-assisted window visits .
Uneven state and federal regulations make for a confusing map of how to safely ease restrictions , but it ’ s certain that most reunions of nursing home patients and their families will come for the foreseeable future at a wrenching 6-foot distance .
“ There are many instances where we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not declining because of COVID , but they ’ re declining because of lack of interaction with family members , ” says Grace Jenq , associate clinical professor of geriatric and palliative care medicine at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor .
Social isolation , say some experts on aging , is a second affliction in the pandemic that has killed an estimated 75,000 long-term care residents and staff nationwide .
The lack of physical contact with loved ones for such an extended period can cause depression , anxiety , and overall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high-stakes decisions about how to reopen safely after nearly half a year in lockdowns designed to protect older adults who are considered most vulnerable to COVID-19 .
When Mildred Brown arrived for physical therapy at a North Carolina nursing home in February , the octogenarian who had been living independently until then could pace about 150 feet with her walker without sitting down .
Now , six months after she and thousands of other nursing home residents nationwide were placed in lockdowns designed to protect them from COVID-19 , Mildred appears depressed and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says her daughter Laura Brown .
“ Her spirits were great in February .
Since the isolation and lockdown , she ’ s just deteriorated , ” says Laura , who echoes a growing sentiment among experts on aging that some long-term care residents experience health decline not because of COVID-19 , but lack of human contact .
Since a family visit on Mother ’ s Day – allowed because it appeared for over a week that Mildred was so ill she might die – she has gone four months without a loved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eagerly arrived for a half-hour visit in the facility ’ s courtyard July 30 , her mother wept .
But Mildred ’ s wheelchair was parked a few feet beyond her daughter ’ s reach .
As the women strained to hear each other behind their masks , their natural urge to touch was crushed by staff warnings that future visits would be barred if they did .
“ It was torture , ” says Laura .
“ They watched us just like we were in jail.
” Mildred cried even harder when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their doors to most visitors in March in an attempt to shield vulnerable residents from the virus , which has killed more than 75,000 residents and staff in long-term care this year , according to early-September Kaiser Family Foundation data .
But cautionary confinement has meant a second affliction for residents , and not just for those who missed final goodbyes .
“ There are many instances where we ’ ve seen that our patients are not declining because of COVID , but they ’ re declining because of lack of interaction with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , associate clinical professor of geriatric and palliative care medicine at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor .
Some experts on aging say isolation can lead to depression , anxiety , and overall health decline .
Desperate for connection , relatives of the country ’ s more than 1 million nursing home residents have scrambled for creative workarounds – from strained video calls to bucket truck-assisted window visits .
And now , care facilities face high-stakes decisions about how to reopen safely .
That means most reunions will come for the foreseeable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In Colorado , for example , where until Sept. 3 only outdoor visits had been permitted , many locals have complained that reopening residential care facilities has been too slow , says Randy Kuykendall , director of the health facilities and emergency medical services division for the state Department of Public Health and Environment .
“ My heart breaks for them , because I understand , ” says Mr. Kuykendall .
“ But again : Lives are on the line here.
” Similarly safety-conscious , Evan Lubline , CEO of Hooverwood Living in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , says : “ The inside visits are something we ’ re definitely wanting to explore .
But the question goes back to : Is it safe ?
...
I feel really bad for those families .
This isn ’ t fair to them.
” Since early June more than half of states have allowed long-term care facilities to reopen gradually to visitors , though it ’ s unclear how many families have been able to visit .
Federal guidance leaves wide room for interpretation , making for a piecemeal rollout .
Several @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the risk of the virus ’ s transmission is considered lower outside .
Facilities have found creative ways to support these connections , including one Virginia nursing home whose glass barrier set up outside allowed for handholding through plastic gloves .
Underscoring the uneven process , the Monitor encountered four cases of long-term care facilities that offered outdoor visits before their states issued guidelines on resuming visitation .
While the pandemic continues to course through much of the country , some industry watchers say there are risks in reopening too soon , especially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protective equipment .
“ I ’ m deeply concerned with the lack of transparency , the lack of consistency , the lack of commitment by nursing homes and assisted living facilities in ensuring that basic health and safety standards are being met to allow for safe visitation , ” says Elaine Ryan , vice president for state advocacy and strategy at AARP .
“ Death counts can not be our measure of how well we ’ re doing.
” Only seven states had required ongoing testing of residents , staff , or both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stateline reported .
And the federal government began requiring regular COVID-19 testing for nursing home staff on Aug. 25 , six months after the pandemic ’ s first nursing home deaths in Washington state .
Supporters of controlled visitation argue that infection risks should be weighed against the physical and emotional well-being of residents .
Dr. Jenq says lack of social interaction has even caused some nursing home residents to lose their abilities to perform simple activities of daily living , like walking or eating .
“ The benefits [ of visits ] @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lichtenberg , director of Wayne State University ’ s Institute of Gerontology in Detroit , who also speaks from personal experience .
After weeks of isolation , he visited his own father for an end-of-life exception visit at a Pennsylvania facility this spring .
“ My dad died without anxiety , ” says Dr. Lichtenberg .
“ I thought in large part that was because I was there.
” The federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services ( CMS ) , which oversees nursing homes , first published reopening recommendations in May .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ bans until at least 28 days have passed without a new COVID-19 case originating on-site .
Additional considerations include adequate staffing and personal protective equipment ( PPE ) , along with COVID-19 testing for residents and staff .
Compassionate care visits ( such as an end-of-life visit ) remain an acceptable exception , according to CMS .
The federal guidance , however , is nonbinding , and protocols differ from state to state , facility to facility , on when and how visits can resume , frustrating families nationwide .
Florida , for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of COVID-19 , lifted a long-term care visitor ban Sept. 1 .
Facilities can start indoor or outdoor visits if they ’ ve gone at least 14 days without a new case , and no minors are allowed .
Massachusetts , reportedly the first state to publish parameters for outdoor visitation , adopted a plan on June 3 that includes mandatory masks , social distancing , and screening visitors for symptoms upon arrival .
The state encourages facilities to continue virtual communication between residents and visitors “ as much as possible.
” Sherrill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rehabilitation center in Boston , has a courtyard that accommodates up to four families at a time .
And , says Jeannie Doyle , day scheduler and supervisor at Sherrill House , “ The first visit that we had with many of the families , there were tears in their eyes .
… The hard part was not being able to hug.
” Resumed visitation may help with contact tracing as facilities keep track of who visits , but industry experts still warn of community spread of infection .
“ Testing is paramount @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president of regulatory affairs at LeadingAge , an advocacy group for nonprofit aging-services providers .
“ We know that nursing homes were not at the top of the list when their PPE was being doled out .
Nursing homes are not at the top when it comes to getting access to testing.
” Sherrill House , which according to Massachusetts data has had 32 resident deaths from COVID-19 , relies on local Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center to process tests .
Results come back within 24 hours .
Providers and officials stress the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the process – especially as monitored visits mean added duties for staff in cash-strapped facilities .
Hooverwood Living , the skilled nursing and assisted living facility in Indianapolis where state data shows 19 residents have died from the virus , has hired a part-time visitation coordinator .
That extra expense , along with PPE costs and fewer new residents , has caused losses of $ 300,000 to $ 350,000 monthly for the nonprofit during the pandemic .
Some nursing homes remain closed to visitors in states that have already relaxed restrictions .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s plan to visit her mother on July 20 after 19 weeks apart was canceled when the facility sent a letter that announced two COVID-19 cases and the delay of outdoor visits .
Ms. Kullik says it took time to empathize with the facility ’ s decision .
She says she was disappointed , “ but I understand.
” She ’ d agreed with staff that window visits would be more confusing than beneficial due to her mother ’ s diagnosis of Alzheimer ’ s , but the isolation appears to have taken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chats over FaceTime , her mother stares speechless at the screen .
“ Occasionally you might get a smile from her , ” she says .
Ms. Kullik eagerly awaits their reunion next weekend after a series of delays , the latest of which was a scheduled outdoor visit on Labor Day canceled due to bad weather .
She bought a see-through vinyl mask for the occasion so that her mother can see most of her face : “ The first thing I ’ m going to look for is recognition in her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Editor ’ s note : As a public service , we have removed our paywall for all pandemic-related stories .

The basic question in considering reopening, says one nursing home CEO: “Is it safe?”
Desperate for reconnection, relatives of the more than 1 million nursing home residents have scrambled for creative workarounds – from strained video calls to bucket truck-assisted window visits .
Uneven state and federal regulations make for a confusing map of how to safely ease restrictions, but it’s certain that most reunions of nursing home patients and their families will come for the foreseeable future at a wrenching 6-foot distance.
“There are many instances where we’ve seen that our patients are not declining because of COVID, but they’re declining because of lack of interaction with family members,” says Grace Jenq, associate clinical professor of geriatric and palliative care medicine at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
Nursing homes face a tough moral decision: Protect patients from the virus with strict lockdowns or carefully ease the isolation that deprives them of the vital – healing – connections of visits from family and friends.
Social isolation, say some experts on aging, is a second affliction in the pandemic that has killed an estimated 75,000 long-term care residents and staff nationwide. The lack of physical contact with loved ones for such an extended period can cause depression, anxiety, and overall health decline.
Nursing home facilities face high-stakes decisions about how to reopen safely after nearly half a year in lockdowns designed to protect older adults who are considered most vulnerable to COVID-19.
When Mildred Brown arrived for physical therapy at a North Carolina nursing home in February, the octogenarian who had been living independently until then could pace about 150 feet with her walker without sitting down. Now, six months after she and thousands of other nursing home residents nationwide were placed in lockdowns designed to protect them from COVID-19, Mildred appears depressed and can barely get out of bed, says her daughter Laura Brown.
“Her spirits were great in February. Since the isolation and lockdown, she’s just deteriorated,” says Laura, who echoes a growing sentiment among experts on aging that some long-term care residents experience health decline not because of COVID-19, but lack of human contact.
Since a family visit on Mother’s Day – allowed because it appeared for over a week that Mildred was so ill she might die – she has gone four months without a loved one’s embrace.
Why We Wrote This Nursing homes face a tough moral decision: Protect patients from the virus with strict lockdowns or carefully ease the isolation that deprives them of the vital – healing – connections of visits from family and friends.
When Laura eagerly arrived for a half-hour visit in the facility’s courtyard July 30, her mother wept. But Mildred’s wheelchair was parked a few feet beyond her daughter’s reach. As the women strained to hear each other behind their masks, their natural urge to touch was crushed by staff warnings that future visits would be barred if they did.
“It was torture,” says Laura. “They watched us just like we were in jail.”
Mildred cried even harder when the visit ended.
Nursing homes closed their doors to most visitors in March in an attempt to shield vulnerable residents from the virus, which has killed more than 75,000 residents and staff in long-term care this year, according to early-September Kaiser Family Foundation data. But cautionary confinement has meant a second affliction for residents, and not just for those who missed final goodbyes.
Courtesy of Laura Brown View caption Hide caption When Laura Brown snapped this photo of her mother, Mildred Brown, at her North Carolina nursing home on July 30, it was at the wrenching distance of six feet required by health regulations. She believes the lack of human connection in lockdown has led to a decline in her mother's overall health.
“There are many instances where we’ve seen that our patients are not declining because of COVID, but they’re declining because of lack of interaction with family members,” says Grace Jenq, associate clinical professor of geriatric and palliative care medicine at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
Some experts on aging say isolation can lead to depression, anxiety, and overall health decline.
Desperate for connection, relatives of the country’s more than 1 million nursing home residents have scrambled for creative workarounds – from strained video calls to bucket truck-assisted window visits.
And now, care facilities face high-stakes decisions about how to reopen safely. That means most reunions will come for the foreseeable future at a wrenching 6-foot distance.
In Colorado, for example, where until Sept. 3 only outdoor visits had been permitted, many locals have complained that reopening residential care facilities has been too slow, says Randy Kuykendall, director of the health facilities and emergency medical services division for the state Department of Public Health and Environment.
“My heart breaks for them, because I understand,” says Mr. Kuykendall. “But again: Lives are on the line here.”
Similarly safety-conscious, Evan Lubline, CEO of Hooverwood Living in Indianapolis, which only offers outdoor visits, says: “The inside visits are something we’re definitely wanting to explore. But the question goes back to: Is it safe? ... I feel really bad for those families. This isn’t fair to them.”
Uneven regulation
Since early June more than half of states have allowed long-term care facilities to reopen gradually to visitors, though it’s unclear how many families have been able to visit.
Federal guidance leaves wide room for interpretation, making for a piecemeal rollout. Several states have permitted only outdoor visitation because the risk of the virus’s transmission is considered lower outside. Facilities have found creative ways to support these connections, including one Virginia nursing home whose glass barrier set up outside allowed for handholding through plastic gloves. Underscoring the uneven process, the Monitor encountered four cases of long-term care facilities that offered outdoor visits before their states issued guidelines on resuming visitation.
While the pandemic continues to course through much of the country, some industry watchers say there are risks in reopening too soon, especially with ongoing shortages of staff and personal protective equipment.
“I’m deeply concerned with the lack of transparency, the lack of consistency, the lack of commitment by nursing homes and assisted living facilities in ensuring that basic health and safety standards are being met to allow for safe visitation,” says Elaine Ryan, vice president for state advocacy and strategy at AARP. “Death counts cannot be our measure of how well we’re doing.”
Only seven states had required ongoing testing of residents, staff, or both in long-term care as of mid-July, Stateline reported. And the federal government began requiring regular COVID-19 testing for nursing home staff on Aug. 25, six months after the pandemic’s first nursing home deaths in Washington state.
Supporters of controlled visitation argue that infection risks should be weighed against the physical and emotional well-being of residents. Dr. Jenq says lack of social interaction has even caused some nursing home residents to lose their abilities to perform simple activities of daily living, like walking or eating.
“The benefits [of visits] are really enormous,” says Peter Lichtenberg, director of Wayne State University’s Institute of Gerontology in Detroit, who also speaks from personal experience. After weeks of isolation, he visited his own father for an end-of-life exception visit at a Pennsylvania facility this spring.
“My dad died without anxiety,” says Dr. Lichtenberg. “I thought in large part that was because I was there.”
The federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), which oversees nursing homes, first published reopening recommendations in May. The agency urges facilities to prolong visitor bans until at least 28 days have passed without a new COVID-19 case originating on-site. Additional considerations include adequate staffing and personal protective equipment (PPE), along with COVID-19 testing for residents and staff. Compassionate care visits (such as an end-of-life visit) remain an acceptable exception, according to CMS.
The federal guidance, however, is nonbinding, and protocols differ from state to state, facility to facility, on when and how visits can resume, frustrating families nationwide.
Florida, for example, with about 650,000 known cases of COVID-19, lifted a long-term care visitor ban Sept. 1. Facilities can start indoor or outdoor visits if they’ve gone at least 14 days without a new case, and no minors are allowed.
Massachusetts, reportedly the first state to publish parameters for outdoor visitation, adopted a plan on June 3 that includes mandatory masks, social distancing, and screening visitors for symptoms upon arrival. The state encourages facilities to continue virtual communication between residents and visitors “as much as possible.”
Sherrill House, a nonprofit skilled nursing and rehabilitation center in Boston, has a courtyard that accommodates up to four families at a time. And, says Jeannie Doyle, day scheduler and supervisor at Sherrill House, “The first visit that we had with many of the families, there were tears in their eyes. … The hard part was not being able to hug.”
Getting visitation right
Resumed visitation may help with contact tracing as facilities keep track of who visits, but industry experts still warn of community spread of infection.
“Testing is paramount,” says Janine Finck-Boyle, vice president of regulatory affairs at LeadingAge, an advocacy group for nonprofit aging-services providers. “We know that nursing homes were not at the top of the list when their PPE was being doled out. Nursing homes are not at the top when it comes to getting access to testing.”
Sherrill House, which according to Massachusetts data has had 32 resident deaths from COVID-19, relies on local Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center to process tests. Results come back within 24 hours.
Providers and officials stress the need for families to have patience with the process – especially as monitored visits mean added duties for staff in cash-strapped facilities. Hooverwood Living, the skilled nursing and assisted living facility in Indianapolis where state data shows 19 residents have died from the virus, has hired a part-time visitation coordinator. That extra expense, along with PPE costs and fewer new residents, has caused losses of $300,000 to $350,000 monthly for the nonprofit during the pandemic.
Some nursing homes remain closed to visitors in states that have already relaxed restrictions.
In Westlake, Ohio, Amy Kullik’s plan to visit her mother on July 20 after 19 weeks apart was canceled when the facility sent a letter that announced two COVID-19 cases and the delay of outdoor visits.
Ms. Kullik says it took time to empathize with the facility’s decision. She says she was disappointed, “but I understand.” She’d agreed with staff that window visits would be more confusing than beneficial due to her mother’s diagnosis of Alzheimer’s, but the isolation appears to have taken a toll. During their strained virtual chats over FaceTime, her mother stares speechless at the screen.
“Occasionally you might get a smile from her,” she says.
Ms. Kullik eagerly awaits their reunion next weekend after a series of delays, the latest of which was a scheduled outdoor visit on Labor Day canceled due to bad weather.
She bought a see-through vinyl mask for the occasion so that her mother can see most of her face: “The first thing I’m going to look for is recognition in her eyes that she knows who I am.”
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Staff writer Simon Montlake contributed to this report.
Editor’s note: As a public service, we have removed our paywall for all pandemic-related stories.


csmonitor--2020-09-09--What's happened to third parties in 2020?

Dear reader : Remember Gary Johnson ?
Jill Stein ?
They were third party candidates in the 2016 election , the former for the Libertarian Party , the latter for the Green Party .
And by the standards of such insurgent candidacies they did very well .
Third parties took six percent of the 2016 presidential vote , their largest share since Ross Perot ran for the second time in 1996 .
In 11 states , Mr. Johnson ’ s raw vote total alone was larger than the margin between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton .
That doesn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It ’ s difficult to predict how their voters would have split if they weren ’ t in the race .
But it ’ s clear they made things harder for Ms. Clinton in key states , particularly in Michigan , Pennsylvania , and Wisconsin , where the third-party vote was much larger than Mr. Trump ’ s margin of victory .
That ’ s not happening in 2020 .
( Yes , we ’ ve heard about Kanye West .
He ’ s unlikely to matter . )
In general , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up for third parties .
There really aren ’ t many independents – when you subtract voters who lean towards one party or another , true independents constitute about 10 percent of the electorate .
Plus , the U.S. winner-take-all system , where all but two states give all their Electoral College votes to the candidate who wins their state ’ s popular vote , discourages “ wasting ” votes on marginal candidates .
This year in particular there seems little electoral appetite for third parties .
At this point in the 2016 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ undecided or indicating they ’ d go third party , according to Democratic pollster Mark Mellman .
Today that number is less than half its level of four years ago .
People whose names voters might recognize have generally declined 2020 third party runs .
No Rep. Justin Amash , the former Republican who toyed with a Libertarian bid .
Kanye West isn ’ t exactly running hard .
So far , he ’ s on the ballot in only two states that are up for grabs : Iowa , and Minnesota .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ walking ” for president , not running .
Which big party candidate benefits from this ?
We won ’ t know for sure until the votes are counted .
But right now , one NBC poll has third party voters from 2016 backing Biden over Trump , 2-to-1 .
Let us know what you ’ re thinking at csmpolitics @ csmonitor.com .

Dear reader:
Remember Gary Johnson? Jill Stein?
They were third party candidates in the 2016 election, the former for the Libertarian Party, the latter for the Green Party. And by the standards of such insurgent candidacies they did very well.
Third parties took six percent of the 2016 presidential vote, their largest share since Ross Perot ran for the second time in 1996. In 11 states, Mr. Johnson’s raw vote total alone was larger than the margin between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.
That doesn’t necessarily mean they elected President Trump. It’s difficult to predict how their voters would have split if they weren’t in the race. But it’s clear they made things harder for Ms. Clinton in key states, particularly in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, where the third-party vote was much larger than Mr. Trump’s margin of victory.
That’s not happening in 2020. (Yes, we’ve heard about Kanye West. He’s unlikely to matter.)
In general, the American political system isn’t set up for third parties. There really aren’t many independents – when you subtract voters who lean towards one party or another, true independents constitute about 10 percent of the electorate . Plus, the U.S. winner-take-all system, where all but two states give all their Electoral College votes to the candidate who wins their state’s popular vote, discourages “wasting” votes on marginal candidates.
This year in particular there seems little electoral appetite for third parties. At this point in the 2016 cycle, 19 percent of voters were undecided or indicating they’d go third party, according to Democratic pollster Mark Mellman. Today that number is less than half its level of four years ago.
People whose names voters might recognize have generally declined 2020 third party runs. No Rep. Justin Amash, the former Republican who toyed with a Libertarian bid.
Kanye West isn’t exactly running hard. So far, he’s on the ballot in only two states that are up for grabs: Iowa, and Minnesota. He told one interviewer he was “walking” for president, not running.
Which big party candidate benefits from this? We won’t know for sure until the votes are counted. But right now, one NBC poll has third party voters from 2016 backing Biden over Trump, 2-to-1.
Let us know what you’re thinking at csmpolitics@csmonitor.com.
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csmonitor--2020-09-09--John Lewis believed in nonviolence. His faith led the way.

As a boy , John Lewis wanted to be a preacher , but much of his life ’ s message he ended up conveying without words .
The Pulitzer Prize winning historian Jon Meacham explores Lewis ’ message in the book “ His Truth is Marching On : John Lewis and the Power of Hope.
” Mr. Meacham , a biographer of presidents ( Jefferson , Jackson , and others ) chronicles the life of Lewis from his boyhood in the segregated South through his involvement in the Civil Rights movement from 1954 to 1968 .
“ Those were the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” says Mr. Meacham , in an interview with the Monitor .
The biography comes on the heels of Lewis ’ death in July .
“ His life in the movement , to me , offered this clear and compelling case study in what the power of gospel can do when it ’ s marshaled by extraordinary believers.
” Lewis , who chose the text of Matthew 10:34 as the subject for his senior sermon at American Baptist Theological Seminary , endured beatings for his beliefs .
Trained in nonviolent direct action @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Nashville while still in seminary , Lewis played an integral part in desegregating public accommodations in the South .
He took beatings during the early 1960s sit-in campaigns to desegregate lunch counters , the 1961 Freedom Rides to integrate bus stations , and then again during the well-known march across the bridge in Selma for voting rights .
Lewis explained his motivation .
“ There was something deep down within me , moving me , that I could no longer be satisfied or go along with an evil system , that I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” said Lewis , after the sit-ins , of segregation .
“ In spite of all of this , I had to keep loving the people who denied me service.
” A turning point for the young Lewis is described in the book ’ s final chapter , titled “ This Country Don ’ t Run on Love , ” a quote from the individual who replaced Lewis as chairman of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee in 1966 .
The persistent violence turned many in SNCC away from the ideals that helped usher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the 1965 Voting Rights Act .
“ I made a decision that it didn ’ t matter what happened – I would continue to advocate the philosophy and discipline of nonviolence , that I believed in the interracial democracy , ” said Lewis , after losing his position in a contentious election .
Although the book stops after the assassinations of Rev .
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy in 1968 , Lewis ’ career continued and would include more than 30 years as a U.S. congressman representing Georgia .
Lewis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s death .
Instead , drawing on his faith , he sought to right wrongs from inside the government .
Like Lewis , “ if we could bring our profession of our ideals closer to the reality of practice , we ’ d be better off , ” Mr. Meacham says .
While the history of the last two decades of Lewis ’ political career remain to be written ( his memoir “ Walking With the Wind ” was published in 1998 ) , Mr. Meacham puts forward Lewis as an example @ @ @ @ @ @ @ led with his life , ” says the author .
“ He didn ’ t just talk about it , he did it .
”

As a boy, John Lewis wanted to be a preacher, but much of his life’s message he ended up conveying without words.
The Pulitzer Prize winning historian Jon Meacham explores Lewis’ message in the book “His Truth is Marching On: John Lewis and the Power of Hope.” Mr. Meacham, a biographer of presidents (Jefferson, Jackson, and others) chronicles the life of Lewis from his boyhood in the segregated South through his involvement in the Civil Rights movement from 1954 to 1968.
“Those were the years of maximum physical danger for him,” says Mr. Meacham, in an interview with the Monitor. The biography comes on the heels of Lewis’ death in July. “His life in the movement, to me, offered this clear and compelling case study in what the power of gospel can do when it’s marshaled by extraordinary believers.”
Lewis, who chose the text of Matthew 10:34 as the subject for his senior sermon at American Baptist Theological Seminary, endured beatings for his beliefs.
Trained in nonviolent direct action by the Rev. James Lawson Jr. in Nashville while still in seminary, Lewis played an integral part in desegregating public accommodations in the South. He took beatings during the early 1960s sit-in campaigns to desegregate lunch counters, the 1961 Freedom Rides to integrate bus stations, and then again during the well-known march across the bridge in Selma for voting rights. Lewis explained his motivation.
“There was something deep down within me, moving me, that I could no longer be satisfied or go along with an evil system, that I had to be maladjusted to it,” said Lewis, after the sit-ins, of segregation. “In spite of all of this, I had to keep loving the people who denied me service.”
A turning point for the young Lewis is described in the book’s final chapter, titled “This Country Don’t Run on Love,” a quote from the individual who replaced Lewis as chairman of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee in 1966. The persistent violence turned many in SNCC away from the ideals that helped usher in the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the 1965 Voting Rights Act.
“I made a decision that it didn’t matter what happened – I would continue to advocate the philosophy and discipline of nonviolence, that I believed in the interracial democracy,” said Lewis, after losing his position in a contentious election.
Although the book stops after the assassinations of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy in 1968, Lewis’ career continued and would include more than 30 years as a U.S. congressman representing Georgia. Lewis could have succumbed to despair after King’s death. Instead, drawing on his faith, he sought to right wrongs from inside the government.
Like Lewis, “if we could bring our profession of our ideals closer to the reality of practice, we’d be better off,” Mr. Meacham says.
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While the history of the last two decades of Lewis’ political career remain to be written (his memoir “Walking With the Wind” was published in 1998), Mr. Meacham puts forward Lewis as an example of faith worth following.
“He led with his life,” says the author. “He didn’t just talk about it, he did it.”


csmonitor--2020-09-09--Counting the climate cost of post-pandemic economy reboots

The European Union is putting 30 % of its $ 900 billion recovery budget into low-carbon energy projects .
Critics say even that is not enough .
What they want is to see nations summon the same sense of urgency fighting climate change that they have brought to battling the pandemic .
Recent reports – pushed out of the headlines by COVID-19 – have found that ice sheets in Canada and Greenland are melting unprecedentedly fast .
The recent heatwaves around the globe have reminded people of what climate change feels like .
The clean air and low carbon emissions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ humankind has on the environment .
That points to a broader policy tension : Governments want to get their economies moving again as fast as possible , but climate activists insist that they must not do so in a way that accelerates climate change .
It has been so hot in so many places recently , from California to the Middle East and Japan , that some governments are telling citizens they can take their face masks off .
The risk of COVID-19 has to be weighed against heat stroke .
Something extraordinary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus pandemic : Some governments have been telling people that it ’ s fine not to wear face masks .
That ’ s not because they ’ ve suddenly changed their minds about the value of masks in preventing new outbreaks .
It ’ s a response to another global health and safety challenge : global warming .
Amid record-high temperatures in the United States , Europe , the Middle East , and Asia , officials in some countries have decided that the immediate risk of overheating must be weighed alongside the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ underscores a deeper policy tension .
That ’ s between the drive to get national economies restarted as soon as possible , and the hope among climate experts that world leaders ’ efforts to tackle one great natural challenge – the pandemic – will lend new urgency to facing another one : reducing carbon emissions .
The signs of whether that will happen remain mixed , despite some high-profile new commitments , especially by European Union countries .
Yet the signs of climate change are getting stronger .
Two new studies have charted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s ice sheets .
The first revealed that in the far northern reaches of Canada , the country ’ s last intact ice shelf has fractured .
A mass of ice nearly the size of Manhattan has collapsed into the Arctic Ocean .
The second report , late last month , found that the Greenland ice sheet had lost a record amount of ice in the summer of 2019 : more than twice the yearly average and enough to inundate the state of California under four feet of water .
Not all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Annual climate patterns play a role as well .
But the trend since the turn of the century – rising carbon emissions , rising temperatures , and larger melts – is unmistakable .
“ Not only is the ice sheet melting , ” said the lead author of the Greenland study .
“ It ’ s melting at a faster and faster pace.
” Neither of these climate reports received much international attention .
That ’ s perhaps not surprising .
News about climate change , like nearly everything else , has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But another sign of climate change has been impossible to ignore in the past few weeks : soaring temperatures in a number of countries around the globe .
In the U.S. , Californians are facing the twin challenge of wildfires and searing heat , well over 100 degrees Fahrenheit .
The state weather service has warned of “ dangerous to potentially deadly ” temperatures .
European countries including Britain and France have been hit by extreme temperatures over the summer , and the heat is now targeting southern and eastern areas of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even more intense in the Middle East .
Earlier in the summer , the Iraqi capital of Baghdad was hit by temperatures over 125 degrees Fahrenheit .
In recent days , Israel has also experienced its hottest days on record , up to 120 degrees in the Red Sea resort of Eilat .
Israeli health authorities were among those easing their face mask guidance .
They advised people who are distanced from others at a park or on a beach that they can remove their masks .
In Japan , where temperatures climbed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fahrenheit , the national tourist organization was more explicit .
Urging people to “ remove your mask ” when socially distanced outdoors , it warned that “ wearing a mask … with high temperature and humidity may cause heat stroke.
” But climate scientists and activists want to see the pandemic spark longer-term adjustments .
They point out that when COVID-19 first hit many countries , the resulting economic shutdowns , though unwelcome , did provide clear evidence of humankind ’ s impact on the environment and of the potential benefits of altering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The air became dramatically clearer .
The other pandemic lesson they hope politicians will take on board is that the effects of climate change – like COVID-19 – do not stop at national borders , and that this means they require a concerted international response .
With governments spending unheard-of sums to rescue and resuscitate their countries ’ economies , climate activists want more of that money to create and support low-carbon businesses .
A number of countries worldwide have announced cleaner-energy targets as part of their economic reconstruction plans .
But the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with a nearly $ 900 billion recovery package , of which 30 % is earmarked for less carbon-intensive energy generation .
The EU aims to become carbon-neutral by 2050 , but that is a target it set for itself a year ago , and an alliance of thousands of climate scientists and policy advocates , including the teenage Swedish activist Greta Thunberg , has criticized the new EU plan as too cautious and vague .
The recovery plan receiving the warmest welcome from climate activists has , in fact , come from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. Democratic Party presidential hopeful Joe Biden .
He has announced a $ 2-trillion blueprint , pledging to ratchet up government support for electric vehicles , carbon-free power and energy efficiency – with a carbon-neutral target of 2045 .
Nearly half of the investment would go to minority and disadvantaged communities .
The hope of Ms. Thunberg and fellow campaigners is that the EU and other countries will add fresh detail and greater ambition to their plans as the economic recovery takes root .
The key , they say , is that nations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – the sense of “ emergency , ” in Ms. Thunberg ’ s phrase – that they have brought to battling the pandemic .

The European Union is putting 30% of its $900 billion recovery budget into low-carbon energy projects. Critics say even that is not enough. What they want is to see nations summon the same sense of urgency fighting climate change that they have brought to battling the pandemic.
Recent reports – pushed out of the headlines by COVID-19 – have found that ice sheets in Canada and Greenland are melting unprecedentedly fast. The recent heatwaves around the globe have reminded people of what climate change feels like. The clean air and low carbon emissions that resulted from lockdowns showed the impact humankind has on the environment.
Record-high temperatures around the world are reminding people what climate change feels like. Can governments summon the same urgency to controlling carbon emissions that they have brought to battling the COVID-19 pandemic?
That points to a broader policy tension: Governments want to get their economies moving again as fast as possible, but climate activists insist that they must not do so in a way that accelerates climate change.
It has been so hot in so many places recently, from California to the Middle East and Japan, that some governments are telling citizens they can take their face masks off. The risk of COVID-19 has to be weighed against heat stroke.
Something extraordinary is happening in the worldwide fight against the coronavirus pandemic: Some governments have been telling people that it’s fine not to wear face masks.
That’s not because they’ve suddenly changed their minds about the value of masks in preventing new outbreaks. It’s a response to another global health and safety challenge: global warming.
Amid record-high temperatures in the United States, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, officials in some countries have decided that the immediate risk of overheating must be weighed alongside the danger of catching COVID-19.
Why We Wrote This Record-high temperatures around the world are reminding people what climate change feels like. Can governments summon the same urgency to controlling carbon emissions that they have brought to battling the COVID-19 pandemic?
The calculation underscores a deeper policy tension. That’s between the drive to get national economies restarted as soon as possible, and the hope among climate experts that world leaders’ efforts to tackle one great natural challenge – the pandemic – will lend new urgency to facing another one: reducing carbon emissions.
The signs of whether that will happen remain mixed, despite some high-profile new commitments, especially by European Union countries.
Yet the signs of climate change are getting stronger. Two new studies have charted the hugely accelerating loss of the world’s ice sheets.
The first revealed that in the far northern reaches of Canada, the country’s last intact ice shelf has fractured. A mass of ice nearly the size of Manhattan has collapsed into the Arctic Ocean. The second report, late last month, found that the Greenland ice sheet had lost a record amount of ice in the summer of 2019: more than twice the yearly average and enough to inundate the state of California under four feet of water.
Not all of this is due to global warming. Annual climate patterns play a role as well. But the trend since the turn of the century – rising carbon emissions, rising temperatures, and larger melts – is unmistakable. “Not only is the ice sheet melting,” said the lead author of the Greenland study. “It’s melting at a faster and faster pace.”
Neither of these climate reports received much international attention. That’s perhaps not surprising. News about climate change, like nearly everything else, has been crowded out by the pandemic.
But another sign of climate change has been impossible to ignore in the past few weeks: soaring temperatures in a number of countries around the globe.
In the U.S., Californians are facing the twin challenge of wildfires and searing heat, well over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The state weather service has warned of “dangerous to potentially deadly” temperatures.
European countries including Britain and France have been hit by extreme temperatures over the summer, and the heat is now targeting southern and eastern areas of the continent.
But it’s been even more intense in the Middle East. Earlier in the summer, the Iraqi capital of Baghdad was hit by temperatures over 125 degrees Fahrenheit. In recent days, Israel has also experienced its hottest days on record, up to 120 degrees in the Red Sea resort of Eilat.
Israeli health authorities were among those easing their face mask guidance. They advised people who are distanced from others at a park or on a beach that they can remove their masks.
In Japan, where temperatures climbed last month to a record 106 degrees Fahrenheit, the national tourist organization was more explicit. Urging people to “remove your mask” when socially distanced outdoors, it warned that “wearing a mask … with high temperature and humidity may cause heat stroke.”
But climate scientists and activists want to see the pandemic spark longer-term adjustments. They point out that when COVID-19 first hit many countries, the resulting economic shutdowns, though unwelcome, did provide clear evidence of humankind’s impact on the environment and of the potential benefits of altering our behavior. Carbon emissions fell. The air became dramatically clearer.
Ahn Young-joon/AP View caption Hide caption A woman wearing a face mask to help curb the spread of the coronavirus holds a fan to counteract sweltering heat at a service at the Chogyesa temple in Seoul, South Korea, Aug. 26, 2020.
The other pandemic lesson they hope politicians will take on board is that the effects of climate change – like COVID-19 – do not stop at national borders, and that this means they require a concerted international response. With governments spending unheard-of sums to rescue and resuscitate their countries’ economies, climate activists want more of that money to create and support low-carbon businesses.
A number of countries worldwide have announced cleaner-energy targets as part of their economic reconstruction plans. But the 27-nation European Union has led the way, with a nearly $900 billion recovery package, of which 30% is earmarked for less carbon-intensive energy generation.
The EU aims to become carbon-neutral by 2050, but that is a target it set for itself a year ago, and an alliance of thousands of climate scientists and policy advocates, including the teenage Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, has criticized the new EU plan as too cautious and vague.
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The recovery plan receiving the warmest welcome from climate activists has, in fact, come from someone who does not hold office: U.S. Democratic Party presidential hopeful Joe Biden. He has announced a $2-trillion blueprint, pledging to ratchet up government support for electric vehicles, carbon-free power and energy efficiency – with a carbon-neutral target of 2045. Nearly half of the investment would go to minority and disadvantaged communities.
The hope of Ms. Thunberg and fellow campaigners is that the EU and other countries will add fresh detail and greater ambition to their plans as the economic recovery takes root. The key, they say, is that nations should summon the same sense of urgency – the sense of “emergency,” in Ms. Thunberg’s phrase – that they have brought to battling the pandemic.


csmonitor--2020-09-09--‘Advance warning is the key’: California works to save most vulnerable

“ What ’ s happened historically with disaster preparedness is you have good people trying to do good things , but they operate from a somewhat limited perspective , ” says Vance Taylor , who heads the office of access and functional needs for the state ’ s emergency services , and uses a wheelchair .
“ When you bring people with access and functional needs into the discussion , the reaction shifts from ‘ your plan left us out ’ to ‘ our plan has some gaps – let ’ s fix them.
’ ” Amid wildfires that have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such failures pose particular risk for older residents and others who may require more time to escape .
California law mandates that cities and counties include members of vulnerable groups in emergency planning .
Then she received a call from a caseworker with the Yolo County health services agency alerting them that the county had ordered their area to evacuate an hour earlier .
In Winters , California , acrid smoke seeped into Cynthia Rodriguez ’ s home .
The haze unsettled her adult daughter , Libby , who was born deaf and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and her husband searched news sites and called 911 as they tried in vain to learn details about nearby fires .
Ken Britten and Sandra Aamodt followed a familiar routine after learning about a wildfire burning four miles from their Northern California home .
As with past fires in the parched hills outside the rural town of Winters , west of Sacramento , he scanned weather and news websites as she tracked social media for more details .
The couple found little information that evening , yet while concerned , they judged the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the blaze and the lack of wind .
Around midnight , two hours after they went to bed , their pit bull mix , Tierra , began to stir .
Mr. Britten , a retired neurobiology professor , stood up to let her outside the darkened A-frame house he bought in 1997 .
Opening the front door , he realized the dog ’ s anxious behavior had served as a warning – much of the night sky now glowed a furious orange .
He rushed up a slope on the eight-acre property and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a mile away .
A stiff wind had kicked up , and the roaring inferno sounded to him like an enormous blast furnace .
He hurried back to the house to rouse his wife .
“ We ’ re going , ” he said .
A steep , sinuous gravel road links their neighborhood ’ s 10 large-lot homes , and residents – most of them middle-aged or seniors , some with functional needs – stay connected during emergencies through a group text thread .
That night , Aug. 19 , the thread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other , the fifth time in six years that wildfire has forced them to evacuate .
The texts proved vital , possibly life-saving .
A technical glitch in the emergency alert system for Yolo County prevented automated evacuation calls from reaching residents in imperiled areas , including the Winters neighborhood where Mr. Britten and Ms. Aamodt live .
The county further waited until almost 4 a.m. to send evacuation texts and emails to residents , more than three hours after the couple fled the approaching fire .
The counties of Napa and Solano @ @ @ @ @ @ @ several others endured similar emergency alert problems after dry-lightning strikes ignited hundreds of fast-moving wildfires in mid-August .
The failures and delays pose particular risk for elderly residents and people with access and functional needs who may require more time to escape .
In the past month – with the eruption of the second- , third- , and fourth-largest wildfires in state history – pressure has intensified on public agencies to improve crisis planning for and evacuation of California ’ s most vulnerable residents .
“ We have a lot of work to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a member of the Yolo County Board of Supervisors , who has pushed the county to fortify its disaster preparedness .
“ The bottom line is , we need to be far more attentive to the needs of seniors , people with limited mobility , or those who might live alone.
” Unreliable warning systems and erratic cooperation between California ’ s 58 counties have hampered swift evacuation of residents as the state confronts the dawning era of megafires .
The infernos that flared last month and new fires that sparked over Labor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have destroyed in excess of 3,300 homes and other structures , forced at least 120,000 people to evacuate , and claimed eight lives .
In one dramatic nighttime rescue , helicopter crews airlifted more than 200 people trapped by a fire that exploded in forestland northeast of Fresno .
Tierra ’ s early warning enabled Mr. Britten and Ms. Aamodt to load up their two vehicles with essential possessions – laptops , documents , two cats – and for Mr. Britten to switch on a gas-powered sprinkler system connected to a 2,500-gallon water @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safety , the flames died in the wet grass within a few feet of the A-frame , sparing it the fate of three nearby homes that burned to the ground .
“ If not for the dog , we might ’ ve lost the house , ” says Mr. Britten , who installed the sprinklers and tank after a wildfire in 2016 .
He stood on his wooden deck looking down at hills charred the color of coal .
“ Who knows , we might ’ ve lost our lives.
” A state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and response of three counties ravaged by recent wildfires .
The report concluded that deep deficiencies persist at the local and state level in aiding seniors , people with disabilities , and non-English speakers before , during , and after natural disasters .
Counties neglected to identify vulnerable residents as part of emergency planning , assess the extra assistance they might require to evacuate , or devote sufficient resources to provide them with transportation and shelter .
The state ’ s review emphasized the inordinate impact of natural disasters on elderly residents .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ foothills of Butte County , California ’ s deadliest wildfire on record killed 85 people in and around the town of Paradise , where some neighborhoods never received evacuation orders .
More than three-fourths of the victims were age 65 or older .
Elder care advocates regard the missteps of counties this summer as worrisome evidence that vulnerable residents remain an afterthought in crisis preparations .
“ Is California getting better with each disaster ?
Yes .
We ’ re learning from our mistakes , ” says Debbie Toth , president and CEO @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Area nonprofit group offers supportive services to seniors to help them preserve their independence .
“ But are we fully prepared ?
No .
Not even close.
” The graying of California will accelerate over the next decade as the seniors population climbs from 5.8 million to an estimated 8.6 million by 2030 , with more than 1 million requiring support to live at home .
The expanding cohort will age in a state beset by an increase in the number , magnitude , and severity of wildfires arising from climate change , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As massive “ fire clouds ” obscure the sun and nearly 15,000 firefighters battle the flames , more than 2.2 million acres have burned already this year , eclipsing California ’ s single-year record of 1.85 million in 2018 .
Democratic state Sen. Bill Dodd represents a district north of San Francisco that stretches across all or part of Napa , Solano , Sonoma , and Yolo counties .
He joined emergency officials last month to tour areas scorched by fires , and they described the frantic door-to-door efforts of first responders to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into neighborhoods .
Faulty disaster alert systems compounded the chaos .
“ They were successful in getting people out , ” he says .
“ But that also underscored that the loss of life could have been far higher.
” The state audit found that the prevailing “ opt-in ” model for notification networks has excluded as many as 40 % of a county ’ s residents from receiving evacuation calls , texts , and emails .
Even if seniors sign up , a lack of tech literacy , a bout of confusion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leave them susceptible to impending danger .
California lawmakers approved a measure last week that authorizes use of two-tone , “ high-low ” sirens common in Europe on emergency vehicles , giving public safety agencies another method for reaching residents during natural disasters .
“ None of these things is the silver bullet , ” says Senator Dodd , who authored the bill .
“ But we have a lot of seniors and people with disabilities living on their own , and we have to make them aware every way we can.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a wildfire ripped through Vacaville , a city of 100,000 people in his district .
Around 1:45 a.m. , Ailene Klotz , a retired high school teacher , received an automated call from Solano County informing her of an evacuation advisory .
She flipped on the lights in the ranch-style house where she has lived alone since her husband died 20 years ago and began to gather medications , clothes , jewelry , and photo albums .
A second call at 2:30 a.m. delivered an evacuation order .
Ms. Klotz , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ smoke-choked darkness as she and her shih tzu , Molly , fled to a nearby seniors center converted into a temporary emergency shelter .
Her house survived unscathed , unlike hundreds of others in the area , and she recognizes her good fortune – and the complicated decision that emergency officials faced on sending alerts as winds shifted and swirled .
Still , after so many destructive infernos in California the past three years , she suggests that counties notify residents sooner rather than later .
“ Forty-five minutes isn ’ t enough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The alerts have to be earlier and faster because the fires are getting worse .
At this age , you want as much warning as you can get.
” The same morning , 15 miles away in Winters , acrid smoke seeped into Cynthia Rodriguez ’ s home .
The haze unsettled her adult daughter , Libby , who was born deaf and diagnosed with Down syndrome .
Ms. Rodriguez and her husband searched news sites , watched TV , and called 911 as they tried in vain to learn details about nearby @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leave , she received a call at 10:30 a.m. from a caseworker with the Yolo County health services agency that assists with Libby ’ s care .
The person told her the agency was alerting clients in the couple ’ s neighborhood that the county had ordered an evacuation of their area an hour earlier .
“ That ’ s not an ideal way to find out , ” says Ms. Rodriguez , a retired attorney , whose son drove to Winters to pick up Libby and bring her to his home near @ @ @ @ @ @ @ judgment not just for ourselves but those we ’ re caring for , ” she says .
Packing adaptive equipment or loading a person with disabilities into a vehicle can slow an individual ’ s or family ’ s escape , as appears to have occurred with an older couple who lived outside Winters and died in the fires .
“ Advance warning is the key to survival , ” Ms. Rodriguez adds .
“ You need time to plan and gather your resources and your energy so you can get out the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and counties take into account people with access and functional needs as part of emergency readiness – a directive that covers alerts , evacuations , and post-disaster shelter – and to include members of vulnerable groups in the planning process .
Last year ’ s audit of evacuation practices criticized county agencies for failing to fulfill either obligation , and faulted California ’ s office of emergency services for dedicating inadequate resources and guidance to counties to aid vulnerable residents .
Vance Taylor , who heads the office of access and functional needs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ broader , more collaborative approach at the county level to strengthen the emergency net .
“ What ’ s happened historically with disaster preparedness is you have good people trying to do good things , but they operate from a somewhat limited perspective , ” Mr. Taylor says .
He was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy as a child and uses a wheelchair .
“ When you bring people with access and functional needs into the discussion , the reaction shifts from ‘ Your plan left us out ’ to ‘ Our plan has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them.
’ ” Kate Laddish lives in Winters and belongs to an advisory committee on disaster readiness that last week presented a slate of recommendations to the county board of supervisors .
The committee called for a thorough census of residents with access and functional needs and sending more alerts during emergencies to help them better prepare for a potential evacuation .
When flames reached the outskirts of Winters three weeks ago , Ms. Laddish , in the absence of county updates , listened to scanner apps tuned to fire and police channels @ @ @ @ @ @ @ texts from other residents in the city seeking information that night .
“ When you don ’ t get any notifications but you know there ’ s a fire , ” she says , “ you ’ re left wondering if you ’ re not under an evacuation order or the system failed or something else.
” Ms. Laddish , a former geology professor and park ranger whose diagnoses of muscular and neurological disorders qualify her for disability assistance , lives in an affordable housing complex for seniors and people with functional needs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feared what might happen to vulnerable residents like those in her building if the high winds brought the fire barreling into town .
“ Without getting enough notice to evacuate , ” she says , “ there would have been catastrophic loss of life.
” She contends that the county relies too much on neighbors helping each other when disasters hit .
“ Fantastic community spirit isn ’ t an evacuation plan.
” Gov .
Gavin Newsom launched an initiative last year called Listos – Spanish for “ ready ” – that has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ community groups statewide to promote disaster preparedness among seniors , people with functional needs , non-English speakers , and low-income residents .
The program holds emergency training sessions , distributes “ go kits , ” and works with vulnerable populations to create evacuation plans .
The campaign also urges people to sign up for county and state disaster alerts .
Emergency officials in Yolo County , following the failure of the automated call system , fixed the technical snafu and tested the network last week .
The good results encouraged Mr. Saylor , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to emulate nearby counties that send more warnings to residents .
“ We ’ re past the time when we can withhold giving notice because some people might be annoyed about receiving too many alerts , ” he says .
“ The risks of not notifying are too great .
Fires are still burning .
”

“What’s happened historically with disaster preparedness is you have good people trying to do good things, but they operate from a somewhat limited perspective,” says Vance Taylor, who heads the office of access and functional needs for the state’s emergency services, and uses a wheelchair. “When you bring people with access and functional needs into the discussion, the reaction shifts from ‘your plan left us out’ to ‘our plan has some gaps – let’s fix them.’”
Amid wildfires that have burned a record 2 million acres, such failures pose particular risk for older residents and others who may require more time to escape. California law mandates that cities and counties include members of vulnerable groups in emergency planning.
Time is of the essence when escaping wildfires. After some troubling failures, California is trying to find ways to protect older people and those with disabilities, such as including them in emergency planning.
Then she received a call from a caseworker with the Yolo County health services agency alerting them that the county had ordered their area to evacuate an hour earlier.
In Winters, California, acrid smoke seeped into Cynthia Rodriguez’s home. The haze unsettled her adult daughter, Libby, who was born deaf and diagnosed with Down syndrome. Ms. Rodriguez and her husband searched news sites and called 911 as they tried in vain to learn details about nearby fires.
Ken Britten and Sandra Aamodt followed a familiar routine after learning about a wildfire burning four miles from their Northern California home. As with past fires in the parched hills outside the rural town of Winters, west of Sacramento, he scanned weather and news websites as she tracked social media for more details. The couple found little information that evening, yet while concerned, they judged the threat relatively low given their distance from the blaze and the lack of wind.
Around midnight, two hours after they went to bed, their pit bull mix, Tierra, began to stir. Mr. Britten, a retired neurobiology professor, stood up to let her outside the darkened A-frame house he bought in 1997. Opening the front door, he realized the dog’s anxious behavior had served as a warning – much of the night sky now glowed a furious orange.
He rushed up a slope on the eight-acre property and saw flames advancing down a hillside about a mile away. A stiff wind had kicked up, and the roaring inferno sounded to him like an enormous blast furnace. He hurried back to the house to rouse his wife. “We’re going,” he said.
Why We Wrote This Time is of the essence when escaping wildfires. After some troubling failures, California is trying to find ways to protect older people and those with disabilities, such as including them in emergency planning.
A steep, sinuous gravel road links their neighborhood’s 10 large-lot homes, and residents – most of them middle-aged or seniors, some with functional needs – stay connected during emergencies through a group text thread. That night, Aug. 19, the thread blinked to life as neighbors alerted each other, the fifth time in six years that wildfire has forced them to evacuate.
Martin Kuz/The Christian Science Monitor View caption Hide caption Ken Britten is shown with his pit bull mix, Tierra, outside his home in Winters, Calif., on Aug. 29, 2020. Mr. Britten credits the dog with waking up him and his wife as a massive wildfire approached their home Aug. 19.
The texts proved vital, possibly life-saving. A technical glitch in the emergency alert system for Yolo County prevented automated evacuation calls from reaching residents in imperiled areas, including the Winters neighborhood where Mr. Britten and Ms. Aamodt live. The county further waited until almost 4 a.m. to send evacuation texts and emails to residents, more than three hours after the couple fled the approaching fire.
The counties of Napa and Solano, both adjacent to Yolo, and several others endured similar emergency alert problems after dry-lightning strikes ignited hundreds of fast-moving wildfires in mid-August.
The failures and delays pose particular risk for elderly residents and people with access and functional needs who may require more time to escape. In the past month – with the eruption of the second-, third-, and fourth-largest wildfires in state history – pressure has intensified on public agencies to improve crisis planning for and evacuation of California’s most vulnerable residents.
“We have a lot of work to do,” says Don Saylor, a member of the Yolo County Board of Supervisors, who has pushed the county to fortify its disaster preparedness. “The bottom line is, we need to be far more attentive to the needs of seniors, people with limited mobility, or those who might live alone.”
Unreliable warning systems and erratic cooperation between California’s 58 counties have hampered swift evacuation of residents as the state confronts the dawning era of megafires. The infernos that flared last month and new fires that sparked over Labor Day weekend amid a withering heat wave have destroyed in excess of 3,300 homes and other structures, forced at least 120,000 people to evacuate, and claimed eight lives. In one dramatic nighttime rescue, helicopter crews airlifted more than 200 people trapped by a fire that exploded in forestland northeast of Fresno.
Tierra’s early warning enabled Mr. Britten and Ms. Aamodt to load up their two vehicles with essential possessions – laptops, documents, two cats – and for Mr. Britten to switch on a gas-powered sprinkler system connected to a 2,500-gallon water tank. Sometime after they drove to safety, the flames died in the wet grass within a few feet of the A-frame, sparing it the fate of three nearby homes that burned to the ground.
“If not for the dog, we might’ve lost the house,” says Mr. Britten, who installed the sprinklers and tank after a wildfire in 2016. He stood on his wooden deck looking down at hills charred the color of coal. “Who knows, we might’ve lost our lives.”
No silver bullet
A state audit last year examined the evacuation readiness and response of three counties ravaged by recent wildfires. The report concluded that deep deficiencies persist at the local and state level in aiding seniors, people with disabilities, and non-English speakers before, during, and after natural disasters. Counties neglected to identify vulnerable residents as part of emergency planning, assess the extra assistance they might require to evacuate, or devote sufficient resources to provide them with transportation and shelter.
The state’s review emphasized the inordinate impact of natural disasters on elderly residents. Two years ago in the Sierra Nevada foothills of Butte County, California’s deadliest wildfire on record killed 85 people in and around the town of Paradise, where some neighborhoods never received evacuation orders. More than three-fourths of the victims were age 65 or older.
Elder care advocates regard the missteps of counties this summer as worrisome evidence that vulnerable residents remain an afterthought in crisis preparations. “Is California getting better with each disaster? Yes. We’re learning from our mistakes,” says Debbie Toth, president and CEO of Choice in Aging. The Bay Area nonprofit group offers supportive services to seniors to help them preserve their independence. “But are we fully prepared? No. Not even close.”
The graying of California will accelerate over the next decade as the seniors population climbs from 5.8 million to an estimated 8.6 million by 2030, with more than 1 million requiring support to live at home.
The expanding cohort will age in a state beset by an increase in the number, magnitude, and severity of wildfires arising from climate change, overgrown forests, and sprawling development. As massive “fire clouds” obscure the sun and nearly 15,000 firefighters battle the flames, more than 2.2 million acres have burned already this year, eclipsing California’s single-year record of 1.85 million in 2018.
Democratic state Sen. Bill Dodd represents a district north of San Francisco that stretches across all or part of Napa, Solano, Sonoma, and Yolo counties. He joined emergency officials last month to tour areas scorched by fires, and they described the frantic door-to-door efforts of first responders to warn residents as ferocious winds propelled flames into neighborhoods. Faulty disaster alert systems compounded the chaos.
“They were successful in getting people out,” he says. “But that also underscored that the loss of life could have been far higher.”
The state audit found that the prevailing “opt-in” model for notification networks has excluded as many as 40% of a county’s residents from receiving evacuation calls, texts, and emails. Even if seniors sign up, a lack of tech literacy, a bout of confusion, or physical or cognitive impairment can leave them susceptible to impending danger.
California lawmakers approved a measure last week that authorizes use of two-tone, “high-low” sirens common in Europe on emergency vehicles, giving public safety agencies another method for reaching residents during natural disasters.
“None of these things is the silver bullet,” says Senator Dodd, who authored the bill. “But we have a lot of seniors and people with disabilities living on their own, and we have to make them aware every way we can.”
In the early hours of Aug. 19, a wildfire ripped through Vacaville, a city of 100,000 people in his district. Around 1:45 a.m., Ailene Klotz, a retired high school teacher, received an automated call from Solano County informing her of an evacuation advisory. She flipped on the lights in the ranch-style house where she has lived alone since her husband died 20 years ago and began to gather medications, clothes, jewelry, and photo albums.
A second call at 2:30 a.m. delivered an evacuation order. Ms. Klotz, who is 81, steered her Prius through smoke-choked darkness as she and her shih tzu, Molly, fled to a nearby seniors center converted into a temporary emergency shelter.
Her house survived unscathed, unlike hundreds of others in the area, and she recognizes her good fortune – and the complicated decision that emergency officials faced on sending alerts as winds shifted and swirled. Still, after so many destructive infernos in California the past three years, she suggests that counties notify residents sooner rather than later.
“Forty-five minutes isn’t enough time,” she says. “The alerts have to be earlier and faster because the fires are getting worse. At this age, you want as much warning as you can get.”
Martin Kuz/The Christian Science Monitor View caption Hide caption Ken Britten and Sandra Aamodt's home in Winters, Calif., is shown on Aug. 29, 2020. The couple fled the house on Aug. 19 as a wildfire approached. Mr. Britten switched on an emergency sprinkler system before leaving, likely saving the house from burning.
The key to survival
The same morning, 15 miles away in Winters, acrid smoke seeped into Cynthia Rodriguez’s home. The haze unsettled her adult daughter, Libby, who was born deaf and diagnosed with Down syndrome. Ms. Rodriguez and her husband searched news sites, watched TV, and called 911 as they tried in vain to learn details about nearby fires.
As they weighed whether to leave, she received a call at 10:30 a.m. from a caseworker with the Yolo County health services agency that assists with Libby’s care. The person told her the agency was alerting clients in the couple’s neighborhood that the county had ordered an evacuation of their area an hour earlier.
“That’s not an ideal way to find out,” says Ms. Rodriguez, a retired attorney, whose son drove to Winters to pick up Libby and bring her to his home near Oakland.
“We have to exercise judgment not just for ourselves but those we’re caring for,” she says. Packing adaptive equipment or loading a person with disabilities into a vehicle can slow an individual’s or family’s escape, as appears to have occurred with an older couple who lived outside Winters and died in the fires.
“Advance warning is the key to survival,” Ms. Rodriguez adds. “You need time to plan and gather your resources and your energy so you can get out the door.”
State law mandates that cities and counties take into account people with access and functional needs as part of emergency readiness – a directive that covers alerts, evacuations, and post-disaster shelter – and to include members of vulnerable groups in the planning process.
Last year’s audit of evacuation practices criticized county agencies for failing to fulfill either obligation, and faulted California’s office of emergency services for dedicating inadequate resources and guidance to counties to aid vulnerable residents. Vance Taylor, who heads the office of access and functional needs within that state agency, advocates a broader, more collaborative approach at the county level to strengthen the emergency net.
“What’s happened historically with disaster preparedness is you have good people trying to do good things, but they operate from a somewhat limited perspective,” Mr. Taylor says. He was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy as a child and uses a wheelchair. “When you bring people with access and functional needs into the discussion, the reaction shifts from ‘Your plan left us out’ to ‘Our plan has some gaps – let’s fix them.’”
Kate Laddish lives in Winters and belongs to an advisory committee on disaster readiness that last week presented a slate of recommendations to the county board of supervisors. The committee called for a thorough census of residents with access and functional needs and sending more alerts during emergencies to help them better prepare for a potential evacuation.
When flames reached the outskirts of Winters three weeks ago, Ms. Laddish, in the absence of county updates, listened to scanner apps tuned to fire and police channels. She found herself fielding calls and texts from other residents in the city seeking information that night.
“When you don’t get any notifications but you know there’s a fire,” she says, “you’re left wondering if you’re not under an evacuation order or the system failed or something else.”
Ms. Laddish, a former geology professor and park ranger whose diagnoses of muscular and neurological disorders qualify her for disability assistance, lives in an affordable housing complex for seniors and people with functional needs. During those fraught hours, she feared what might happen to vulnerable residents like those in her building if the high winds brought the fire barreling into town.
“Without getting enough notice to evacuate,” she says, “there would have been catastrophic loss of life.” She contends that the county relies too much on neighbors helping each other when disasters hit. “Fantastic community spirit isn’t an evacuation plan.”
Gov. Gavin Newsom launched an initiative last year called Listos California – Spanish for “ready” – that has funneled $50 million to nonprofit and community groups statewide to promote disaster preparedness among seniors, people with functional needs, non-English speakers, and low-income residents. The program holds emergency training sessions, distributes “go kits,” and works with vulnerable populations to create evacuation plans.
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The campaign also urges people to sign up for county and state disaster alerts. Emergency officials in Yolo County, following the failure of the automated call system, fixed the technical snafu and tested the network last week. The good results encouraged Mr. Saylor, the board supervisor, who wants Yolo to emulate nearby counties that send more warnings to residents.
“We’re past the time when we can withhold giving notice because some people might be annoyed about receiving too many alerts,” he says. “The risks of not notifying are too great. Fires are still burning.”


csmonitor--2020-09-09--They persisted: Tales of endurance lead the 10 best books of September

Novels dominate the rich offerings as summer yields to autumn and publishers roll out their more “ serious ” literature .
A new book about Abraham Lincoln and another about displaced persons after World War II bring new insights in the nonfiction genre .
Nora ’ s life is burdened by regrets .
Then she stumbles on a library with books that enable her to test out the lives she could have led , including as a glaciologist , Olympic swimmer , rock star , and more .
Her discoveries ultimately prove life-affirming in Matt Haig ’ s dazzling fantasy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her award-winning debut “ Homegoing ” with the affecting story of Ghanaian immigrants struggling to realize the American dream in the face of racism and the opioid crisis .
Told by the daughter , Gifty , it is also the story of a young woman ’ s spiritual journey to reconcile her calling as a neuroscientist with her evangelical Christian faith .
3 .
His Only Wife by Peace Adzo Medie Peace Adzo Medie tells a story of strong women in the midst of a patriarchal culture .
The book focuses on Afi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agrees to an arranged marriage to help her family .
As the story unfolds , she develops a sense of herself and realizes just how strong she truly is .
The backdrop for this charming and cleverly written “ cozy mystery ” is an upscale British retirement community .
At first , the septuagenarians tackle cold cases , but when one of the developers of their community is murdered , the little club serves up lemon drizzle cake and looks for answers .
Sue Miller ’ s novel tracks a woman ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ husband ’ s sudden death , especially after learning of a recent infidelity .
Underlying this emotionally astute tale are questions about what makes a good marriage .
In the fourth novel of her acclaimed Gilead series , a prequel set in St. Louis in the late 1940s , Marilynne Robinson hones in on Jack Boughton ’ s interracial relationship with Della Miles .
Longtime readers who know the outcome can focus on Robinson ’ s deeper look at humanity and history , full of torment but also abiding kindness and grace .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ narrative disorienting at first , but no less rewarding once they settle in .
7 .
All the Devils Are Here by Louise Penny Inspector Gamache endeavors to uncover a sinister web of crime in the City of Light , ignited by the attempted hit-and-run of his beloved godfather .
Sparkling with psychological suspense , secrets , danger , and levity , this masterful addition to Penny ’ s “ Three Pines ” crime mystery series also celebrates the enduring gift of love and family .
8 .
Just Us by Claudia Rankine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : An American Lyric ” with a brilliant and timely examination of whiteness in America .
This consciousness-raising , bravura combination of personal essays , poems , photographs , and cultural commentary works on so many levels and is a skyscraper in the literature on racism .
Abraham Lincoln had less than a year of formal education ; he has often been portrayed as inexperienced and unprepared to lead .
David S. Reynolds ’ monumental , reverential biography rejects that narrative , arguing that Lincoln ’ s immersion in the high and low @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his deep moral convictions , equipped him to steer the Union through the Civil War .
10 .
The Last Million by David Nasaw David Nasaw tells the story of Holocaust survivors and many other displaced persons who landed in the first modern refugee camps .
Nasaw shows how the United States remained reluctant after World War II to take in Jewish refugees , who were tarred as potential communist subversives .

Novels dominate the rich offerings as summer yields to autumn and publishers roll out their more “serious” literature. A new book about Abraham Lincoln and another about displaced persons after World War II bring new insights in the nonfiction genre.
1. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
Nora’s life is burdened by regrets. Then she stumbles on a library with books that enable her to test out the lives she could have led, including as a glaciologist, Olympic swimmer, rock star, and more. Her discoveries ultimately prove life-affirming in Matt Haig’s dazzling fantasy.
Why We Wrote This Resilience is a quality threaded through much of the fiction that made our list in September. Tales of hardship overcome, of rising up out of limitations; these are the stories that see people through difficult days. Among the two nonfiction selections, a new biography digs deeper into Abraham Lincoln's leadership during the Civil War, and a history of refugee camps captures the plight of displaced people after World War II.
2. Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi
Ghana-born American writer Yaa Gyasi follows her award-winning debut “Homegoing” with the affecting story of Ghanaian immigrants struggling to realize the American dream in the face of racism and the opioid crisis. Told by the daughter, Gifty, it is also the story of a young woman’s spiritual journey to reconcile her calling as a neuroscientist with her evangelical Christian faith.
3. His Only Wife by Peace Adzo Medie
Peace Adzo Medie tells a story of strong women in the midst of a patriarchal culture. The book focuses on Afi, a young seamstress in Ghana who agrees to an arranged marriage to help her family. As the story unfolds, she develops a sense of herself and realizes just how strong she truly is.
4. The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
The backdrop for this charming and cleverly written “cozy mystery” is an upscale British retirement community. At first, the septuagenarians tackle cold cases, but when one of the developers of their community is murdered, the little club serves up lemon drizzle cake and looks for answers.
5. Monogamy by Sue Miller
Sue Miller’s novel tracks a woman’s evolving, conflicted feelings following her magnetic husband’s sudden death, especially after learning of a recent infidelity. Underlying this emotionally astute tale are questions about what makes a good marriage.
6. Jack by Marilynne Robinson
Courtesy of Macmillan Publishers View caption Hide caption “Jack” by Marilynne Robinson, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 320 pp.
In the fourth novel of her acclaimed Gilead series, a prequel set in St. Louis in the late 1940s, Marilynne Robinson hones in on Jack Boughton’s interracial relationship with Della Miles. Longtime readers who know the outcome can focus on Robinson’s deeper look at humanity and history, full of torment but also abiding kindness and grace. Readers new to Gilead may find the narrative disorienting at first, but no less rewarding once they settle in.
7. All the Devils Are Here by Louise Penny
Inspector Gamache endeavors to uncover a sinister web of crime in the City of Light, ignited by the attempted hit-and-run of his beloved godfather. Sparkling with psychological suspense, secrets, danger, and levity, this masterful addition to Penny’s “Three Pines” crime mystery series also celebrates the enduring gift of love and family.
8. Just Us by Claudia Rankine
Claudia Rankine follows her prize-winning “Citizen: An American Lyric” with a brilliant and timely examination of whiteness in America. This consciousness-raising, bravura combination of personal essays, poems, photographs, and cultural commentary works on so many levels and is a skyscraper in the literature on racism.
9. Abe by David S. Reynolds
Abraham Lincoln had less than a year of formal education; he has often been portrayed as inexperienced and unprepared to lead. David S. Reynolds’ monumental, reverential biography rejects that narrative, arguing that Lincoln’s immersion in the high and low culture of 19th-century America, along with his deep moral convictions, equipped him to steer the Union through the Civil War.
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empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
10. The Last Million by David Nasaw
Courtesy of Penguin Random House View caption Hide caption “The Last Million: Europe's Displaced Persons from World War to Cold War” by David Nasaw, Penguin Press, 672 pp.
David Nasaw tells the story of Holocaust survivors and many other displaced persons who landed in the first modern refugee camps. Nasaw shows how the United States remained reluctant after World War II to take in Jewish refugees, who were tarred as potential communist subversives.


csmonitor--2020-09-09--In a pandemic, how US presidential campaign strategies diverge

North Carolina caps outdoor gatherings at 50 people to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus , but don ’ t tell that to President Donald Trump .
He basked in a largely maskless crowd of several thousand supporters during a campaign rally in this critical state .
“ As far as the eye can see , ” Mr. Trump said , reveling at the sight of people flouting public health guidelines at Tuesday ’ s event .
“ I really believe that these crowds are bigger than they were four years ago.
” A day earlier , in Pennsylvania @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Joe Biden , held a socially distanced meeting in a backyard .
His team has been so attentive to local regulations that some staffers have left the room if they risked breaking the rules on crowd limits .
“ I really miss being able to , you know , grab hands and shake hands , ” Mr. Biden recently told supporters .
“ You can ’ t do that now.
” With less than eight weeks until the Nov. 3 election , Mr. Trump and Mr. Biden are taking diametrically opposite approaches @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the differences amount to more than political theater .
The candidates are effectively staking out different visions for the country .
Mr. Biden emphasizes guidelines supported by local health officials while Mr. Trump rails against restrictions that he argues , without evidence , are politically motivated .
“ By the way , your state should be open , ” the president said in North Carolina , where he has feuded with Democratic Gov .
Roy Cooper over Mr. Trump ’ s abandoned plans to hold the Republican National Convention in Charlotte .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Michigan , it ’ s a couple others , ” he added , as he sees a potent line of attack in pivotal states run by Democrats .
Trump aides and allies suggest the president sees his rallies as a manifestation of the reopening he ’ s preaching and that he believes is vital to the economic recovery and what voters want .
In a dig at those who warn against reopening too quickly , Mr. Trump suggested that these states would suddenly reopen the day after the election , when opponents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reelection .
At the same time , it has pit the president against the public health advice issued by his own administration and drawn criticism from Dr. Anthony Fauci , the nation ’ s top infectious disease expert .
Dr. Fauci told CBS on Wednesday that he is frustrated by Mr. Trump ’ s return to campaigning .
“ We want to set an example , ” he said of those in leadership .
Outdoor events used to be few and far between for Mr. Trump , who prefers the deafening echo and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the wake of a June rally in Tulsa , Oklahoma , when the president addressed a half-empty arena and a promised five-figure overflow crowd never materialized , his campaign decided to move to lower-stakes airport hangars and tarmacs .
The one thing that has stayed the same : crowing about his crowd sizes in comparison with Mr. Biden ’ s .
“ If he had 200 people , I think it would be a lot , ” Mr. Trump said Tuesday of his opponent .
“ Have you ever seen the gyms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his crowd .
If he had 200 people.
” Mr. Biden ’ s crowds , in fact , have been far smaller .
The former vice president has appeared in public sparingly since the pandemic , and with the strictest adherence to state guidelines : 25 people in Pennsylvania , 10 people indoors in Michigan and mandatory face-coverings all around .
Mr. Biden ’ s approach reflects the reluctance of many of his supporters to attend large gatherings .
For someone who has never been a natural in an arena , the smaller @ @ @ @ @ @ @ personal interactions with representatives from important voting blocs , including labor and community leaders .
But they also allow him to largely avoid any controversy created by a critical questioner or a protester , both of whom he was forced to grapple with multiple times when campaigning before the pandemic .
Even when Mr. Biden is confronted with organic crowds of supporters , he ’ s rarely given the opportunity for an unscripted interaction with them .
As Mr. Biden gave a speech last week focused on the Trump administration ’ s response @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Pittsburgh , a crowd of more than 100 gathered and continued to arrive even as his event wrapped up .
They chanted , “ We want Joe !
” and waved Biden signs , some of them homemade .
But , after his speech , Mr. Biden remained inside the building to attend a virtual fundraiser , then abruptly left to pass out pizzas at a nearby firehouse without approaching the supporters .
Three days later , after Mr. Biden visited Kenosha , Wisconsin , he and his wife , Jill , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Wauwatosa , a Milwaukee suburb .
With so many people confined to their homes , the presence of Mr. Biden ’ s motorcade on a small street drew more than 200 people out onto their porches or the street .
The Bidens spent more than half an hour meeting in a quiet back patio with two teachers and a parent concerned about how to resume in-person learning during the pandemic .
The crowd cheered and chanted , “ Go , Joe !
” but the private meeting ran so long that Mr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than a minute .
As he was leaving , he walked to the middle of the street and then , surrounded by Secret Service agents , bellowed , “ Don ’ t forget to vote !
” Earlier this week , however , Mr. Biden took a moment after an event focused on labor leaders at a supporter ’ s house in Lancaster , Pennsylvania , to greet a crowd of about two dozen supporters that had assembled across the street .
Flanked by Secret Service agents , Mr. Biden said a few @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Americans can do anything when they ’ re unified and about the need to vote , then spoke briefly to reporters and departed .
Later that day , Mr. Biden waved at a crowd of about 100 from the window of the AFL-CIO Pennsylvania headquarters , but declined to come any nearer after leaving the building .
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 @

North Carolina caps outdoor gatherings at 50 people to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, but don’t tell that to President Donald Trump. He basked in a largely maskless crowd of several thousand supporters during a campaign rally in this critical state.
“As far as the eye can see,” Mr. Trump said, reveling at the sight of people flouting public health guidelines at Tuesday’s event. “I really believe that these crowds are bigger than they were four years ago.”
A day earlier, in Pennsylvania, Mr. Trump’s Democratic challenger, Joe Biden, held a socially distanced meeting in a backyard. His team has been so attentive to local regulations that some staffers have left the room if they risked breaking the rules on crowd limits.
“I really miss being able to, you know, grab hands and shake hands,” Mr. Biden recently told supporters. “You can’t do that now.”
With less than eight weeks until the Nov. 3 election, Mr. Trump and Mr. Biden are taking diametrically opposite approaches to campaigning during a pandemic – and the differences amount to more than political theater. The candidates are effectively staking out different visions for the country. Mr. Biden emphasizes guidelines supported by local health officials while Mr. Trump rails against restrictions that he argues, without evidence, are politically motivated.
“By the way, your state should be open,” the president said in North Carolina, where he has feuded with Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper over Mr. Trump’s abandoned plans to hold the Republican National Convention in Charlotte. “It’s you, it’s Michigan, it’s a couple others,” he added, as he sees a potent line of attack in pivotal states run by Democrats.
Trump aides and allies suggest the president sees his rallies as a manifestation of the reopening he’s preaching and that he believes is vital to the economic recovery and what voters want. In a dig at those who warn against reopening too quickly, Mr. Trump suggested that these states would suddenly reopen the day after the election, when opponents advocating caution can no longer hurt his reelection.
At the same time, it has pit the president against the public health advice issued by his own administration and drawn criticism from Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert. Dr. Fauci told CBS on Wednesday that he is frustrated by Mr. Trump’s return to campaigning. “We want to set an example,” he said of those in leadership.
Outdoor events used to be few and far between for Mr. Trump, who prefers the deafening echo and air conditioning of indoor arenas. But in the wake of a June rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, when the president addressed a half-empty arena and a promised five-figure overflow crowd never materialized, his campaign decided to move to lower-stakes airport hangars and tarmacs.
The one thing that has stayed the same: crowing about his crowd sizes in comparison with Mr. Biden’s.
“If he had 200 people, I think it would be a lot,” Mr. Trump said Tuesday of his opponent. “Have you ever seen the gyms with the circles? That’s his crowd. If he had 200 people.”
Mr. Biden’s crowds, in fact, have been far smaller. The former vice president has appeared in public sparingly since the pandemic, and with the strictest adherence to state guidelines: 25 people in Pennsylvania, 10 people indoors in Michigan and mandatory face-coverings all around. Mr. Biden’s approach reflects the reluctance of many of his supporters to attend large gatherings.
For someone who has never been a natural in an arena, the smaller events allow Mr. Biden to have more personal interactions with representatives from important voting blocs, including labor and community leaders.
But they also allow him to largely avoid any controversy created by a critical questioner or a protester, both of whom he was forced to grapple with multiple times when campaigning before the pandemic.
Even when Mr. Biden is confronted with organic crowds of supporters, he’s rarely given the opportunity for an unscripted interaction with them.
As Mr. Biden gave a speech last week focused on the Trump administration’s response to the coronavirus at a university building in Pittsburgh, a crowd of more than 100 gathered and continued to arrive even as his event wrapped up.
They chanted, “We want Joe!” and waved Biden signs, some of them homemade. But, after his speech, Mr. Biden remained inside the building to attend a virtual fundraiser, then abruptly left to pass out pizzas at a nearby firehouse without approaching the supporters.
Three days later, after Mr. Biden visited Kenosha, Wisconsin, he and his wife, Jill, stopped at the home of a supporter in Wauwatosa, a Milwaukee suburb.
With so many people confined to their homes, the presence of Mr. Biden’s motorcade on a small street drew more than 200 people out onto their porches or the street. The Bidens spent more than half an hour meeting in a quiet back patio with two teachers and a parent concerned about how to resume in-person learning during the pandemic.
The crowd cheered and chanted, “Go, Joe!” but the private meeting ran so long that Mr. Biden only interacted with them for less than a minute. As he was leaving, he walked to the middle of the street and then, surrounded by Secret Service agents, bellowed, “Don’t forget to vote!”
Earlier this week, however, Mr. Biden took a moment after an event focused on labor leaders at a supporter’s house in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, to greet a crowd of about two dozen supporters that had assembled across the street. Flanked by Secret Service agents, Mr. Biden said a few words to the crowd about his belief that Americans can do anything when they’re unified and about the need to vote, then spoke briefly to reporters and departed.
Later that day, Mr. Biden waved at a crowd of about 100 from the window of the AFL-CIO Pennsylvania headquarters, but declined to come any nearer after leaving the building.
Get stories that
empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
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.