csmonitor--2020-10-25--75 years in the making: A new global nuclear weapons ban

The United Nations announced Saturday that 50 countries have ratified a U.N. treaty to ban nuclear weapons triggering its entry into force in 90 days , a move hailed by anti-nuclear activists but strongly opposed by the United States and the other major nuclear powers .
As of Friday , the treaty had 49 signatories , and the United Nations said the 50th ratification from Honduras had been received .
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres commended the 50 states and saluted “ the instrumental work '' of civil society in facilitating negotiations and pushing for ratification , U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric @ @ @ @ @ @ @ treaty ’ s entry into force on Jan. 22 culminates a worldwide movement “ to draw attention to the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of any use of nuclear weapons ” and “ is a tribute to the survivors of nuclear explosions and tests , many of whom advocated for this treaty , ” he said , Guterres said the treaty “ represents a meaningful commitment towards the total elimination of nuclear weapons , which remains the highest disarmament priority of the United Nations , ” Dujarric said .
Beatrice Fihn , executive director of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize-winning coalition whose work helped spearhead the nuclear ban treaty , said : “ This moment has been 75 years coming since the horrific attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki , and the founding of the U.N. which made nuclear disarmament a cornerstone.
” “ The 50 countries that ratify this Treaty are showing true leadership in setting a new international norm that nuclear weapons are not just immoral but illegal , ” she said .
The 50th ratification came on the 75th anniversary of the ratification of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nations and is celebrated as UN Day .
“ The United Nations was formed to promote peace with a goal of the abolition of nuclear weapons , ” Fihn said .
“ This treaty is the U.N. at its best — working closely with civil society to bring democracy to disarmament.
” The treaty requires that all ratifying countries “ never under any circumstances ... develop , test , produce , manufacture , otherwise acquire , possess or stockpile nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices.
” It also bans any transfer or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ devices — and the threat to use such weapons -- and requires parties to promote the treaty to other countries .
Once it enters into force all countries that have ratified it will be bound by those requirements .
The United States had written to treaty signatories saying the Trump administration believes they made “ a strategic error ” and urging them to rescind their ratification .
The U.S. letter , obtained by The Associated Press , said the five original nuclear powers -- the U.S. , Russia , China , Britain and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allies “ stand unified in our opposition to the potential repercussions ” of the treaty .
It says the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons , known as the TPNW , “ turns back the clock on verification and disarmament and is dangerous ” to the half-century-old Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty , considered the cornerstone of global nonproliferation efforts .
“ The TPNW is and will remain divisive in the international community and risk further entrenching divisions in existing nonproliferation and disarmament fora that offer the only realistic prospect for consensus-based progress , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be unfortunate if the TPNW were allowed to derail our ability to work together to address pressing proliferation.
” Fihn has stressed that “ the nonproliferation Treaty is about preventing the spread of nuclear weapons and eliminating nuclear weapons , and this treaty implements that .
There ’ s no way you can undermine the Nonproliferation Treaty by banning nuclear weapons .
It ’ s the end goal of the Nonproliferation Treaty.
” The NPT sought to prevent the spread of nuclear arms beyond the five original weapons powers .
It requires @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weapons in exchange for a commitment by the five powers to move toward nuclear disarmament and to guarantee non-nuclear states ’ access to peaceful nuclear technology for producing energy .
Rebecca Johnson , a co-founder and first president of the International Campaign to Ban Nuclear Weapons , said : “ The ban treaty is as much about just making it much more possible for people all around the world to see nobody needs nuclear weapons , and they ’ re actually an impediment , an obstacle -- they ’ re in the way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we have on the ground from COVID to climate.
” She said in an AP interview that nuclear weapons can ’ t prevent or deal with conflicts like the most recent war between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh .
“ They ’ re just in the way , and they ’ re highly expensive , and the governments that have them are distracted from the real security issues by trying to constantly pay for these arms races that they ’ re still obsessed with.
” Francesco Rocca , president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Red Crescent Societies , said : “ The simple reality is that the international community could never hope to deal with the consequences of a nuclear confrontation .
No nation is prepared to deal with a nuclear confrontation .
What we can not prepare for , we must prevent.
” There are over 14,000 nuclear bombs in the world , thousands of which are ready to be launched in an instant , Rocca said .
The power of many of those warheads is tens of times greater than the weapons dropped on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in an Associated Press interview on Wednesday : “ It is clear for me that we will only be entirely safe in relation to nuclear weapons the day where nuclear weapons no longer exist .
We know that it ’ s not easy .
We know that there are many obstacles.
” He expressed hope that a number of important initiatives , including U.S.-Russia talks on renewing the New Start Treaty limiting deployed nuclear warheads , missiles and bombers and next year ’ s review conference of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and the final objective must be to have a world with no nuclear weapons.
” The treaty was approved by the 193-member U.N. General Assembly on July 7 , 2017 by a vote of 122 in favor , the Netherlands opposed , and Singapore abstaining .
Among countries voting in favor was Iran .
The five nuclear powers and four other countries known or believed to possess nuclear weapons — India , Pakistan , North Korea and Israel — boycotted negotiations and the vote on the treaty , along with many of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ survivor of the 1945 bombing of Hiroshima , who has been an ardent campaigner for the treaty , said : “ When I learned that we reached our 50th ratification , I was not able to stand.
” “ I remained in my chair and put my head in my hands and I cried tears of joy , ” she said in a statement .
“ I have committed my life to the abolition of nuclear weapons .
I have nothing but gratitude for all who have worked for the success of our @ @ @

The United Nations announced Saturday that 50 countries have ratified a U.N. treaty to ban nuclear weapons triggering its entry into force in 90 days, a move hailed by anti-nuclear activists but strongly opposed by the United States and the other major nuclear powers.
As of Friday, the treaty had 49 signatories, and the U.N. said the 50th ratification from Honduras had been received.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres commended the 50 states and saluted “the instrumental work" of civil society in facilitating negotiations and pushing for ratification, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.
The U.N. chief said the treaty’s entry into force on Jan. 22 culminates a worldwide movement “to draw attention to the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of any use of nuclear weapons” and “is a tribute to the survivors of nuclear explosions and tests, many of whom advocated for this treaty,” he said.
Guterres said the treaty “represents a meaningful commitment towards the total elimination of nuclear weapons, which remains the highest disarmament priority of the United Nations,” Mr. Dujarric said.
Beatrice Fihn, executive director of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize-winning coalition whose work helped spearhead the nuclear ban treaty, said: “This moment has been 75 years coming since the horrific attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the founding of the U.N. which made nuclear disarmament a cornerstone.”
“The 50 countries that ratify this Treaty are showing true leadership in setting a new international norm that nuclear weapons are not just immoral but illegal,” she said.
The 50th ratification came on the 75th anniversary of the ratification of the U.N. Charter which officially established the U.N. and is celebrated as U.N. Day.
“The United Nations was formed to promote peace with a goal of the abolition of nuclear weapons,” Ms. Fihn said. “This treaty is the U.N. at its best – working closely with civil society to bring democracy to disarmament.”
The treaty requires that all ratifying countries “never under any circumstances ... develop, test, produce, manufacture, otherwise acquire, possess or stockpile nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices.” It also bans any transfer or use of nuclear weapons or nuclear explosive devices – and the threat to use such weapons – and requires parties to promote the treaty to other countries.
Once it enters into force all countries that have ratified it will be bound by those requirements.
The U.S. had written to treaty signatories saying the Trump administration believes they made “a strategic error” and urging them to rescind their ratification.
The U.S. letter, obtained by The Associated Press, said the five original nuclear powers – the U.S., Russia, China, Britain, and France – and America’s NATO allies “stand unified in our opposition to the potential repercussions” of the treaty.
It says the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) “turns back the clock on verification and disarmament and is dangerous” to the half-century-old Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT), considered the cornerstone of global nonproliferation efforts.
“The TPNW is and will remain divisive in the international community and risk further entrenching divisions in existing nonproliferation and disarmament fora that offer the only realistic prospect for consensus-based progress,” the letter said. “It would be unfortunate if the TPNW were allowed to derail our ability to work together to address pressing proliferation.”
Ms. Fihn has stressed that “the nonproliferation Treaty is about preventing the spread of nuclear weapons and eliminating nuclear weapons, and this treaty implements that. There’s no way you can undermine the Nonproliferation Treaty by banning nuclear weapons. It’s the end goal of the Nonproliferation Treaty.”
The NPT sought to prevent the spread of nuclear arms beyond the five original weapons powers. It requires non-nuclear signatory nations to not pursue atomic weapons in exchange for a commitment by the five powers to move toward nuclear disarmament and to guarantee non-nuclear states’ access to peaceful nuclear technology for producing energy.
Rebecca Johnson, a co-founder and first president of the International Campaign to Ban Nuclear Weapons, said: “The ban treaty is as much about just making it much more possible for people all around the world to see nobody needs nuclear weapons, and they’re actually an impediment, an obstacle – they’re in the way of dealing with the real security threats we have on the ground from COVID to climate.”
She said in an AP interview that nuclear weapons can’t prevent or deal with conflicts like the most recent war between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh. “They’re just in the way, and they’re highly expensive, and the governments that have them are distracted from the real security issues by trying to constantly pay for these arms races that they’re still obsessed with.”
Francesco Rocca, president of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, said: “The simple reality is that the international community could never hope to deal with the consequences of a nuclear confrontation. No nation is prepared to deal with a nuclear confrontation. What we cannot prepare for, we must prevent.”
There are over 14,000 nuclear bombs in the world, thousands of which are ready to be launched in an instant, Mr. Rocca said. The power of many of those warheads is tens of times greater than the weapons dropped on Nagasaki and Hiroshima.
Secretary-General Guterres said in an Associated Press interview on Wednesday: “It is clear for me that we will only be entirely safe in relation to nuclear weapons the day where nuclear weapons no longer exist. We know that it’s not easy. We know that there are many obstacles.”
He expressed hope that a number of important initiatives, including U.S.-Russia talks on renewing the New Start Treaty limiting deployed nuclear warheads, missiles and bombers and next year’s review conference of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, “will all converge in the same direction, and the final objective must be to have a world with no nuclear weapons.”
The treaty was approved by the 193-member U.N. General Assembly on July 7, 2017 by a vote of 122 in favor, the Netherlands opposed, and Singapore abstaining. Among countries voting in favor was Iran. The five nuclear powers and four other countries known or believed to possess nuclear weapons – India, Pakistan, North Korea and Israel – boycotted negotiations and the vote on the treaty, along with many of their allies.
Setsuko Thurlow, a survivor of the 1945 bombing of Hiroshima, who has been an ardent campaigner for the treaty, said: “When I learned that we reached our 50th ratification, I was not able to stand.”
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“I remained in my chair and put my head in my hands and I cried tears of joy,” she said in a statement. “I have committed my life to the abolition of nuclear weapons. I have nothing but gratitude for all who have worked for the success of our treaty.”
This story was reported by The Associated Press.


csmonitor--2020-10-26--Monday Sunrise Briefing: Trump's third conservative justice

The Supreme Court nomination process for Judge Amy Coney Barrett continued throughout the weekend , setting up a final confirmation vote by the full Senate on Monday .
Eight days before the U.S. election , Republicans see an opportunity to install a third Trump justice on the court , locking in a conservative majority for years to come .
Democrats cast the confirmation as a power grab and a threat to health care .
Judge Barrett 's ascent opens up a potential new era of rulings on abortion , gay marriage , and the Affordable Care Act .
A case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be heard Nov. 10 .
“ She ’ s a conservative woman who embraces her faith , she ’ s unabashedly pro-life but she ’ s not going to apply ‘ the law of Amy ’ to all of us , ” said Sen. Lindsey Graham , R-S.C. , said Saturday on Fox .
2 .
Pandemic politics .
A week before the election , President Trump embraced a portrait of America emerging from a pandemic , even as the latest evidence painted a different picture .
New COVID-19 cases are hitting record @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vice President Mike Pence tested positive this weekend .
Mr. Pence 's office says he will continue campaigning , “ in accordance with the CDC guidelines for essential personnel . ''
Joe Biden and President Trump have expressed significantly different views about the pandemic .
Mr. Trump says the U.S. economy needs to fully reopen and he has tried to counter Mr. Biden 's criticism that president is not doing enough to contain the health crisis .
“ We want normal life to resume , ” Mr. Trump said Sunday .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden claimed Sunday that the White House has waved “ the white flag of defeat , and hope that by ignoring it , the virus would simply go away.
” 3 .
A moral victory .
On Saturday , the United Nations announced that 50 countries have ratified a U.N. treaty to ban nuclear weapons , triggering its official entry into force in 90 days .
“ This moment has been 75 years coming since the horrific attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki , and the founding of the U.N. , which made nuclear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fihn , who leads the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize-winning coalition that helped spearhead the treaty .
“ The 50 countries that ratify this Treaty are showing true leadership in setting a new international norm that nuclear weapons are not just immoral but illegal , ” she said .
The five nuclear powers - the U.S. , Russia , China , Britain and France - and four other countries known or believed to possess nuclear weapons — India , Pakistan , North Korea , and Israel — boycotted the U.N. vote on the treaty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been trying to break an impasse in long-running talks aimed at extending the New START treaty between them .
Lunar insights .
NASA plans to announce a new discovery about our Moon today at 12 p.m. E.T .
The discovery could relate to supporting NASA ’ s efforts to put humans on Mars .
As an interim step , under the Artemis program , the agency plans to send the first woman and next man to the lunar surface in 2024 .
A conservative court .
The full U.S. Senate is scheduled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Barrett to the Supreme Court , in one of the fastest confirmation processes in U.S. history .
The best of baseball .
The Tampa Bay Rays and the Los Angeles Dodgers play Game 6 of the World Series at 8:08 p.m. E.T .
The Dodgers lead 3-2 in the best of seven series .
Democracy watch .
Tanzanians go to the polls to elect a president and members of the National Assembly .
Interstate justice .
Kyle Rittenhouse , the Illinois teenager charged with fatally shooting two people ( and injuring a third @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Blake shooting in Kenosha , Wisconsin , has a hearing on his extradition to Wisconsin to face charges .
Democracy watch .
Ivory Coast voters go to the polls to choose their next president .
Incumbent Alassane Ouattara hopes to take a controversial third term .
In Georgia , parliamentary elections are scheduled , with former President Mikhail Saakashvili nominated by opposition groups to be their pick for prime minister if they prevail in the vote .
We sometimes define ourselves - and our communities - by our political affiliations , especially in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t have a political party , especially in Citrus County , Florida .
In 2019 , after her daughter died , Sandra Ingram of Homosassa , Florida , was suddenly raising two grandchildren in a tiny , rundown travel trailer .
It wasn ’ t working for her , and it wasn ’ t fair to the kids .
Grandma Ingram gets up early to deliver newspapers , a job she ’ s held for 30 years , so she turned to a reporter at the Citrus County Chronicle for help .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In the past month , more than 500 people have donated nearly $ 73,000 .
The family has moved into a motel while they wait for a brand new three-bedroom , two-bathroom mobile home that has mostly been paid for by a local businessman .
“ I am so grateful , and the kids are so excited ... and I can ’ t tell you how amazing it feels to be able to get them things that they need , ” Ms. Ingram told Chronicle reporter Nancy Kennedy this week .
In an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chronicle wrote that social responsibilities cut across political lines : “ The response is a reminder that folks in our community instinctively understand we do have a responsibility to help each other out during difficult times .
It doesn ’ t take a government mandate to find all solutions , sometimes it just takes caring neighbors .
Start your week with a recent story that inspired Monitor readers : Pulling together : Lessons from first all-Black high school rowing team In tonight ’ s Daily Edition , watch for our story about how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through rooftop gardens .
Finally , check out the Monitor ’ s selected stories from Friday 's subscription-only Daily Edition : • White working class is shrinking .
It still may decide 2020 election .
• Fleeing the Taliban in the night , a family ’ s faith in peace wavers • Is Bolivia ’ s vote a comeback for Latin America ’ s left ?
Not so fast .
• Did prehistoric climate change help make us human ?
You have unlimited access to all our pandemic coverage .
If you value @ @ @ @ @ @ @ please consider subscribing .
This is a beta test - an experiment with a Monday morning news update .
Please give us your feedback via the link below and let us know what you think .
Thank you !

The Supreme Court nomination process for Judge Amy Coney Barrett continued throughout the weekend, setting up a final confirmation vote by the full Senate on Monday. Eight days before the U.S. election, Republicans see an opportunity to install a third Trump justice on the court, locking in a conservative majority for years to come. Democrats cast the confirmation as a power grab and a threat to health care. Judge Barrett's ascent opens up a potential new era of rulings on abortion, gay marriage, and the Affordable Care Act. A case against the Obama-era health law scheduled to be heard Nov. 10. “She’s a conservative woman who embraces her faith, she’s unabashedly pro-life but she’s not going to apply ‘the law of Amy’ to all of us,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said Saturday on Fox.
2. Pandemic politics. A week before the election, President Trump embraced a portrait of America emerging from a pandemic, even as the latest evidence painted a different picture. New COVID-19 cases are hitting record levels nationwide, and several aides to Vice President Mike Pence tested positive this weekend. Mr. Pence's office says he will continue campaigning, “in accordance with the CDC guidelines for essential personnel." Joe Biden and President Trump have expressed significantly different views about the pandemic. Mr. Trump says the U.S. economy needs to fully reopen and he has tried to counter Mr. Biden's criticism that president is not doing enough to contain the health crisis. “We want normal life to resume,” Mr. Trump said Sunday. “We just want normal life." Mr. Biden claimed Sunday that the White House has waved “the white flag of defeat, and hope that by ignoring it, the virus would simply go away.”
3. A moral victory. On Saturday, the United Nations announced that 50 countries have ratified a U.N. treaty to ban nuclear weapons, triggering its official entry into force in 90 days. “This moment has been 75 years coming since the horrific attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the founding of the U.N., which made nuclear disarmament a cornerstone,” said Beatrice Fihn, who leads the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize-winning coalition that helped spearhead the treaty. “The 50 countries that ratify this Treaty are showing true leadership in setting a new international norm that nuclear weapons are not just immoral but illegal,” she said. The five nuclear powers - the U.S., Russia, China, Britain and France - and four other countries known or believed to possess nuclear weapons — India, Pakistan, North Korea, and Israel — boycotted the U.N. vote on the treaty. Separately, Russia and the US have been trying to break an impasse in long-running talks aimed at extending the New START treaty between them.
Reuters/John Sibley View caption Hide caption About 500 people took to the streets of London Saturday to protest police brutality in Nigeria. Police shootings of unarmed demonstrators have sparked international condemnation and unleashed violent unrest in Lagos.
Why We Wrote This Good morning! Welcome to your Monday, Oct. 26, 2020, sunrise briefing. Here are three news events from this past weekend (while you may have been baking taco casserole, practicing Parkour, and enjoying an offline life). Also, what to look for in the news this week.
Look Ahead
Monday, Oct. 26
Lunar insights. NASA plans to announce a new discovery about our Moon today at 12 p.m. E.T. The discovery could relate to supporting NASA’s efforts to put humans on Mars. As an interim step, under the Artemis program, the agency plans to send the first woman and next man to the lunar surface in 2024.
A conservative court. The full U.S. Senate is scheduled to vote on confirming Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, in one of the fastest confirmation processes in U.S. history.
Tuesday, Oct. 27
The best of baseball. The Tampa Bay Rays and the Los Angeles Dodgers play Game 6 of the World Series at 8:08 p.m. E.T. The Dodgers lead 3-2 in the best of seven series.
Wednesday, Oct. 28
Democracy watch. Tanzanians go to the polls to elect a president and members of the National Assembly.
Friday, Oct. 30
Interstate justice. Kyle Rittenhouse, the Illinois teenager charged with fatally shooting two people (and injuring a third) during civil unrest after the Jacob Blake shooting in Kenosha, Wisconsin, has a hearing on his extradition to Wisconsin to face charges.
Saturday, Oct. 31
Democracy watch. Ivory Coast voters go to the polls to choose their next president. Incumbent Alassane Ouattara hopes to take a controversial third term. In Georgia, parliamentary elections are scheduled, with former President Mikhail Saakashvili nominated by opposition groups to be their pick for prime minister if they prevail in the vote.
Generosity Watch
We sometimes define ourselves - and our communities - by our political affiliations, especially in election years. But generosity doesn’t have a political party, especially in Citrus County, Florida.
In 2019, after her daughter died, Sandra Ingram of Homosassa, Florida, was suddenly raising two grandchildren in a tiny, rundown travel trailer. It wasn’t working for her, and it wasn’t fair to the kids. Grandma Ingram gets up early to deliver newspapers, a job she’s held for 30 years, so she turned to a reporter at the Citrus County Chronicle for help. And the help has come pouring in.
In the past month, more than 500 people have donated nearly $73,000. The family has moved into a motel while they wait for a brand new three-bedroom, two-bathroom mobile home that has mostly been paid for by a local businessman.
“I am so grateful, and the kids are so excited ... and I can’t tell you how amazing it feels to be able to get them things that they need,” Ms. Ingram told Chronicle reporter Nancy Kennedy this week.
In an editorial after the initial outpouring, the Chronicle wrote that social responsibilities cut across political lines:
“The response is a reminder that folks in our community instinctively understand we do have a responsibility to help each other out during difficult times. It doesn’t take a government mandate to find all solutions, sometimes it just takes caring neighbors.
It’s what makes this place a community.”
Hidden gem
Start your week with a recent story that inspired Monitor readers:
Richard Schultz/50 Eggs Films View caption Hide caption Malcolm Hawkins works out on a rowing machine as teammates urge him on in Oakland, California, in a photo from the film “A Most Beautiful Thing.”
Pulling together: Lessons from first all-Black high school rowing team
Sneak preview
In tonight’s Daily Edition, watch for our story about how Palestinian refugees in Gaza reconnect with land through rooftop gardens.
Get stories that
empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
Finally, check out the Monitor’s selected stories from Friday's subscription-only Daily Edition:
You have unlimited access to all our pandemic coverage. If you value our credibly hopeful and respectful approach, please consider subscribing.
This is a beta test - an experiment with a Monday morning news update. Please give us your feedback via the link below and let us know what you think. Thank you!


csmonitor--2020-10-26--Veterans for Trump? Stereotype doesn’t match diversity in the ranks.

Bryce Dubee , a 12-year Army vet near Austin , Texas , once leaned conservative but now opposes President Trump .
“ This administration has used the military as a prop for patriotism and ignored our foreign partners , ” he says .
In his view , a Biden presidency “ would bring back some of the normalcy and stability that ’ s been missing the past few years.
” Carla Thornton is a 20-year Air Force veteran in Moreno Valley , California , who is a Trump voter despite being “ put in a box ” where people expect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ m a native Californian , a Black woman , a single parent , a social worker , and a professor at a university , ” she says .
The dominant image of veterans as aging white men from the World War II and Vietnam eras has started to fade , eclipsed by a younger cohort with more women and more racial diversity .
In 2016 , Donald Trump won with voters of military background by a nearly 2 to 1 margin .
This year , aggressive efforts of the Biden and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former service members suggest an awareness of their political diversity – and their importance to the election .
Bryce Dubee traces his drift toward the Democratic Party to his first Army tour in Iraq in 2004 .
A year earlier , only weeks after U.S. forces invaded , then-President George W. Bush gave his “ mission accomplished ” speech .
Mr. Dubee realized soon after arriving that the upbeat rhetoric of military and political leaders back home downplayed the reality on the ground .
“ It was already grim when we got there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had supported Mr. Bush as the Republican nominee for president in 2000 .
“ And as things went along , I remember thinking , ‘ Maybe this is bad.
’ ” A public affairs officer , he deployed twice to Iraq and once to Afghanistan during a 12-year Army career that ended in 2016 , and by then , he had switched political parties .
As early voting began two weeks ago in Texas , where he lives in an Austin suburb , the former staff sergeant cast his ballot for Joe Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over President Donald Trump , who he asserts has exploited the military at home and damaged its reputation abroad as commander in chief .
“ This administration has used the military as a prop for patriotism and ignored our foreign partners , ” he says .
A Biden presidency “ would bring back some of the normalcy and stability that ’ s been missing the past few years.
” His vote appears remarkable only in the context of a popular assumption – one as outdated as it is enduring – that troops and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The aggressive efforts of the Biden and Trump campaigns to win over current and former service members suggest a deeper awareness of their political diversity .
Recent polls show the race for the military vote tightening , and in Arizona , Florida , and other swing states with large military and veteran populations , capturing that support could prove crucial to each candidate ’ s national fortunes .
A Morning Consult poll last month found Mr. Trump with a 10-point lead among former service members on the strength of support from white @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mr. Biden holds a 35-point lead with nonwhite veterans and a 1-point edge with veterans under age 45 .
Service members and veterans lean Republican overall , explains Jeremy Teigen , a political science professor at Ramapo College of New Jersey who studies military and veteran voting patterns .
“ But it ’ s wrong to see them as a single voting bloc , ” he says .
“ There are more nuances to their voting preferences than we tend to think .
They ’ re not all alike.
” Some 20 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ making up about 6 % of the country ’ s population , and the military ’ s 1.3 million active-duty personnel account for less than 1 % .
As a result , most Americans have sporadic contact with current or former service members in everyday life , creating a civilian-military divide rife with misperceptions .
The chance to educate civilians about the varied politics of military households motivates Carla Thornton as a member of the Moreno Valley City Council in Southern California .
The 20-year Air Force veteran , who retired with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ faces a different sort of implicit bias as a registered Republican and Trump voter in one of the country ’ s bluest states .
“ I ’ m a native Californian , a Black woman , a single parent , a social worker , and a professor at a university , ” she says .
“ So I ’ m put in a box as a liberal and a Democrat.
” Ms. Thornton , an assistant professor of social work at California Baptist University in Riverside , won election to the council two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the military and veterans receive across party lines as an opening for her to forge bipartisan alliances at a time of extreme polarization .
“ I ’ ve had Republicans call me a Black unicorn , ” she says , laughing .
“ I see my role as one of trying to mend some of our political divisions , and I think that , as a veteran , people on the left are a little more willing to hear me out than they would be otherwise.
” Former service members account for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ population , and almost 60 % identify as Republican , a conservative tilt that has persisted since the 1980s .
Yet the dominant image of veterans as aging white men from the World War II and Vietnam eras has started to fade , eclipsed by a younger cohort with more women and minorities .
The growing numbers of female troops and veterans could reshape the military vote in coming years .
In the 2018 midterm elections , polls showed that 60 % of military women favored Democrats , aiding the party ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ race for president further magnified the generational shift with the campaigns of Pete Buttigieg , the former mayor of South Bend , Indiana , and U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii .
The presence in the field of two candidates under age 40 who served in Afghanistan and Iraq – coupled with his status as a married gay man and her Hindu faith – defied military and veteran stereotypes .
“ Perceptions are slowly evolving , ” says Seth Lynn , executive director of Veterans Campaign , a nonprofit group that prepares former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He mentions the national profiles of two Republicans in Congress , Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Rep. Dan Crenshaw of Texas , who both fought in America ’ s 21st-century wars .
“ There ’ s an uptick in public awareness about younger veterans getting involved in the political process.
” Nearly two-thirds of the 181 veterans running for office this year – 121 Republicans , 60 Democrats – served after 2000 .
For Alec Gillis , who deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan as an Army intelligence analyst , the candidacies of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s electoral potential .
“ We have an opportunity to use our voice , ” says Mr. Gillis , a New York native who lives in the Bronx and plans to vote for Mr. Biden .
“ We ’ re going to be heard at the polls.
” Military leaders seek to avert partisanship in the ranks by preaching that troops “ bleed green.
” During his 13 years in the Army , Mr. Gillis recalls , he sensed little political tension while serving under former Presidents Bush and Barack Obama , his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plenty of conservatives , ” says Mr. Gillis , who finished his military career as a staff sergeant in 2016 .
“ Nobody really made a big deal about politics.
” The mood has changed under Mr. Trump , whose polarizing effect has frayed the bond of service that unites troops and veterans .
Reports of more political rancor in the armed forces mirror accounts of greater animosity among veterans who served together .
The president has clashed with top military officials and feuded with families of soldiers killed in action .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demonstrators blocks from the White House and sent tactical teams to other cities to quell racial justice protests .
Mr. Trump denied a recent report that he has referred to America ’ s war dead as “ losers ” and “ suckers , ” and he drew criticism earlier this month after suggesting that he contracted the COVID-19 virus while meeting with Gold Star families .
Mr. Gillis , who is Black , severed contact with some members of his old Army unit after they praised the president on social media for condemning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ These are people I went to war with , brothers and sisters in arms , ” he says .
“ We trusted each other with our lives , and now that ’ s gone.
” The domestic upheaval during Mr. Trump ’ s term and his strained relations with the country ’ s longtime foreign allies have elicited bipartisan censure from 780 national security officials , who signed an open letter endorsing Mr. Biden for president .
The list includes dozens of retired generals and admirals , more than 100 former ambassadors , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fraught political climate could enable Mr. Biden to siphon military support from Mr. Trump , who won the veteran vote by almost two to one over Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in 2016 – a margin largely delivered by older white men , his core constituency .
In campaign speeches , the former vice president talks about the military service of his late son , Beau Biden , who deployed to Iraq with the Army National Guard and died from brain cancer in 2015 .
“ That ’ s something that can resonate with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the author of “ Why Veterans Run : Military Service in American Presidential Elections , 1789-2016.
” “ It ’ s shorthand for patriotism , for country before self , for a willingness to sacrifice.
” The message has failed to move Jason Hair , who deployed to Iraq with the Marine Reserves in 2005 .
He voted for Mr. Trump in 2016 – a choice he describes as “ more anti-Hillary than pro-Trump ” – and backs him again this year .
Mr .
Hair , who lives in the Northern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president for bringing home thousands of U.S. troops from Afghanistan , Iraq , and Syria , and for prodding NATO member countries to boost defense spending .
“ I do think America has been the world ’ s 911 for too long , ” says Mr .
Hair , who lost his home two years ago when the deadliest wildfire in state history destroyed the nearby town of Paradise .
“ We ’ ve been doing more than we should .
It ’ s time for other countries to step up.
” Mr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from tweeting at all hours .
But he disregards the alleged “ losers ” and “ suckers ” comments , pointing out that the story relied on anonymous sources , and he contends that America needs four more years of the president ’ s particular brand of candor .
“ A lot of what Trump has done is very refreshing , ” he says .
“ He ’ s the first major political figure who doesn ’ t care what he says or how he says it .
That ’ s not what @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Bryce Dubee, a 12-year Army vet near Austin, Texas, once leaned conservative but now opposes President Trump. “This administration has used the military as a prop for patriotism and ignored our foreign partners,” he says. In his view, a Biden presidency “would bring back some of the normalcy and stability that’s been missing the past few years.”
Carla Thornton is a 20-year Air Force veteran in Moreno Valley, California, who is a Trump voter despite being “put in a box” where people expect her to hold liberal views. “I’m a native Californian, a Black woman, a single parent, a social worker, and a professor at a university,” she says.
The perception of military voters as a monolith of older white conservatives is as outdated as it is enduring. A generation of veterans who have served since 2001 includes men and women who are active across the political spectrum.
The dominant image of veterans as aging white men from the World War II and Vietnam eras has started to fade, eclipsed by a younger cohort with more women and more racial diversity.
In 2016, Donald Trump won with voters of military background by a nearly 2 to 1 margin. This year, aggressive efforts of the Biden and Trump campaigns to win over current and former service members suggest an awareness of their political diversity – and their importance to the election.
Bryce Dubee traces his drift toward the Democratic Party to his first Army tour in Iraq in 2004. A year earlier, only weeks after U.S. forces invaded, then-President George W. Bush gave his “mission accomplished” speech. Mr. Dubee realized soon after arriving that the upbeat rhetoric of military and political leaders back home downplayed the reality on the ground.
“It was already grim when we got there,” says Mr. Dubee, who had supported Mr. Bush as the Republican nominee for president in 2000. “And as things went along, I remember thinking, ‘Maybe this is bad.’”
A public affairs officer, he deployed twice to Iraq and once to Afghanistan during a 12-year Army career that ended in 2016, and by then, he had switched political parties. As early voting began two weeks ago in Texas, where he lives in an Austin suburb, the former staff sergeant cast his ballot for Joe Biden. Mr. Dubee favors the Democratic candidate over President Donald Trump, who he asserts has exploited the military at home and damaged its reputation abroad as commander in chief.
Why We Wrote This The perception of military voters as a monolith of older white conservatives is as outdated as it is enduring. A generation of veterans who have served since 2001 includes men and women who are active across the political spectrum.
“This administration has used the military as a prop for patriotism and ignored our foreign partners,” he says. A Biden presidency “would bring back some of the normalcy and stability that’s been missing the past few years.”
His vote appears remarkable only in the context of a popular assumption – one as outdated as it is enduring – that troops and veterans represent a monolith of white conservatives.
The aggressive efforts of the Biden and Trump campaigns to win over current and former service members suggest a deeper awareness of their political diversity. Recent polls show the race for the military vote tightening, and in Arizona, Florida, and other swing states with large military and veteran populations, capturing that support could prove crucial to each candidate’s national fortunes.
A Morning Consult poll last month found Mr. Trump with a 10-point lead among former service members on the strength of support from white veterans and those over age 45. Mr. Biden holds a 35-point lead with nonwhite veterans and a 1-point edge with veterans under age 45.
Service members and veterans lean Republican overall, explains Jeremy Teigen, a political science professor at Ramapo College of New Jersey who studies military and veteran voting patterns. “But it’s wrong to see them as a single voting bloc,” he says. “There are more nuances to their voting preferences than we tend to think. They’re not all alike.”
Evolving perceptions
Some 20 million veterans live in the United States, making up about 6% of the country’s population, and the military’s 1.3 million active-duty personnel account for less than 1%. As a result, most Americans have sporadic contact with current or former service members in everyday life, creating a civilian-military divide rife with misperceptions.
The chance to educate civilians about the varied politics of military households motivates Carla Thornton as a member of the Moreno Valley City Council in Southern California. The 20-year Air Force veteran, who retired with the rank of master sergeant in 2017, faces a different sort of implicit bias as a registered Republican and Trump voter in one of the country’s bluest states.
“I’m a native Californian, a Black woman, a single parent, a social worker, and a professor at a university,” she says. “So I’m put in a box as a liberal and a Democrat.” Ms. Thornton, an assistant professor of social work at California Baptist University in Riverside, won election to the council two years ago. She views the support that the military and veterans receive across party lines as an opening for her to forge bipartisan alliances at a time of extreme polarization.
“I’ve had Republicans call me a Black unicorn,” she says, laughing. “I see my role as one of trying to mend some of our political divisions, and I think that, as a veteran, people on the left are a little more willing to hear me out than they would be otherwise.”
Former service members account for an estimated 13% of the voting population, and almost 60% identify as Republican, a conservative tilt that has persisted since the 1980s. Yet the dominant image of veterans as aging white men from the World War II and Vietnam eras has started to fade, eclipsed by a younger cohort with more women and minorities.
The growing numbers of female troops and veterans could reshape the military vote in coming years. In the 2018 midterm elections, polls showed that 60% of military women favored Democrats, aiding the party’s mission to reclaim Congress.
Tom Brenner/Reuters View caption Hide caption A World War II veteran salutes during President Donald Trump's campaign rally at The Villages Polo Club in The Villages, Florida, Oct. 23, 2020. Some polls show Mr. Trump retaining his edge with military veterans overall – especially among those over age 45.
The Democratic race for president further magnified the generational shift with the campaigns of Pete Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, and U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii. The presence in the field of two candidates under age 40 who served in Afghanistan and Iraq – coupled with his status as a married gay man and her Hindu faith – defied military and veteran stereotypes.
“Perceptions are slowly evolving,” says Seth Lynn, executive director of Veterans Campaign, a nonprofit group that prepares former service members to run for office. He mentions the national profiles of two Republicans in Congress, Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Rep. Dan Crenshaw of Texas, who both fought in America’s 21st-century wars. “There’s an uptick in public awareness about younger veterans getting involved in the political process.”
Nearly two-thirds of the 181 veterans running for office this year – 121 Republicans, 60 Democrats – served after 2000. For Alec Gillis, who deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan as an Army intelligence analyst, the candidacies of post-9/11 veterans signal his military generation’s electoral potential.
“We have an opportunity to use our voice,” says Mr. Gillis, a New York native who lives in the Bronx and plans to vote for Mr. Biden. “We’re going to be heard at the polls.”
A changing mood
Military leaders seek to avert partisanship in the ranks by preaching that troops “bleed green.” During his 13 years in the Army, Mr. Gillis recalls, he sensed little political tension while serving under former Presidents Bush and Barack Obama, his Democratic successor.
“I was around plenty of conservatives,” says Mr. Gillis, who finished his military career as a staff sergeant in 2016. “Nobody really made a big deal about politics.”
The mood has changed under Mr. Trump, whose polarizing effect has frayed the bond of service that unites troops and veterans. Reports of more political rancor in the armed forces mirror accounts of greater animosity among veterans who served together.
The president has clashed with top military officials and feuded with families of soldiers killed in action. This summer he deployed federal troops against peaceful demonstrators blocks from the White House and sent tactical teams to other cities to quell racial justice protests. Mr. Trump denied a recent report that he has referred to America’s war dead as “losers” and “suckers,” and he drew criticism earlier this month after suggesting that he contracted the COVID-19 virus while meeting with Gold Star families.
Mr. Gillis, who is Black, severed contact with some members of his old Army unit after they praised the president on social media for condemning the Black Lives Matter movement. “These are people I went to war with, brothers and sisters in arms,” he says. “We trusted each other with our lives, and now that’s gone.”
The domestic upheaval during Mr. Trump’s term and his strained relations with the country’s longtime foreign allies have elicited bipartisan censure from 780 national security officials, who signed an open letter endorsing Mr. Biden for president. The list includes dozens of retired generals and admirals, more than 100 former ambassadors, and five former Defense secretaries.
The fraught political climate could enable Mr. Biden to siphon military support from Mr. Trump, who won the veteran vote by almost two to one over Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in 2016 – a margin largely delivered by older white men, his core constituency. In campaign speeches, the former vice president talks about the military service of his late son, Beau Biden, who deployed to Iraq with the Army National Guard and died from brain cancer in 2015.
“That’s something that can resonate with military voters,” says Mr. Teigen, the author of “Why Veterans Run: Military Service in American Presidential Elections, 1789-2016.” “It’s shorthand for patriotism, for country before self, for a willingness to sacrifice.”
The message has failed to move Jason Hair, who deployed to Iraq with the Marine Reserves in 2005. He voted for Mr. Trump in 2016 – a choice he describes as “more anti-Hillary than pro-Trump” – and backs him again this year.
Mr. Hair, who lives in the Northern California city of Oroville, credits the president for bringing home thousands of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria, and for prodding NATO member countries to boost defense spending.
“I do think America has been the world’s 911 for too long,” says Mr. Hair, who lost his home two years ago when the deadliest wildfire in state history destroyed the nearby town of Paradise. “We’ve been doing more than we should. It’s time for other countries to step up.”
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Mr. Hair wishes Mr. Trump would refrain from tweeting at all hours. But he disregards the alleged “losers” and “suckers” comments, pointing out that the story relied on anonymous sources, and he contends that America needs four more years of the president’s particular brand of candor.
“A lot of what Trump has done is very refreshing,” he says. “He’s the first major political figure who doesn’t care what he says or how he says it. That’s not what you get with Joe Biden.”


csmonitor--2020-10-26--Letter from Air Force One: the mad dash to the finish line

Mr. Trump is continuing to campaign around the country at a breakneck pace , while Democratic nominee Joe Biden – leading in the polls – plays it more cautiously .
Eight days until Election Day , Vice President Mike Pence ’ s office is now the epicenter of a new wave of COVID-19 diagnoses at the White House .
In addition , the White House is planning a ceremony this evening to swear in Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court , following her expected confirmation .
The event will recall her Rose Garden introduction last month , after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus – including the president himself .
We knew what that meant : President Trump was probably going to come back , midflight , and talk to us – the small group of reporters traveling with him in the plane ’ s aft cabin .
“ Mr .
President , Mr. President !
” reporters called out , as he and the first lady strode past us from a distance , on their way to Air Force One .
President Donald Trump stopped , looked toward the press pool gathered under the wing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the plane .
Debate over , the motorcade sped back to Nashville International Airport and discharged the most powerful man in the world .
Debate over , the motorcade sped back to Nashville International Airport and discharged the most powerful man in the world .
“ Mr .
President , Mr. President !
” reporters called out , as he and the first lady strode past us from a distance , on their way to Air Force One .
President Donald Trump stopped , looked toward the press pool gathered under the wing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the plane .
We knew what that meant : President Trump was probably going to come back , mid-flight , and talk to us – the small group of reporters traveling with him in the plane ’ s aft cabin – on the way back to Washington .
And indeed he did .
The nearly half-hour visit was mostly off the record , which means I can ’ t report what he said , except for the on-the-record portion – about his intention to vote in person in Florida last Saturday ( which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrote in my “ pool report ” to the larger press corps , the president was “ chatty , even ebullient ” during our time with him late last Thursday night .
Mr. Trump ’ s post-debate tweets explained the happy mood .
One , from the conservative site The Blaze , had him winning the debate 96 % to 4 % .
Another thanked former Fox News commentator Megyn Kelly for saying “ Trump won this debate , handily.
” Remember , Mr. Trump had attacked Ms. Kelly for her performance as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to outrage by some conservatives .
But that was so five years ago .
Now , eight days until Election Day , the end of one weird presidential campaign is in sight .
Vice President Mike Pence ’ s office is now the epicenter of a new wave of COVID-19 diagnoses at the White House , yet the vice president is still holding rallies , “ in consultation with the White House Medical Unit , ” his spokesman says .
In addition , the White House is planning a ceremony this evening to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Supreme Court , following her expected confirmation .
The event will recall her Rose Garden introduction last month as the nominee , after which several participants were diagnosed with the coronavirus – including the president himself .
Mr. Trump is continuing to campaign around the country at a break-neck pace , while Democratic nominee Joe Biden – leading in the polls – plays it more cautiously .
Former President Barack Obama , breaking precedent with past ex-presidents who typically lie low in campaigns , has hit the trail on behalf of his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recalling the large , adoring crowds he used to summon when he ran for himself , he ’ s presiding over “ car rallies , ” with honks replacing cheers .
And despite rising virus case loads across the country , the White House continues to mock the former vice president for wearing a mask .
“ The only person waving a white flag [ on the virus ] along with his white mask is Joe Biden , ” White House chief of staff Mark Meadows told reporters Monday .
Mr. Meadows was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he had made over the weekend to CNN ’ s Jake Tapper – that “ we ’ re not going to control the pandemic.
” On Monday , Mr. Meadows elaborated : “ We ’ re going to defeat the virus ; we ’ re not going to control it , ” he said , adding that “ we need to make sure that we have therapeutics and vaccines.
” At least Mr. Meadows isn ’ t press shy , as some chiefs of staff can be .
Last Thursday , on Air @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the press cabin for a quick hello – wearing a mask , we were pleased to see .
After we landed in Nashville , a maskless Mr. Meadows sought out the pool to tell us that Mr. Trump had tested negative for COVID-19 during the flight , a welcome bit of news .
Mr. Trump has yet to say if he was tested for the virus the day of the first debate , Sept. 29 .
The oddest moment of all last Thursday came while the press pool was cooling its heels in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump was meeting with supporters .
Word came that Trump campaign adviser Jason Miller was going to bring one of the president ’ s debate guests to talk to the pool .
It was Tony Bobulinski , a former business partner of Mr. Biden ’ s son Hunter .
He had emerged as a figure in the ongoing saga of Hunter Biden ’ s supposedly abandoned laptop , and the effort by the Trump campaign to portray the Biden family – including the former vice president himself – as corrupt .
At the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ room , placed three cell phones on a chair in front of him , and read from a prepared statement .
His core allegation was that Joe Biden was lying about his knowledge of his son ’ s business venture in China , and he had evidence to prove it ( contained in the phones ) .
But Mr. Bobulinski would not take questions , saying he was about to present his evidence to the FBI and to key senators .
Joe Biden has denied any involvement in his son ’ s business @ @ @ @ @ @ @ returns with detailed financial information .
And the mainstream media have been leery of the story , questioning the authenticity of the evidence .
In the waning days of this weirdest of campaigns , it may not matter .
The dominant story is the pandemic and its economic impact .

Mr. Trump is continuing to campaign around the country at a breakneck pace, while Democratic nominee Joe Biden – leading in the polls – plays it more cautiously.
Eight days until Election Day, Vice President Mike Pence’s office is now the epicenter of a new wave of COVID-19 diagnoses at the White House. In addition, the White House is planning a ceremony this evening to swear in Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, following her expected confirmation. The event will recall her Rose Garden introduction last month, after which several participants were diagnosed with the coronavirus – including the president himself.
We knew what that meant: President Trump was probably going to come back, midflight, and talk to us – the small group of reporters traveling with him in the plane’s aft cabin.
“Mr. President, Mr. President!” reporters called out, as he and the first lady strode past us from a distance, on their way to Air Force One. President Donald Trump stopped, looked toward the press pool gathered under the wing, and pointed toward the back of the plane.
Debate over, the motorcade sped back to Nashville International Airport and discharged the most powerful man in the world.
Debate over, the motorcade sped back to Nashville International Airport and discharged the most powerful man in the world.
“Mr. President, Mr. President!” reporters called out, as he and the first lady strode past us from a distance, on their way to Air Force One. President Donald Trump stopped, looked toward the press pool gathered under the wing, and pointed toward the back of the plane.
We knew what that meant: President Trump was probably going to come back, mid-flight, and talk to us – the small group of reporters traveling with him in the plane’s aft cabin – on the way back to Washington.
Why We Wrote This Our Washington bureau chief takes us aboard Air Force One as a fraught election season makes its final approach.
And indeed he did. The nearly half-hour visit was mostly off the record, which means I can’t report what he said, except for the on-the-record portion – about his intention to vote in person in Florida last Saturday (which he did). But as I wrote in my “pool report” to the larger press corps, the president was “chatty, even ebullient” during our time with him late last Thursday night.
Mr. Trump’s post-debate tweets explained the happy mood. One, from the conservative site The Blaze, had him winning the debate 96% to 4%. Another thanked former Fox News commentator Megyn Kelly for saying “Trump won this debate, handily.”
Remember, Mr. Trump had attacked Ms. Kelly for her performance as a debate moderator in 2015, leading to outrage by some conservatives. But that was so five years ago.
Now, eight days until Election Day, the end of one weird presidential campaign is in sight. Vice President Mike Pence’s office is now the epicenter of a new wave of COVID-19 diagnoses at the White House, yet the vice president is still holding rallies, “in consultation with the White House Medical Unit,” his spokesman says.
In addition, the White House is planning a ceremony this evening to swear in Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, following her expected confirmation. The event will recall her Rose Garden introduction last month as the nominee, after which several participants were diagnosed with the coronavirus – including the president himself.
Mr. Trump is continuing to campaign around the country at a break-neck pace, while Democratic nominee Joe Biden – leading in the polls – plays it more cautiously.
Former President Barack Obama, breaking precedent with past ex-presidents who typically lie low in campaigns, has hit the trail on behalf of his former vice president. But instead of recalling the large, adoring crowds he used to summon when he ran for himself, he’s presiding over “car rallies,” with honks replacing cheers.
And despite rising virus case loads across the country, the White House continues to mock the former vice president for wearing a mask.
“The only person waving a white flag [on the virus] along with his white mask is Joe Biden,” White House chief of staff Mark Meadows told reporters Monday.
Mr. Meadows was responding to questions about a remarkable statement he had made over the weekend to CNN’s Jake Tapper – that “we’re not going to control the pandemic.” On Monday, Mr. Meadows elaborated: “We’re going to defeat the virus; we’re not going to control it,” he said, adding that “we need to make sure that we have therapeutics and vaccines.”
At least Mr. Meadows isn’t press shy, as some chiefs of staff can be. Last Thursday, on Air Force One, he came back to the press cabin for a quick hello – wearing a mask, we were pleased to see. After we landed in Nashville, a maskless Mr. Meadows sought out the pool to tell us that Mr. Trump had tested negative for COVID-19 during the flight, a welcome bit of news. Mr. Trump has yet to say if he was tested for the virus the day of the first debate, Sept. 29.
The oddest moment of all last Thursday came while the press pool was cooling its heels in a hotel conference room, while Mr. Trump was meeting with supporters.
Word came that Trump campaign adviser Jason Miller was going to bring one of the president’s debate guests to talk to the pool. It was Tony Bobulinski, a former business partner of Mr. Biden’s son Hunter. He had emerged as a figure in the ongoing saga of Hunter Biden’s supposedly abandoned laptop, and the effort by the Trump campaign to portray the Biden family – including the former vice president himself – as corrupt.
At the appointed hour, Mr. Bobulinski entered the room, placed three cell phones on a chair in front of him, and read from a prepared statement. His core allegation was that Joe Biden was lying about his knowledge of his son’s business venture in China, and he had evidence to prove it (contained in the phones). But Mr. Bobulinski would not take questions, saying he was about to present his evidence to the FBI and to key senators.
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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.
Joe Biden has denied any involvement in his son’s business and has released two decades of tax returns with detailed financial information. And the mainstream media have been leery of the story, questioning the authenticity of the evidence.
In the waning days of this weirdest of campaigns, it may not matter. The dominant story is the pandemic and its economic impact.


csmonitor--2020-10-26--Nagorno-Karabakh: A reporter’s regretful recollections

That rivalry is fueling the resurgence of a conflict that the parties , and the international community , failed to resolve 25 years ago .
Now the region and its people are feeling the sting in the long tail of that failure .
And behind the new outbreak of fighting are the same old geopolitical calculations : Turkey , backing the Azeris , is seeking to expand its sway in the Caucasus and Central Asia while Moscow , an ally of Armenia ’ s , is trying to maintain its influence on the edges of the old Russian empire .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Christian Science Monitor .
So the headlines now coming out of Nagorno-Karabakh , where hostilities have broken out again , are depressingly familiar .
The same territorial dispute , the same bombing raids and rocket salvos , a new generation of fleeing civilians ; only the military drones are new .
A quarter of a century ago , war broke out between Armenia and Azerbaijan , two newly independent former Soviet republics , over possession of a region of the Caucasus known as Nagorno-Karabakh .
Ten thousand people died in the fighting , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their homes before the two sides agreed to a cease-fire .
Armenians huddle in a basement as Azerbaijani rockets rain down upon the city of Stepanakert .
Armenian forces strike back and refugees flee as fighting envelops the region .
Cease-fires collapse almost before they ’ ve begun .
A war fueled by the contest for influence between Turkey and Russia in the oil-rich Caucasus threatens to spill across boundaries .
Those are the sort of headlines emerging today from Nagorno-Karabakh , a disputed region over which Armenia and Azerbaijan have gone to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eerily similar to the reports I filed from there to The Christian Science Monitor nearly 30 years ago .
Watching current events in the Caucasus , I am struck by a sense of déjà vu .
A war that I covered quite closely for several years has picked up from where I left it , almost without a change .
The two sides , and the international community , failed to resolve the conflict and a new generation is paying the price .
When I arrived in Moscow in 1990 , my attention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was focused on the fate of Mikhail Gorbachev ’ s reformist effort to save the Soviet Union ’ s 70-year experiment with communism .
But very soon I realized that another massive structure was also facing an existential challenge – the sprawling Russian Empire , which the Bolsheviks had re-created as the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics .
I traveled to all but one of those republics , stretching from the Muslim lands of Central Asia to the trio of European nations in the Baltics .
Everywhere I found the same thing : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , or openness , had unleashed long-suppressed movements of national identity and independence .
The first such outbreak came in Armenia with the formation in 1988 of the Karabakh Committee .
A mass movement sought redress for a long-held , and passionately felt , grievance over Josef Stalin ’ s incorporation of Armenian-populated Nagorno-Karabakh into the territory of the Soviet republic of Azerbaijan .
Behind the Karabakh movement lay the deep historical conflict between Armenians , in one of the oldest Christian nations in the world , and Turks , the ethnic brethren @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Empire had conquered much of the territory of Armenia and in 1915 carried out a brutal genocide of the Armenian population within its borders .
The Russians acted as protectors of what remained of Armenia , within their empire .
When trouble began brewing in the early 1990s the Azeris enjoyed the backing of Turkey , which was boiling with nationalist fervor for a new pan-Turkic sphere that would unite the Turkish peoples of the former Soviet Union extending into Central Asia .
The Russians were eager to defend their traditional power in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authority amidst post-Soviet turbulence .
On my first visit to Karabakh in March 1992 , the local Armenians were fighting a desperate war for survival , with the backing of the newly independent Armenian republic .
Only a slender air bridge connected them , and the regional capital , Stepanakert , was without electricity and short of food and medicine .
I took refuge in the basement of a sturdy stone building as rockets rained down , fired from Soviet launchers in the heights above .
Armenia proper , meanwhile , was completely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Turkey , Azerbaijan , and Georgia cut off .
During a cruel winter , the capital of Yerevan had , I wrote , “ regressed to a village .
Under daily snowfall , the city 's 2 million people huddle in icy apartments without heat or running water .
Electricity runs two hours a day , if at all .
Industry has ground to a halt .
Two-thirds of the work force , by one estimate , is unemployed.
” Determined Armenian fighters , backed by funding and volunteers from the large Armenian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ By 1993 they had connected Nagorno-Karabakh to the Armenian republic through a narrow corridor , and taken control of almost all the enclave .
In the fall of 1993 , the Azeris launched a counterattack , using thousands of Afghan Islamist fighters recruited to try to reverse their fortunes .
( I was the first Western reporter to find hard evidence , in captured documents , of their presence . )
Then the Armenians invaded Azerbaijan , seizing a strategic swath of territory that gave them a buffer .
The conflict forced hundreds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in bouts of ethnic cleansing on both sides .
I visited the captured Azeri city of Agdam in December 1993 and wrote : “ Ripe apples and persimmons hang heavily from the branches of trees in the garden of No .
18 Hycjev Street .
But only the sparrows and crows are here to enjoy the harvest .
The residents of this merchant 's home , like all the others in this once-wealthy center of Azerbaijan 's grape-growing region , fled last July in front of an Armenian attack .
In the aftermath @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; the window glass melted , and the tin roofs collapsed from the heat of the blaze.
” Eventually the outside world woke up to the conflict .
Mediators from Russia , France and the U.S. secured a cease-fire , but they could not push the warring parties into a diplomatic settlement .
Little has moved in the quarter century since .
Now Azerbaijan appears intent on recapturing land that Armenia took during the war but has not settled , hoping to use it as a chip to trade for recognition of Nagorno-Karabakh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ current fighting , which began late in September , is by far the worst since the war I witnessed in the early 1990s .
The Azeris have used their oil wealth to purchase weapons , including modern drones and rockets , from Russia , Turkey , and Israel , and they are using them to good effect .
As was the case 30 years ago , civilians on both sides are the primary victims of this war ; casualties are in the hundreds and rising fast .
Turkey , under the leadership of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ boldly , training Azeri troops , sending advisors , and – in a striking echo of the past - dispatching thousands of Islamist fighters from Syria .
With the Trump administration largely out of action , only Russia is really able to counter the Turks and while the Russians have brokered shaky cease-fires , they are cautiously trying to play both sides in the conflict .
When the Soviet Union collapsed , many observers remarked on the peaceful nature of its dissolution .
What they ignored were the small wars that flared in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Crimea .
The conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh is one of those wars ; sadly for me , it was never resolved .
Now the region and its people are feeling the sting in the long tail of that failure .
Daniel Sneider is a lecturer in international policy and East Asian studies at Stanford University .
A selection of his dispatches from Nagorno-Karabakh can be found through the following links :

That rivalry is fueling the resurgence of a conflict that the parties, and the international community, failed to resolve 25 years ago. Now the region and its people are feeling the sting in the long tail of that failure.
And behind the new outbreak of fighting are the same old geopolitical calculations: Turkey, backing the Azeris, is seeking to expand its sway in the Caucasus and Central Asia while Moscow, an ally of Armenia’s, is trying to maintain its influence on the edges of the old Russian empire.
A new outbreak of fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan prompts the Monitor reporter who covered their first war, 25 years ago, to reflect on the price of past diplomatic failures.
I reported on that war for The Christian Science Monitor. So the headlines now coming out of Nagorno-Karabakh, where hostilities have broken out again, are depressingly familiar. The same territorial dispute, the same bombing raids and rocket salvos, a new generation of fleeing civilians; only the military drones are new.
A quarter of a century ago, war broke out between Armenia and Azerbaijan, two newly independent former Soviet republics, over possession of a region of the Caucasus known as Nagorno-Karabakh. Ten thousand people died in the fighting, and nearly a million were forced from their homes before the two sides agreed to a cease-fire.
Armenians huddle in a basement as Azerbaijani rockets rain down upon the city of Stepanakert. Armenian forces strike back and refugees flee as fighting envelops the region. Cease-fires collapse almost before they’ve begun. A war fueled by the contest for influence between Turkey and Russia in the oil-rich Caucasus threatens to spill across boundaries.
Those are the sort of headlines emerging today from Nagorno-Karabakh, a disputed region over which Armenia and Azerbaijan have gone to war. But in fact they are eerily similar to the reports I filed from there to The Christian Science Monitor nearly 30 years ago.
Watching current events in the Caucasus, I am struck by a sense of déjà vu. A war that I covered quite closely for several years has picked up from where I left it, almost without a change. The two sides, and the international community, failed to resolve the conflict and a new generation is paying the price.
Why We Wrote This A new outbreak of fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan prompts the Monitor reporter who covered their first war, 25 years ago, to reflect on the price of past diplomatic failures.
When I arrived in Moscow in 1990, my attention, and that of the world, was focused on the fate of Mikhail Gorbachev’s reformist effort to save the Soviet Union’s 70-year experiment with communism. But very soon I realized that another massive structure was also facing an existential challenge – the sprawling Russian Empire, which the Bolsheviks had re-created as the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.
I traveled to all but one of those republics, stretching from the Muslim lands of Central Asia to the trio of European nations in the Baltics. Everywhere I found the same thing: Mr. Gorbachev’s policy of glasnost, or openness, had unleashed long-suppressed movements of national identity and independence.
The first such outbreak came in Armenia with the formation in 1988 of the Karabakh Committee. A mass movement sought redress for a long-held, and passionately felt, grievance over Josef Stalin’s incorporation of Armenian-populated Nagorno-Karabakh into the territory of the Soviet republic of Azerbaijan.
Behind the Karabakh movement lay the deep historical conflict between Armenians, in one of the oldest Christian nations in the world, and Turks, the ethnic brethren of the Azeris. The Turkish Ottoman Empire had conquered much of the territory of Armenia and in 1915 carried out a brutal genocide of the Armenian population within its borders. The Russians acted as protectors of what remained of Armenia, within their empire.
Aziz Karimov/AP View caption Hide caption Azerbaijan's national flag flies over destroyed houses in Ganja, Azerbaijan's second largest city, near the border with Armenia. Heavy fighting with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh is continuing, raising the threat of Turkey and Russia being drawn into the conflict.
When trouble began brewing in the early 1990s the Azeris enjoyed the backing of Turkey, which was boiling with nationalist fervor for a new pan-Turkic sphere that would unite the Turkish peoples of the former Soviet Union extending into Central Asia. The Russians were eager to defend their traditional power in the region but unable to exert much authority amidst post-Soviet turbulence.
On my first visit to Karabakh in March 1992, the local Armenians were fighting a desperate war for survival, with the backing of the newly independent Armenian republic. Only a slender air bridge connected them, and the regional capital, Stepanakert, was without electricity and short of food and medicine. I took refuge in the basement of a sturdy stone building as rockets rained down, fired from Soviet launchers in the heights above.
Armenia proper, meanwhile, was completely isolated, its supply routes through neighboring Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Georgia cut off. During a cruel winter, the capital of Yerevan had, I wrote, “regressed to a village. Under daily snowfall, the city's 2 million people huddle in icy apartments without heat or running water. Electricity runs two hours a day, if at all. Industry has ground to a halt. Two-thirds of the work force, by one estimate, is unemployed.”
Determined Armenian fighters, backed by funding and volunteers from the large Armenian diaspora, eventually turned the tide. By 1993 they had connected Nagorno-Karabakh to the Armenian republic through a narrow corridor, and taken control of almost all the enclave.
In the fall of 1993, the Azeris launched a counterattack, using thousands of Afghan Islamist fighters recruited to try to reverse their fortunes. (I was the first Western reporter to find hard evidence, in captured documents, of their presence.) Then the Armenians invaded Azerbaijan, seizing a strategic swath of territory that gave them a buffer.
The conflict forced hundreds of thousands of people from their homes in bouts of ethnic cleansing on both sides. I visited the captured Azeri city of Agdam in December 1993 and wrote:
“Ripe apples and persimmons hang heavily from the branches of trees in the garden of No. 18 Hycjev Street. But only the sparrows and crows are here to enjoy the harvest.
The residents of this merchant's home, like all the others in this once-wealthy center of Azerbaijan's grape-growing region, fled last July in front of an Armenian attack. In the aftermath, their houses were looted and burned; the window glass melted, and the tin roofs collapsed from the heat of the blaze.”
Eventually the outside world woke up to the conflict. Mediators from Russia, France and the U.S. secured a cease-fire, but they could not push the warring parties into a diplomatic settlement. Little has moved in the quarter century since.
Now Azerbaijan appears intent on recapturing land that Armenia took during the war but has not settled, hoping to use it as a chip to trade for recognition of Nagorno-Karabakh’s right to self-determination.
The current fighting, which began late in September, is by far the worst since the war I witnessed in the early 1990s. The Azeris have used their oil wealth to purchase weapons, including modern drones and rockets, from Russia, Turkey, and Israel, and they are using them to good effect. As was the case 30 years ago, civilians on both sides are the primary victims of this war; casualties are in the hundreds and rising fast.
Turkey, under the leadership of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has stepped in boldly, training Azeri troops, sending advisors, and – in a striking echo of the past - dispatching thousands of Islamist fighters from Syria. With the Trump administration largely out of action, only Russia is really able to counter the Turks and while the Russians have brokered shaky cease-fires, they are cautiously trying to play both sides in the conflict.
When the Soviet Union collapsed, many observers remarked on the peaceful nature of its dissolution. What they ignored were the small wars that flared in the ruins of empire, from Chechnya to Crimea. The conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh is one of those wars; sadly for me, it was never resolved. Now the region and its people are feeling the sting in the long tail of that failure.
Daniel Sneider is a lecturer in international policy and East Asian studies at Stanford University. A selection of his dispatches from Nagorno-Karabakh can be found through the following links:
https://www.csmonitor.com/1992/0317/17061.html
https://www.csmonitor.com/1992/0316/16061.html
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https://www.csmonitor.com/1993/1116/16071.html
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csmonitor--2020-10-26--Houston Food Bank feeds 126,500 families monthly

In car lines that can stretch half a mile , workers who lost jobs because of the coronavirus pandemic and other people in need receive staggering amounts of food distributed by the Houston Food Bank .
On some days , the hundreds of sites supplied by the country ’ s largest food bank collectively get 1 million pounds .
Among the ranks of recipients is unemployed construction worker Herman Henton , whose wife is a home improvement store worker and now the sole breadwinner for their family of five .
They tried to get food stamps but were told they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ food assistance monthly .
“ As a man , as a father , as a provider I felt at a low point .
I felt low , ” Mr. Henton said as he waited in his car near West Houston Assistance Ministries , which gets food from the Houston Food Bank for its care packages aimed at helping feed families for a week .
“ In this type of situation there ’ s nothing you can really do.
” Distributions by the Houston Food Bank now average about 800,000 pounds daily after reaching @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first time in the spring , a level that the organization still delivers periodically .
Before the coronavirus struck , the group ’ s average daily distribution was 450,000 pounds , said Houston Food Bank President Brian Greene .
Then workers in Houston and millions around the country were suddenly thrown out of work and forced to rely on the handouts .
“ It had that feeling of a disaster , like the hurricanes in the Gulf , ” Mr. Greene recalled .
“ It was shocking how the lines exploded so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ America ’ s most ethnically and racially diverse cities became a symbol of a desperate need as the food bank scrambled to take in enough milk , bread , vegetables , and meat from multiple sources to feed the hungry .
Many people in Houston and around the United States live paycheck to paycheck and were caught off guard by the economic fallout from the coronavirus that initially cost the nation 22 million jobs , with 10.7 million that haven ’ t come back .
“ Forty percent of households have less than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ storm , ” Mr. Greene said , referring to a Federal Reserve survey .
“ So , when this crisis hit the number of families who needed assistance was immediate and very large.
” After Mr. Henton was laid off , he and his wife ate one meal daily so their three children could have all three .
His family is one of about 126,500 that the Houston Food Bank has helped with boxes of food every week since March via its system powered by workers and volunteers who sort , box , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deliver their loads to distribution centers throughout greater Houston ’ s suburban sprawl .
Nationwide , the charitable food distribution “ surge has stayed at a surge level , ” said Katie Fitzgerald , executive vice president and chief operating officer of Feeding America , a national network of 200 food banks .
Her group boosted the amount of food it distributes to 2 billion pounds from April through June , up from 1.3 billion pounds during the January-March period .
The federal government has helped meet demand with programs such as one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meat , and dairy originally produced for now shuttered restaurants and gives it free to food banks and the distribution groups they work with .
But the money set aside for the U.S. Agriculture Department ’ s multibillion-dollar Farmers to Families program runs out at the end of October .
Individual food banks also get 20 % to 40 % of the food they distribute from other government programs , including one that helps farmers hurt by foreign tariffs by buying their produce , beef , pork , and chicken and ensuring that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t end up in landfills .
That program is funded so far through 2020 .
The food banks get the rest of what they distribute from supermarket or farmer donations or buy it with donated cash .
Ms. Fitzgerald said the nation ’ s food banks have enough food to meet U.S. demand for now , but said distributors “ are concerned about the future ” as winter approaches .
Demand for food in the Houston area , long subjected to the volatility of the oil industry , will probably continue without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Mark Brown , CEO of West Houston Assistance Ministries , which gives food to nearly 2,000 people each week .
“ I think we will have an elevated need in our community for at least two years , ” he said .
The charity was founded in 1982 to help people during an oil bust that eliminated 225,000 jobs and toppled the city ’ s real estate market .
The group also helps people pay their rent and find work .
On one recent food distribution day , many people waiting in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so bags could be easily loaded in their vehicles in a socially distant way , were reluctant to speak about their economic misfortunes or other reasons for lining up .
Unemployed stagehand Priscilla Toro said she was embarrassed at having to resort to the free food line but added : “ We have to get by .
We ’ ve got to eat.
” Mr. Henton said he was simply thankful that he and many others can feed their families with the extra help .
“ It can happen to anyone , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by The Associated Press .
Snow reported from Phoenix .
Editor ’ s note : As a public service , the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage .
It ’ s free .

In car lines that can stretch half a mile, workers who lost jobs because of the coronavirus pandemic and other people in need receive staggering amounts of food distributed by the Houston Food Bank. On some days, the hundreds of sites supplied by the country’s largest food bank collectively get 1 million pounds.
Among the ranks of recipients is unemployed construction worker Herman Henton, whose wife is a home improvement store worker and now the sole breadwinner for their family of five. They tried to get food stamps but were told they only qualified for $25 of federal food assistance monthly.
“As a man, as a father, as a provider I felt at a low point. I felt low,” Mr. Henton said as he waited in his car near West Houston Assistance Ministries, which gets food from the Houston Food Bank for its care packages aimed at helping feed families for a week. “In this type of situation there’s nothing you can really do.”
Distributions by the Houston Food Bank now average about 800,000 pounds daily after reaching the unprecedented 1 million pound mark for the first time in the spring, a level that the organization still delivers periodically.
Before the coronavirus struck, the group’s average daily distribution was 450,000 pounds, said Houston Food Bank President Brian Greene.
Then workers in Houston and millions around the country were suddenly thrown out of work and forced to rely on the handouts.
“It had that feeling of a disaster, like the hurricanes in the Gulf,” Mr. Greene recalled. “It was shocking how the lines exploded so quickly.”
Almost overnight, one of America’s most ethnically and racially diverse cities became a symbol of a desperate need as the food bank scrambled to take in enough milk, bread, vegetables, and meat from multiple sources to feed the hungry.
Many people in Houston and around the United States live paycheck to paycheck and were caught off guard by the economic fallout from the coronavirus that initially cost the nation 22 million jobs, with 10.7 million that haven’t come back.
“Forty percent of households have less than $400 in order to weather a storm,” Mr. Greene said, referring to a Federal Reserve survey. “So, when this crisis hit the number of families who needed assistance was immediate and very large.”
After Mr. Henton was laid off, he and his wife ate one meal daily so their three children could have all three.
His family is one of about 126,500 that the Houston Food Bank has helped with boxes of food every week since March via its system powered by workers and volunteers who sort, box, and pack the food onto trucks that deliver their loads to distribution centers throughout greater Houston’s suburban sprawl.
Nationwide, the charitable food distribution “surge has stayed at a surge level,” said Katie Fitzgerald, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Feeding America, a national network of 200 food banks.
Her group boosted the amount of food it distributes to 2 billion pounds from April through June, up from 1.3 billion pounds during the January-March period.
The federal government has helped meet demand with programs such as one that buys farm goods like vegetables, meat, and dairy originally produced for now shuttered restaurants and gives it free to food banks and the distribution groups they work with.
But the money set aside for the U.S. Agriculture Department’s multibillion-dollar Farmers to Families program runs out at the end of October.
Individual food banks also get 20% to 40% of the food they distribute from other government programs, including one that helps farmers hurt by foreign tariffs by buying their produce, beef, pork, and chicken and ensuring that producers get paid while edible food doesn’t end up in landfills. That program is funded so far through 2020.
The food banks get the rest of what they distribute from supermarket or farmer donations or buy it with donated cash.
Ms. Fitzgerald said the nation’s food banks have enough food to meet U.S. demand for now, but said distributors “are concerned about the future” as winter approaches.
Demand for food in the Houston area, long subjected to the volatility of the oil industry, will probably continue without more government relief for jobless workers, said Mark Brown, CEO of West Houston Assistance Ministries, which gives food to nearly 2,000 people each week.
“I think we will have an elevated need in our community for at least two years,” he said.
The charity was founded in 1982 to help people during an oil bust that eliminated 225,000 jobs and toppled the city’s real estate market. The group also helps people pay their rent and find work.
On one recent food distribution day, many people waiting in their cars with the tailgates open, so bags could be easily loaded in their vehicles in a socially distant way, were reluctant to speak about their economic misfortunes or other reasons for lining up.
Unemployed stagehand Priscilla Toro said she was embarrassed at having to resort to the free food line but added: “We have to get by. We’ve got to eat.”
Mr. Henton said he was simply thankful that he and many others can feed their families with the extra help.
“It can happen to anyone,” he said.
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This story was reported by The Associated Press. Snow reported from Phoenix.
Editor’s note: As a public service, the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage. It’s free.


csmonitor--2020-10-26--Nudges to American unity

Nudges to American unity

When asked by California to help it prevent Russian interference in the Nov. 3 elections , the Rand think tank didn ’ t focus too much on ways to block Russia ’ s attempts to use online falsehoods to divide Americans and push them to extremes .
Rather , in a study released in October , Rand ’ s national security experts gave this advice : Convince Americans “ they have more in common with those who are different from them than they may believe at first glance.
” The best antidote to anyone trying to manufacture conflict between people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) is to help people “ reach a consensus – a bedrock of American democracy , ” the Rand report stated .
California need not look too far for nonpartisan initiatives already helping people find common ground through “ principles that bring us together , ” as one group puts it .
They include Braver Angels , the Hidden Common Ground 2020 initiative , America Amplified , the Bridge Alliance , and the National Issues Forums .
Such groups share a belief that a divided society is not inevitable .
They already have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two-thirds of Americans believe people in the United States “ have more in common with each other than many people think , ” according to a 2020 survey by Harvard University ’ s Carr Center for Human Rights Policy .
The latest example of this trend is One Small Step , a project of public radio ’ s StoryCorps .
It is bringing together strangers on opposite sides of the political spectrum and recording the conversation .
The purpose is to help them past the dehumanization – or the “ culture of contempt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people to better deal with authentic disagreements .
A leading group in this emerging activism is More in Common , a nonprofit research group that conducts polls and offers tips on how to talk with people who disagree with you .
It finds about 80 % of Americans say that being pitted against each other is a threat to democracy .
Perhaps that explains why the share of Americans who feel they live in a divided society has fallen from 87 % to 48 % , according to More in Common .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ local communities : Sixty-eight percent of Americans say they trust their local officials to do what is right while 57 % say people in their community with different views treat each other with respect .
“ With Americans feeling so divided at the national level , it is the local level , in communities and neighborhoods , where there is the greatest opportunity to build confidence in the integrity of our election , ” concludes More in Common .
As political temperatures rise before the election – along with fears of foreign interference @ @ @ @ @ @ @ showing that U.S. society is stronger and more unified than many headlines depict .
Americans enjoy their shared experiment in self-government .
When reminded , they want to keep it .

When asked by California to help it prevent Russian interference in the Nov. 3 elections, the Rand think tank didn’t focus too much on ways to block Russia’s attempts to use online falsehoods to divide Americans and push them to extremes.
Rather, in a study released in October, Rand’s national security experts gave this advice: Convince Americans “they have more in common with those who are different from them than they may believe at first glance.”
The best antidote to anyone trying to manufacture conflict between people (which includes far more than Russia) is to help people “reach a consensus – a bedrock of American democracy,” the Rand report stated.
California need not look too far for nonpartisan initiatives already helping people find common ground through “principles that bring us together,” as one group puts it. They include Braver Angels, the Hidden Common Ground 2020 initiative, America Amplified, the Bridge Alliance, and the National Issues Forums.
Such groups share a belief that a divided society is not inevitable. They already have much going for them. More than two-thirds of Americans believe people in the United States “have more in common with each other than many people think,” according to a 2020 survey by Harvard University’s Carr Center for Human Rights Policy.
The latest example of this trend is One Small Step, a project of public radio’s StoryCorps. It is bringing together strangers on opposite sides of the political spectrum and recording the conversation. The purpose is to help them past the dehumanization – or the “culture of contempt” – in American discourse and equip people to better deal with authentic disagreements.
A leading group in this emerging activism is More in Common, a nonprofit research group that conducts polls and offers tips on how to talk with people who disagree with you. It finds about 80% of Americans say that being pitted against each other is a threat to democracy. Perhaps that explains why the share of Americans who feel they live in a divided society has fallen from 87% to 48%, according to More in Common. The key to this political resiliency lies in local communities: Sixty-eight percent of Americans say they trust their local officials to do what is right while 57% say people in their community with different views treat each other with respect.
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“With Americans feeling so divided at the national level, it is the local level, in communities and neighborhoods, where there is the greatest opportunity to build confidence in the integrity of our election,” concludes More in Common.
As political temperatures rise before the election – along with fears of foreign interference and postelection violence – these groups are showing that U.S. society is stronger and more unified than many headlines depict. Americans enjoy their shared experiment in self-government. When reminded, they want to keep it.