csmonitor--2020-09-29--1 million deaths from coronavirus: 'It's not just a number'

The worldwide death toll from the coronavirus has eclipsed 1 million , nine months into a crisis that has devastated the global economy , tested world leaders ’ resolve , pitted science against politics , and forced multitudes to change the way they live , learn , and work .
“ It ’ s not just a number .
It ’ s human beings .
It ’ s people we love , ” said Dr. Howard Markel , a professor of medical history at the University of Michigan who has advised government officials on containing pandemics and lost his mother @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s our brothers , our sisters .
It ’ s people we know , ” he added .
“ And if you don ’ t have that human factor right in your face , it ’ s very easy to make it abstract.
” The bleak milestone , recorded on Monday in the United States by Johns Hopkins University , is greater than the population of Jerusalem or Austin , Texas .
It is 2 1/2 times the sea of humanity that was at Woodstock in 1969 .
It is more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2004 earthquake and tsunami in the Indian Ocean .
Even then , the figure is almost certainly a vast undercount because of inadequate or inconsistent testing and reporting , and suspected concealment by some countries .
And the number continues to mount .
Nearly 5,000 deaths are reported each day on average .
Parts of Europe are getting hit by new outbreaks , and experts fear a second wave in the United States , which accounts for about 205,000 deaths , or 1 out of 5 worldwide .
That is far more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s wealth and medical resources .
“ I can understand why ... numbers are losing their power to shock , but I still think it ’ s really important that we understand how big these numbers really are , ” said Mark Honigsbaum , author of “ The Pandemic Century : One Hundred Years of Panic , Hysteria and Hubris.
” The global toll includes people like Joginder Chaudhary , who was his parents ’ greatest pride , raised with the little they earned farming a half-acre plot in central India to become @ @ @ @ @ @ @ After the virus killed the Mr. Chaudhary in late July , his mother wept inconsolably .
With her son gone , Premlata Chaudhary said , how could she go on living ?
Three weeks later , on Aug. 18 , the virus took her life , too .
All told , it has killed more than 96,000 in India .
“ This pandemic has ruined my family , ” said the young doctor ’ s father , Rajendra Chaudhary .
“ All our aspirations , our dreams , everything is finished.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patients hospitalized in the Chinese city of Wuhan , where the first death was reported on Jan. 11 .
By the time authorities locked down the city nearly two weeks later , millions of travelers had come and gone .
China ’ s government has come in for criticism that it did not do enough to alert other countries to the threat .
Government leaders in countries like Germany , South Korea , and New Zealand worked effectively to contain it .
Others , like U.S. President Donald Trump and Brazil ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the threat and the guidance of scientists , even as hospitals filled with gravely ill patients .
Brazil has recorded the second most deaths after the U.S. , with about 142,000 .
India is third and Mexico fourth , with more than 76,000 .
The virus has forced trade-offs between safety and economic well-being .
The choices made have left millions of people vulnerable , especially the poor , minorities , and the elderly .
With so many of the deaths beyond view in hospital wards and clustered on society ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pronouncement often attributed to Soviet dictator Josef Stalin : One death is a tragedy , millions of deaths are a statistic .
The pandemic ’ s toll of 1 million dead in such a limited time rivals some of the gravest threats to public health , past and present .
It exceeds annual deaths from AIDS , which last year killed about 690,000 people worldwide .
The virus ’ s toll is approaching the 1.5 million global deaths recorded each year from tuberculosis .
But “ COVID ’ s grip on humanity is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ causes of death , ” said Lawrence Gostin , a professor of global health law at Georgetown University .
He noted the unemployment , poverty , and despair caused by the pandemic , and deaths from myriad other illnesses that have gone untreated .
Still , for all its lethality , the virus has claimed far fewer lives than the so-called Spanish flu , which killed an estimated 40 million to 50 million worldwide in two years , just over a century ago .
But cases have recently surged in countries like Britain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In the U.S. , the return of students to college campuses has sparked new outbreaks .
With approval and distribution of a vaccine still probably months away and winter approaching in the Northern Hemisphere , the toll could continue to climb .
This story was reported by The Associated Press .
AP writer Nicole Winfield in Rome contributed to this report .
Editor ’ s note : As a public service , the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage .
It ’ s free .

The worldwide death toll from the coronavirus has eclipsed 1 million, nine months into a crisis that has devastated the global economy, tested world leaders’ resolve, pitted science against politics, and forced multitudes to change the way they live, learn, and work.
“It’s not just a number. It’s human beings. It’s people we love,” said Dr. Howard Markel, a professor of medical history at the University of Michigan who has advised government officials on containing pandemics and lost his mother to COVID-19 in February.
“It’s our brothers, our sisters. It’s people we know,” he added. “And if you don’t have that human factor right in your face, it’s very easy to make it abstract.”
The bleak milestone, recorded on Monday in the United States by Johns Hopkins University, is greater than the population of Jerusalem or Austin, Texas. It is 2 1/2 times the sea of humanity that was at Woodstock in 1969. It is more than four times the number killed by the 2004 earthquake and tsunami in the Indian Ocean.
Even then, the figure is almost certainly a vast undercount because of inadequate or inconsistent testing and reporting, and suspected concealment by some countries.
And the number continues to mount. Nearly 5,000 deaths are reported each day on average. Parts of Europe are getting hit by new outbreaks, and experts fear a second wave in the United States, which accounts for about 205,000 deaths, or 1 out of 5 worldwide. That is far more than any other country, despite America’s wealth and medical resources.
“I can understand why ... numbers are losing their power to shock, but I still think it’s really important that we understand how big these numbers really are,” said Mark Honigsbaum, author of “The Pandemic Century: One Hundred Years of Panic, Hysteria and Hubris.”
The global toll includes people like Joginder Chaudhary, who was his parents’ greatest pride, raised with the little they earned farming a half-acre plot in central India to become the first doctor from their village.
After the virus killed the Mr. Chaudhary in late July, his mother wept inconsolably. With her son gone, Premlata Chaudhary said, how could she go on living? Three weeks later, on Aug. 18, the virus took her life, too. All told, it has killed more than 96,000 in India.
“This pandemic has ruined my family,” said the young doctor’s father, Rajendra Chaudhary. “All our aspirations, our dreams, everything is finished.”
The virus first appeared in late 2019 in patients hospitalized in the Chinese city of Wuhan, where the first death was reported on Jan. 11. By the time authorities locked down the city nearly two weeks later, millions of travelers had come and gone. China’s government has come in for criticism that it did not do enough to alert other countries to the threat.
Government leaders in countries like Germany, South Korea, and New Zealand worked effectively to contain it. Others, like U.S. President Donald Trump and Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro, publicly dismissed the severity of the threat and the guidance of scientists, even as hospitals filled with gravely ill patients.
Brazil has recorded the second most deaths after the U.S., with about 142,000. India is third and Mexico fourth, with more than 76,000.
The virus has forced trade-offs between safety and economic well-being. The choices made have left millions of people vulnerable, especially the poor, minorities, and the elderly.
With so many of the deaths beyond view in hospital wards and clustered on society’s margins, the milestone recalls the grim pronouncement often attributed to Soviet dictator Josef Stalin: One death is a tragedy, millions of deaths are a statistic.
The pandemic’s toll of 1 million dead in such a limited time rivals some of the gravest threats to public health, past and present.
It exceeds annual deaths from AIDS, which last year killed about 690,000 people worldwide. The virus’s toll is approaching the 1.5 million global deaths recorded each year from tuberculosis.
But “COVID’s grip on humanity is incomparably greater than the grip of other causes of death,” said Lawrence Gostin, a professor of global health law at Georgetown University. He noted the unemployment, poverty, and despair caused by the pandemic, and deaths from myriad other illnesses that have gone untreated.
Still, for all its lethality, the virus has claimed far fewer lives than the so-called Spanish flu, which killed an estimated 40 million to 50 million worldwide in two years, just over a century ago.
But cases have recently surged in countries like Britain, Spain, Russia, and Israel. In the U.S., the return of students to college campuses has sparked new outbreaks. With approval and distribution of a vaccine still probably months away and winter approaching in the Northern Hemisphere, the toll could continue to climb.
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This story was reported by The Associated Press. AP writer Nicole Winfield in Rome contributed to this report.
Editor’s note: As a public service, the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage. It’s free.


csmonitor--2020-09-29--‘Transcendent Kingdom’ offers quiet hope in the face of racism

The Ghanaian-American writer Yaa Gyasi was in her mid 20s when she rose to literary fame with “ Homegoing , ” an award-winning novel that traces the legacy of American slavery through eight generations .
Where “ Homegoing ” was a sweeping epic , migrating between Africa ’ s Gold Coast and the United States , her latest novel “ Transcendent Kingdom ” is a deep dive into one immigrant family ’ s struggles to realize the American dream , as told by the daughter Gifty .
Set mainly in Huntsville , Alabama , and narrower in scope than the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is no less ambitious and timely in the themes it tackles .
Gifty , as her name suggests , possesses exceptional intelligence and curiosity , as does her older brother Nana , who is also an outstanding athlete .
The question is whether these gifts can be realized , because of the family 's status as African immigrants to the South with no network of extended family or friends .
Gifty ’ s experience in Huntsville ( where Gyasi also spent her formative years ) serves as a microcosm for the way racism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the over-prescription of painkillers that has led to the opioid crisis , the racist underpinnings and politicization of the local evangelical church , or the racial animus of soccer dads who hurl slurs when Nana outperforms their sons on the field .
Gyasi excels at showing the interwoven nature of these evils and the stress they place on Black lives .
Her depiction of what Nana experiences as a teenager whose athleticism is valued over his intellectual potential and mental health is particularly wrenching .
Nana , facing an injury and subsequent bout @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by his community , and that devaluation takes its toll .
Their father must similarly navigate the white community ’ s mistrust of him as a tall , dark-skinned man – a pressure and constraint that exacts a severe cost .
While these themes may not make for the lightest read , there is hope in Gifty ’ s journey and a call for empathy .
Driven by a desire to uncover a cure for addiction , Gifty finds her calling in neuroscience , immersing herself in her lab at Stanford – episodes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Her lifestyle may be spartan , but she has friends ( well , one very loyal and persistent friend ) and a love interest .
Counseling against the impulse to judge addicts , she notes : “ I , too , have spent years creating my little moat of good deeds in an attempt to protect the castle of myself .
… I know that it ’ s easier to say ‘ Their kind does seem to have a taste for drugs , ’ easier to write all addicts off as bad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to look closely at the nature of their suffering.
” The theme of salvation is at the novel ’ s heart , shaping Gifty ’ s her life , whether in fierce attempts to cure her lab mice of addiction or rouse her mother from a debilitating depression .
Gyasi ’ s portrayal of Gifty 's spiritual journey is refreshing in that a negative experience with her church does not cause her to reject Christianity altogether , though she wrestles mightily with her faith .
One brief scene recalls Langston Hughes ’ classic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a boy , called on by his pastor to be saved , fakes his come-to-Jesus moment .
Gyasi ’ s rendering of a parallel moment for Gifty takes a different turn , serving not as a rebuke , but a counternarrative .
Just as Gyasi unflinchingly spotlights the failures of evangelicalism , she casts an equally critical eye on the knee-jerk scorn with which atheists can sometimes treat religion during scenes set during Gifty ’ s undergraduate years at Harvard .
Gifty marks out her own path , then , in the face @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s relationship with her mother is also unusual and deeply affecting .
Her mother ’ s indefinite retreat to bed during a bout of depression frames “ Transcendent Kingdom , ” and Gifty ’ s anxiety and attempts to nurse her feel all too real .
The mother-daughter relationship is intense and fraught , yet it 's also undergirded by love .
The only weakness of “ Transcendent Kingdom ” comes at its rather too-tidy conclusion , but this is a slight quibble in a novel that insightfully explores many pressing issues of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with faith , explores the limits and possibilities of both .
Elizabeth Toohey is an associate professor of English at Queensborough Community College , CUNY and a Knight Visiting Nieman Fellow at Harvard University .

The Ghanaian-American writer Yaa Gyasi was in her mid 20s when she rose to literary fame with “Homegoing,” an award-winning novel that traces the legacy of American slavery through eight generations. Where “Homegoing” was a sweeping epic, migrating between Africa’s Gold Coast and the United States, her latest novel “Transcendent Kingdom” is a deep dive into one immigrant family’s struggles to realize the American dream, as told by the daughter Gifty. Set mainly in Huntsville, Alabama, and narrower in scope than the first book, “Transcendent Kingdom” is no less ambitious and timely in the themes it tackles.
Gifty, as her name suggests, possesses exceptional intelligence and curiosity, as does her older brother Nana, who is also an outstanding athlete. The question is whether these gifts can be realized, because of the family's status as African immigrants to the South with no network of extended family or friends. Gifty’s experience in Huntsville (where Gyasi also spent her formative years) serves as a microcosm for the way racism grinds down Black Americans, whether in the over-prescription of painkillers that has led to the opioid crisis, the racist underpinnings and politicization of the local evangelical church, or the racial animus of soccer dads who hurl slurs when Nana outperforms their sons on the field.
Gyasi excels at showing the interwoven nature of these evils and the stress they place on Black lives. Her depiction of what Nana experiences as a teenager whose athleticism is valued over his intellectual potential and mental health is particularly wrenching. Nana, facing an injury and subsequent bout with addiction, is treated as expendable by his community, and that devaluation takes its toll. Their father must similarly navigate the white community’s mistrust of him as a tall, dark-skinned man – a pressure and constraint that exacts a severe cost.
While these themes may not make for the lightest read, there is hope in Gifty’s journey and a call for empathy. Driven by a desire to uncover a cure for addiction, Gifty finds her calling in neuroscience, immersing herself in her lab at Stanford – episodes from her youth are recounted as flashbacks. Her lifestyle may be spartan, but she has friends (well, one very loyal and persistent friend) and a love interest. Counseling against the impulse to judge addicts, she notes: “I, too, have spent years creating my little moat of good deeds in an attempt to protect the castle of myself. … I know that it’s easier to say ‘Their kind does seem to have a taste for drugs,’ easier to write all addicts off as bad and weak-willed people, than it is to look closely at the nature of their suffering.”
The theme of salvation is at the novel’s heart, shaping Gifty’s her life, whether in fierce attempts to cure her lab mice of addiction or rouse her mother from a debilitating depression. Gyasi’s portrayal of Gifty's spiritual journey is refreshing in that a negative experience with her church does not cause her to reject Christianity altogether, though she wrestles mightily with her faith. One brief scene recalls Langston Hughes’ classic story “Salvation,” in which a boy, called on by his pastor to be saved, fakes his come-to-Jesus moment. Gyasi’s rendering of a parallel moment for Gifty takes a different turn, serving not as a rebuke, but a counternarrative. Just as Gyasi unflinchingly spotlights the failures of evangelicalism, she casts an equally critical eye on the knee-jerk scorn with which atheists can sometimes treat religion during scenes set during Gifty’s undergraduate years at Harvard. Gifty marks out her own path, then, in the face of great personal tragedy.
Gifty’s relationship with her mother is also unusual and deeply affecting. Her mother’s indefinite retreat to bed during a bout of depression frames “Transcendent Kingdom,” and Gifty’s anxiety and attempts to nurse her feel all too real. The mother-daughter relationship is intense and fraught, yet it's also undergirded by love.
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The only weakness of “Transcendent Kingdom” comes at its rather too-tidy conclusion, but this is a slight quibble in a novel that insightfully explores many pressing issues of our time, and in marrying science with faith, explores the limits and possibilities of both.
Elizabeth Toohey is an associate professor of English at Queensborough Community College, CUNY and a Knight Visiting Nieman Fellow at Harvard University.


csmonitor--2020-09-29--Why a candidate’s age matters less

Why a candidate’s age matters less

For some Americans , the 2020 presidential debates between incumbent Donald Trump and challenger Joe Biden are an audition for two candidates who could become the oldest person to hold the Oval Office .
For many others , however , age doesn ’ t seem to matter .
In August , a poll by The Economist/YouGov found 45 % of voters said that an older president brings experience and wisdom to the job .
That figure is nearly twice as high as those who said older age diminishes a person ’ s capacity to meet the demands of the presidency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 19 % said age could be a liability for a president .
During the Democratic primaries , younger voters ages 18 to 44 consistently favored Mr. Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders over candidates closer to their own ages .
After a long campaign that shattered so many political barriers – to ethnicity , gender , and sexual orientation – lifting the prevailing stigma against age is equally significant .
A new study by the University of Jyväskylä in Finland found that people between the ages of 75 and 80 today have shown measurably @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the same ages 30 years ago .
The study is one of only a few to collect and compare data from different historical times .
Among its key discoveries is that lifelong learning , higher levels of work complexity , physical activity , and mentally stimulating forms of leisure can sustain cognitive acuity and bodily health .
“ The results suggest that our understanding of older age is old-fashioned , ” said Taina Rantenan , who led the research .
The report concluded that “ people can be productively employed much longer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” The Jyväskylä study supports previous academic work that found that having a purpose in life is “ associated with positive health outcomes in older adults , including fewer chronic conditions , less disability , and reduced mortality , ” as a 2018 UnitedHealth Group study concluded .
New insights linking mental and physical health to sustained mental and physical activity may help shift Western ideas about aging and the value of older adults closer to those shared in non-Western societies .
Many African and rural Latin American cultures , for example , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remain active well into their advanced years , sometimes out of necessity , while being socially revered .
Indeed in much of the world , civic roles expand with age .
Nelson Mandela wasn ’ t just the first Black president of South Africa .
He was also the oldest .
“ We know that as people age , they actually become wiser , ” Dr. Gary Small , professor of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences at the University of California , Los Angeles , told CNN in a July interview about age and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to solve problems .
They have less anxiety .
[ As ] you get older … you develop mental resilience , which is an important asset of an older person.
” In the U.S. Congress , a blending of the energy of youth and the wisdom of experience is enriching debates with intergenerational insights .
In society at large , this blending is nurturing a deeper and wider empathy as Americans grapple with racial injustice .
Rather than judge political candidates by the number of trips around the sun , voters should take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wisdom .
Life lessons count more than life spans .

For some Americans, the 2020 presidential debates between incumbent Donald Trump and challenger Joe Biden are an audition for two candidates who could become the oldest person to hold the Oval Office. For many others, however, age doesn’t seem to matter.
In August, a poll by The Economist/YouGov found 45% of voters said that an older president brings experience and wisdom to the job. That figure is nearly twice as high as those who said older age diminishes a person’s capacity to meet the demands of the presidency.
Among voters over 45, only 19% said age could be a liability for a president. During the Democratic primaries, younger voters ages 18 to 44 consistently favored Mr. Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders over candidates closer to their own ages.
After a long campaign that shattered so many political barriers – to ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation – lifting the prevailing stigma against age is equally significant. A new study by the University of Jyväskylä in Finland found that people between the ages of 75 and 80 today have shown measurably better physical and cognitive performance than people of the same ages 30 years ago. The study is one of only a few to collect and compare data from different historical times. Among its key discoveries is that lifelong learning, higher levels of work complexity, physical activity, and mentally stimulating forms of leisure can sustain cognitive acuity and bodily health.
“The results suggest that our understanding of older age is old-fashioned,” said Taina Rantenan, who led the research. The report concluded that “people can be productively employed much longer in professions that require strong reasoning skills.”
The Jyväskylä study supports previous academic work that found that having a purpose in life is “associated with positive health outcomes in older adults, including fewer chronic conditions, less disability, and reduced mortality,” as a 2018 UnitedHealth Group study concluded.
New insights linking mental and physical health to sustained mental and physical activity may help shift Western ideas about aging and the value of older adults closer to those shared in non-Western societies. Many African and rural Latin American cultures, for example, have no notion of retirement. People remain active well into their advanced years, sometimes out of necessity, while being socially revered. Indeed in much of the world, civic roles expand with age. Nelson Mandela wasn’t just the first Black president of South Africa. He was also the oldest.
“We know that as people age, they actually become wiser,” Dr. Gary Small, professor of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences at the University of California, Los Angeles, told CNN in a July interview about age and election. “They have more experience to solve problems. They have less anxiety. [As] you get older … you develop mental resilience, which is an important asset of an older person.”
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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.
In the U.S. Congress, a blending of the energy of youth and the wisdom of experience is enriching debates with intergenerational insights. In society at large, this blending is nurturing a deeper and wider empathy as Americans grapple with racial injustice.
Rather than judge political candidates by the number of trips around the sun, voters should take measure of their fresh perspectives and accumulated wisdom. Life lessons count more than life spans.


csmonitor--2020-09-29--Government distributes COVID tests in bid to reopen US schools

President Donald Trump announced Monday that the federal government will begin distributing millions of rapid coronavirus tests to states this week and urged governors to use them to reopen schools for students in kindergarten through 12th grade .
The move to vastly expand testing in the United States comes as confirmed new COVID-19 cases remain elevated at more than 40,000 per day and experts warn of a likely surge in infections during the colder months ahead .
It also comes just five weeks before the November election , with Mr. Trump facing continued criticism for his handling of the crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states based on their population and can be used as governors see fit , but the Trump administration is encouraging states to place a priority on schools .
White House officials said at a Rose Garden event that 6.5 million tests will go out this week and that a total of 100 million tests will be distributed to governors over the next several weeks .
Officials said the administration is emphasizing testing in schools because it ’ s important to the physical , social , and emotional development of students to be back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s possible .
The Abbott Laboratories tests would allow parents to know whether their symptomatic child has COVID-19 .
In some cases , states could undertake some baseline surveillance , like testing a proportion of students per week or per month to make sure that the incidence of COVID-19 is low .
“ You have too many states that are locked down right now , ” Mr. Trump said .
“ The governors are ... nobody knows what the governors are doing actually.
” The tests will come from a previously announced supply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The company ’ s rapid test , the size of a credit card , is the first that does not require specialty computer equipment to process .
It delivers results in about 15 minutes .
Rapid , convenient testing is considered essential to reopening the U.S. economy .
But the effort has been plagued by problems since the earliest days of the outbreak .
First , the government lost pivotal weeks distributing , then correcting , a flawed test developed by U.S. scientists .
Then , for months private labs and hospitals struggled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shortages of key supplies , including testing chemicals .
The issue is politically sensitive for Mr. Trump as he grapples with the pandemic that has killed more than 200,000 Americans .
For months , Mr. Trump has prodded state and local leaders to open schools this fall .
Only in the past two months has U.S. testing capacity generally exceeded demand .
The government ’ s top testing official , Adm. Brett Giroir , told Congress last week that the nation will soon have the capacity to run 3 million tests per day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been averaging about 900,000 tests per day , according to data from the COVID Tracking Project .
Mr. Giroir demonstrated the ease with which the test is given , self-administering the nasal swab then placing it on a piece of paper that contained six drops of liquid .
“ This is a very sophisticated little piece of cardboard with lots of antibodies and incredible technology , ” he said .
Abbott ’ s test is an important advance because of its low cost and easy-to-use format .
Until now , the vast majority @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to high-grade medical laboratories for processing that typically took several days .
Backlogs led to repeated delays in reporting results , especially during a summer spike in cases .
But rapid , point-of-care tests like Abbott ’ s have their own downsides .
They are less accurate , and positive results often need to be confirmed with higher-grade lab tests .
Additionally , because the tests are often performed outside the health care system , state officials have warned that many tests are going unreported .
That could lead to undercounts of new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ track the virus .
“ What we ’ re hearing from the states is that they don ’ t know where these tests are being done , ” said Dr. Jeffrey Engel , of the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists , in a recent interview .
He warned that schools generally do not have the capacity or expertise to report mass testing results , which could artificially lower infection counts sent to state and federal officials .
Mr. Trump warned that with an increase in testing , there would “ automatically ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confirmed COVID-19 cases .
“ It ’ s important to remember that as younger and healthier people return to work and as we massively increase testing capacity , we will identify more cases in asymptomatic individuals in low-risk populations , ” Mr. Trump said .
“ This should not cause undue alarm.
” The tests from Abbott are being made in two factories , one in Illinois and one in Maine .
The company is in a ramping-up phase .
The federal government bought the first 150 million , and it will take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fill that order .
After that , the administration will decide whether the government should purchase more or whether the free market can determine adequate distribution .
The nonprofit Rockefeller Foundation says the U.S. will need roughly 200 million tests per month to safely reopen schools as part of a broader phased approach to easing restrictions , according to a paper issued earlier this month .
The report authors noted that the U.S. is currently averaging fewer than 30 million tests per month .
Despite the gap , Rockefeller ’ s director , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s announcement “ an exciting and very significant step.
” He added that states will need sustained funding and testing supplies “ for the foreseeable future.
” The Trump administration announced earlier this month that the Abbott tests would also go to assisted-living facilities , moving to fill a testing gap for older adults who do not need the constant attention of a nursing home .
Senior day care centers and home health agencies are getting the tests too .
Long-term care facilities , including nursing homes and assisted living , account for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 40 % of deaths from COVID-19 .
This story was reported by The Associated Press .
Editor ’ s note : As a public service , the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage .
It ’ s free

President Donald Trump announced Monday that the federal government will begin distributing millions of rapid coronavirus tests to states this week and urged governors to use them to reopen schools for students in kindergarten through 12th grade.
The move to vastly expand testing in the United States comes as confirmed new COVID-19 cases remain elevated at more than 40,000 per day and experts warn of a likely surge in infections during the colder months ahead. It also comes just five weeks before the November election, with Mr. Trump facing continued criticism for his handling of the crisis.
The tests will go out to states based on their population and can be used as governors see fit, but the Trump administration is encouraging states to place a priority on schools. White House officials said at a Rose Garden event that 6.5 million tests will go out this week and that a total of 100 million tests will be distributed to governors over the next several weeks.
Officials said the administration is emphasizing testing in schools because it’s important to the physical, social, and emotional development of students to be back in classrooms to the degree that’s possible. The Abbott Laboratories tests would allow parents to know whether their symptomatic child has COVID-19. In some cases, states could undertake some baseline surveillance, like testing a proportion of students per week or per month to make sure that the incidence of COVID-19 is low.
“You have too many states that are locked down right now,” Mr. Trump said. “The governors are ... nobody knows what the governors are doing actually.”
The tests will come from a previously announced supply of 150 million ordered from Abbott. The company’s rapid test, the size of a credit card, is the first that does not require specialty computer equipment to process. It delivers results in about 15 minutes.
Rapid, convenient testing is considered essential to reopening the U.S. economy. But the effort has been plagued by problems since the earliest days of the outbreak.
First, the government lost pivotal weeks distributing, then correcting, a flawed test developed by U.S. scientists. Then, for months private labs and hospitals struggled to ramp up testing capacity due to shortages of key supplies, including testing chemicals.
The issue is politically sensitive for Mr. Trump as he grapples with the pandemic that has killed more than 200,000 Americans. For months, Mr. Trump has prodded state and local leaders to open schools this fall.
Only in the past two months has U.S. testing capacity generally exceeded demand. The government’s top testing official, Adm. Brett Giroir, told Congress last week that the nation will soon have the capacity to run 3 million tests per day, on average. The U.S. has been averaging about 900,000 tests per day, according to data from the COVID Tracking Project.
Mr. Giroir demonstrated the ease with which the test is given, self-administering the nasal swab then placing it on a piece of paper that contained six drops of liquid.
“This is a very sophisticated little piece of cardboard with lots of antibodies and incredible technology,” he said.
Abbott’s test is an important advance because of its low cost and easy-to-use format. Until now, the vast majority of coronavirus tests had to be sent to high-grade medical laboratories for processing that typically took several days. Backlogs led to repeated delays in reporting results, especially during a summer spike in cases.
But rapid, point-of-care tests like Abbott’s have their own downsides. They are less accurate, and positive results often need to be confirmed with higher-grade lab tests. Additionally, because the tests are often performed outside the health care system, state officials have warned that many tests are going unreported. That could lead to undercounts of new cases, skewing government data needed to track the virus.
“What we’re hearing from the states is that they don’t know where these tests are being done,” said Dr. Jeffrey Engel, of the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists, in a recent interview. He warned that schools generally do not have the capacity or expertise to report mass testing results, which could artificially lower infection counts sent to state and federal officials.
Mr. Trump warned that with an increase in testing, there would “automatically” be an increase in the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases.
“It’s important to remember that as younger and healthier people return to work and as we massively increase testing capacity, we will identify more cases in asymptomatic individuals in low-risk populations,” Mr. Trump said. “This should not cause undue alarm.”
The tests from Abbott are being made in two factories, one in Illinois and one in Maine. The company is in a ramping-up phase. The federal government bought the first 150 million, and it will take the rest of the year to completely fill that order. After that, the administration will decide whether the government should purchase more or whether the free market can determine adequate distribution.
The nonprofit Rockefeller Foundation says the U.S. will need roughly 200 million tests per month to safely reopen schools as part of a broader phased approach to easing restrictions, according to a paper issued earlier this month. The report authors noted that the U.S. is currently averaging fewer than 30 million tests per month.
Despite the gap, Rockefeller’s director, Dr. Jonathan Quick, called Monday’s announcement “an exciting and very significant step.” He added that states will need sustained funding and testing supplies “for the foreseeable future.”
The Trump administration announced earlier this month that the Abbott tests would also go to assisted-living facilities, moving to fill a testing gap for older adults who do not need the constant attention of a nursing home. Senior day care centers and home health agencies are getting the tests too.
Long-term care facilities, including nursing homes and assisted living, account for a sliver of the U.S. population but more than 40% of deaths from COVID-19.
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Editor’s note: As a public service, the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage. It’s free


csmonitor--2020-09-29--Confidence rises as winds ebb in California Glass Fire

Firefighters say they hoped dying winds would enable them to bear down on a wildfire that exploded in the Northern California wine country , prompting tens of thousands of evacuations while a second blaze killed at least three people .
The Glass Fire raged through Napa and Sonoma counties on Monday , tripling in size to around 56.6 square miles without any containment .
Some two dozen homes had burned , the San Jose Mercury News reported .
The fire north of San Francisco was driving through brush that hadn ’ t burned for a century , even though surrounding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blazes in recent years .
But dry winds that gave the flames a ferocious push appeared to have eased by Monday evening and firefighters were feeling “ much more confident , ” said Ben Nicholls , a division chief with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection , known as Cal Fire .
“ We don ’ t have those critical burning conditions that we were experiencing those last two nights , ” he said .
The Glass Fire is one of nearly 30 wildfires burning around California and the National Weather @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with strong Santa Ana winds could remain a concern in Southern California into Tuesday .
In a forested far northern part of the state , more than 1,200 people were evacuated in Shasta County for the Zogg Fire .
Three people have died in the fire , Shasta County Sheriff Eric Magrini said Monday .
He gave no details but urged people who receive evacuation orders : “ Do not wait.
” Residences are widely scattered in the area , which was torched just two years ago by the deadly Carr Fire .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to more than 100,000 customers in advance of gusty winds and in areas with active fire zones .
The utility ’ s equipment has caused previous disasters , including the 2018 Camp Fire that killed 85 people and devastated the town of Paradise in the Sierra Nevada foothills .
By Monday night , the utility said it had restored electricity to essentially all of those customers .
However , PG & E said about 24,000 people remained without power in areas affected by two fires in Napa , Sonoma , Shasta , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year ’ s historic fire season , more than 8,100 California wildfires have killed 29 people , scorched 5,780 square miles , and destroyed more than 7,000 buildings .
The Glass Fire began Sunday as three fires that merged and drove vineyards and mountain areas into eastern Santa Rosa .
Some 70,000 people are under evacuation orders , including the entire 5,000-plus population of Calistoga in Napa County .
Some people were injured and Sonoma County sheriff ’ s deputies had to rescue people who ignored evacuation orders , officials said .
Sonoma @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Oakmont area of Santa Rosa , heeded the order to flee late Monday night .
It took her nearly two hours of crawling along a jammed road to reach safety .
Ms. Gorin ’ s home was damaged in another fire three years ago and she was rebuilding it .
She saw three neighboring houses in flames as she fled .
“ We ’ re experienced with that , ” she said of the fires .
“ Once you lose a house and represent thousands of folks who ’ ve lost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this is a new way of life and , depressingly , a normal way of life , the megafires that are spreading throughout the West.
” Ms. Gorin said it appeared the fire in her area was sparked by embers from the Glass Fire .
Ed Yarbrough , a wildfire evacuee from St. Helena in Napa County , watched firefighters douse flames across from his house Monday .
“ I can see in the distance that it looks like it ’ s intact , ” he said but said spot fires were still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we ’ re not really out of the woods yet , and the woods can burn , ” he said .
The fires came as the region approaches the anniversary of the 2017 fires , including one that killed 22 people .
Just a month ago , many of those same residents were evacuated from the path of a lightning-sparked fire that became the fourth-largest in state history .
“ Our firefighters have not had much of a break , and these residents have not had much of a break , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Cal Fire .
Officials did not have an estimate of the number of homes destroyed or burned , but the blaze engulfed the Chateau Boswell Winery in St. Helena and at least one five-star resort .
Numerous studies in recent years have linked bigger wildfires in America to climate change from the burning of coal , oil , and gas .
Scientists say climate change has made California much drier , meaning trees and other plants are more flammable .
This story was reported by The Associated Press .
AP writers Christopher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; Juliet Williams in San Francisco ; and Haven Daley in Santa Rosa , California , contributed to this report .

Firefighters say they hoped dying winds would enable them to bear down on a wildfire that exploded in the Northern California wine country, prompting tens of thousands of evacuations while a second blaze killed at least three people.
The Glass Fire raged through Napa and Sonoma counties on Monday, tripling in size to around 56.6 square miles without any containment.
Some two dozen homes had burned, the San Jose Mercury News reported.
The fire north of San Francisco was driving through brush that hadn’t burned for a century, even though surrounding areas were incinerated in a series of blazes in recent years.
But dry winds that gave the flames a ferocious push appeared to have eased by Monday evening and firefighters were feeling “much more confident,” said Ben Nicholls, a division chief with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, known as Cal Fire.
“We don’t have those critical burning conditions that we were experiencing those last two nights,” he said.
The Glass Fire is one of nearly 30 wildfires burning around California and the National Weather Service warned that hot, dry conditions with strong Santa Ana winds could remain a concern in Southern California into Tuesday.
In a forested far northern part of the state, more than 1,200 people were evacuated in Shasta County for the Zogg Fire.
Three people have died in the fire, Shasta County Sheriff Eric Magrini said Monday. He gave no details but urged people who receive evacuation orders: “Do not wait.”
Residences are widely scattered in the area, which was torched just two years ago by the deadly Carr Fire.
Pacific Gas & Electric had cut power to more than 100,000 customers in advance of gusty winds and in areas with active fire zones. The utility’s equipment has caused previous disasters, including the 2018 Camp Fire that killed 85 people and devastated the town of Paradise in the Sierra Nevada foothills.
By Monday night, the utility said it had restored electricity to essentially all of those customers. However, PG&E said about 24,000 people remained without power in areas affected by two fires in Napa, Sonoma, Shasta, and Tehama counties.
So far in this year’s historic fire season, more than 8,100 California wildfires have killed 29 people, scorched 5,780 square miles, and destroyed more than 7,000 buildings.
The Glass Fire began Sunday as three fires that merged and drove vineyards and mountain areas into eastern Santa Rosa. Some 70,000 people are under evacuation orders, including the entire 5,000-plus population of Calistoga in Napa County.
Some people were injured and Sonoma County sheriff’s deputies had to rescue people who ignored evacuation orders, officials said.
Sonoma County Supervisor Susan Gorin, who lives in the Oakmont area of Santa Rosa, heeded the order to flee late Monday night. It took her nearly two hours of crawling along a jammed road to reach safety.
Ms. Gorin’s home was damaged in another fire three years ago and she was rebuilding it. She saw three neighboring houses in flames as she fled.
“We’re experienced with that,” she said of the fires. “Once you lose a house and represent thousands of folks who’ve lost homes, you become pretty fatalistic that this is a new way of life and, depressingly, a normal way of life, the megafires that are spreading throughout the West.”
Ms. Gorin said it appeared the fire in her area was sparked by embers from the Glass Fire.
Ed Yarbrough, a wildfire evacuee from St. Helena in Napa County, watched firefighters douse flames across from his house Monday.
“I can see in the distance that it looks like it’s intact,” he said but said spot fires were still being doused.
“So I know we’re not really out of the woods yet, and the woods can burn,” he said.
The fires came as the region approaches the anniversary of the 2017 fires, including one that killed 22 people. Just a month ago, many of those same residents were evacuated from the path of a lightning-sparked fire that became the fourth-largest in state history.
“Our firefighters have not had much of a break, and these residents have not had much of a break,” said Daniel Berlant, an assistant deputy director with Cal Fire.
Officials did not have an estimate of the number of homes destroyed or burned, but the blaze engulfed the Chateau Boswell Winery in St. Helena and at least one five-star resort.
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Numerous studies in recent years have linked bigger wildfires in America to climate change from the burning of coal, oil, and gas. Scientists say climate change has made California much drier, meaning trees and other plants are more flammable.
This story was reported by The Associated Press. AP writers Christopher Weber and John Antczak in Los Angeles; Juliet Williams in San Francisco; and Haven Daley in Santa Rosa, California, contributed to this report.


csmonitor--2020-09-29--Calls for diplomacy as Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict enters day 3

Armenian and Azerbaijani forces accused each other of attacks on their territory Tuesday , as fighting over the separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh continued for a third straight day following the reigniting of a decades-old conflict .
Azerbaijan ’ s Defense Ministry said Armenian forces shelled the Dashkesan region in Azerbaijan , while Armenian officials said Azeri forces opened fire on a military unit in the Armenian town of Vardenis , setting a bus on fire and killing one civilian .
Armenia ’ s Foreign Ministry “ completely ” denied reports of shelling the Dashkesan region and said in a statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the groundwork for “ expanding the geography of hostilities , including the aggression against the Republic of Armenia .
The heavy fighting broke out Sunday in Nagorno-Karabakh , which lies within Azerbaijan but has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by the Armenian government since 1994 at the end of a separatist war .
The previous two days of fighting killed dozens and left scores wounded .
The Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Ministry reported 84 servicemen killed so far .
Azerbaijan ’ s president , Ilham Aliyev , said Tuesday that 10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but he didn ’ t offer any details on the country ’ s military casualties .
The region in the Caucasus Mountains of about 1,700 square miles , or about the size of the U.S. state of Delaware , is 30 miles from the Armenian border .
Soldiers backed by Armenia also occupy some Azerbaijani territory outside the region .
The renewed fighting prompted calls to end the hostilities from around the world .
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has pushed for “ an immediate ceasefire and a return to the negotiating table ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Armenia and Azerbaijan , her office said Tuesday .
She told the two leaders that the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe offers an appropriate forum for talks and that the two countries ’ neighbors “ should contribute to the peaceful solution , ” said the office .
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said during a visit to Greece that “ both sides must stop the violence ” and work “ to return to substantive negotiations as quickly as possible.
” Turkey is supporting Azerbaijan in the conflict , with President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immediately withdraw from the separatist region .
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Tuesday that Turkey is “ by Azerbaijan ’ s side on the field and at the [ negotiating ] table.
” Mr. Cavusoglu told reporters that the international community must defend Azerbaijan ’ s territorial integrity in the same way it defended the integrity of Ukraine and Georgia .
“ They are holding Azerbaijan , whose territories have been occupied , on an equal footing with Armenia .
This is a wrong and unjust approach , ” Mr. Cavusoglu said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Embassy in Ankara .
Russia , which along with France and the United States co-chairs the Minsk Group – set up in 1992 to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict – urged every country to help facilitate a peaceful resolution of the conflict .
“ We call on all countries , especially our partners such as Turkey , to do everything to convince the opposing parties to cease fire and return to peacefully resolving the conflict by politico-diplomatic means , ” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday .
This story was reported by The Associated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Moscow , Geir Moulson in Berlin , Suzan Fraser in Ankara , and Elena Becotoros in Athens contributed to this report .

Armenian and Azerbaijani forces accused each other of attacks on their territory Tuesday, as fighting over the separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh continued for a third straight day following the reigniting of a decades-old conflict.
Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry said Armenian forces shelled the Dashkesan region in Azerbaijan, while Armenian officials said Azeri forces opened fire on a military unit in the Armenian town of Vardenis, setting a bus on fire and killing one civilian.
Armenia’s Foreign Ministry “completely” denied reports of shelling the Dashkesan region and said in a statement that with those reports Azerbaijan was laying the groundwork for “expanding the geography of hostilities, including the aggression against the Republic of Armenia.
The heavy fighting broke out Sunday in Nagorno-Karabakh, which lies within Azerbaijan but has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by the Armenian government since 1994 at the end of a separatist war.
The previous two days of fighting killed dozens and left scores wounded. The Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Ministry reported 84 servicemen killed so far. Azerbaijan’s president, Ilham Aliyev, said Tuesday that 10 civilians were killed on its side, but he didn’t offer any details on the country’s military casualties.
The region in the Caucasus Mountains of about 1,700 square miles, or about the size of the U.S. state of Delaware, is 30 miles from the Armenian border. Soldiers backed by Armenia also occupy some Azerbaijani territory outside the region.
The renewed fighting prompted calls to end the hostilities from around the world.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has pushed for “an immediate ceasefire and a return to the negotiating table” in phone calls with the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan, her office said Tuesday.
She told the two leaders that the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe offers an appropriate forum for talks and that the two countries’ neighbors “should contribute to the peaceful solution,” said the office.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said during a visit to Greece that “both sides must stop the violence” and work “to return to substantive negotiations as quickly as possible.”
Turkey is supporting Azerbaijan in the conflict, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan calling on Armenia to immediately withdraw from the separatist region.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Tuesday that Turkey is “by Azerbaijan’s side on the field and at the [negotiating] table.”
Mr. Cavusoglu told reporters that the international community must defend Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity in the same way it defended the integrity of Ukraine and Georgia.
“They are holding Azerbaijan, whose territories have been occupied, on an equal footing with Armenia. This is a wrong and unjust approach,” Mr. Cavusoglu said after a visit to Azerbaijan’s Embassy in Ankara.
Russia, which along with France and the United States co-chairs the Minsk Group – set up in 1992 to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict – urged every country to help facilitate a peaceful resolution of the conflict.
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“We call on all countries, especially our partners such as Turkey, to do everything to convince the opposing parties to cease fire and return to peacefully resolving the conflict by politico-diplomatic means,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday.
This story was reported by The Associated Press. AP writers Daria Litvinova in Moscow, Geir Moulson in Berlin, Suzan Fraser in Ankara, and Elena Becotoros in Athens contributed to this report.


csmonitor--2020-09-30--Home theater: Bring the family together with the Beatles and ‘Babe’

In times like these , when so many of our days are lived under the same roof , I can think of few better ways to come together than by watching first-rate family entertainment – in other words , movies that work for all ages .
Family films are perhaps best appreciated with family , but if you should find yourself watching without one , that ’ s OK , too .
The finest of these movies offer up their own companionable glow .
I have a special affection for the Beatles debut movie , “ A Hard Day ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because of the circumstances surrounding the first time I saw it .
I was 12 , and vacationing with my parents in Ireland .
The film was playing near our hotel and I ventured out alone to see it only to be turned away as an unaccompanied minor .
Fortunately , a kindly gent took pity on me , and I soon joined the screeching throng .
I ’ ve seen “ A Hard Day ’ s Night ” a dozen times since it came out and it ’ s just as wonderful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Richard Lester , making his feature debut , and the screenwriter , Alun Owen , perfectly understood how to display the antic energy of the Fab Four .
It ’ s a knockabout fantasia , compressed into a single day , about the giddy tribulations of celebrity .
John , Paul , George , and Ringo – who are never referred to as the Beatles in the film – are tickled and bemused by their stardom .
The shrieking , stampeding fans provide the background noise to the boys ’ lives , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ danger , in the adulation .
( That ’ s why the film is a fantasy . )
John Lennon ( from left ) , Ringo Starr , George Harrison , and Paul McCartney star in the Beatles ’ debut film , “ A Hard Day ’ s Night ” ( 1964 ) .
What makes this movie a perfect family entertainment is its all-purpose , multigenerational appeal .
It has the unifying power of the best family films .
Even if you are old enough to have lived through Beatlemania , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prime piece of nostalgia .
It ’ s a nonstop jamboree with a great lineup of the best early Beatles ’ songs , starting with the title track that kicks things off right out of the gate .
Because we now know how the lives of the Beatles played out , the film carries an affecting extra dimension .
But it ’ s so playful , so joyous , that , watching it again , I never get caught up in sentimental retrospection .
It ’ s one of the happiest films ever @ @ @ @ @ @ @ generation of fans must surely be one of the most replenishing of movie pleasures .
( Rated G ) The superpolite orphaned piglet who yearns to be a sheepdog is the star of the beloved 1995 Australian comedy “ Babe , ” directed by Chris Noonan and based on a classic children ’ s book by Dick King-Smith .
Babe ’ s owner , Farmer Hoggett ( played by tall and spindly James Cromwell ) , has designs on the little guy for Christmas dinner .
But then the two of them bond @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fairy tale , Babe goes on to win the all-important sheepherder ’ s competition .
The animals in this film , which also include ducks and a chattery chorus of field mice , speak perfect English .
Because the special effects are so special , we never doubt the reality of the illusion .
The poetically perfect ending has soft-spoken Farmer Hoggett praising Babe ’ s victory with the immortal lines , “ That ’ ll do , Pig .
That ’ ll do.
” ( Rated G ) This 2018 sequel to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that convincingly gives goodness a glow .
The unwaveringly optimistic Peruvian bear with the scrunched hat and duffle coat and marmalade sweet tooth wants to surprise his beloved Aunt Lucy with a special present – a pop-up book of London – for her 100th birthday .
But fate intervenes and he is framed and imprisoned for a crime he did not commit .
It all comes out right , of course .
Paul King ’ s direction is deft , and his live-action actors , including Jim Broadbent , Sally Hawkins , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make up a dream cast .
( Rated PG ) Hayao Miyazaki ’ s 2002 masterpiece outgrossed “ Titanic ” in Japan and , in its English-dubbed version , won the Oscar for best animated feature .
Ten-year-old Chihiro and her parents , en route to their new home in the distant countryside , enter a mysterious tunnel that leads to a seemingly deserted amusement park teeming with shape-shifty spirits .
No other animator has ever quite matched the ineffable beauty of Miyazaki ’ s mostly hand-drawn imagery .
The storyline ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” and “ The Wizard of Oz.
” ( Rated PG .
Some imagery may be too intense for very young children . )
These films are available on at least one of these platforms : Amazon Prime Video , YouTube , Google Play , iTunes .

In times like these, when so many of our days are lived under the same roof, I can think of few better ways to come together than by watching first-rate family entertainment – in other words, movies that work for all ages. Family films are perhaps best appreciated with family, but if you should find yourself watching without one, that’s OK, too. The finest of these movies offer up their own companionable glow.
“A Hard Day’s Night”
I have a special affection for the Beatles debut movie, “A Hard Day’s Night” (1964), because of the circumstances surrounding the first time I saw it. I was 12, and vacationing with my parents in Ireland. The film was playing near our hotel and I ventured out alone to see it only to be turned away as an unaccompanied minor. Fortunately, a kindly gent took pity on me, and I soon joined the screeching throng.
Why We Wrote This As film critic Peter Rainer sees it, family films are those that have multigenerational appeal and a unifying power. But, he notes, watching them alone also works: “The finest of these movies offer up their own companionable glow.”
I’ve seen “A Hard Day’s Night” a dozen times since it came out and it’s just as wonderful as it ever was. The director, Richard Lester, making his feature debut, and the screenwriter, Alun Owen, perfectly understood how to display the antic energy of the Fab Four. It’s a knockabout fantasia, compressed into a single day, about the giddy tribulations of celebrity. John, Paul, George, and Ringo – who are never referred to as the Beatles in the film – are tickled and bemused by their stardom. The shrieking, stampeding fans provide the background noise to the boys’ lives, but there is no downside, no danger, in the adulation. (That’s why the film is a fantasy.)
United Artists/Album/Newscom View caption Hide caption John Lennon (from left), Ringo Starr, George Harrison, and Paul McCartney star in the Beatles’ debut film, “A Hard Day’s Night” (1964).
What makes this movie a perfect family entertainment is its all-purpose, multigenerational appeal. It has the unifying power of the best family films. Even if you are old enough to have lived through Beatlemania, the movie functions as much more than a prime piece of nostalgia. It’s a nonstop jamboree with a great lineup of the best early Beatles’ songs, starting with the title track that kicks things off right out of the gate.
Because we now know how the lives of the Beatles played out, the film carries an affecting extra dimension. But it’s so playful, so joyous, that, watching it again, I never get caught up in sentimental retrospection. It’s one of the happiest films ever made. Introducing it to a new generation of fans must surely be one of the most replenishing of movie pleasures. (Rated G)
“Babe”
The superpolite orphaned piglet who yearns to be a sheepdog is the star of the beloved 1995 Australian comedy “Babe,” directed by Chris Noonan and based on a classic children’s book by Dick King-Smith. Babe’s owner, Farmer Hoggett (played by tall and spindly James Cromwell), has designs on the little guy for Christmas dinner. But then the two of them bond and, with the logic of a fairy tale, Babe goes on to win the all-important sheepherder’s competition. The animals in this film, which also include ducks and a chattery chorus of field mice, speak perfect English. Because the special effects are so special, we never doubt the reality of the illusion. The poetically perfect ending has soft-spoken Farmer Hoggett praising Babe’s victory with the immortal lines, “That’ll do, Pig. That’ll do.” (Rated G)
“Paddington 2”
This 2018 sequel to “Paddington” is the rare movie that convincingly gives goodness a glow. The unwaveringly optimistic Peruvian bear with the scrunched hat and duffle coat and marmalade sweet tooth wants to surprise his beloved Aunt Lucy with a special present – a pop-up book of London – for her 100th birthday. But fate intervenes and he is framed and imprisoned for a crime he did not commit. It all comes out right, of course. Paul King’s direction is deft, and his live-action actors, including Jim Broadbent, Sally Hawkins, and a hilarious, scenery-gobbling Hugh Grant, make up a dream cast. (Rated PG)
“Spirited Away”
Hayao Miyazaki’s 2002 masterpiece outgrossed “Titanic” in Japan and, in its English-dubbed version, won the Oscar for best animated feature. Ten-year-old Chihiro and her parents, en route to their new home in the distant countryside, enter a mysterious tunnel that leads to a seemingly deserted amusement park teeming with shape-shifty spirits. No other animator has ever quite matched the ineffable beauty of Miyazaki’s mostly hand-drawn imagery. The storyline’s fantastical circumlocutions rival “Alice in Wonderland” and “The Wizard of Oz.” (Rated PG. Some imagery may be too intense for very young children.)
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Peter Rainer is the Monitor’s film critic.
These films are available on at least one of these platforms: Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, Google Play, iTunes.


csmonitor--2020-09-30--Displaced: ‘The Last Million’ refugees to leave Europe after World War II

The scattered remnants of European Jewry began to emerge in the summer of 1944 from Nazi concentration camps and forest hiding places .
But their liberation by Allied troops was just the beginning of a new struggle that lasted long after the war in Europe officially ended in May 1945 .
Many more non-Jews from places like Ukraine , Poland , and the Baltic states – fearing communist repression back home or retribution for collaborating with the Nazis – soon joined them in limbo .
Historian David Nasaw tells the story of those with nowhere to go when the fighting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ modern refugee camps , in “ The Last Million : Europe ’ s Displaced Persons from World War to Cold War.
” “ They stand as living testimony to the inescapable truth that the dislocations and displacements of the war in Europe did not magically end with the cessation of hostilities , but bled into the postwar period and the Cold War that followed , ” Nasaw writes .
Nasaw , a two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist , has once again produced an extraordinarily well-researched book that is well worth reading , and it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to me .
When my mother was a baby , she and my grandparents arrived at a displaced persons ’ ( DP ) camp in Bensheim , Germany , in the summer of 1946 .
They joined a massive influx of Jews into the American occupation zone prompted by a new wave of anti-Semitic violence in their native Poland .
The violence was fueled in part by the unwillingness of Poles to part with Jewish property they 'd taken during the war .
My family spent less than five months living in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a brief way station before sailing on a converted U.S troopship to New York and ultimately starting their lives over on a New Jersey chicken farm .
But as Nasaw writes , most of the quarter million or so Jewish DPs weren ’ t as fortunate .
At first , the U.S. occupation wouldn ’ t even separate Jewish victims of Nazi horrors from those who might have been their tormentors just months earlier .
Eventually , Jewish DPs were allowed to form their own “ island communities ” where they established schools @ @ @ @ @ @ @ courts .
Survivors racing to make up for all they had lost also began to marry and have children at extraordinarily high rates .
It proved somewhat easier to offload non-Jewish DPs because they were described as a solution to European and South American labor shortages or Australian underpopulation .
Many Jewish DPs dreamed of refuge in Palestine , a prospect anathema to Britain because its leaders sought to avoid circumstances that would inflame Arab-Jewish tensions in a tiny but explosive corner of its crumbling empire .
The British were willing to let @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prompting efforts to reach Palestine illegally .
Almost 100,000 resettled in Israel during the fledgling Jewish state ’ s first year in existence .
Nasaw writes that the exhilaration of finally leaving Germany gave way to disappointment for many who found themselves once again in a war zone that produced its own mass wave of displacement among Palestinians .
The U.S. at first refused to raise decades-old racist quotas that strictly limited the number of Eastern Europeans allowed to emigrate .
Sympathy for the victims of what later became known as the Holocaust @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what some Americans saw as an invasion of undesirable Jews .
Some legislators also expressed fear that the ranks of DPs were full of subversive communist ( or at least pro-Soviet ) elements .
“ We want good blood to come to this country .
But we do not want any ‘ rats ’ – we have enough of them , ” Senate Judiciary Chairman Alexander Wiley , a Wisconsin Republican , warned during the 1948 debate over legislation designed to increase DP visas , echoing more recent pushback against taking in victims @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the DPs Nasaw chose to quote is the grandmother of President Donald Trump ’ s son-in-law and senior adviser , Jared Kushner .
“ Nobody opened their doors to us , ” Rae Kushner said in an oral history interview .
“ Nobody wanted to take us in.
” Most Jewish DPs didn ’ t qualify under the watered-down DP Act reluctantly signed by President Harry Truman in 1948 .
The “ blatantly antisemitic ” law excluded those who entered Germany , Austria , or Italy after 1945 – the period when most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a majority of visas for refugees with agricultural experience or from nations annexed by the Soviets .
A second DP Act enacted two years later attempted to right some of those wrongs , although by then few Jewish DPs remained in Europe .
By the end of 1951 , the final million had scattered across the globe , including nearly 330,000 who settled in the U.S. Of those , roughly 57,000 were Jews .
And because Cold War fears about communist infiltration had long since eclipsed concerns about Nazi collaborators , more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criminals .
Seth Stern is a Bloomberg Law editor working on a book about Jewish displaced persons who settled on southern New Jersey chicken farms .

The scattered remnants of European Jewry began to emerge in the summer of 1944 from Nazi concentration camps and forest hiding places.
But their liberation by Allied troops was just the beginning of a new struggle that lasted long after the war in Europe officially ended in May 1945. Many more non-Jews from places like Ukraine, Poland, and the Baltic states – fearing communist repression back home or retribution for collaborating with the Nazis – soon joined them in limbo.
Historian David Nasaw tells the story of those with nowhere to go when the fighting stopped, who landed in the first modern refugee camps, in “The Last Million: Europe’s Displaced Persons from World War to Cold War.”
“They stand as living testimony to the inescapable truth that the dislocations and displacements of the war in Europe did not magically end with the cessation of hostilities, but bled into the postwar period and the Cold War that followed,” Nasaw writes.
Nasaw, a two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist, has once again produced an extraordinarily well-researched book that is well worth reading, and it's on a topic of particular interest to me.
When my mother was a baby, she and my grandparents arrived at a displaced persons’ (DP) camp in Bensheim, Germany, in the summer of 1946. They joined a massive influx of Jews into the American occupation zone prompted by a new wave of anti-Semitic violence in their native Poland. The violence was fueled in part by the unwillingness of Poles to part with Jewish property they'd taken during the war.
My family spent less than five months living in the classroom of a former private school, a brief way station before sailing on a converted U.S troopship to New York and ultimately starting their lives over on a New Jersey chicken farm.
But as Nasaw writes, most of the quarter million or so Jewish DPs weren’t as fortunate. At first, the U.S. occupation wouldn’t even separate Jewish victims of Nazi horrors from those who might have been their tormentors just months earlier.
Eventually, Jewish DPs were allowed to form their own “island communities” where they established schools, sports leagues, newspapers, and courts. Survivors racing to make up for all they had lost also began to marry and have children at extraordinarily high rates.
It proved somewhat easier to offload non-Jewish DPs because they were described as a solution to European and South American labor shortages or Australian underpopulation.
Many Jewish DPs dreamed of refuge in Palestine, a prospect anathema to Britain because its leaders sought to avoid circumstances that would inflame Arab-Jewish tensions in a tiny but explosive corner of its crumbling empire. The British were willing to let in only 1,500 DPs each month, prompting efforts to reach Palestine illegally.
Almost 100,000 resettled in Israel during the fledgling Jewish state’s first year in existence. Nasaw writes that the exhilaration of finally leaving Germany gave way to disappointment for many who found themselves once again in a war zone that produced its own mass wave of displacement among Palestinians.
The U.S. at first refused to raise decades-old racist quotas that strictly limited the number of Eastern Europeans allowed to emigrate. Sympathy for the victims of what later became known as the Holocaust still couldn’t overcome fears about what some Americans saw as an invasion of undesirable Jews.
Some legislators also expressed fear that the ranks of DPs were full of subversive communist (or at least pro-Soviet) elements.
“We want good blood to come to this country. But we do not want any ‘rats’ – we have enough of them,” Senate Judiciary Chairman Alexander Wiley, a Wisconsin Republican, warned during the 1948 debate over legislation designed to increase DP visas, echoing more recent pushback against taking in victims of the Syrian civil war.
Among the DPs Nasaw chose to quote is the grandmother of President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner. “Nobody opened their doors to us,” Rae Kushner said in an oral history interview. “Nobody wanted to take us in.”
Most Jewish DPs didn’t qualify under the watered-down DP Act reluctantly signed by President Harry Truman in 1948. The “blatantly antisemitic” law excluded those who entered Germany, Austria, or Italy after 1945 – the period when most Polish Jews arrived – and set aside a majority of visas for refugees with agricultural experience or from nations annexed by the Soviets.
A second DP Act enacted two years later attempted to right some of those wrongs, although by then few Jewish DPs remained in Europe.
By the end of 1951, the final million had scattered across the globe, including nearly 330,000 who settled in the U.S. Of those, roughly 57,000 were Jews.
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And because Cold War fears about communist infiltration had long since eclipsed concerns about Nazi collaborators, more than a few of the refugees were war criminals.
Seth Stern is a Bloomberg Law editor working on a book about Jewish displaced persons who settled on southern New Jersey chicken farms.


csmonitor--2020-09-30--Would Trump's $750 tax bill be a scandal in other countries?

OECD and Latin American countries surveyed showed a high morale , with more than 70 % of the population reporting that they would never justify cheating on taxes .
But the numbers drop to just over 50 % in Africa and Eastern Europe .
Tax morale – broadly defined as the intrinsic willingness to pay tax – is generally higher in countries that take in taxes at higher ratios compared to GDP , according to an OECD report from 2019 .
The OECD calls this a “ virtuous circle ” between effective government performance and factors such as trust and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taxation , they ’ re not just a ‘ here and now ’ kind of thing .
They are rooted in some deep values , ” says Trish Hennessy at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives .
But paying one ’ s due into public coffers reflects citizen values and ethics around the greater good .
As the inequality gap widens in the United States and other parts of the world , a leader ’ s failure to pay his or her fair share would garner moral outrage in many places .
On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of President Donald Trump ’ s federal tax payments are more about debt than taxation .
This week ’ s disclosures that he ’ s secretly reported losses for years threaten to burst his image as a successful businessman .
No one likes to pay taxes .
That might be among the most universal of truths .
But in Germany , where a progressive rate can go as high as 45 % on individual income , levies are not as polarizing or political as they are in the United States .
Florian Demmler @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pay his taxes each year .
“ Most people really enjoy the comforts of a strong government that gets a lot of tax from us , ” says the head of marketing for a German law firm .
“ They build streets , schools , and hospitals with that money , and we have a good health system and strong social security system.
” At the heart of that sentiment lies trust that the money is spent to boost the collective good , and that every German pays his or her proper share @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Donald Trump only paid $ 750 the year he was elected into office – and spent a decade paying nothing due to extensive financial losses – would probably provoke outrage in a German context , says Dr. Tabea Bucher-Koenen , an economist with the ZEW – Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research .
“ They ’ d probably get someone to step down and replace him or her with someone else .
That ’ s happened with other politicians who have been accused of taking advantage.
” On the face of it , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ returns is more about debt than taxation .
He ’ s taken pains to market his brand as a successful billionaire businessman .
This week ’ s disclosures that he ’ s secretly reported losses for years and incurred massive personal debt threaten to burst that image .
But paying one ’ s due into public coffers reflects citizen values and ethics around the greater good .
As the inequality gap widens in the United States and other parts of the world , a leader ’ s failure to pay his or her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ These perceptions about taxation , they ’ re not just a ‘ here and now ’ kind of thing .
They are rooted in some deep values , ” says Trish Hennessy at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives .
Tax morale – broadly defined as the intrinsic willingness to pay tax – is generally higher in countries that take in taxes at higher ratios compared to gross domestic product , according to an Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development report from 2019 .
The OECD calls this a “ virtuous circle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such as trust and voluntary compliance .
OECD and Latin American countries surveyed showed a high morale , with more than 70 % of the population reporting that they would never justify cheating on taxes .
But the numbers drop to just over 50 % in Africa and Eastern Europe .
In Canada , the Environics Institute for Survey Research found in a survey conducted this fall , on the vision of Canada post-pandemic , that respondents viewed taxes in a positive light by 64 % to 24 % – a sign of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , says Andrew Parkin , the institute ’ s executive director .
Americans have a high tax morale too and feel frustration with those individuals or corporations that don ’ t pay their fair share , says Vanessa Williamson , a tax expert at the Brookings Institution and author of “ Read My Lips : Why Americans Are Proud to Pay Taxes.
” “ If you go on Twitter , you ’ ll see so many people talking about all the taxes that they ’ ve paid , and how surprised they are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president , ” she says .
“ It ’ s an assertion that you ’ ve done your part.
” In fact , a Pew Research Center survey in 2018 showed that Americans say paying taxes is key to what it means to be a good citizen , just behind voting .
But the American president ’ s own words from 2016 – that it was “ smart ” to avoid taxes – and his failure to provide his returns haven ’ t hurt him because of the hyperpolarization in U.S. politics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on gun control or taxes , don ’ t get reflected back into policy .
In Canada , Dr. Parkin says such revelations could hurt a sitting head more , simply because there is less polarization : sides aren ’ t just pulled to their camp on a particular policy or revelation , he says .
“ So people are much more likely to react to it in terms of whether this strikes them as fair.
” But in Latin America it ’ s not clear how far moral outrage over tax nonpayment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Latin America starting in 2011 , alongside high-profile corruption scandals in the public sector across the region , has led to increased inequality and less confidence in the government ’ s ability to deliver on their end of the democratic bargain .
It ’ s helped create an environment where citizens feel they ’ re more justified in not paying taxes , according to the 2019 OECD report .
Mexico has one of the lowest rates of tax collection in Latin America , with a vast informal economy ( roughly 60 % of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by corporations and wealthy citizens .
Part of the challenge in collecting more taxes is convincing Mexicans that their taxes are going toward services that benefit them .
Some 90 % of Mexicans believe government corruption is a “ big problem , ” according to a 2019 Transparency International report .
Standards need to change – not only for the private sector , but for public officials , says Eduardo Bohórquez , the director of Transparencia Mexicana , a nongovernmental organization and the Mexico-based chapter of Transparency International .
In 2015 , civil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to disclose their personal assets , potential conflicts of interest , and their taxes .
They failed to win on tax transparency .
Yet , he says , if it were revealed that a Mexican president was shirking his or her tax responsibilities , “ it would not only be a scandal .
It would be a crime under Mexican law.
” It ’ s also a serious crime in China – for anybody .
The government may publicly shame those on a blacklist of offenders by publishing their names and identity card @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaving the country , among other possible penalties .
The government has also used certain high-profile cases to set an example against dodging taxes .
In July 2018 , for example , popular Chinese actress Fan Bingbing disappeared for three months , only to resurface after being charged with tax fraud and slammed with a nearly $ 130 million bill .
Ms .
Fan apologized profusely to her tens of millions of fans on social media , while praising China ’ s ruling Communist Party in an apology that appeared to be coerced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the many reasons that India , a country of 1.3 billion people , only saw 37 million tax returns filed as recently as 2017 .
Some workers earn too little , work outside the formal economy , or , like farmers , are exempt .
But it ’ s also a holdover from Mahatma Gandhi ’ s Non-Cooperation Movement , which sought India ’ s independence from British colonial rule and featured a central plank of nonpayment of taxes to a distant foreign power .
And while India today is the world ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hold the view that the government is simply not to be trusted to do anything with tax dollars of real benefit .
In Germany , meanwhile , “ fairness ” gives tax morale a boost .
German taxation researchers have found individuals don ’ t necessarily choose tax schemes based on what ’ s “ most beneficial to them.
” Rather , “ fairness considerations play a major role , ” write the authors of the report , “ Don ’ t Tax Me ?
Determinants of Individual Attitudes Toward Progressive Taxation.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pay high taxes , and pay even more than the average citizen , ” says Bernd Pfeiffer , a tax adviser and member of Germany ’ s leading Christian Democratic Union .
“ People have strong feelings about their duty to pay a fair share of taxes.
” • Staff writers Howard LaFranchi and Ann Scott Tyson contributed reporting to this story .

OECD and Latin American countries surveyed showed a high morale, with more than 70% of the population reporting that they would never justify cheating on taxes. But the numbers drop to just over 50% in Africa and Eastern Europe.
Tax morale – broadly defined as the intrinsic willingness to pay tax – is generally higher in countries that take in taxes at higher ratios compared to GDP, according to an OECD report from 2019. The OECD calls this a “virtuous circle” between effective government performance and factors such as trust and voluntary compliance.
“These perceptions about taxation, they’re not just a ‘here and now’ kind of thing. They are rooted in some deep values,” says Trish Hennessy at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.
Paying one’s taxes isn’t just about avoiding an audit. In many countries, it’s an indication of how much trust one places in the government. So how would a leader paying $750 in taxes be seen abroad?
But paying one’s due into public coffers reflects citizen values and ethics around the greater good. As the inequality gap widens in the United States and other parts of the world, a leader’s failure to pay his or her fair share would garner moral outrage in many places.
On the face of it, the story of President Donald Trump’s federal tax payments are more about debt than taxation. This week’s disclosures that he’s secretly reported losses for years threaten to burst his image as a successful businessman.
No one likes to pay taxes. That might be among the most universal of truths.
But in Germany, where a progressive rate can go as high as 45% on individual income, levies are not as polarizing or political as they are in the United States. Florian Demmler, for one, is happy to pay his taxes each year.
“Most people really enjoy the comforts of a strong government that gets a lot of tax from us,” says the head of marketing for a German law firm. “They build streets, schools, and hospitals with that money, and we have a good health system and strong social security system.”
Why We Wrote This Paying one’s taxes isn’t just about avoiding an audit. In many countries, it’s an indication of how much trust one places in the government. So how would a leader paying $750 in taxes be seen abroad?
At the heart of that sentiment lies trust that the money is spent to boost the collective good, and that every German pays his or her proper share. So the revelations that U.S. President Donald Trump only paid $750 the year he was elected into office – and spent a decade paying nothing due to extensive financial losses – would probably provoke outrage in a German context, says Dr. Tabea Bucher-Koenen, an economist with the ZEW – Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research. “They’d probably get someone to step down and replace him or her with someone else. That’s happened with other politicians who have been accused of taking advantage.”
On the face of it, the story of President Trump’s returns is more about debt than taxation. He’s taken pains to market his brand as a successful billionaire businessman. This week’s disclosures that he’s secretly reported losses for years and incurred massive personal debt threaten to burst that image.
But paying one’s due into public coffers reflects citizen values and ethics around the greater good. As the inequality gap widens in the United States and other parts of the world, a leader’s failure to pay his or her fair share would garner moral outrage.
“These perceptions about taxation, they’re not just a ‘here and now’ kind of thing. They are rooted in some deep values,” says Trish Hennessy at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.
The tax “bargain”
Tax morale – broadly defined as the intrinsic willingness to pay tax – is generally higher in countries that take in taxes at higher ratios compared to gross domestic product, according to an Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development report from 2019. The OECD calls this a “virtuous circle” between effective government performance and factors such as trust and voluntary compliance. OECD and Latin American countries surveyed showed a high morale, with more than 70% of the population reporting that they would never justify cheating on taxes. But the numbers drop to just over 50% in Africa and Eastern Europe.
In Canada, the Environics Institute for Survey Research found in a survey conducted this fall, on the vision of Canada post-pandemic, that respondents viewed taxes in a positive light by 64% to 24% – a sign of the understood “bargain” they represent, says Andrew Parkin, the institute’s executive director.
Americans have a high tax morale too and feel frustration with those individuals or corporations that don’t pay their fair share, says Vanessa Williamson, a tax expert at the Brookings Institution and author of “Read My Lips: Why Americans Are Proud to Pay Taxes.”
“If you go on Twitter, you’ll see so many people talking about all the taxes that they’ve paid, and how surprised they are to see they paid much more than the president,” she says. “It’s an assertion that you’ve done your part.”
In fact, a Pew Research Center survey in 2018 showed that Americans say paying taxes is key to what it means to be a good citizen, just behind voting.
But the American president’s own words from 2016 – that it was “smart” to avoid taxes – and his failure to provide his returns haven’t hurt him because of the hyperpolarization in U.S. politics. That means majority views, whether on gun control or taxes, don’t get reflected back into policy.
In Canada, Dr. Parkin says such revelations could hurt a sitting head more, simply because there is less polarization: sides aren’t just pulled to their camp on a particular policy or revelation, he says. “So people are much more likely to react to it in terms of whether this strikes them as fair.”
Trouble with corruption in Mexico
But in Latin America it’s not clear how far moral outrage over tax nonpayment would register.
The economic slowdown in Latin America starting in 2011, alongside high-profile corruption scandals in the public sector across the region, has led to increased inequality and less confidence in the government’s ability to deliver on their end of the democratic bargain. It’s helped create an environment where citizens feel they’re more justified in not paying taxes, according to the 2019 OECD report.
Mexico has one of the lowest rates of tax collection in Latin America, with a vast informal economy (roughly 60% of the workforce) and prevalent tax evasion by corporations and wealthy citizens. Part of the challenge in collecting more taxes is convincing Mexicans that their taxes are going toward services that benefit them.
Some 90% of Mexicans believe government corruption is a “big problem,” according to a 2019 Transparency International report. Standards need to change – not only for the private sector, but for public officials, says Eduardo Bohórquez, the director of Transparencia Mexicana, a nongovernmental organization and the Mexico-based chapter of Transparency International. In 2015, civil society pressured candidates running for public office to disclose their personal assets, potential conflicts of interest, and their taxes. They failed to win on tax transparency.
Yet, he says, if it were revealed that a Mexican president was shirking his or her tax responsibilities, “it would not only be a scandal. It would be a crime under Mexican law.”
Pressure, distrust, and duty
It’s also a serious crime in China – for anybody. The government may publicly shame those on a blacklist of offenders by publishing their names and identity card numbers, and by barring them from leaving the country, among other possible penalties.
The government has also used certain high-profile cases to set an example against dodging taxes. In July 2018, for example, popular Chinese actress Fan Bingbing disappeared for three months, only to resurface after being charged with tax fraud and slammed with a nearly $130 million bill. Ms. Fan apologized profusely to her tens of millions of fans on social media, while praising China’s ruling Communist Party in an apology that appeared to be coerced.
Distrust of government is one of the many reasons that India, a country of 1.3 billion people, only saw 37 million tax returns filed as recently as 2017. Some workers earn too little, work outside the formal economy, or, like farmers, are exempt. But it’s also a holdover from Mahatma Gandhi’s Non-Cooperation Movement, which sought India’s independence from British colonial rule and featured a central plank of nonpayment of taxes to a distant foreign power. And while India today is the world’s largest democracy, too many Indians hold the view that the government is simply not to be trusted to do anything with tax dollars of real benefit.
In Germany, meanwhile, “fairness” gives tax morale a boost. German taxation researchers have found individuals don’t necessarily choose tax schemes based on what’s “most beneficial to them.” Rather, “fairness considerations play a major role,” write the authors of the report, “Don’t Tax Me? Determinants of Individual Attitudes Toward Progressive Taxation.”
“German citizens expect that millionaires should pay high taxes, and pay even more than the average citizen,” says Bernd Pfeiffer, a tax adviser and member of Germany’s leading Christian Democratic Union. “People have strong feelings about their duty to pay a fair share of taxes.”
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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.
• Staff writers Howard LaFranchi and Ann Scott Tyson contributed reporting to this story.
Editor's note: The original version misstated India's status as the world's largest democracy.