csmonitor--2020-07-08--Trump hosts Mexican president as populism meets pragmatism

“ Over the last three years , not only have the U.S. and Mexico been de-escalating things , but they ’ ve actually on many levels been improving the relationship , ” says Ana Quintana , an analyst at the Heritage Foundation in Washington .
“ That has happened because it ’ s in both countries ’ interests.
” Indeed , a new pragmatism has started to take hold of a lopsided binational relationship , some analysts say .
“ If López Obrador tells them Mexico is better off because we now have better relations with the United States and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ respect for Mexico , people say , ‘ OK , López Obrador knows what he ’ s doing , ’ ” says Jorge Chabat , a professor at the University of Guadalajara .
Which explains why a majority of Mexicans said in a poll they supported President Andrés Manuel López Obrador ’ s plans to meet Wednesday with President Donald Trump at the White House .
Almost uniformly over the past week , Mexico ’ s intellectuals and media elite have lamented the spectacle of a Mexican president ingratiating himself with an American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dislike .
But what many Mexicans say with a shrug is that they also know their country is better off when relations with the U.S. are good .
In a late June poll in the Mexico City newspaper El Financiero , 70 % of Mexicans said they disapproved of U.S. President Donald Trump .
No surprise there .
Mr. Trump came into office denigrating Mexicans as criminals and rapists and has undertaken the building of a border wall to divide the two neighboring countries .
The project injures Mexicans ’ image of themselves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , makes connections between members living on both sides more difficult .
More surprising was another finding : Almost as many Mexicans , about 60 % , supported President Andrés Manuel López Obrador ’ s plans to travel to the White House to meet with Mr. Trump .
After taking a commercial flight to Washington to reduce costs , Mr. López Obrador was scheduled to have his meeting in the Oval Office today , followed by a “ working dinner.
” What might seem like a head-scratching discrepancy among Mexican citizens is actually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ powerful northern neighbor that has only grown as Mexico ’ s economic well-being has become increasingly interlinked with that of the United States .
Mexico ’ s intellectuals and media elite may lament – as they have almost uniformly over the past week – the spectacle of a Mexican president ingratiating himself with an American president that 7 of 10 Mexicans strongly dislike .
But what many Mexicans say with a shrug is that they also know their country is better off , especially economically , when relations with the U.S. are good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ White House .
“ I think the answer to what might seem like a glaring contradiction has to do more than anything with López Obrador himself and the fact that many people still like him despite the very bad situations of the economy and security , and the pandemic , ” says Jorge Chabat , a professor of Pacific studies at the University of Guadalajara .
“ For sure Mexicans don ’ t like Donald Trump , ” he adds , “ but if López Obrador tells them Mexico is better off because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United States and his trip will be a sign of respect for Mexico , people say , ‘ OK , López Obrador knows what he ’ s doing.
’ ” Indeed , a new pragmatism has started to take hold of a lopsided binational relationship that has never been easy but which has faced new challenges under Mr. Trump , some analysts say .
“ Over the last three years , not only have the U.S. and Mexico been de-escalating things , but they ’ ve actually on many levels been improving the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ senior Latin America and Western Hemisphere policy analyst at the Heritage Foundation in Washington .
“ That has happened because it ’ s in both countries ’ interests.
” It is with that same pragmatism that Mr. López Obrador braved harsh domestic criticism to sit down in Washington with a U.S. president who had bad-mouthed Mexico like no other .
Mexico ’ s economy , already hurting , has been laid out flat by the pandemic .
The leftist-populist leader may not like it , but he knows that the only way to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of U.S. economic growth .
Campaign rally of one Mr. López Obrador came into office in December 2018 vowing to scuttle the neoliberal economic model that had given Mexico the North American Free Trade Agreement .
But there he was Wednesday joining Mr. Trump in marking the July 1 entry into force of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement .
The USMCA , as it is known , is an updated NAFTA that promises to strengthen the links among the three North American economies .
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was also invited to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and citing the coronavirus pandemic .
( Unlike the U.S. , Canada has done a good job of controlling the outbreak . )
From the White House perspective , the visit by Mr. López Obrador – better known by his initials , AMLO – is an opportunity for a Trump reelection campaign rally of one .
Indeed , the visit allows Mr. Trump to highlight the fact that with Mr. López Obrador , the president has got pretty much what he wanted from Mexico – especially on immigration – and at very little @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its National Guard to the southern border with Guatemala to impede Central Americans headed to the U.S. ( Mexicans no longer make up the bulk of migrants crossing into the U.S. from Mexico . )
And it has accepted to become a kind of holding pen for would-be U.S. asylum seekers .
Indeed , many Mexican migration experts say that , in effect , AMLO has given President Trump a version of the wall that candidate Trump insisted Mexico would pay for .
“ Basically , Donald Trump has declared what he wants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to him , ” Professor Chabat says .
“ López Obrador is very afraid of Trump because he knows he can do things to really hurt Mexico.
” But in taking immigration measures that pleased Mr. Trump , note some experts in North American affairs , Mr. López Obrador is also keeping happy the growing number of Mexicans who see the Central Americans crossing their territory as a burden .
“ At first when the Central American caravans were crossing into Mexico , AMLO sounded very much like most Mexicans , saying these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them , ” says Richard Feinberg , a professor of international political economy at the University of California at San Diego ’ s School of Global Policy and Strategy .
“ But then when they kept coming , the welcome started wearing thin.
” It was at that point that Mr. López Obrador started taking steps that pleased Mr. Trump , Professor Feinberg adds .
“ Suddenly there was a commonality between U.S. policy and Mexican national interests , ” he says .
( It ’ s also true that the White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ goods if the waves of humanity from Central America weren ’ t stopped . )
Mr. López Obrador ’ s “ Mexico First ” immigration policies are just one of the ways that the two odd amigos resemble each other , Professor Feinberg says .
Both leaders are inward-focused and appear to have little interest in the outside world , he says .
“ Trump gets out of international meetings every chance he can , ” he notes , and for López Obrador , “ this trip [ to Washington ] is his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Professor Feinberg says an “ anti-elitist populism ” runs deep in both men .
Whereas Mr. López Obrador speaks frequently of “ the mafias of corrupt power ” – by which he means the opposition political parties – and his “ adversaries ” in the media , Mr. Trump rails against the “ deep state ” and the “ enemy of the people ” press , he says .
Professor Feinberg says another reason Mr. López Obrador was even able to consider visiting the White House is that Mr. Trump appears to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Donald Trump always needs an enemy , but this time around it looks like China will be that enemy , not Mexico , ” he says .
Yet while the two leaders may have decided they actually kind of like each other , Ms. Quintana of Heritage says she hopes for more from the U.S.-Mexico summit than just a celebratory launch of the USMCA .
She is calling for development of a North American “ economic and health recovery plan ” that would focus the three economies on stimulating growth to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she wants to see a focus on developing and strengthening health-materials supply chains so that North America is never again left at the mercy of Chinese and other producers .
“ We need to sit down together and come up with a plan for how the three North American trade partners can work together to prevent the kinds of trade and supply-chain shutdowns we saw ” in the early months of the outbreak , she says .
“ That kind of coordination should be part of a modernized trade agreement .
”

“Over the last three years, not only have the U.S. and Mexico been de-escalating things, but they’ve actually on many levels been improving the relationship,” says Ana Quintana, an analyst at the Heritage Foundation in Washington. “That has happened because it’s in both countries’ interests.”
Indeed, a new pragmatism has started to take hold of a lopsided binational relationship, some analysts say.
“If López Obrador tells them Mexico is better off because we now have better relations with the United States and his trip will be a sign of respect for Mexico, people say, ‘OK, López Obrador knows what he’s doing,’” says Jorge Chabat, a professor at the University of Guadalajara.
If, as a recent poll shows, Mexicans dislike Donald Trump, how can they support President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s trip to Washington? Essentially, they like what AMLO can bring home.
Which explains why a majority of Mexicans said in a poll they supported President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s plans to meet Wednesday with President Donald Trump at the White House.
Almost uniformly over the past week, Mexico’s intellectuals and media elite have lamented the spectacle of a Mexican president ingratiating himself with an American president that 7 of 10 Mexicans strongly dislike. But what many Mexicans say with a shrug is that they also know their country is better off when relations with the U.S. are good.
In a late June poll in the Mexico City newspaper El Financiero, 70% of Mexicans said they disapproved of U.S. President Donald Trump.
No surprise there. Mr. Trump came into office denigrating Mexicans as criminals and rapists and has undertaken the building of a border wall to divide the two neighboring countries. The project injures Mexicans’ image of themselves, and for millions of Mexican families, makes connections between members living on both sides more difficult.
More surprising was another finding: Almost as many Mexicans, about 60%, supported President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s plans to travel to the White House to meet with Mr. Trump.
Why We Wrote This If, as a recent poll shows, Mexicans dislike Donald Trump, how can they support President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s trip to Washington? Essentially, they like what AMLO can bring home.
After taking a commercial flight to Washington to reduce costs, Mr. López Obrador was scheduled to have his meeting in the Oval Office today, followed by a “working dinner.”
What might seem like a head-scratching discrepancy among Mexican citizens is actually a reflection of a realism about their powerful northern neighbor that has only grown as Mexico’s economic well-being has become increasingly interlinked with that of the United States.
Mexico’s intellectuals and media elite may lament – as they have almost uniformly over the past week – the spectacle of a Mexican president ingratiating himself with an American president that 7 of 10 Mexicans strongly dislike. But what many Mexicans say with a shrug is that they also know their country is better off, especially economically, when relations with the U.S. are good, no matter who is in the White House.
“I think the answer to what might seem like a glaring contradiction has to do more than anything with López Obrador himself and the fact that many people still like him despite the very bad situations of the economy and security, and the pandemic,” says Jorge Chabat, a professor of Pacific studies at the University of Guadalajara.
“For sure Mexicans don’t like Donald Trump,” he adds, “but if López Obrador tells them Mexico is better off because we now have better relations with the United States and his trip will be a sign of respect for Mexico, people say, ‘OK, López Obrador knows what he’s doing.’”
Indeed, a new pragmatism has started to take hold of a lopsided binational relationship that has never been easy but which has faced new challenges under Mr. Trump, some analysts say.
“Over the last three years, not only have the U.S. and Mexico been de-escalating things, but they’ve actually on many levels been improving the relationship,” says Ana Quintana, senior Latin America and Western Hemisphere policy analyst at the Heritage Foundation in Washington. “That has happened because it’s in both countries’ interests.”
It is with that same pragmatism that Mr. López Obrador braved harsh domestic criticism to sit down in Washington with a U.S. president who had bad-mouthed Mexico like no other. Mexico’s economy, already hurting, has been laid out flat by the pandemic. The leftist-populist leader may not like it, but he knows that the only way to an economic recovery is on the coattails of U.S. economic growth.
Campaign rally of one
Mr. López Obrador came into office in December 2018 vowing to scuttle the neoliberal economic model that had given Mexico the North American Free Trade Agreement. But there he was Wednesday joining Mr. Trump in marking the July 1 entry into force of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. The USMCA, as it is known, is an updated NAFTA that promises to strengthen the links among the three North American economies.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was also invited to the celebration but declined, claiming previous commitments and citing the coronavirus pandemic. (Unlike the U.S., Canada has done a good job of controlling the outbreak.)
From the White House perspective, the visit by Mr. López Obrador – better known by his initials, AMLO – is an opportunity for a Trump reelection campaign rally of one. Indeed, the visit allows Mr. Trump to highlight the fact that with Mr. López Obrador, the president has got pretty much what he wanted from Mexico – especially on immigration – and at very little cost.
Patrick Semansky/AP View caption Hide caption President Donald Trump greets Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador at the White House in Washington, July 8, 2020. In some respects, the meeting of the two populist presidents was a triumph of pragmatism.
Mexico under AMLO has sent its National Guard to the southern border with Guatemala to impede Central Americans headed to the U.S. (Mexicans no longer make up the bulk of migrants crossing into the U.S. from Mexico.) And it has accepted to become a kind of holding pen for would-be U.S. asylum seekers.
Indeed, many Mexican migration experts say that, in effect, AMLO has given President Trump a version of the wall that candidate Trump insisted Mexico would pay for.
“Basically, Donald Trump has declared what he wants, and López Obrador has given it to him,” Professor Chabat says. “López Obrador is very afraid of Trump because he knows he can do things to really hurt Mexico.”
But in taking immigration measures that pleased Mr. Trump, note some experts in North American affairs, Mr. López Obrador is also keeping happy the growing number of Mexicans who see the Central Americans crossing their territory as a burden.
“At first when the Central American caravans were crossing into Mexico, AMLO sounded very much like most Mexicans, saying these are poor people and we must help them,” says Richard Feinberg, a professor of international political economy at the University of California at San Diego’s School of Global Policy and Strategy. “But then when they kept coming, the welcome started wearing thin.”
It was at that point that Mr. López Obrador started taking steps that pleased Mr. Trump, Professor Feinberg adds. “Suddenly there was a commonality between U.S. policy and Mexican national interests,” he says. (It’s also true that the White House threatened to impose stiff tariffs on Mexican goods if the waves of humanity from Central America weren’t stopped.)
Points in common
Mr. López Obrador’s “Mexico First” immigration policies are just one of the ways that the two odd amigos resemble each other, Professor Feinberg says.
Both leaders are inward-focused and appear to have little interest in the outside world, he says. “Trump gets out of international meetings every chance he can,” he notes, and for López Obrador, “this trip [to Washington] is his first out of the country.”
Moreover, Professor Feinberg says an “anti-elitist populism” runs deep in both men. Whereas Mr. López Obrador speaks frequently of “the mafias of corrupt power” – by which he means the opposition political parties – and his “adversaries” in the media, Mr. Trump rails against the “deep state” and the “enemy of the people” press, he says.
Professor Feinberg says another reason Mr. López Obrador was even able to consider visiting the White House is that Mr. Trump appears to have redirected his demonization of Mexico elsewhere. “Donald Trump always needs an enemy, but this time around it looks like China will be that enemy, not Mexico,” he says.
Yet while the two leaders may have decided they actually kind of like each other, Ms. Quintana of Heritage says she hopes for more from the U.S.-Mexico summit than just a celebratory launch of the USMCA.
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She is calling for development of a North American “economic and health recovery plan” that would focus the three economies on stimulating growth to meet regional needs. In particular, she wants to see a focus on developing and strengthening health-materials supply chains so that North America is never again left at the mercy of Chinese and other producers.
“We need to sit down together and come up with a plan for how the three North American trade partners can work together to prevent the kinds of trade and supply-chain shutdowns we saw” in the early months of the outbreak, she says. “That kind of coordination should be part of a modernized trade agreement.”


csmonitor--2020-07-08--Home theater: With games on hold, it’s sports films for the win (video)

As live sports and the Olympics are postponed due to COVID-19 , we invited Monitor film critic Peter Rainer to @ @ @ @ @ .
Peter ’ s selections offer everything from pulse-pounding action that puts you in the @ @ @ @ @ beloved athletes .
The movies themselves , ultimately , “ are not really about winning @ @ @ @ @ says .
“ They are about the ecstasy of feeling free.
” Also , check @ @ @ @ @ Peter ’ s favorite movies about U.S. presidents .
The highlighted films are available to @ @ @ @ @ of these platforms : YouTube , Amazon Prime Video , and Google Play .

As live sports and the Olympics are postponed due to COVID-19, we invited Monitor film critic Peter Rainer to share his favorite sports movies.
Peter’s selections offer everything from pulse-pounding action that puts you in the arena to nostalgic looks at beloved athletes. The movies themselves, ultimately, “are not really about winning or losing,” he says. “They are about the ecstasy of feeling free.”
Also, check out our previous video with Peter’s favorite movies about U.S. presidents.
The highlighted films are available to rent on at least one of these platforms: YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, and Google Play.
Why We Wrote This Americans are waiting to see if this unprecedented year will really allow for the return of home runs and field goals in stadiums. In the meantime, film critic Peter Rainer shares his top picks for movies and documentaries that capture the drama and pulse racing that accompany competitions. As he puts it, “Movies and sports were made for each other.”


csmonitor--2020-06-23--Addiction, hope, and recovery in the time of COVID-19

As the department ’ s Executive Director Robert Hansen says , “ It may have been because it was way ahead of its time.
” In April , West Virginia ’ s Office of Drug Control Policy launched its Connections app , whose features include digital cognitive behavioral therapy .
An effort to roll it out failed five years ago , as the number of fatal overdoses in the state continued to rise .
“ I just want to give a message of hope , ” says Sarah Rollins , a Michigan social worker .
Privacy and access issues remain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ understand the efficacy of telehealth and other digital tools .
But for some who need help , their willingness to adapt underscores a message advocates have pressed all along : Recovery is possible .
Amid concerns of increased anxiety and isolation during the pandemic , technology has helped many in recovery from addiction hold onto social support and treatment , through an expansion of online mutual support groups , telehealth , and apps .
“ I just want them to be successful and happy and sober and alive.
” New York recovery coach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re at .
“ I feel like the mom on the sideline , cheering for them , ” she says of her “ recoverees.
” Four summers ago , Frederick Shegog ate a bag of donuts from a dumpster .
Homeless and hungry in downtown Philadelphia , he says the sweets replaced a meal he ’ d have to buy with the last of his cash .
“ I wanted that money to save , because I wanted to drink and hopefully I wouldn ’ t wake up , ” he says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Mr. Shegog had tried 20 different rehabs without success .
Passed out three days later on the street , he says a man woke him with a cup of water .
“ You ’ re not dying today , ” he recalls the stranger ’ s words .
Mr. Shegog celebrated four years sober last month .
He graduated from Delaware County Community College in May with high honors and straight A ’ s .
The motivational speaker credits his success to his faith in God , and the man who “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 911 .
Virtual resources have helped sustain his recovery during the pandemic , he says , as he joined remote 12-step meetings and therapy for the first time .
Editor ’ s note : As a public service , all our coronavirus coverage is free .
No paywall .
“ I got ta be honest – I don ’ t want to get back to in-person meetings , ” says Mr. Shegog , who likes logging on from the comfort of home .
“ I can be in a meeting in New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Philadelphia .
… It ’ s opened the world up to be in places I never would ’ ve been in , to meet people I would ’ ve never met.
” Amid concerns of increased anxiety and isolation during the pandemic , technology has helped many in recovery hold onto social support and treatment through online mutual support groups , telehealth , and apps .
Overcoming the disease of addiction is never easy , and relapse is common .
But for some who need help , their willingness to adapt affirms advocates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or not : Recovery is possible .
“ I just want to give a message of hope , ” says Sarah Rollins , a Michigan social worker .
“ This is not something that has to be a life sentence.
” Stigma persists , but substance use disorder ( also called addiction , when severe ) is a treatable disease .
Even before the outbreak , more Americans required help for substance use than received it .
An estimated 20.7 million people over the age of 11 needed treatment for substance use in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Within a year , only 4 million people received treatment .
Health experts warn the pandemic may lead to increased substance use and mental health issues .
“ The concern is that we may then see an increase in overdoses , an increase in alcohol withdrawal , an increase in active substance use disorders , ” Yngvild Olsen , vice president of American Society of Addiction Medicine ’ s board of directors , said in April .
Reported spikes in opioid-related overdoses across several states confirm this concern .
The Substance Abuse and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million Americans were already living with a mental or substance use disorder , or both .
Well Being Trust , a mental health foundation , projects the pandemic will cause up to 75,000 “ deaths of despair ” from alcohol , drugs , or suicide .
While for many , physical distancing has impeded access to resources , some service providers credit an expansion of telehealth – and insurance coverage of it – as lowering barriers to treatment during the pandemic .
Emergency government deregulation of access to treatment medication has helped , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
While common , relapse doesn ’ t mean treatment has failed – around 40 % to 60 % of people with substance use disorders relapse , says the National Institute on Drug Abuse .
But relapse can be dangerous .
Jen Cutting , a certified recovery peer advocate in Walton , New York , says she ’ s lost several acquaintances to fatal overdoses in recent weeks , including “ recoverees ” she personally mentored .
Besides her cat , Thumbelina , Ms .
Cutting has lived in lockdown alone .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while incarcerated on drug charges – especially those 65 days in solitary .
Ms .
Cutting has spent over a decade in recovery from heroin , nearly four years from methamphetamine .
Recovery has bloomed a relationship with her 8-year-old daughter , whom she had in prison .
As a recovery coach , Ms .
Cutting urges her recoverees to reach out day or night .
“ I love all my people .
I feel like the mom on the sideline , cheering for them , ” she says .
“ I just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and sober and alive.
” Beyond access to evidence-based treatment , “ Social support is incredibly important , ” says Quyen Ngo , executive director of the Butler Center for Research at the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation .
“ Social support around managing cravings , managing urges , understanding that there may be triggers in the environment that individuals may not be able to get away from at this point because we ’ re all sheltering in place.
” Connecting with peers can help those trying to hide their addiction and use alone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worker at University of Michigan ’ s Addiction Treatment Services in Ann Arbor , who has led virtual therapy during the pandemic .
“ One of the biggest reasons for social support is it decreases the shame .
It increases accountability , ” she says .
“ No one gets better shaming themselves.
” Though nothing fully replicates meeting in person , stay-at-home orders have made mutual support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous proliferate online .
SMART Recovery , a secular abstinence-oriented alternative to 12-Step programs like AA , has also continued meetings remotely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of SMART Recovery NYC , launched the national organization ’ s first online Spanish-language meeting during the outbreak after mulling the idea for six years .
He says the ease of facilitating Zoom meetings in English , despite a slight decline in local attendance , inspired him to commit .
“ I ’ m telling you – silver lining , ” says Mr. Matamoros .
“ It ’ s been very exciting to start that , and to grow despite what ’ s happening.
” These groups aren ’ t subject to health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have surfaced over apps that are insecure .
In Philadelphia , Mr. Shegog has witnessed multiple Zoom-bombers invade meetings that weren ’ t password-protected .
“ Why would you not prepare when you know people are in here sharing their deepest , darkest , most painful things they ’ ve ever been through in their life ?
” he says .
In response to the pandemic , treatment provider Hazelden Betty Ford sped up its rollout of RecoveryGo early this year to reach more clients with mobility issues or in remote areas .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ virtual intensive outpatient and mental health programs in nine states .
Attendance spiked when the remote offering was introduced , “ due to the concerns of elevated anxiety and boredom and isolationism , ” says addiction practitioner Terry Gerlach in Naples , Florida , who leads virtual counseling sessions on the app .
“ We ’ re probably talking a lot more about relapse prevention strategies.
” Still , there are success stories .
Ms. Rollins , who runs therapy sessions for adolescents and adults , says it ’ s been “ incredible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outbreak , especially while navigating graduations and job hunts .
Outside Tacoma , Washington , Clarissa Heneghen relies on her Instagram sober community to stay on track – even as she mutes a mounting number of alcohol-related posts that she finds triggering .
COVID-19 has prompted her to check in more frequently with other friends in recovery she ’ s met on the app .
She says those connections promote accountability and remind her of her progress : one year sober .
Her sobriety has allowed her to better address the emotional needs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the age of 10 – as the crisis adds new stressors to home life .
“ I feel like if I had been drinking during this , I would have been more annoyed and frustrated ” with the kids , says Ms. Heneghen .
“ Now we can have conversations .
I can be fully present.
” Certain apps have been developed and rolled out with more urgency during the pandemic , while meditation and mindfulness apps already on the market and designed to help ease anxiety – like Headspace and Calm – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ free .
West Virginia ’ s Office of Drug Control Policy has been working with app developers CHESS Health , launching the Connections app in April .
The evidence-based app provides digital cognitive behavioral therapy , moderated peer discussions , classes , and motivational content for people in recovery .
“ We kept thinking , what can we do during the pandemic , and part of recovery is connectedness and social interaction , ” said Robert Hansen , the department ’ s executive director .
They tried to launch a similar service about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of fatal overdoses continued to rise in the state , the biggest spike being in fentanyl-related deaths .
“ It just never took hold , ” says Mr. Hansen .
“ It may have been because it was way ahead of its time.
” The time may just be right during a pandemic .
Recently released to treatment providers , Mr. Hansen hopes to have the app available in popular app stores for anyone to download .
“ It ’ s not a replacement for group therapy and in-person treatment , but it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mr. Hansen .
Limited research on telehealth , which predates the pandemic but has significantly expanded since , suggests benefits like better addiction treatment retention .
Experts say more evaluation is needed to gauge what virtual resources have worked .
“ As with many telehealth innovations , growth may occur before the evidence base is strong , ” comment authors in the Journal of American Medical Association Network .
Still , not everyone has a computer , cellphone , or internet connection to engage , much less stable housing .
Access to technology @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including rural communities where there are also a number of health disparities because of access to good health care of even proximal health care , ” said Dr. Ngo .
With limited internet connection and access to technology , Mr. Hansen similarly struggles to reach people in rural West Virginia and worries about the efficacy of technology-based aids to recovery .
“ There is no easy answer , ” he says .
In whatever way connection is possible , Ms .
Cutting in New York urges meeting people where they ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just seeing a friendly face , or sharing a joke , ” she says .
“ You can share something that might save someone else ’ s life.
” If you or someone you know is struggling with substance use , Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration offers a range of resources .
You can also call the national hotline at 1-800-662-HELP ( 4357 ) .

As the department’s Executive Director Robert Hansen says, “It may have been because it was way ahead of its time.”
In April, West Virginia’s Office of Drug Control Policy launched its Connections app, whose features include digital cognitive behavioral therapy. An effort to roll it out failed five years ago, as the number of fatal overdoses in the state continued to rise.
“I just want to give a message of hope,” says Sarah Rollins, a Michigan social worker.
Privacy and access issues remain, and more research is needed to understand the efficacy of telehealth and other digital tools. But for some who need help, their willingness to adapt underscores a message advocates have pressed all along: Recovery is possible.
Amid concerns of increased anxiety and isolation during the pandemic, technology has helped many in recovery from addiction hold onto social support and treatment, through an expansion of online mutual support groups, telehealth, and apps.
Recovery is about reclaiming a life. Many have proved that treating an addiction is a pandemic possibility, even as they uplift their peers.
“I just want them to be successful and happy and sober and alive.”
New York recovery coach Jen Cutting urges meeting people where they’re at. “I feel like the mom on the sideline, cheering for them,” she says of her “recoverees.”
Four summers ago, Frederick Shegog ate a bag of donuts from a dumpster. Homeless and hungry in downtown Philadelphia, he says the sweets replaced a meal he’d have to buy with the last of his cash.
“I wanted that money to save, because I wanted to drink and hopefully I wouldn’t wake up,” he says. Living with an alcohol use disorder, Mr. Shegog had tried 20 different rehabs without success.
Passed out three days later on the street, he says a man woke him with a cup of water.
Why We Wrote This Recovery is about reclaiming a life. Many have proved that treating an addiction is a pandemic possibility, even as they uplift their peers.
“You’re not dying today,” he recalls the stranger’s words.
Mr. Shegog celebrated four years sober last month. He graduated from Delaware County Community College in May with high honors and straight A’s. The motivational speaker credits his success to his faith in God, and the man who “saved my life” with a call to 911. Virtual resources have helped sustain his recovery during the pandemic, he says, as he joined remote 12-step meetings and therapy for the first time.
Editor’s note: As a public service, all our coronavirus coverage is free. No paywall.
“I gotta be honest – I don’t want to get back to in-person meetings,” says Mr. Shegog, who likes logging on from the comfort of home.
“I can be in a meeting in New York, and I’m in Philadelphia. … It’s opened the world up to be in places I never would’ve been in, to meet people I would’ve never met.”
Kriston Jae Bethel/Special to the Christian Science Monitor View caption Hide caption Four years sober, Frederick Shegog, with wife, Kim, says that online meetings have "opened the world up to be in places I never would’ve been in, to meet people I would’ve never met.” Experts stress the importance of social support for people in recovery.
Amid concerns of increased anxiety and isolation during the pandemic, technology has helped many in recovery hold onto social support and treatment through online mutual support groups, telehealth, and apps. Overcoming the disease of addiction is never easy, and relapse is common. But for some who need help, their willingness to adapt affirms advocates’ message from all along, pandemic or not: Recovery is possible.
“I just want to give a message of hope,” says Sarah Rollins, a Michigan social worker. “This is not something that has to be a life sentence.”
Need predates pandemic
Stigma persists, but substance use disorder (also called addiction, when severe) is a treatable disease. Even before the outbreak, more Americans required help for substance use than received it. An estimated 20.7 million people over the age of 11 needed treatment for substance use in 2017, according to government data. Within a year, only 4 million people received treatment.
Health experts warn the pandemic may lead to increased substance use and mental health issues.
“The concern is that we may then see an increase in overdoses, an increase in alcohol withdrawal, an increase in active substance use disorders,” Yngvild Olsen, vice president of American Society of Addiction Medicine’s board of directors, said in April. Reported spikes in opioid-related overdoses across several states confirm this concern.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration estimates nearly 58 million Americans were already living with a mental or substance use disorder, or both. Well Being Trust, a mental health foundation, projects the pandemic will cause up to 75,000 “deaths of despair” from alcohol, drugs, or suicide.
While for many, physical distancing has impeded access to resources, some service providers credit an expansion of telehealth – and insurance coverage of it – as lowering barriers to treatment during the pandemic. Emergency government deregulation of access to treatment medication has helped, including relaxed rules on reaching clinicians remotely.
While common, relapse doesn’t mean treatment has failed – around 40% to 60% of people with substance use disorders relapse, says the National Institute on Drug Abuse. But relapse can be dangerous. Jen Cutting, a certified recovery peer advocate in Walton, New York, says she’s lost several acquaintances to fatal overdoses in recent weeks, including “recoverees” she personally mentored.
Besides her cat, Thumbelina, Ms. Cutting has lived in lockdown alone. She says she learned to cope with isolation while incarcerated on drug charges – especially those 65 days in solitary. Ms. Cutting has spent over a decade in recovery from heroin, nearly four years from methamphetamine. Recovery has bloomed a relationship with her 8-year-old daughter, whom she had in prison.
As a recovery coach, Ms. Cutting urges her recoverees to reach out day or night.
“I love all my people. I feel like the mom on the sideline, cheering for them,” she says. “I just want them to be successful and happy and sober and alive.”
Beyond access to evidence-based treatment, “Social support is incredibly important,” says Quyen Ngo, executive director of the Butler Center for Research at the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation. “Social support around managing cravings, managing urges, understanding that there may be triggers in the environment that individuals may not be able to get away from at this point because we’re all sheltering in place.”
Connecting with peers can help those trying to hide their addiction and use alone, says Ms. Rollins, senior social worker at University of Michigan’s Addiction Treatment Services in Ann Arbor, who has led virtual therapy during the pandemic.
“One of the biggest reasons for social support is it decreases the shame. It increases accountability,” she says. “No one gets better shaming themselves.”
Though nothing fully replicates meeting in person, stay-at-home orders have made mutual support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous proliferate online. SMART Recovery, a secular abstinence-oriented alternative to 12-Step programs like AA, has also continued meetings remotely.
Gerardo Matamoros, volunteer executive director of SMART Recovery NYC, launched the national organization’s first online Spanish-language meeting during the outbreak after mulling the idea for six years. He says the ease of facilitating Zoom meetings in English, despite a slight decline in local attendance, inspired him to commit.
“I’m telling you – silver lining,” says Mr. Matamoros. “It’s been very exciting to start that, and to grow despite what’s happening.”
These groups aren’t subject to health regulations, however, and privacy issues have surfaced over apps that are insecure. In Philadelphia, Mr. Shegog has witnessed multiple Zoom-bombers invade meetings that weren’t password-protected.
“Why would you not prepare when you know people are in here sharing their deepest, darkest, most painful things they’ve ever been through in their life?” he says.
In response to the pandemic, treatment provider Hazelden Betty Ford sped up its rollout of RecoveryGo early this year to reach more clients with mobility issues or in remote areas. The health-privacy-law-compliant platform is currently used for virtual intensive outpatient and mental health programs in nine states.
Attendance spiked when the remote offering was introduced, “due to the concerns of elevated anxiety and boredom and isolationism,” says addiction practitioner Terry Gerlach in Naples, Florida, who leads virtual counseling sessions on the app. “We’re probably talking a lot more about relapse prevention strategies.”
Still, there are success stories. Ms. Rollins, who runs therapy sessions for adolescents and adults, says it’s been “incredible” watching several maintain sobriety during the outbreak, especially while navigating graduations and job hunts.
Kriston Jae Bethel/Special to the Christian Science Monitor View caption Hide caption A motivational speaker who has lived with an alcohol use disorder, Frederick Shegog graduated from community college with high honors in May. He joined remote 12-step meetings and therapy for the first time during the pandemic.
“Fully present”
Outside Tacoma, Washington, Clarissa Heneghen relies on her Instagram sober community to stay on track – even as she mutes a mounting number of alcohol-related posts that she finds triggering.
COVID-19 has prompted her to check in more frequently with other friends in recovery she’s met on the app. She says those connections promote accountability and remind her of her progress: one year sober.
Her sobriety has allowed her to better address the emotional needs of her three children – all under the age of 10 – as the crisis adds new stressors to home life.
“I feel like if I had been drinking during this, I would have been more annoyed and frustrated” with the kids, says Ms. Heneghen.
“Now we can have conversations. I can be fully present.”
Certain apps have been developed and rolled out with more urgency during the pandemic, while meditation and mindfulness apps already on the market and designed to help ease anxiety – like Headspace and Calm – are offering some of their content for free.
West Virginia’s Office of Drug Control Policy has been working with app developers CHESS Health, launching the Connections app in April. The evidence-based app provides digital cognitive behavioral therapy, moderated peer discussions, classes, and motivational content for people in recovery.
“We kept thinking, what can we do during the pandemic, and part of recovery is connectedness and social interaction,” said Robert Hansen, the department’s executive director.
They tried to launch a similar service about five years ago, as the number of fatal overdoses continued to rise in the state, the biggest spike being in fentanyl-related deaths. “It just never took hold,” says Mr. Hansen. “It may have been because it was way ahead of its time.”
The time may just be right during a pandemic. Recently released to treatment providers, Mr. Hansen hopes to have the app available in popular app stores for anyone to download.
“It’s not a replacement for group therapy and in-person treatment, but it’s another positive,” says Mr. Hansen.
Limited research on telehealth, which predates the pandemic but has significantly expanded since, suggests benefits like better addiction treatment retention. Experts say more evaluation is needed to gauge what virtual resources have worked.
“As with many telehealth innovations, growth may occur before the evidence base is strong,” comment authors in the Journal of American Medical Association Network.
Still, not everyone has a computer, cellphone, or internet connection to engage, much less stable housing. Access to technology “is an issue for many communities, including rural communities where there are also a number of health disparities because of access to good health care of even proximal health care,” said Dr. Ngo.
With limited internet connection and access to technology, Mr. Hansen similarly struggles to reach people in rural West Virginia and worries about the efficacy of technology-based aids to recovery. “There is no easy answer,” he says.
In whatever way connection is possible, Ms. Cutting in New York urges meeting people where they’re at. “Sometimes it’s just seeing a friendly face, or sharing a joke,” she says.
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“You can share something that might save someone else’s life.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance use, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration offers a range of resources. You can also call the national hotline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).


csmonitor--2020-07-08--New flag, new beginning

New flag, new beginning

During the past six weeks of protest marches across the United States over police brutality and racism , statues of Confederate generals and politicians have fallen .
Countless conversations about diversity and equality have been started within companies and newsrooms .
Bills have been drafted and police reforms debated .
All the while , Black people in America cling to a fragile hope .
They are exhausted by the daily experience of racist behaviors , systemic inequalities , and – perhaps most of all – the constant burden to assert their right to live in a fair and just society @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they wonder .
One answer may have come from the unlikeliest of places : Mississippi .
On July 1 the Magnolia State retired the last state flag to include the Confederate states battle emblem in its design – a blue cross saltire with stars on a red background .
A commission will develop a new flag in time for voters to consider it on the November ballot .
Seldom will the creation of a new symbol carry so much healing potential .
In a state stained by the country ’ s darkest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violence , and mass incarceration of Black men , the people of Mississippi have an opportunity to weave in cloth a new statement of equality , liberty , and democracy .
Mississippi hoisted its newly retired state flag 30 years after the Civil War , in 1894 , at a time when veterans of the Southern cause were dying off and two years before the Supreme Court ’ s Plessy v. Ferguson decision would enshrine segregation as law for decades to come .
The 1894 flag was for Black Mississippians a symbol both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 500 Black men were lynched under its colors , according to the Tuskegee Institute .
It waved as 18 activists were killed in the state during the Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s .
It flew as more than 130 Confederate monuments were erected .
The state with the highest African American population by percentage , Mississippi has ranked worst in poverty rates and educational standards among Black people year after year .
Between 1920 and 1970 , nearly 500,000 Black Americans born in Mississippi fled to St. Louis and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ data .
But among those who left to find better lives elsewhere , Black writers and artists nonetheless acknowledge the state ’ s enduring hold on them with lament and longing .
Changing a flag means reimagining the identity of the people it represents .
When South Africa replaced apartheid with democracy , its new flag combined the colors of the new ruling African National Congress and those of the previous colonial powers .
Five years ago New Zealand considered adopting a new flag that would replace the Union Jack with the frond @ @ @ @ @ @ @ found only in that island nation , long seen as a symbol of its identity .
It was meant to emphasize indigenous Maori values over the colonial past .
Voters opted to retain the old banner , but the national conversation was enlightening .
As the United States moves through a difficult summer of struggle over racism , Mississippi may provide a measure of the nation ’ s ability to find atonement and reconciliation .
The state can draw on the unifying effect of its deep cultural riches , from its music and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Through facing up to centuries of pain and division in their state , Black and white Mississippians can forge an identity of shared affection for its natural beauty and cultural contributions .
Fluttering in Magnolia-scented breezes , a new emblem of true fellowship would celebrate the dignity and worth of all Americans .

During the past six weeks of protest marches across the United States over police brutality and racism, statues of Confederate generals and politicians have fallen. Countless conversations about diversity and equality have been started within companies and newsrooms. Bills have been drafted and police reforms debated.
All the while, Black people in America cling to a fragile hope. They are exhausted by the daily experience of racist behaviors, systemic inequalities, and – perhaps most of all – the constant burden to assert their right to live in a fair and just society. Will anything really change this time?
One answer may have come from an unlikely place: Mississippi.
On July 1 the Magnolia State retired the last state flag to include the Confederate states battle emblem in its design – a blue cross saltire with stars on a red background. A commission will develop a new flag in time for voters to consider it on the November ballot.
Seldom will the creation of a new symbol carry so much healing potential. In a state stained by the country’s darkest threads of slavery, segregation, racist violence, and mass incarceration of Black men, the people of Mississippi have an opportunity to weave in cloth a new statement of equality, liberty, and democracy.
Mississippi hoisted its newly retired state flag 30 years after the Civil War, in 1894, at a time when veterans of the Southern cause were dying off and two years before the Supreme Court’s Plessy v. Ferguson decision would enshrine segregation as law for decades to come.
The 1894 flag was for Black Mississippians a symbol both of terror and economic suppression. More than 500 Black men were lynched under its colors, according to the Tuskegee Institute. It waved as 18 activists were killed in the state during the Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and '60s. It flew as more than 130 Confederate monuments were erected.
The state with the highest African American population by percentage, Mississippi has ranked worst in poverty rates and educational standards among Black people year after year. Between 1920 and 1970, nearly 500,000 Black Americans born in Mississippi fled to St. Louis and Chicago, according to US Census Bureau data.
But among those who left to find better lives elsewhere, Black writers and artists nonetheless acknowledged the state’s enduring hold on them with lament and longing.
Changing a flag means reimagining the identity of the people it represents. When South Africa replaced apartheid with democracy, its new flag combined the colors of the new ruling African National Congress and those of the previous colonial powers.
Five years ago New Zealand considered adopting a new flag that would replace the Union Jack with the frond of a silver fern, a plant found only in that island nation, and long seen as a symbol of its identity. It was meant to emphasize indigenous Maori values over the colonial past. Voters opted to retain the old banner, but the national conversation was enlightening.
Get stories that
empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
As the United States moves through a difficult summer of struggle over racism, Mississippi may provide a measure of the nation’s ability to find atonement and reconciliation. The state can draw on the unifying effect of its deep cultural riches, from its music and poetry to its food and football.
Through facing up to centuries of pain and division, Black and white Mississippians can forge an identity of shared affection for the natural beauty and cultural contributions of their state. Fluttering in magnolia-scented breezes, a new emblem of true fellowship would celebrate the dignity and worth of all Americans.


csmonitor--2020-07-08--Supreme Court: religious schools can discriminate when hiring

The Supreme Court sided with two Catholic schools in a ruling Wednesday underscoring that certain employees of religious schools , hospitals , and social service centers ca n't sue for employment discrimination .
The high court 's ruling was 7-2 , with two liberal justices joining the conservative majority for the schools .
The justices had previously said in a unanimous 2012 decision that the Constitution prevents ministers from suing their churches for employment discrimination .
The court said then that the required separation of church and state means that religious groups must be allowed to hire and fire individuals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their faith , without court interference .
But the court didn ’ t rigidly define who counts as a minister .
Justice Samuel Alito wrote in his majority opinion Tuesday that allowing courts to consider workplace discrimination claims against the schools would interfere with the schools ' constitutionally guaranteed religious independence .
“ The religious education and formation of students is the very reason for the existence of most private religious schools , and therefore the selection and supervision of the teachers upon whom the schools rely to do this work lie at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Justice Alito wrote .
In dissent , Justice Sonia Sotomayor warned that as many as 100,000 employees could lose the right to contest job discrimination as a result of the ruling .
“ The Court reaches this result even though the teachers taught primarily secular subjects , lacked substantial religious titles and training , and were not even required to be Catholic , ” Justice Sotomayor wrote in an opinion that was joined by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg .
In a statement , Eric Rassbach , the lawyer at the Becket Fund for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the schools , called the decision a “ huge win for religious schools of all faith traditions.
” “ The last thing government officials should do is decide who is authorized to teach Catholicism to Catholics or Judaism to Jews .
We are glad the Court has resoundingly reaffirmed that churches and synagogues , not government , control who teaches kids about God , ” he said .
The case was one of 10 the high court heard arguments in by telephone in May because of the coronavirus pandemic .
It involved two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by former teachers .
In one case , Kristen Biel sued St. James Catholic School in Torrance for disability discrimination after she disclosed she had breast cancer and her teaching contract wasn ’ t renewed .
In the other case , Agnes Morrissey-Berru sued Our Lady of Guadalupe school in Hermosa Beach for age discrimination after her teaching contract wasn ’ t renewed when she was in her 60s .
The lawsuits were both initially dismissed , but an appeals court revived them .
The Trump administration had backed the schools .
Ms. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after a five-year battle with breast cancer .
Her husband has represented her side in her place .
Lawyers for Ms. Biel and Ms. Morrissey-Berru did not immediately respond to a request for comment .
The cases are St. James School v. Biel , 19-348 , and Our Lady of Guadalupe School v. Morrissey-Berru , 19-267 .
This story was reported by The Associated Press .
AP reporter Mark Sherman contributed to this report .
Editor ’ s note : As a public service , the Monitor has removed the paywall for all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ free .

The Supreme Court sided with two Catholic schools in a ruling Wednesday underscoring that certain employees of religious schools, hospitals, and social service centers can't sue for employment discrimination.
The high court's ruling was 7-2, with two liberal justices joining the conservative majority for the schools. The justices had previously said in a unanimous 2012 decision that the Constitution prevents ministers from suing their churches for employment discrimination. The court said then that the required separation of church and state means that religious groups must be allowed to hire and fire individuals who serve as teachers or messengers of their faith, without court interference. But the court didn’t rigidly define who counts as a minister.
Justice Samuel Alito wrote in his majority opinion Tuesday that allowing courts to consider workplace discrimination claims against the schools would interfere with the schools' constitutionally guaranteed religious independence.
“The religious education and formation of students is the very reason for the existence of most private religious schools, and therefore the selection and supervision of the teachers upon whom the schools rely to do this work lie at the core of their mission," Justice Alito wrote.
In dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor warned that as many as 100,000 employees could lose the right to contest job discrimination as a result of the ruling.
“The Court reaches this result even though the teachers taught primarily secular subjects, lacked substantial religious titles and training, and were not even required to be Catholic,” Justice Sotomayor wrote in an opinion that was joined by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
In a statement, Eric Rassbach, the lawyer at the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty who argued the case for the schools, called the decision a “huge win for religious schools of all faith traditions.”
“The last thing government officials should do is decide who is authorized to teach Catholicism to Catholics or Judaism to Jews. We are glad the Court has resoundingly reaffirmed that churches and synagogues, not government, control who teaches kids about God,” he said.
The case was one of 10 the high court heard arguments in by telephone in May because of the coronavirus pandemic.
It involved two schools in Southern California that were sued by former teachers. In one case, Kristen Biel sued St. James Catholic School in Torrance for disability discrimination after she disclosed she had breast cancer and her teaching contract wasn’t renewed.
In the other case, Agnes Morrissey-Berru sued Our Lady of Guadalupe school in Hermosa Beach for age discrimination after her teaching contract wasn’t renewed when she was in her 60s. The lawsuits were both initially dismissed, but an appeals court revived them. The Trump administration had backed the schools.
Ms. Biel died last year at age 54 after a five-year battle with breast cancer. Her husband has represented her side in her place.
Lawyers for Ms. Biel and Ms. Morrissey-Berru did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The cases are St. James School v. Biel, 19-348, and Our Lady of Guadalupe School v. Morrissey-Berru, 19-267.
This story was reported by The Associated Press. AP reporter Mark Sherman 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--2020-07-08--Why Iranians, rattled by suicides, point a finger at leaders

“ It is becoming an epidemic because those who follow suit feel like , ‘ Yes , we can send the same message .
... At least we do something this way.
’ ” “ Hopelessness is the driving force behind almost all the attempted suicides I have been dealing with , ” says a social worker in western Iran who is trained to help people with suicidal thoughts .
“ The important point here is that the new cases are mostly meant to send a message of revenge against someone or something , ” says the social worker .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which are increasingly crippling certain sections of the society .
Accelerating a long-term trend , attempted suicides have leaped 23 % in the past three months .
Calls to action have been galvanized by recent cases that appear designed to send dramatic messages of the need to ease despair .
Within days last month , for example , three very public suicides gripped Iran , with graphic images going viral on social media .
Decades after the 1979 Islamic Revolution seized power in the name of “ social justice ” for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is battling a surge of suicides seen as a barometer of the ever-widening gap between the political leadership and society .
First the wounded veteran , then the unpaid security guard , then the hungry child .
The powerful images of hopelessness came one after another , creating mounting waves of shock for Iranians who may have thought themselves inured to tales of desperation , destitution , and political angst .
Yet decades after Iran ’ s 1979 Islamic Revolution seized power in the name of “ social justice ” for the poor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deepening economic collapse , Iran is battling a surge of suicides seen as a barometer of the ever-widening gap between the political leadership and society .
Accelerating a long-term trend , attempted suicides have leaped 23 % in the past three months , marked by “ chain suicides ” and “ more horrifying methods [ carried out ] before the public eye , ” wrote sociologist Mohammad Reza Mahboubfar in the conservative Jahan-e Sanat newspaper .
Authorities say official statistics are only the “ tip of the iceberg.
” But calls to action @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appear designed to send dramatic messages of the need to ease despair .
Within days last month , for example , three very public suicides gripped Iran , with graphic images going viral on social media as they added to the most recent annual toll of more than 5,000 Iranians taking their own lives .
In a dispute over a small loan , Jahangir Azadi , a wounded veteran of the 1980s Iran-Iraq War – an almost sacred category of citizens in the Islamic Republic – set himself alight in front of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Veterans Affairs in western Iran .
Days later , following late salary payments , Omran Roshani-Moghaddam , a security guard for an oil company , hung himself from crossbeams attached to a large metal tank in an oil field .
“ I have nothing left to feed my family with , I have no bread to take home , ” he had told his boss , according to co-workers in southwest Iran .
The scene infuriated Iranians on social media for its stark contrast of utter poverty , explicitly juxtaposed against Iran ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after that , 11-year-old Armin Moradi was buried after deliberately overdosing on drugs , pushed to the edge by “ poverty , destitution , and disillusionment , ” according to the Imam Ali Society of Students Against Poverty .
In his home food was “ basically non-existent , ” with no trace of “ dishes or spoons.
” Those cases proved unsettling even for Iranians used to bad news , who have been buffeted by years of homegrown economic misrule , exacerbated by ever-more-staggering U.S. sanctions and now the disruption of the COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of angry protests against low and unpaid wages , soaring prices , and corruption have become a feature of Iranian life .
So have the lethal crackdowns that have left hundreds dead .
“ Hopelessness is the driving force behind almost all the attempted suicides I have been dealing with , ” says a social worker in western Iran who asked not to be identified .
“ The important point here is that the new cases are mostly meant to send a message of revenge against someone or something , ” says the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a government program to help others cope with suicidal thoughts .
“ In the [ veteran ’ s ] self-immolation , the guy probably thought , ‘ Well , by doing this I am ending my life , but at least I can send a bigger message to the whole country , ’ ” he says .
“ The new suicides are becoming stronger symbols .
They are not simply personal files .
They represent macroscopic situations of desperation , which are increasingly crippling certain sections of the society .
“ It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ follow suit feel like , ‘ Yes , we can send the same message .
... At least we do something this way , ’ ” adds the social worker .
It ’ s about “ causing some sense of guilt in a beloved person , a parent , a boss , but more importantly – and on a larger scale – the authorities in the ruling system.
” Iranian officials appear to be getting that message , up to a point .
The National Suicide Prevention Plan was announced in December by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ director , who said it would expand research programs and reduce access to means of suicide .
In February he told journalists , “ We need to control the rising trend.
” Police announced last month that glass barriers would be installed on many platforms in Tehran ’ s sprawling subway system , to prevent people from throwing themselves in front of trains .
Already a suicide hotline – which officials credit with averting 8,500 deaths in 2017 alone – is in service .
Police and other Iranian first responders also field teams @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government charities conduct workshops on counseling tactics and suicide prevention .
But officials recorded 5,143 suicide deaths in the Iranian year that ended in March , an 8 % increase over the previous year .
The “ growth rate over the past decade raises serious alarm ” and requires action “ with urgency and immediacy , ” Masoud Ghadi-Pasha , a deputy director at the Legal Medicine Organization , said in late June .
In his report at that time , Mr. Mahboubfar , the sociologist , warned that “ chain suicides ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can quickly lead to “ unrest more widespread than what we witnessed in recent years.
” That sentiment has echoed widely , especially amid a high-profile anti-corruption campaign that underscores for many how the Islamic Republic has strayed from its early days , when Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini declared : “ Only those who have tasted poverty , deprivation , and oppression will stay with us to the end.
” The surge of poor people killing themselves over relatively small amounts of money comes “ when there is talk of fraud cases in which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ digits , ” tweeted pro-reform journalist Ehsan Soltani .
“ Let ’ s keep these days in our minds , days when the call of the destitute fell on deaf ears [ of leaders ] .
” That growing inequality has been especially felt by veterans , who occupy an elevated status in Iran but have seen their state-supported safety nets erode for years .
Last summer and fall , in four separate incidents , three veterans and the son of a war “ martyr ” from the shrine city of Qom burned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ portrays them “ not just veterans of a war , but actual defenders of the revolution .
So when they open up their mouths and start critiquing in the ways they do , it can be pretty damning , ” says Narges Bajoghli , an Iran expert at the School for Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University in Washington who notes that concerns about rising veteran suicides date back a decade or more .
“ Part of it is that they don ’ t have the ability anymore to provide for their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ created more and more anxiety and desperation , ” says Ms. Bajoghli , author of “ Iran Re-Framed : Anxieties of Power in the Islamic Republic.
” The result , she says , especially for disabled veterans , is there ’ s no choice but “ to go out into the street and start begging – and that ’ s just not acceptable to them as a possibility , because of their role [ as ] defenders of the revolution.
” To Abbas Abdi , who was among the students who took @ @ @ @ @ @ @ later became a pollster and regime critic who spent time in prison , the suicides magnify a broader failure .
“ There is no proper understanding of the dangerous potential as local officials are more concerned about ... fallout than tracing the roots of what led to those tragedies , ” Mr. Abdi wrote in the reformist Etemad newspaper in mid-June .
He notes the irony of war veterans and “ destitute laborers ” committing suicide – despite a revolution carried out in the “ name of the oppressed ” – “ at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ echelons are abusing power and receiving whopping bribes .
... How could such a system claim lawfulness ?
” That assessment is no surprise to one professional journalist in Tehran , who has recorded the deleterious impact of rising prices , and now the pandemic , on Iran ’ s social fabric .
“ If you see a janbaz [ “ self-sacrificer ” veteran ] set himself on fire ; if you see a worker hang himself in an oil and gas zone ; it is a symbol of poverty and misery alongside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not spent on [ them ] and is sent to countries like Syria , Lebanon , and Palestine , ” says the journalist .
“ People are not happy in Iran .
They have no hope for the future , ” he says .
“ I think this number of suicides is a message to [ Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali ] Khamenei , the message that says , ‘ We want to have a normal life and no more.
’ ” The journalist recalls a conversation in a shared taxi last week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ woman how she was doing .
“ We are all dead , ” the 21-year-old replied .
“ No job , no money , no fun , and no hope , so this is not life .
”

“It is becoming an epidemic because those who follow suit feel like, ‘Yes, we can send the same message. ... At least we do something this way.’”
“Hopelessness is the driving force behind almost all the attempted suicides I have been dealing with,” says a social worker in western Iran who is trained to help people with suicidal thoughts. “The important point here is that the new cases are mostly meant to send a message of revenge against someone or something,” says the social worker. “They represent macroscopic situations of desperation, which are increasingly crippling certain sections of the society.
The reasons for suicide are complicated, but something is driving an increase in the number of Iranians who take their own lives. Many see rising despair as an indictment of the political establishment.
Accelerating a long-term trend, attempted suicides have leaped 23% in the past three months. Calls to action have been galvanized by recent cases that appear designed to send dramatic messages of the need to ease despair. Within days last month, for example, three very public suicides gripped Iran, with graphic images going viral on social media.
Decades after the 1979 Islamic Revolution seized power in the name of “social justice” for the poor and “oppressed,” Iran is battling a surge of suicides seen as a barometer of the ever-widening gap between the political leadership and society.
First the wounded veteran, then the unpaid security guard, then the hungry child.
The powerful images of hopelessness came one after another, creating mounting waves of shock for Iranians who may have thought themselves inured to tales of desperation, destitution, and political angst.
Yet decades after Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution seized power in the name of “social justice” for the poor and “oppressed,” and amid deepening economic collapse, Iran is battling a surge of suicides seen as a barometer of the ever-widening gap between the political leadership and society.
Why We Wrote This The reasons for suicide are complicated, but something is driving an increase in the number of Iranians who take their own lives. Many see rising despair as an indictment of the political establishment.
Accelerating a long-term trend, attempted suicides have leaped 23% in the past three months, marked by “chain suicides” and “more horrifying methods [carried out] before the public eye,” wrote sociologist Mohammad Reza Mahboubfar in the conservative Jahan-e Sanat newspaper.
Authorities say official statistics are only the “tip of the iceberg.” But calls to action have been galvanized by recent cases that appear designed to send dramatic messages of the need to ease despair.
Within days last month, for example, three very public suicides gripped Iran, with graphic images going viral on social media as they added to the most recent annual toll of more than 5,000 Iranians taking their own lives.
In a dispute over a small loan, Jahangir Azadi, a wounded veteran of the 1980s Iran-Iraq War – an almost sacred category of citizens in the Islamic Republic – set himself alight in front of the offices of the Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs in western Iran.
Days later, following late salary payments, Omran Roshani-Moghaddam, a security guard for an oil company, hung himself from crossbeams attached to a large metal tank in an oil field.
“I have nothing left to feed my family with, I have no bread to take home,” he had told his boss, according to co-workers in southwest Iran. The scene infuriated Iranians on social media for its stark contrast of utter poverty, explicitly juxtaposed against Iran’s immense oil wealth.
And days after that, 11-year-old Armin Moradi was buried after deliberately overdosing on drugs, pushed to the edge by “poverty, destitution, and disillusionment,” according to the Imam Ali Society of Students Against Poverty. In his home food was “basically non-existent,” with no trace of “dishes or spoons.”
“Message of revenge”
Those cases proved unsettling even for Iranians used to bad news, who have been buffeted by years of homegrown economic misrule, exacerbated by ever-more-staggering U.S. sanctions and now the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since late 2017, waves of angry protests against low and unpaid wages, soaring prices, and corruption have become a feature of Iranian life. So have the lethal crackdowns that have left hundreds dead.
“Hopelessness is the driving force behind almost all the attempted suicides I have been dealing with,” says a social worker in western Iran who asked not to be identified.
“The important point here is that the new cases are mostly meant to send a message of revenge against someone or something,” says the social worker, who has been trained in a government program to help others cope with suicidal thoughts.
“In the [veteran’s] self-immolation, the guy probably thought, ‘Well, by doing this I am ending my life, but at least I can send a bigger message to the whole country,’” he says. “The new suicides are becoming stronger symbols. They are not simply personal files. They represent macroscopic situations of desperation, which are increasingly crippling certain sections of the society.
“It is becoming an epidemic because those who follow suit feel like, ‘Yes, we can send the same message. ... At least we do something this way,’” adds the social worker. It’s about “causing some sense of guilt in a beloved person, a parent, a boss, but more importantly – and on a larger scale – the authorities in the ruling system.”
Iranian officials appear to be getting that message, up to a point.
Prevention plan
The National Suicide Prevention Plan was announced in December by Ahmad Hajebi, a Ministry of Health director, who said it would expand research programs and reduce access to means of suicide. In February he told journalists, “We need to control the rising trend.”
Police announced last month that glass barriers would be installed on many platforms in Tehran’s sprawling subway system, to prevent people from throwing themselves in front of trains.
Already a suicide hotline – which officials credit with averting 8,500 deaths in 2017 alone – is in service. Police and other Iranian first responders also field teams trained to stop suicides, and large government charities conduct workshops on counseling tactics and suicide prevention.
But officials recorded 5,143 suicide deaths in the Iranian year that ended in March, an 8% increase over the previous year. The “growth rate over the past decade raises serious alarm” and requires action “with urgency and immediacy,” Masoud Ghadi-Pasha, a deputy director at the Legal Medicine Organization, said in late June.
In his report at that time, Mr. Mahboubfar, the sociologist, warned that “chain suicides” are a “wide-reaching tremor” that can quickly lead to “unrest more widespread than what we witnessed in recent years.”
That sentiment has echoed widely, especially amid a high-profile anti-corruption campaign that underscores for many how the Islamic Republic has strayed from its early days, when Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini declared: “Only those who have tasted poverty, deprivation, and oppression will stay with us to the end.”
The surge of poor people killing themselves over relatively small amounts of money comes “when there is talk of fraud cases in which we can’t even count the digits,” tweeted pro-reform journalist Ehsan Soltani. “Let’s keep these days in our minds, days when the call of the destitute fell on deaf ears [of leaders].”
Eroded safety nets
That growing inequality has been especially felt by veterans, who occupy an elevated status in Iran but have seen their state-supported safety nets erode for years. Last summer and fall, in four separate incidents, three veterans and the son of a war “martyr” from the shrine city of Qom burned themselves to death.
The national narrative portrays them “not just veterans of a war, but actual defenders of the revolution. So when they open up their mouths and start critiquing in the ways they do, it can be pretty damning,” says Narges Bajoghli, an Iran expert at the School for Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University in Washington who notes that concerns about rising veteran suicides date back a decade or more.
“Part of it is that they don’t have the ability anymore to provide for their families,” a fact that has “created more and more anxiety and desperation,” says Ms. Bajoghli, author of “Iran Re-Framed: Anxieties of Power in the Islamic Republic.”
The result, she says, especially for disabled veterans, is there’s no choice but “to go out into the street and start begging – and that’s just not acceptable to them as a possibility, because of their role [as] defenders of the revolution.”
To Abbas Abdi, who was among the students who took American diplomats hostage in 1979, but later became a pollster and regime critic who spent time in prison, the suicides magnify a broader failure.
“There is no proper understanding of the dangerous potential as local officials are more concerned about ... fallout than tracing the roots of what led to those tragedies,” Mr. Abdi wrote in the reformist Etemad newspaper in mid-June.
He notes the irony of war veterans and “destitute laborers” committing suicide – despite a revolution carried out in the “name of the oppressed” – “at a time when others in the top echelons are abusing power and receiving whopping bribes. ... How could such a system claim lawfulness?”
That assessment is no surprise to one professional journalist in Tehran, who has recorded the deleterious impact of rising prices, and now the pandemic, on Iran’s social fabric.
“If you see a janbaz [“self-sacrificer” veteran] set himself on fire; if you see a worker hang himself in an oil and gas zone; it is a symbol of poverty and misery alongside wealth – a wealth that people believe is not spent on [them] and is sent to countries like Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine,” says the journalist.
“People are not happy in Iran. They have no hope for the future,” he says. “I think this number of suicides is a message to [Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali] Khamenei, the message that says, ‘We want to have a normal life and no more.’”
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The journalist recalls a conversation in a shared taxi last week, when the driver asked a young woman how she was doing.
“We are all dead,” the 21-year-old replied. “No job, no money, no fun, and no hope, so this is not life.”


csmonitor--2020-07-08--Supreme Court OKs exemptions to Obama-era birth control policy

More employers who cite religious or moral grounds can decline to offer cost-free birth control coverage to their workers , the Supreme Court ruled Wednesday , upholding Trump administration rules that could leave more than 70,000 women without free contraception .
The high court ruled 7-2 for the administration , which had made a policy change to allow some employers to opt out of providing the no-cost birth control required by the Obama-era health care law .
Lower courts had previously blocked the Trump administration 's changes .
The ruling is a big election-year win for President Donald Trump , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and other Christian groups for votes and policy backing .
The administration has the statutory authority to craft the rules , including “ the contemporaneously issued moral exemption , ” Justice Clarence Thomas wrote for a majority of the court .
The government had previously estimated that the rule changes would cause about 70,000 women , and at most 126,000 women , to lose contraception coverage in one year .
`` Today , for the first time , the Court casts totally aside countervailing rights and interests in its zeal to secure religious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she wrote .
Separately on Wednesday , the Supreme Court sided with two Catholic schools in California in a decision underscoring that certain employees of religious schools , hospitals , and social service centers can ’ t sue for employment discrimination .
That ruling , too , was by 7-2 , with Justice Ginsburg and Justice Sonia Sotomayor dissented in both cases .
The court had ruled unanimously in 2012 that the Constitution prevents ministers from suing their churches for employment discrimination , but at that time the justices didn ’ t specifically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The case decided on Wednesday involved lay teachers whose contracts had not been renewed .
In the birth control case , two liberal justices who sided with the administration , Elena Kagan and Stephen Breyer , nonetheless suggested the legal fight over the Trump administration changes may not be over .
Future administrations could also attempt changes .
Birth control has been a topic of contention since the health care law was passed .
Initially , churches , synagogues , and mosques were exempt from the contraceptive coverage requirement .
The Obama administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ affiliated organizations including hospitals , universities , and charities could opt out of paying for contraception , but women on their health plans would still get no-cost birth control .
Some groups complained the opt-out process itself violated their religious beliefs .
That opt-out process was the subject of a 2016 Supreme Court case , but the court , with only eight justices at the time because of the death of Justice Antonin Scalia , didn ’ t decide the issue .
It instead sent both sides back to see if they could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump administration took office , officials announced a rule change that allows many companies and organization with religious or moral objections to opt out of covering birth control without providing an alternate avenue for coverage .
But the change was blocked by courts after New Jersey and Pennsylvania challenged it .
This story was reported by The Associated Press .
AP reporter Mark Sherman contributed to this report .
Editor ’ s note : As a public service , the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage .
It ’ @ @ @

More employers who cite religious or moral grounds can decline to offer cost-free birth control coverage to their workers, the Supreme Court ruled Wednesday, upholding Trump administration rules that could leave more than 70,000 women without free contraception.
The high court ruled 7-2 for the administration, which had made a policy change to allow some employers to opt out of providing the no-cost birth control required by the Obama-era health care law. Lower courts had previously blocked the Trump administration's changes.
The ruling is a big election-year win for President Donald Trump, who counts on heavy support from evangelicals and other Christian groups for votes and policy backing.
The administration has the statutory authority to craft the rules, including “the contemporaneously issued moral exemption,” Justice Clarence Thomas wrote for a majority of the court.
The government had previously estimated that the rule changes would cause about 70,000 women, and at most 126,000 women, to lose contraception coverage in one year.
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg cited those numbers in dissenting.
"Today, for the first time, the Court casts totally aside countervailing rights and interests in its zeal to secure religious rights to the nth degree,” she wrote.
Separately on Wednesday, the Supreme Court sided with two Catholic schools in California in a decision underscoring that certain employees of religious schools, hospitals, and social service centers can’t sue for employment discrimination. That ruling, too, was by 7-2, with Justice Ginsburg and Justice Sonia Sotomayor dissented in both cases.
The court had ruled unanimously in 2012 that the Constitution prevents ministers from suing their churches for employment discrimination, but at that time the justices didn’t specifically define who counts as a minister. The case decided on Wednesday involved lay teachers whose contracts had not been renewed.
In the birth control case, two liberal justices who sided with the administration, Elena Kagan and Stephen Breyer, nonetheless suggested the legal fight over the Trump administration changes may not be over. Future administrations could also attempt changes.
Birth control has been a topic of contention since the health care law was passed. Initially, churches, synagogues, and mosques were exempt from the contraceptive coverage requirement. The Obama administration also created a way by which religiously affiliated organizations including hospitals, universities, and charities could opt out of paying for contraception, but women on their health plans would still get no-cost birth control. Some groups complained the opt-out process itself violated their religious beliefs.
That opt-out process was the subject of a 2016 Supreme Court case, but the court, with only eight justices at the time because of the death of Justice Antonin Scalia, didn’t decide the issue. It instead sent both sides back to see if they could work out a compromise.
After the Trump administration took office, officials announced a rule change that allows many companies and organization with religious or moral objections to opt out of covering birth control without providing an alternate avenue for coverage. But the change was blocked by courts after New Jersey and Pennsylvania challenged it.
This story was reported by The Associated Press. AP reporter Mark Sherman 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--2020-07-08--Facebook audit finds biased algorithms, civil rights setbacks

A two-year audit of Facebook ’ s civil rights record found “ serious setbacks ” that have marred the social network ’ s progress on matters such as hate speech , misinformation , and bias .
Facebook hired the audit ’ s leader , former American Civil Liberties Union executive Laura Murphy , in May 2018 to assess its performance on vital social issues .
Its 100-page report released Wednesday outlines a “ seesaw of progress and setbacks ” at the company on everything from bias in Facebook 's algorithms to its content moderation , advertising practices , and treatment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Facebook build a “ civil rights infrastructure ” into every aspect of the company , as well as a “ stronger interpretation ” of existing voter suppression policies and more concrete action on algorithmic bias .
Those suggestions are not binding , and there is no formal system in place to hold Facebook accountable for any of the audit 's findings .
“ While the audit process has been meaningful , and has led to some significant improvements in the platform , we have also watched the company make painful decisions over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consequences that are serious setbacks for civil rights , ” the audit report states .
Those include Facebook 's decision to exempt politicians from fact-checking , even when President Donald Trump posted false information about voting by mail .
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has cited a commitment to free speech as a reason for allowing such posts to remain on the platform , even though the company has rules in place against voter suppression it could have used to take down – or at least add warning labels to – Mr. Trump 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it would begin labeling rule-breaking posts – even from politicians – going forward .
But it is not clear if Mr. Trump 's previous controversial posts would have gotten the alert .
The problem , critics have long said , is not so much about Facebook 's rules as how it enforces them .
“ When you elevate free expression as your highest value , other values take a back seat , ” Ms. Murphy told The Associated Press .
The politician exemption , she said , “ elevates the speech of people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who are not.
” More than 900 companies have joined an advertising boycott of Facebook to protest its handling of hate speech and misinformation .
Civil rights leaders who met virtually with Mr. Zuckerberg and other Facebook leaders Tuesday expressed skepticism that recommendations from the audit would ever be implemented , noting that past suggestions in previous reports had gone overlooked .
“ What we get is recommendations that they end up not implementing , ” said Rashad Robinson , the executive director of Color for Change , one of several civil rights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advertising .
Sheryl Sandberg , Facebook 's chief operating officer , said in a Facebook newsroom post that the company has a long way to go , but is making progress .
“ This audit has been a deep analysis of how we can strengthen and advance civil rights at every level of our company – but it is the beginning of the journey , not the end , ” she wrote .
“ What has become increasingly clear is that we have a long way to go .
As hard as it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by experts , it has undoubtedly been a really important process for our company.
” This story was reported by The Associated Press .
AP writer Amanda Seitz contributed to this story .
Editor ’ s note : As a public service , the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage .
It ’ s free .

A two-year audit of Facebook’s civil rights record found “serious setbacks” that have marred the social network’s progress on matters such as hate speech, misinformation, and bias.
Facebook hired the audit’s leader, former American Civil Liberties Union executive Laura Murphy, in May 2018 to assess its performance on vital social issues. Its 100-page report released Wednesday outlines a “seesaw of progress and setbacks” at the company on everything from bias in Facebook's algorithms to its content moderation, advertising practices, and treatment of voter suppression.
The audit recommends that Facebook build a “civil rights infrastructure” into every aspect of the company, as well as a “stronger interpretation” of existing voter suppression policies and more concrete action on algorithmic bias. Those suggestions are not binding, and there is no formal system in place to hold Facebook accountable for any of the audit's findings.
“While the audit process has been meaningful, and has led to some significant improvements in the platform, we have also watched the company make painful decisions over the last nine months with real world consequences that are serious setbacks for civil rights,” the audit report states.
Those include Facebook's decision to exempt politicians from fact-checking, even when President Donald Trump posted false information about voting by mail. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has cited a commitment to free speech as a reason for allowing such posts to remain on the platform, even though the company has rules in place against voter suppression it could have used to take down – or at least add warning labels to – Mr. Trump's posts.
Last month, Facebook announced it would begin labeling rule-breaking posts – even from politicians – going forward. But it is not clear if Mr. Trump's previous controversial posts would have gotten the alert. The problem, critics have long said, is not so much about Facebook's rules as how it enforces them.
“When you elevate free expression as your highest value, other values take a back seat,” Ms. Murphy told The Associated Press. The politician exemption, she said, “elevates the speech of people who are already powerful and disadvantages people who are not.”
More than 900 companies have joined an advertising boycott of Facebook to protest its handling of hate speech and misinformation.
Civil rights leaders who met virtually with Mr. Zuckerberg and other Facebook leaders Tuesday expressed skepticism that recommendations from the audit would ever be implemented, noting that past suggestions in previous reports had gone overlooked.
“What we get is recommendations that they end up not implementing,” said Rashad Robinson, the executive director of Color for Change, one of several civil rights nonprofits leading an organized boycott of Facebook advertising.
Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook's chief operating officer, said in a Facebook newsroom post that the company has a long way to go, but is making progress.
“This audit has been a deep analysis of how we can strengthen and advance civil rights at every level of our company – but it is the beginning of the journey, not the end,” she wrote. “What has become increasingly clear is that we have a long way to go. As hard as it has been to have our shortcomings exposed by experts, it has undoubtedly been a really important process for our company.”
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This story was reported by The Associated Press. AP writer Amanda Seitz contributed to this story.
Editor’s note: As a public service, the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage. It’s free.