csmonitor--2020-11-20--First Thanksgiving: How a Native woman is setting the record straight

“ Linda can look at those [ historical ] accounts and ... add back in the things that have been omitted , the things that have been left out about Native people , ” says Michele Pecoraro , executive director of the nonprofit Plymouth 400 .
“ That is a huge job.
” Ms. Coombs ’ lifework has been to bring the Native perspective back into the retelling of the founding of America – an undertaking that this year coincides with the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower voyage .
Most Americans know about the diplomatic alliance of Massasoit , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the starving Pilgrims in exchange for protection against the powerful Narragansett Tribe .
Few have learned about King Philip ’ s War – a conflict starting in 1675 that resulted in the collapse of an organized Native resistance .
“ There ’ s so much that ’ s happened that isn ’ t in the history books .
And [ the ] history that is there is distorted .
It ’ s skewed , ” says Linda Coombs , a museum educator and historical Native interpreter .
It ’ s a rite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As the greens of summer give way to autumn oranges and reds , history lessons inevitably turn to the early days of Massachusetts Bay Colony and what has come to be called the first Thanksgiving .
In her 40 years as a museum educator and historical Native interpreter , there is one thing that bugs Linda Coombs the most : disbelief by white people that she is real .
“ [ Visitors ] would just walk right up to you and go , ‘ You ’ re not an Indian.
’ The way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had in their mind of what an Indian should look like .
We would constantly run into children who just couldn ’ t fathom that we were not 350 years old , ” she says .
Ms. Coombs is a member of the Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe in Massachusetts .
The Wampanoag Nation , once made up of 69 villages , is most famous for its early alliance with the English settlers who arrived on the Mayflower in 1620 .
But on the 400th anniversary of that event Ms. Coombs wants to set the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the story .
It has been her lifework to bring the Native perspective back into the retelling of the founding of America and broaden recognition of the roughly 5,000 Wampanoag citizens who still live in Massachusetts .
But it hasn ’ t been easy .
“ Watching her continue to come up against that kind of ignorance over and over and over again , she was just never deterred by it , ” says Paula Peters , who sits on the Wampanoag Advisory Committee with Ms. Coombs and worked alongside her at Plimoth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Plymouth , Massachusetts .
“ I have grown up in our cultural community watching and learning from her .
...
I greatly admire her for her knowledge , and the courage that she has to really stand by her interpretations of history from the Native viewpoint.
” The 400th anniversary of the Mayflower voyage and the founding of Plymouth Colony comes during strange times : a pandemic and racial strife not seen since the 1960s .
But they are also providing Ms. Coombs with a unique opportunity to fill in the true details @ @ @ @ @ @ @ English peoples in the 1600s .
She serves on the board of Plymouth 400 , a nonprofit dedicated to marking the anniversary with cultural events – many of which were canceled because of the pandemic .
Through Plymouth 400 , Ms. Coombs has co-written “ The Massachusetts Chronicles , ” an inclusive state history textbook , with more than 60,000 copies distributed to 1,854 schools across the state .
She also co-created the first Indigenous History Conference at Bridgewater State University , which featured 62 speakers over nine sessions and drew more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in October .
“ It ’ s difficult to find people like her who have done the research , who have credibility to tell their story , ” says Michele Pecoraro , executive director of Plymouth 400 .
“ Linda can look at those [ historical ] accounts and ... add back in the things that have been omitted , the things that have been left out about Native people .
And that is a huge job.
” For instance , most history lessons of the early days in Massachusetts Bay Colony end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a sachem , or leader , of the Wampanoags , offering food to the starving Pilgrims in exchange for protection against the powerful Narragansett Tribe in 1621 .
But few people have heard of King Philip ’ s War or understand its significance .
Massasoit ’ s son , Metacom , who had taken the English name Philip , felt threatened by the expansion of English settlers and sought to unite Indigenous peoples of southern New England against them in 1675 .
A violent conflict lasting 18 months resulted in thousands dead on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an organized Native resistance .
Metacom ’ s severed head sat on a pike for 25 years in Plymouth as a warning .
“ There ’ s so much that ’ s happened that isn ’ t in the history books .
And [ the ] history that is there is distorted .
It ’ s skewed , ” says Ms. Coombs .
But even she hasn ’ t always paid close attention to her own ancestry and how it has been portrayed .
In 1970 , on the 350th anniversary of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organizers had invited Frank James , a Wampanoag leader whose Native name was Wamsutta , to speak on Thanksgiving Day about that early alliance between Massasoit and the English settlers .
The speech that Mr. James submitted , however , spoke of the incredible losses his ancestors suffered .
When the anniversary organizers turned down his “ inflammatory ” perspective , he established a National Day of Mourning .
Ms. Coombs was in the audience for the alternative event held that day .
The presence of hundreds of other Indigenous people from around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her .
“ I hadn ’ t had any exposure to other Native people , ” recalls Ms. Coombs , whose father was an Aquinnah Wampanoag and whose mother was white .
“ My awareness of what it meant to be a Native person was sparked.
” Four years later , an opportunity presented itself : an internship at the Boston Children ’ s Museum designed for Native Americans , which later led to a full-time position .
It was there that she discovered she had a knack for analyzing the written word @ @ @ @ @ @ @ different sources [ to develop exhibits ] ... and we ’ d hit something that just struck us as utterly ridiculous ... and we ’ d sit there and just laugh uncontrollably , ” says Ms. Coombs .
She recalls one text from the 1940s that described Weetamoo , a respected Wampanoag sachem who died during King Philip ’ s War .
“ [ The authors ] referred to her as a ‘ dusky squaw.
’ The word squaw is an insult .
That ’ s right up there with the N-word.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Children ’ s Museum , Ms. Coombs helped to develop the Wampanoag Indigenous program at Plimoth Plantation over three decades , becoming the first Wampanoag person in the museum ’ s administration .
Today , she continues to consult and help create exhibits and educational kits for historical societies and museums in Massachusetts .
But it is the Indigenous History Conference at Bridgewater State University , which Ms. Coombs co-organized with Professor Joyce Rain Anderson , that will likely have the biggest and most lasting impact , says university President Fred Clark .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ other networks are interested in footage from the conference .
“ We ’ re stepping on the same grounds that Native peoples have stepped on for thousands of years and we don ’ t know anything about that history , ” says Mr. Clark .
“ [ Ms. Coombs ] is an educator , and even though we ’ re the state ’ s largest producer of teachers , she taught us here at Bridgewater quite a bit about the need to tell the full story of the Indigenous peoples in Massachusetts.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ receptivity to the Native lessons she is trying to deliver .
“ Especially since I ’ ve gotten older , I ’ ve worked less and less with children and I ’ ve worked more and more with teachers .
... And the teachers ... have been asking for actual history and the real culture [ of Wampanoags ] .
They want to give kids the right information , ” she says .
“ If something happened in history , it deserves to be told and it deserves to be told in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
”

“Linda can look at those [historical] accounts and ... add back in the things that have been omitted, the things that have been left out about Native people,” says Michele Pecoraro, executive director of the nonprofit Plymouth 400. “That is a huge job.”
Ms. Coombs’ lifework has been to bring the Native perspective back into the retelling of the founding of America – an undertaking that this year coincides with the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower voyage.
Most Americans know about the diplomatic alliance of Massasoit, a leader of the Wampanoags, offering food to the starving Pilgrims in exchange for protection against the powerful Narragansett Tribe. Few have learned about King Philip’s War – a conflict starting in 1675 that resulted in the collapse of an organized Native resistance.
Can we really ever know our history if we only listen to the victors? When it comes to the Pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving, Linda Coombs, a Wampanoag woman and educator, sets the record straight.
“There’s so much that’s happened that isn’t in the history books. And [the] history that is there is distorted. It’s skewed,” says Linda Coombs, a museum educator and historical Native interpreter.
It’s a rite of fall for many American schoolchildren. As the greens of summer give way to autumn oranges and reds, history lessons inevitably turn to the early days of Massachusetts Bay Colony and what has come to be called the first Thanksgiving.
In her 40 years as a museum educator and historical Native interpreter, there is one thing that bugs Linda Coombs the most: disbelief by white people that she is real.
“[Visitors] would just walk right up to you and go, ‘You’re not an Indian.’ The way we looked might not fit what they had in their mind of what an Indian should look like. We would constantly run into children who just couldn’t fathom that we were not 350 years old,” she says.
Ms. Coombs is a member of the Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe in Massachusetts. The Wampanoag Nation, once made up of 69 villages, is most famous for its early alliance with the English settlers who arrived on the Mayflower in 1620. But on the 400th anniversary of that event Ms. Coombs wants to set the record straight – there is more to the story. It has been her lifework to bring the Native perspective back into the retelling of the founding of America and broaden recognition of the roughly 5,000 Wampanoag citizens who still live in Massachusetts. But it hasn’t been easy.
Why We Wrote This Can we really ever know our history if we only listen to the victors? When it comes to the Pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving, Linda Coombs, a Wampanoag woman and educator, sets the record straight.
“Watching her continue to come up against that kind of ignorance over and over and over again, she was just never deterred by it,” says Paula Peters, who sits on the Wampanoag Advisory Committee with Ms. Coombs and worked alongside her at Plimoth Plantation, a living history museum in Plymouth, Massachusetts. “I have grown up in our cultural community watching and learning from her. ... I greatly admire her for her knowledge, and the courage that she has to really stand by her interpretations of history from the Native viewpoint.”
The 400th anniversary of the Mayflower voyage and the founding of Plymouth Colony comes during strange times: a pandemic and racial strife not seen since the 1960s. But they are also providing Ms. Coombs with a unique opportunity to fill in the true details about the interactions between the Wampanoag and English peoples in the 1600s. She serves on the board of Plymouth 400, a nonprofit dedicated to marking the anniversary with cultural events – many of which were canceled because of the pandemic.
Through Plymouth 400, Ms. Coombs has co-written “The Massachusetts Chronicles,” an inclusive state history textbook, with more than 60,000 copies distributed to 1,854 schools across the state. She also co-created the first Indigenous History Conference at Bridgewater State University, which featured 62 speakers over nine sessions and drew more than 1,600 remote participants during its first weekend in October.
“It’s difficult to find people like her who have done the research, who have credibility to tell their story,” says Michele Pecoraro, executive director of Plymouth 400. “Linda can look at those [historical] accounts and ... add back in the things that have been omitted, the things that have been left out about Native people. And that is a huge job.”
For instance, most history lessons of the early days in Massachusetts Bay Colony end with the diplomatic alliance of Massasoit, a sachem, or leader, of the Wampanoags, offering food to the starving Pilgrims in exchange for protection against the powerful Narragansett Tribe in 1621. But few people have heard of King Philip’s War or understand its significance.
What happened next
Massasoit’s son, Metacom, who had taken the English name Philip, felt threatened by the expansion of English settlers and sought to unite Indigenous peoples of southern New England against them in 1675. A violent conflict lasting 18 months resulted in thousands dead on both sides and the ultimate collapse of an organized Native resistance. Metacom’s severed head sat on a pike for 25 years in Plymouth as a warning.
“There’s so much that’s happened that isn’t in the history books. And [the] history that is there is distorted. It’s skewed,” says Ms. Coombs.
But even she hasn’t always paid close attention to her own ancestry and how it has been portrayed.
In 1970, on the 350th anniversary of the Pilgrims’ arrival in Plymouth, local organizers had invited Frank James, a Wampanoag leader whose Native name was Wamsutta, to speak on Thanksgiving Day about that early alliance between Massasoit and the English settlers. The speech that Mr. James submitted, however, spoke of the incredible losses his ancestors suffered. When the anniversary organizers turned down his “inflammatory” perspective, he established a National Day of Mourning.
Ms. Coombs was in the audience for the alternative event held that day. The presence of hundreds of other Indigenous people from around the United States made an impression on her. “I hadn’t had any exposure to other Native people,” recalls Ms. Coombs, whose father was an Aquinnah Wampanoag and whose mother was white. “My awareness of what it meant to be a Native person was sparked.”
Four years later, an opportunity presented itself: an internship at the Boston Children’s Museum designed for Native Americans, which later led to a full-time position. It was there that she discovered she had a knack for analyzing the written word.
“We’d be reading different sources [to develop exhibits] ... and we’d hit something that just struck us as utterly ridiculous ... and we’d sit there and just laugh uncontrollably,” says Ms. Coombs. She recalls one text from the 1940s that described Weetamoo, a respected Wampanoag sachem who died during King Philip’s War. “[The authors] referred to her as a ‘dusky squaw.’ The word squaw is an insult. That’s right up there with the N-word.”
Broadening interest
After her time on staff at the Children’s Museum, Ms. Coombs helped to develop the Wampanoag Indigenous program at Plimoth Plantation over three decades, becoming the first Wampanoag person in the museum’s administration. Today, she continues to consult and help create exhibits and educational kits for historical societies and museums in Massachusetts.
But it is the Indigenous History Conference at Bridgewater State University, which Ms. Coombs co-organized with Professor Joyce Rain Anderson, that will likely have the biggest and most lasting impact, says university President Fred Clark. Already, he says, C-SPAN and other networks are interested in footage from the conference.
“We’re stepping on the same grounds that Native peoples have stepped on for thousands of years and we don’t know anything about that history,” says Mr. Clark. “[Ms. Coombs] is an educator, and even though we’re the state’s largest producer of teachers, she taught us here at Bridgewater quite a bit about the need to tell the full story of the Indigenous peoples in Massachusetts.”
Ms. Coombs says she is seeing broader receptivity to the Native lessons she is trying to deliver.
“Especially since I’ve gotten older, I’ve worked less and less with children and I’ve worked more and more with teachers. ... And the teachers ... have been asking for actual history and the real culture [of Wampanoags]. They want to give kids the right information,” she says. “If something happened in history, it deserves to be told and it deserves to be told in the right way and in the rightful context.”


csmonitor--2020-11-20--For female refugees in Malaysia, can literacy open new doors?

In a bare room , students seated on the floor recite the alphabet .
But these are not children .
The students are refugee women who for the first time are learning how to read and write , both in Malay and English .
The weekly classes in a dingy neighborhood outside Kuala Lumpur are offered by the Women for Refugees group , which was formed in September by two law students to help illiterate migrant women integrate into the local community and empower them to be more than just passive wives .
“ I don ’ t know even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ am learning , ” Zaleha Abdul , a Muslim Rohingya refugee , said as she struggled to remember the alphabet during a class last month .
She said she wants to be more independent when going shopping or anywhere else .
Like Ms. Zaleha , many refugee women in Malaysia have picked up the local tongue , but without knowing how to read or write , they are mostly confined to familiar surroundings .
Arissa Jemaima Ikram Ismail was a volunteer with a relief agency when a refugee leader in the town of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ migrant workers , requested help to uplift women in his community .
She and fellow law student Davina Devarajan then met some of the women and were surprised that they wanted to learn the English and Malay languages .
For most refugee women , education is often viewed as a low priority , Ms. Arissa said .
The duo then formed Women for Refugees and recruited teachers via Instagram .
They now have about 20 volunteers , giving weekly two-hour literacy classes in English and Malay in a rundown two-story block that houses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very essential for us to not pitch the refugee women as a charity , where they are constantly requiring external aid , ” Ms. Arissa said .
“ We want to equip them with the necessary skills so that they can sustain themselves ... and contribute back to the community.
” The free classes are open to all migrant women , although currently the students are all from Myanmar and Indonesia .
Over a dozen women , ranging in age from 18 to 50 , initially attended , but they brought along their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The group then launched classes for the children in a separate room so that their mothers could study in peace .
In the long run , Ms. Davina said they hope to expand classes in other neighborhoods and include technical skills that could help the women earn an income .
All classes have , however , been halted since mid-October in tandem with restrictions put in place in Kuala Lumpur and surrounding areas to curb a fresh surge in coronavirus cases .
The restrictions were expanded to most of the country this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shut until the end of the year .
Ms. Arissa said teaching still goes on with pre-recorded lessons that are viewed on three shared laptops in the migrants ’ living quarters , and that live classes were also being conducted once a week for older migrant children .
She said that as the coronavirus subsides , she would “ love to integrate more volunteers ... to actually come and teach them and have this very community-based integration between ” the women and the locals , many of whom view migrants as a burden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ healthcare system .
Ms. Arissa ’ s group is not the first to offer literacy courses for refugees in Malaysia , but one of only a few to focus on women .
Some 178,000 refugees and asylum seekers in the country are registered with the United Nations High Commission of Refugees , and many pockets of the refugee community are left out in terms of educational opportunities .
When The Associated Press visited in October before the classes stopped , Shahidah Salamatulah , was among three women learning how they would communicate in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a medical clinic .
The women broke into giggles at the antics of their Algerian volunteer teacher .
Ms. Shahidah , a Muslim from Myanmar and a mother of two , said she was preparing for a new life abroad .
She was called for interviews three times last year by the UNHCR on possible resettlement to a third country , but there has been no news amid the coronavirus pandemic .
“ English is important for us ... when we go overseas we will need English , ” she said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Press .

In a bare room, students seated on the floor recite the alphabet. But these are not children. The students are refugee women who for the first time are learning how to read and write, both in Malay and English.
The weekly classes in a dingy neighborhood outside Kuala Lumpur are offered by the Women for Refugees group, which was formed in September by two law students to help illiterate migrant women integrate into the local community and empower them to be more than just passive wives.
“I don’t know even know my ABCs, but now I am learning,” Zaleha Abdul, a Muslim Rohingya refugee, said as she struggled to remember the alphabet during a class last month. She said she wants to be more independent when going shopping or anywhere else.
Like Ms. Zaleha, many refugee women in Malaysia have picked up the local tongue, but without knowing how to read or write, they are mostly confined to familiar surroundings.
Arissa Jemaima Ikram Ismail was a volunteer with a relief agency when a refugee leader in the town of Selayang, which is home to many migrant workers, requested help to uplift women in his community.
She and fellow law student Davina Devarajan then met some of the women and were surprised that they wanted to learn the English and Malay languages. For most refugee women, education is often viewed as a low priority, Ms. Arissa said.
The duo then formed Women for Refugees and recruited teachers via Instagram. They now have about 20 volunteers, giving weekly two-hour literacy classes in English and Malay in a rundown two-story block that houses some 50 families.
“It was very essential for us to not pitch the refugee women as a charity, where they are constantly requiring external aid,” Ms. Arissa said. “We want to equip them with the necessary skills so that they can sustain themselves ... and contribute back to the community.”
The free classes are open to all migrant women, although currently the students are all from Myanmar and Indonesia.
Over a dozen women, ranging in age from 18 to 50, initially attended, but they brought along their children, which proved to be disruptive. The group then launched classes for the children in a separate room so that their mothers could study in peace.
In the long run, Ms. Davina said they hope to expand classes in other neighborhoods and include technical skills that could help the women earn an income.
All classes have, however, been halted since mid-October in tandem with restrictions put in place in Kuala Lumpur and surrounding areas to curb a fresh surge in coronavirus cases. The restrictions were expanded to most of the country this month, and all schools nationwide were shut until the end of the year.
Ms. Arissa said teaching still goes on with pre-recorded lessons that are viewed on three shared laptops in the migrants’ living quarters, and that live classes were also being conducted once a week for older migrant children.
She said that as the coronavirus subsides, she would “love to integrate more volunteers ... to actually come and teach them and have this very community-based integration between” the women and the locals, many of whom view migrants as a burden on the country’s resources and healthcare system.
Ms. Arissa’s group is not the first to offer literacy courses for refugees in Malaysia, but one of only a few to focus on women. Some 178,000 refugees and asylum seekers in the country are registered with the United Nations High Commission of Refugees, and many pockets of the refugee community are left out in terms of educational opportunities.
When The Associated Press visited in October before the classes stopped, Shahidah Salamatulah, was among three women learning how they would communicate in English if they had to seek treatment at a medical clinic. The women broke into giggles at the antics of their Algerian volunteer teacher.
Ms. Shahidah, a Muslim from Myanmar and a mother of two, said she was preparing for a new life abroad. She was called for interviews three times last year by the UNHCR on possible resettlement to a third country, but there has been no news amid the coronavirus pandemic.
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“English is important for us ... when we go overseas we will need English,” she said.
This story was reported by The Associated Press.


csmonitor--2020-11-20--Trump ‘bromance’ broke Israel’s bipartisan rule. Will Netanyahu pay?

Shalom Lipner , a nonresident senior fellow for the Atlantic Council , spent more than 25 years advising several Israeli prime ministers .
“ Fawning over Trump in a way that almost no other country did , that comes with a cost , ” he cautions .
“ I think that the Netanyahu government should have been more careful to not put Israel in a situation where it stands accused of playing partisan politics.
” “ Israel can not afford to be a branch of the Republican Party , ” Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid warned the day before the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has benefited from his close relationship with President Donald Trump , who enjoys higher popularity in Israel than perhaps anywhere else and has favored Israel heavily in his policies .
But as Israel prepares for the transition in Washington , concerns are growing that the country is seen as a “ red state.
” It ’ s a near-consensus in Israel that the second most important factor for the country ’ s defense , after maintaining a powerful army , is a strong relationship with the United States , predicated on bipartisan support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the nuances of American politics , they know that putting all of one ’ s diplomatic and security eggs in one basket is risky business .
Well before Donald Trump was elected president of the United States , Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel made the calculated decision to align himself closely with the Republican Party .
So much so that he ’ s sometimes referred to as “ the Republican senator from Israel , ” and Israel itself has been called – only half-jokingly – “ a red state.
” But as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sluggish congratulatory message to President-elect Joe Biden was noted by critics at home , adjusts to the impending transition in Washington , a question is being asked in Israel : Will the country pay a political price for breaking a cardinal rule from its own playbook , that preserving bipartisan U.S. support is sacrosanct , essential for Israel survival ?
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid was the first to assail Mr. Netanyahu ’ s “ Republicans First ” approach , in recent months talking about the virtues of bipartisanship .
“ Israel can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Republican Party , ” Mr. Lapid warned from the Knesset floor the day before the election .
“ Israel is losing the Democratic Party.
” Mr. Netanyahu has benefited from his close relationship with Mr. Trump , who enjoys higher popularity in Israel than perhaps anywhere else .
“ Fawning over Trump in a way that almost no other country did , that comes with a cost , ” cautions Shalom Lipner , a nonresident senior fellow for the Atlantic Council who spent more than 25 years working for several Israeli prime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adviser .
“ I think that the Netanyahu government should have been more careful to not put Israel in a situation where it stands accused of playing partisan politics , ” he says .
“ To the extent that its relations with the U.S. are unscathed , it will owe in great measure to the fact that Israel will have plenty of friends in the incoming administration as well.
” Polling of Israelis from across the political spectrum has consistently shown a belief that the second most important factor for Israel ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , is a strong relationship with the United States .
That ’ s predicated on bipartisan support , both in Congress and the White House .
While most Israelis may not closely follow the nuances of American politics , they know that every four years a presidential election is held , and that putting all of one ’ s diplomatic and security eggs in one basket is risky business .
Swift and effective damage control therefore is now of the essence , analysts say .
“ Israel has a lot of work to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lines with Democratic officials and in transforming Israel to once again become a bipartisan issue , ” says Michal Hatuel-Radoshitzky , a research fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies , an Israeli think tank .
Some are urging the government to run , not walk .
“ Israel needs to work immediately to start repairing relations and creating new lines of communication .
Time is of the essence , and failure to do so will undermine Israel ’ s security in the Middle East , ” wrote Yaakov Katz in The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he serves as editor-in-chief .
Seemingly heeding that message , Reuven Rivlin , Israel ’ s president , announced Tuesday he had spoken with Mr. Biden by phone to congratulate him .
He sounded the theme of working with both Democrats and Republicans , telling the president-elect : “ You know that our friendship is based on values that are beyond partisan politics and that we have no doubt that , under your leadership , the United States is committed to Israel ’ s security and success.
” Mr. Biden , who spent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a long pro-Israel voting record .
He likes to tout a 1973 meeting he had in Israel with then-Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir , as well as stories of his father ’ s emotional response to the founding of the state .
But underscoring the delicacy of the moment , Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived Wednesday on a three-day visit to the region .
Among his stops Thursday was a winery in Psagot , a Jewish settlement in the West Bank .
It marked the first time a senior U.S. diplomat visited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and others in the Trump administration , have been busy reversing long-held U.S. policy by extending de facto recognition of such settlements as part of Israel .
On Thursday he also visited the Golan Heights , which Israel captured from Syria in 1967 .
President Trump recognized Israeli sovereignty over the strategic plateau in 2019 .
He has “ gifted ” Israel with several other notable prizes , some more symbolic than strategic , like moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem , and others significant , like brokering peace accords with the United @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The last time Mr. Pompeo was in Israel , he addressed the Republican National Convention from Jerusalem , with the ancient walls of the Old City glittering behind him .
Tamara Cofman Wittes , a senior fellow in the Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution , says this is emblematic of both American and Israeli politicians using the other country as a tool to sway their own people .
“ The norms of politics in both societies have led the politicians to instrumentalize relations , and that is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats , a searing symbol of this was Mr. Netanyahu ’ s 2015 speech before a joint session of Congress .
It was an unprecedented move , a head of state invited by the Republicans without coordination with the Obama White House , to give a speech to persuade Congress to quash President Barack Obama ’ s negotiations with Iran over a nuclear deal .
It was regarded as a brazen insult to Mr. Obama and remains an open , polarizing , partisan wound for Democrats , among them Obama aides .
Some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Biden administration .
In the Knesset , Mr. Lapid explained why he finds Mr. Netanyahu ’ s behavior reckless : “ Until a few years ago , Israel was above politics in the United States .
We were a bipartisan issue .
All the governments of Israel preserved good relations with the Democrats and the Republicans .
Netanyahu decided , mostly for internal reasons , to break with that principle , ” he said .
Mr. Netanyahu later defended himself , also at the Knesset , citing what he said were his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mr. Biden , who he has known almost 40 years , since the president-elect ’ s early days as a senator .
“ I don ’ t stand for Republicans or Democrats .
I stand only for the State of Israel , and that will continue with the next [ U.S. ] government.
” Yet Mr. Netanyahu ’ s strategy has put him in a bind , argues Jonathan Rynhold , a political science professor at Bar Ilan University who studies U.S.-Israel ties .
“ There has never been such hatred between [ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ today , so to at this point decide to take sides is shooting yourself in both feet , ” he says .
That said , Dr. Rynhold cautions against rushing to conclusions about the lasting impact , saying it ’ s still unclear if Israel will pay a price .
Much of this will play out in what policies Israel chooses to follow , he says .
“ Democrats can agree broadly on an underlying commitment to Israel , ” he says , noting surveys have found that while Mr. Netanyahu is deeply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remains strong .
He acknowledges that progressives in the party are more focused on Palestinian human rights and are more critical of Israel .
Something that would certainly alienate even moderate Democrats would be settlement expansion , especially building outside the major settlement blocs .
On the immediate horizon , Israel risks angering an incoming Biden administration with the announcement that in late January , just as Mr. Biden is scheduled to begin his term , it will begin the process of building 1,200 units in a planned settlement near East Jerusalem called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a close Netanyahu associate , said that “ these days are an irreplaceable opportunity to establish our hold on the Land of Israel , and I ’ m sure that our friend President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu will be able to take advantage.
” Such comments lay bare the sense that Mr. Trump is indeed still seen as Israel ’ s “ best friend ever , ” as Mr. Netanyahu has called him .
But even more than that , it points at Israel ’ s shift rightward , perhaps the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s relationship with the U.S. under Mr. Biden .

Shalom Lipner, a nonresident senior fellow for the Atlantic Council, spent more than 25 years advising several Israeli prime ministers. “Fawning over Trump in a way that almost no other country did, that comes with a cost,” he cautions. “I think that the Netanyahu government should have been more careful to not put Israel in a situation where it stands accused of playing partisan politics.”
“Israel cannot afford to be a branch of the Republican Party,” Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid warned the day before the U.S. election.
Bipartisanship is often held up as a political virtue. Though of late, it’s a goal not easily attained. For countries like Israel, dependent on a stable U.S. friendship, bipartisan support is a precious commodity.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has benefited from his close relationship with President Donald Trump, who enjoys higher popularity in Israel than perhaps anywhere else and has favored Israel heavily in his policies. But as Israel prepares for the transition in Washington, concerns are growing that the country is seen as a “red state.”
It’s a near-consensus in Israel that the second most important factor for the country’s defense, after maintaining a powerful army, is a strong relationship with the United States, predicated on bipartisan support. While most Israelis may not follow the nuances of American politics, they know that putting all of one’s diplomatic and security eggs in one basket is risky business.
Well before Donald Trump was elected president of the United States, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel made the calculated decision to align himself closely with the Republican Party.
So much so that he’s sometimes referred to as “the Republican senator from Israel,” and Israel itself has been called – only half-jokingly – “a red state.”
But as Mr. Netanyahu, a Trump loyalist whose sluggish congratulatory message to President-elect Joe Biden was noted by critics at home, adjusts to the impending transition in Washington, a question is being asked in Israel: Will the country pay a political price for breaking a cardinal rule from its own playbook, that preserving bipartisan U.S. support is sacrosanct, essential for Israel survival?
Why We Wrote This Bipartisanship is often held up as a political virtue. Though of late, it’s a goal not easily attained. For countries like Israel, dependent on a stable U.S. friendship, bipartisan support is a precious commodity.
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid was the first to assail Mr. Netanyahu’s “Republicans First” approach, in recent months talking about the virtues of bipartisanship.
“Israel cannot afford to be a branch of the Republican Party,” Mr. Lapid warned from the Knesset floor the day before the election. “Israel is losing the Democratic Party.”
Mr. Netanyahu has benefited from his close relationship with Mr. Trump, who enjoys higher popularity in Israel than perhaps anywhere else.
“Fawning over Trump in a way that almost no other country did, that comes with a cost,” cautions Shalom Lipner, a nonresident senior fellow for the Atlantic Council who spent more than 25 years working for several Israeli prime ministers, including as a foreign policy adviser.
“I think that the Netanyahu government should have been more careful to not put Israel in a situation where it stands accused of playing partisan politics,” he says. “To the extent that its relations with the U.S. are unscathed, it will owe in great measure to the fact that Israel will have plenty of friends in the incoming administration as well.”
Polling of Israelis from across the political spectrum has consistently shown a belief that the second most important factor for Israel’s defense, after maintaining a powerful army, is a strong relationship with the United States.
That’s predicated on bipartisan support, both in Congress and the White House. While most Israelis may not closely follow the nuances of American politics, they know that every four years a presidential election is held, and that putting all of one’s diplomatic and security eggs in one basket is risky business.
Damage control
Swift and effective damage control therefore is now of the essence, analysts say.
“Israel has a lot of work to do in establishing open and constructive communication lines with Democratic officials and in transforming Israel to once again become a bipartisan issue,” says Michal Hatuel-Radoshitzky, a research fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies, an Israeli think tank.
Some are urging the government to run, not walk.
“Israel needs to work immediately to start repairing relations and creating new lines of communication. Time is of the essence, and failure to do so will undermine Israel’s security in the Middle East,” wrote Yaakov Katz in The Jerusalem Post, the center-right newspaper where he serves as editor-in-chief.
Debbie Hill/AP/File View caption Hide caption Joe Biden, then vice president, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, not pictured, give joint statements in the prime minister's office in Jerusalem, March 9, 2016.
Seemingly heeding that message, Reuven Rivlin, Israel’s president, announced Tuesday he had spoken with Mr. Biden by phone to congratulate him. He sounded the theme of working with both Democrats and Republicans, telling the president-elect: “You know that our friendship is based on values that are beyond partisan politics and that we have no doubt that, under your leadership, the United States is committed to Israel’s security and success.”
Mr. Biden, who spent 40 years in the Senate, has a long pro-Israel voting record. He likes to tout a 1973 meeting he had in Israel with then-Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir, as well as stories of his father’s emotional response to the founding of the state.
But underscoring the delicacy of the moment, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived Wednesday on a three-day visit to the region. Among his stops Thursday was a winery in Psagot, a Jewish settlement in the West Bank. It marked the first time a senior U.S. diplomat visited a Jewish settlement.
Secretary Pompeo, and others in the Trump administration, have been busy reversing long-held U.S. policy by extending de facto recognition of such settlements as part of Israel. On Thursday he also visited the Golan Heights, which Israel captured from Syria in 1967. President Trump recognized Israeli sovereignty over the strategic plateau in 2019.
He has “gifted” Israel with several other notable prizes, some more symbolic than strategic, like moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem, and others significant, like brokering peace accords with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Sudan.
The last time Mr. Pompeo was in Israel, he addressed the Republican National Convention from Jerusalem, with the ancient walls of the Old City glittering behind him.
Tamara Cofman Wittes, a senior fellow in the Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution, says this is emblematic of both American and Israeli politicians using the other country as a tool to sway their own people.
“The norms of politics in both societies have led the politicians to instrumentalize relations, and that is not good,” she says.
Address to Congress
For Democrats, a searing symbol of this was Mr. Netanyahu’s 2015 speech before a joint session of Congress. It was an unprecedented move, a head of state invited by the Republicans without coordination with the Obama White House, to give a speech to persuade Congress to quash President Barack Obama’s negotiations with Iran over a nuclear deal. It was regarded as a brazen insult to Mr. Obama and remains an open, polarizing, partisan wound for Democrats, among them Obama aides. Some of those people will be working in the Biden administration.
In the Knesset, Mr. Lapid explained why he finds Mr. Netanyahu’s behavior reckless: “Until a few years ago, Israel was above politics in the United States. We were a bipartisan issue. All the governments of Israel preserved good relations with the Democrats and the Republicans. Netanyahu decided, mostly for internal reasons, to break with that principle,” he said.
J. Scott Applewhite/AP/File View caption Hide caption Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks against the U.S.-led international nuclear deal with Iran in 2015 before a joint meeting of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington. The speech infuriated then-President Barack Obama and remains a sore spot with Democrats.
Mr. Netanyahu later defended himself, also at the Knesset, citing what he said were his close ties to Democratic leaders, including Mr. Biden, who he has known almost 40 years, since the president-elect’s early days as a senator. “I don’t stand for Republicans or Democrats. I stand only for the State of Israel, and that will continue with the next [U.S.] government.”
Yet Mr. Netanyahu’s strategy has put him in a bind, argues Jonathan Rynhold, a political science professor at Bar Ilan University who studies U.S.-Israel ties.
“There has never been such hatred between [the American parties] as there is today, so to at this point decide to take sides is shooting yourself in both feet,” he says.
That said, Dr. Rynhold cautions against rushing to conclusions about the lasting impact, saying it’s still unclear if Israel will pay a price. Much of this will play out in what policies Israel chooses to follow, he says.
“Democrats can agree broadly on an underlying commitment to Israel,” he says, noting surveys have found that while Mr. Netanyahu is deeply unpopular among Democrats, support for Israel remains strong. He acknowledges that progressives in the party are more focused on Palestinian human rights and are more critical of Israel.
Settlements
Something that would certainly alienate even moderate Democrats would be settlement expansion, especially building outside the major settlement blocs.
On the immediate horizon, Israel risks angering an incoming Biden administration with the announcement that in late January, just as Mr. Biden is scheduled to begin his term, it will begin the process of building 1,200 units in a planned settlement near East Jerusalem called Givat Hamatos.
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Likud lawmaker Miki Zohar, a close Netanyahu associate, said that “these days are an irreplaceable opportunity to establish our hold on the Land of Israel, and I’m sure that our friend President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu will be able to take advantage.”
Such comments lay bare the sense that Mr. Trump is indeed still seen as Israel’s “best friend ever,” as Mr. Netanyahu has called him. But even more than that, it points at Israel’s shift rightward, perhaps the greatest indicator of the future of Israel’s relationship with the U.S. under Mr. Biden.


csmonitor--2020-11-20--Teen power: An Indian girl invents a solar iron to reduce smog

On India ’ s residential streets , amid the tea vendors and vegetable sellers , ironing “ wallahs ” press clothes each day for millions of Indians , smoothing out wrinkles with iron boxes packed with hot charcoal .
But India ’ s 10 million ironing carts and shops take a hefty toll on the country ’ s forests .
Each uses , on average , more than 11 pounds of charcoal each day , the government ’ s science and technology department estimates .
Now , however , a teenage girl , troubled by the heaps of used charcoal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by his painful wheeze from pollution , has developed an alternative : an award-winning solar-powered iron .
“ I calculated the enormous quantity of charcoal being used , the pollution from it that worsens climate change , damages Mother Earth and human health .
I wanted to create a renewable resource to replace charcoal , ” said Vinisha Umashankar from her hometown of Tiruvannamalai , in India ’ s southern Tamil Nadu state .
This week her innovation was recognized with the Children ’ s Climate Prize for its contributions to cleaner air @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Swedish energy company , includes 100,000 Swedish krona ( $ 11,600 ) to further develop the project .
It is just one of several national and international prizes Vinisha has won for her innovation : a wheeled cart equipped with solar panels and batteries sufficient to power a steam iron .
Panels on the cart ’ s roof produce solar power that can be used immediately as the cart wends its way between customers or stored in four batteries , Vinisha said .
When fully charged – which takes just under five hours @ @ @ @ @ @ @ power the iron for six hours , she said , providing power on cloudy days , though the cart can also run on grid electricity or a generator in a pinch .
To boost earnings for ironing vendors , the carts are also equipped with a mobile phone recharging station and a coin-operated telephone for making calls .
Vinisha said she hopes the cart – which she developed after school over six months – will improve incomes and health for ironing vendors and offer them “ a dignified life.
” It could also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in a telephone interview .
She said she had designed the cart so it was easy to operate – the system takes 15 minutes to learn – and she planned to produce online videos to help those who speak other languages understand how to use it .
“ Today , solar energy is inevitable , ” particular in sunny nations such as India , where some parts of the country get 300 days of sun a year , she said .
The country receives enough sunshine to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country ’ s current energy consumption , she added .
While Vinisha developed the detailed design , the first full-scale working prototype was put together and tested last December by the National Innovation Foundation , which operates under India ’ s Department of Science and Technology .
The foundation has also applied for a patent for the device , on Vinisha ’ s behalf .
The girl , who said she sees radioactivity scientist Marie Curie as a role model , said the cart could save a “ countless number of trees.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a large tree can produce enough oxygen for five people in a day – and mature trees are most likely to be logged as they produce the best charcoal .
“ What ’ s the point of planting trees if we can ’ t stop cutting trees for making unsustainable charcoal ?
” she asked .
She said she believes ironing vendors will make the switch to her device if it is cost effective .
Enough charcoal for two day of ironing costs 700 to 1,000 rupees ( $ 9 to $ 13 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as currently configured , by comparison , costs 40,000 rupees ( $ 540 ) .
But Vinisha said she hopes to use her prize money to develop a new prototype that will reduce costs and boost efficiency .
“ In the long run my innovation will not only work out cheaper for vendors but help the environment too , ” she predicted , with each cart ’ s solar panels and batteries built to last at least eight years .
Sam Barratt , of the United Nations Environment Program and one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Children ’ s Climate Prize , said Vinisha and other young innovators were “ coming at the challenge with all the smarts , passion , and energy that is needed to change the future to the one we all need.
” Vinisha said her parents and grandparents had talked about how it was cooler and seasons were more predictable when they were younger , while she and others have noticed increasing heat and pollution .
“ This generation ... wants normal weather , which also will reduce droughts and floods .
That is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interest in climate change , ” she said .
This story was reported by the Thomson Reuters Foundation .

On India’s residential streets, amid the tea vendors and vegetable sellers, ironing “wallahs” press clothes each day for millions of Indians, smoothing out wrinkles with iron boxes packed with hot charcoal.
But India’s 10 million ironing carts and shops take a hefty toll on the country’s forests. Each uses, on average, more than 11 pounds of charcoal each day, the government’s science and technology department estimates.
Now, however, a teenage girl, troubled by the heaps of used charcoal left by her local ironing vendor and by his painful wheeze from pollution, has developed an alternative: an award-winning solar-powered iron.
“I calculated the enormous quantity of charcoal being used, the pollution from it that worsens climate change, damages Mother Earth and human health. I wanted to create a renewable resource to replace charcoal,” said Vinisha Umashankar from her hometown of Tiruvannamalai, in India’s southern Tamil Nadu state.
This week her innovation was recognized with the Children’s Climate Prize for its contributions to cleaner air. The prize, backed by a Swedish energy company, includes 100,000 Swedish krona ($11,600) to further develop the project.
It is just one of several national and international prizes Vinisha has won for her innovation: a wheeled cart equipped with solar panels and batteries sufficient to power a steam iron.
Solar powered street cart
Panels on the cart’s roof produce solar power that can be used immediately as the cart wends its way between customers or stored in four batteries, Vinisha said.
When fully charged – which takes just under five hours in bright sunshine – each battery can power the iron for six hours, she said, providing power on cloudy days, though the cart can also run on grid electricity or a generator in a pinch.
To boost earnings for ironing vendors, the carts are also equipped with a mobile phone recharging station and a coin-operated telephone for making calls.
Vinisha said she hopes the cart – which she developed after school over six months – will improve incomes and health for ironing vendors and offer them “a dignified life.”
It could also be used in other developing countries, she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in a telephone interview.
She said she had designed the cart so it was easy to operate – the system takes 15 minutes to learn – and she planned to produce online videos to help those who speak other languages understand how to use it.
“Today, solar energy is inevitable,” particular in sunny nations such as India, where some parts of the country get 300 days of sun a year, she said.
The country receives enough sunshine to produce solar power equivalent to 3,000 times the country’s current energy consumption, she added.
Marie Curie is her role model
While Vinisha developed the detailed design, the first full-scale working prototype was put together and tested last December by the National Innovation Foundation, which operates under India’s Department of Science and Technology.
The foundation has also applied for a patent for the device, on Vinisha’s behalf.
The girl, who said she sees radioactivity scientist Marie Curie as a role model, said the cart could save a “countless number of trees.”
She said she had read that a large tree can produce enough oxygen for five people in a day – and mature trees are most likely to be logged as they produce the best charcoal.
“What’s the point of planting trees if we can’t stop cutting trees for making unsustainable charcoal?” she asked.
She said she believes ironing vendors will make the switch to her device if it is cost effective.
Enough charcoal for two day of ironing costs 700 to 1,000 rupees ($9 to $13), she said. The cart, as currently configured, by comparison, costs 40,000 rupees ($540).
But Vinisha said she hopes to use her prize money to develop a new prototype that will reduce costs and boost efficiency.
“In the long run my innovation will not only work out cheaper for vendors but help the environment too,” she predicted, with each cart’s solar panels and batteries built to last at least eight years.
Sam Barratt, of the United Nations Environment Program and one of the members of the jury for the Children’s Climate Prize, said Vinisha and other young innovators were “coming at the challenge with all the smarts, passion, and energy that is needed to change the future to the one we all need.”
Vinisha said her parents and grandparents had talked about how it was cooler and seasons were more predictable when they were younger, while she and others have noticed increasing heat and pollution.
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“This generation ... wants normal weather, which also will reduce droughts and floods. That is one reason why we take so much interest in climate change,” she said.
This story was reported by the Thomson Reuters Foundation.


csmonitor--2020-11-20--Stay home: CDC urges Americans not to travel for Thanksgiving

With the coronavirus surging out of control , the nation ’ s top public health agency pleaded with Americans on Thursday not to travel for Thanksgiving and not to spend the holiday with people from outside their household .
The Thanksgiving warning from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention came as the White House coronavirus task force held a briefing for the first time in months and Vice President Mike Pence concluded it without responding to questions by reporters or urging Americans not to travel .
Other members of the task force – whose media briefings were a daily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outbreak – talked about the progress being made in the development of a vaccine .
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and BioNTech will seek emergency government approval for their coronavirus vaccine on Friday .
And infection disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci sought to reassure the public that the vaccine is safe while still encouraging Americans to wear masks .
The CDC ’ s Thanksgiving warning was some of the firmest guidance yet from the government on curtailing traditional gatherings to fight the outbreak .
The CDC issued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , at a time when diagnosed infections , hospitalizations , and deaths are skyrocketing across the country .
In many areas , the health care system is being squeezed by a combination of sick patients filling up beds and medical workers falling ill themselves .
The CDC ’ s Dr. Erin Sauber-Schatz cited more than 1 million new cases in the United States over the past week as the reason for the new guidance .
“ The safest way to celebrate Thanksgiving this year is at home with the people in your household @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do decide to include returning college students , military members , or others for turkey and stuffing , the CDC is recommending that the hosts take added precautions : Gatherings should be outdoors if possible , with people keeping 6 feet apart and wearing masks , and with just one person serving the food .
Whether Americans heed the warning is another matter .
The deadly comeback by the virus has been blamed in part on pandemic fatigue , or people getting tired of masks and other precautions .
And surges were seen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fourth , despite blunt warnings from health authorities .
The U.S. has had more than 11 million diagnosed infections and over 250,000 deaths from the coronavirus .
CDC scientists believe that somewhere around 40 % of people who are infected do not have obvious symptoms but can still spread the virus .
In California , Democratic Gov .
Gavin Newsom also announced on Thursday the imposition of an overnight curfew on most residents as the most populous state tries to head off a virus case surge that officials fears could tax the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials called a limited stay-at-home order requires nonessential residents to stay home from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. starting Saturday .
It lasts until Dec. 21 but could be extended .
It covers 94 % of the state ’ s nearly 40 million residents .
“ The virus is spreading at a pace we haven ’ t seen since the start of this pandemic and the next several days and weeks will be critical to stop the surge .
We are sounding the alarm , ” Governor Newsom said in a statement .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Gina Raimondo announced a “ two-week pause ” with some businesses closures and capacity reduced for restaurants and houses of worship starting Nov. 30 .
Officials will reevaluate COVID-19 caseloads on Dec. 13 and if they have not eased , she said “ a full state lockdown ” will follow .
In New Hampshire , Republican Gov .
Chris Sununu previously resisted calls for a statewide mask mandate but issued an order requiring face coverings to be worn in public spaces indoors and outdoors .
New York City shut down in-person classes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ system this week after the positivity rate surpassed 3 % .
That angered families who believe it is too stringent a standard and question why bars and restaurants can remain open .
Hospitals are struggling to keep up with non-coronavirus cases ranging from broken bones to heart attacks in states where COVID-19 cases are tying up resources .
In Kansas , rural hospitals are running into difficulty trying to transfer patients to larger hospitals for more advanced care .
“ Whether it is regular pneumonia or appendicitis or fractures that need surgery , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in their facilities and they are not taking a lot of these routine cases , ” said Perry Desbien , a nurse practitioner who works in Smith Center and other rural communities .
“ They are saying , ‘ Send them home .
Have them follow up in the office .
Unless it is life-threatening , we don ’ t want to see them either.
’ ” Earlier this month , the Mayo Clinic Health System in Wisconsin announced it was suspending elective medical procedures .
Illinois Gov .
J.B. Pritzker noted that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state ’ s hospital beds , there are fewer resources for heart attack patients , expectant mothers , or cancer patients .
“ When we let our hospitals get overrun or even close to it , it is all of us suffering , ” Governor Pritzker said .
The positivity rate – the percentage of tests coming back positive for the virus – has taken on a more prominent role in the nation ’ s response to the crisis in recent days .
The positivity rate has soared to record levels all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iowa , and Wyoming ’ s rate are all averaging above 50 % , and the national average is now 10 % .
Health experts caution that there are weaknesses in the positivity data because states calculate the rate differently .
But they say the overall trend is not in dispute , and it indicates severe spread and , in many places , insufficient testing .
This story was reported by The Associated Press .
Hollingsworth reported from Mission , Kansas .
AP reporters from around the country contributed .
Editor ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage .
It ’ s free .

With the coronavirus surging out of control, the nation’s top public health agency pleaded with Americans on Thursday not to travel for Thanksgiving and not to spend the holiday with people from outside their household.
The Thanksgiving warning from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention came as the White House coronavirus task force held a briefing for the first time in months and Vice President Mike Pence concluded it without responding to questions by reporters or urging Americans not to travel.
Other members of the task force – whose media briefings were a daily fixture during the early days of the outbreak – talked about the progress being made in the development of a vaccine.
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and BioNTech will seek emergency government approval for their coronavirus vaccine on Friday. And infection disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci sought to reassure the public that the vaccine is safe while still encouraging Americans to wear masks.
The CDC’s Thanksgiving warning was some of the firmest guidance yet from the government on curtailing traditional gatherings to fight the outbreak.
The CDC issued the recommendations just one week before Thanksgiving, at a time when diagnosed infections, hospitalizations, and deaths are skyrocketing across the country. In many areas, the health care system is being squeezed by a combination of sick patients filling up beds and medical workers falling ill themselves.
The CDC’s Dr. Erin Sauber-Schatz cited more than 1 million new cases in the United States over the past week as the reason for the new guidance.
“The safest way to celebrate Thanksgiving this year is at home with the people in your household,” she said.
If families do decide to include returning college students, military members, or others for turkey and stuffing, the CDC is recommending that the hosts take added precautions: Gatherings should be outdoors if possible, with people keeping 6 feet apart and wearing masks, and with just one person serving the food.
Whether Americans heed the warning is another matter. The deadly comeback by the virus has been blamed in part on pandemic fatigue, or people getting tired of masks and other precautions. And surges were seen last summer after Memorial Day and July Fourth, despite blunt warnings from health authorities.
The U.S. has had more than 11 million diagnosed infections and over 250,000 deaths from the coronavirus. CDC scientists believe that somewhere around 40% of people who are infected do not have obvious symptoms but can still spread the virus.
California
In California, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom also announced on Thursday the imposition of an overnight curfew on most residents as the most populous state tries to head off a virus case surge that officials fears could tax the state’s health care system.
What officials called a limited stay-at-home order requires nonessential residents to stay home from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. starting Saturday. It lasts until Dec. 21 but could be extended. It covers 94% of the state’s nearly 40 million residents.
“The virus is spreading at a pace we haven’t seen since the start of this pandemic and the next several days and weeks will be critical to stop the surge. We are sounding the alarm,” Governor Newsom said in a statement.
Northeast
Also Thursday, Rhode Island Democratic Gov. Gina Raimondo announced a “two-week pause” with some businesses closures and capacity reduced for restaurants and houses of worship starting Nov. 30. Officials will reevaluate COVID-19 caseloads on Dec. 13 and if they have not eased, she said “a full state lockdown” will follow.
In New Hampshire, Republican Gov. Chris Sununu previously resisted calls for a statewide mask mandate but issued an order requiring face coverings to be worn in public spaces indoors and outdoors.
New York City shut down in-person classes in the nation’s largest school system this week after the positivity rate surpassed 3%. That angered families who believe it is too stringent a standard and question why bars and restaurants can remain open.
Hospitals are struggling to keep up with non-coronavirus cases ranging from broken bones to heart attacks in states where COVID-19 cases are tying up resources.
Midwest
In Kansas, rural hospitals are running into difficulty trying to transfer patients to larger hospitals for more advanced care.
“Whether it is regular pneumonia or appendicitis or fractures that need surgery, they have a limited amount of beds in their facilities and they are not taking a lot of these routine cases,” said Perry Desbien, a nurse practitioner who works in Smith Center and other rural communities. “They are saying, ‘Send them home. Have them follow up in the office. Unless it is life-threatening, we don’t want to see them either.’”
Earlier this month, the Mayo Clinic Health System in Wisconsin announced it was suspending elective medical procedures.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker noted that with COVID-19 patients claiming a quarter of the state’s hospital beds, there are fewer resources for heart attack patients, expectant mothers, or cancer patients.
“When we let our hospitals get overrun or even close to it, it is all of us suffering,” Governor Pritzker said.
Nationwide
The positivity rate – the percentage of tests coming back positive for the virus – has taken on a more prominent role in the nation’s response to the crisis in recent days.
The positivity rate has soared to record levels all around the nation. South Dakota, Iowa, and Wyoming’s rate are all averaging above 50%, and the national average is now 10%.
Health experts caution that there are weaknesses in the positivity data because states calculate the rate differently. But they say the overall trend is not in dispute, and it indicates severe spread and, in many places, insufficient testing.
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This story was reported by The Associated Press. Hollingsworth reported from Mission, Kansas. AP reporters from around the country contributed.
Editor’s note: As a public service, the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage. It’s free.


csmonitor--2020-11-20--How a surge in Native American voters tipped AZ for Biden

Voting rights advocates had long argued that if Native Americans and other minority groups were mobilized , they could be decisive in a tight race .
Voter turnout on swaths of tribal land in Arizona surged compared with the 2016 presidential election , helping Joe Biden to victory in a state that hadn ’ t supported a Democrat in a White House contest since 1996 .
Native Americans were among the difference-makers who swung the race to Mr. Biden in Arizona .
“ It truly takes a village , ” said Clara Pratte , a political operative and Navajo woman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden campaign .
“ Could it have been done without a tribal vote ?
No.
” That show of force is now translating into leverage for Native Americans seeking more representation in top levels of the federal government .
Mr. Biden is under pressure to appoint at least one Native American to his Cabinet .
Among the contenders to oversee the Interior Department , which works with tribes , are New Mexico Rep. Deb Haaland , a member of the Laguna Pueblo , and Kevin Washburn , a former head of the Bureau @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma .
Retiring Sen. Tom Udall of New Mexico , vice chairman of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee , also is the list .
While it ’ s difficult to determine exactly how many Native Americans voted because many live off reservations , a look at the turnout in key areas reveals a sharp rise in engagement .
Voters in precincts on the Navajo and Hopi reservations in northeastern Arizona cast nearly 60,000 ballots in the Nov. 3 election , compared with just under 42,500 in 2016 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election data .
Mr. Biden won Arizona by about 10,500 votes , according to unofficial results .
Turnout in two of the larger precincts on the reservations , for example , rose by 12 % and 13 % – and Mr. Biden won there handily – compared with a 4 % increase among all Arizona voters .
Twice as many voters cast ballots in 2020 than in 2016 on the much smaller Havasupai reservation deep in a gorge off the Grand Canyon , overwhelmingly in support of Mr. Biden .
More people from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with Mr. Biden outpacing Mr. Trump by a nearly 5-1 ratio .
Native voters say they were motivated by many of the same things as other voters .
“ I was so disgusted with Trump , ” said Tommy Suetopka , a Hopi tribal member who lives in Tuba City .
“ Anybody who would want to run [ against him ] was going to get my vote.
” Willis Daychild , who is Hualapai and lives in Phoenix , was critical of Mr. Trump ’ s relationship with international leaders , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and his immigration and health care policies .
Mr. Daychild said he saw Mr. Biden as a more decent candidate .
“ He might not be perfect , yet he has a foundation , ” said the budget analyst .
That anti-Trump sentiment was translated into votes by a widespread Democratic turnout effort .
Ms. Pratte , whose childhood home in Lupton on the Navajo Nation didn ’ t always have electricity or running water , reached out before the election to the leadership of all 22 tribes in Arizona , a move @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relationship federally recognized tribes have with the United States as sovereign nations .
The Biden campaign made of point of not treating Native voters as a monolith , Ms. Pratte said , and targeted specific groups , including Native women , youth , veterans , and members of the LGBTQ+ community .
Closer to Election Day , the campaign pushed tribal communities to voting sites with events that encouraged safe socialization – riding horses to the polls , driving in caravans , and a parade to the polls with dancers on the street @ @ @ @ @ @ @ play for Native American voters .
A slate of Republican Native Americans well-known in Arizona political circles joined in rallies for Mr. Trump , drawing comparisons between rural values and those in tribal communities .
Republican groups put up billboards across the Navajo Nation that said “ Navajos for Trump , ” ran advertisements in newspapers and denounced what they misleadingly described as Mr. Biden ’ s “ socialist ” agenda in a video filmed on the reservation .
Navajo Nation Vice President Myron Lizer was among Mr. Trump ’ s biggest supporters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said he has reached out to the Republican Party , saying it needs to start building relationships with Indian Country before the 2022 election and bring people on board who understand tribal communities .
“ We need that strong , strong voice , someone who speaks Navajo eloquently , knows the tradition , knows the language , and they are out there , ” he said .
“ I ’ m kind of remorseful that maybe I didn ’ t do as much as I could have done.
” Native American voting rights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this year because of the pandemic .
Instead of the usual door-knocking , they did phone-banking , mass texting , and radio advertisements in Navajo , English , and Apache , creating family trees to reach out to broader groups of people .
Carol Davis , who is Navajo , received at least four handwritten postcards at her house asking if anyone needed a ride to the polls and ensuring she knew where to vote .
She also was part of a group helping to boost voting among Native Americans .
She and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the junction of rural roads in northeastern Arizona and answered questions , mostly from Navajo speakers .
“ In all these areas , there ’ s always been some form of voter suppression , even if it ’ s not outright voter suppression , and it ’ s always created this idea that ‘ I ’ m not going to even bother to vote , ’ ” said Ms. Davis , executive director of the environmental advocacy group Diné CARE .
“ There ’ s been a lot of missed voters because of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Project sent 60 observers to polling sites in Arizona on or around tribal land on Election Day and set up a hotline for voters to call in with any questions about voting or problems at polling sites .
Patty Ferguson-Bohnee , who oversees the project , said voters weren ’ t always issued provisional ballots when they should have been .
People from the same household weren ’ t allowed to vote in the same place , an issued tied to the widespread use of post office boxes on reservations .
Across the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , New Mexico , South Dakota , and Montana have the highest percentages of Native Americans eligible to vote , according to the National Congress of American Indians .
In Arizona , that was about 310,000 potential presidential votes .
“ People need to start paying attention to not only Navajo votes but across the board nationally , Native votes , ” Ms. Davis said .
“ Even though we ’ re less than 2 % of the population , we can come out in full force.
” This story was reported by @ @ @ @

Voting rights advocates had long argued that if Native Americans and other minority groups were mobilized, they could be decisive in a tight race.
This year proved that.
Voter turnout on swaths of tribal land in Arizona surged compared with the 2016 presidential election, helping Joe Biden to victory in a state that hadn’t supported a Democrat in a White House contest since 1996. Native Americans were among the difference-makers who swung the race to Mr. Biden in Arizona.
“It truly takes a village,” said Clara Pratte, a political operative and Navajo woman who led national tribal engagements for the Biden campaign. “Could it have been done without a tribal vote? No.”
That show of force is now translating into leverage for Native Americans seeking more representation in top levels of the federal government.
Mr. Biden is under pressure to appoint at least one Native American to his Cabinet. Among the contenders to oversee the Interior Department, which works with tribes, are New Mexico Rep. Deb Haaland, a member of the Laguna Pueblo, and Kevin Washburn, a former head of the Bureau of Indian Affairs who is a member of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma. Retiring Sen. Tom Udall of New Mexico, vice chairman of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, also is the list.
While it’s difficult to determine exactly how many Native Americans voted because many live off reservations, a look at the turnout in key areas reveals a sharp rise in engagement.
Voters in precincts on the Navajo and Hopi reservations in northeastern Arizona cast nearly 60,000 ballots in the Nov. 3 election, compared with just under 42,500 in 2016, according to an Associated Press analysis of election data. Mr. Biden won Arizona by about 10,500 votes, according to unofficial results.
Turnout in two of the larger precincts on the reservations, for example, rose by 12% and 13% – and Mr. Biden won there handily – compared with a 4% increase among all Arizona voters.
Twice as many voters cast ballots in 2020 than in 2016 on the much smaller Havasupai reservation deep in a gorge off the Grand Canyon, overwhelmingly in support of Mr. Biden. More people from the Hualapai reservation also voted this year, with Mr. Biden outpacing Mr. Trump by a nearly 5-1 ratio.
Native voters say they were motivated by many of the same things as other voters.
“I was so disgusted with Trump,” said Tommy Suetopka, a Hopi tribal member who lives in Tuba City. “Anybody who would want to run [against him] was going to get my vote.”
Willis Daychild, who is Hualapai and lives in Phoenix, was critical of Mr. Trump’s relationship with international leaders, his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, and his immigration and health care policies.
Mr. Daychild said he saw Mr. Biden as a more decent candidate. “He might not be perfect, yet he has a foundation,” said the budget analyst.
That anti-Trump sentiment was translated into votes by a widespread Democratic turnout effort.
Ms. Pratte, whose childhood home in Lupton on the Navajo Nation didn’t always have electricity or running water, reached out before the election to the leadership of all 22 tribes in Arizona, a move that she said is indicative of the relationship federally recognized tribes have with the United States as sovereign nations.
The Biden campaign made of point of not treating Native voters as a monolith, Ms. Pratte said, and targeted specific groups, including Native women, youth, veterans, and members of the LGBTQ+ community. Closer to Election Day, the campaign pushed tribal communities to voting sites with events that encouraged safe socialization – riding horses to the polls, driving in caravans, and a parade to the polls with dancers on the street.
President Donald Trump also made a play for Native American voters. A slate of Republican Native Americans well-known in Arizona political circles joined in rallies for Mr. Trump, drawing comparisons between rural values and those in tribal communities.
Republican groups put up billboards across the Navajo Nation that said “Navajos for Trump,” ran advertisements in newspapers and denounced what they misleadingly described as Mr. Biden’s “socialist” agenda in a video filmed on the reservation.
Navajo Nation Vice President Myron Lizer was among Mr. Trump’s biggest supporters in Indian Country. Already, he said he has reached out to the Republican Party, saying it needs to start building relationships with Indian Country before the 2022 election and bring people on board who understand tribal communities.
“We need that strong, strong voice, someone who speaks Navajo eloquently, knows the tradition, knows the language, and they are out there,” he said. “I’m kind of remorseful that maybe I didn’t do as much as I could have done.”
Native American voting rights advocates knew they had to campaign differently this year because of the pandemic. Instead of the usual door-knocking, they did phone-banking, mass texting, and radio advertisements in Navajo, English, and Apache, creating family trees to reach out to broader groups of people.
Carol Davis, who is Navajo, received at least four handwritten postcards at her house asking if anyone needed a ride to the polls and ensuring she knew where to vote. She also was part of a group helping to boost voting among Native Americans.
She and others set up an information table at the junction of rural roads in northeastern Arizona and answered questions, mostly from Navajo speakers.
“In all these areas, there’s always been some form of voter suppression, even if it’s not outright voter suppression, and it’s always created this idea that ‘I’m not going to even bother to vote,’” said Ms. Davis, executive director of the environmental advocacy group Diné CARE. “There’s been a lot of missed voters because of that.”
The Native Vote Election Protection Project sent 60 observers to polling sites in Arizona on or around tribal land on Election Day and set up a hotline for voters to call in with any questions about voting or problems at polling sites.
Patty Ferguson-Bohnee, who oversees the project, said voters weren’t always issued provisional ballots when they should have been. People from the same household weren’t allowed to vote in the same place, an issued tied to the widespread use of post office boxes on reservations.
Across the country, Arizona, Alaska, Oklahoma, New Mexico, South Dakota, and Montana have the highest percentages of Native Americans eligible to vote, according to the National Congress of American Indians. In Arizona, that was about 310,000 potential presidential votes.
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“People need to start paying attention to not only Navajo votes but across the board nationally, Native votes,” Ms. Davis said. “Even though we’re less than 2% of the population, we can come out in full force.”
This story was reported by The Associated Press.


csmonitor--2020-11-20--Following audit, AP confirms Biden victory in Georgia

More than two weeks after Election Day , The Associated Press has declared Joe Biden the winner of the presidential contest in Georgia , a longtime Republican state that the Democratic president-elect narrowly won by making major inroads in suburban areas that formerly favored the GOP .
Mr. Biden won the presidency on Nov. 7 , after capturing Michigan , Pennsylvania , and Wisconsin , which had swung for President Donald Trump in 2016 .
But his 0.3 percentage point lead over Mr. Trump in Georgia was so narrow that the state could not be called – until now .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to call a race that is – or is likely to become – subject to a recount .
While there is no mandatory recount law in Georgia , state law does provide an option for a recount to the losing candidate if the margin is less than 0.5 percentage points .
The AP called the race for Mr. Biden on Thursday after state election officials there said hand-tallied audit of ballots cast in the presidential race confirmed the former vice president leads Mr. Trump by roughly 12,000 votes out of nearly 5 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of ballots cast confirmed Mr. Biden ’ s lead , and no available evidence suggests a machine recount of ballots already reviewed by hand will result in a different outcome .
Therefore , AP declared Mr. Biden the winner in Georgia .
The hand tally completed this week is not legally a recount under Georgia law .
Rather , it was the race selected by Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger for review under a new state law that says one race in the general election must be audited by hand to check that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the tight margin of the presidential race meant a full hand count of ballots was necessary to complete the audit .
Gabriel Sterling , who oversaw the implementation of the state ’ s new voting system , said the result of the hand audit found Mr. Biden leading Mr. Trump by a little more than 12,000 votes .
Going into the hand tally , Mr. Biden led Mr. Trump by a margin of about 14,000 votes .
Previously uncounted ballots discovered in several counties during the hand count reduced that margin , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ results as they did their hand counts .
State election officials had consistently said that was to be expected , and stressed the audit was not a response to any suspected problems with the state ’ s results or an official recount request .
While not formally a recount under the letter of state law , the hand tally conducted to complete the audit was , in practice , a recount .
“ Every single vote was touched by a human audit team and counted , ” Mr. Sterling said .
The state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been submitted by the counties .
At that point , Mr. Trump ’ s campaign has two business days to request a recount .
That recount would be done using scanners that read and tally the votes and would be paid for by the state ’ s counties .
On Election Day , Mr. Trump had initially jumped out to an early lead in the state .
But Mr. Biden did well with voters who cast ballots by mail .
And as those ballots continued to be counted in the days after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mr. Trump .
Georgia has long been a Republican stronghold , dominated at most levels of government by the GOP .
Voters there hadn ’ t swung for a Democratic presidential candidate since Bill Clinton in 1992 .
Mr. Trump beat Hillary Clinton there by 5 percentage points in 2016 .
But the party ’ s grip has loosened .
As older , white , Republican-leaning voters die , they ’ ve been replaced by a younger and more racially diverse cast of people , many of whom moved to the booming Atlanta @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their politics with them .
Overall , demographic trends show that the state ’ s electorate is becoming younger and more diverse each year .
Like other metro areas , Atlanta ’ s suburbs have also moved away from Republicans .
In 2016 , Mrs. Clinton flipped both Cobb and Gwinnett counties , which Mr. Biden also won .
In 2018 , Democrat Stacey Abrams galvanized Black voters in her bid to become the country ’ s first African American woman to lead a state , a campaign she narrowly lost .
Many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a question of if , rather when , Georgia becomes a swing state .
That much was clear in the closing weeks of the campaign as Mr. Biden , his running mate , Sen. Kamala Harris , and former President Barack Obama barnstormed the state .
Mr. Trump , too , visited the state to play defense .
The question that remains is whether Mr. Biden ’ s win marks a major shift , or a temporary revolt by suburban voters who disliked Mr. Trump and who will return to the Republican fold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ story was reported by The Associated Press .

More than two weeks after Election Day, The Associated Press has declared Joe Biden the winner of the presidential contest in Georgia, a longtime Republican state that the Democratic president-elect narrowly won by making major inroads in suburban areas that formerly favored the GOP.
Mr. Biden won the presidency on Nov. 7, after capturing Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, which had swung for President Donald Trump in 2016. But his 0.3 percentage point lead over Mr. Trump in Georgia was so narrow that the state could not be called – until now.
It is AP’s practice not to call a race that is – or is likely to become – subject to a recount. While there is no mandatory recount law in Georgia, state law does provide an option for a recount to the losing candidate if the margin is less than 0.5 percentage points.
The AP called the race for Mr. Biden on Thursday after state election officials there said hand-tallied audit of ballots cast in the presidential race confirmed the former vice president leads Mr. Trump by roughly 12,000 votes out of nearly 5 million counted.
The audit’s review of ballots cast confirmed Mr. Biden’s lead, and no available evidence suggests a machine recount of ballots already reviewed by hand will result in a different outcome. Therefore, AP declared Mr. Biden the winner in Georgia.
The hand tally completed this week is not legally a recount under Georgia law. Rather, it was the race selected by Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger for review under a new state law that says one race in the general election must be audited by hand to check that machines counted ballots accurately. Mr. Raffensperger said the tight margin of the presidential race meant a full hand count of ballots was necessary to complete the audit.
Gabriel Sterling, who oversaw the implementation of the state’s new voting system, said the result of the hand audit found Mr. Biden leading Mr. Trump by a little more than 12,000 votes. Going into the hand tally, Mr. Biden led Mr. Trump by a margin of about 14,000 votes. Previously uncounted ballots discovered in several counties during the hand count reduced that margin, while other counties found slight differences in results as they did their hand counts. State election officials had consistently said that was to be expected, and stressed the audit was not a response to any suspected problems with the state’s results or an official recount request.
While not formally a recount under the letter of state law, the hand tally conducted to complete the audit was, in practice, a recount.
“Every single vote was touched by a human audit team and counted,” Mr. Sterling said.
The state has until Friday to certify results that have been submitted by the counties. At that point, Mr. Trump’s campaign has two business days to request a recount. That recount would be done using scanners that read and tally the votes and would be paid for by the state’s counties.
On Election Day, Mr. Trump had initially jumped out to an early lead in the state. But Mr. Biden did well with voters who cast ballots by mail. And as those ballots continued to be counted in the days after the Nov. 3. election, he overtook Mr. Trump.
Georgia has long been a Republican stronghold, dominated at most levels of government by the GOP. Voters there hadn’t swung for a Democratic presidential candidate since Bill Clinton in 1992. Mr. Trump beat Hillary Clinton there by 5 percentage points in 2016.
But the party’s grip has loosened. As older, white, Republican-leaning voters die, they’ve been replaced by a younger and more racially diverse cast of people, many of whom moved to the booming Atlanta area from other states – and took their politics with them.
Overall, demographic trends show that the state’s electorate is becoming younger and more diverse each year. Like other metro areas, Atlanta’s suburbs have also moved away from Republicans. In 2016, Mrs. Clinton flipped both Cobb and Gwinnett counties, which Mr. Biden also won.
In 2018, Democrat Stacey Abrams galvanized Black voters in her bid to become the country’s first African American woman to lead a state, a campaign she narrowly lost.
Many political analysts say it’s not a question of if, rather when, Georgia becomes a swing state. That much was clear in the closing weeks of the campaign as Mr. Biden, his running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris, and former President Barack Obama barnstormed the state. Mr. Trump, too, visited the state to play defense.
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The question that remains is whether Mr. Biden’s win marks a major shift, or a temporary revolt by suburban voters who disliked Mr. Trump and who will return to the Republican fold after he’s gone.
This story was reported by The Associated Press.