csmonitor--2020-11-09--Biden’s best advice to Americans

Biden’s best advice to Americans

In his first speech after the U.S. presidential election , Joe Biden asked all Americans to end “ this grim era of demonization.
” It was a timely request for civility given the vilification of candidates during the campaign .
His call also opens a door for more constructive debate over policy in Washington .
Yet what stood out was that he did not name names .
He did not shame anyone but rather merely pointed to the practice of name-calling , not the people who do it .
He kept the demon of demonization separate from those who resort @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it could melt away .
“ Let ’ s give each other a chance , ” Mr. Biden said , by listening to each other .
The moment was similar to a famous speech 70 years ago by Sen. Margaret Chase Smith on the Senate floor .
The Republican from Maine asked her party to “ do some soul-searching ” and not ride to power on character assassination and unsubstantiated accusations of treason .
She did not name her Republican colleague Sen. Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin , who was using public fear of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fact , by not doing so she better exposed the emptiness of what is now called McCarthyism , or accusations unrooted in truth .
Soon after , Mr. McCarthy ’ s crusade collapsed .
In both politics and diplomacy , it is still common to portray someone as “ the other , ” as not quite capable of good qualities to lead or open to change .
But as former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger noted in 2014 , the demonization of Russian leader Vladimir Putin in the United States is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an alibi for not having a policy.
” Personal attacks , or what political scientists call “ negative partisanship , ” are often an attempt to win a debate other than on merits .
Mr. Biden himself has admitted he has struggled with separating the political from the personal .
He often tells the story from his early years in the Senate when a colleague , Sen. Jesse Helms , denounced a bill granting rights to Americans with disabilities .
An angry Senator Biden was ready to attack him for lacking empathy when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden aside to inform him that Senator Helms had adopted a child with a disability .
“ It is always appropriate to question another man or woman ’ s judgment .
It ’ s never appropriate to judge the motive because you don ’ t know what it is , ” Senator Mansfield said .
Negative stereotypes about others are often a fantasy .
A recent poll by Beyond Conflict , a Boston-based nonprofit , found 79 % of Democrats and 82 % of Republicans overestimate the level to which the other side @ @ @ @ @ @ @ practice occurs less in small states like Vermont where people tend to know each other or anticipate working with each other .
In fact , Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont was perhaps the most vocal presidential candidate against demonizing comments .
Mr. Mansfield told Mr. Biden one other thing in 1973 .
“ Your job here is to find the good things in your colleagues – the things their state saw – and not focus on the bad.
” Mr. Biden said it was “ the single most important piece of advice I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as he heads toward the Oval Office , he is passing along that advice to all Americans .

In his first speech after the U.S. presidential election, Joe Biden asked all Americans to end “this grim era of demonization.” It was a timely request for civility given the vilification of candidates during the campaign. His call also opens a door for more constructive debate over policy in Washington.
Yet what stood out was that he did not name names. He did not shame anyone but rather merely pointed to the practice of name-calling, not the people who do it. He kept the demon of demonization separate from those who resort to it – with a certainty that it could melt away.
“Let’s give each other a chance,” Mr. Biden said, by listening to each other.
The moment was similar to a famous speech 70 years ago by Sen. Margaret Chase Smith on the Senate floor. The Republican from Maine asked her party to “do some soul-searching” and not ride to power on character assassination and unsubstantiated accusations of treason. She did not name her Republican colleague Sen. Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin, who was using public fear of communism to subvert his enemies. In fact, by not doing so she better exposed the emptiness of what is now called McCarthyism, or accusations unrooted in truth. Soon after, Mr. McCarthy’s crusade collapsed.
In both politics and diplomacy, it is still common to portray someone as “the other,” as not quite capable of good qualities to lead or open to change. But as former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger noted in 2014, the demonization of Russian leader Vladimir Putin in the United States is not a policy, “it’s an alibi for not having a policy.”
Personal attacks, or what political scientists call “negative partisanship,” are often an attempt to win a debate other than on merits. Mr. Biden himself has admitted he has struggled with separating the political from the personal. He often tells the story from his early years in the Senate when a colleague, Sen. Jesse Helms, denounced a bill granting rights to Americans with disabilities. An angry Senator Biden was ready to attack him for lacking empathy when Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield took Mr. Biden aside to inform him that Senator Helms had adopted a child with a disability.
“It is always appropriate to question another man or woman’s judgment. It’s never appropriate to judge the motive because you don’t know what it is,” Senator Mansfield said.
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Negative stereotypes about others are often a fantasy. A recent poll by Beyond Conflict, a Boston-based nonprofit, found 79% of Democrats and 82% of Republicans overestimate the level to which the other side dehumanizes them. Scholars note that this practice occurs less in small states like Vermont where people tend to know each other or anticipate working with each other. In fact, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont was perhaps the most vocal presidential candidate against demonizing comments.
Mr. Mansfield told Mr. Biden one other thing in 1973. “Your job here is to find the good things in your colleagues – the things their state saw – and not focus on the bad.” Mr. Biden said it was “the single most important piece of advice I got in my career.” Now, as he heads toward the Oval Office, he is passing along that advice to all Americans.


csmonitor--2020-11-09--Why a Russo-German pipeline is a potential US sanctions battleground

Few experts believe Nord Stream won ’ t ultimately go through , says Michal Baranowski of the German Marshall Fund in Warsaw .
Still , there ’ s plenty of speculation .
If Joe Biden asks “ Germany to reconsider Nord Stream 2 , ” Mr. Baranowski says , “ it ’ s going to be much more difficult for the German government to say no to President Biden , rather than President Trump.
” Yet Nord Stream 2 would foster a mutual , rather than one-sided dependency between Germany and Russia , says Dr. Julian Hinz , an international @ @ @ @ @ @ @ World Economy .
“ It ’ s a dependency fostered by trade .
Of course the Russians could stop sending gas , but we could also stop paying them.
” The United States has tried to persuade Germany to end the project , arguing that it would make Germany dependent on Russian energy .
And Germany began to publicly consider such a move after the apparent poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny in August .
On the face of it , Nord Stream 2 , a natural gas pipeline linking Russia and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Yet , because it connects Russian natural gas with Europe at a time when the West has little trust in Russian President Vladimir Putin , the pipeline has become a geopolitical flashpoint .
From the tiny port town of Sassnitz in northeast Germany , local politician Christine Zillmer bristles with fury when she recalls how America stuck its nose in her country ’ s business .
Late in 2019 , a trio of American senators insisted international firms halt work on a controversial natural gas pipeline linking Russia and Germany .
Failure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doing business around the pipeline , and a Swiss-Dutch company pulled out of the project , leaving the Russians to send ships to lay the last stretch of pipe .
The senators named her hometown ’ s port operator in the letter , and Ms. Zillmer saw red .
“ I went into shock as if I just saw a terrible car accident , ” says Ms. Zillmer .
“ Sassnitz is small , and to threaten these ‘ small people ’ with sanctions is shortsighted .
We are simply a chess piece @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russia.
” In August , a new development came in this game of transatlantic chess : Russian dissident Alexei Navalny was poisoned in an apparent attack , and then evacuated to Berlin , where German leadership ensured his safety and medical care .
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the Kremlin must answer for the attack , while her party ’ s politicians began to publicly question whether Nord Stream 2 should be halted .
On the face of it , Nord Stream 2 is simply an energy project .
Yet , because it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Europe at a time when the West has little trust in Russian President Vladimir Putin , the pipeline has become a geopolitical flashpoint .
Climate change activists have also seized on the opportunity to remind the world its natural gas product is the energy of yesteryear .
How will the project ’ s optics fare under a Joe Biden presidency ?
He has opposed the pipeline , yet he ’ d likely want to avoid the appearance of exerting undue influence over key allies like Germany , as he works to reestablish and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The main question , ” says Christoph Weber , an energy economist at the University of Duisburg-Essen , “ is ‘ How far can Europe go to allow America to use its powers to influence American interest on European ground ?
’ ” The U.S. contends that Nord Stream 2 – the second of twin pipelines that would supply the European Union with 55 billion cubic meters of Russian natural gas each year for the next 50 years – would increase European dependence on Russia .
The Germans , however , counter that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ security than the desire to sell more liquefied natural gas to Europe .
It ’ s energy at the cross section of economics and geopolitics .
Since roughly a quarter of Germany ’ s energy needs are met with gas , almost all imported , “ of course the question of gas and where we get it is important for the German economy , ” says Julian Hinz , an international economist at the Kiel Institute for the World Economy .
Yet Nord Stream 2 would foster a mutual , rather than one-sided @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says Dr. Hinz .
“ It ’ s a dependency fostered by trade .
Of course the Russians could stop sending gas , but we could also stop paying them .
They need this income .
On the other hand , if sanctions are implemented , this costs both sides.
” And , he adds , other ways of importing gas might be more expensive .
But the poisoning of Mr. Navalny in August was a reminder of how antagonistic Germany ’ s relationship with Russia has become .
“ Navalny was not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Meister , a political scientist and Russian-EU relations expert .
There was also the Russian hacking of the Bundestag , Russia ’ s constant disinformation campaigns , and the 2019 shooting of a man in a Berlin park believed to have been orchestrated by Russian agents .
“ You ’ ve had all these events and the reaction by the German government was mostly statements but no action , ” says Dr. Meister .
“ Maybe this is now the moment the German government can not step back .
Germany is powerful enough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states ’ support ” to respond to Russia .
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas told Bild that he hoped “ the Russians won ’ t force us to change our position regarding the Nord Stream 2.
” The renewed focus on Nord Stream has also been a clarion call for climate change scientists , who say switching to natural gas is a waste of time .
“ Climate change is happening much faster than we previously thought , ” says Dr. Niklas Höhne , a German climatologist and founding partner of the New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when the German government was thinking about [ Nord Stream 2 ] , we thought gas was more of a bridge energy towards renewables , but we are much too late .
We have to go directly to renewables.
” The billions in investment in Nord Stream could have instead been used to forge ways to use less energy , such as retrofitting buildings , climate experts argue .
It could also have been pumped into renewable energy such as wind , whose industry in Germany has suffered with tens of thousands of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stream won ’ t ultimately go through .
A “ big shift ” – say , of anti-Russia voices and climate change activists coming together – hasn ’ t aligned to really jeopardize this project , says Michał Baranowski , director of the Warsaw office of the German Marshall Fund of the U.S. And stoppage would result in major lawsuits and come at great cost to all partners involved .
Still , there ’ s plenty of speculation .
If Mr. Biden asks “ Germany to reconsider Nord Stream 2 , ” Mr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to be much more difficult for the German government to say no to President Biden , rather than President Trump.
” Back in Sassnitz , whose Mukran Port had suddenly become a household name in Russian-EU geopolitical circles , the politician Ms. Zillmer says the pipeline should be “ separated ” from Germany or America ’ s wish to punish Russia .
“ For the people in this region , if the project doesn ’ t go through , it would mean we let ourselves be dictated , be threatened by America.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ she says , is to make sure the U.S. , Germany , and Russia are talking .
Ms. Zillmer and a group of citizens had sent a letter to U.S. Sens .
Tom Cotton , Ted Cruz , and Ron Johnson to that effect .
“ I was really ready to make compromises with these three senators , ” but they didn ’ t answer .
“ I do think our letter arrived ... but then they forgot about it.
” In the end , she says , the furor over Nord Stream @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sassnitz .
While many in her orbit had been employed around the logistics and pipe-laying , “ now they are done and those jobs are gone , ” she says .
“ Economically , [ halting ] Nord Stream 2 won ’ t hit us .
But it is hitting us emotionally .
”

Few experts believe Nord Stream won’t ultimately go through, says Michal Baranowski of the German Marshall Fund in Warsaw. Still, there’s plenty of speculation. If Joe Biden asks “Germany to reconsider Nord Stream 2,” Mr. Baranowski says, “it’s going to be much more difficult for the German government to say no to President Biden, rather than President Trump.”
Yet Nord Stream 2 would foster a mutual, rather than one-sided dependency between Germany and Russia, says Dr. Julian Hinz, an international economist at the Kiel Institute for the World Economy. “It’s a dependency fostered by trade. Of course the Russians could stop sending gas, but we could also stop paying them.”
U.S.-sponsored sanctions can do more damage to American allies than to those they are meant to punish. Germany worries that is the case around calls to halt the Nord Stream 2 pipeline with Russia.
The United States has tried to persuade Germany to end the project, arguing that it would make Germany dependent on Russian energy. And Germany began to publicly consider such a move after the apparent poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny in August.
On the face of it, Nord Stream 2, a natural gas pipeline linking Russia and Germany, is simply an energy project. Yet, because it connects Russian natural gas with Europe at a time when the West has little trust in Russian President Vladimir Putin, the pipeline has become a geopolitical flashpoint.
From the tiny port town of Sassnitz in northeast Germany, local politician Christine Zillmer bristles with fury when she recalls how America stuck its nose in her country’s business.
Late in 2019, a trio of American senators insisted international firms halt work on a controversial natural gas pipeline linking Russia and Germany. Failure to comply would mean sanctions for companies doing business around the pipeline, and a Swiss-Dutch company pulled out of the project, leaving the Russians to send ships to lay the last stretch of pipe.
The senators named her hometown’s port operator in the letter, and Ms. Zillmer saw red.
Why We Wrote This U.S.-sponsored sanctions can do more damage to American allies than to those they are meant to punish. Germany worries that is the case around calls to halt the Nord Stream 2 pipeline with Russia.
“I went into shock as if I just saw a terrible car accident,” says Ms. Zillmer. “Sassnitz is small, and to threaten these ‘small people’ with sanctions is shortsighted. We are simply a chess piece, with Germany caught between America and Russia.”
In August, a new development came in this game of transatlantic chess: Russian dissident Alexei Navalny was poisoned in an apparent attack, and then evacuated to Berlin, where German leadership ensured his safety and medical care. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the Kremlin must answer for the attack, while her party’s politicians began to publicly question whether Nord Stream 2 should be halted.
On the face of it, Nord Stream 2 is simply an energy project. Yet, because it connects Russian natural gas with Germany and Europe at a time when the West has little trust in Russian President Vladimir Putin, the pipeline has become a geopolitical flashpoint. Climate change activists have also seized on the opportunity to remind the world its natural gas product is the energy of yesteryear. How will the project’s optics fare under a Joe Biden presidency? He has opposed the pipeline, yet he’d likely want to avoid the appearance of exerting undue influence over key allies like Germany, as he works to reestablish and strengthen transatlantic ties with Europe.
“The main question,” says Christoph Weber, an energy economist at the University of Duisburg-Essen, “is ‘How far can Europe go to allow America to use its powers to influence American interest on European ground?’”
A geopolitical football
The U.S. contends that Nord Stream 2 – the second of twin pipelines that would supply the European Union with 55 billion cubic meters of Russian natural gas each year for the next 50 years – would increase European dependence on Russia. The Germans, however, counter that Americans are driven less by European energy security than the desire to sell more liquefied natural gas to Europe.
It’s energy at the cross section of economics and geopolitics. Since roughly a quarter of Germany’s energy needs are met with gas, almost all imported, “of course the question of gas and where we get it is important for the German economy,” says Julian Hinz, an international economist at the Kiel Institute for the World Economy.
Axel Schmidt/Reuters View caption Hide caption A Russian pipe-laying vessel sits docked at the port of Mukran in Germany, July 7, 2020. After a Swiss-Dutch company pulled out of the project, Russian ships completed the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.
Yet Nord Stream 2 would foster a mutual, rather than one-sided, dependency between Germany and Russia, says Dr. Hinz. “It’s a dependency fostered by trade. Of course the Russians could stop sending gas, but we could also stop paying them. They need this income. On the other hand, if sanctions are implemented, this costs both sides.” And, he adds, other ways of importing gas might be more expensive.
But the poisoning of Mr. Navalny in August was a reminder of how antagonistic Germany’s relationship with Russia has become. “Navalny was not the first incident,” says Stefan Meister, a political scientist and Russian-EU relations expert. There was also the Russian hacking of the Bundestag, Russia’s constant disinformation campaigns, and the 2019 shooting of a man in a Berlin park believed to have been orchestrated by Russian agents.
“You’ve had all these events and the reaction by the German government was mostly statements but no action,” says Dr. Meister. “Maybe this is now the moment the German government cannot step back. Germany is powerful enough to get other [EU] member states’ support” to respond to Russia.
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas told Bild that he hoped “the Russians won’t force us to change our position regarding the Nord Stream 2.”
Environmental stalling?
The renewed focus on Nord Stream has also been a clarion call for climate change scientists, who say switching to natural gas is a waste of time. “Climate change is happening much faster than we previously thought,” says Dr. Niklas Höhne, a German climatologist and founding partner of the New Climate Institute. “Ten years ago when the German government was thinking about [Nord Stream 2], we thought gas was more of a bridge energy towards renewables, but we are much too late. We have to go directly to renewables.”
The billions in investment in Nord Stream could have instead been used to forge ways to use less energy, such as retrofitting buildings, climate experts argue. It could also have been pumped into renewable energy such as wind, whose industry in Germany has suffered with tens of thousands of layoffs.
Yet few experts believe Nord Stream won’t ultimately go through. A “big shift” – say, of anti-Russia voices and climate change activists coming together – hasn’t aligned to really jeopardize this project, says Michał Baranowski, director of the Warsaw office of the German Marshall Fund of the U.S. And stoppage would result in major lawsuits and come at great cost to all partners involved.
Still, there’s plenty of speculation. If Mr. Biden asks “Germany to reconsider Nord Stream 2,” Mr. Baranowski says, “it’s going to be much more difficult for the German government to say no to President Biden, rather than President Trump.”
Keeping the conversation going
Back in Sassnitz, whose Mukran Port had suddenly become a household name in Russian-EU geopolitical circles, the politician Ms. Zillmer says the pipeline should be “separated” from Germany or America’s wish to punish Russia. “For the people in this region, if the project doesn’t go through, it would mean we let ourselves be dictated, be threatened by America.”
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empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
One way to avoid that, she says, is to make sure the U.S., Germany, and Russia are talking. Ms. Zillmer and a group of citizens had sent a letter to U.S. Sens. Tom Cotton, Ted Cruz, and Ron Johnson to that effect. “I was really ready to make compromises with these three senators,” but they didn’t answer. “I do think our letter arrived ... but then they forgot about it.”
In the end, she says, the furor over Nord Stream 2 is not a financial one in Sassnitz. While many in her orbit had been employed around the logistics and pipe-laying, “now they are done and those jobs are gone,” she says. “Economically, [halting] Nord Stream 2 won’t hit us. But it is hitting us emotionally.”


csmonitor--2020-11-09--Dragon riders: NASA preps for SpaceX's second crew launch

Four astronauts arrived at Kennedy Space Center on Sunday for SpaceX ’ s second crew launch , coming up this weekend .
For NASA , it marks the long-awaited start of regular crew rotations at the International Space Station , with private companies providing the lifts .
There will be double the number of astronauts as the test flight earlier this year , and their mission will last a full six months .
“ Make no mistake : Every flight is a test flight when it comes to space travel .
But it ’ s also true that we need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the International Space Station , ” NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said in welcoming the astronauts to Kennedy .
The crew , three of whom are American and one of whom is Japanese , is scheduled to rocket away Saturday night , provided approaching Tropical Storm Eta doesn ’ t interfere .
It will be a speedy trip to the space station , a six-orbit express lasting under nine hours .
The astronauts have named their Dragon capsule Resilience given all the challenges of 2020 : coronavirus and social isolation , protests against racial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and campaign season .
They have been in quarantine and have been taking safety precautions – masks and social distancing – long before that .
“ It ’ s been a tough year for everybody for a lot of different reasons , ” crew commander Mike Hopkins said after flying in from Houston .
“ We felt like if the name of our vehicle could give a little hope , a little inspiration , put a smile on people ’ s face , then that is definitely what we wanted to do.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spring , when their replacements arrive aboard another SpaceX Dragon capsule .
The cargo version of the capsule also will keep making regular deliveries of food and supplies .
SpaceX ’ s Benji Reed said the company expects to launch seven Dragons over the next 14 months : three for crew and four for cargo .
“ Every time there ’ s a Dragon launch , there will be two Dragons in space , ” said Mr. Reed , director of crew mission management .
NASA ’ s other hired taxi service , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expected to fly its first crew until next summer .
The company plans a second unpiloted test flight in a couple months ; the first one suffered so many software problems that the Starliner capsule failed to reach the space station .
NASA turned to private companies for space station deliveries – cargo , then crew – following the shuttle fleet ’ s retirement in 2011 .
American astronauts kept hitching rides on Russian rockets at increasingly steep prices .
The last Soyuz ticket cost NASA $ 90 million .
SpaceX finally ended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for astronauts last May , successfully delivering a pair of test pilots to the space station from Kennedy for a two-month stay .
The returning capsule was scrutinized by SpaceX following its splashdown , resulting in a few changes for this second flight .
Engineers discovered excessive erosion in the heat shield from the searing reentry temperatures ; the company shored up the vulnerable section for the upcoming launch , said SpaceX ’ s Hans Koenigsmann , a vice president .
Improvements also were made to the altitude-measuring system for the parachutes , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ low on the first astronaut flight .
More recently , the Falcon rocket had two engines replaced because of contamination from a red lacquer used in processing .
The engine swaps delayed the flight two weeks .
Perhaps the biggest surprise from the first SpaceX crew flight was all the private boats full of gawkers who surrounded the capsule in the Gulf of Mexico following splashdown in August .
Mr. Koenigsmann promises a bigger keep-out zone and more patrols for future returns .
The second crew has three veteran fliers and one first-timer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Force colonel and former space station resident who grew up on a hog and cattle farm in Missouri .
•Navy Cmdr .
Victor Glover is the pilot and the lone space rookie ; he ’ s from the Los Angeles area and will be the first African American astronaut to move into the space station for a long stay .
•Shannon Walker , a Houston-born-and-raised physicist , also has lived before on the space station ; her husband , retired astronaut Andrew Thomas , helped build the outpost .
•The Japanese Space Agency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ station resident , will become the first person in decades to launch on three kinds of rocket ships ; he ’ s already flown on a U.S. space shuttle and Russian Soyuz .
They will join two Russians and one American who arrived at the space station last month after launching from Kazakhstan .
Mr. Hopkins and his crew will ride to the launch pad in Teslas – from SpaceX founder Elon Musk ’ s auto company – in spacesuits color-coordinated with the spacecraft .
But beneath all the good looks is “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Mr. Glover .
“ It ’ s a very sleek capsule .
But it ’ s got the advantage of having great leaps in technology since the last time we built spacecraft here in this country , ” Ms. Walker said in a recent interview with The Associated Press .
Mr. Noguchi , who along with Ms. Walker joined the crew just this year , is particularly excited about riding a Dragon .
In Japan , the dragon is an esteemed mythical creature – “ almost a ride to the heaven.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to learn how to train the Dragon actually , how to ride a Dragon , ” he said .
“ SpaceX did pretty good job teaching from scratch to dragon rider in six months.
” This story was reported by The Associated Press .
The AP Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute ’ s Department of Science Education .
The AP is solely responsible for all content .

Four astronauts arrived at Kennedy Space Center on Sunday for SpaceX’s second crew launch, coming up this weekend.
For NASA, it marks the long-awaited start of regular crew rotations at the International Space Station, with private companies providing the lifts. There will be double the number of astronauts as the test flight earlier this year, and their mission will last a full six months.
“Make no mistake: Every flight is a test flight when it comes to space travel. But it’s also true that we need to routinely be able to go to the International Space Station,” NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said in welcoming the astronauts to Kennedy.
The crew, three of whom are American and one of whom is Japanese, is scheduled to rocket away Saturday night, provided approaching Tropical Storm Eta doesn’t interfere. It will be a speedy trip to the space station, a six-orbit express lasting under nine hours.
The astronauts have named their Dragon capsule Resilience given all the challenges of 2020: coronavirus and social isolation, protests against racial injustice, and a particularly difficult election and campaign season. They have been in quarantine and have been taking safety precautions – masks and social distancing – long before that.
“It’s been a tough year for everybody for a lot of different reasons,” crew commander Mike Hopkins said after flying in from Houston. “We felt like if the name of our vehicle could give a little hope, a little inspiration, put a smile on people’s face, then that is definitely what we wanted to do.”
The four will remain in orbit until spring, when their replacements arrive aboard another SpaceX Dragon capsule. The cargo version of the capsule also will keep making regular deliveries of food and supplies.
SpaceX’s Benji Reed said the company expects to launch seven Dragons over the next 14 months: three for crew and four for cargo.
“Every time there’s a Dragon launch, there will be two Dragons in space,” said Mr. Reed, director of crew mission management.
NASA’s other hired taxi service, meanwhile, Boeing, isn’t expected to fly its first crew until next summer. The company plans a second unpiloted test flight in a couple months; the first one suffered so many software problems that the Starliner capsule failed to reach the space station.
NASA turned to private companies for space station deliveries – cargo, then crew – following the shuttle fleet’s retirement in 2011. American astronauts kept hitching rides on Russian rockets at increasingly steep prices. The last Soyuz ticket cost NASA $90 million.
SpaceX finally ended NASA’s nearly decade-long launch drought for astronauts last May, successfully delivering a pair of test pilots to the space station from Kennedy for a two-month stay. The returning capsule was scrutinized by SpaceX following its splashdown, resulting in a few changes for this second flight.
Engineers discovered excessive erosion in the heat shield from the searing reentry temperatures; the company shored up the vulnerable section for the upcoming launch, said SpaceX’s Hans Koenigsmann, a vice president. Improvements also were made to the altitude-measuring system for the parachutes, after the chutes opened a little too low on the first astronaut flight. More recently, the Falcon rocket had two engines replaced because of contamination from a red lacquer used in processing. The engine swaps delayed the flight two weeks.
Perhaps the biggest surprise from the first SpaceX crew flight was all the private boats full of gawkers who surrounded the capsule in the Gulf of Mexico following splashdown in August. Mr. Koenigsmann promises a bigger keep-out zone and more patrols for future returns.
The second crew has three veteran fliers and one first-timer:
•Mr. Hopkins is an Air Force colonel and former space station resident who grew up on a hog and cattle farm in Missouri.
•Navy Cmdr. Victor Glover is the pilot and the lone space rookie; he’s from the Los Angeles area and will be the first African American astronaut to move into the space station for a long stay.
•Shannon Walker, a Houston-born-and-raised physicist, also has lived before on the space station; her husband, retired astronaut Andrew Thomas, helped build the outpost.
•The Japanese Space Agency’s Soichi Noguchi, another former station resident, will become the first person in decades to launch on three kinds of rocket ships; he’s already flown on a U.S. space shuttle and Russian Soyuz.
They will join two Russians and one American who arrived at the space station last month after launching from Kazakhstan.
Mr. Hopkins and his crew will ride to the launch pad in Teslas – from SpaceX founder Elon Musk’s auto company – in spacesuits color-coordinated with the spacecraft. But beneath all the good looks is “lots of amazing capability,” according to Mr. Glover.
“It’s a very sleek capsule. But it’s got the advantage of having great leaps in technology since the last time we built spacecraft here in this country,” Ms. Walker said in a recent interview with The Associated Press.
Mr. Noguchi, who along with Ms. Walker joined the crew just this year, is particularly excited about riding a Dragon. In Japan, the dragon is an esteemed mythical creature – “almost a ride to the heaven.”
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“It’s quite a privilege to learn how to train the Dragon actually, how to ride a Dragon,” he said. “SpaceX did pretty good job teaching from scratch to dragon rider in six months.”
This story was reported by The Associated Press. The AP Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.


csmonitor--2020-11-09--Florida, a Trump stronghold, also voted to increase minimum wage

As Florida threw its support behind President Donald Trump this week , voters in the state also approved a hike to the minimum wage , a measure supported by unions and strongly opposed by business .
More than 6.3 million of Florida ’ s 11 million voters approved a hike in the minimum wage to $ 15 an hour by 2026 , a victory for workers made possible because the question was put directly to voters and not through the legislature , experts said .
Florida ’ s Republican-led legislature has repeatedly rejected efforts to increase the minimum wage , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minimum wage to $ 15 an hour failed in 2019 in the Republican-controlled United States Senate .
“ The primary obstacle to a higher minimum wage throughout the country is Republican control of legislatures , ” said David Cooper , senior economic analyst with the Economic Policy Institute , a non-profit think tank .
“ Any time this question is put before voters , they overwhelming say they want a higher minimum wage , ” he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation .
The wage increase proposal found support in the Miami area , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ population who work in the service industry , said Eduardo Gamarra , a political science professor at Florida International University .
“ Miami has a very , very low median income , ” he said .
“ That large service sector economy wants better wages , even though it contradicts the Republican platform.
” About 51 % of Florida voters backed the Republican Trump , and about 48 % backed the Democrat , former Vice President Joe Biden .
Polling in Florida had shown Mr. Biden with a slight edge .
The increase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million workers in Florida , where many low-wage jobs are in its $ 90 billion a year tourism industry , said groups that backed the measure like the Florida Policy Institute , a non-profit , and the Service Employees International Union .
The Florida Chamber of Commerce , which represents businesses and corporations , and the state restaurant and hotel association fought the measure , saying it would cripple the economy .
“ Studies show this amendment will cause Florida to lose hundreds of thousands of jobs , drive up inflation , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in lost revenue , ” the Chamber said in an emailed statement .
But the cost of living , especially in population centers like Orlando and South Florida , long ago exceeded minimum wage earners ’ ability to keep up , Mr. Cooper said .
Nine out of 10 workers who will benefit are adults , a quarter of them have children , and more than half are full-time workers , Mr. Cooper said .
“ These are folks who are primary breadwinners for their families , ” he said .
About half @ @ @ @ @ @ @ less than $ 15 an hour , and the measure could lift about four million families out of poverty , supporters said .
However , those figures were gathered prior to the COVID-19 pandemic , which hit Florida ’ s tourism industry hard .
The state ’ s minimum wage has been $ 8.56 per hour since 2020 , but some restaurant workers are paid as little as $ 2.13 an hour under laws that assume they will make up the balance in tips .
The Walt Disney Co , which runs Disneyworld @ @ @ @ @ @ @ owns restaurant chains like Olive Garden , lobbied for years against a minimum wage hike .
But Disney in 2018 agreed to raise the minimum wage for its 38,000 unionized park workers to $ 15 an hour , while Amazon and other companies expanding in the state agreed to similar steps .
“ No way to keep up ” “ Every month my expenses were bigger than my income , I can not tell you the burden of a life like that , ” said Ketty Touissant Rene , who until mid-March was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Beach .
“ The rent , gasoline , groceries , healthcare , and all of the other expenses , there was just no way to keep up no matter how much I worked.
” The consequences of a minimum wage hike are hotly debated .
A 2019 study by the federal Congressional Budget Office said a national minimum wage increase to $ 15 an hour would boost the pay of about 17 million workers but could lead to the loss of 1.3 million jobs .
But Mr. Cooper said that figure was an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ large shows that higher minimum wages have little to no impact on jobs , ” he said .
“ If the sky were going to fall , we would ’ ve seen it by now.
” Some studies say $ 15 is not enough .
One study by the National Low Income Housing Coalition found workers in Florida needed to earn $ 20.68 an hour to rent a two-bedroom home at market rate without spending more than 30 % of their income .
This story was reported by the Thomson Reuters Foundation .

As Florida threw its support behind President Donald Trump this week, voters in the state also approved a hike to the minimum wage, a measure supported by unions and strongly opposed by business.
More than 6.3 million of Florida’s 11 million voters approved a hike in the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2026, a victory for workers made possible because the question was put directly to voters and not through the legislature, experts said.
Florida’s Republican-led legislature has repeatedly rejected efforts to increase the minimum wage, and an effort to hike the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour failed in 2019 in the Republican-controlled United States Senate.
“The primary obstacle to a higher minimum wage throughout the country is Republican control of legislatures,” said David Cooper, senior economic analyst with the Economic Policy Institute, a non-profit think tank.
“Any time this question is put before voters, they overwhelming say they want a higher minimum wage,” he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
The wage increase proposal found support in the Miami area, which has a large Hispanic and Cuban-American population who work in the service industry, said Eduardo Gamarra, a political science professor at Florida International University.
“Miami has a very, very low median income,” he said. “That large service sector economy wants better wages, even though it contradicts the Republican platform.”
About 51% of Florida voters backed the Republican Trump, and about 48% backed the Democrat, former Vice President Joe Biden. Polling in Florida had shown Mr. Biden with a slight edge.
The increase will mean a raise for some 2.5 million workers in Florida, where many low-wage jobs are in its $90 billion a year tourism industry, said groups that backed the measure like the Florida Policy Institute, a non-profit, and the Service Employees International Union.
‘Primary breadwinners’ will benefit
The Florida Chamber of Commerce, which represents businesses and corporations, and the state restaurant and hotel association fought the measure, saying it would cripple the economy.
“Studies show this amendment will cause Florida to lose hundreds of thousands of jobs, drive up inflation, and cost Florida more than $700 million in lost revenue,” the Chamber said in an emailed statement.
But the cost of living, especially in population centers like Orlando and South Florida, long ago exceeded minimum wage earners’ ability to keep up, Mr. Cooper said.
Nine out of 10 workers who will benefit are adults, a quarter of them have children, and more than half are full-time workers, Mr. Cooper said.
“These are folks who are primary breadwinners for their families,” he said.
About half of Florida’s full-time workers earn less than $15 an hour, and the measure could lift about four million families out of poverty, supporters said.
However, those figures were gathered prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, which hit Florida’s tourism industry hard.
The state’s minimum wage has been $8.56 per hour since 2020, but some restaurant workers are paid as little as $2.13 an hour under laws that assume they will make up the balance in tips.
The Walt Disney Co, which runs Disneyworld in Florida, and Darden, which owns restaurant chains like Olive Garden, lobbied for years against a minimum wage hike.
But Disney in 2018 agreed to raise the minimum wage for its 38,000 unionized park workers to $15 an hour, while Amazon and other companies expanding in the state agreed to similar steps.
“No way to keep up”
“Every month my expenses were bigger than my income, I cannot tell you the burden of a life like that,” said Ketty Touissant Rene, who until mid-March was a hotel steward at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach.
“The rent, gasoline, groceries, healthcare, and all of the other expenses, there was just no way to keep up no matter how much I worked.”
The consequences of a minimum wage hike are hotly debated.
A 2019 study by the federal Congressional Budget Office said a national minimum wage increase to $15 an hour would boost the pay of about 17 million workers but could lead to the loss of 1.3 million jobs.
But Mr. Cooper said that figure was an exaggeration.
“The research by and large shows that higher minimum wages have little to no impact on jobs,” he said. “If the sky were going to fall, we would’ve seen it by now.”
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Some studies say $15 is not enough. One study by the National Low Income Housing Coalition found workers in Florida needed to earn $20.68 an hour to rent a two-bedroom home at market rate without spending more than 30% of their income.
This story was reported by the Thomson Reuters Foundation.


csmonitor--2020-11-09--Lebanese duo helps stranded migrant workers find a way home

In a damp room with a few rotting pieces of furniture and old mattresses on the floor , seven migrant women sit hugging their belongings , a Kenyan flag hanging behind them on the wall .
A Lebanese woman walks into the apartment , located in a poor area east of Beirut , and the migrants rush excitedly to hug her .
“ We are finally going home , ” says Nancy , a Kenyan .
“ Déa is a heavenly saint .
We experienced a lot here , but Déa and her friend are our saviors.
” Déa Hage-Chahine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who have partnered on a mission to repatriate migrant domestic workers stranded in Lebanon by the worst economic crisis in the country ’ s modern history .
In two months , they have helped more than 120 women get home , mostly Kenyans and some Ethiopians , fundraising more than $ 35,000 for flights and coronavirus tests through an online campaign and working tirelessly to clear bureaucratic and legal hurdles .
It ’ s a mission both came into unexpectedly .
The 33-year-old Mr. Majdalani , who works in finance in New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the summer when he heard about the thousands of migrants lining up outside their embassies trying in vain to get help to leave .
First , he tried to use his brother ’ s travel agency to arrange private chartered flights for them .
“ But that was way too costly , ” he said .
A friend connected him to Ms. Hage-Chahine .
Separately , she too had been inspired to act .
“ I was walking my dog in Beirut and saw so many women and children on the streets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” she said .
“ I could not see that and turn a blind eye.
” Lebanon has some 250,000 migrant workers , most of them women working as maids .
Even before the crisis , they were subjected to abuse under a sponsorship system , known in Arabic as “ kafala , ” which ties workers to their employers .
Rights activists have described the system as a form of “ neo-slavery.
” Thousands have escaped employers , then stayed to work undocumented .
“ Workers are viewed as objects here , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fees they pay to brokers to justify barring maids from leaving , he said .
“ They confiscate their passports as if they owned them.
” Then the bottom fell out of Lebanon ’ s economy this year in a combination of financial collapse and the coronavirus pandemic .
Lebanese have lost jobs and seen the value of their savings evaporate as the currency plunges in value .
Migrant workers were thrown into desperate straits .
Many maids have not been paid for months .
Some employers dumped them on the streets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can ’ t afford the exorbitant costs of repatriation flights .
Ms. Hage-Chahine worked in marketing but has recently been unemployed .
In addition to the money from fundraising , she has used some of her savings to pay for a shelter for the women and provide food and medicine .
She spent her days with them on the streets , counseling them , shopping for them .
Meanwhile , she and Mr. Majdalani worked out the nitty gritty details of arranging departures .
They retrieved workers ’ passports and belongings from former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to resolve legal obstacles , and organized and paid for flights .
“ We help change someone ’ s life , ” Ms. Hage-Chahine said .
“ Unfortunately , the work we do is actually so small compared to the reality of the problem.
” They played the role of embassies in theory should have bee , playing , which they describe in practice as corrupt and incapable of helping the migrants .
On its website , the Kenyan Consulate in Lebanon says it is registering legal and illegal workers seeking to return @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which has been embroiled in allegations of abuse and exploitation , went unanswered .
The Ethiopian Embassy did not respond to an Associated Press request for a comment .
Back at the shelter , Ms. Hage-Chahine and Mr. Majdalani helped the women load their luggage into a bus .
Nancy , the Kenyan woman who gave just her first name , fled her employers years ago because , she said , the children abused her because she ’ s Black .
She has worked without papers since .
With no one paying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ couldn ’ t stay .
What she did save is trapped in a bank account by currency controls .
She ’ s relieved just to get out .
“ I am going to see my son and start my own business , ” she said .
“ I will not come back here again.
” The final goodbyes at the airport with Ms. Hage-Chahine and Mr. Majdalani were emotional for everyone .
“ I don ’ t think anyone will forget what they have done , ” said Ririan , one of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ condition of anonymity , fearing retaliation from authorities .
“ Seeing their happiness , when they are finally able to leave , is very rewarding , ” said Mr. Majdalani , who has since returned to New York .
“ Especially knowing that we are freeing them from horrible living conditions .
That is a moment of pride and joy.
” This story was reported by The Associated Press .

In a damp room with a few rotting pieces of furniture and old mattresses on the floor, seven migrant women sit hugging their belongings, a Kenyan flag hanging behind them on the wall.
A Lebanese woman walks into the apartment, located in a poor area east of Beirut, and the migrants rush excitedly to hug her.
“We are finally going home,” says Nancy, a Kenyan. “Déa is a heavenly saint. We experienced a lot here, but Déa and her friend are our saviors.”
Déa Hage-Chahine and Serge Majdalani are two young Lebanese who have partnered on a mission to repatriate migrant domestic workers stranded in Lebanon by the worst economic crisis in the country’s modern history.
In two months, they have helped more than 120 women get home, mostly Kenyans and some Ethiopians, fundraising more than $35,000 for flights and coronavirus tests through an online campaign and working tirelessly to clear bureaucratic and legal hurdles.
It’s a mission both came into unexpectedly. The 33-year-old Mr. Majdalani, who works in finance in New York, was visiting his family in Beirut in the summer when he heard about the thousands of migrants lining up outside their embassies trying in vain to get help to leave.
First, he tried to use his brother’s travel agency to arrange private chartered flights for them. “But that was way too costly,” he said.
A friend connected him to Ms. Hage-Chahine. Separately, she too had been inspired to act.
“I was walking my dog in Beirut and saw so many women and children on the streets. No one was helping them,” she said. “I could not see that and turn a blind eye.”
Lebanon has some 250,000 migrant workers, most of them women working as maids.
Even before the crisis, they were subjected to abuse under a sponsorship system, known in Arabic as “kafala,” which ties workers to their employers. Rights activists have described the system as a form of “neo-slavery.” Thousands have escaped employers, then stayed to work undocumented.
“Workers are viewed as objects here,” said Mr. Majdalani. Employers use the fees they pay to brokers to justify barring maids from leaving, he said. “They confiscate their passports as if they owned them.”
Then the bottom fell out of Lebanon’s economy this year in a combination of financial collapse and the coronavirus pandemic.
Lebanese have lost jobs and seen the value of their savings evaporate as the currency plunges in value.
Migrant workers were thrown into desperate straits. Many maids have not been paid for months. Some employers dumped them on the streets or outside their embassies.
Now many can’t afford the exorbitant costs of repatriation flights.
Ms. Hage-Chahine worked in marketing but has recently been unemployed. In addition to the money from fundraising, she has used some of her savings to pay for a shelter for the women and provide food and medicine.
She spent her days with them on the streets, counseling them, shopping for them. Meanwhile, she and Mr. Majdalani worked out the nitty gritty details of arranging departures. They retrieved workers’ passports and belongings from former employers, talked daily with security officials to resolve legal obstacles, and organized and paid for flights.
“We help change someone’s life,” Ms. Hage-Chahine said. “Unfortunately, the work we do is actually so small compared to the reality of the problem.”
They played the role of embassies in theory should have bee, playing, which they describe in practice as corrupt and incapable of helping the migrants.
On its website, the Kenyan Consulate in Lebanon says it is registering legal and illegal workers seeking to return home. Phone calls to the consulate, which has been embroiled in allegations of abuse and exploitation, went unanswered. The Ethiopian Embassy did not respond to an Associated Press request for a comment.
Back at the shelter, Ms. Hage-Chahine and Mr. Majdalani helped the women load their luggage into a bus.
Nancy, the Kenyan woman who gave just her first name, fled her employers years ago because, she said, the children abused her because she’s Black. She has worked without papers since. With no one paying in United States dollars anymore, she couldn’t stay. What she did save is trapped in a bank account by currency controls.
She’s relieved just to get out.
“I am going to see my son and start my own business,” she said. “I will not come back here again.”
The final goodbyes at the airport with Ms. Hage-Chahine and Mr. Majdalani were emotional for everyone.
“I don’t think anyone will forget what they have done,” said Ririan, one of the departing migrants. They all spoke on condition of anonymity, fearing retaliation from authorities.
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empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
“Seeing their happiness, when they are finally able to leave, is very rewarding,” said Mr. Majdalani, who has since returned to New York. “Especially knowing that we are freeing them from horrible living conditions. That is a moment of pride and joy.”
This story was reported by The Associated Press.


csmonitor--2020-11-09--As tourists disappear, Bedouins revive ancient farming roots

For years , Um Saad has been urging fellow Bedouins to tend their orchards and vegetable patches in the mountains of Egypt ’ s South Sinai .
It took a pandemic for them to listen to her .
Tourism , her community ’ s main source of income , has been wobbly for years – rattled by militant attacks and political unrest .
But COVID-19 has decimated the sector , encouraging many Bedouins to go back to the livelihoods of their ancestors .
“ This is one good thing about the coronavirus , ” said Ms. Saad , sitting outside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decades near the town of Saint Catherine , occasionally hosting foreign visitors hiking in the mountainous region .
“ For me , agriculture and tourism have always been in parallel .
But agriculture is the major source of sustaining life here , ” she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation .
Since the pandemic brought tourism to a virtual standstill in March , hundreds of Bedouins have returned to their plots in the mountains of Saint Catherine , which have often served as a haven in times of political upheaval and war .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 25 Revolution in 2011 and the Iraqi-Kuwaiti war in 1992 , ” said Ahmed Farhan , a Bedouin who arrived back in the region in May after losing his job as a tour guide .
The revolution that toppled late President Hosni Mubarak nine years ago , and the 2015 bombing of a Russian passenger jet , dealt sharp blows to Egyptian tourism from which it had only just recovered when the coronavirus outbreak hit .
Gathering crops from the newly replanted garden tended by his father before him , Mr. Farhan said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sell the surplus .
He no longer wants to return to his former work taking tourists to Mount Sinai .
“ This life is the best .
I ’ m eating healthy food , drinking clean water from the wells here , and also making money out of the crops that I grow .
What more could I need ?
” said Mr. Farhan , who grows grapes , honey , almonds , and vegetables .
Tourism accounts for up to 15 % of Egypt ’ s gross domestic product and officials have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1 billion each month since COVID-19 shut borders and airports .
One of Egypt ’ s biggest tourism draws , alongside historic sites such as Luxor and the Pyramids of Giza , are the sandy beaches of the South Sinai – home to the Sharm el-Sheikh resort .
But visitor numbers in the city have been just 10 % of last year ’ s levels in recent months , officials said in September , and thousands of staff have been laid off due to lockdown closures and subsequent social distancing measures .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resorts is a sharp contrast to life in and around Saint Catherine , which lies 5,200 feet above sea-level .
In the highlands around the town , Bedouin tribes have a long history of small-scale farming and goat herding before a boom in package tourism in the 1980s led many to abandon their ancestral land and farming traditions .
Different Bedouin tribes live across the Sinai , with traditional livelihoods tied to the region ’ s diverse climate and landscape , whether raising camels in the desert to fishing along the coast .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ adapting to the region ’ s harsh conditions and other challenges , said Ben Hoffler , co-founder of the Sinai Trail , a hiking tourism project .
“ The Bedouin economy is a diverse one .
It ’ s part of their economic survival strategy .
If one sector of the economy goes down they revive other sectors until things improve , ” he said .
“ This is exactly what the Bedouin are doing now.
” Before the 2011 revolution scared visitors away , tourism revenues were at record highs in Egypt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year .
The industry had started to rebound in the last two years .
Many Bedouins will likely return to tourism when the pandemic passes , Mr. Hoffler said .
But at the same time , the crisis has reminded many younger Bedouins of the need to keep their options open .
“ The capacity to live from the land is something that sets the Bedouin apart and its economic advantages – and the extra safety it gives – is more clear than ever in a pandemic , ” he added .
South @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of agricultural projects in August in Saint Catherine to support Bedouin communities , including plans to build greenhouses , training programs , and the distribution of olive seedlings .
In Cairo , the national government has earmarked billions of dollars for developmental projects in the Sinai to expand agricultural lands and make better use of water .
But Sheikh Saad , who has come back to his orchard after working for 30 years as a tour guide in Mount Sinai , said many Bedouins would not need much persuasion to continue looking after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ More and more Bedouins will start to look for resources in the mountains , ” he said .
“ They have realized that taking care of these resources is sustainable unlike tourism which can dwindle at any time.
” This story was reported by the Thomson Reuters Foundation .

For years, Um Saad has been urging fellow Bedouins to tend their orchards and vegetable patches in the mountains of Egypt’s South Sinai. It took a pandemic for them to listen to her.
Tourism, her community’s main source of income, has been wobbly for years – rattled by militant attacks and political unrest. But COVID-19 has decimated the sector, encouraging many Bedouins to go back to the livelihoods of their ancestors.
“This is one good thing about the coronavirus,” said Ms. Saad, sitting outside the house where she has lived for decades near the town of Saint Catherine, occasionally hosting foreign visitors hiking in the mountainous region.
“For me, agriculture and tourism have always been in parallel. But agriculture is the major source of sustaining life here,” she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
Since the pandemic brought tourism to a virtual standstill in March, hundreds of Bedouins have returned to their plots in the mountains of Saint Catherine, which have often served as a haven in times of political upheaval and war.
“We experienced that also during the January 25 Revolution in 2011 and the Iraqi-Kuwaiti war in 1992,” said Ahmed Farhan, a Bedouin who arrived back in the region in May after losing his job as a tour guide.
The revolution that toppled late President Hosni Mubarak nine years ago, and the 2015 bombing of a Russian passenger jet, dealt sharp blows to Egyptian tourism from which it had only just recovered when the coronavirus outbreak hit.
Gathering crops from the newly replanted garden tended by his father before him, Mr. Farhan said he produces enough to feed himself and sell the surplus. He no longer wants to return to his former work taking tourists to Mount Sinai.
“This life is the best. I’m eating healthy food, drinking clean water from the wells here, and also making money out of the crops that I grow. What more could I need?” said Mr. Farhan, who grows grapes, honey, almonds, and vegetables.
Survival strategy
Tourism accounts for up to 15% of Egypt’s gross domestic product and officials have said the country was losing about $1 billion each month since COVID-19 shut borders and airports.
One of Egypt’s biggest tourism draws, alongside historic sites such as Luxor and the Pyramids of Giza, are the sandy beaches of the South Sinai – home to the Sharm el-Sheikh resort.
But visitor numbers in the city have been just 10% of last year’s levels in recent months, officials said in September, and thousands of staff have been laid off due to lockdown closures and subsequent social distancing measures.
The bustle of Sharm el-Sheikh and other coastal resorts is a sharp contrast to life in and around Saint Catherine, which lies 5,200 feet above sea-level.
In the highlands around the town, Bedouin tribes have a long history of small-scale farming and goat herding before a boom in package tourism in the 1980s led many to abandon their ancestral land and farming traditions.
Different Bedouin tribes live across the Sinai, with traditional livelihoods tied to the region’s diverse climate and landscape, whether raising camels in the desert to fishing along the coast.
They are known for being expert at adapting to the region’s harsh conditions and other challenges, said Ben Hoffler, co-founder of the Sinai Trail, a hiking tourism project.
“The Bedouin economy is a diverse one. It’s part of their economic survival strategy. If one sector of the economy goes down they revive other sectors until things improve,” he said.
“This is exactly what the Bedouin are doing now.”
Sustainable livelihoods
Before the 2011 revolution scared visitors away, tourism revenues were at record highs in Egypt, bringing in $13 billion per year. The industry had started to rebound in the last two years.
Many Bedouins will likely return to tourism when the pandemic passes, Mr. Hoffler said. But at the same time, the crisis has reminded many younger Bedouins of the need to keep their options open.
“The capacity to live from the land is something that sets the Bedouin apart and its economic advantages – and the extra safety it gives – is more clear than ever in a pandemic,” he added.
South Sinai’s governorate launched a series of agricultural projects in August in Saint Catherine to support Bedouin communities, including plans to build greenhouses, training programs, and the distribution of olive seedlings.
In Cairo, the national government has earmarked billions of dollars for developmental projects in the Sinai to expand agricultural lands and make better use of water.
But Sheikh Saad, who has come back to his orchard after working for 30 years as a tour guide in Mount Sinai, said many Bedouins would not need much persuasion to continue looking after their fruit trees and vegetable gardens.
“More and more Bedouins will start to look for resources in the mountains,” he said.
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“They have realized that taking care of these resources is sustainable unlike tourism which can dwindle at any time.”
This story was reported by the Thomson Reuters Foundation.


csmonitor--2020-11-09--A pollution solution where the rubber meets the road

The inspiration came from rubbing a balloon over a sweater and seeing the pieces “ dancing around , ” says Hugo Richardson , The Tyre Collective ’ s chief technical officer .
“ That led us to the assumption that the particles are charged due to the friction . ''
The Tyre Collective , a project by four recent graduates , has been developing a device that attaches to the bottom of a car and uses electrostatic charges to collect particles for reuse .
A group of master 's students from Imperial College London and the Royal College of Art @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tires picked up after themselves ?
Collectively , humans produce enough tire dust and particles to outweigh the Great Pyramid of Giza each year , with devastating impacts on some ecosystems .
One study found that tires are the second-largest source of primary microplastic pollution in the ocean , after synthetic textiles .
Most eco-conscious drivers are focused on their tailpipes , not their tires .
But every time a car brakes , accelerates , or changes direction , it leaves behind fragments of rubber and other particles that remain suspended in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Most eco-conscious drivers are focused on their tailpipes , not their tires .
But every time a car brakes , accelerates , or changes direction , the friction wears down the exterior of the tire , sending particles into the environment .
Some remain suspended in the air , and others get swept into local waterways , where they can have devastating effects on plant and animal life .
Humans produce about 6.7 million tons of tire pollution annually , according to some estimates .
That ’ s more than enough dust @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Giza .
A group of master ’ s students from Imperial College London and the Royal College of Art had an idea : what if the tires picked up after themselves ?
The Tyre Collective , a project by recent graduates Hugo Richardson , Siobhan Anderson , Deepak Mallya , and Hanson Cheng , seeks to capture this stealthy pollutant as it flies off the wheel .
For the past year , they ’ ve been working on a device that can attach to the bottom of a car and use electrostatic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the moving wheel , to collect particles for reuse .
The inspiration came from rubbing a balloon over a sweater and seeing the pieces “ dancing around , ” says Mr. Richardson , chief technical officer of The Tyre Collective .
“ That led us to the assumption that the particles are charged due to the friction.
” Their prototype collects 60 % of all airborne tire emissions on a bicycle wheel and sandpaper road test rig .
The Tyre Collective won the 2020 U.K. James Dyson Award and is now a finalist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which includes a $ 35,000 prize .
The winners are set to be announced on Nov. 16 .
Gavin Whitmore , manager of the Tire Industry Project , an initiative by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development geared toward better understanding the potential health and environmental impact of tires , says his organization is keeping an eye on their work .
“ We understand very well how difficult it is to try and capture and isolate these particles , ” he said .
“ We ’ re certainly interested to learn more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , very promising thing.
” Tires are more complex than they look .
The vulcanized rubber compound that makes up the outermost layer , the tread , often contains sulfur , zinc , carbon black , bisphenol A ( BPA ) , and other chemicals .
A lot of that gets swept off the roads by rain , along with motor oil , bits of pavement , and other litter .
A three-year study by the San Francisco Estuary Institute ( SFEI ) found that stormwater carries roughly 7 trillion microplastic pieces into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ times the discharge from the area ’ s wastewater treatment plant .
Nearly half of those appear to be tire fragments .
“ Seeing all these black rubbery particles was a surprise , ” said Rebecca Sutton , a senior scientist at SFEI .
“ Conceptually , there are few reports out there that indicated tires might be a big deal , but no one had really seen that .
And honestly , no one had really looked at stormwater.
” “ It ’ s also probably just a tip of the iceberg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ smaller than our sieve size , ” she added .
Tires are the second-largest source of primary microplastic pollution in the ocean , after synthetic textiles , according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources .
To reduce the amount of tire pollution , Dr. Sutton says governments could consider setting emission standards similar to those for engine exhaust .
But it can be hard to figure out how much material tires are actually shedding , or should be shedding .
Tire wear is heavily influenced by the roadway @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and the driver ’ s behavior .
In London , The Tyre Collective says a busy bus route can generate a grapefruit-size pile of tire dust in a day .
And that dust won ’ t just sit in water – conservationists worry about the complex recipe of chemicals that leak out from the pieces of tread .
A study conducted in western Washington pointed to tire leachate as the cause of elevated coho salmon deaths in the Puget Sound .
Anna O ’ Brien , a postgraduate student at the University @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the relationship between duckweed , a small plant that flourishes in still water , and the microbes that live on it .
The problem is , researchers don ’ t know exactly which chemicals are responsible for these reactions .
A “ huge amount of content ” leaches out of tires , says Dr. O ’ Brien .
“ And just because something is more abundant doesn ’ t mean it ’ s what ’ s causing the effect , ” she says .
“ Other things about the environment are changing , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effects we see aren ’ t constant .
We might think we know what the effect of a chemical is only to have it change in the future.
” While tire companies are investing in research on more sustainable materials , changing the chemical and physical makeup of the tire also poses challenges , says Sarah Amick , vice president of environment , health , safety , and sustainability for the U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association .
“ Tires are one of the most regulated products for safety in the United States , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can continue to meet those safety requirements , plus adding more renewable and recyclable materials to our tires , it ’ s a challenge , but our members are working on that.
” For their part , The Tyre Collective did consider developing a biodegradable tire , but quickly ran into several problems , including the realization that most people probably don ’ t want a “ degrading tire ” separating their moving cars from the road .
“ We decided that a more practical solution would be looking at how we could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now , ” says Ms. Anderson , the chief scientific officer at The Tyre Collective .
During lockdown , the team has focused on turning their vision into a full-fledged startup .
They say several manufacturers have expressed interest in their design , though no partnership has been formalized yet .
When restrictions due to COVID-19 ease , they ’ re looking forward to returning to the lab and producing a set of first-generation prototypes to test with potential partners .
“ We ’ ve been working hard to make it a true @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ and not just a cool university project .
”

The inspiration came from rubbing a balloon over a sweater and seeing the pieces “dancing around,” says Hugo Richardson, The Tyre Collective’s chief technical officer. “That led us to the assumption that the particles are charged due to the friction."
The Tyre Collective, a project by four recent graduates, has been developing a device that attaches to the bottom of a car and uses electrostatic charges to collect particles for reuse.
A group of master's students from Imperial College London and the Royal College of Art had an idea: what if the tires picked up after themselves?
Environmental destruction often comes from unexpected places. But to this team of young inventors, identifying the source of the problem is just the first step toward devising a solution.
Collectively, humans produce enough tire dust and particles to outweigh the Great Pyramid of Giza each year, with devastating impacts on some ecosystems. One study found that tires are the second-largest source of primary microplastic pollution in the ocean, after synthetic textiles.
Most eco-conscious drivers are focused on their tailpipes, not their tires. But every time a car brakes, accelerates, or changes direction, it leaves behind fragments of rubber and other particles that remain suspended in the air or are swept into local waterways.
Most eco-conscious drivers are focused on their tailpipes, not their tires. But every time a car brakes, accelerates, or changes direction, the friction wears down the exterior of the tire, sending particles into the environment. Some remain suspended in the air, and others get swept into local waterways, where they can have devastating effects on plant and animal life.
Humans produce about 6.7 million tons of tire pollution annually, according to some estimates. That’s more than enough dust and particles to outweigh the Great Pyramid of Giza.
A group of master’s students from Imperial College London and the Royal College of Art had an idea: what if the tires picked up after themselves?
Why We Wrote This Environmental destruction often comes from unexpected places. But to this team of young inventors, identifying the source of the problem is just the first step toward devising a solution.
The Tyre Collective, a project by recent graduates Hugo Richardson, Siobhan Anderson, Deepak Mallya, and Hanson Cheng, seeks to capture this stealthy pollutant as it flies off the wheel. For the past year, they’ve been working on a device that can attach to the bottom of a car and use electrostatic charges, along with the airflow of the moving wheel, to collect particles for reuse.
The inspiration came from rubbing a balloon over a sweater and seeing the pieces “dancing around,” says Mr. Richardson, chief technical officer of The Tyre Collective. “That led us to the assumption that the particles are charged due to the friction.”
Their prototype collects 60% of all airborne tire emissions on a bicycle wheel and sandpaper road test rig.
The Tyre Collective won the 2020 U.K. James Dyson Award and is now a finalist for the international James Dyson Award, which includes a $35,000 prize. The winners are set to be announced on Nov. 16.
Gavin Whitmore, manager of the Tire Industry Project, an initiative by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development geared toward better understanding the potential health and environmental impact of tires, says his organization is keeping an eye on their work. “We understand very well how difficult it is to try and capture and isolate these particles,” he said. “We’re certainly interested to learn more, because it could be a very, very promising thing.”
Growing research
Tires are more complex than they look. The vulcanized rubber compound that makes up the outermost layer, the tread, often contains sulfur, zinc, carbon black, bisphenol A (BPA), and other chemicals. A lot of that gets swept off the roads by rain, along with motor oil, bits of pavement, and other litter.
A three-year study by the San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) found that stormwater carries roughly 7 trillion microplastic pieces into the bay annually – more than 300 times the discharge from the area’s wastewater treatment plant. Nearly half of those appear to be tire fragments.
Courtesy of The Tyre Collective View caption Hide caption This rendering of The Tyre Collective's award-winning design shows how the device could be attached to the underside of a vehicle, where it would use electrostatics and airflow to capture up to 60% of tire particles as the car is driven.
“Seeing all these black rubbery particles was a surprise,” said Rebecca Sutton, a senior scientist at SFEI. “Conceptually, there are few reports out there that indicated tires might be a big deal, but no one had really seen that. And honestly, no one had really looked at stormwater.”
“It’s also probably just a tip of the iceberg, because most tire particles are actually smaller than our sieve size,” she added.
Tires are the second-largest source of primary microplastic pollution in the ocean, after synthetic textiles, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. To reduce the amount of tire pollution, Dr. Sutton says governments could consider setting emission standards similar to those for engine exhaust.
But it can be hard to figure out how much material tires are actually shedding, or should be shedding. Tire wear is heavily influenced by the roadway, the weight and type of vehicle, and the driver’s behavior. In London, The Tyre Collective says a busy bus route can generate a grapefruit-size pile of tire dust in a day.
And that dust won’t just sit in water – conservationists worry about the complex recipe of chemicals that leak out from the pieces of tread.
A study conducted in western Washington pointed to tire leachate as the cause of elevated coho salmon deaths in the Puget Sound. Anna O’Brien, a postgraduate student at the University of Toronto, observed tire leachate change the relationship between duckweed, a small plant that flourishes in still water, and the microbes that live on it. The problem is, researchers don’t know exactly which chemicals are responsible for these reactions.
A “huge amount of content” leaches out of tires, says Dr. O’Brien. “And just because something is more abundant doesn’t mean it’s what’s causing the effect,” she says. “Other things about the environment are changing, too. That might mean that these effects we see aren’t constant. We might think we know what the effect of a chemical is only to have it change in the future.”
Mitigating tire damage
While tire companies are investing in research on more sustainable materials, changing the chemical and physical makeup of the tire also poses challenges, says Sarah Amick, vice president of environment, health, safety, and sustainability for the U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association.
“Tires are one of the most regulated products for safety in the United States,” she says. “Ensuring that we can continue to meet those safety requirements, plus adding more renewable and recyclable materials to our tires, it’s a challenge, but our members are working on that.”
For their part, The Tyre Collective did consider developing a biodegradable tire, but quickly ran into several problems, including the realization that most people probably don’t want a “degrading tire” separating their moving cars from the road.
“We decided that a more practical solution would be looking at how we could collect this wear as it is right now,” says Ms. Anderson, the chief scientific officer at The Tyre Collective.
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During lockdown, the team has focused on turning their vision into a full-fledged startup. They say several manufacturers have expressed interest in their design, though no partnership has been formalized yet. When restrictions due to COVID-19 ease, they’re looking forward to returning to the lab and producing a set of first-generation prototypes to test with potential partners.
“We’ve been working hard to make it a true business offering,” says Mr. Richardson, “and not just a cool university project.”


csmonitor--2020-11-10--Cary Grant’s charm was legendary, but his best character was actually himself

Alfred Hitchcock once remarked that likability was not something actors could fake .
According to author Scott Eyman , the director added that there was “ only one actor in the world so formidably skilled that he could fake a charm he did not in fact possess.
” The star Hitchcock had in mind is the subject of Eyman ’ s richly entertaining new biography , “ Cary Grant : A Brilliant Disguise.
” The book offers ample evidence that many who knew Grant were convinced his charms were genuine .
But Hitchcock ’ s piercing assessment jibes with Eyman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ man was , even more than most Hollywood stars , a pure invention .
The actor admitted as much himself : “ He ’ s a completely made up character and I ’ m playing a part.
” Grant was born Archibald Alexander Leach in Bristol , England , in 1904 , the child of working-class parents .
His early years were miserable .
His alcoholic father had his erratic mother institutionalized when Archie was 11 and allowed the boy to believe she had died .
It ’ s remarkable that from this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be seen as the epitome of aristocratic grace .
Part of the explanation lies in his dashing good looks .
He worked hard to cultivate an elegant style and an acerbic wit , always with a slight air of detachment .
Eyman covers Grant ’ s films in lavish detail , sometimes too much detail ( at more than 500 pages , the book is at least 50 pages longer than it needed to be ) .
Beginning in the late 1930s Grant had an impressive run of hits whose highlights include “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Girl Friday , ” and “ The Philadelphia Story.
” Some of his best work was with Hitchcock , who was able to draw out a darker side of the actor in “ Suspicion , ” “ North by Northwest , ” and “ To Catch a Thief.
” The two had a productive and friendly partnership , despite the director ’ s later harsh appraisal .
Referring to the actor ’ s public persona , Eyman describes “ the essential duality of Grant ’ s character – ardently pursuing fame while resisting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just as true of his intimate relationships , which developed a pattern of frenzied pursuit followed by withdrawal .
The actor was married five times .
He did not become a father until late in life .
He stopped making films and appeared to derive more pleasure and joy from parenthood than he ever had from acting , which had never failed to make him anxious .
Eyman writes in lively prose that benefits from his command of classic Hollywood .
He treats his subject with compassion .
Noting Grant ’ s insecurity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ final films , Eyman observes , “ An actor ’ s life is emotionally perilous , right to the end.
” Grant was aware of two rumors that swirled around him throughout his life : that he was gay and that he was cheap .
He denied both .
Of the former , which centered around his relationship with actor Randolph Scott , his off-and-on housemate , Eyman notes that there is “ plausible evidence to place him inside any sexual box you want – gay , bi , straight , ” but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The latter claim is easier to prove .
Several friends recalled the wealthy Grant regularly sticking them with the check at restaurants ; others spoke of his billing them for laundry and incidentals after they ’ d been his houseguest .
Even the formidable Katharine Hepburn once after staying at his home “ sent him a check for $ 1.81 to pay for the phone calls for which Grant obviously expected to be reimbursed , ” Eyman writes .
She must have nevertheless found him charming .
They remained friends until the @ @

Alfred Hitchcock once remarked that likability was not something actors could fake. According to author Scott Eyman, the director added that there was “only one actor in the world so formidably skilled that he could fake a charm he did not in fact possess.”
The star Hitchcock had in mind is the subject of Eyman’s richly entertaining new biography, “Cary Grant: A Brilliant Disguise.” The book offers ample evidence that many who knew Grant were convinced his charms were genuine. But Hitchcock’s piercing assessment jibes with Eyman’s thesis that the legendary leading man was, even more than most Hollywood stars, a pure invention. The actor admitted as much himself: “He’s a completely made up character and I’m playing a part.”
Grant was born Archibald Alexander Leach in Bristol, England, in 1904, the child of working-class parents. His early years were miserable. His alcoholic father had his erratic mother institutionalized when Archie was 11 and allowed the boy to believe she had died.
It’s remarkable that from this disadvantaged background the uneducated Grant came to be seen as the epitome of aristocratic grace. Part of the explanation lies in his dashing good looks. He worked hard to cultivate an elegant style and an acerbic wit, always with a slight air of detachment.
Eyman covers Grant’s films in lavish detail, sometimes too much detail (at more than 500 pages, the book is at least 50 pages longer than it needed to be). Beginning in the late 1930s Grant had an impressive run of hits whose highlights include “Bringing Up Baby,” “His Girl Friday,” and “The Philadelphia Story.” Some of his best work was with Hitchcock, who was able to draw out a darker side of the actor in “Suspicion,” “North by Northwest,” and “To Catch a Thief.” The two had a productive and friendly partnership, despite the director’s later harsh appraisal.
Referring to the actor’s public persona, Eyman describes “the essential duality of Grant’s character – ardently pursuing fame while resisting exposure.” This resistance appears to be just as true of his intimate relationships, which developed a pattern of frenzied pursuit followed by withdrawal. The actor was married five times. He did not become a father until late in life. He stopped making films and appeared to derive more pleasure and joy from parenthood than he ever had from acting, which had never failed to make him anxious.
Eyman writes in lively prose that benefits from his command of classic Hollywood. He treats his subject with compassion. Noting Grant’s insecurity over his performance in one of his final films, Eyman observes, “An actor’s life is emotionally perilous, right to the end.”
Grant was aware of two rumors that swirled around him throughout his life: that he was gay and that he was cheap. He denied both. Of the former, which centered around his relationship with actor Randolph Scott, his off-and-on housemate, Eyman notes that there is “plausible evidence to place him inside any sexual box you want – gay, bi, straight,” but the author comes to no firm conclusion.
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The latter claim is easier to prove. Several friends recalled the wealthy Grant regularly sticking them with the check at restaurants; others spoke of his billing them for laundry and incidentals after they’d been his houseguest. Even the formidable Katharine Hepburn once after staying at his home “sent him a check for $1.81 to pay for the phone calls for which Grant obviously expected to be reimbursed,” Eyman writes.
She must have nevertheless found him charming. They remained friends until the end.


csmonitor--2020-11-10--‘The Upswing’: From personal gain to common good and back again

A fundamental tension lies at the heart of the American experiment : Can a nation created to maximize individual freedom successfully pursue a common good ?
Robert D. Putnam and Shaylyn Romney Garrett tackle this question in “ The Upswing : How America Came Together a Century Ago and How We Can Do It Again , ” a thoughtful and highly readable account of the way that these competing values have played out .
At the end of the 19th century the United States was “ startlingly similar ” to the America of today .
“ Inequality , political polarization @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prevailed – all accompanied as they are now , by unprecedented technological advances , prosperity , and material well-being.
” Yet just when it seemed that society was in danger of becoming atomized , Progressive Era and New Deal social reforms , along with World War II , shifted the direction of the nation toward the common good .
Then , after decades of progress , the pendulum swung in the other direction and individual rights once again moved to the forefront .
Putnam marshals an extraordinary amount of data to examine four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compromise in politics , social connectedness and trust , and the tension between self-interest and social obligation .
He describes the grim years of the Gilded Age , during which children labored in factories while the titans of industry held fast to their positions through corruption and backroom political deal-making .
Yet after the stock market crash of 1929 , government slowly stepped in to provide a social safety net .
By the 1960s , Putnam writes , “ America had been transformed into a more egalitarian , cooperative , cohesive , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last .
Economic inequality increased , compromise in the public square faded , cultural narcissism reappeared , and the social fabric began to fray .
Millions were inspired by President John F. Kennedy ’ s clarion call “ Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.
” But Putnam asserts that rather than a call to arms , Kennedy was sounding taps for what had been a “ dramatic , multifaceted , and unmistakable upswing.
” Putnam labels this steady evolution from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more broadly shared sense of community at midcentury before retreating to the present era as the “ I-We-I ” curve .
The analysis is complicated – as are most things in American history – because people who were not white males were almost always overlooked or excluded .
Putnam devotes separate chapters to both race and gender , with often surprising conclusions .
He points out that “ by many measures , blacks were moving toward parity with whites well before the victories of the Civil Rights revolution , despite the limitations imposed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continues , the “ long-standing trend toward racial equality slowed , stopped , and even reversed ” in the years following the civil rights movement .
In the 1960s and ’ 70s , American society was pushed in a more individualistic direction , Putnam writes .
The civil rights movement , Vietnam War , social and political unrest , environmental crises , sexual revolution , counterculture , and a range of other crises “ undermined [ our ] national self-confidence ... and subtly lowered our collective and egalitarian aspirations.
” He goes on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were a decade in which people stopped aspiring to fix society and started to think only of fixing themselves.
” In 2000 , Putnam would famously label the widespread individuality and isolation of the time as “ Bowling Alone.
” Social scientists are better at explaining the past than they are at predicting the future .
This is the case here .
Putnam suggests that individual advocates like those who emerged in the Progressive Era are needed again to translate “ outrage and moral awakening into active citizenship ... that will reclaim individuals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Putnam invites the reader to think about whether Americans can reestablish a sense of concern for the whole community – what Martin Luther King Jr. called “ an inescapable network of mutuality ” – or whether as a nation we will continue to drift apart .

A fundamental tension lies at the heart of the American experiment: Can a nation created to maximize individual freedom successfully pursue a common good?
Robert D. Putnam and Shaylyn Romney Garrett tackle this question in “The Upswing: How America Came Together a Century Ago and How We Can Do It Again,” a thoughtful and highly readable account of the way that these competing values have played out.
At the end of the 19th century the United States was “startlingly similar” to the America of today. “Inequality, political polarization, social dislocation, and cultural narcissism prevailed – all accompanied as they are now, by unprecedented technological advances, prosperity, and material well-being.” Yet just when it seemed that society was in danger of becoming atomized, Progressive Era and New Deal social reforms, along with World War II, shifted the direction of the nation toward the common good. Then, after decades of progress, the pendulum swung in the other direction and individual rights once again moved to the forefront.
Putnam marshals an extraordinary amount of data to examine four areas: economic inequality, comity and compromise in politics, social connectedness and trust, and the tension between self-interest and social obligation. He describes the grim years of the Gilded Age, during which children labored in factories while the titans of industry held fast to their positions through corruption and backroom political deal-making. Yet after the stock market crash of 1929, government slowly stepped in to provide a social safety net. By the 1960s, Putnam writes, “America had been transformed into a more egalitarian, cooperative, cohesive, and altruistic nation.”
But this would not last. Economic inequality increased, compromise in the public square faded, cultural narcissism reappeared, and the social fabric began to fray. Millions were inspired by President John F. Kennedy’s clarion call “Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” But Putnam asserts that rather than a call to arms, Kennedy was sounding taps for what had been a “dramatic, multifaceted, and unmistakable upswing.”
Putnam labels this steady evolution from the self-interest of the Gilded Age to the more broadly shared sense of community at midcentury before retreating to the present era as the “I-We-I” curve.
The analysis is complicated – as are most things in American history – because people who were not white males were almost always overlooked or excluded. Putnam devotes separate chapters to both race and gender, with often surprising conclusions. He points out that “by many measures, blacks were moving toward parity with whites well before the victories of the Civil Rights revolution, despite the limitations imposed by Jim Crow.” But, he continues, the “long-standing trend toward racial equality slowed, stopped, and even reversed” in the years following the civil rights movement.
In the 1960s and ’70s, American society was pushed in a more individualistic direction, Putnam writes. The civil rights movement, Vietnam War, social and political unrest, environmental crises, sexual revolution, counterculture, and a range of other crises “undermined [our] national self-confidence ... and subtly lowered our collective and egalitarian aspirations.” He goes on to write that the ’70s “were a decade in which people stopped aspiring to fix society and started to think only of fixing themselves.” In 2000, Putnam would famously label the widespread individuality and isolation of the time as “Bowling Alone.”
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empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
Social scientists are better at explaining the past than they are at predicting the future. This is the case here. Putnam suggests that individual advocates like those who emerged in the Progressive Era are needed again to translate “outrage and moral awakening into active citizenship ... that will reclaim individuals’ agency and reinvigorate democratic citizenship.”
Putnam invites the reader to think about whether Americans can reestablish a sense of concern for the whole community – what Martin Luther King Jr. called “an inescapable network of mutuality” – or whether as a nation we will continue to drift apart.