csmonitor--2020-08-02--SpaceX brings astronauts home, ending historic mission

Two NASA astronauts returned to Earth Sunday in a dramatic , retro-style splashdown , their capsule parachuting into the Gulf of Mexico to close out an unprecedented test flight by Elon Musk ’ s SpaceX company .
It was the first splashdown by U.S. astronauts in 45 years , with the first commercially built and operated spacecraft to carry people to and from orbit .
The return clears the way for another SpaceX crew launch as early as next month and possible tourist flights next year .
Test pilots Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken rode the SpaceX Dragon capsule back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ departing the International Space Station and two months after blasting off from Florida .
The capsule parachuted into the calm gulf waters about 40 miles off the coast of Pensacola , hundreds of miles from Tropical Storm Isaias pounding Florida ’ s Atlantic coast .
“ Welcome back to planet Earth and thanks for flying SpaceX , ” said Mission Control from SpaceX headquarters .
“ It was truly our honor and privilege , ” replied Mr. Hurley .
More than an hour after splashdown , the astronauts emerged from their capsule on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both signaling a thumbs-up as they headed for medical exams .
Their ride home in the capsule dubbed Endeavour was fast , bumpy and hot , at least on the outside .
The spacecraft went from a screaming orbital speed of 17,500 m.p.h .
to 350 m.p.h .
during atmospheric reentry , and finally to 15 m.p.h .
at splashdown .
Peak heating during descent was 3,500 degrees Fahrenheit .
The anticipated top G forces felt by the crew : four to five times the force of Earth ’ s gravity .
Within @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and blistered 15-foot capsule was on board a SpaceX recovery ship with a staff of more than 40 , including doctors and nurses .
To keep the returning astronauts safe in the pandemic , the recovery crew quarantined for two weeks and were tested for the coronavirus .
The opening of the hatch was held up briefly by extra checks for toxic rocket fumes outside the capsule .
After medical exams , the astronauts were expected to fly home to Houston for a reunion with their wives and sons .
Mr. Musk was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them from SpaceX ’ s Mission Control in California .
Mr. Hurley offered final thanks just before he exited the capsule .
“ Anybody who ’ s touched Endeavour , you should take a moment to just cherish the day , especially given all the things that have happened this year.
” There was one unexpected problem : Once the capsule was in the water , private boaters “ just made a beeline for it , ” and got too close , said NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine , promising to do better next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The last time NASA astronauts returned from space to water was on July 24 , 1975 , in the Pacific , the scene of most splashdowns , to end a joint U.S.-Soviet mission known as Apollo-Soyuz .
The Mercury and Gemini crews in the early to mid-1960s parachuted into the Atlantic , while most of the later Apollo capsules hit the Pacific .
The lone Russian “ splashdown ” was in 1976 on a partially frozen lake amid a blizzard following an aborted mission ; the harrowing recovery took hours .
Gemini and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the last crew to splash down — watched the reentry on TV from his Florida home .
While pleased with the crew ’ s safe return , he wasn ’ t overly impressed .
“ It ’ s what we did over 50 years ago , ” he said .
SpaceX made history with this mission , which launched May 30 from NASA ’ s Kennedy Space Center .
It was the first time a private company launched people into orbit and also the first launch of NASA astronauts from home turf @ @ @ @ @ @ @ came full circle , serving as pilot of NASA ’ s last space shuttle flight in 2011 and the commander of this SpaceX flight .
President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence , who both watched the launch in Florida , sent congratulations .
NASA turned to SpaceX and also Boeing to build capsules and ferry astronauts to and from the space station , following the retirement of the shuttles .
Until Mr. Hurley and Mr. Behnken rocketed into orbit , NASA astronauts relied on Russian rockets .
SpaceX already had experience @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bringing those capsules back to a Pacific splashdown .
“ This is the next era in human spaceflight where NASA gets to be the customer , ” Mr. Bridenstine said from Johnson Space Center in Houston shortly before the astronauts ’ splashdown .
At a press briefing later , Gwynne Shotwell , president of SpaceX , called the mission a springboard to “ doing even harder things , ” like collaborating on astronaut flights to the moon and then Mars .
“ It was an enormous relief after months of anxiety making sure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home safely , ” Ms. Shotwell said .
SpaceX needs six weeks to inspect the capsule before launching the next crew around the end of September .
This next mission of four astronauts will spend a full six months aboard the space station .
The Endeavour capsule will be refurbished for another flight next spring .
A Houston company run by a former NASA official , meanwhile , has partnered with SpaceX to send three customers to the space station in fall 2021 .
Boeing doesn ’ t expect to launch its first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ encountered significant software problems in the debut of its Starliner capsule , with no one aboard , last year .
Its capsules will touch down in the U.S. Southwest desert .
By beating Boeing , SpaceX laid claim to a small U.S. flag left at the space station by Mr. Hurley and the rest of the last shuttle crew .
Mr. Musk tweeted his congratulations and a flag emoji followed by “ returned .
”

Two NASA astronauts returned to Earth Sunday in a dramatic, retro-style splashdown, their capsule parachuting into the Gulf of Mexico to close out an unprecedented test flight by Elon Musk’s SpaceX company.
It was the first splashdown by U.S. astronauts in 45 years, with the first commercially built and operated spacecraft to carry people to and from orbit. The return clears the way for another SpaceX crew launch as early as next month and possible tourist flights next year.
Test pilots Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken rode the SpaceX Dragon capsule back to Earth less than a day after departing the International Space Station and two months after blasting off from Florida. The capsule parachuted into the calm gulf waters about 40 miles off the coast of Pensacola, hundreds of miles from Tropical Storm Isaias pounding Florida’s Atlantic coast.
“Welcome back to planet Earth and thanks for flying SpaceX,” said Mission Control from SpaceX headquarters.
“It was truly our honor and privilege,” replied Mr. Hurley.
More than an hour after splashdown, the astronauts emerged from their capsule on the deck of a recovery ship, both signaling a thumbs-up as they headed for medical exams.
Their ride home in the capsule dubbed Endeavour was fast, bumpy and hot, at least on the outside.
The spacecraft went from a screaming orbital speed of 17,500 m.p.h. to 350 m.p.h. during atmospheric reentry, and finally to 15 m.p.h. at splashdown. Peak heating during descent was 3,500 degrees Fahrenheit. The anticipated top G forces felt by the crew: four to five times the force of Earth’s gravity.
Within a half-hour of splashdown, the scorched and blistered 15-foot capsule was on board a SpaceX recovery ship with a staff of more than 40, including doctors and nurses. To keep the returning astronauts safe in the pandemic, the recovery crew quarantined for two weeks and were tested for the coronavirus.
Sightseers got too close
The opening of the hatch was held up briefly by extra checks for toxic rocket fumes outside the capsule. After medical exams, the astronauts were expected to fly home to Houston for a reunion with their wives and sons. Mr. Musk was also headed to Texas to meet with them from SpaceX’s Mission Control in California.
Mr. Hurley offered final thanks just before he exited the capsule. “Anybody who’s touched Endeavour, you should take a moment to just cherish the day, especially given all the things that have happened this year.”
There was one unexpected problem: Once the capsule was in the water, private boaters “just made a beeline for it,” and got too close, said NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, promising to do better next time at keeping sightseers far away.
The last time NASA astronauts returned from space to water was on July 24, 1975, in the Pacific, the scene of most splashdowns, to end a joint U.S.-Soviet mission known as Apollo-Soyuz. The Mercury and Gemini crews in the early to mid-1960s parachuted into the Atlantic, while most of the later Apollo capsules hit the Pacific. The lone Russian “splashdown” was in 1976 on a partially frozen lake amid a blizzard following an aborted mission; the harrowing recovery took hours.
Gemini and Apollo astronaut Thomas Stafford — the commander of the last crew to splash down — watched the reentry on TV from his Florida home. While pleased with the crew’s safe return, he wasn’t overly impressed. “It’s what we did over 50 years ago,” he said.
SpaceX made history with this mission, which launched May 30 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. It was the first time a private company launched people into orbit and also the first launch of NASA astronauts from home turf in nearly a decade. Mr. Hurley came full circle, serving as pilot of NASA’s last space shuttle flight in 2011 and the commander of this SpaceX flight.
President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, who both watched the launch in Florida, sent congratulations.
“Next era in human spaceflight”
NASA turned to SpaceX and also Boeing to build capsules and ferry astronauts to and from the space station, following the retirement of the shuttles. Until Mr. Hurley and Mr. Behnken rocketed into orbit, NASA astronauts relied on Russian rockets. SpaceX already had experience hauling cargo to the space station, bringing those capsules back to a Pacific splashdown.
“This is the next era in human spaceflight where NASA gets to be the customer,” Mr. Bridenstine said from Johnson Space Center in Houston shortly before the astronauts’ splashdown.
At a press briefing later, Gwynne Shotwell, president of SpaceX, called the mission a springboard to “doing even harder things,” like collaborating on astronaut flights to the moon and then Mars.
“It was an enormous relief after months of anxiety making sure we could bring Bob and Doug back home safely,” Ms. Shotwell said.
SpaceX needs six weeks to inspect the capsule before launching the next crew around the end of September. This next mission of four astronauts will spend a full six months aboard the space station. The Endeavour capsule will be refurbished for another flight next spring. A Houston company run by a former NASA official, meanwhile, has partnered with SpaceX to send three customers to the space station in fall 2021.
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Boeing doesn’t expect to launch its first crew until next year. The company encountered significant software problems in the debut of its Starliner capsule, with no one aboard, last year. Its capsules will touch down in the U.S. Southwest desert.
By beating Boeing, SpaceX laid claim to a small U.S. flag left at the space station by Mr. Hurley and the rest of the last shuttle crew. Mr. Musk tweeted his congratulations and a flag emoji followed by “returned.”


csmonitor--2020-08-03--Who’s really inside America’s jails? (audio)

According to a 2020 report by the Prison Policy Initiative , 74 % of people in American jails have not been convicted of a crime .
Sometimes this is because they ’ re considered a flight risk or danger to society , but the majority of individuals in jail are there because they can ’ t afford bail .
And while inside , they ’ re often given a choice : plead guilty and get released , or stay in jail until a trial is scheduled , and hope they ’ re proven innocent .
Most people take the plea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ innocent until proven guilty is supposed to be at the heart of our criminal justice system .
But in reality , it ’ s not , says Alexandra Natapoff , a professor of law at the University of California , Irvine School of Law .
“ We are letting the pressures of the criminal system decide who will sustain a conviction , ” she says .
“ So we are already committed , in some terrible sense , to punishing the innocent.
” In Episode 1 of “ Perception Gaps : Locked up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of mass incarceration and the long-reaching effects it has on communities .
Note : This is Episode 1 of Season 2 .
To listen to the other episodes and sign up for the newsletter , please visit the season landing page .
This audio story was designed to be heard .
We strongly encourage you to experience it with your ears , but we understand that is not an option for everybody .
You can find the audio player above .
For those who are unable to listen , we have provided a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Laine Perfas : If the American jail and prison population were a city , it ’ d be the 5th largest city in the country , with almost 2.3 million Americans locked up right now .
But did you know that most people in jail have not yet been proven guilty .
So what ’ s going on ?
I ’ m Samantha Laine Perfas and this is Perception Gaps : Locked Up by the Christian Science Monitor .
Welcome to Season 2 of Perception Gaps : Locked Up .
In Season 1 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in which public perception doesn ’ t line up with reality .
Some of the topics we explored were crime , substance use , political polarization , and poverty .
If you haven ’ t listened , go back and do so !
You can find all the episodes at csmonitor.com/perceptiongaps .
For Season 2 , we ’ re gon na try something a little different – we ’ ll spend the entire season exploring one issue : mass incarceration in America .
We ’ ll be diving deep into the criminal justice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , politics , race , and the economy that contribute to our attitudes toward crime and the people within the system .
We ’ ll explore how the coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated many of the issues we found in our early reporting .
And in our final episode , we ’ ll look at potential solutions and where we ’ re seeing progress .
In this episode , we ’ ll explore a lot of the high level misperceptions around mass incarceration as a whole and how the U.S. got to a place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other country .
So back to our perception gap .
.
.
many people don ’ t know that the vast majority of people locked up in American jails have not actually been convicted of a crime .
Our first guest will help us understand how this came to be .
Sam : This is Alexandra Natapoff , professor of law at the University of California Irvine School of Law .
She ’ s talking about her recent book , entitled “ Punishment without Crime , ” which looks at the United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a 2001 Supreme Court case that set the stage for today .
Sam : The thing is , Atwater never should have been held in jail at all .
At the time the seatbelt offense did not carry the possibility of jail - it was 1997 , and the maximum punishment in Texas for not wearing your seatbelt was a $ 50 fine .
Atwater sued the city of Lago Vista , and the case went all the way to the Supreme Court .
Her argument was : Sam : According to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Initiative , 74 percent of people held by jails have not been convicted of a crime .
And the reason is because , if they can ’ t afford bail ( and we ’ ll get to that soon ) people are detained pretrial while they wait for their cases to be resolved .
Sometimes it ’ s because they ’ re a flight risk , or the person is believed to be a danger to society .
But ... Sam : Even during the best of circumstances , this is a difficult @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bargain – and admit you ’ re guilty of something you might not be – or sit in jail for months while awaiting trial .
In that time , you could lose your home , not be able to provide for your family , and potentially receive a conviction anyway .
But during a public health crisis , the danger of locking people up pretrial becomes a matter of life and death .
States are recognizing that jailing someone simply because they couldn ’ t pay bail results in overcrowded , unhygienic environments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic .
At the beginning of the outbreak in the US , states rushed to address these issues : some states released inmates early , others set bail at $ 0 , and others tried to reduce booking into jails .
But it raises the question : if it ’ s now not okay to lock up folks like this before their trials , those accused of minor , non-violent offenses , why was it OK six months ago , before a pandemic broke out ?
This crisis has revealed a huge blind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : For example , prisons and jails are often referred to interchangeably , and they are wildly different .
Prisons are used for felony sentences , and are what we often picture when we think of mass incarceration .
Jails on the other hand , are used for all sorts of things : we use jails to house people who are serving shorter sentences , but also for those who have been arrested or are waiting for the case to be resolved .
So how many Americans are having that experience ?
Alexandra @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jails every year .
That means over ten million people are experiencing incarceration every year .
Sam : I think it really turns things on its head when you think about what is the purpose of prison in jails , because I think many people think it is to keep the public safe .
But are the people we ’ re locking up really keeping the public safe ?
And how does that misperception of the connection between who we lock up and for how long and why actually relate to public safety @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in our prisons and jails suffer from substance abuse challenges .
Very high percentages have mental health disabilities .
So when we talk about who is in our prisons and jails , in many ways it ’ s a reflection not of terrible , dangerous people who are engaging in terrible , dangerous conduct , but people who have been failed by the social safety net , who have been failed by our health care system , who have been failed by our economic system .
And we are using our prisons and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I think one of the great mistakes that American democracy has made is to overrely on the criminal system to do all kinds of work that civic society could do in a far more positive and less destructive way .
Sam : What ’ s the ripple effect of locking people up who are not a danger to society ?
Alexandra : When we lock someone up , we are not just burdening and punishing them .
We are burdening and punishing their family , their children .
We are burdening communities .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ earners , of their potential wage earners , of their workers , of the people who could otherwise contribute .
And because people do eventually , for the most part , come home , we are then burdening those same families , those same communities , when we send people home from prison and jail , having gone through that traumatic experience without the tools and support for reentry .
We need to retire the idea that getting a misdemeanor conviction is petty , is no big deal .
It can haunt people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 11 million people pass through American jails every year , and not always because they did something worthy of being imprisoned .
Each week , around 200,000 people move in and out of local jails .
The COVID-19 pandemic has cast a spotlight on this reality , revealing that our prisons and jails aren ’ t dark corners where we can keep the worst of the worst out of the public ’ s eye .
Instead , these institutions are core features of our communities , our economies , and our society .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of inmates at Marion Correctional Institution tested positive for the coronavirus , as well as over 100 staff members .
At the time , Ohio ’ s prison system accounted for over 20 % of the state ’ s cases .
This left me wondering , how did we develop a system so massive that its impact reaches so far into our communities ?
Was it always like this ?
Sam : This is Bruce Western , a sociologist and the co-director of the Justice Lab at Columbia University .
And what he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where we are now , the beginning of the penitentiary system in the US was paved with good intentions .
He ’ s talking about two approaches that were emerging in the 19th century : the Auburn system and the Pennsylvania system .
Sam : In a nutshell : rather than physically punishing inmates for their crimes , the idea was that work and silence would give space for inmates to think about what they ’ d done , and repent - hence the term penitentiary .
We now know that rehabilitation is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then , it was progressive thinking , and the system was small .
Sam : Starting in the 1970s , changes began to happen when the War on Drugs started .
[ Historical audio insert , President Richard Nixon : America ’ s public enemy number one in the United States is drug abuse .
[ Historical audio insert , President Ronald Reagan : Millions of dollars will be allocated for prison and jail facilities so that the mistake of releasing dangerous ... ] Sam : And the prison and jail populations began @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incarceration rates are five times higher than their historic average .
Sam : That political strategy continued into the 90s , with the 1994 Crime Bill passed by Democratic President Bill Clinton .
[ Historical audio , President Bill Clinton : There must be no doubt about whose side we ’ re on .
People who commit crimes should be caught , convicted , and punished .
This bill puts government on the side of those who abide by the law ... ] Sam : It capped a 20 year period of bipartisan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” was the best course of action for the U.S .
The bill was focused on the federal system , which only accounted for about 10 percent of the prison system .
However , one provision gave states money for prison construction if they adopted certain policies that required convicts to serve at least 85 percent of their sentences .
That incentivized states to change their sentencing measures , and resulted in massive growth in state prison construction .
While this bill had enormous effects , the ideology behind it had been decades @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that is ... mostly boils down to extremely long sentences and trying to answer every crime problem with imprisonment , Bruce added .
This approach leads to abnormally high levels of incarceration when you compare us to other parts of the world .
Sam : In a 2017 report , The Sentencing Project , a research and advocacy nonprofit , actually put the number at about 53,000 .
To be fair , there are more people in the US than in western Europe - however , if the ratio were the same as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 32,000 people serving life without parole sentences , not 50 .
Sam : The experience of Black Americans encountering the criminal justice system is an important one , and we ’ ll be taking a closer look at this topic later in the season .
But it ’ s worth noting that people of color are disproportionately put behind bars .
Racism is baked into the criminal justice system , and those who are locked up are not the only ones affected .
Sam : This is Juleyka Lantigua-Williams , founder and CEO @ @ @ @ @ @ @ full service production company .
One of their podcasts is titled 70 Million , and it centers on the stories of those who have encountered the criminal justice system .
I asked Juleyka , what is the effect of having 70 million Americans with criminal records ?
Sam : That ’ s not the end of it .
If you have a criminal record , you ’ re also unable to own a home or rent without a guarantor .
In some cases , it goes even further .
Sam : Juleyka says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we talked about earlier : the idea that incarceration doesn ’ t affect just the individual , but the entire community .
Juleyka : One of the episodes from Season 2 this year looked at the impact specifically on Black women of having a significant other or a parent or a sibling be sent to prison for a meaningful amount of time .
And Black women categorically bear the greatest burden , because they have to become the sole providers for their immediate family and often a provider for the extended family .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the 80s and 90s , and I am very much aware of what happens when overnight a big brother disappears .
An uncle disappears , that gets sent away .
Sam : You had mentioned that storytelling and the narrative component of people ’ s stories is a really big part of 70 Million .
How does that approach help address some of the biggest misperceptions around those who are convicted ?
Juleyka : You know , I can spew numbers at you all day long , but if I tell you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who lost her child because they would not give her medical attention when she went into labor ... [ Audio excerpt from 70 Million , Shandra Williams : And Dr. Hayes took me , took my hand , and he shook it and he grabbed it real tight and he just hugged me .
The sheriff ’ s department was already trying to put me in handcuffs .
And the lady said , he ’ s gone .
On October 30th .
They called it stillborn . ]
Juleyka : ... that ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Right .
And if I tell you the story of another woman who was in jail with her , who was in prison with her , who interviewed her and wrote down notes ... [ Audio excerpt from 70 Million , Diane Wilson : I remember it was Christmas and , and I remember she came in real late at night .
… The next day , her family came and picked her up , I remember that .
But I did get her story . ]
Juleyka : ... and then 15 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ show that the second woman had started a nonprofit organization to make sure that mothers in Texas were not chained to a bed during labor , and that they would receive proper medical attention ... [ Audio excerpt from 70 Million , Diana Claitor : It was very easy to go into offices and say we have two bills .
One is for medical care for pregnant women in jails .
The other is to stop shackling them while they ’ re in labor and childbirth .
And people would just freeze and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just say that . ]
Juleyka : ... that ’ s a story that ’ s going to stay with you .
Sam : From this story an organization called the Texas Jail Project came to life , and it advocates for more humane practices in the Texas county jail system .
And other stories have promoted change as well .
The podcast is open sourced , which means it is free for others to use , distribute , and modify - the clips you just heard came from Season 2 , Episode @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also provides tool kits that show how programs like the Texas Jail Project were created , so anyone can use it as a blueprint in their own community .
Sam : We ’ ve talked a lot about how incarceration affects families and communities – and how many Americans experience incarceration before they ’ ve been convicted of a crime .
So now , we ’ re going to hear from a couple who knows firsthand what it ’ s like to go through this .
Sam : This is Brittany Williams , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three boys .
Her husband , Tim , teaches entrepreneurship and how to grow a business .
He grew up on the West Side of Chicago , so the life they were building for themselves was very different than what he grew up with : In Glendale Heights there was less crime , better schools… they had a daycare a block away , and they lived in a neighborhood that was more of a community .
So what happened in October 2017 had an enormous effect on their lives .
Here ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over by the police for an act while driving .
We understand that this is a vague description .
But in an effort to respect the couple ’ s privacy and their efforts to rebuild their lives , we will not be discussing the details of their case .
They did ask us to note that the charge was sealable , which means it can be kept out of public record .
After Tim was pulled over , he was immediately arrested , taken to the station , booked , and put in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his bond at $ 100,000 .
Her decision gave Tim the option to await trial outside of jail – if he paid 10 percent of the total sum , or about $ 10,000 .
Sam : So he stayed behind bars .
Back home , Brittany was searching frantically for a way to get Tim out .
Sam : Brittany had found a group called the Chicago Community Bond Fund , a nonprofit that provides funds for people who have been locked up pre-trial and can ’ t afford to pay their bond @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bail , and he was released on electronic monitoring for 10 months .
But by then , he had spent 2 months in jail .
He still hadn ’ t been convicted of anything .
Before his arrest , Tim had been the breadwinner for the family .
Brittany had just had a baby and was staying at home to raise their children .
So while Tim was in jail , Brittany and the kids were evicted from their home .
Sam : After he was released on electronic monitoring , Tim still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t even go outside to take the garbage out .
He was essentially a prisoner in his own home .
So Brittany had to both provide for their family and take care of the children – pretty much on her own .
Then , after months of being on house arrest , Tim finally had his day in court .
He was convicted , served 15 days in jail , and then spent a year on parole .
Think about that : Tim served a year of punishment pretrial for a crime that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It ’ s been about a year since Tim ’ s case was finally closed .
The family has been working overtime to put their lives back together .
Sam : So , this episode might be a lot to process .
As we reported this series , I often felt overwhelmed , especially with the coronavirus pandemic and the civil unrest sweeping the country .
In many ways , these things have forced the conversation to happen with a greater sense of urgency .
But almost every person we talked to for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moving towards positive change .
The thing is , we need to recognize the problems before we can start thinking about solutions .
We ’ ll be hearing from many of the people who are contributing to progress – and sharing what we learn with you .
Thanks for listening , and we hope you ’ ll join us for future episodes .
As I mentioned , all of Season 2 will cover perception gaps around criminal justice .
Our next episode will focus on a very important part of the conversation : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve got some great interviews we can ’ t wait for you to hear .
If you ’ d like to stay in the loop , sign up for our newsletter at csmonitor.com/perceptiongaps .
We ’ ll include show notes , videos , additional articles , and behind the scenes takes from the series .
Again , you can sign up for it at csmonitor.com/perceptiongaps .
This episode was produced and hosted by me , Samantha Laine Perfas .
It was co-reported with Henry Gass and co-produced with Jessica Mendoza , edited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with additional edits provided by Dave Scott , Timmy Broderick , Em Okrepkie , Yvonne Zipp , Rebecca Asoulin , Jingnan Peng , and Nate Richards .
Sound design by Morgan Anderson and Noel Flatt , with additional audio elements from the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library , Richard Nixon Foundation , William J. Clinton Presidential Library , Democracy Now , Historical Speeches TV , and the podcast 70 Million .
This podcast was produced by The Christian Science Monitor , copyright 2020 .

Visitors post bail for themselves and their family members at the Bond room at the Cook County Jail on February 10, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. In Episode 1 of "Perception Gaps: Locked Up," our reporters discuss how an individual's inability to post bail leads to many people being detained pretrial.
Who’s really inside America’s jails? (audio)
Did you know that most people in jail have not been convicted of a crime? Many Americans are disconnected from how the criminal justice system actually works. Our podcast sheds light on some of these major misperceptions.
Editors note: This story has been updated to reflect Alexandra Natapoff's current location. At the time of the interview she was a law professor at the University of California, Irvine. She now teaches at Harvard University.
The idea that individuals are innocent until proven guilty is supposed to be at the heart of our criminal justice system. But in reality, it’s not, says Alexandra Natapoff, a professor of law at Harvard University. “We are letting the pressures of the criminal system decide who will sustain a conviction,” she says. “So we are already committed, in some terrible sense, to punishing the innocent.”
According to a 2020 report by the Prison Policy Initiative, 74% of people in American jails have not been convicted of a crime. Sometimes this is because they’re considered a flight risk or danger to society, but the majority of individuals in jail are there because they can’t afford bail. And while inside, they’re often given a choice: plead guilty and get released, or stay in jail until a trial is scheduled, and hope they’re proven innocent.
Episode transcript
[Interview montage]
News Channel 11 WJHL: Both officers and inmates are at their boiling point in a jail that’s simply busting at the seams. PBS: ... in a country that incarcerates more people than anywhere else on earth… CBS News: Experts warn that those who work and live inside U.S. jails and prisons are especially vulnerable to the coronavirus outbreak... Senator Tom Cotton via NBC News: As for the claim we should have more empathy for criminals, I won’t even try to conceal my contempt for this idea. CBS Sunday Morning: It is physically impossible to do social distancing in a three-foot-wide tier... WISH TV: ...the jam-packed jail is causing safety concerns for the staff and the inmates…
Samantha Laine Perfas: If the American jail and prison population were a city, it’d be the 5th largest city in the country, with almost 2.3 million Americans locked up right now. But did you know that most people in jail have not yet been proven guilty. So what’s going on?
This is Perception Gaps.
[Theme music]
I’m Samantha Laine Perfas and this is "Perception Gaps: Locked Up" by the Christian Science Monitor.
Welcome to Season 2 of "Perception Gaps," "Locked Up." In Season 1, we looked at 10 different topics in which public perception doesn’t line up with reality. Some of the topics we explored were crime, substance use, political polarization, and poverty. If you haven’t listened, go back and do so! You can find all the episodes at csmonitor.com/perceptiongaps.
For Season 2, we’re gonna try something a little different – we’ll spend the entire season exploring one issue: mass incarceration in America.
We’ll be diving deep into the criminal justice system, and the misperceptions about history, politics, race, and the economy that contribute to our attitudes toward crime and the people within the system. We’ll explore how the coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated many of the issues we found in our early reporting. And in our final episode, we’ll look at potential solutions and where we’re seeing progress.
In this episode, we’ll explore a lot of the high level misperceptions around mass incarceration as a whole and how the U.S. got to a place of locking up more people than any other country.
So back to our perception gap. . . many people don’t know that the vast majority of people locked up in American jails have not actually been convicted of a crime. Our first guest will help us understand how this came to be.
Alexandra Natapoff: I begin the book with a story about Gail Atwater, who is a mother of two who lived in Texas, and she was the defendant in a very famous Supreme Court case named after her. Atwater vs. Lago Vista.
Sam: This is Alexandra Natapoff, professor of law at the University of California Irvine School of Law. She’s talking about her recent book, entitled “Punishment without Crime,” which looks at the United States’ misdemeanor system. The book begins with a 2001 Supreme Court case that set the stage for today.
Alexandra: In that case, Gail Atwater was driving her children very slowly around the local park in their neighborhood because her son Mac had lost a toy in the park, and she let the children out of their seat belts to look out of the window of the car, hopefully to see where the toy had fallen. She was pulled over by a police officer who arrested her for driving without a seatbelt. She was arrested, put into handcuffs in front of her children. Her children were hysterical and crying, watching their mother be arrested. She was taken to jail. She was booked, fingerprinted, held in a cell.
Sam: The thing is, Atwater never should have been held in jail at all. At the time the seatbelt offense did not carry the possibility of jail - it was 1997, and the maximum punishment in Texas for not wearing your seatbelt was a $50 fine. Atwater sued the city of Lago Vista, and the case went all the way to the Supreme Court. Her argument was:
Alexandra: This is unfair. This is unreasonable. You shouldn’t be able to arrest people and put them in jail for crimes for which they could not be incarcerated even if they were found guilty. And the Supreme Court ruled against Gail Atwater. It’s an extraordinarily important case because as you can see, it opens the door to all kinds of incarceration.
Sam: According to a 2020 report by the Prison Policy Initiative, 74 percent of people held by jails have not been convicted of a crime. And the reason is because, if they can’t afford bail (and we’ll get to that soon) people are detained pretrial while they wait for their cases to be resolved. Sometimes it’s because they’re a flight risk, or the person is believed to be a danger to society. But...
Alexandra: The vast majority of our criminal system is devoted to misdemeanors like loitering, trespassing, DUI. Some dockets include assault or domestic violence, low level theft. And our jails are filled with people who are incarcerated because they are facing low level charges. They are detained pretrial and cannot afford bail.
Sam: Does this have an impact on people who take plea bargains? How does that fit?
Alexandra: So one of the great injustices of the bail system and the low level misdemeanor system is that it exerts pressure on individuals to plead guilty because it is so costly for them to remain incarcerated. They may lose their jobs. They may have children. They may be evicted. They may face all kinds of terrible consequences. So, in effect, putting this kind of pressure on individuals to plead guilty is like an end run around the criminal system itself.
Sam: We’re a nation founded on this idea of innocent until proven guilty. Does that no longer exist in our criminal justice system?
Alexandra: The presumption of innocence, the idea that we should only punish people who have been proven guilty, is a fundamental notion of fairness that I think many people believe drives our criminal system. And in many ways, that’s just not how our criminal system works. The role of innocence and the idea that people should not be punished until they have been proven guilty all too often falls by the wayside. We are not requiring proof of anything. We are letting the pressures of the criminal system decide who will sustain a conviction. So we are already committed in some terrible sense to punishing the innocent.
Sam: Even during the best of circumstances, this is a difficult choice: To either accept a plea bargain – and admit you’re guilty of something you might not be – or sit in jail for months while awaiting trial. In that time, you could lose your home, not be able to provide for your family, and potentially receive a conviction anyway.
But during a public health crisis, the danger of locking people up pretrial becomes a matter of life and death. States are recognizing that jailing someone simply because they couldn’t pay bail results in overcrowded, unhygienic environments - which are especially concerning during a pandemic. At the beginning of the outbreak in the US, states rushed to address these issues: some states released inmates early, others set bail at $0, and others tried to reduce booking into jails. But it raises the question: if it’s now not okay to lock up folks like this before their trials, those accused of minor, non-violent offenses, why was it OK six months ago, before a pandemic broke out? This crisis has revealed a huge blind spot for many of us.
Alexandra: So part of the challenge of our criminal system is that it’s opaque. The public doesn’t actually know a lot about how it actually works. And we have ideas about who’s in prison or who’s in jail that are derived as much from popular culture and television and assumptions as they are derived from reality.
Sam: For example, prisons and jails are often referred to interchangeably, and they are wildly different. Prisons are used for felony sentences, and are what we often picture when we think of mass incarceration. Jails on the other hand, are used for all sorts of things: we use jails to house people who are serving shorter sentences, but also for those who have been arrested or are waiting for the case to be resolved. So how many Americans are having that experience?
Alexandra: 11 million people pass through American jails every year. That means over ten million people are experiencing incarceration every year.
Sam: I think it really turns things on its head when you think about what is the purpose of prison in jails, because I think many people think it is to keep the public safe. But are the people we’re locking up really keeping the public safe? And how does that misperception of the connection between who we lock up and for how long and why actually relate to public safety?
Alexandra: The majority of individuals in our prisons and jails suffer from substance abuse challenges. Very high percentages have mental health disabilities. So when we talk about who is in our prisons and jails, in many ways it’s a reflection not of terrible, dangerous people who are engaging in terrible, dangerous conduct, but people who have been failed by the social safety net, who have been failed by our health care system, who have been failed by our economic system. And we are using our prisons and jails to respond to those failures. I think one of the great mistakes that American democracy has made is to overrely on the criminal system to do all kinds of work that civic society could do in a far more positive and less destructive way.
Sam: What’s the ripple effect of locking people up who are not a danger to society?
Alexandra: When we lock someone up, we are not just burdening and punishing them. We are burdening and punishing their family, their children. We are burdening communities. We are stripping communities of their wage earners, of their potential wage earners, of their workers, of the people who could otherwise contribute. And because people do eventually, for the most part, come home, we are then burdening those same families, those same communities, when we send people home from prison and jail, having gone through that traumatic experience without the tools and support for reentry. We need to retire the idea that getting a misdemeanor conviction is petty, is no big deal. It can haunt people for a lifetime.
[Music transition]
Sam: Nearly 11 million people pass through American jails every year, and not always because they did something worthy of being imprisoned. Each week, around 200,000 people move in and out of local jails.
The COVID-19 pandemic has cast a spotlight on this reality, revealing that our prisons and jails aren’t dark corners where we can keep the worst of the worst out of the public’s eye. Instead, these institutions are core features of our communities, our economies, and our society. This April in Ohio, 73% of inmates at Marion Correctional Institution tested positive for the coronavirus, as well as over 100 staff members. At the time, Ohio’s prison system accounted for over 20% of the state’s cases.
This left me wondering, how did we develop a system so massive that its impact reaches so far into our communities? Was it always like this?
Bruce Western: The United States 200 years ago was a pioneer in the area of social policy.
Sam: This is Bruce Western, a sociologist and the co-director of the Justice Lab at Columbia University. And what he just said is pretty interesting - despite where we are now, the beginning of the penitentiary system in the US was paved with good intentions. He’s talking about two approaches that were emerging in the 19th century: the Auburn system and the Pennsylvania system.
Bruce: One insisted really on a type of solitary confinement for people who had been convicted of crimes and the other looked more like a workhouse. And the underlying idea between both of these penitentiary systems, that people who had come into conflict with the law, who had been convicted of crimes, shouldn’t be subject to corporal punishment. Instead, they would be institutionalized. They’d be incarcerated. So initially, these were progressive social reforms. And the United States was really a pioneer.
Sam: In a nutshell: rather than physically punishing inmates for their crimes, the idea was that work and silence would give space for inmates to think about what they’d done, and repent - hence the term penitentiary. We now know that rehabilitation is so much more complex. But back then, it was progressive thinking, and the system was small.
Bruce: The idea that mass incarceration in America is historically new is really important. People who know about American criminal justice often think of the current situation as being with us forever. The very, very high incarceration rates really only emerged over the last couple of decades.
Sam: Starting in the 1970s, changes began to happen when the War on Drugs started.
[Historical audio insert, President Richard Nixon: America’s public enemy number one in the United States is drug abuse.
[Historical audio insert, President Ronald Reagan: Millions of dollars will be allocated for prison and jail facilities so that the mistake of releasing dangerous...]
Sam: And the prison and jail populations began to grow every year. Today, incarceration rates are five times higher than their historic average.
Bruce: So criminal justice policy really went through a very, very radical transformation through the 80s and 90s. Through the 1960 of course, you had tremendous progress in the expansion of particularly African American citizenship through the civil rights movement. And liberal and progressive political forces all around the country were mobilizing on behalf of civil rights. [Historical audio insert, civil rights marching and protest sounds] And then by the time you get to the 1970s, a political backlash has started. There was an appetite for punishment among voters, or at least certain segments of voters. And this tough on crime language, which is often highly racialized, associating the problem of crime, particularly with African American men. This becomes part of the political conversation and it’s the political impetus that’s pushing penal policy in this very punitive direction.
Sam: That political strategy continued into the 90s, with the 1994 Crime Bill passed by Democratic President Bill Clinton.
[Historical audio, President Bill Clinton: There must be no doubt about whose side we’re on. People who commit crimes should be caught, convicted, and punished. This bill puts government on the side of those who abide by the law...]
Sam: It capped a 20 year period of bipartisan consensus that being “tough on crime” was the best course of action for the U.S. The bill was focused on the federal system, which only accounted for about 10 percent of the prison system. However, one provision gave states money for prison construction if they adopted certain policies that required convicts to serve at least 85 percent of their sentences. That incentivized states to change their sentencing measures, and resulted in massive growth in state prison construction.
While this bill had enormous effects, the ideology behind it had been decades in the making.
Bruce: People often point to the crime bill as the origins of mass incarceration. I think its influence was smaller than that, but it was symbolically very important because it demonstrated that a consensus had emerged around very punitive crime policy in which a main response to the social problems of violence was incarceration.
Sam: Were there misperceptions at the time around the types of crimes that were being committed and the types of people that might be impacted by this legislation?
Bruce: I think it was well understood that this was going to have a huge effect on low income communities of color. I’m not sure there was a well-founded belief that this would solve the problem of crime in those communities. But there was certainly a belief that this was doing something. If you look at Black men born in the late 1970s, among those Black men, if they dropped out of high school, if they never finished high school, we estimate that 70 percent of them have been to prison. It’s happened at a time when crime rates are at their historically lowest level in 40 years. To me, it’s a really dramatic and tragic inequality.
Sam: Why that is... mostly boils down to extremely long sentences and trying to answer every crime problem with imprisonment, Bruce added. This approach leads to abnormally high levels of incarceration when you compare us to other parts of the world.
Bruce: There are about 60,000 people in the United States who are currently on so-called life without parole sentences. And so these are people that will never be released. In Western Europe, the number of people serving life without parole sentences, natural life sentences, they call them over there is about 50 people.
Sam: In a 2017 report, The Sentencing Project, a research and advocacy nonprofit, actually put the number at about 53,000. To be fair, there are more people in the US than in western Europe - however, if the ratio were the same as ours, they would have something like 32,000 people serving life without parole sentences, not 50.
Sam: I also think that when people hear, this person is serving life without parole, they probably a lot of people think, well, then they must have done something that’s worthy of that sentence. But when you compare us to Western Europe, then obviously that is a very, very striking difference. And it seems hard to believe that that many more people would have acted in a way worthy of that sentence and so few people in another part of the world.
Bruce: Yeah, I think you put your finger on it, right. You visit Western Europe, it’s not terribly different from the United States. America’s not sort of an utterly chaotic and violent place. So, what is different? I think there’s a connection between the emergence of mass incarceration and America’s centuries long history of racial injustice. The entire history of the African American community has been this political struggle over freedom and citizenship. And I think to be able to lock someone up for the rest of their lives, you have to dehumanize them. This long history of dehumanization, that’s the political context in which we adopt sentencing policies that send people away for the rest of their lives.
Sam: The experience of Black Americans encountering the criminal justice system is an important one, and we’ll be taking a closer look at this topic later in the season. But it’s worth noting that people of color are disproportionately put behind bars. Racism is baked into the criminal justice system, and those who are locked up are not the only ones affected.
Juleyka Lantigua-Williams: Today, 70 million Americans have a criminal record.
Sam: This is Juleyka Lantigua-Williams, founder and CEO of Lantigua Williams & Co., a full service production company. One of their podcasts is titled 70 Million, and it centers on the stories of those who have encountered the criminal justice system. I asked Juleyka, what is the effect of having 70 million Americans with criminal records?
Juleyka: Oh, it creates an incredible talent deficit for the country. And that talent deficit translates into real economic impact. So, for example, combined across all 50 states, there are something like 27,000 professional licenses for which someone with a criminal record can simply not apply for. It is an immediate deficit for the economy.
Sam: That’s not the end of it. If you have a criminal record, you’re also unable to own a home or rent without a guarantor. In some cases, it goes even further.
Juleyka: In some extreme cases, they’re not even being allowed... Like, the New York City Housing Authority does not allow someone who is returning from after serving time, to live in public housing with their own family. That’s the law.
Sam: Juleyka says their reporting digs into an issue that we talked about earlier: the idea that incarceration doesn’t affect just the individual, but the entire community.
Juleyka: One of the episodes from Season 2 this year looked at the impact specifically on Black women of having a significant other or a parent or a sibling be sent to prison for a meaningful amount of time. And Black women categorically bear the greatest burden, because they have to become the sole providers for their immediate family and often a provider for the extended family. I grew up in the South Bronx in the 80s and 90s, and I am very much aware of what happens when overnight a big brother disappears. An uncle disappears, that gets sent away. Sam: You had mentioned that storytelling and the narrative component of people’s stories is a really big part of 70 Million. How does that approach help address some of the biggest misperceptions around those who are convicted?
Juleyka: You know, I can spew numbers at you all day long, but if I tell you the story of a woman in Texas who lost her child because they would not give her medical attention when she went into labor...
[Audio excerpt from 70 Million, Shandra Williams: And Dr. Hayes took me, took my hand, and he shook it and he grabbed it real tight and he just hugged me. The sheriff’s department was already trying to put me in handcuffs. And the lady said, he’s gone. On October 30th. They called it stillborn.]
Juleyka: ...that’s going to stay with you. Right. And if I tell you the story of another woman who was in jail with her, who was in prison with her, who interviewed her and wrote down notes...
[Audio excerpt from 70 Million, Diane Wilson: I remember it was Christmas and, and I remember she came in real late at night. … The next day, her family came and picked her up, I remember that. But I did get her story.]
Juleyka: ...and then 15 years later, we reunited them to show that the second woman had started a nonprofit organization to make sure that mothers in Texas were not chained to a bed during labor, and that they would receive proper medical attention...
[Audio excerpt from 70 Million, Diana Claitor: It was very easy to go into offices and say we have two bills. One is for medical care for pregnant women in jails. The other is to stop shackling them while they’re in labor and childbirth. And people would just freeze and say tell me you didn’t just say that.]
Juleyka: ...that’s a story that’s going to stay with you.
Sam: From this story an organization called the Texas Jail Project came to life, and it advocates for more humane practices in the Texas county jail system. And other stories have promoted change as well. The podcast is open sourced, which means it is free for others to use, distribute, and modify - the clips you just heard came from Season 2, Episode 7. The podcast’s website also provides tool kits that show how programs like the Texas Jail Project were created, so anyone can use it as a blueprint in their own community.
Juleyka: I have seen how one person has created, you know, a chain reaction. And that’s really all it takes sometimes, just one person to say, “Enough. Something has to be done and I’m going to be the one to do it.”
[Music transition]
Sam: We’ve talked a lot about how incarceration affects families and communities – and how many Americans experience incarceration before they’ve been convicted of a crime. So now, we’re going to hear from a couple who knows firsthand what it’s like to go through this.
Brittany Williams: We were living in Glendale Heights - so that with roughly, maybe a 30 minute drive from the city of Chicago. And we just had, it was just amazing being out there. It was amazing. You know, I love the values that I grew up with, and I knew that I could have the same with my boys.
Sam: This is Brittany Williams, an insurance broker and the mother of three boys. Her husband, Tim, teaches entrepreneurship and how to grow a business. He grew up on the West Side of Chicago, so the life they were building for themselves was very different than what he grew up with: In Glendale Heights there was less crime, better schools… they had a daycare a block away, and they lived in a neighborhood that was more of a community. So what happened in October 2017 had an enormous effect on their lives. Here’s Tim.
Tim Williams: It was actually a good day. I had just left from... me and my wife was having lunch. It was our anniversary. So I had just had lunch with my wife. I was going to the store and we were going to meet back up. But I was pulled over by police.
Sam: Tim was pulled over by the police for an act while driving. We understand that this is a vague description. But in an effort to respect the couple’s privacy and their efforts to rebuild their lives, we will not be discussing the details of their case. They did ask us to note that the charge was sealable, which means it can be kept out of public record.
After Tim was pulled over, he was immediately arrested, taken to the station, booked, and put in front of a judge. She set his bond at $100,000. Her decision gave Tim the option to await trial outside of jail – if he paid 10 percent of the total sum, or about $10,000.
Tim: I’m not quite sure how did she decide what my bond was.I wasn’t sure why I had a bond like that, but I knew I couldn’t pay that bond.
Sam: So he stayed behind bars. Back home, Brittany was searching frantically for a way to get Tim out.
Brittany: I googled every day … sorry [starts crying]... for 10 days straight to find something. And I came across their number on Google, and I called and I remember leaving a voicemail. And I can’t remember his name, but he called me back in two or three days.
Sam: Brittany had found a group called the Chicago Community Bond Fund, a nonprofit that provides funds for people who have been locked up pre-trial and can’t afford to pay their bond. The Fund paid Tim’s bail, and he was released on electronic monitoring for 10 months. But by then, he had spent 2 months in jail. He still hadn’t been convicted of anything.
Before his arrest, Tim had been the breadwinner for the family. Brittany had just had a baby and was staying at home to raise their children. So while Tim was in jail, Brittany and the kids were evicted from their home.
Brittany: It was very difficult. I did a lot of praying and just keeping my mind focused on, he’ll be home. And just knowing that I have to be strong, not just for myself, but also for the children, because now they’re, you know, questioning, where’s Dad? And, you know, what’s been going on? I felt like a failure more than anything, like I have failed my children. Here we are, going from everyone having their own space, we’re comfortable to now, living with my sister-in-law in the city of Chicago, my first time ever living in the city. So it was quite an adjustment.
Sam: After he was released on electronic monitoring, Tim still could not work – he couldn’t even go outside to take the garbage out. He was essentially a prisoner in his own home. So Brittany had to both provide for their family and take care of the children – pretty much on her own.
Then, after months of being on house arrest, Tim finally had his day in court. He was convicted, served 15 days in jail, and then spent a year on parole. Think about that: Tim served a year of punishment pretrial for a crime that merited only two weeks behind bars.
It’s been about a year since Tim’s case was finally closed. The family has been working overtime to put their lives back together.
Brittany: It took time for us to build the life we have now and we’re still thriving. We’re definitely not where we want to be as a family and as entrepreneurs. I don’t think that the justice systems understand how communities and families are torn apart. I don’t know what I would have done if I wasn’t thinking straight, because now I’m just thinking about how I’m going to provide. And just imagine so many other women or people out there who have gone through this and may not be able to emotionally bring themselves strong enough to just be decent and just get through it.
Sam: So, this episode might be a lot to process. As we reported this series, I often felt overwhelmed, especially with the coronavirus pandemic and the civil unrest sweeping the country. In many ways, these things have forced the conversation to happen with a greater sense of urgency. But almost every person we talked to for this season was hopeful that we are moving towards positive change. The thing is, we need to recognize the problems before we can start thinking about solutions. We’ll be hearing from many of the people who are contributing to progress – and sharing what we learn with you.
[Theme music]
Thanks for listening, and we hope you’ll join us for future episodes. As I mentioned, all of Season 2 will cover perception gaps around criminal justice. Our next episode will focus on a very important part of the conversation: racial disparities in the system. We’ve got some great interviews we can’t wait for you to hear. If you’d like to stay in the loop, sign up for our newsletter at csmonitor.com/perceptiongaps. We’ll include show notes, videos, additional articles, and behind the scenes takes from the series. Again, you can sign up for it at csmonitor.com/perceptiongaps.
This episode was produced and hosted by me, Samantha Laine Perfas. It was co-reported with Henry Gass and co-produced with Jessica Mendoza, edited by Clay Collins and Noelle Swan, with additional edits provided by Dave Scott, Timmy Broderick, Em Okrepkie, Yvonne Zipp, Rebecca Asoulin, Jingnan Peng, and Nate Richards. Sound design by Morgan Anderson and Noel Flatt, with additional audio elements from the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, Richard Nixon Foundation, William J. Clinton Presidential Library, Democracy Now, Historical Speeches TV, and the podcast 70 Million.
This podcast was produced by The Christian Science Monitor, copyright 2020.
[End]


csmonitor--2020-08-03--Monday Sunrise Briefing: A new era in collaborative spaceflight

Two American astronauts returned to Earth Sunday in a déjà vu splashdown , the first in 45 years .
This SpaceX-NASA mission marks the first commercially built and operated spacecraft to carry people to and from orbit .
It ’ s another historic milestone on the road to a private-government space partnership .
“ We are entering a new era of human spaceflight , where NASA is no longer the purchaser , owner , and operator of all the hardware - we ’ re going to be a customer , ” said NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine , “ Driving down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The promise is that space flight becomes like airline travel with regular commercial trips to low-earth orbit for tourists , corporate research , and satellite repairs .
And the success of Sunday ’ s mission is considered a foundational step toward sustainable Moon missions , and eventually human flights to Mars .
To underscore the point , after the “ Space Dads ” Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken returned , they were greeted by mission control : “ Welcome back to planet Earth and thanks for flying SpaceX .
“ 2 .
Teen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a Chinese-owned video app that ’ s wildly popular among U.S. teenagers , emerged this weekend as the perfect fall guy for President Trump ’ s anti-China campaign .
On Friday , President Trump threatened to ban it .
On Sunday , top White House officials took to the airwaves to underscore security concerns .
Now , Microsoft is seeking to buy the the U.S. , Canada , Australia , and New Zealand branch of TikTok .
The stated concern is that the video app represents a security leak .
Chinese companies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ] directly to the Chinese Communist Party , their national security apparatus , ” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Sunday .
TikTok denies such claims noting that all U.S. user data is on servers operating on U.S. soil .
“ Now unfavorable views toward China are at an all-time high because of COVID-19 .
So when you combine the geopolitical realities with the domestic politics , it makes perfect sense for the president to continue ratcheting up the rhetoric and making moves to confront China head-on , ” Cliff Sims , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Washington Post .
Local democracy at work .
Voters in Arizona , Kansas , Michigan , Missouri , and Washington will go to the polls to elect state and local leaders .
Tennessee votes on Thursday and Hawaii casts ballots on Friday .
Policing re-envisioned .
The Minneapolis City Council plans to vote on final plans to dismantle the city police .
Remembering the A-bomb .
Hiroshima , Japan , marks the 75th anniversary of the world 's first atomic bomb attack with a ceremony at a peace park .
The bomb killed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nagasaki killed another 70,000 , before Japan ’ s surrender ended World War II .
Freedom or reckless rally ?
Bikers are expected to arrive in South Dakota for the 80th anniversary of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally .
Organizers expect attendance to be down by half , but expect at least 250,000 people at the 10-day rally , which would make it the biggest event since the pandemic started .
Justice delayed .
More than 15 years after the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri , a U.N. tribunal is set @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is expected to sentence members of the Shiite group Hezbollah , but none are in custody .
Last call for U.S. small businesses .
Today is the final deadline to apply for a business loan or grant through the federal Paycheck Protection Program .
There ’ s still about $ 130 billion left .
Any unspent money goes back to the U.S. Treasury .
Congress has proposed extending the plan but has not reached a deal .
Choosing a leader .
Belarus prepares to stage its presidential election on Sunday , with President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office .
Imagine you ’ re a fifth grader and you ’ 've been planning all year to take a trip to the Seabreeze Amusement Park near Rochester , New York .
You and your parents raised $ 2,400 for the big outing .
But then COVID-19 shut down your school - and the amusement park .
To say the students were disappointed might be an understatement .
But they rallied .
And in the spirit of giving that has characterized a year of acts of service , the parents and fifth graders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ N.Y. decided to donate their Seabreeze money to some worthy causes .
It was an abbreviated year of “ learning and listening , ” Elizabeth Coyle , their school principal says via email .
And she saw the fifth graders ' sense of leadership and responsibility ” grow throughout the school year .
Among the 5th graders ' various service acts was organizing a food drive for the Friendship Donations Network ( FDN ) , a nonprofit that collects food that would otherwise be thrown away from grocery stores and farms and redistributes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was among three local charities the students voted to give their $ 2,400 to when the trip was canceled .
The other two were the Human Services Coalition of Tompkins County and the Tompkins County Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals .
When he got the check from the 5th graders , FDN treasurer Mike Charnoky was surprised and touched by their generosity .
“ When I saw the envelope , I saw it was from the 5th grade class , '' Mr. Charnoky told the Ithaca Journal .
`` I thought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saw the details of the donation and it just broke my heart . ''
Mr. Charnoky also noted that generosity has flourished during the pandemic .
He said FDN has received more monetary donations over the past several months than during the same period in previous years .
Start your week with a recent story that inspired Monitor readers : In tonight ’ s Daily Edition , watch for our story about one of the pivotal political battles in American history , a battle for the soul of American democracy : the fight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Finally , check out the Monitor ’ s selected stories from Friday 's subscription-only Daily Edition : • The election is in 94 days .
Will the results be seen as legitimate ?
• Teachers unions demand their say as schools debate reopening • Hajj without the crowds : How pilgrims are persevering • Bringing light to the news , for those who can ’ t hear it ( video ) Editor ’ s note : As a public service , all our coronavirus coverage is free .
No paywall .
This is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an early Monday news update .
Please give us your feedback via the link below and let us know what you think .
Thank you !

Two American astronauts returned to Earth Sunday in a déjà vu splashdown, the first in 45 years. This SpaceX-NASA mission marks the first commercially built and operated spacecraft to carry people to and from orbit. It’s another historic milestone on the road to a private-government space partnership. “We are entering a new era of human spaceflight, where NASA is no longer the purchaser, owner, and operator of all the hardware - we’re going to be a customer,” said NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, “Driving down costs and increasing access to space.’
The promise is that space flight becomes like airline travel with regular commercial trips to low-earth orbit for tourists, corporate research, and satellite repairs. And the success of Sunday’s mission is considered a foundational step toward sustainable Moon missions, and eventually human flights to Mars. To underscore the point, after the “Space Dads” Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken returned, they were greeted by mission control: “Welcome back to planet Earth and thanks for flying SpaceX. “
2. Teen videos and the US-China relations. TikTok, a Chinese-owned video app that’s wildly popular among U.S. teenagers, emerged this weekend as the perfect fall guy for President Trump’s anti-China campaign. On Friday, President Trump threatened to ban it. On Sunday, top White House officials took to the airwaves to underscore security concerns. Now, Microsoft is seeking to buy the the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand branch of TikTok. The stated concern is that the video app represents a security leak. Chinese companies are “feeding data [about Americans] directly to the Chinese Communist Party, their national security apparatus,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Sunday. TikTok denies such claims noting that all U.S. user data is on servers operating on U.S. soil. “Now unfavorable views toward China are at an all-time high because of COVID-19. So when you combine the geopolitical realities with the domestic politics, it makes perfect sense for the president to continue ratcheting up the rhetoric and making moves to confront China head-on,” Cliff Sims, a former Trump White House aide told the Washington Post.
Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP View caption Hide caption Surfers in Delray Beach enjoy the waves, Sunday, Aug. 2, 2020, as Tropical Storm Isaias brushes Florida. The storm is forecast to dump heavy rain as it moves up the East Coast Monday and Tuesday.
Why We Wrote This Good morning! Welcome to your Monday, Aug. 3, 2020, sunrise briefing. Here are two news events from this past weekend (while you may have been listening to Taylor Swift’s “Folklore” album, paddle boarding, and enjoying an offline life). Also, what to look for in the news this week.
Look Ahead
Tuesday, Aug. 4
Local democracy at work. Voters in Arizona, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, and Washington will go to the polls to elect state and local leaders. Tennessee votes on Thursday and Hawaii casts ballots on Friday.
Wednesday, Aug. 5
Policing re-envisioned. The Minneapolis City Council plans to vote on final plans to dismantle the city police.
Remembering the A-bomb. Hiroshima, Japan, marks the 75th anniversary of the world's first atomic bomb attack with a ceremony at a peace park. The bomb killed 140,000 people. A second bomb in Nagasaki killed another 70,000, before Japan’s surrender ended World War II.
Friday, Aug. 7
Freedom or reckless rally? Bikers are expected to arrive in South Dakota for the 80th anniversary of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. Organizers expect attendance to be down by half, but expect at least 250,000 people at the 10-day rally, which would make it the biggest event since the pandemic started.
Justice delayed. More than 15 years after the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, a U.N. tribunal is set to announce its verdict. The court is expected to sentence members of the Shiite group Hezbollah, but none are in custody.
Saturday, Aug. 8
Last call for U.S. small businesses. Today is the final deadline to apply for a business loan or grant through the federal Paycheck Protection Program. There’s still about $130 billion left. Any unspent money goes back to the U.S. Treasury. Congress has proposed extending the plan but has not reached a deal.
Sunday, Aug. 9
Choosing a leader. Belarus prepares to stage its presidential election on Sunday, with President Alexander Lukashenko seeking a sixth term in office.
Generosity Watch
Friendship Donation Network View caption Hide caption The Friendship Donation Network (FDN) of Ithaca, N.Y., collects food from farms and grocery stories are redistributes it to the needy.
Imagine you’re a fifth grader and you’'ve been planning all year to take a trip to the Seabreeze Amusement Park near Rochester, New York. You and your parents raised $2,400 for the big outing. But then COVID-19 shut down your school - and the amusement park.
To say the students were disappointed might be an understatement. But they rallied. And in the spirit of giving that has characterized a year of acts of service, the parents and fifth graders of Northeast Elementary School in Ithaca, N.Y. decided to donate their Seabreeze money to some worthy causes.
It was an abbreviated year of “learning and listening,” Elizabeth Coyle, their school principal says via email. And she saw the fifth graders' sense of leadership and responsibility” grow throughout the school year.
Among the 5th graders' various service acts was organizing a food drive for the Friendship Donations Network (FDN), a nonprofit that collects food that would otherwise be thrown away from grocery stores and farms and redistributes it to those in need. FDN was among three local charities the students voted to give their $2,400 to when the trip was canceled. The other two were the Human Services Coalition of Tompkins County and the Tompkins County Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
When he got the check from the 5th graders, FDN treasurer Mike Charnoky was surprised and touched by their generosity. “When I saw the envelope, I saw it was from the 5th grade class," Mr. Charnoky told the Ithaca Journal. "I thought, 'That's different.' I saw the details of the donation and it just broke my heart."
Mr. Charnoky also noted that generosity has flourished during the pandemic. He said FDN has received more monetary donations over the past several months than during the same period in previous years.
Hidden gem
Start your week with a recent story that inspired Monitor readers:
Pandemic pen pals: How Colombian libraries lift spirits
Sneak preview
In tonight’s Daily Edition, watch for our story about one of the pivotal political battles in American history, a battle for the soul of American democracy: the fight for women's right to vote.
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Finally, check out the Monitor’s selected stories from Friday's subscription-only Daily Edition:
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This is a beta test - an experiment with an early Monday news update. Please give us your feedback via the link below and let us know what you think. Thank you!


csmonitor--2020-08-03--Sexism isn’t a relic of the past. How men’s views are shifting.

“ That ’ s the myth in some ways , when we look at things and say 100 years ago it was so much worse ... that things are always getting better , ” says Leisa Meyer , a historian at the College of William and Mary .
In workplaces , perceptions of women ’ s competence have soared since polling began in the mid-20th century , says Alice Eagly , a professor of psychology at Northwestern University and a leading expert on gender norms .
Yet stereotypes persist .
Men are perceived as stronger in “ agency ” traits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as more communal , she says .
Just 7 % of Fortune 500 corporations are led by a female CEO .
The share of Americans who think men are better suited than women for politics has decreased from 44 % to just 13 % in the past five decades , according to the General Social Survey at the University of Chicago .
Today , only 4 % of Americans say they won ’ t support a woman for president .
With these changes as a backdrop , four years ago a woman won @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ranks of women in elective office have grown slowly , and the U.S. Congress is still more than three-fourths male .
Cory Weller , a recent college graduate and resident of Columbia , Maryland , says he supports gender equality .
He ’ s voted for a woman .
He reports to a female manager at work .
In college , he took a course on feminism .
His thoughts on gender don ’ t run in the family .
Mr. Weller says his father would balk at a female leader or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that , in his opinion , comes from circumstances as much as stereotypes .
More than half of his bosses have been women , he says , and none of his father ’ s have been .
“ There are no real differences in males or females that should set them apart from having equal roles , ” says Mr. Weller , “ which I feel like is kind of a new viewpoint.
” In part , the younger and older Wellers represent America ’ s shifting attitudes toward gender , which have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 19th Amendment a century ago .
Yet , even as attitudes keep evolving for young and old alike , the reality on the ground has a lot of catching up to do .
Leadership roles in both business and politics are still occupied heavily by men .
One moral of the story , say legal scholars and historians , is that new perspectives alone don ’ t eradicate biased behavior .
It requires focused effort to dismantle systems and traditions that inhibit women ’ s advancement .
Perception shifts are just one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ At what point does culture change ?
” asks Swanee Hunt , a former U.S. ambassador to Austria and a scholar at Harvard University .
“ The answer is it ’ s changing every nanosecond .
It is never not changing , because all culture is , is the way things are being done.
” The shifts over the past century are both significant and incomplete .
The share of Americans who think men are better suited than women for politics has decreased from 44 % to just 13 % in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ General Social Survey at the University of Chicago .
Today , only 4 % of Americans say they won ’ t support a woman for president .
With these changes as a backdrop , four years ago a woman won the popular vote for president .
But the ranks of women in elective office have grown slowly , and the U.S. Congress is still more than three-fourths male .
In workplaces , perceptions of women ’ s competence have soared since polling began in the mid-20th century , says Alice Eagly , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a leading expert on gender norms .
Yet stereotypes persist .
Men are perceived as stronger in “ agency ” traits like assertiveness , while women are seen as more communal , she says .
Just 7 % of Fortune 500 corporations are led by a female CEO .
“ That ’ s the myth in some ways , when we look at things and say 100 years ago it was so much worse ... that things are always getting better , ” says Leisa Meyer , a historian at the College of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ century ago , Dr. Meyer sees progress , but she says far more is needed .
Women aren ’ t only judged differently for the same behaviors , she says ; they ’ re also still thought of as more emotional , worse leaders , and less apt to make hard decisions .
Those perceptions tend to be held most strongly by men .
Yet many women hold similar gender stereotypes as well .
And that ’ s an important twist , when it comes to battles for equality .
This year , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have encouraged a reckoning over racism in America .
In many ways , the quest for gender equality is a parallel battle , but experts say women are less cohesive as a group than African Americans when it comes to a sense of shared struggle against long-standing injustice .
That ’ s not to say society never confronts sexism .
The # MeToo movement unleashed a powerful shift in public thought regarding sexual harassment .
Calls for equal pay have also galvanized growing support from men as well as women in recent years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work .
Cultural shifts , Dr. Meyer says , involve each generation doing things differently and passing those differences on to the next .
And that process is rarely linear .
Bradley Jean is one young man who thinks stereotypes are losing their sway .
A rising senior studying computer engineering at George Mason University in Fairfax , Virginia , he ’ s excited to already have a plan for work after graduation .
The CEO at Novetta , the software company where he has been promised a job , is a woman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strong leader , he says , and she ’ s created a culture of open , supportive communication – something Mr. Jean appreciates .
“ If [ women ] have the same qualifications as men , ” he says , “ they should be judged on the same principles.
” Yet that still rarely happens , says Joanna Grossman , a legal scholar at Southern Methodist University .
She describes the workforce as a pyramid shape for women , in which they ’ re equally represented at the bottom “ and they drop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in particular need to accept that sexism isn ’ t just a relic of the past , she says .
Dr. Hunt at Harvard believes that her students should play an active role in ensuring the success of their classmates – women and men .
She tells them , “ It ’ s not about ‘ Just get out of [ women ’ s ] way.
’ It ’ s walk the journey with them .
”

For U.S. women, having the right to vote hasn’t automatically translated to power. Changed perceptions of women’s capacities are another key step. Part of our special 100th anniversary edition on women winning the right to vote.
“That’s the myth in some ways, when we look at things and say 100 years ago it was so much worse ... that things are always getting better,” says Leisa Meyer, a historian at the College of William and Mary.
In workplaces, perceptions of women’s competence have soared since polling began in the mid-20th century, says Alice Eagly, a professor of psychology at Northwestern University and a leading expert on gender norms. Yet stereotypes persist. Men are perceived as stronger in “agency” traits like assertiveness, while women are seen as more communal, she says. Just 7% of Fortune 500 corporations are led by a female CEO.
The share of Americans who think men are better suited than women for politics has decreased from 44% to just 13% in the past five decades, according to the General Social Survey at the University of Chicago. Today, only 4% of Americans say they won’t support a woman for president. With these changes as a backdrop, a woman won the popular vote for president four years ago. But the ranks of women in elective office have grown slowly, and the U.S. Congress is still more than three-fourths male.
Cory Weller, a recent college graduate and resident of Columbia, Maryland, says he supports gender equality. He’s voted for a woman. He reports to a female manager at work. In college, he took a course on feminism.
His thoughts on gender don’t run in the family. Mr. Weller says his father would balk at a female leader or boss. It’s a difference that, in his opinion, comes from circumstances as much as stereotypes. More than half of his bosses have been women, he says, and none of his father’s have been.
“There are no real differences in males or females that should set them apart from having equal roles,” says Mr. Weller, “which I feel like is kind of a new viewpoint.”
Why We Wrote This For U.S. women, having the right to vote hasn’t automatically translated to power. Changed perceptions of women’s capacities are another key step. Part of our special 100th anniversary edition on women winning the right to vote.
In part, the younger and older Wellers represent America’s shifting attitudes toward gender, which have been especially malleable since the ratification of the 19th Amendment a century ago.
SOURCE: Gallup | Jacob Turcotte and Mark Trumbull/Staff
Yet, even as attitudes keep evolving for young and old alike, the reality on the ground has a lot of catching up to do. Leadership roles in both business and politics are still occupied heavily by men.
One moral of the story, say legal scholars and historians, is that new perspectives alone don’t eradicate biased behavior. It requires focused effort to dismantle systems and traditions that inhibit women’s advancement. Perception shifts are just one step – but an important one.
“At what point does culture change?” asks Swanee Hunt, a former U.S. ambassador to Austria and a scholar at Harvard University. “The answer is it’s changing every nanosecond. It is never not changing, because all culture is, is the way things are being done.”
The shifts over the past century are both significant and incomplete. The share of Americans who think men are better suited than women for politics has decreased from 44% to just 13% in the past five decades, according to the General Social Survey at the University of Chicago. Today, only 4% of Americans say they won’t support a woman for president. With these changes as a backdrop, four years ago a woman won the popular vote for president. But the ranks of women in elective office have grown slowly, and the U.S. Congress is still more than three-fourths male.
In workplaces, perceptions of women’s competence have soared since polling began in the mid-20th century, says Alice Eagly, a professor of psychology at Northwestern University and a leading expert on gender norms. Yet stereotypes persist. Men are perceived as stronger in “agency” traits like assertiveness, while women are seen as more communal, she says. Just 7% of Fortune 500 corporations are led by a female CEO.
“That’s the myth in some ways, when we look at things and say 100 years ago it was so much worse ... that things are always getting better,” says Leisa Meyer, a historian at the College of William and Mary.
SOURCE: "The Multiple Dimensions of Gender Stereotypes: A Current Look at Men’s and Women’s Characterizations of Others and Themselves" (2019) by Tanja Hentschel, Madeline E. Heilman, and Claudia V. Peus (Frontiers in Psychology) | Jacob Turcotte and Mark Trumbull/Staff
Compared with a century ago, Dr. Meyer sees progress, but she says far more is needed. Women aren’t only judged differently for the same behaviors, she says; they’re also still thought of as more emotional, worse leaders, and less apt to make hard decisions. Those perceptions tend to be held most strongly by men.
Yet many women hold similar gender stereotypes as well. And that’s an important twist, when it comes to battles for equality. This year, after all, protests for racial justice have encouraged a reckoning over racism in America. In many ways, the quest for gender equality is a parallel battle, but experts say women are less cohesive as a group than African Americans when it comes to a sense of shared struggle against long-standing injustice.
That’s not to say society never confronts sexism. The #MeToo movement unleashed a powerful shift in public thought regarding sexual harassment. Calls for equal pay have also galvanized growing support from men as well as women in recent years.
But achieving lasting change is hard work. Cultural shifts, Dr. Meyer says, involve each generation doing things differently and passing those differences on to the next. And that process is rarely linear.
Jacob Turcotte and Mark Trumbull/Staff
Bradley Jean is one young man who thinks stereotypes are losing their sway. A rising senior studying computer engineering at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, he’s excited to already have a plan for work after graduation. The CEO at Novetta, the software company where he has been promised a job, is a woman – Tiffanny Gates. She is a strong leader, he says, and she’s created a culture of open, supportive communication – something Mr. Jean appreciates.
“If [women] have the same qualifications as men,” he says, “they should be judged on the same principles.”
Get stories that
empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
Yet that still rarely happens, says Joanna Grossman, a legal scholar at Southern Methodist University. She describes the workforce as a pyramid shape for women, in which they’re equally represented at the bottom “and they drop off at every meaningful level.” Men in particular need to accept that sexism isn’t just a relic of the past, she says.
Dr. Hunt at Harvard believes that her students should play an active role in ensuring the success of their classmates – women and men. She tells them, “It’s not about ‘Just get out of [women’s] way.’ It’s walk the journey with them.”