csmonitor--2020-09-10--Unprecedented fires sweep normally cool and wet Pacific Northwest

Numerous wildfires burned in Oregon ’ s forested valleys and along the coast , destroying hundreds of homes and causing mass evacuations .
Farther north , flames devoured buildings and huge tracts of land in Washington state .
Officials said the number of simultaneous fires and perhaps the damage caused was unprecedented .
Several deaths were reported , including a young boy in Washington state .
Oregon Gov .
Kate Brown said communities have been “ substantially destroyed ” and warned there could be numerous fatalities .
Because of its cool , wet climate , the Pacific Northwest rarely experiences @ @ @ @ @ @ @ change driven by human-caused greenhouse gases is expected to keep warming the region , with most models predicting drier summers , according to the College of the Environment at the University of Washington .
Ms. Brown said Oregon could see the greatest loss of life and property from wildfires in state history .
The small towns of Phoenix and Talent in southern Oregon were heavily damaged .
Another fire leveled most of the small farming town of Malden in eastern Washington – burning down the fire station , post office , City Hall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a fire burned more than 750 square miles of forest , brush , and shrubland , Washington Gov .
Jay Inslee said Wednesday after a 30-minute tour of the fire area in Sumner , east of Tacoma .
Governor Inslee said low humidity , high temperatures , and winds combined to likely make the blaze one of “ the most catastrophic fires we ’ ve had in the history of the state.
” Fires were also causing chaos in California , where thousands of homes were threatened Thursday after winds whipped a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a small mountain community and killed at least three people .
Several other people have been critically burned and hundreds , if not thousands , of homes and other buildings are believed to have been damaged or destroyed by the fire northeast of San Francisco , authorities said .
Experts say the California ’ s fires are growing bigger and moving faster than they ever have before .
In Oregon , fires erupted along Interstate 5 , hitting towns and forcing a shutdown of the main freeway along the West Coast .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ highway running through California , Oregon , and Washington , was also impacted .
At least three people in Oregon and the small child in Washington state were reported killed .
In Oregon , authorities said one of the victims from Marion County near Salem was a young boy , who died alongside his dog .
The extent of damage was unclear because so many of the fire zones were too dangerous to survey , said Oregon Deputy State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple .
A mandatory evacuation was ordered in the northern half @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of about 10,000 people on the Oregon coast .
“ The fire is in the city , ” said county Emergency Management spokesman Casey Miller .
Some buildings had been burned , Mr. Miller said , but he had no immediate details .
Traffic snarled as people tried to drive south .
An evacuation center was set up at a community college in Newport .
In Talent , a mobile home park with more than 50 homes was turned into an empty lot except for one lone trailer , said Drew Cutler , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ western Oregon , fire tore through Santiam Canyon and the Cascade Range foothills east of Salem , the state capital .
People with animals sought shelter from the Red Cross at the fairgrounds .
Catherine Shields evacuated her home in Silverton with a menagerie of animals , assisted by neighbors and strangers .
As smoke obscured the sun and ash fell from the sky , they helped load her and her partner ’ s three horses , a donkey , two llamas , a dozen sheep , geese , ducks , turkeys , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As she walked one of the horses at the fairgrounds Wednesday , she marveled at how people were pulling together despite political divisiveness in the country .
“ In the last 24 hours , we just felt people are doing their best , ” Ms. Shields said .
With an expected break in the weather Thursday , Doug Grafe , chief of fire protection at the Oregon Department of Forestry , said firefighters are hoping to turn things around .
“ Today marks the last day where we are witnessing this historic weather @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Officials said winds have slowed and cooler marine winds were expected .
In northeastern Washington , a young boy died after his family was apparently overrun by flames while trying to flee a wildfire , Okanogan County Sheriff Tony Hawley said .
KOIN reported that police confirmed that a boy and his grandmother died in a wildfire near Lyons , Oregon .
The Mail Tribune in Medford , Oregon , reported that Jackson County Sheriff Nathan Sickler confirmed at least one death and a criminal investigation at the origin point of a wildfire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Holland , a Vietnam veteran , barely escaped his home in Estacada on Tuesday night .
Mr. Holland said Oregon State Police had warned him to leave earlier in the day , but the fire seemed far away and he decided to stay .
Around 10 p.m. , he said , his landlord came pounding on the door screaming at him to go .
He left his rental house as flames exploded in cedar trees around him .
He found his dog Gus waiting in his truck .
He said his sole remaining @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some clothing – were also in the truck .
“ I ’ ve been through hell and high water but nothing like this .
I ’ ve been shot down and shot at but this – last night , I ’ m still not over it , ” Mr. Holland said .
This story was reported by The Associated Press .
Associated Press writers Sara Cline in Salem ; Rachel La Corte in Sumner , Washington ; Nick Geranios in Spokane , Washington ; and Lisa Baumann in Seattle contributed to this report @

Numerous wildfires burned in Oregon’s forested valleys and along the coast, destroying hundreds of homes and causing mass evacuations. Farther north, flames devoured buildings and huge tracts of land in Washington state.
Officials said the number of simultaneous fires and perhaps the damage caused was unprecedented. Several deaths were reported, including a young boy in Washington state. Oregon Gov. Kate Brown said communities have been “substantially destroyed” and warned there could be numerous fatalities.
Because of its cool, wet climate, the Pacific Northwest rarely experiences such intense fire activity. But climate change driven by human-caused greenhouse gases is expected to keep warming the region, with most models predicting drier summers, according to the College of the Environment at the University of Washington.
Ms. Brown said Oregon could see the greatest loss of life and property from wildfires in state history. The small towns of Phoenix and Talent in southern Oregon were heavily damaged. Another fire leveled most of the small farming town of Malden in eastern Washington – burning down the fire station, post office, City Hall, and library.
In Washington state, a fire burned more than 750 square miles of forest, brush, and shrubland, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said Wednesday after a 30-minute tour of the fire area in Sumner, east of Tacoma.
Governor Inslee said low humidity, high temperatures, and winds combined to likely make the blaze one of “the most catastrophic fires we’ve had in the history of the state.”
Fires were also causing chaos in California, where thousands of homes were threatened Thursday after winds whipped a blaze into a monster that incinerated houses in a small mountain community and killed at least three people.
Several other people have been critically burned and hundreds, if not thousands, of homes and other buildings are believed to have been damaged or destroyed by the fire northeast of San Francisco, authorities said. Experts say the California’s fires are growing bigger and moving faster than they ever have before.
In Oregon, fires erupted along Interstate 5, hitting towns and forcing a shutdown of the main freeway along the West Coast. U.S. Highway 101, the main coastal highway running through California, Oregon, and Washington, was also impacted.
At least three people in Oregon and the small child in Washington state were reported killed. In Oregon, authorities said one of the victims from Marion County near Salem was a young boy, who died alongside his dog.
The extent of damage was unclear because so many of the fire zones were too dangerous to survey, said Oregon Deputy State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple.
A mandatory evacuation was ordered in the northern half of Lincoln City, a vacation town of about 10,000 people on the Oregon coast.
“The fire is in the city,” said county Emergency Management spokesman Casey Miller.
Some buildings had been burned, Mr. Miller said, but he had no immediate details. Traffic snarled as people tried to drive south. An evacuation center was set up at a community college in Newport.
In Talent, a mobile home park with more than 50 homes was turned into an empty lot except for one lone trailer, said Drew Cutler, who lives in nearby Ashland.
In western Oregon, fire tore through Santiam Canyon and the Cascade Range foothills east of Salem, the state capital. People with animals sought shelter from the Red Cross at the fairgrounds.
Catherine Shields evacuated her home in Silverton with a menagerie of animals, assisted by neighbors and strangers. As smoke obscured the sun and ash fell from the sky, they helped load her and her partner’s three horses, a donkey, two llamas, a dozen sheep, geese, ducks, turkeys, and dogs onto trailers and vehicles.
As she walked one of the horses at the fairgrounds Wednesday, she marveled at how people were pulling together despite political divisiveness in the country.
“In the last 24 hours, we just felt people are doing their best,” Ms. Shields said.
With an expected break in the weather Thursday, Doug Grafe, chief of fire protection at the Oregon Department of Forestry, said firefighters are hoping to turn things around.
“Today marks the last day where we are witnessing this historic weather event,” Mr. Grafe said.
Officials said winds have slowed and cooler marine winds were expected.
In northeastern Washington, a young boy died after his family was apparently overrun by flames while trying to flee a wildfire, Okanogan County Sheriff Tony Hawley said.
KOIN reported that police confirmed that a boy and his grandmother died in a wildfire near Lyons, Oregon. The Mail Tribune in Medford, Oregon, reported that Jackson County Sheriff Nathan Sickler confirmed at least one death and a criminal investigation at the origin point of a wildfire that started near Ashland.
Lloyd Dean Holland, a Vietnam veteran, barely escaped his home in Estacada on Tuesday night.
Mr. Holland said Oregon State Police had warned him to leave earlier in the day, but the fire seemed far away and he decided to stay.
Around 10 p.m., he said, his landlord came pounding on the door screaming at him to go.
He left his rental house as flames exploded in cedar trees around him. He found his dog Gus waiting in his truck.
He said his sole remaining possessions – rifles, dentures, and some clothing – were also in the truck.
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“I’ve been through hell and high water but nothing like this. I’ve been shot down and shot at but this – last night, I’m still not over it,” Mr. Holland said.
This story was reported by The Associated Press. Associated Press writers Sara Cline in Salem; Rachel La Corte in Sumner, Washington; Nick Geranios in Spokane, Washington; and Lisa Baumann in Seattle contributed to this report.


csmonitor--2020-09-10--Fire engulfs Beirut, still reeling from August blast

A huge fire broke out Thursday at the Port of Beirut , the site of last month ’ s catastrophic explosion that killed nearly 200 people and devastated parts of the capital .
The new fire , which came nearly 40 days after the blast , triggered widespread panic among traumatized residents of the area .
It wasn ’ t immediately clear what caused the fire at the facility , which was decimated by the Aug. 4 explosion when nearly 3,000 tons of ammonium nitrate detonated .
The blast triggered a shock wave that blew out windows , doors , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as far away as the island of Cyprus .
A column of thick black smoke billowed from the port at midday Thursday , with orange flames leaping from the ground .
Smoke covered the capital and firefighters and ambulances rushed to the scene .
Army helicopters were taking part in efforts to extinguish the fire .
“ We opened all windows and are in the corridor right now , ” said Dana Awad , a mother of two girls in a Beirut neighborhood .
“ I am still feeling the earth shake .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the tremor that preceded the Aug. 4 explosion .
The Lebanese army said the fire started at a warehouse where oil and tires are placed in the duty free zone , adding that efforts to battle the fire were ongoing .
Panicked residents – still struggling to get over last month ’ s catastrophic explosion – cracked open windows and called and texted each other to warn them of the new danger .
Local TV stations said companies that have offices near the port asked their employees to leave the area .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ port workers running away in fear as soon as the fire broke out , a chilling reminder of last month ’ s blast that killed dozens of port employees and 10 firefighters .
Lebanese troops closed the major road that passes near the port , rerouting traffic to other areas .
The Aug. 4 explosion killed more than 190 people , injured around 6,500 , and damaged thousands of buildings in the Lebanese capital .
The explosion , the single most destructive blast in Lebanon ’ s history , is blamed on government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the wake of Thursday ’ s fire that it could be an attempt to remove evidence of last month ’ s explosion from the scene .
Some hid in bathrooms , others dropped what they were doing and rushed home .
The panic was compounded by the trauma from the Aug. 4 explosion and the fear that more chemicals could be in the wreckage of the port .
Earlier this month , the Lebanese army said it discovered more than 4 tons of ammonium nitrate in four containers stored near the port that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Days after the Aug. 4 blast , French and Italian chemical experts working amid the remains of the port identified more than 20 containers carrying dangerous chemicals .
The army later said that these containers were moved and stored safely in locations away from the port .
State-run National News Agency said the fire was at a warehouse where tires are placed .
It added that firefighters are dealing with the blaze .
Beirut Gov .
Marwan Abboud and authorities called on people to stay away from roads leading to the port to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Port director Bassem al-Qaisi told Voice of Lebanon radio the fire started in a warehouse where barrels of cooking oil were placed and later spread nearby to where tires were piled .
“ It is too early to now if it is the result of heat or some other mistake , ” Mr. al-Qaissi said adding that the black smoke was from burning tires .
It was the second fire at the port this week .
On Tuesday , a small fire erupted , also creating some panic , that was quickly extinguished @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Associated Press .

A huge fire broke out Thursday at the Port of Beirut, the site of last month’s catastrophic explosion that killed nearly 200 people and devastated parts of the capital. The new fire, which came nearly 40 days after the blast, triggered widespread panic among traumatized residents of the area.
It wasn’t immediately clear what caused the fire at the facility, which was decimated by the Aug. 4 explosion when nearly 3,000 tons of ammonium nitrate detonated. The blast triggered a shock wave that blew out windows, doors, and walls miles away and was felt as far away as the island of Cyprus.
A column of thick black smoke billowed from the port at midday Thursday, with orange flames leaping from the ground. Smoke covered the capital and firefighters and ambulances rushed to the scene. Army helicopters were taking part in efforts to extinguish the fire.
“We opened all windows and are in the corridor right now,” said Dana Awad, a mother of two girls in a Beirut neighborhood. “I am still feeling the earth shake. Living a flashback.” She was referring to the tremor that preceded the Aug. 4 explosion.
The Lebanese army said the fire started at a warehouse where oil and tires are placed in the duty free zone, adding that efforts to battle the fire were ongoing.
Panicked residents – still struggling to get over last month’s catastrophic explosion – cracked open windows and called and texted each other to warn them of the new danger. Local TV stations said companies that have offices near the port asked their employees to leave the area.
A video circulating on social media showed port workers running away in fear as soon as the fire broke out, a chilling reminder of last month’s blast that killed dozens of port employees and 10 firefighters. Lebanese troops closed the major road that passes near the port, rerouting traffic to other areas.
The Aug. 4 explosion killed more than 190 people, injured around 6,500, and damaged thousands of buildings in the Lebanese capital. The explosion, the single most destructive blast in Lebanon’s history, is blamed on government negligence and mismanagement.
Lebanese speculated in the wake of Thursday’s fire that it could be an attempt to remove evidence of last month’s explosion from the scene. Some hid in bathrooms, others dropped what they were doing and rushed home.
The panic was compounded by the trauma from the Aug. 4 explosion and the fear that more chemicals could be in the wreckage of the port. Earlier this month, the Lebanese army said it discovered more than 4 tons of ammonium nitrate in four containers stored near the port that it said were “dealt with.”
Days after the Aug. 4 blast, French and Italian chemical experts working amid the remains of the port identified more than 20 containers carrying dangerous chemicals. The army later said that these containers were moved and stored safely in locations away from the port.
State-run National News Agency said the fire was at a warehouse where tires are placed. It added that firefighters are dealing with the blaze.
Beirut Gov. Marwan Abboud and authorities called on people to stay away from roads leading to the port to allow fire engines to move quickly.
Port director Bassem al-Qaisi told Voice of Lebanon radio the fire started in a warehouse where barrels of cooking oil were placed and later spread nearby to where tires were piled.
“It is too early to now if it is the result of heat or some other mistake,” Mr. al-Qaissi said adding that the black smoke was from burning tires.
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It was the second fire at the port this week. On Tuesday, a small fire erupted, also creating some panic, that was quickly extinguished.
This story was reported by The Associated Press.


csmonitor--2020-09-10--Woodward book: Did Trump mislead or reassure on coronavirus?

President Donald Trump talked in private about the “ deadly ” coronavirus last February , even as he was declaring to America it was no worse than the flu and insisting it was under control , according to a new book by journalist Bob Woodward .
Mr. Trump said Wednesday he was just being a “ cheerleader ” for the nation and trying to keep everyone calm .
His public rhetoric , Mr. Trump told Mr. Woodward in March , was part of a strategy to deliberately minimize the danger .
“ I wanted to always play it down , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still like playing it down because I don ’ t want to create a panic.
” Mr. Trump , according to the book , acknowledged being alarmed by the virus , even as he was telling the nation that it would swiftly disappear .
Coming less than eight weeks before Election Day , the revelations in the book – accompanied by recordings Mr. Woodward made of his interviews with Mr. Trump – provide an unwelcome return of public attention to the president ’ s handling of the pandemic that has so far killed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pushing hard for a resumption of normal activity and trying to project strength and control to bolster his political position in his campaign against Democrat Joe Biden .
In a Feb. 7 call with Mr. Woodward , Mr. Trump said of the virus : “ You just breathe the air and that ’ s how it ’ s passed .
And so that ’ s a very tricky one .
That ’ s a very delicate one .
It ’ s also more deadly than even your strenuous flus.
” “ This is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for emphasis .
Just three days later , Mr. Trump struck a far rosier tone in an interview with Fox Business : “ I think the virus is going to be – it ’ s going to be fine.
” Mr. Biden said Wednesday the book shows Mr. Trump “ lied to the American people .
He knowingly and willingly lied about the threat it posed to the country for months.
” “ While a deadly disease ripped through our nation , he failed to do his job – on purpose .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the American people , ” Mr. Biden said at a campaign event in Michigan .
Mr. Biden ’ s campaign pounced , releasing an ad late Wednesday featuring the audiotapes of Mr. Trump ’ s remarks .
“ And Trump knew all along , ” the ad ’ s narrator says .
Speaking Wednesday at the White House , Mr. Trump acknowledged he downplayed the virus , insisting he was trying to buck up the nation and suggesting he was trying to avoid “ gouging ” on prices of needed supplies .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cheerleader for this country .
I love our country and I don ’ t want people to be frightened .
I don ’ t want to create panic , as you say , ” Mr. Trump told reporters .
“ Certainly , I ’ m not going to drive this country or the world into a frenzy .
We want to show confidence .
We want to show strength.
” Yet Mr. Trump ’ s public comments suggested he was steering people to ignore the reality of the coming storm .
Mr. Woodward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ top Trump national security officials to the president in late January that the virus that causes COVID-19 could be as bad as the devastating influenza pandemic of 1918 .
On Feb. 25 , just weeks before much of the country was forced to shut down because of the pandemic , Mr. Trump declared the virus “ very well under control in our country.
” Though he restricted travel from China in January , Mr. Trump did not begin to devote extensive federal resources to procuring vital personal protective equipment , including face masks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ until March .
In fact , U.S. officials recommended against widespread mask-wearing until April in part because of a shortage of protective masks required by front-line medical workers .
Mr. Trump aides and allies said at the time that he was aiming to prop up the economy with his rosy take on the virus throughout February , even as his administration took few concrete steps to prepare for the coming pandemic .
The Washington Post , where Mr. Woodward serves as associate editor , reported excerpts of the book , “ Rage ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The book also covers race relations , diplomacy with North Korea , and a range of other issues that have arisen during the past two years .
The book is based in part on 18 interviews that Mr. Woodward conducted with Mr. Trump between December and July .
“ Trump never did seem willing to fully mobilize the federal government and continually seemed to push problems off on the states , ” Mr. Woodward writes of the pandemic .
“ There was no real management theory of the case or how to organize @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the most complex emergencies the United States had ever faced.
” White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Wednesday : “ The president has never lied to the American public on COVID .
The president was expressing calm , and his actions reflect that.
” She said Mr. Trump ’ s actions show that he took COVID-19 seriously .
She noted that the president put in place travel restrictions with China on Jan. 31 and said that some Democrats had criticized the move .
In an interview with Fox News on Wednesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s top infectious disease expert , said Mr. Trump never “ distorted ” what Dr. Fauci had told the president .
“ Often he would want to , you know , make sure that the country doesn ’ t get down and out about things , but I don ’ t recall anything that was any gross distortion in things that I spoke to him about , ” Dr. Fauci said .
Ms. McEnany insisted “ the president never downplayed the virus , ” though Mr. Trump himself told Mr. Woodward he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t want to create a panic.
” “ There is damning truth that President Trump lied and people died , ” said Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York .
Mr. Schumer said that when he thinks about how many people in his state died , “ It just makes me angry.
” He added , “ How many people would be alive today if he just told Americans the truth ?
” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , D-Calif. , said the president ’ s comments to Mr. Woodward showed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ What he was actually saying is , ‘ I don ’ t want anybody to think anything like this happened on my watch so I ’ m not going to call any more attention to it , ’ ” Ms. Pelosi said on MSNBC .
Mr. Woodward ’ s book is his second on the Trump White House .
The first , published in 2018 , portrayed Mr. Trump in an unflattering light , and the president fumed at staff that he was not interviewed for it , according to former White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ White House .
They were not authorized to speak publicly about private conversations and discussed the matter on condition of anonymity .
Mr. Trump was convinced that if he had talked to Mr. Woodward , it could have led to a more favorable depiction in the book , according to the officials .
Mr. Trump had always held Mr. Woodward in high regard – he considered the journalist as the biggest star in the field – and told aides he must be interviewed if Mr. Woodward were to write again , the officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Capitol declined to comment on the new book , telling reporters they hadn ’ t yet read it , even when informed of key passages about the virus .
“ I just can ’ t , can ’ t comment on it , ” said Sen .
Rob Portman , R-Ohio .
“ Could we all have done things differently ?
Yes , including Congress .
We were all a little slow to recognize the severity , ” Mr. Portman said .
This story was reported by The Associated Press .
AP writers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jaffe in Warren , Michigan ; and Lisa Mascaro in Washington contributed to this report .

President Donald Trump talked in private about the “deadly” coronavirus last February, even as he was declaring to America it was no worse than the flu and insisting it was under control, according to a new book by journalist Bob Woodward. Mr. Trump said Wednesday he was just being a “cheerleader” for the nation and trying to keep everyone calm.
His public rhetoric, Mr. Trump told Mr. Woodward in March, was part of a strategy to deliberately minimize the danger. “I wanted to always play it down,” the president said. “I still like playing it down because I don’t want to create a panic.”
Mr. Trump, according to the book, acknowledged being alarmed by the virus, even as he was telling the nation that it would swiftly disappear.
Coming less than eight weeks before Election Day, the revelations in the book – accompanied by recordings Mr. Woodward made of his interviews with Mr. Trump – provide an unwelcome return of public attention to the president’s handling of the pandemic that has so far killed about 190,000 Americans. He is currently pushing hard for a resumption of normal activity and trying to project strength and control to bolster his political position in his campaign against Democrat Joe Biden.
In a Feb. 7 call with Mr. Woodward, Mr. Trump said of the virus: “You just breathe the air and that’s how it’s passed. And so that’s a very tricky one. That’s a very delicate one. It’s also more deadly than even your strenuous flus.”
“This is deadly stuff,” the president repeated for emphasis.
Just three days later, Mr. Trump struck a far rosier tone in an interview with Fox Business: “I think the virus is going to be – it’s going to be fine.”
Mr. Biden said Wednesday the book shows Mr. Trump “lied to the American people. He knowingly and willingly lied about the threat it posed to the country for months.”
“While a deadly disease ripped through our nation, he failed to do his job – on purpose. It was a life or death betrayal of the American people,” Mr. Biden said at a campaign event in Michigan.
Mr. Biden’s campaign pounced, releasing an ad late Wednesday featuring the audiotapes of Mr. Trump’s remarks. “And Trump knew all along,” the ad’s narrator says.
Speaking Wednesday at the White House, Mr. Trump acknowledged he downplayed the virus, insisting he was trying to buck up the nation and suggesting he was trying to avoid “gouging” on prices of needed supplies.
“The fact is I’m a cheerleader for this country. I love our country and I don’t want people to be frightened. I don’t want to create panic, as you say,” Mr. Trump told reporters. “Certainly, I’m not going to drive this country or the world into a frenzy. We want to show confidence. We want to show strength.”
Yet Mr. Trump’s public comments suggested he was steering people to ignore the reality of the coming storm. Mr. Woodward’s account details dire warnings from top Trump national security officials to the president in late January that the virus that causes COVID-19 could be as bad as the devastating influenza pandemic of 1918.
On Feb. 25, just weeks before much of the country was forced to shut down because of the pandemic, Mr. Trump declared the virus “very well under control in our country.”
Though he restricted travel from China in January, Mr. Trump did not begin to devote extensive federal resources to procuring vital personal protective equipment, including face masks, or expand the production of ventilators until March. In fact, U.S. officials recommended against widespread mask-wearing until April in part because of a shortage of protective masks required by front-line medical workers.
Mr. Trump aides and allies said at the time that he was aiming to prop up the economy with his rosy take on the virus throughout February, even as his administration took few concrete steps to prepare for the coming pandemic.
The Washington Post, where Mr. Woodward serves as associate editor, reported excerpts of the book, “Rage” on Wednesday, as did CNN. The book also covers race relations, diplomacy with North Korea, and a range of other issues that have arisen during the past two years.
The book is based in part on 18 interviews that Mr. Woodward conducted with Mr. Trump between December and July.
“Trump never did seem willing to fully mobilize the federal government and continually seemed to push problems off on the states,” Mr. Woodward writes of the pandemic. “There was no real management theory of the case or how to organize a massive enterprise to deal with one of the most complex emergencies the United States had ever faced.”
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Wednesday: “The president has never lied to the American public on COVID. The president was expressing calm, and his actions reflect that.”
She said Mr. Trump’s actions show that he took COVID-19 seriously. She noted that the president put in place travel restrictions with China on Jan. 31 and said that some Democrats had criticized the move.
In an interview with Fox News on Wednesday, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the government’s top infectious disease expert, said Mr. Trump never “distorted” what Dr. Fauci had told the president.
“Often he would want to, you know, make sure that the country doesn’t get down and out about things, but I don’t recall anything that was any gross distortion in things that I spoke to him about,” Dr. Fauci said.
Ms. McEnany insisted “the president never downplayed the virus,” though Mr. Trump himself told Mr. Woodward he was “playing it down because I don’t want to create a panic.”
“There is damning truth that President Trump lied and people died,” said Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York. Mr. Schumer said that when he thinks about how many people in his state died, “It just makes me angry.” He added, “How many people would be alive today if he just told Americans the truth?”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said the president’s comments to Mr. Woodward showed weakness and a disdain for science.
“What he was actually saying is, ‘I don’t want anybody to think anything like this happened on my watch so I’m not going to call any more attention to it,’” Ms. Pelosi said on MSNBC.
Mr. Woodward’s book is his second on the Trump White House. The first, published in 2018, portrayed Mr. Trump in an unflattering light, and the president fumed at staff that he was not interviewed for it, according to former White House officials and Republicans close to the White House. They were not authorized to speak publicly about private conversations and discussed the matter on condition of anonymity.
Mr. Trump was convinced that if he had talked to Mr. Woodward, it could have led to a more favorable depiction in the book, according to the officials. Mr. Trump had always held Mr. Woodward in high regard – he considered the journalist as the biggest star in the field – and told aides he must be interviewed if Mr. Woodward were to write again, the officials said.
Several Republican senators at the Capitol declined to comment on the new book, telling reporters they hadn’t yet read it, even when informed of key passages about the virus. “I just can’t, can’t comment on it,” said Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio.
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“Could we all have done things differently? Yes, including Congress. We were all a little slow to recognize the severity,” Mr. Portman said.
This story was reported by The Associated Press. AP writers Jonathan Lemire in New York; Alexandra Jaffe in Warren, Michigan; and Lisa Mascaro in Washington contributed to this report.


csmonitor--2020-09-10--Whistleblower says DHS urged him to match intel to Trump claims

A Department of Homeland Security official said in a whistleblower complaint that he was pressured by more senior officials to suppress facts in intelligence reports that President Donald Trump might find objectionable , including information about Russian interference in the election and the rising threat posed by white supremacists .
The official , Brian Murphy , alleged that senior DHS officials also pressed him to alter reports so they would reflect administration policy goals and that he was demoted for refusing to go along with the changes and for filing confidential internal complaints about the conduct .
Mr. Murphy , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ veteran , was demoted in August from his post as principal deputy under secretary in the Office of Intelligence and Analysis .
He is seeking to be reinstated in a complaint filed with the DHS Office of Inspector General .
Rep. Adam Schiff , chairman of the House Intelligence Committee , on Wednesday released the complaint , which he said contained “ grave and disturbing ” allegations .
He said Mr. Murphy has been asked to give a deposition to Congress as part of an investigation into intelligence collection by DHS related to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Oregon , and elsewhere .
“ We will get to the bottom of this , expose any and all misconduct or corruption to the American people , and put a stop to the politicization of intelligence , ” the California Democrat said .
A Homeland Security spokesman , Alexei Woltornist , said the department generally does not comment on referrals to the inspector general but denied Mr. Murphy ’ s allegations .
“ DHS looks forward to the results of any resulting investigation and we expect it will conclude that no retaliatory action @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
The complaint came the same day that acting Secretary Chad Wolf , who has been nominated by Mr. Trump to lead the agency , gave a “ state of the Homeland ” speech in which he said DHS is working to thwart election interference from any foreign power and all threats regardless of ideology .
“ DHS stands in absolute opposition to any form of violent extremism whether by white supremacist extremists or anarchist extremists , ” Mr. Wolf said .
“ We will continue our daily efforts to combat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Murphy said in his complaint that he was directed by Ken Cuccinelli , the acting deputy DHS secretary , to modify a section of a report to make the threat posed by white supremacists less severe .
He was told to play up the threat posed by left-wing groups to echo administration talking points around civil unrest following the protests over the killing of George Floyd .
Mr. Murphy said he refused to alter the report because doing so would “ constitute an abuse of authority and improper administration of an intelligence program.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ project .
He said he made a number of reports on Russian disinformation efforts to senior DHS and administration officials between March 2018 and March 2020 .
The details are classified and not included in the whistle-blower complaint .
Then , in July , Mr. Wolf told him to hold back any reports on Russian election interference because they “ made the president look bad , ” according to the complaint .
He also said Mr. Wolf told him to report on interference by China and Iran , instead of Russia , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ security adviser Robert O ’ Brien .
Mr. Murphy said he objected and was excluded from future meetings on the subject .
Mr. Trump has repeatedly resisted claims of Russian interference , including doubting findings by U.S. officials and lawmakers that Russia meddled in the 2016 campaign to help him and sow chaos in the electoral process .
He has dismissed reports that Russia is continuing to interfere in the 2020 race , claiming that China is the more pernicious threat , even though a statement from intelligence officials last month said Moscow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden .
Mr. Murphy said that , after he was removed from working on a DHS intelligence report , a draft was leaked to the media in which Russia ’ s interference was placed on an equal footing as activities by Iran and China in a way that was “ misleading and inconsistent with the actual intelligence , ” the complaint said .
Mr. Murphy came to DHS in March 2018 from the FBI , where his career included being assigned to the New York field office on Sept. 11 , 2001 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ efforts to manipulate the intelligence he oversaw started under former Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen .
He said Ms. Nielsen and her deputies pressed him to vastly overstate the number of migrants apprehended at the southwest border who have confirmed links to any terrorist organization .
That occurred as the Mr. Trump administration was rolling out tougher measures against illegal immigration .
Mr. Murphy said he declined to confirm an inflated figure , saying to do so would be not only improper but illegal .
The secretary nonetheless provided the incorrect figure to Congress .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ him to change reports on conditions in El Salvador , Guatemala , and Honduras as the administration was seeking to halt a surge of people seeking asylum from Central America at the U.S.-Mexico border .
“ Mr .
Cuccinelli expressed frustration with the intelligence reports , and he accused unknown ‘ deep state intelligence analysts ’ of compiling the intelligence information to undermine President Donald J. Trump ’ s policy objectives with respect to asylum , ” he said in the complaint .
Mr. Murphy said that over the summer he was instructed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alter assessments on protests to make sure “ they matched up ” with Mr. Trump ’ s statements on the involvement of antifa and anarchists in the demonstrations in Portland and elsewhere .
He said he told them he would only report accurate information .
Shortly thereafter , Mr. Wolf reassigned him to the management division .
That followed media reports that Mr. Murphy ’ s unit collected information on journalists covering the DHS response to the protests .
Mr. Murphy said the reports were incorrect and Mr. Wolf agreed but said it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ move him while the acting secretary hoped to be nominated to the secretary post by Mr. Trump .
The complaint , which also asks that officials who retaliated against Mr. Murphy be given written reprimands , was filed by Mark Zaid , a prominent attorney who also represented the whistle-blower who spurred the Trump impeachment inquiry .
Mr. Zaid said in a statement that Mr. Murphy “ followed proper , lawful whistleblower rules in reporting serious allegations of misconduct ” and would cooperate with congressional investigations into the matter , especially in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by The Associated Press .
AP writer Eric Tucker contributed to this report .

A Department of Homeland Security official said in a whistleblower complaint that he was pressured by more senior officials to suppress facts in intelligence reports that President Donald Trump might find objectionable, including information about Russian interference in the election and the rising threat posed by white supremacists.
The official, Brian Murphy, alleged that senior DHS officials also pressed him to alter reports so they would reflect administration policy goals and that he was demoted for refusing to go along with the changes and for filing confidential internal complaints about the conduct.
Mr. Murphy, a former FBI agent and Marine Corps veteran, was demoted in August from his post as principal deputy under secretary in the Office of Intelligence and Analysis. He is seeking to be reinstated in a complaint filed with the DHS Office of Inspector General.
Rep. Adam Schiff, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, on Wednesday released the complaint, which he said contained “grave and disturbing” allegations. He said Mr. Murphy has been asked to give a deposition to Congress as part of an investigation into intelligence collection by DHS related to its response to protests in Portland, Oregon, and elsewhere.
“We will get to the bottom of this, expose any and all misconduct or corruption to the American people, and put a stop to the politicization of intelligence,” the California Democrat said.
A Homeland Security spokesman, Alexei Woltornist, said the department generally does not comment on referrals to the inspector general but denied Mr. Murphy’s allegations. “DHS looks forward to the results of any resulting investigation and we expect it will conclude that no retaliatory action was taken against Mr. Murphy,” he said.
The complaint came the same day that acting Secretary Chad Wolf, who has been nominated by Mr. Trump to lead the agency, gave a “state of the Homeland” speech in which he said DHS is working to thwart election interference from any foreign power and all threats regardless of ideology.
“DHS stands in absolute opposition to any form of violent extremism whether by white supremacist extremists or anarchist extremists,” Mr. Wolf said. “We will continue our daily efforts to combat all forms of domestic terror.”
Mr. Murphy said in his complaint that he was directed by Ken Cuccinelli, the acting deputy DHS secretary, to modify a section of a report to make the threat posed by white supremacists less severe. He was told to play up the threat posed by left-wing groups to echo administration talking points around civil unrest following the protests over the killing of George Floyd.
Mr. Murphy said he refused to alter the report because doing so would “constitute an abuse of authority and improper administration of an intelligence program.” He was then taken off the project.
He said he made a number of reports on Russian disinformation efforts to senior DHS and administration officials between March 2018 and March 2020. The details are classified and not included in the whistle-blower complaint.
Then, in July, Mr. Wolf told him to hold back any reports on Russian election interference because they “made the president look bad,” according to the complaint. He also said Mr. Wolf told him to report on interference by China and Iran, instead of Russia, and those instructions came from White House national security adviser Robert O’Brien. Mr. Murphy said he objected and was excluded from future meetings on the subject.
Mr. Trump has repeatedly resisted claims of Russian interference, including doubting findings by U.S. officials and lawmakers that Russia meddled in the 2016 campaign to help him and sow chaos in the electoral process. He has dismissed reports that Russia is continuing to interfere in the 2020 race, claiming that China is the more pernicious threat, even though a statement from intelligence officials last month said Moscow was directly trying to undermine Democrat Joe Biden.
Mr. Murphy said that, after he was removed from working on a DHS intelligence report, a draft was leaked to the media in which Russia’s interference was placed on an equal footing as activities by Iran and China in a way that was “misleading and inconsistent with the actual intelligence,” the complaint said.
Mr. Murphy came to DHS in March 2018 from the FBI, where his career included being assigned to the New York field office on Sept. 11, 2001. In his complaint, he alleged that efforts to manipulate the intelligence he oversaw started under former Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen.
He said Ms. Nielsen and her deputies pressed him to vastly overstate the number of migrants apprehended at the southwest border who have confirmed links to any terrorist organization. That occurred as the Mr. Trump administration was rolling out tougher measures against illegal immigration. Mr. Murphy said he declined to confirm an inflated figure, saying to do so would be not only improper but illegal. The secretary nonetheless provided the incorrect figure to Congress.
Mr. Cuccinelli, he said, pressed him to change reports on conditions in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras as the administration was seeking to halt a surge of people seeking asylum from Central America at the U.S.-Mexico border.
“Mr. Cuccinelli expressed frustration with the intelligence reports, and he accused unknown ‘deep state intelligence analysts’ of compiling the intelligence information to undermine President Donald J. Trump’s policy objectives with respect to asylum,” he said in the complaint.
Mr. Murphy said that over the summer he was instructed by Mr. Wolf and Mr. Cuccinelli to alter assessments on protests to make sure “they matched up” with Mr. Trump’s statements on the involvement of antifa and anarchists in the demonstrations in Portland and elsewhere. He said he told them he would only report accurate information.
Shortly thereafter, Mr. Wolf reassigned him to the management division. That followed media reports that Mr. Murphy’s unit collected information on journalists covering the DHS response to the protests. Mr. Murphy said the reports were incorrect and Mr. Wolf agreed but said it would be “politically good” to move him while the acting secretary hoped to be nominated to the secretary post by Mr. Trump.
The complaint, which also asks that officials who retaliated against Mr. Murphy be given written reprimands, was filed by Mark Zaid, a prominent attorney who also represented the whistle-blower who spurred the Trump impeachment inquiry.
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Mr. Zaid said in a statement that Mr. Murphy “followed proper, lawful whistleblower rules in reporting serious allegations of misconduct” and would cooperate with congressional investigations into the matter, especially in a classified setting.
This story was reported by The Associated Press. AP writer Eric Tucker contributed to this report.


csmonitor--2020-09-10--NFL shift: No headdresses, no face paint, Chiefs fans told

Kansas City Chiefs fans who file into Arrowhead Stadium Thursday for a masked and socially distanced start to the NFL season won ’ t be wearing headdresses or face paint amid a nationwide push for racial justice following the police-custody death of George Floyd in Minneapolis .
The move by the reigning Super Bowl champions has pleased Native Americans as a good first step , but frustrated some of the 17,000 fans who will be in the stands as the team becomes the first to take the field in front of a crowd – albeit a smaller than normal one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the new restrictions also comes as the team tries to require masks , which has proven challenging at some public practices .
NFL teams with Native American mascots are facing increased scrutiny after the team in Washington chose to drop `` Redskins '' as its nickname after a long and often contentious dialogue with fans and the public .
The Chiefs also announced last month that the team was discussing the future of its tomahawk chop celebration amid complaints that it ’ s racist .
Students at nearby Haskell Indian Nations University in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who demanded changes .
“ Using this mascot and having this fan base of predominantly white people wearing face paint and headdresses and doing the tomahawk chop , and it energizes them and gives them this sense of power , and then thinking there is nothing wrong with doing that is just mind boggling to me , ” said William Wilkinson , Haskell ’ s former University Student Government Association president .
Mr. Wilkinson , who is Navajo , Cherokee , Mandan , Hidatsa , and Arikara , said that eventually the team @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dehumanizes us and gives us Native Americans this picture of being this savage beast that is hungry for fighting when in real life we are nothing like that , ” said the 22-year-old business major from Madison , Wisconsin .
Ty Rowton , a self-described superfan who goes to games as the X-Factor , dressed with an Arrowhead on his head , beads , and a cape signed by players , has made one change to his costume .
Instead of face paint , he will stick Duct tape with Bible verses on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ security when he wore the getup for a training camp practice but said he has since gotten clearance for the ensemble .
Still , he thinks the team ’ s changes are an overreaction and said fans love to pose with people wearing headdresses .
He also thinks the team also should keep the tomahawk chop .
“ It is something that gets us riled up together and that we do as one .
It has never been meant to be disrespectful at all , ” he said .
Gaylene Crouser , executive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said it ’ s wrong to use “ a race of people as a mascot.
” Her group has demanded changes for years and she thinks the momentum may be shifting .
“ It has always been swept under the rug , but because the Washington team was leaned on so hard that they made the change , now some of the other ones are starting to feel the heat , ” she said .
“ I hope this is the beginning of the end of this acceptable racism.
” Calls to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the wake of Mr. Floyd ’ s death .
Mr. Floyd , a Black man , died May 25 after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee into the handcuffed Mr. Floyd ’ s neck for nearly eight minutes during an arrest over counterfeit money .
The officer and three other officers were fired and have been charged in Mr. Floyd ’ s death .
Sixty-five-year-old fan Connie Gillespie , who is a mix of East Woodland Shawnee , Plains Cree , and Mississippi Chickasaw , supports banning the headdress but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She considers herself a hardcore fan and praised efforts the team has made to work with national organizations that work closely on issues that affect Native Americans .
For example , the Chiefs celebrate American Indian Heritage Month by inviting elders to a game each year and having them do a ceremonial “ Blessing of the Drum and the Four Directions of Arrowhead Stadium.
” “ The KC Chiefs have an opportunity to culturally educate non-Indians about our heritage , culture , and traditions because of their name , ” she wrote .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ American Indian leaders and tribal members , are wisely using that opportunity to culturally educate and bring respect to American Indian culture and heritage.
” This story was reported by The Associated Press .

Kansas City Chiefs fans who file into Arrowhead Stadium Thursday for a masked and socially distanced start to the NFL season won’t be wearing headdresses or face paint amid a nationwide push for racial justice following the police-custody death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
The move by the reigning Super Bowl champions has pleased Native Americans as a good first step, but frustrated some of the 17,000 fans who will be in the stands as the team becomes the first to take the field in front of a crowd – albeit a smaller than normal one – during the coronavirus pandemic. Enforcing the new restrictions also comes as the team tries to require masks, which has proven challenging at some public practices.
NFL teams with Native American mascots are facing increased scrutiny after the team in Washington chose to drop "Redskins" as its nickname after a long and often contentious dialogue with fans and the public. The Chiefs also announced last month that the team was discussing the future of its tomahawk chop celebration amid complaints that it’s racist.
Students at nearby Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kansas, are among those who demanded changes.
“Using this mascot and having this fan base of predominantly white people wearing face paint and headdresses and doing the tomahawk chop, and it energizes them and gives them this sense of power, and then thinking there is nothing wrong with doing that is just mind boggling to me,” said William Wilkinson, Haskell’s former University Student Government Association president.
Mr. Wilkinson, who is Navajo, Cherokee, Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara, said that eventually the team nickname also must change.
“It dehumanizes us and gives us Native Americans this picture of being this savage beast that is hungry for fighting when in real life we are nothing like that,” said the 22-year-old business major from Madison, Wisconsin.
Ty Rowton, a self-described superfan who goes to games as the X-Factor, dressed with an Arrowhead on his head, beads, and a cape signed by players, has made one change to his costume. Instead of face paint, he will stick Duct tape with Bible verses on his face.
He was stopped by security when he wore the getup for a training camp practice but said he has since gotten clearance for the ensemble. Still, he thinks the team’s changes are an overreaction and said fans love to pose with people wearing headdresses. He also thinks the team also should keep the tomahawk chop.
“It is something that gets us riled up together and that we do as one. It has never been meant to be disrespectful at all,” he said.
Gaylene Crouser, executive director of the Kansas City Indian Center, said it’s wrong to use “a race of people as a mascot.” Her group has demanded changes for years and she thinks the momentum may be shifting.
“It has always been swept under the rug, but because the Washington team was leaned on so hard that they made the change, now some of the other ones are starting to feel the heat,” she said. “I hope this is the beginning of the end of this acceptable racism.”
Calls to address racial issues have become more prevalent in the wake of Mr. Floyd’s death. Mr. Floyd, a Black man, died May 25 after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee into the handcuffed Mr. Floyd’s neck for nearly eight minutes during an arrest over counterfeit money. The officer and three other officers were fired and have been charged in Mr. Floyd’s death.
Sixty-five-year-old fan Connie Gillespie, who is a mix of East Woodland Shawnee, Plains Cree, and Mississippi Chickasaw, supports banning the headdress but thinks the Chiefs name should stay. She considers herself a hardcore fan and praised efforts the team has made to work with national organizations that work closely on issues that affect Native Americans.
For example, the Chiefs celebrate American Indian Heritage Month by inviting elders to a game each year and having them do a ceremonial “Blessing of the Drum and the Four Directions of Arrowhead Stadium.”
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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.
“The KC Chiefs have an opportunity to culturally educate non-Indians about our heritage, culture, and traditions because of their name,” she wrote. “They along with local and regional American Indian leaders and tribal members, are wisely using that opportunity to culturally educate and bring respect to American Indian culture and heritage.”
This story was reported by The Associated Press.


csmonitor--2020-09-10--Learning pods, low-income students, and the micro-schooling debate

“ We ’ re often told that we live in a meritocracy and every person has an equal opportunity to succeed , ” says Agata Soroko , a doctoral candidate and part-time professor in the faculty of education at the University of Ottawa .
“ These pandemic pods are troubling this narrative and bringing into light the inequities that various communities face.
” For those who can afford it , this kind of creative solution is precisely what the moment demands .
But many parents , education experts , and community advocates worry that the rise of “ pandemic pods @ @ @ @ @ @ @ widen gaps in achievement between socioeconomic groups .
The conversation has surfaced new thinking about inequities that have long persisted but may not have been as overtly apparent .
Schools are opening across Ontario on Sept. 15 , but with 27 students per class in his daughter ’ s age range , he worried about the school ’ s ability to maintain social distancing .
So he got creative .
The Toronto entrepreneur hired a certified teacher , shaped a curriculum , and converted an old spinning room at a gym he owns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grade daughter and seven classmates .
A month ago , Brad Thorpe had never heard of a learning pod .
Within a week , the Toronto father was busy converting a spinning room at a gym he owns into a classroom for his sixth grade daughter and seven classmates .
The entrepreneur who holds 15 patents describes himself as a “ solutions guy ” who had a problem : Schools are opening across Ontario Sept. 15 , but with 27 students per class in his daughter ’ s age range , he worried @ @ @ @ @ @ @ maintain social distancing .
So he hired an Ontario-certified teacher , shaped a curriculum , and “ in a day and on a dollar ” created a website launching the Girls Only Academy .
That kind of entrepreneurial spirit has undergirded the rise of a “ micro-schooling ” movement across North America , where parents are coupling with other families to offer an alternative to in-class schooling they feel is unsafe or remote learning that they feel is inadequate .
Across the United States and Canada , families are experimenting with alternative schooling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to inquire about tuition models , insurance policies , and potential podmates for their children while tutors and teachers offer their services .
Start-ups are offering new platforms , hoping to tap the emerging market built by parents who say they are hustling to do whatever they can for their children this academic year .
But Mr. Thorpe says he ’ s had every insult lodged at him from opportunistic to elitist .
His favorite : “ disaster capitalist.
” In fact , many parents , education experts , and community advocates worry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unintended consequences that further widen gaps in achievement between socioeconomic groups .
The conversation has surfaced new thinking about those long-standing inequities – examining people ’ s own privileges and access – that have long persisted but may not have been as overtly apparent .
“ These pods are highlighting the kind of advantages that some have over others that are less visible maybe when there ’ s not a pandemic occurring , ” says Agata Soroko , a doctoral candidate and part-time professor in the faculty of education at the University of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told that we live in a meritocracy and every person has an equal opportunity to succeed , ” she adds .
“ These pandemic pods are troubling this narrative and bringing into light the inequities that various communities face.
” On the northwest corner of Toronto – far from the neighborhood where Mr. Thorpe was assembling desks past midnight the other night – Anna-Kay Brown was doing her own organizing .
Her community event would highlight inequities in housing , schooling , and public transport .
She , like Mr. Thorpe , has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two school-age children , an elementary and middle schooler .
Her neighborhood , Jane and Finch , is one of Toronto ’ s worst hit by COVID-19 .
Here schools are reducing sizes to 15 and 20 per classroom in her children ’ s age groups .
But she doesn ’ t feel safe and still hasn ’ t decided what to do two weeks before classes are to resume .
Co-chair of the Jane and Finch Education Action Group , Ms. Brown doesn ’ t know a single parent forming a pod @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parents who want to , she worries about what will happen to public school funding if this becomes a long-term trend .
“ The gap is widening , ” she says .
“ I believe that collectively parents should be advocating for every school and every place that children live to be safe for back to school.
” These inequities have been deepening in her own community for years .
Private tutors and expensive extracurriculars have long given the advantage to families of means .
Those disparities have only grown when public education @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or arts get cut .
And they grew further during the pandemic when households with working parents couldn ’ t support children with remote learning ; some didn ’ t even have the technology to get online .
Now pods represent a new advantage for some – and a challenge to the system .
Some groups are supplementing remote learning from schools with additional support from a private teacher or tutor .
Others are going as far as starting their own private schools .
Mr. Thorpe found that registering as a private school @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regulations and enroll enough learners to make the program financially viable .
Eloise Tan , research program director at People for Education in Toronto , says pitting parents against one another is counterproductive , even as she is wary of some of the implications for privatization .
“ Of those families that are creating learning pods , which they are financing themselves and with other parents , it ’ s not just a school outside of the system .
We ’ re creating a mini-economy for education , ” Dr. Tan says .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ much this is going to take off ; we don ’ t really know where it ’ s going to end .
… Where is the confidence in public education going to be for parents ?
Where will the government ’ s commitment to protecting and enhancing public education be if we don ’ t have that superstrong and diverse enrollment from different kinds of families ?
Where are we going to be at the end of this ?
We don ’ t know.
” The unknowns abound as “ pandemic pods ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Learning Pods – Canada , formed just a few weeks ago , has already attracted more than 11,000 members .
At a recent virtual “ town hall , ” members were breathlessly discussing insurance policies and pitfalls .
They bristle at criticism that they are widening divides between haves and have-nots and brainstorm ways to keep costs down so that it ’ s an accessible movement .
One start-up based in Iran , Pods Match , says that in the first two days that it went online in late August , 200 people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mostly from the U.S. and Canada .
The group is planning to expand beyond matchmaking to include an option that allows pods to welcome families from lower socioeconomic brackets for free or a discount .
“ We are worried and completely aware of this situation , ” says Iman Davoodian , who started the company .
A father in Toronto , who wants to remain anonymous because he works with clients in medicine and education , says he ’ s a proponent of public school and its equalizing aims .
But he says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adhere to social distancing required by the rest of society the government is shifting the burden to parents .
He ’ s looking for a pod for his middle school-age son because he is a widower at home with a full-time job .
“ There are no good choices , ” he says .
Mr. Thorpe says he too was a proponent of public education but not the way it is currently operating .
He hopes learning pods will force the education ministry to think better about how they spend , especially because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 12,000 per year , slightly more than what his Girls Only Academy costs per student at full enrollment .
“ The naysayers say we ’ re dismantling public education ... that we ’ re having a negative effect on long-term equity , ” he says .
“ I have no interest in that .
But I ’ m happy to help offer solutions.
” Editor ’ s note : As a public service , all our pandemic coverage is free .
No paywall .

“We’re often told that we live in a meritocracy and every person has an equal opportunity to succeed,” says Agata Soroko, a doctoral candidate and part-time professor in the faculty of education at the University of Ottawa. “These pandemic pods are troubling this narrative and bringing into light the inequities that various communities face.”
For those who can afford it, this kind of creative solution is precisely what the moment demands. But many parents, education experts, and community advocates worry that the rise of “pandemic pods” could have unintended consequences that further widen gaps in achievement between socioeconomic groups. The conversation has surfaced new thinking about inequities that have long persisted but may not have been as overtly apparent.
With an uncertain school year ahead, some parents are creating stability for their children by hiring teachers to work privately with students in learning pods. That’s a creative solution, but it’s not an option for everyone.
Schools are opening across Ontario on Sept. 15, but with 27 students per class in his daughter’s age range, he worried about the school’s ability to maintain social distancing. So he got creative. The Toronto entrepreneur hired a certified teacher, shaped a curriculum, and converted an old spinning room at a gym he owns into Girls Only Academy for his sixth grade daughter and seven classmates.
A month ago, Brad Thorpe had never heard of a learning pod.
Within a week, the Toronto father was busy converting a spinning room at a gym he owns into a classroom for his sixth grade daughter and seven classmates.
The entrepreneur who holds 15 patents describes himself as a “solutions guy” who had a problem: Schools are opening across Ontario Sept. 15, but with 27 students per class in his daughter’s age range, he worried about the school’s ability to maintain social distancing. So he hired an Ontario-certified teacher, shaped a curriculum, and “in a day and on a dollar” created a website launching the Girls Only Academy.
Why We Wrote This With an uncertain school year ahead, some parents are creating stability for their children by hiring teachers to work privately with students in learning pods. That’s a creative solution, but it’s not an option for everyone.
That kind of entrepreneurial spirit has undergirded the rise of a “micro-schooling” movement across North America, where parents are coupling with other families to offer an alternative to in-class schooling they feel is unsafe or remote learning that they feel is inadequate.
Across the United States and Canada, families are experimenting with alternative schooling arrangements. Parents are taking to Facebook to inquire about tuition models, insurance policies, and potential podmates for their children while tutors and teachers offer their services. Start-ups are offering new platforms, hoping to tap the emerging market built by parents who say they are hustling to do whatever they can for their children this academic year.
Laura Cluthé/Special to the Christian Science Monitor View caption Hide caption Brad Thorpe and his wife Colleen McCay stand in a workout area in Mr. Thorpe's gym, Striation 6, which is now also home to their daughter's sixth grade "learning pod" called Girls Only Academy, in Toronto, Sept. 8, 2020. Athletic activity, which is part of the curriculum, will take place in certain areas of the gym.
But Mr. Thorpe says he’s had every insult lodged at him from opportunistic to elitist. His favorite: “disaster capitalist.”
In fact, many parents, education experts, and community advocates worry that “pandemic pods” could have unintended consequences that further widen gaps in achievement between socioeconomic groups. The conversation has surfaced new thinking about those long-standing inequities – examining people’s own privileges and access – that have long persisted but may not have been as overtly apparent.
“These pods are highlighting the kind of advantages that some have over others that are less visible maybe when there’s not a pandemic occurring,” says Agata Soroko, a doctoral candidate and part-time professor in the faculty of education at the University of Ottawa. “We’re often told that we live in a meritocracy and every person has an equal opportunity to succeed,” she adds. “These pandemic pods are troubling this narrative and bringing into light the inequities that various communities face.”
On the northwest corner of Toronto – far from the neighborhood where Mr. Thorpe was assembling desks past midnight the other night – Anna-Kay Brown was doing her own organizing. Her community event would highlight inequities in housing, schooling, and public transport. She, like Mr. Thorpe, has struggled with what to do with her two school-age children, an elementary and middle schooler. Her neighborhood, Jane and Finch, is one of Toronto’s worst hit by COVID-19. Here schools are reducing sizes to 15 and 20 per classroom in her children’s age groups. But she doesn’t feel safe and still hasn’t decided what to do two weeks before classes are to resume.
Co-chair of the Jane and Finch Education Action Group, Ms. Brown doesn’t know a single parent forming a pod and while she doesn’t blame parents who want to, she worries about what will happen to public school funding if this becomes a long-term trend.
“The gap is widening,” she says. “I believe that collectively parents should be advocating for every school and every place that children live to be safe for back to school.”
These inequities have been deepening in her own community for years. Private tutors and expensive extracurriculars have long given the advantage to families of means. Those disparities have only grown when public education funding is eroded and programs like music or arts get cut. And they grew further during the pandemic when households with working parents couldn’t support children with remote learning; some didn’t even have the technology to get online.
Now pods represent a new advantage for some – and a challenge to the system. Some groups are supplementing remote learning from schools with additional support from a private teacher or tutor. Others are going as far as starting their own private schools. Mr. Thorpe found that registering as a private school was the only way to meet Ontario regulations and enroll enough learners to make the program financially viable.
Eloise Tan, research program director at People for Education in Toronto, says pitting parents against one another is counterproductive, even as she is wary of some of the implications for privatization.
Laura Cluthé/Special to the Christian Science Monitor View caption Hide caption Hayley Pile, an Ontario-certified teacher, poses in her new "learning pod" classroom in Toronto, Sept. 8, 2020. Ms. Pile was hired by Brad Thorpe to teach his sixth grade daughter and a handful of her classmates.
“Of those families that are creating learning pods, which they are financing themselves and with other parents, it’s not just a school outside of the system. We’re creating a mini-economy for education,” Dr. Tan says. “We don’t know how much this is going to take off; we don’t really know where it’s going to end. … Where is the confidence in public education going to be for parents? Where will the government’s commitment to protecting and enhancing public education be if we don’t have that superstrong and diverse enrollment from different kinds of families? Where are we going to be at the end of this? We don’t know.”
The unknowns abound as “pandemic pods” gain force. One Facebook group, Learning Pods – Canada, formed just a few weeks ago, has already attracted more than 11,000 members. At a recent virtual “town hall,” members were breathlessly discussing insurance policies and pitfalls. They bristle at criticism that they are widening divides between haves and have-nots and brainstorm ways to keep costs down so that it’s an accessible movement.
One start-up based in Iran, Pods Match, says that in the first two days that it went online in late August, 200 people signed up to the free service, mostly from the U.S. and Canada. The group is planning to expand beyond matchmaking to include an option that allows pods to welcome families from lower socioeconomic brackets for free or a discount. “We are worried and completely aware of this situation,” says Iman Davoodian, who started the company.
A father in Toronto, who wants to remain anonymous because he works with clients in medicine and education, says he’s a proponent of public school and its equalizing aims. But he says that by not reducing class sizes to adhere to social distancing required by the rest of society the government is shifting the burden to parents. He’s looking for a pod for his middle school-age son because he is a widower at home with a full-time job. “There are no good choices,” he says.
Mr. Thorpe says he too was a proponent of public education but not the way it is currently operating. He hopes learning pods will force the education ministry to think better about how they spend, especially because Ontario funds students at more than $12,000 per year, slightly more than what his Girls Only Academy costs per student at full enrollment. “The naysayers say we’re dismantling public education ... that we’re having a negative effect on long-term equity,” he says. “I have no interest in that. But I’m happy to help offer solutions.”
Editor’s note: As a public service, all our pandemic coverage is free. No paywall.


csmonitor--2020-09-11--After a megafire, what Paradise found

After a megafire, what Paradise found

The residents of Paradise are on the run again this week .
The California town became well known in 2018 after a wildfire killed at least 85 people , displaced more than 50,000 people , and destroyed 95 % of local structures .
Now many in the mountain town , which has been partially rebuilt , are fleeing during the state ’ s severest wildfire season on record .
More than 2.5 million acres have been burned across the state .
Other parts of the West are also on fire .
Paradise , of course , is more prepared this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ better fire-resistant houses and reconfigured streets .
Yet its spirit of resiliency and community bonds are also on display .
“ I feel a calm resolve , like , I ’ m not going to let this fire win , ” Lauren Gill , the outgoing town manager , told a local reporter .
The town ’ s tragedy on Nov. 8 , 2018 – the deadliest fire in California ’ s history – turned out to be an opportunity for Paradise to forge lessons far beyond those of better fire prevention and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
One example : “ Serving people who lost everything has been healing for me too , ” one resident told the Monitor last year .
Drawing the right lessons from a disaster is not always easy .
The default is to look for something or someone to blame – climate change , zoning laws , or sparks from an electric utility ’ s equipment .
Fixing such issues is critical , but just as critical are shifts in thought , such as learning to be calm as the flames approach and being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Being open to finding the right lessons is the first step .
When two-time Oscar winner Ron Howard decided to make a documentary on Paradise in 2018 , his company at first sought to turn the town ’ s devastation into a warning .
“ When we started this movie , it really was a climate change movie , ” Justin Wilkes , president of Imagine Documentaries , told the Los Angeles Times .
“ Over the course of that first year , it went from being ‘ This is a climate story @ @ @ @ @ @ @ really a story of humanity and community.
’ ” Mr. Howard said the Paradise story is a case study for “ what survival looks like , and the possibilities for real healing.
” “ The passion and commitment of the people of Paradise , to one another and to rebuilding their community , is a reminder of the strength and resilience of the human spirit , ” he said .
The film , “ Rebuilding Paradise , ” was purposely released by National Geographic in July to help the U.S. deal with another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as major wildfires burn in California , Oregon , and Washington state , the film – and its newfound message – is applicable to fire-struck communities in those states .
And the people of Paradise are probably still as open as anyone to the opportunity to grow in the face of trauma .
Calm before a firestorm helps bring calm after a firestorm .

The residents of Paradise are on the run again this week. The California town became well known in 2018 after a wildfire killed at least 85 people, displaced more than 50,000 people, and destroyed 95% of local structures. Now many in the mountain town, which has been partially rebuilt, are fleeing during the state’s severest wildfire season on record. More than 2.5 million acres have been burned across the state. Other parts of the West are also on fire.
Paradise, of course, is more prepared this time in material ways, such as better fire-resistant houses and reconfigured streets. Yet its spirit of resiliency and community bonds are also on display. “I feel a calm resolve, like, I’m not going to let this fire win,” Lauren Gill, the outgoing town manager, told a local reporter.
The town’s tragedy on Nov. 8, 2018 – the deadliest fire in California’s history – turned out to be an opportunity for Paradise to forge lessons far beyond those of better fire prevention and the need to live outside fire-prone areas. One example: “Serving people who lost everything has been healing for me too,” one resident told the Monitor last year.
Drawing the right lessons from a disaster is not always easy. The default is to look for something or someone to blame – climate change, zoning laws, or sparks from an electric utility’s equipment. Fixing such issues is critical, but just as critical are shifts in thought, such as learning to be calm as the flames approach and being alert to the needs of neighbors.
Being open to finding the right lessons is the first step. When two-time Oscar winner Ron Howard decided to make a documentary on Paradise in 2018, his company at first sought to turn the town’s devastation into a warning.
“When we started this movie, it really was a climate change movie,” Justin Wilkes, president of Imagine Documentaries, told the Los Angeles Times. “Over the course of that first year, it went from being ‘This is a climate story’ to ‘Wow, this is really a story of humanity and community.’” Mr. Howard said the Paradise story is a case study for “what survival looks like, and the possibilities for real healing.”
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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.
“The passion and commitment of the people of Paradise, to one another and to rebuilding their community, is a reminder of the strength and resilience of the human spirit,” he said.
The film, “Rebuilding Paradise,” was purposely released by National Geographic in July to help the U.S. deal with another disaster – the COVID-19 pandemic. Now as major wildfires burn in California, Oregon, and Washington state, the film – and its newfound message – is applicable to fire-struck communities in those states. And the people of Paradise are probably still as open as anyone to the opportunity to grow in the face of trauma. Calm before a firestorm helps bring calm after a firestorm.


csmonitor--2020-09-11--In superheated Arab world, there are AC haves and have-nots

But it ’ s not just the price of the AC units , it ’ s the cost of the electricity that keeps them out of reach for many .
“ I can ’ t afford [ $ 170 ] a month for electricity to run an air conditioner , ” says Yazeed Deifallah .
“ I am going to choose putting food on the table over comfort every time.
” Builders in rapidly growing cities have discarded traditional construction methods that kept homes cool even in summer , and experts say the interiors of 75 % of Jordanian homes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When you are inside the apartment or bedroom in Amman , it is as if you are out on the streets , ” says Mohammed Taani of the Jordan Smart Cities Council .
With temperature records being shattered around the Middle East , Arab societies are being divided into AC haves and have-nots .
In August , Baghdad hit 125.2 degrees Fahrenheit .
This month Jordan counted 13 days of 105 degree-plus temperatures , its longest recorded heatwave .
Seeming desperate one morning , Khaled , an accountant , searches an electronics store @ @ @ @ @ @ @ air conditioners , despite sticker prices of up to one month ’ s salary .
“ We have held out for years , but our children can ’ t study or sleep with the heat , ” he says .
For much of the Arab world , “ hot ” has taken on a whole new meaning this year .
In August , Baghdad shattered a record set in 2015 by hitting 125.2 degrees Fahrenheit , and followed up with multiple days over 120 .
In September , it was the Levant ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jordan counting 13 days of 105 degrees-plus temperatures , its longest heatwave in recorded history .
Amman skirted 110 for multiple days , and the port city of Aqaba registered as the second-hottest place on Earth one day at 120 .
Eastern Syria hit 122 .
Struggling to sleep , walk , or even think in Amman ’ s oppressive heat , Mohammed Al Farrag finds his only relief is walking into the neighborhood supermarket .
“ I just want to cool down , ” the Egyptian laborer says as he lifts his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experts and the United Nations warn of climate change-induced heatwaves creating a “ climate apartheid , ” the dividing line between haves and have-nots in the Arab world can be summed up by just two letters : AC .
In the Levant , once home to dry , temperate summer days and cool nights , air conditioning has suddenly gone from an unnecessary luxury to a must have .
Yet it is beyond the reach of many .
Seeming desperate late one recent morning , Khaled searches an electronics store in Amman that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ despite sticker prices ranging from 350 to 800 Jordanian dinars , or about $ 490 to $ 1,100 , one month ’ s salary .
“ We have held out for years , but our children can ’ t study or sleep with the heat , ” the accountant says .
In patterns that scientists say have been exacerbated by climate change , heatwaves in the Levant and North Africa are becoming more frequent , longer , and hotter , leaving millions struggling to keep cool .
“ Much of the Middle East @ @ @ @ @ @ @ industrial age , ” says Zeke Hausfather , director of climate and energy at the Oakland-based Breakthrough Institute .
Jordan , Iraq , Saudi Arabia , and Syria have warmed about 3 degrees Fahrenheit since 1950 , he says , noting that the region is projected to warm a further 1 to 8 degrees over the next 50 years , depending on global emissions .
“ This long-term average warming makes it easier to have extreme temperatures outside the historic record become a regularly occurring event , ” he says .
Even though @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has lowered the cost of AC units in the region in recent years , the price drop comes at a time that governments in Egypt , Jordan , Tunisia , and Saudi Arabia have lifted electricity subsidies and even imposed taxes on consumption , making the units several times more expensive to operate .
In other Arab states suffering chronic power outages or shortages – such as Iraq , Syria , and , increasingly , Lebanon – the dividing line has become not only who can afford an air conditioner , but the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In Jordan , an average family using an air conditioner can see their monthly electric bill jump from about $ 70 to $ 210 .
Yazeed Deifallah , a father of two , is one of many Jordanians forced to choose between cooling and necessities .
“ I can ’ t afford [ $ 170 ] a month for electricity to run an air conditioner , ” the father of two says as he drags an electric fan into his apartment on the seventh day of the heatwave .
“ If I have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my daughter in a nursery so my wife and I can work , I am going to choose putting food on the table over comfort every time.
” The coronavirus has made this problem worse , too .
Before the pandemic , on the hottest days , many working-class citizens in the Arab world would browse aimlessly with their families in air-conditioned malls .
Now closures , indoor capacity restrictions , reduced air-conditioning , and straight-up fear of infection is preventing or discouraging the practice .
Meanwhile , the coldest 1 % have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in their cars before leaving their air-conditioned offices , and are able to manage home electricity bills that can spike above $ 2,000 a month .
“ I know it is expensive , but you can ’ t put a price on comfort , ” says Ali Majed , a Jordanian business owner whose electric bill in the summer is $ 1,400 a month and who pays a valet to cool his car for him .
And while residents of Iraq and the Levant struggle with the extreme heat , those in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to unprecedented levels .
In preparation for the 2022 World Cup , Qatar is building an outdoor stadium that will pump cold air through outlets underneath each seat and on the sidelines for athletes .
In the UAE and Qatar , cold air is pumped onto sidewalks and open air markets so that visitors can enjoy the outdoors despite 60 % humidity and 110-degree heat .
Underlying the AC dividing line is an entrenched socioeconomic inequality that has transformed Arab capitals into megacities with miles of hastily constructed housing .
A lack of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; the population of Arab urban centers grew 400 % between 1970 and 2010 , and is expected to double to 400 million by 2050 – equivalent to the current population of the entire region .
Yet as the cities changed , so too did the way homes were built .
In order to meet the demand for affordable housing , engineers abandoned traditional construction techniques that kept buildings several degrees cooler even in the dog days of summer : with the use of local stone known for its natural insulation , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In a bid to build on every possible inch , engineers ignored the centuries-old practice of positioning buildings to minimize direct sunlight during peak hours .
In their place rose towering apartment buildings made of concrete , cinder block , asphalt , drywall , and asbestos , with most rooms facing the sun at peak periods with porous insulation .
Experts say the interiors of 75 % of Jordanian homes are above the comfort maximum of 75 degrees Fahrenheit indoors during the summer .
“ I usually describe it like this : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bedroom in Amman , it is as if you are out on the streets , ” says Mohammed Taani , chairman of the Jordan Smart Cities Council and secretary general of the Arab Renewable Energy Society .
“ New construction with improper insulation leads to 30 % energy and heat loss .
This means in extreme temperatures , Jordanians and residents in many Arab cities need AC close to 24/7 in the summer and heating 24/7 in the winter.
” Meanwhile , the mass of concrete and asphalt soaks up solar radiation by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , creating a “ heat island ” that offers little nighttime relief for residents .
On a drive through south Amman neighborhoods in August , men stripped down to undershirts and their children sat on balconies or leaned their heads out of windows , desperate for a breeze .
“ Most people simply do not have the income for the constant air conditioning or heating needed in these unsustainable homes in extreme weather , ” Mr. Taani says .
Another segment of AC have-nots in the Arab world is the 30 % to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the informal sector – on farms , in workshops , on street corners , and in makeshift garages and tiny shops – and have poor or no access to cooling .
In cities such as Amman , Baghdad , and Damascus , street vendors wilt under the relentless sun .
Hossam sells boiled egg sandwiches from his stand , a prayer rug folded over his head for shade one humid morning .
“ We don ’ t have office jobs for AC , ” he says , dabbing his forehead with a wet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slathers a bun with hot sauce .
“ We only have one way to keep cool : Think about winter .
”

But it’s not just the price of the AC units, it’s the cost of the electricity that keeps them out of reach for many. “I can’t afford [$170] a month for electricity to run an air conditioner,” says Yazeed Deifallah. “I am going to choose putting food on the table over comfort every time.”
Builders in rapidly growing cities have discarded traditional construction methods that kept homes cool even in summer, and experts say the interiors of 75% of Jordanian homes are above the comfort range. “When you are inside the apartment or bedroom in Amman, it is as if you are out on the streets,” says Mohammed Taani of the Jordan Smart Cities Council.
Climate change has long been understood to have strong socioeconomic implications. With Arab world temperature records being shattered this late summer, access to cooling is being seen less as a luxury issue.
With temperature records being shattered around the Middle East, Arab societies are being divided into AC haves and have-nots. In August, Baghdad hit 125.2 degrees Fahrenheit. This month Jordan counted 13 days of 105 degree-plus temperatures, its longest recorded heatwave.
Seeming desperate one morning, Khaled, an accountant, searches an electronics store in Amman that has been emptied of air conditioners, despite sticker prices of up to one month’s salary. “We have held out for years, but our children can’t study or sleep with the heat,” he says.
For much of the Arab world, “hot” has taken on a whole new meaning this year.
In August, Baghdad shattered a record set in 2015 by hitting 125.2 degrees Fahrenheit, and followed up with multiple days over 120.
In September, it was the Levant’s turn at record-breaking heat, with Jordan counting 13 days of 105 degrees-plus temperatures, its longest heatwave in recorded history. Amman skirted 110 for multiple days, and the port city of Aqaba registered as the second-hottest place on Earth one day at 120. Eastern Syria hit 122.
Why We Wrote This Climate change has long been understood to have strong socioeconomic implications. With Arab world temperature records being shattered this late summer, access to cooling is being seen less as a luxury issue.
Struggling to sleep, walk, or even think in Amman’s oppressive heat, Mohammed Al Farrag finds his only relief is walking into the neighborhood supermarket.
“I just want to cool down,” the Egyptian laborer says as he lifts his shirt by the freezer section.
As experts and the United Nations warn of climate change-induced heatwaves creating a “climate apartheid,” the dividing line between haves and have-nots in the Arab world can be summed up by just two letters: AC.
In the Levant, once home to dry, temperate summer days and cool nights, air conditioning has suddenly gone from an unnecessary luxury to a must have. Yet it is beyond the reach of many.
Seeming desperate late one recent morning, Khaled searches an electronics store in Amman that has been emptied of AC units, despite sticker prices ranging from 350 to 800 Jordanian dinars, or about $490 to $1,100, one month’s salary.
“We have held out for years, but our children can’t study or sleep with the heat,” the accountant says.
Warming pattern
In patterns that scientists say have been exacerbated by climate change, heatwaves in the Levant and North Africa are becoming more frequent, longer, and hotter, leaving millions struggling to keep cool.
“Much of the Middle East and North Africa have warmed since the industrial age,” says Zeke Hausfather, director of climate and energy at the Oakland-based Breakthrough Institute.
Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Syria have warmed about 3 degrees Fahrenheit since 1950, he says, noting that the region is projected to warm a further 1 to 8 degrees over the next 50 years, depending on global emissions.
“This long-term average warming makes it easier to have extreme temperatures outside the historic record become a regularly occurring event,” he says.
Even though a flood of Chinese and Turkish models has lowered the cost of AC units in the region in recent years, the price drop comes at a time that governments in Egypt, Jordan, Tunisia, and Saudi Arabia have lifted electricity subsidies and even imposed taxes on consumption, making the units several times more expensive to operate.
In other Arab states suffering chronic power outages or shortages – such as Iraq, Syria, and, increasingly, Lebanon – the dividing line has become not only who can afford an air conditioner, but the diesel-powered electric generators to run them.
In Jordan, an average family using an air conditioner can see their monthly electric bill jump from about $70 to $210.
Yazeed Deifallah, a father of two, is one of many Jordanians forced to choose between cooling and necessities.
“I can’t afford [$170] a month for electricity to run an air conditioner,” the father of two says as he drags an electric fan into his apartment on the seventh day of the heatwave.
“If I have to choose between staying cool or putting my daughter in a nursery so my wife and I can work, I am going to choose putting food on the table over comfort every time.”
The 1 percenters
The coronavirus has made this problem worse, too. Before the pandemic, on the hottest days, many working-class citizens in the Arab world would browse aimlessly with their families in air-conditioned malls.
Now closures, indoor capacity restrictions, reduced air-conditioning, and straight-up fear of infection is preventing or discouraging the practice.
Meanwhile, the coldest 1% have air-conditioned homes, remotely activate the AC in their cars before leaving their air-conditioned offices, and are able to manage home electricity bills that can spike above $2,000 a month.
“I know it is expensive, but you can’t put a price on comfort,” says Ali Majed, a Jordanian business owner whose electric bill in the summer is $1,400 a month and who pays a valet to cool his car for him.
And while residents of Iraq and the Levant struggle with the extreme heat, those in the fossil fuel-rich Gulf have taken air conditioning to unprecedented levels.
In preparation for the 2022 World Cup, Qatar is building an outdoor stadium that will pump cold air through outlets underneath each seat and on the sidelines for athletes. In the UAE and Qatar, cold air is pumped onto sidewalks and open air markets so that visitors can enjoy the outdoors despite 60% humidity and 110-degree heat.
New construction
Underlying the AC dividing line is an entrenched socioeconomic inequality that has transformed Arab capitals into megacities with miles of hastily constructed housing.
A lack of job opportunities fueled mass migration to cities; the population of Arab urban centers grew 400% between 1970 and 2010, and is expected to double to 400 million by 2050 – equivalent to the current population of the entire region.
Yet as the cities changed, so too did the way homes were built.
In order to meet the demand for affordable housing, engineers abandoned traditional construction techniques that kept buildings several degrees cooler even in the dog days of summer: with the use of local stone known for its natural insulation, and the placement of windows to maximize airflow.
In a bid to build on every possible inch, engineers ignored the centuries-old practice of positioning buildings to minimize direct sunlight during peak hours.
In their place rose towering apartment buildings made of concrete, cinder block, asphalt, drywall, and asbestos, with most rooms facing the sun at peak periods with porous insulation.
Experts say the interiors of 75% of Jordanian homes are above the comfort maximum of 75 degrees Fahrenheit indoors during the summer.
“I usually describe it like this: When you are inside the apartment or bedroom in Amman, it is as if you are out on the streets,” says Mohammed Taani, chairman of the Jordan Smart Cities Council and secretary general of the Arab Renewable Energy Society.
“New construction with improper insulation leads to 30% energy and heat loss. This means in extreme temperatures, Jordanians and residents in many Arab cities need AC close to 24/7 in the summer and heating 24/7 in the winter.”
Meanwhile, the mass of concrete and asphalt soaks up solar radiation by day and radiates heat in the evening, creating a “heat island” that offers little nighttime relief for residents.
Office on the street
On a drive through south Amman neighborhoods in August, men stripped down to undershirts and their children sat on balconies or leaned their heads out of windows, desperate for a breeze.
“Most people simply do not have the income for the constant air conditioning or heating needed in these unsustainable homes in extreme weather,” Mr. Taani says.
Another segment of AC have-nots in the Arab world is the 30% to 40% who work outside and in the informal sector – on farms, in workshops, on street corners, and in makeshift garages and tiny shops – and have poor or no access to cooling.
In cities such as Amman, Baghdad, and Damascus, street vendors wilt under the relentless sun.
Get stories that
empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
Hossam sells boiled egg sandwiches from his stand, a prayer rug folded over his head for shade one humid morning.
“We don’t have office jobs for AC,” he says, dabbing his forehead with a wet cloth from his back pocket as he slathers a bun with hot sauce. “We only have one way to keep cool: Think about winter.”