csmonitor--2020-07-14--Why California threw out 100,000 mail-in primary ballots

More than 100,000 mail-in ballots were rejected by California election officials during the March presidential primary , according to data obtained by The Associated Press that highlights a glaring gap in the state 's effort to ensure every vote is counted .
With the coronavirus pandemic raging , California is part of a growing number of states increasing mail-in balloting to avoid crowds at polling places .
President Donald Trump is among those questioning the integrity of vote-by-mail elections while supporters say they are just as reliable as polling places and offer greater flexibility for voters .
But while polling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who have questions about filling out ballots , a voter does n't have support at home and so problems can arise .
The California secretary of state 's election data obtained by the AP showed 102,428 mail-in ballots were disqualified in the state ’ s 58 counties , about 1.5 % of the nearly 7 million mail-in ballots returned .
That percentage is the highest in a primary since 2014 , and the overall number is the highest in a statewide election since 2010 .
Two years ago , the national average of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was about 1.4 % and in the 2016 presidential election year it was 1 % , according to a United States Election Assistance Commission study .
The most common problem , by far , in California was missing the deadline for the ballot to be mailed and arrive .
To count in the election , ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received within three days afterward .
Statewide , 70,330 ballots missed those marks .
Another 27,525 either did n't have a signature , or the signature did n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voter .
Kim Alexander , president of the nonpartisan California Voter Foundation that seeks to improve elections , called the uncounted figure discouraging .
“ The only thing worse than people not voting is people attempting to vote and having their ballot uncounted , ” she said .
The tally of nullified votes “ can make a difference in a close contest.
” The data did n't break down the uncounted ballots by party registration .
While the overall number was large in March , if it 's the same in November it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – Mr. Trump lost to Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016 by 4.3 million votes .
But there are expected to be at least several tightly contested U.S. House races where a relatively few votes could tip the balance .
In 2018 , Democrat TJ Cox upset Republican David Valadao by less than 1,000 votes in a Central Valley district .
They have a rematch in November .
Local races sometimes are decided by a handful of votes .
California traditionally has offered mail-in voting only to those who request ballots .
Over time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than half of all cast ballots .
In response to the coronavirus outbreak , Democratic Gov .
Gavin Newsom in June signed a law requiring county election officials to mail a ballot to all the state ’ s nearly 21 million registered voters for the November election .
He called mail-in voting safe and secure , pointing to a series of studies that found no evidence of significant fraud .
States across the political spectrum rely solely on mail ballots , including Colorado , Utah , and Washington .
In preparation for November @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tool that will quickly alert voters if they need to take action , such as adding a missing signature .
Another change : The state is extending the window for mail ballots to arrive to 17 days after Election Day .
Even though he voted by mail this year , Mr. Trump has called mail-in voting “ a terrible thing ” prone to abuse , warning without evidence that “ you get thousands and thousands of people sitting in somebody ’ s living room , signing ballots all over the place.
” With @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pursue near-universal mail voting to minimize health risks that come with indoor crowds , national Republicans and Democrats have argued over the safety and security of votes traveling through the U.S .
Postal Service .
Washington ’ s Republican Secretary of State , Kim Wyman , is among those who see it as a safe system .
So does Alex Padilla , California ’ s Democratic secretary of state , who says there is “ no safer ... way to exercise your right to vote than from the safety and convenience of your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s group has found that an average of nearly two of every 100 mail-in ballots were voided in statewide elections between 2010 and 2018 .
However , over that time , the rate of disqualification has improved , dropping from over 140,000 ballots , or 2.9 % in the 2010 general election , to 84,825 ballots , or 1 % , in 2018 .
Last March , the highest rejection rate in California was in San Francisco , where 9,407 ballots , or nearly 5 % of the total , were set @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arrive on time .
By contrast , in rural Plumas County northeast of Sacramento , all of the 8,207 mail-in ballots received were accepted .
In Los Angeles County , nearly 2,800 ballots were nullified because the voter forgot to sign it , then couldn ’ t be found to fix the error .
Statewide , that careless mistake spiked nearly 13,000 ballots .
More than 1,000 ballots were disqualified in Fresno County because the signature didn ’ t match the one on file with election officials .
The same problem nixed over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and over 14,000 statewide .
In some of those cases , voting experts say , a family member might have signed for others in the household , which is illegal .
Some voters apparently filled out their ballots then left them on the kitchen table : In more than 800 instances , envelopes were returned to election officials without the marked ballot inside .
Orange County Registrar of Voters Neal Kelley said ultimately a voter has the responsibility to fill out the ballot correctly and get it in the mail on time .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a product of voters forgetting , ” Mr. Kelley said .
This story was reported by The Associated Press .
Editor ’ s note : As a public service , the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage .
It ’ s free .

More than 100,000 mail-in ballots were rejected by California election officials during the March presidential primary, according to data obtained by The Associated Press that highlights a glaring gap in the state's effort to ensure every vote is counted.
With the coronavirus pandemic raging, California is part of a growing number of states increasing mail-in balloting to avoid crowds at polling places. President Donald Trump is among those questioning the integrity of vote-by-mail elections while supporters say they are just as reliable as polling places and offer greater flexibility for voters.
But while polling places include workers who can assist people who have questions about filling out ballots, a voter doesn't have support at home and so problems can arise.
The California secretary of state's election data obtained by the AP showed 102,428 mail-in ballots were disqualified in the state’s 58 counties, about 1.5% of the nearly 7 million mail-in ballots returned. That percentage is the highest in a primary since 2014, and the overall number is the highest in a statewide election since 2010.
Two years ago, the national average of rejected mail ballots in the general election was about 1.4% and in the 2016 presidential election year it was 1%, according to a United States Election Assistance Commission study.
The most common problem, by far, in California was missing the deadline for the ballot to be mailed and arrive. To count in the election, ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received within three days afterward. Statewide, 70,330 ballots missed those marks.
Another 27,525 either didn't have a signature, or the signature didn't match the one on record for the voter.
Kim Alexander, president of the nonpartisan California Voter Foundation that seeks to improve elections, called the uncounted figure discouraging.
“The only thing worse than people not voting is people attempting to vote and having their ballot uncounted,” she said. The tally of nullified votes “can make a difference in a close contest.”
The data didn't break down the uncounted ballots by party registration. While the overall number was large in March, if it's the same in November it's unlikely to affect the presidential race – Mr. Trump lost to Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016 by 4.3 million votes.
But there are expected to be at least several tightly contested U.S. House races where a relatively few votes could tip the balance. In 2018, Democrat TJ Cox upset Republican David Valadao by less than 1,000 votes in a Central Valley district. They have a rematch in November.
Local races sometimes are decided by a handful of votes.
California traditionally has offered mail-in voting only to those who request ballots. Over time the number has grown to represent more than half of all cast ballots. In response to the coronavirus outbreak, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom in June signed a law requiring county election officials to mail a ballot to all the state’s nearly 21 million registered voters for the November election.
He called mail-in voting safe and secure, pointing to a series of studies that found no evidence of significant fraud. States across the political spectrum rely solely on mail ballots, including Colorado, Utah, and Washington.
In preparation for November, the state is launching a ballot-tracking tool that will quickly alert voters if they need to take action, such as adding a missing signature. Another change: The state is extending the window for mail ballots to arrive to 17 days after Election Day.
Even though he voted by mail this year, Mr. Trump has called mail-in voting “a terrible thing” prone to abuse, warning without evidence that “you get thousands and thousands of people sitting in somebody’s living room, signing ballots all over the place.”
With the COVID-19 pandemic prompting many states to pursue near-universal mail voting to minimize health risks that come with indoor crowds, national Republicans and Democrats have argued over the safety and security of votes traveling through the U.S. Postal Service.
Washington’s Republican Secretary of State, Kim Wyman, is among those who see it as a safe system. So does Alex Padilla, California’s Democratic secretary of state, who says there is “no safer ... way to exercise your right to vote than from the safety and convenience of your own home.”
Research by Ms. Alexander’s group has found that an average of nearly two of every 100 mail-in ballots were voided in statewide elections between 2010 and 2018. However, over that time, the rate of disqualification has improved, dropping from over 140,000 ballots, or 2.9% in the 2010 general election, to 84,825 ballots, or 1%, in 2018.
Last March, the highest rejection rate in California was in San Francisco, where 9,407 ballots, or nearly 5% of the total, were set aside, mostly because they did not arrive on time. By contrast, in rural Plumas County northeast of Sacramento, all of the 8,207 mail-in ballots received were accepted.
In Los Angeles County, nearly 2,800 ballots were nullified because the voter forgot to sign it, then couldn’t be found to fix the error. Statewide, that careless mistake spiked nearly 13,000 ballots.
More than 1,000 ballots were disqualified in Fresno County because the signature didn’t match the one on file with election officials. The same problem nixed over 1,300 ballots in San Diego County – and over 14,000 statewide. In some of those cases, voting experts say, a family member might have signed for others in the household, which is illegal.
Some voters apparently filled out their ballots then left them on the kitchen table: In more than 800 instances, envelopes were returned to election officials without the marked ballot inside.
Orange County Registrar of Voters Neal Kelley said ultimately a voter has the responsibility to fill out the ballot correctly and get it in the mail on time. Sometimes, “it’s just a product of voters forgetting,” Mr. Kelley said.
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This story was reported by The Associated Press.
Editor’s note: As a public service, the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage. It’s free.


csmonitor--2020-07-14--Oregon releases police misconduct records, others to follow suit

In the aftermath of the death of George Floyd in police custody , Oregon has released the names of over 1,700 officers whose transgressions over the past 50 years were so serious that they were banned from working in law enforcement in the state .
The online posting last week came after the state Legislature created a law requiring the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training to establish a statewide public database of officers whose certification has been revoked or suspended .
`` Those who are revoked have tarnished the badge and no longer have the trust of their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agency as the certifying body , '' department director Eriks Gabliks told The Associated Press .
The website includes a spreadsheet with the names of decertified officers going back to 1971 .
In at least one instance , a police officer who was decertified in Oregon obtained employment in law enforcement in another state , a situation that some say points to the need for a comprehensive , nationwide database .
Former Coquille , Oregon , police officer Sean Sullivan was convicted of harassment in 2005 for kissing a 10-year-old girl on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ became chief of police of the tiny town of Cedar Vale , Kansas .
He quit that job while being investigated there .
In the absence of an official nationwide database , a non-profit maintains a website intended to be a national registry of certificate or license revocations .
The National Decertification Index provides access to records from agencies in 44 states and was created by the International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training .
Five states – Hawaii , Massachusetts , California , New Jersey , and Rhode Island @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one , Georgia , does decertify but does n't contribute to the registry , said Mike Becar , executive director of the non-profit .
`` More needs to be done , '' he said in an email .
`` First the NDI is voluntary so we have states like Georgia that do n't contribute and the ones that do could stop at any time .
Second , many states can only decertify for crimes , some only for felony convictions , but many forms of misconduct conducted by officers are not crimes but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ registry is for use by law enforcement agencies but includes links , accessible by the public , to records from 11 states , not all of which include names in their documents .
Causes for decertification ranged from an officer calling in sick for his shift while drunk at a college football game to aggravated battery , drug use , and homicide .
The national outcry after the killing of Mr. Floyd in Minneapolis has accelerated states moving toward greater transparency about bad actors in law enforcement , said Amber Widgery , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Conference of State Legislatures .
• In Colorado , a police reform bill just signed into law mandates creation of a database like Oregon 's by Jan. 1 , 2022 .
• A bill working its way through the New York Legislature would require a public database containing the names of any officer who has had their employment terminated due to misconduct .
• Ohio has pending bills that would establish a database of records of police officers ' use of force .
State Sen. Lew Frederick , who was among lawmakers who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the push needs to go further .
`` The next step is to have information more broadly available about discipline and complaints , '' Mr. Frederick said .
`` And have a robust system of effective community oversight boards watching use of force activities and hiring/transfer policies . ''
New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal tried to accomplish at least part of that last month , by ordering all state , county , and local law enforcement agencies to divulge the names of law enforcement officers who commit serious disciplinary violations .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ legal challenges from several police unions .
This story was reported by The Associated Press .
Editor ’ s note : As a public service , the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage .
It ’ s free .

In the aftermath of the death of George Floyd in police custody, Oregon has released the names of over 1,700 officers whose transgressions over the past 50 years were so serious that they were banned from working in law enforcement in the state.
The online posting last week came after the state Legislature created a law requiring the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training to establish a statewide public database of officers whose certification has been revoked or suspended.
"Those who are revoked have tarnished the badge and no longer have the trust of their community, their agency, or our agency as the certifying body," department director Eriks Gabliks told The Associated Press.
The website includes a spreadsheet with the names of decertified officers going back to 1971. In at least one instance, a police officer who was decertified in Oregon obtained employment in law enforcement in another state, a situation that some say points to the need for a comprehensive, nationwide database.
Former Coquille, Oregon, police officer Sean Sullivan was convicted of harassment in 2005 for kissing a 10-year-old girl on the mouth. A year later, he became chief of police of the tiny town of Cedar Vale, Kansas. He quit that job while being investigated there.
In the absence of an official nationwide database, a non-profit maintains a website intended to be a national registry of certificate or license revocations. The National Decertification Index provides access to records from agencies in 44 states and was created by the International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training.
Five states – Hawaii, Massachusetts, California, New Jersey, and Rhode Island – do not certify officers, and one, Georgia, does decertify but doesn't contribute to the registry, said Mike Becar, executive director of the non-profit.
"More needs to be done," he said in an email. "First the NDI is voluntary so we have states like Georgia that don't contribute and the ones that do could stop at any time. Second, many states can only decertify for crimes, some only for felony convictions, but many forms of misconduct conducted by officers are not crimes but need to be investigated."
The registry is for use by law enforcement agencies but includes links, accessible by the public, to records from 11 states, not all of which include names in their documents.
Causes for decertification ranged from an officer calling in sick for his shift while drunk at a college football game to aggravated battery, drug use, and homicide.
The national outcry after the killing of Mr. Floyd in Minneapolis has accelerated states moving toward greater transparency about bad actors in law enforcement, said Amber Widgery, who specializes in justice issues at the National Conference of State Legislatures.
"We've seen unprecedented, swift responses," Ms. Widgery said.
In Colorado, a police reform bill just signed into law mandates creation of a database like Oregon's by Jan. 1, 2022.
A bill working its way through the New York Legislature would require a public database containing the names of any officer who has had their employment terminated due to misconduct.
Ohio has pending bills that would establish a database of records of police officers' use of force.
State Sen. Lew Frederick, who was among lawmakers who sponsored the database bill in Oregon, said the push needs to go further.
"The next step is to have information more broadly available about discipline and complaints," Mr. Frederick said. "And have a robust system of effective community oversight boards watching use of force activities and hiring/transfer policies."
New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal tried to accomplish at least part of that last month, by ordering all state, county, and local law enforcement agencies to divulge the names of law enforcement officers who commit serious disciplinary violations. The order is now on hold amid legal challenges from several police unions.
This story was reported by The Associated Press.
Editor’s note: As a public service, the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage. It’s free.


csmonitor--2020-07-14--Tensions escalate as US rejects South China Sea claims

The Trump administration escalated its actions against China on Monday by stepping squarely into one of the most sensitive regional issues dividing them and rejecting outright nearly all of Beijing ’ s significant maritime claims in the South China Sea .
The administration presented the decision as an attempt to curb China ’ s increasing assertiveness in the region with a commitment to recognizing international law .
But it will almost certainly have the more immediate effect of further infuriating the Chinese , who are already retaliating against numerous U.S. sanctions and other penalties on other matters .
It also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under growing fire for his response to the COVID-19 pandemic , stepped up criticism of China ahead of the 2020 election , and sought to paint his expected Democratic challenger , former Vice President Joe Biden , as weak on China .
Previously , U.S. policy had been to insist that maritime disputes between China and its smaller neighbors be resolved peacefully through U.N.-backed arbitration .
But in a statement released Monday , Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the United States now regards virtually all Chinese maritime claims outside its internationally recognized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ does not involve disputes over land features that are above sea level , which are considered to be `` territorial '' in nature .
“ The world will not allow Beijing to treat the South China Sea as its maritime empire , ” Mr. Pompeo said .
“ America stands with our Southeast Asian allies and partners in protecting their sovereign rights to offshore resources , consistent with their rights and obligations under international law .
We stand with the international community in defense of freedom of the seas and respect for sovereignty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ makes right ' in the South China Sea or the wider region.
” Although the U.S. will continue to remain neutral in territorial disputes , the announcement means the administration is in effect siding with Brunei , Indonesia , Malaysia , the Philippines , and Vietnam , all of which oppose Chinese assertions of sovereignty over maritime areas surrounding contested islands , reefs , and shoals .
“ There are clear cases where [ China ] is claiming sovereignty over areas that no country can lawfully claim , ” the State Department said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement .
In a statement Monday night from its embassy in Washington , China accused the State Department of “ deliberately distorting the facts and international law.
” It added that the U.S. “ exaggerates the situation in the region and attempts to sow discord between China and other littoral countries .
The accusation is completely unjustified .
The Chinese side is firmly opposed to it.
” China also accused the U.S. of interfering in disputes in which it was not directly involved and “ throwing its weight around in every sea of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. side to earnestly honor its commitment of not taking sides on the issue of territorial sovereignty , respect regional countries ’ efforts for a peaceful and stable South China Sea , and stop its attempts to disrupt and sabotage regional peace and stability , ” the embassy statement said .
The U.S. announcement came a day after the fourth anniversary of a binding decision by an arbitration panel in favor of the Philippines that rejected China 's maritime claims around the Spratly Islands and neighboring reefs and shoals .
China has refused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has dismissed as a “ sham , ” and refused to participate in the arbitration proceedings .
It has continued to defy the decision with aggressive actions that have brought it into territorial spats with Vietnam , the Philippines , and Malaysia in recent years .
However , as a result , the administration says China has no valid maritime claims to the fish- and potentially energy-rich Scarborough Reef , Mischief Reef , or Second Thomas Shoal .
The U.S. has repeatedly said that areas regarded to be part of the Philippines are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the event of an attack on them .
In addition to reiterating support for that decision , Mr. Pompeo said China can not legally claim the James Shoal near Malaysia , waters surrounding the Vanguard Bank off Vietnam , the Luconia Shoals near Brunei , and Natuna Besar off Indonesia .
As such , it says the U.S. will regard any Chinese harassment of fishing vessels or oil exploration in those areas as unlawful .
The announcement came amid heightened tensions between the U.S. and China over numerous issues , including the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policy in Hong Kong and Tibet , and trade , that have sent relations plummeting in recent months .
But the practical impact was n't immediately clear .
The U.S. is not a party of the U.N. Law of the Sea treaty that sets out a mechanism for the resolution of disputes .
Despite that , the State Department noted that China and its neighbors , including the Philippines , are parties to the treaty and should respect the decision .
China has sought to shore up its claim to the sea by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leading the U.S. to sail its warships through the region in what it calls freedom of operation missions .
The U.S. has no claims itself to the waters but has deployed warships and aircraft for decades to patrol and promote freedom of navigation and overflight in the busy waterway .
Last week , China angrily complained about the U.S. flexing its military muscle in the South China Sea by conducting joint exercises with two U.S. aircraft carrier groups in the strategic waterway .
The Navy said the USS Nimitz and the USS Ronald @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and aircraft , conducted exercises “ designed to maximize air defense capabilities , and extend the reach of long-range precision maritime strikes from carrier-based aircraft in a rapidly evolving area of operations.
” China claims almost all of the South China Sea and routinely objects to any action by the U.S. military in the region .
Five other governments claim all or part of the sea , through which approximately $ 5 trillion in goods are shipped every year .
This story was reported by The Associated Press .
Editor ’ s note @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage .
It ’ s free .

The Trump administration escalated its actions against China on Monday by stepping squarely into one of the most sensitive regional issues dividing them and rejecting outright nearly all of Beijing’s significant maritime claims in the South China Sea.
The administration presented the decision as an attempt to curb China’s increasing assertiveness in the region with a commitment to recognizing international law. But it will almost certainly have the more immediate effect of further infuriating the Chinese, who are already retaliating against numerous U.S. sanctions and other penalties on other matters.
It also comes as President Donald Trump has come under growing fire for his response to the COVID-19 pandemic, stepped up criticism of China ahead of the 2020 election, and sought to paint his expected Democratic challenger, former Vice President Joe Biden, as weak on China.
Previously, U.S. policy had been to insist that maritime disputes between China and its smaller neighbors be resolved peacefully through U.N.-backed arbitration. But in a statement released Monday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the United States now regards virtually all Chinese maritime claims outside its internationally recognized waters to be illegitimate. The shift does not involve disputes over land features that are above sea level, which are considered to be "territorial" in nature.
“The world will not allow Beijing to treat the South China Sea as its maritime empire,” Mr. Pompeo said. “America stands with our Southeast Asian allies and partners in protecting their sovereign rights to offshore resources, consistent with their rights and obligations under international law. We stand with the international community in defense of freedom of the seas and respect for sovereignty and reject any push to impose 'might makes right' in the South China Sea or the wider region.”
Although the U.S. will continue to remain neutral in territorial disputes, the announcement means the administration is in effect siding with Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam, all of which oppose Chinese assertions of sovereignty over maritime areas surrounding contested islands, reefs, and shoals.
“There are clear cases where [China] is claiming sovereignty over areas that no country can lawfully claim,” the State Department said in a fact sheet that accompanied the statement.
In a statement Monday night from its embassy in Washington, China accused the State Department of “deliberately distorting the facts and international law.” It added that the U.S. “exaggerates the situation in the region and attempts to sow discord between China and other littoral countries. The accusation is completely unjustified. The Chinese side is firmly opposed to it.”
China also accused the U.S. of interfering in disputes in which it was not directly involved and “throwing its weight around in every sea of the world.”
“We advise the U.S. side to earnestly honor its commitment of not taking sides on the issue of territorial sovereignty, respect regional countries’ efforts for a peaceful and stable South China Sea, and stop its attempts to disrupt and sabotage regional peace and stability,” the embassy statement said.
The U.S. announcement came a day after the fourth anniversary of a binding decision by an arbitration panel in favor of the Philippines that rejected China's maritime claims around the Spratly Islands and neighboring reefs and shoals.
China has refused to recognize that decision, which it has dismissed as a “sham,” and refused to participate in the arbitration proceedings. It has continued to defy the decision with aggressive actions that have brought it into territorial spats with Vietnam, the Philippines, and Malaysia in recent years.
However, as a result, the administration says China has no valid maritime claims to the fish- and potentially energy-rich Scarborough Reef, Mischief Reef, or Second Thomas Shoal. The U.S. has repeatedly said that areas regarded to be part of the Philippines are covered by a U.S.-Philippines mutual defense treaty in the event of an attack on them.
In addition to reiterating support for that decision, Mr. Pompeo said China cannot legally claim the James Shoal near Malaysia, waters surrounding the Vanguard Bank off Vietnam, the Luconia Shoals near Brunei, and Natuna Besar off Indonesia. As such, it says the U.S. will regard any Chinese harassment of fishing vessels or oil exploration in those areas as unlawful.
The announcement came amid heightened tensions between the U.S. and China over numerous issues, including the coronavirus pandemic, human rights, Chinese policy in Hong Kong and Tibet, and trade, that have sent relations plummeting in recent months.
But the practical impact wasn't immediately clear. The U.S. is not a party of the U.N. Law of the Sea treaty that sets out a mechanism for the resolution of disputes. Despite that, the State Department noted that China and its neighbors, including the Philippines, are parties to the treaty and should respect the decision.
China has sought to shore up its claim to the sea by building military bases on coral atolls, leading the U.S. to sail its warships through the region in what it calls freedom of operation missions. The U.S. has no claims itself to the waters but has deployed warships and aircraft for decades to patrol and promote freedom of navigation and overflight in the busy waterway.
Last week, China angrily complained about the U.S. flexing its military muscle in the South China Sea by conducting joint exercises with two U.S. aircraft carrier groups in the strategic waterway. The Navy said the USS Nimitz and the USS Ronald Reagan, along with their accompanying vessels and aircraft, conducted exercises “designed to maximize air defense capabilities, and extend the reach of long-range precision maritime strikes from carrier-based aircraft in a rapidly evolving area of operations.”
China claims almost all of the South China Sea and routinely objects to any action by the U.S. military in the region. Five other governments claim all or part of the sea, through which approximately $5 trillion in goods are shipped every year.
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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.
This story was reported by The Associated Press.
Editor’s note: As a public service, the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage. It’s free.


csmonitor--2020-07-15--How I’ve spent my extra time

How I’ve spent my extra time

What would you do if you had more time than money ?
For a lot of us , this is no longer a hypothetical question .
But at least this pandemic has got us on the right side of the equation .
Time , without money , is still valuable .
Money , without time , is just a sad hobby .
So now people are taking up music , reading for enjoyment , gardening .
Or they ’ re discovering that a lack of time was never what was holding them back after all .
When the world took @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coming up on springtime in this hemisphere .
And I knew just what I wanted to do with my time at home .
I wanted to watch bushtits build a nest .
That ’ s been on my wish list for a while .
We have no bushtit shortage here in the Pacific Northwest .
They ’ re delightfully plural little birds , so if you ’ ve seen one , you ’ ve probably seen 30 .
Bushtits like each other a whole lot .
They talk over each other constantly and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” they squeak , pouring out of a tree in an adorable swarm , and off they all go to the next tree over .
We have bunches of them .
They have to be nesting somewhere .
And their nests are extremely cool .
If you take the time to look , they ’ re easy enough to spot , dangling from low branches .
That ’ s right : They dangle .
Bushtits knit themselves a sock .
There ’ s an entry hole in the top , and the eggs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s made mostly of stretchy spiderweb , chinked with lichens and moss .
A mated pair puts it together .
You know it ’ s the right season because suddenly you ’ re seeing one or two bushtits and not a whole bustle of them .
The teenagers and hangers-on and unlucky suitors have to hole up somewhere in miserable isolation , hyperventilating until they get the invitation to the open house .
Then they ’ re all back together again , reunited , crammed happily into the sock and jabbering away .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ t want to miss .
Many of the trees around our house are likely candidates for a nest .
We have plenty of bushtits .
I thought if I paid close attention , and saw a bushtit or two flying around with a bit of nesting material , I could scout out where they were going , grab a lawn chair and a pair of binoculars , and happily while away the lockdown hours .
If there ’ s anything better to do with my time , I certainly don ’ t know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ d stated this plan out loud to my husband , Dave , on the very day we came home from a walk and started up the stairs to the front porch .
And right there , big as life and small as a pair of pingpong balls , were two excited bushtits in our wisteria vine , checking anchor points for a sock and nattering about the pattern .
Could it be ?
Right on our front porch , a few feet away from our watching-the-world-go-by chairs ?
This has to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right , I thought .
So we ’ ve taken up our chairs in gratitude and humility , and monitored the knitting progress .
They were just casting on for the first few days .
It didn ’ t look like much : maybe dandelion fluff held together by static cling .
Then it started to take shape .
They ’ ll spend about a month on the whole project .
By the time they ’ ve turned the heel , they ’ re practically home free .
Then it ’ s egg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and pretty soon the whole extended family is back together and tickled to death about it .
Everyone ’ s got a compliment .
The mated pair has done a magnificent job , and they have every right to be proud .
The only thing they ’ re really no good at is social distancing .

What would you do if you had more time than money?
For a lot of us, this is no longer a hypothetical question. But at least this pandemic has got us on the right side of the equation. Time, without money, is still valuable. Money, without time, is just a sad hobby.
So now people are taking up music, reading for enjoyment, gardening. Or they’re discovering that a lack of time was never what was holding them back after all.
When the world took an unexpected breather, we were just coming up on springtime in this hemisphere. And I knew just what I wanted to do with my time at home. I wanted to watch bushtits build a nest.
That’s been on my wish list for a while. We have no bushtit shortage here in the Pacific Northwest. They’re delightfully plural little birds, so if you’ve seen one, you’ve probably seen 30. Bushtits like each other a whole lot. They talk over each other constantly and nobody minds. “Road trip!” they squeak, pouring out of a tree in an adorable swarm, and off they all go to the next tree over. We have bunches of them. They have to be nesting somewhere. And their nests are extremely cool.
If you take the time to look, they’re easy enough to spot, dangling from low branches. That’s right: They dangle. Bushtits knit themselves a sock. There’s an entry hole in the top, and the eggs go in the bottom. It’s made mostly of stretchy spiderweb, chinked with lichens and moss. A mated pair puts it together. You know it’s the right season because suddenly you’re seeing one or two bushtits and not a whole bustle of them.
KAren Norris/Staff
The teenagers and hangers-on and unlucky suitors have to hole up somewhere in miserable isolation, hyperventilating until they get the invitation to the open house. Then they’re all back together again, reunited, crammed happily into the sock and jabbering away.
Obviously this is something I don’t want to miss. Many of the trees around our house are likely candidates for a nest. We have plenty of bushtits. I thought if I paid close attention, and saw a bushtit or two flying around with a bit of nesting material, I could scout out where they were going, grab a lawn chair and a pair of binoculars, and happily while away the lockdown hours. If there’s anything better to do with my time, I certainly don’t know what it is.
In fact, I’d stated this plan out loud to my husband, Dave, on the very day we came home from a walk and started up the stairs to the front porch. And right there, big as life and small as a pair of pingpong balls, were two excited bushtits in our wisteria vine, checking anchor points for a sock and nattering about the pattern. Could it be? Right on our front porch, a few feet away from our watching-the-world-go-by chairs?
It could!
It was!
This has to be a sign we’re living right, I thought. So we’ve taken up our chairs in gratitude and humility, and monitored the knitting progress.
They were just casting on for the first few days. It didn’t look like much: maybe dandelion fluff held together by static cling. Then it started to take shape. They’ll spend about a month on the whole project. By the time they’ve turned the heel, they’re practically home free.
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Then it’s egg time, and the announcements go out, and pretty soon the whole extended family is back together and tickled to death about it. Everyone’s got a compliment. The mated pair has done a magnificent job, and they have every right to be proud.
The only thing they’re really no good at is social distancing.


csmonitor--2020-07-16--Postal Service budget cuts could slow down deliveries even more

Mail deliveries could be delayed by a day or more under cost-cutting efforts being imposed by the new postmaster general .
The plan eliminates overtime for hundreds of thousands of postal workers and says employees must adopt a `` different mindset '' to ensure the Postal Service 's survival during the coronavirus pandemic .
Late trips will no longer be authorized .
If postal distribution centers are running late , `` they will keep the mail for the next day , '' Postal Service leaders say in a document obtained by The Associated Press .
`` One aspect of these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is that – temporarily – we may see mail left behind or mail on the workroom floor or docks , '' another document says .
The changes come a month after Postmaster General Louis DeJoy , a major donor to President Donald Trump , took over the sprawling mail service .
In a memo titled `` PMG Expectations and Plan , '' the agency said the changes are aimed at `` making the USPS fundamentally solvent which we are not at this time . ''
The memo cites deep revenue losses from a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic and says an overdue `` operational pivot '' is needed to ensure the agency 's health and stability .
Postal Service officials , bracing for steep losses from the nationwide shutdown caused by the virus , have warned they will run out of money by the end of September without help from Congress .
The service reported a $ 4.5 billion loss for the quarter ending in March , before the full effects of the shutdown sank in .
Single-piece , first-class mail volume fell 15 to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and May , agency leaders told Congress .
Losses will increase by more than $ 22 billion over the next 18 months , they said .
Bills approved by the Democratic-controlled House would set aside $ 25 billion to keep the mail flowing , but they remain stalled in the Republican-controlled Senate .
Congress has approved a $ 10 billion line of credit for the Postal Service , but it remains unused amid restrictions imposed by the Trump administration .
A spokesperson said Wednesday that the agency is developing a business plan to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continue to provide reliable , affordable , and secure delivery of mail and packages .
While the plan `` is not yet finalized , it will certainly include new and creative ways for us to fulfill our mission , and we will focus immediately on efficiency and items that we can control , '' said spokesperson Dave Partenheimer .
The memo cites United States Steel as an example that the Postal Service is far from `` untouchable . ''
In 1975 , the steel giant was `` the largest company in the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They are gone . ''
In fact , U.S. Steel remains a leading steel producer , with more than 27,000 employees as of earlier this year .
The COVID-19 pandemic has put the Postal Service in a double crisis , said Mark Dimondstein , president of the American Postal Workers Union , which represents more than 200,000 postal workers and retirees .
As many as 12,000 postal workers have fallen ill , with at least 64 fatalities , and the economic contraction has caused a dramatic drop in letter and other flat mail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that has buoyed the agency during the pandemic is likely to be temporary , Mr. Dimondstein said , adding that the outbreak has sharply increased expenses for personal protective equipment , deep cleaning of facilities , and temporary workers to replace postal workers who get sick .
`` Postal workers are tremendously dedicated to the mission of getting the mail out , '' Mr. Dimondstein said , but the new policies could cause delays that will further drive down revenues .
`` It 's the customer who will suffer if the mail slows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rep. Bill Pascrell of New Jersey denounced the proposal to delay mail delivery , saying it would be a `` stunning act of sabotage against our postal service . ''
`` Trump and his cronies are openly seeking to destroy the post office during the worst public health crisis in a century , '' Mr. Pascrell said .
With states increasingly relying on voting by mail to continue elections during the pandemic , destabilizing the Postal Service not only threatens the economy and the jobs of 600,000 workers , but is also `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Mr. Pascrell said .
Mr. Trump opposes expanding voting by mail , arguing that it will trigger fraud , even though there 's no evidence that will happen .
Mr. Trump , Vice President Mike Pence , and other top administration officials frequently vote absentee themselves .
Mr. Trump also has called the Postal Service `` a joke '' and said that package shipping rates should be at least four times higher for heavy users like Amazon .
But shipping and packages are actually a top revenue generator for the Postal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is merely looking to punish Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos in retaliation for unflattering coverage in The Washington Post , which Mr. Bezos owns .
For most Americans , mail deliveries to homes or post boxes are their only routine contact with the federal government .
It 's a service they seem to appreciate : The agency consistently earns favorability marks that top 90 % .
Esther Haynes , of Philadelphia , said she and her family get clothes , jewelry , perfume , food , and more delivered by mail .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , two days late , I 'll be looking for it , '' she said Wednesday .
`` I 'd be concerned . ''
Ms. Haynes shares a home with her sister , her son , and a family friend .
Ms. Haynes likes to shop – which means she 's been busy ordering things online during the pandemic .
`` Everybody wants their mail on time , '' she said .
The memo outlining potential mail delays was first reported by The Washington Post .
This story was reported by The Associated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Philadelphia contributed to this report .
Editor ’ s note : As a public service , the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage .
It ’ s free .

Mail deliveries could be delayed by a day or more under cost-cutting efforts being imposed by the new postmaster general. The plan eliminates overtime for hundreds of thousands of postal workers and says employees must adopt a "different mindset" to ensure the Postal Service's survival during the coronavirus pandemic.
Late trips will no longer be authorized. If postal distribution centers are running late, "they will keep the mail for the next day,'' Postal Service leaders say in a document obtained by The Associated Press. "One aspect of these changes that may be difficult for employees is that – temporarily – we may see mail left behind or mail on the workroom floor or docks,'' another document says.
The changes come a month after Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, a major donor to President Donald Trump, took over the sprawling mail service. In a memo titled "PMG Expectations and Plan,'' the agency said the changes are aimed at "making the USPS fundamentally solvent which we are not at this time.''
The memo cites deep revenue losses from a decade-long decline in mail deliveries that has been exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic and says an overdue "operational pivot" is needed to ensure the agency's health and stability.
Postal Service officials, bracing for steep losses from the nationwide shutdown caused by the virus, have warned they will run out of money by the end of September without help from Congress. The service reported a $4.5 billion loss for the quarter ending in March, before the full effects of the shutdown sank in.
Single-piece, first-class mail volume fell 15 to 20% week to week in April and May, agency leaders told Congress. Losses will increase by more than $22 billion over the next 18 months, they said.
Bills approved by the Democratic-controlled House would set aside $25 billion to keep the mail flowing, but they remain stalled in the Republican-controlled Senate. Congress has approved a $10 billion line of credit for the Postal Service, but it remains unused amid restrictions imposed by the Trump administration.
A spokesperson said Wednesday that the agency is developing a business plan to ensure it will be financially stable and continue to provide reliable, affordable, and secure delivery of mail and packages. While the plan "is not yet finalized, it will certainly include new and creative ways for us to fulfill our mission, and we will focus immediately on efficiency and items that we can control,'' said spokesperson Dave Partenheimer.
The memo cites United States Steel as an example that the Postal Service is far from "untouchable." In 1975, the steel giant was "the largest company in the world," the memo states. "They are gone." In fact, U.S. Steel remains a leading steel producer, with more than 27,000 employees as of earlier this year.
The COVID-19 pandemic has put the Postal Service in a double crisis, said Mark Dimondstein, president of the American Postal Workers Union, which represents more than 200,000 postal workers and retirees.
As many as 12,000 postal workers have fallen ill, with at least 64 fatalities, and the economic contraction has caused a dramatic drop in letter and other flat mail volumes. A spike in package deliveries that has buoyed the agency during the pandemic is likely to be temporary, Mr. Dimondstein said, adding that the outbreak has sharply increased expenses for personal protective equipment, deep cleaning of facilities, and temporary workers to replace postal workers who get sick.
"Postal workers are tremendously dedicated to the mission of getting the mail out,'' Mr. Dimondstein said, but the new policies could cause delays that will further drive down revenues.
"It's the customer who will suffer if the mail slows down,'' he said.
Democratic Rep. Bill Pascrell of New Jersey denounced the proposal to delay mail delivery, saying it would be a "stunning act of sabotage against our postal service."
"Trump and his cronies are openly seeking to destroy the post office during the worst public health crisis in a century,'' Mr. Pascrell said. With states increasingly relying on voting by mail to continue elections during the pandemic, destabilizing the Postal Service not only threatens the economy and the jobs of 600,000 workers, but is also "a direct attack on American democracy itself,'' Mr. Pascrell said.
Mr. Trump opposes expanding voting by mail, arguing that it will trigger fraud, even though there's no evidence that will happen. Mr. Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, and other top administration officials frequently vote absentee themselves.
Mr. Trump also has called the Postal Service "a joke" and said that package shipping rates should be at least four times higher for heavy users like Amazon. But shipping and packages are actually a top revenue generator for the Postal Service, and critics say Mr. Trump is merely looking to punish Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos in retaliation for unflattering coverage in The Washington Post, which Mr. Bezos owns.
For most Americans, mail deliveries to homes or post boxes are their only routine contact with the federal government. It's a service they seem to appreciate: The agency consistently earns favorability marks that top 90%.
Esther Haynes, of Philadelphia, said she and her family get clothes, jewelry, perfume, food, and more delivered by mail. "If it's a day late, two days late, I'll be looking for it," she said Wednesday. "I'd be concerned."
Ms. Haynes shares a home with her sister, her son, and a family friend. Ms. Haynes likes to shop – which means she's been busy ordering things online during the pandemic. "Everybody wants their mail on time," she said.
The memo outlining potential mail delays was first reported by The Washington Post.
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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.
This story was reported by The Associated Press. AP writer Maryclaire Dale in Philadelphia contributed to this report.
Editor’s note: As a public service, the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage. It’s free.


csmonitor--2020-07-16--Waiter by day, actor by night: In NYC, it's a fading option

It 's been the story for many : a starry-eyed creative type looking for a big break in the Big Apple – wait tables to pay the bills while auditioning , performing , singing , painting , dancing , writing , whatever it takes to make the dreams of success come true .
But there 's been a plot twist , thanks to the coronavirus putting food servers out of work in recent months as restaurants were forced to shut down their dine-in services .
And much uncertainty remains over what restaurant dining will look like even as New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be enough business for establishments to stay open and even have waiter jobs to fill are causing concern about what that 's going to mean for the city 's creative class if the jobs that helped them be able to live here and add to the city 's artistic culture are no longer readily available .
`` It really is a part of the artist 's life in New York , so I do n't know what that 's going to look like if it 's just suddenly not an option anymore @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has spent close to nine years waiting tables while doing theater , singing , and more recently , trying to build his career in video editing and post-production .
The virus has been devastating for the city 's restaurant workers .
According to the state Department of Labor , restaurants and other eateries employed just over 273,000 people in February , before the city shut down in mid-March due to the pandemic .
In April , during the peak of virus cases , that number had fallen to under 78,000 .
As the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slightly to close to 100,000 , still vastly below where it had been .
And while outdoor dining has been allowed in recent weeks , with around 6,600 restaurants in the five boroughs applying for permits to feed people on sidewalks and streets , the return of indoor dining has been put off indefinitely over fears that confined quarters would make virus cases spike .
For Mr. McClung , who came to New York City in 2009 from a Dallas , Texas , suburb to study theater in college and started waiting tables @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a safety net , of sorts .
Pre-pandemic , New York City 's vibrant restaurant scene was busy enough that he always felt he had a fallback .
`` It was a sense of security , it let me stay in New York City , pay the rent here , '' he said .
That 's what led to his last pre-virus waiter job , a position at a casual dining place on Manhattan 's Upper West Side .
`` I had a big gig editing and it canceled and I panicked and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that job , '' Mr. McClung said .
`` I messaged him for a referral and then I got hired the next day . ''
Rachel Berry , who moved to New York City in 2004 , tried her hand at a bunch of different jobs like dog walking and nannying before moving to bartending and some waiting tables in 2016 .
The Laurel , Maryland , native even spent some time at a 9-to-5 gig in her early 20s , but found the structure too rigid to give her enough time to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have included photography , painting , performing , and most recently , interior design work .
`` There 's just something about the food service industry , '' she said .
`` It affords me a life that I can get by in New York . ''
She worries now about what will still be available in restaurants , as social distancing restrictions will require lower capacities in food and drink establishments for the foreseeable future , and whether she would have to work even more in other fields like retail to make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ food service .
`` Am I going to have the same opportunities afforded to me financially , or , you know , am I going to be stuck in this , I need two to three jobs to get by , '' Ms. Berry asked .
And that 's of course assuming people do n't leave , or hesitate to come to New York City now in the first place , said Jen Lyon , owner of MeanRed Productions , a company that puts on arts and music events .
That 's a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ looks to work with up-and-comers , in a city where it was already expensive and difficult for artists to sustain themselves .
As someone who spent years bartending , she has an appreciation for food service jobs and what they offer creative types .
They 're `` the best jobs to have when you needed to focus on your art , especially in New York , '' she said .
But now , if those jobs largely disappear , `` What happens in my world is suddenly I do n't have young artists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ afford New York , '' she said .
`` You do n't have people creating art in New York anymore . ''
The pandemic `` has scattered a lot of the potential artists , '' she said .
`` We 're going to lose a decade of possible talent until people figure out how to stay . ''
Losing its creatives is also a `` huge threat '' to the city 's fabric overall , said Eli Dvorkin , editorial and policy director at the Center for an Urban Future , which advocates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more equitable .
`` That 's a huge problem for New York which has been so dependent on its role as a cultural capital of the world , '' he said .
`` As a city we ca n't afford to lose our creative edge .
It 's been one of the key drivers of the city 's economic growth over the past decades , '' Mr. Dvorkin added .
`` It 's one of the reasons why I think New York maintains its status as a beacon for creative , innovative people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This story was reported by The Associated Press .
Editor ’ s note : As a public service , the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage .
It ’ s free .

It's been the story for many: a starry-eyed creative type looking for a big break in the Big Apple – wait tables to pay the bills while auditioning, performing, singing, painting, dancing, writing, whatever it takes to make the dreams of success come true.
But there's been a plot twist, thanks to the coronavirus putting food servers out of work in recent months as restaurants were forced to shut down their dine-in services. And much uncertainty remains over what restaurant dining will look like even as New York City reopens.
Questions of whether there will be enough business for establishments to stay open and even have waiter jobs to fill are causing concern about what that's going to mean for the city's creative class if the jobs that helped them be able to live here and add to the city's artistic culture are no longer readily available.
"It really is a part of the artist's life in New York, so I don't know what that's going to look like if it's just suddenly not an option anymore," said Travis McClung, who has spent close to nine years waiting tables while doing theater, singing, and more recently, trying to build his career in video editing and post-production.
The virus has been devastating for the city's restaurant workers. According to the state Department of Labor, restaurants and other eateries employed just over 273,000 people in February, before the city shut down in mid-March due to the pandemic. In April, during the peak of virus cases, that number had fallen to under 78,000. As the city reopened in May, it rose slightly to close to 100,000, still vastly below where it had been.
And while outdoor dining has been allowed in recent weeks, with around 6,600 restaurants in the five boroughs applying for permits to feed people on sidewalks and streets, the return of indoor dining has been put off indefinitely over fears that confined quarters would make virus cases spike.
For Mr. McClung, who came to New York City in 2009 from a Dallas, Texas, suburb to study theater in college and started waiting tables here, a restaurant job has been a safety net, of sorts. Pre-pandemic, New York City's vibrant restaurant scene was busy enough that he always felt he had a fallback.
"It was a sense of security, it let me stay in New York City, pay the rent here," he said.
That's what led to his last pre-virus waiter job, a position at a casual dining place on Manhattan's Upper West Side.
"I had a big gig editing and it canceled and I panicked and then my friend posted he was leaving that job," Mr. McClung said. "I messaged him for a referral and then I got hired the next day."
Rachel Berry, who moved to New York City in 2004, tried her hand at a bunch of different jobs like dog walking and nannying before moving to bartending and some waiting tables in 2016.
The Laurel, Maryland, native even spent some time at a 9-to-5 gig in her early 20s, but found the structure too rigid to give her enough time to work on her creative pursuits, which have included photography, painting, performing, and most recently, interior design work.
"There's just something about the food service industry," she said. "It affords me a life that I can get by in New York."
She worries now about what will still be available in restaurants, as social distancing restrictions will require lower capacities in food and drink establishments for the foreseeable future, and whether she would have to work even more in other fields like retail to make what she has been able to in food service.
"Am I going to have the same opportunities afforded to me financially, or, you know, am I going to be stuck in this, I need two to three jobs to get by," Ms. Berry asked.
And that's of course assuming people don't leave, or hesitate to come to New York City now in the first place, said Jen Lyon, owner of MeanRed Productions, a company that puts on arts and music events.
That's a concern to her, as someone who looks to work with up-and-comers, in a city where it was already expensive and difficult for artists to sustain themselves.
As someone who spent years bartending, she has an appreciation for food service jobs and what they offer creative types.
They're "the best jobs to have when you needed to focus on your art, especially in New York," she said.
But now, if those jobs largely disappear, "What happens in my world is suddenly I don't have young artists to work with because they can't afford New York," she said. "You don't have people creating art in New York anymore."
The pandemic "has scattered a lot of the potential artists," she said. "We're going to lose a decade of possible talent until people figure out how to stay."
Losing its creatives is also a "huge threat" to the city's fabric overall, said Eli Dvorkin, editorial and policy director at the Center for an Urban Future, which advocates for policies that make New York City more equitable.
"That's a huge problem for New York which has been so dependent on its role as a cultural capital of the world," he said.
"As a city we can't afford to lose our creative edge. It's been one of the key drivers of the city's economic growth over the past decades," Mr. Dvorkin added. "It's one of the reasons why I think New York maintains its status as a beacon for creative, innovative people from all over the world."
Get stories that
empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
This story was reported by The Associated Press.
Editor’s note: As a public service, the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage. It’s free.


csmonitor--2020-07-16--First to close, first to grow: Chinese economy begins recovery

China became the first major economy to grow since the start of the coronavirus pandemic , recording an unexpectedly strong 3.2 % expansion in the latest quarter after anti-virus lockdowns were lifted and factories and stores reopened .
Growth reported Thursday for the three months ending in June was a dramatic improvement over the previous quarter ’ s 6.8 % contraction – China ’ s worst performance since at least the mid-1960s .
But it still was the weakest positive figure since China started reporting quarterly growth in the early 1990s .
“ We expect to see continuous improvement in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chow of JP Morgan Asset Management in a report .
China , where the coronavirus pandemic began in December , was the first economy to shut down and the first to start the drawn-out process of recovery in March after the ruling Communist Party declared the disease under control .
“ The national economy shifted from slowing down to rising in the first half of 2020 , ” the National Bureau of Statistics said in a statement .
Asian financial markets fell despite the show of strength by the region 's biggest economy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into a possible coronavirus vaccine receded .
China 's market benchmark , the Shanghai Composite Index , was down 1.4 % at midday .
In Tokyo , the Nikkei 225 lost 0.7 % .
Hong Kong 's Hang Seng declined 1.4 % and the Kospi in South Korea fell 0.8 % .
Economists say China is likely to recover faster than some other major economies due to the ruling Communist Party ’ s decision to impose the most intensive anti-disease measures in history .
Those cut off most access to cities with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trade and travel – steps later imitated by some Asian and European governments as the virus spread .
Manufacturing and some other industries are almost back to normal .
But consumer spending is weak due to fear of possible job losses .
Cinemas and some other businesses still are closed and restrictions on travel stay in place .
“ The pandemic is creating winners and losers , ” said Bill Adams of PNC Financial Services Group in a report .
“ Manufacturing is leading China ’ s recovery.
” In light of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely to keep the current policy stance largely unchanged , ” said Larry Hu and Xinyu Ji of Macquarie Capital in a report .
The International Monetary Fund is forecasting China 's growth at 1 % this year .
That would be the weakest since the 1960s but better than the Fund 's outlook for an 8 % contraction in United States output and a 4.9 % decline for the world .
Private sector analysts say as much as 30 % of China 's urban workforce , or as many as 130 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at least temporarily .
They say as many as 25 million jobs might be lost for good this year .
The ruling party promised in May to spend $ 280 billion on meeting goals including creating 9 million new jobs .
But it has avoided joining the U.S. and Japan in rolling out relief packages of $ 1 trillion or more due to concern about adding to already high Chinese debt .
China has reported 4,634 coronavirus deaths and 83,611 cases .
No domestically transmitted cases have been reported since an outbreak in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before it faded early this month .
On Tuesday , the government eased some curbs on domestic tourism after China reported no new locally acquired infections in nine days .
The Ministry of Culture and Tourism said tourist sites can allow 50 % of their daily visitor capacity , up from 30 % , and tours from one province to another can resume .
In the three months ending in June , factory output rose 4.4 % , rebounding from the previous quarter ’ s 8.4 % contraction after factories that make the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ toys , and other goods reopened .
Retail sales shrank by 3.9 % , but that was a marked improvement over the previous quarter ’ s 19 % contraction while millions of families were confined to their homes and shopping malls were shut down .
Online retail sales rose 14.3 % , up from the previous quarter ’ s 5.9 % .
June exports grew by an unexpectedly strong 0.4 % but still are off 3 % for the first half of the year .
Imports rose 3 % – including a 10.6 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ despite a tariff war – but are down 3.3 % so far this year .
Forecasters warn exporters are likely to face another decline in demand as sales of masks and other medical supplies taper off and U.S. and European retailers cancel orders .
“ This suggests sustained pressure on employment , currently the government ’ s foremost policy priority , ” said JP Morgan ’ s Ms. Chow .
A potential stumbling block is worsening relations with the United States , China ’ s biggest national export market , over disputes about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Hong Kong .
The two governments signed an agreement in January to postpone further tariff hikes in their fight over Beijing ’ s technology ambitions and trade surplus .
But most increases already imposed remained in place .
“ The darkest moment is behind us , but given the huge uncertainties from the COVID-19 and the global economy , it ’ s too early to say that China is out of the woods , ” said Macquarie 's Mr. Hu and Mr. Ji .
This story was reported by The Associated Press @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a public service , the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage .
It ’ s free .

China became the first major economy to grow since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, recording an unexpectedly strong 3.2% expansion in the latest quarter after anti-virus lockdowns were lifted and factories and stores reopened.
Growth reported Thursday for the three months ending in June was a dramatic improvement over the previous quarter’s 6.8% contraction – China’s worst performance since at least the mid-1960s. But it still was the weakest positive figure since China started reporting quarterly growth in the early 1990s.
“We expect to see continuous improvement in the upcoming quarters,” said Marcella Chow of JP Morgan Asset Management in a report.
China, where the coronavirus pandemic began in December, was the first economy to shut down and the first to start the drawn-out process of recovery in March after the ruling Communist Party declared the disease under control.
“The national economy shifted from slowing down to rising in the first half of 2020,” the National Bureau of Statistics said in a statement.
Asian financial markets fell despite the show of strength by the region's biggest economy as investor enthusiasm following announcements about research into a possible coronavirus vaccine receded.
China's market benchmark, the Shanghai Composite Index, was down 1.4% at midday. In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 lost 0.7%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng declined 1.4% and the Kospi in South Korea fell 0.8%.
Economists say China is likely to recover faster than some other major economies due to the ruling Communist Party’s decision to impose the most intensive anti-disease measures in history. Those cut off most access to cities with a total of 60 million people and suspended trade and travel – steps later imitated by some Asian and European governments as the virus spread.
Manufacturing and some other industries are almost back to normal. But consumer spending is weak due to fear of possible job losses. Cinemas and some other businesses still are closed and restrictions on travel stay in place.
“The pandemic is creating winners and losers,” said Bill Adams of PNC Financial Services Group in a report. “Manufacturing is leading China’s recovery.”
In light of the latest data, Chinese leaders are “likely to keep the current policy stance largely unchanged,” said Larry Hu and Xinyu Ji of Macquarie Capital in a report.
The International Monetary Fund is forecasting China's growth at 1% this year. That would be the weakest since the 1960s but better than the Fund's outlook for an 8% contraction in United States output and a 4.9% decline for the world.
Private sector analysts say as much as 30% of China's urban workforce, or as many as 130 million people, may have lost their jobs at least temporarily. They say as many as 25 million jobs might be lost for good this year.
The ruling party promised in May to spend $280 billion on meeting goals including creating 9 million new jobs. But it has avoided joining the U.S. and Japan in rolling out relief packages of $1 trillion or more due to concern about adding to already high Chinese debt.
China has reported 4,634 coronavirus deaths and 83,611 cases. No domestically transmitted cases have been reported since an outbreak in Beijing that infected more than 330 people before it faded early this month.
On Tuesday, the government eased some curbs on domestic tourism after China reported no new locally acquired infections in nine days. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism said tourist sites can allow 50% of their daily visitor capacity, up from 30%, and tours from one province to another can resume.
In the three months ending in June, factory output rose 4.4%, rebounding from the previous quarter’s 8.4% contraction after factories that make the world’s smartphones, shoes, toys, and other goods reopened.
Retail sales shrank by 3.9%, but that was a marked improvement over the previous quarter’s 19% contraction while millions of families were confined to their homes and shopping malls were shut down. Online retail sales rose 14.3%, up from the previous quarter’s 5.9%.
June exports grew by an unexpectedly strong 0.4% but still are off 3% for the first half of the year. Imports rose 3% – including a 10.6% jump in purchases of U.S. goods despite a tariff war – but are down 3.3% so far this year.
Forecasters warn exporters are likely to face another decline in demand as sales of masks and other medical supplies taper off and U.S. and European retailers cancel orders.
“This suggests sustained pressure on employment, currently the government’s foremost policy priority,” said JP Morgan’s Ms. Chow.
A potential stumbling block is worsening relations with the United States, China’s biggest national export market, over disputes about trade, technology, human rights, and Hong Kong.
The two governments signed an agreement in January to postpone further tariff hikes in their fight over Beijing’s technology ambitions and trade surplus. But most increases already imposed remained in place.
“The darkest moment is behind us, but given the huge uncertainties from the COVID-19 and the global economy, it’s too early to say that China is out of the woods,” said Macquarie's Mr. Hu and Mr. Ji.
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This story was reported by The Associated Press.
Editor’s note: As a public service, the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage. It’s free.


csmonitor--2020-07-16--With $2.1T to split, EU leaders ditch webcams for live summit

There are limits to videoconferencing .
When there is a lot of money at stake , people like to look each other in the eye .
So on Friday , leaders from 27 European Union nations will be meeting face-to-face for the first since February despite the dangers of the coronavirus pandemic – simply to try to carve up a potential package of $ 2.1 trillion among themselves , and , just as importantly , see who will pay in the most .
In perhaps the first such major meeting of leaders since the COVID-19 outbreak hit the world , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ maintain extreme social distancing .
“ You can feel the mood , as it were , ” Germany ’ s Europe minister , Michael Roth , said of such flesh-and-blood summits .
“ I wouldn ’ t claim to be a psychologist , but I would say it really does help.
” It had better since five remote video summits so far this year failed at bridging the financial gap between rival nations needing to agree on a more than 1-trillion-euro budget for the next seven years and a 750-billion-fund to allow nations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ It was already clear at Easter when I was calling , the first time , all the different capitals that such a decision can only be taken if the leaders , prime ministers , heads of state , meet in person in Brussels , ” EU Budget Commissioner Johannes Hahn said .
French President Emmanuel Macron is already sweeping into town late Thursday , eager to get as many encounters in as possible .
German Chancellor Angela Merkel holds out until the official kickoff time early Friday .
Whatever happens , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any other at the urn-shaped Europa headquarters .
For starters , the cozy meeting room on the top floor , where the leaders have clashed at close quarters over everything from Brexit to migration issues , will be exchanged for the prosaically-named meeting room EBS-5 , where normally 330 people fit in a space of 9,150 square feet .
“ They will be well spaced ” when they go into a restricted session with barely a few delegates , deadpanned an EU official preparing the summit .
There will be no group photo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s summit because of social distancing requirements .
Often , the toughest of summits have so-called confessionals where the president of the proceedings takes one or more leaders to the side to see where they might budge .
Other leaders can gather in mini-sessions to defend common regional or financial interests .
It ’ s bound to happen again , but this time , every room which will be used at the summit center will be deep cleaned .
The main summit room will only use filtered , non-recycled air .
As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ driveway outside the Europa building , the leaders will immediately experience the difference , officials said .
Most of their delegations will be split off immediately and parked in an adjacent building .
And instead of a warren of microphones and cameras seeking early comment , they will have the option to make a comment to a neutral outlet , no questions asked .
The already byzantine map of the building has been redrawn to avoid unexpected crowds and certain elevators for the leaders will be limited to a maximum capacity of two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , leaders will be urged to mask themselves and respect at least 5 feet of distance for the informal greetings , often a moment when body language gives away how tough a summit will be .
Yet if Monday ’ s trial run of foreign ministers was anything to go by , discipline was often lacking .
Should the worst happen and a leader suddenly shows symptoms , doctors will be on site once he or she is taken out of the room .
A nation can ’ t put in a replacement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ friendly colleague to vote or speak in its place .
So , even if it will be a true face-to-face meeting , it will be one laden with provisos .
“ It doesn ’ t automatically mean that excellent results will be achieved and that agreement will be reached quickly , ” Mr. Roth said .
“ But after all , I am an optimist.
” Others are already looking at an extended summit running even into Sunday , with another one possible within two weeks .
This story was reported by The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : As a public service , the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage .
It ’ s free .

There are limits to videoconferencing. When there is a lot of money at stake, people like to look each other in the eye.
So on Friday, leaders from 27 European Union nations will be meeting face-to-face for the first since February despite the dangers of the coronavirus pandemic – simply to try to carve up a potential package of $2.1 trillion among themselves, and, just as importantly, see who will pay in the most.
In perhaps the first such major meeting of leaders since the COVID-19 outbreak hit the world, the stakes were just too high to maintain extreme social distancing.
“You can feel the mood, as it were,” Germany’s Europe minister, Michael Roth, said of such flesh-and-blood summits. “I wouldn’t claim to be a psychologist, but I would say it really does help.”
It had better since five remote video summits so far this year failed at bridging the financial gap between rival nations needing to agree on a more than 1-trillion-euro budget for the next seven years and a 750-billion-fund to allow nations to recover from the coronavirus crisis.
“It was already clear at Easter when I was calling, the first time, all the different capitals that such a decision can only be taken if the leaders, prime ministers, heads of state, meet in person in Brussels,” EU Budget Commissioner Johannes Hahn said.
French President Emmanuel Macron is already sweeping into town late Thursday, eager to get as many encounters in as possible. German Chancellor Angela Merkel holds out until the official kickoff time early Friday. Whatever happens, it will make for an EU summit unlike any other at the urn-shaped Europa headquarters.
For starters, the cozy meeting room on the top floor, where the leaders have clashed at close quarters over everything from Brexit to migration issues, will be exchanged for the prosaically-named meeting room EBS-5, where normally 330 people fit in a space of 9,150 square feet.
“They will be well spaced” when they go into a restricted session with barely a few delegates, deadpanned an EU official preparing the summit.
There will be no group photo of the leaders like at last December’s summit because of social distancing requirements.
Often, the toughest of summits have so-called confessionals where the president of the proceedings takes one or more leaders to the side to see where they might budge. Other leaders can gather in mini-sessions to defend common regional or financial interests.
It’s bound to happen again, but this time, every room which will be used at the summit center will be deep cleaned. The main summit room will only use filtered, non-recycled air.
As soon as their vehicles pull up into driveway outside the Europa building, the leaders will immediately experience the difference, officials said. Most of their delegations will be split off immediately and parked in an adjacent building. And instead of a warren of microphones and cameras seeking early comment, they will have the option to make a comment to a neutral outlet, no questions asked.
The already byzantine map of the building has been redrawn to avoid unexpected crowds and certain elevators for the leaders will be limited to a maximum capacity of two.
At the start of a session, leaders will be urged to mask themselves and respect at least 5 feet of distance for the informal greetings, often a moment when body language gives away how tough a summit will be. Yet if Monday’s trial run of foreign ministers was anything to go by, discipline was often lacking.
Should the worst happen and a leader suddenly shows symptoms, doctors will be on site once he or she is taken out of the room. A nation can’t put in a replacement, and it can only ask a friendly colleague to vote or speak in its place.
So, even if it will be a true face-to-face meeting, it will be one laden with provisos.
“It doesn’t automatically mean that excellent results will be achieved and that agreement will be reached quickly,” Mr. Roth said. “But after all, I am an optimist.”
Others are already looking at an extended summit running even into Sunday, with another one possible within two weeks.
Get stories that
empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
This story was reported by The Associated Press.
Editor’s note: As a public service, the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage. It’s free.


csmonitor--2020-07-16--When the world stood still, they found freedom on roller skates

Veterans of the scene agree that the current wave of interest is not so much a revival of a dead sport but the latest iteration of an established discipline .
“ Skating goes through its phases , ” says Darius Stroud , an influential roller skater who is better known by his skate name D-Breez .
“ It ’ s basically an art form and a sport .
And any time a sport gets some popularity and traction , it ’ s good because it brings eyes to that sport , and it makes people understand it.
” The newfound @ @ @ @ @ @ @ carries with it nearly a century of history and includes ties to African American culture and the civil rights movement .
Though skating has cycled in and out of style , its enduring appeal has captured generations of skaters .
Roller-skating is spilling into the streets and online as young people look for outdoor activities to fill the lockdown void .
The pastime translates easily to video , and viral clips – including from some influential celebrities – have flooded social media .
There are now more than 1.2 million posts in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ billion views on the tag on TikTok .
A 10-second TikTok video was all it took for actress Ana Coto to ignite a summer trend – that , and a pair of turquoise roller skates .
The video , posted in May , features Ms. Coto effortlessly skate-dancing down a road while lip-syncing to the Jennifer Lopez song “ Jenny from the Block.
” More than 15 million views later , some pinpoint her video as the reason why it ’ s currently almost impossible to find a quality pair of skates for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 1.2 million posts in the # rollerskating tag on Instagram and 2.2 billion views on the tag on TikTok .
On YouTube , viewers can find tutorials and trick videos , accompanied by vlogs with titles like “ Learning to Roller Skate in 5 Days.
” Roller-skating , which is easily done in the open air and translates well to video , fills the lockdown void perfectly for many young adults .
Even so , the newfound interest belies a thriving contemporary subculture that carries with it nearly a century of history @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the civil rights movement .
Though the sport has cycled in and out of style , its enduring appeal has captured generations of skaters .
“ It gives you a sense of freedom , ” says Darius Stroud , an influential roller skater who has been on the scene for decades and is better known by his skate name D-Breez , in a phone interview .
“ You don ’ t have to align with what somebody else does .
...
It allows you free creation and expression of the self.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tied , in part , to the fresh image the sport has gained since brands like Moxi ( started in 2010 ) and Impala ( started in 2017 ) began selling bright , trendy roller skates that can be easily coordinated with stylish outfits .
Flashier than the black-and-white binary of rental skates , they ’ re marketed as high-performance gear suitable for rough outdoor skating and high-impact tricks .
For the most part , contemporary American skate culture is also diverse and welcoming , though atmosphere and skate style can vary wildly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the forefront of both bowl skating and the competitive team sport roller derby .
Roller dancing has been closely tied to trends in music since disco took off in the 1970s ; today , there are dozens of regional dance styles , most originating from Black culture .
“ What is wonderful about the roller-skating community is that it ’ s so inclusive , ” says Rebel Mang , a roller skater who creates tutorials on her YouTube channel Queer Girl Straight Skates , in a phone interview .
“ It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ...
There ’ s something about the intersection of roller-skating and queerness that makes me feel more me and more represented within my identity.
” The sport ’ s popularity has waxed and waned constantly since it began .
In the “ golden age ” of skating from the 1930s into the 1960s as many as 18 million Americans regularly skated .
Beginning in the 1970s , rinks were packed with a generation infatuated with disco music .
And the sport is inextricably tied to African American culture , from civil rights movements @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of music and dance styles – like disco – that tend to accompany spikes in skating ’ s popularity .
Today , skaters continue to innovate within contemporary variations on the sport including roller derby , park or bowl skating , and adult-night events .
D-Breez , for example , currently organizes the Independence Roll , a national skating convention held annually in Chicago .
His event is one of dozens of similar national-level roller rink events attended in large part by members of the Black skating community , the first of which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Poindexter in the early 1990s – the same decade when rink skating became associated with burgeoning genres of hip-hop and rap .
( The 2018 documentary “ United Skates ” covered the underground scene , as well as the fact that rinks across the nation are being rezoned and permanently closed , and that Black roller events are often heavily policed . )
Ms. Mang notes that today ’ s skate world is not without its shortcomings .
“ It has glaring faults , ” she says .
The history of segregation in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where coded anti-Black language – “ No saggy pants ” – is not uncommon .
On some sites including TikTok , algorithms can boost white creators over those of other races , potentially minimizing the spread of content from nonwhite skaters .
What ’ s popular online “ is just not an accurate representation of what the skate community is , ” says Ms. Mang .
“ It ’ s not what you see on social media.
” Veterans of the scene agree that the current wave of interest is not so much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the latest iteration of an established discipline .
“ Skating goes through its phases , ” says D-Breez .
“ It ’ s basically an art form and a sport .
And any time a sport gets some popularity and traction , it ’ s good because it brings eyes to that sport , and it makes people understand it .
...
Which , of course , can help the rinks stay open.
” Ms. Mang says that her participation in skating “ has helped me to love my body in a way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ body before.
” But it ’ s more than that , she adds .
“ It feels like you understand where somebody is coming from when you know that they ’ re roller-skating .
”

Do pastimes ever really go away? Roller-skating is back again, driven by young people escaping pandemic restrictions and a history that connects it to Black culture.
Veterans of the scene agree that the current wave of interest is not so much a revival of a dead sport but the latest iteration of an established discipline. “Skating goes through its phases,” says Darius Stroud, an influential roller skater who is better known by his skate name D-Breez. “It’s basically an art form and a sport. And any time a sport gets some popularity and traction, it’s good because it brings eyes to that sport, and it makes people understand it.”
The newfound interest belies a thriving contemporary subculture that carries with it nearly a century of history and includes ties to African American culture and the civil rights movement. Though skating has cycled in and out of style, its enduring appeal has captured generations of skaters.
Roller-skating is spilling into the streets and online as young people look for outdoor activities to fill the lockdown void. The pastime translates easily to video, and viral clips – including from some influential celebrities – have flooded social media. There are now more than 1.2 million posts in the #rollerskating tag on Instagram and 2.2 billion views on the tag on TikTok.
A 10-second TikTok video was all it took for actress Ana Coto to ignite a summer trend – that, and a pair of turquoise roller skates.
The video, posted in May, features Ms. Coto effortlessly skate-dancing down a road while lip-syncing to the Jennifer Lopez song “Jenny from the Block.” More than 15 million views later, some pinpoint her video as the reason why it’s currently almost impossible to find a quality pair of skates for sale online. There are now more than 1.2 million posts in the #rollerskating tag on Instagram and 2.2 billion views on the tag on TikTok. On YouTube, viewers can find tutorials and trick videos, accompanied by vlogs with titles like “Learning to Roller Skate in 5 Days.”
Roller-skating, which is easily done in the open air and translates well to video, fills the lockdown void perfectly for many young adults. Even so, the newfound interest belies a thriving contemporary subculture that carries with it nearly a century of history and includes ties to African American culture and the civil rights movement. Though the sport has cycled in and out of style, its enduring appeal has captured generations of skaters.
Why We Wrote This Do pastimes ever really go away? Roller-skating is back again, driven by young people escaping pandemic restrictions and a history that connects it to Black culture.
“It gives you a sense of freedom,” says Darius Stroud, an influential roller skater who has been on the scene for decades and is better known by his skate name D-Breez, in a phone interview. “You don’t have to align with what somebody else does. ... It allows you free creation and expression of the self.”
The latest spike of online attention is tied, in part, to the fresh image the sport has gained since brands like Moxi (started in 2010) and Impala (started in 2017) began selling bright, trendy roller skates that can be easily coordinated with stylish outfits. Flashier than the black-and-white binary of rental skates, they’re marketed as high-performance gear suitable for rough outdoor skating and high-impact tricks.
For the most part, contemporary American skate culture is also diverse and welcoming, though atmosphere and skate style can vary wildly depending on locale. Women are at the forefront of both bowl skating and the competitive team sport roller derby. Roller dancing has been closely tied to trends in music since disco took off in the 1970s; today, there are dozens of regional dance styles, most originating from Black culture.
Michael M. Santiago/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette/AP/File View caption Hide caption Brittany McNeill of Homewood, Pennsylvania, skates during the Pittsburgh Steel City Rollers annual Spring Bling Skate Jam, at Youngstown Skate in Youngstown, Ohio, on May 18, 2019. The annual skate jam attracts skaters from various parts of the country.
“What is wonderful about the roller-skating community is that it’s so inclusive,” says Rebel Mang, a roller skater who creates tutorials on her YouTube channel Queer Girl Straight Skates, in a phone interview. “It’s inclusive, it’s forward-thinking. ... There’s something about the intersection of roller-skating and queerness that makes me feel more me and more represented within my identity.”
The sport’s popularity has waxed and waned constantly since it began. In the “golden age” of skating from the 1930s into the 1960s as many as 18 million Americans regularly skated. Beginning in the 1970s, rinks were packed with a generation infatuated with disco music. And the sport is inextricably tied to African American culture, from civil rights movements to desegregate roller rinks to the origins of music and dance styles – like disco – that tend to accompany spikes in skating’s popularity. Today, skaters continue to innovate within contemporary variations on the sport including roller derby, park or bowl skating, and adult-night events.
AP/AE/File View caption Hide caption Women roller skaters dart from the starting line at the beginning of the roller derby in Detroit, July 11, 1950.
D-Breez, for example, currently organizes the Independence Roll, a national skating convention held annually in Chicago. His event is one of dozens of similar national-level roller rink events attended in large part by members of the Black skating community, the first of which was organized by a skater named Vanessa Poindexter in the early 1990s – the same decade when rink skating became associated with burgeoning genres of hip-hop and rap. (The 2018 documentary “United Skates” covered the underground scene, as well as the fact that rinks across the nation are being rezoned and permanently closed, and that Black roller events are often heavily policed.)
Get stories that
empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
Ms. Mang notes that today’s skate world is not without its shortcomings. “It has glaring faults,” she says. The history of segregation in roller rinks is still felt today, where coded anti-Black language – “No saggy pants” – is not uncommon. On some sites including TikTok, algorithms can boost white creators over those of other races, potentially minimizing the spread of content from nonwhite skaters. What’s popular online “is just not an accurate representation of what the skate community is,” says Ms. Mang. “It’s not what you see on social media.”
Kevin Lamarque/Reuters View caption Hide caption Kaitlyn Saunders poses in front of Black Lives Matter protest signs in Washington, June 10, 2020. The figure skater donned in-line skates and performed a routine on Black Lives Matter Plaza in her hometown.
Veterans of the scene agree that the current wave of interest is not so much a revival of a dead sport but the latest iteration of an established discipline. “Skating goes through its phases,” says D-Breez. “It’s basically an art form and a sport. And any time a sport gets some popularity and traction, it’s good because it brings eyes to that sport, and it makes people understand it. ... Which, of course, can help the rinks stay open.”
Ms. Mang says that her participation in skating “has helped me to love my body in a way that I’ve never loved my body before.” But it’s more than that, she adds. “It feels like you understand where somebody is coming from when you know that they’re roller-skating.”