csmonitor--2020-05-12--Iraq's generational shift begins

Iraq's generational shift begins

Iraq ’ s new prime minister , Mustafa al-Kadhimi , has been in office less than a week and he ’ s already turned one of the world ’ s youngest democracies into a model for listening to young people .
Here ’ s what the former journalist , human rights advocate , and intelligence chief has done so far : He ordered the release of all protesters not involved in lethal violence who had been detained since October , when young people began mass demonstrations against a corrupt political elite .
He pledged compensation to the relatives of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during the five months of protests .
He also plans to identify and prosecute militias involved in the violent attacks .
In fact , after one protester was killed in the city of Basra on Sunday , the new government quickly arrested at least five men from a local militia held responsible for the shooting .
He reinstated a popular general , Abdul Wahab al-Saadi , to lead the counterterrorism service .
Famous for his role in defeating Islamic State in 2017 and inspiring Iraqi unity , Mr. al-Saadi was removed by a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the protests .
He started to bring Iraq ’ s many militias – known as popular mobilization units – under government control .
Some of the militias are beholden to Iran or corrupt politicians .
He vowed to implement electoral reforms and hold early elections to give voters a chance to end a system of governance that now allocates power – and spoils – among religious and ethnic groups , breeding corruption .
These initial actions by Mr. al-Kadhimi reflect a generational shift in Iraq .
More than 40 % of Iraqis were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Saddam Hussein .
Many demand a national identity as Iraqis rather than being exploited by politicians as solely Sunni , Shiite , or Kurd .
Those divisions were responsible for the rise of Islamic State , which controlled one-third of Iraq from 2014-17 .
The protesters , who have been quiet during the coronavirus outbreak , are still unsure whether to trust the new prime minister .
He is a product of a compromise among Iraq ’ s parties .
He is also supported by both the United States and Iran .
Distrust @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parties and foreign powers .
The mass demonstrations , marked by their nonviolence and calls for clean government , have changed Iraq for the better .
As COVID-19 fades , the protests are starting to resume .
They have already forced politicians to select a prime minister who might end the country ’ s divisions .
In just a few days , he has begun to win back Iraq ’ s idealistic youth .
As a rare democracy in the Middle East , Iraq needs to show that it is possible to have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ civic rights .
So far , Mr. al-Kadhimi is helping to pass the baton from one generation to the next .

Iraq’s new prime minister, Mustafa al-Kadhimi, has been in office less than a week and he’s already turned one of the world’s youngest democracies into a model for listening to young people. Here’s what the former journalist, human rights advocate, and intelligence chief has done so far:
He ordered the release of all protesters not involved in lethal violence who had been detained since October, when young people began mass demonstrations against a corrupt political elite.
He pledged compensation to the relatives of the more than 550 people who were killed during the five months of protests. He also plans to identify and prosecute militias involved in the violent attacks. In fact, after one protester was killed in the city of Basra on Sunday, the new government quickly arrested at least five men from a local militia held responsible for the shooting.
He reinstated a popular general, Abdul Wahab al-Saadi, to lead the counterterrorism service. Famous for his role in defeating Islamic State in 2017 and inspiring Iraqi unity, Mr. al-Saadi was removed by a previous government last year, helping trigger the protests.
He started to bring Iraq’s many militias – known as popular mobilization units – under government control. Some of the militias are beholden to Iran or corrupt politicians.
He vowed to implement electoral reforms and hold early elections to give voters a chance to end a system of governance that now allocates power – and spoils – among religious and ethnic groups, breeding corruption.
These initial actions by Mr. al-Kadhimi reflect a generational shift in Iraq. More than 40% of Iraqis were born after the 2003 war that ousted Saddam Hussein. Many demand a national identity as Iraqis rather than being exploited by politicians as solely Sunni, Shiite, or Kurd. Those divisions were responsible for the rise of Islamic State, which controlled one-third of Iraq from 2014-17.
The protesters, who have been quiet during the coronavirus outbreak, are still unsure whether to trust the new prime minister. He is a product of a compromise among Iraq’s parties. He is also supported by both the United States and Iran. Distrust runs high among young people toward traditional parties and foreign powers.
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The mass demonstrations, marked by their nonviolence and calls for clean government, have changed Iraq for the better. As COVID-19 fades, the protests are starting to resume. They have already forced politicians to select a prime minister who might end the country’s divisions. In just a few days, he has begun to win back Iraq’s idealistic youth.
As a rare democracy in the Middle East, Iraq needs to show that it is possible to have a secular and sovereign state that respects civic rights. So far, Mr. al-Kadhimi is helping to pass the baton from one generation to the next.


csmonitor--2020-06-10--Could the coronavirus change the way we look for love? (audio)

The coronavirus pandemic has turned lives upside down , with stay-at-home orders shifting relationships with family and friends in major ways .
But what has this meant for individuals looking for love ?
Many men and women across the world are continuing to date during COVID-19 – even if that means coming up with creative solutions to meeting new people , like going on Zoom dates or watching movies at the same time in two separate apartments .
Editor ’ s note : As a public service , all our coronavirus coverage is free .
No paywall .
The shift @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out has been frustrating , but those in the thick of it are finding things they like about this new approach to dating .
There ’ s more time spent chatting on the phone , and less opportunity to “ peacock ” and show off .
For some , it ’ s as if romance is getting a throwback to the style of Jane Austen novels , with heartfelt correspondence and a slower pace .
Although there ’ s a sense of anticipation and hope for the day dinner and a movie – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the table once again , dating is getting a reboot .
Note : This audio story was designed to be heard .
We strongly encourage you to experience it with your ears , but we understand that is not an option for everybody .
For those who are unable to listen , we have provided a transcript of the story .
( If you ’ re reading this off our website and don ’ t see an audio player , click here to access the audio player . )
Whitney Eulich : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a spectacle over the past 20 years .
From reality TV show classics like “ The Bachelor ” [ clip from “ The Bachelor ” ] to the spread of online dating sites and the so-called “ swipe culture.
” And of course , more recently there ’ s the now seemingly prophetic Netflix series “ Love is Blind ” [ clip from “ Love is Blind ” trailer ] .
Jessica Mendoza : But thanks to coronavirus , dating is moving even further online and onto our screens .
Whitney : Because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out , essentially stripping human contact from our day-to-day lives transforms how we connect with each other .
Jess : My name is Jessica Mendoza , and I ’ m the multimedia reporter for The Christian Science Monitor .
Whitney : And I ’ m Whitney Eulich , the Monitor ’ s Latin America correspondent .
We wanted to know : How are people navigating this uncharted territory ?
Jess : So we asked a bunch of single men and women , and here ’ s a bit of what they had to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of relationships are changing right now , you know it ’ s not just the romantic variety .
I am here with a toddler who is missing her best friend who happens to live across the hall .
Writing love letters and yelling to each other from the windows .
And , it ’ s just breaking my heart that they cant be together right now .
It ’ s been two months .
Jess : Whitney , that ’ s one of the saddest things I ’ ve ever heard .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but I do have lots of single friends .
And I feel like on my end , everyone seems to be asking : Is this a good time to embrace being single ?
Or do they keep trying to date ?
And if so , I mean , how ?
It ’ s this kind of relationship that we ’ re exploring today .
How has COVID-19 complicated the picture for folks who are looking for love ?
Whitney : So , we talked to about half a dozen men and women @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s going about this moment in their own way , there are these shared threads of experiences .
This willingness people seem to be demonstrating to embrace the unfamiliar and a new appreciation for connecting – even if it ’ s in ways that are a little out of the box .
Jess : Two of the women we spoke to really drove that home for us .
One of them is Leah Hughes .
She lives in San Francisco .
She had been active on the online dating scene for about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she realized pretty quickly that social distancing was going to have a pretty big impact on her dating life .
Whitney : The other woman we spoke to was just super busy with her career : She has an online business , just your regular social media influencer .
Her name is Beige Ojai , she lives in Maryland .
Dating was not even on her radar .
But social isolation made her realize just how , well , isolated she was .
Jess : Where the public gets to vote for couples @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other on video chat ( which sounds like my personal nightmare ) .
Each episode airs footage from the dates of the chosen couples .
Beige happened to be in Episode 2 .
They ’ ve got a host who interviews them about their experience dating each other .
And of course there ’ s a live chat feature so viewers can comment .
Whitney : It turns out that it was interesting .
Both women have already pinpointed some dos and don ’ ts when dating from a distance .
And , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ things they enjoy and they hope endure once their relationships move back into the offline world .
Jess : We started by asking the two women about what it was like when this all started .
How did they handle that first switch to social distance dating ?
Here ’ s Leah first , then Beige : Leah : The inherent safety of my living room definitely makes me feel a little more relaxed .
I don ’ t have to dodge bad kisses , which is good .
I also unfortunately don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kisses .
So that is definitely a detractor .
Whitney : As this situation dragged on , some of the newness started to wear off .
There are still quirks that they ’ re both grappling with , but they ’ ve both pinpointed benefits of this new format , as well .
Jess : Clearly they ’ re both finding ways to make this crazy situation work .
But they also learned that there are aspects of dating in person that you really can ’ t replace .
Whitney : Beige is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to test that chemistry – from a safe distance , of course .
Jess : Watch out , we ’ re getting to Whitney ’ s favorite part .
Jess : I know you do .
What do you like so much about it ?
Whitney : I just think that it ’ s very on brand for coronavirus .
And it really just seems to get to this idea that humans can be so creative and adaptable in times like these .
Jess : Right .
And that actually leads us straight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Beige .
Whitney : I have to say , I think Leah ’ s upper-right hand corner advice is actually quite applicable far beyond online dating !
Jess : That ’ s what you took away from all of that ?
Whitney : I ’ m starting to notice more – well , it ’ s not a flirt face , but my very serious reporter face and – I also would like to unsee that !
But in all seriousness , both these women show humanity has such an amazing capacity for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Jess : Yeah , it takes courage to put yourself out there no matter what the situation is .
And it just shows that the desire to connect is such a part of who we are that not even a global pandemic is going to stop people from trying to find and maintain relationships and build them and maintain them .
That feels good to remember these days .
Thanks for listening !
If you enjoyed this story , help us make more .
Subscribe to the Monitor at csmonitor.com/subscribe .
Whitney @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have any stories about love and relationships you want to share with us .
You can find us on Facebook , Instagram , and Twitter .
Jess : This story was produced and hosted by me , Jessica Mendoza .
Jess : It was edited by Samantha Laine Perfas and Kim Campbell , with sound design by Tim Malone .
Produced by The Christian Science Monitor , copyright 2020 .

Could the coronavirus change the way we look for love? Loading the player...
The coronavirus pandemic has turned lives upside down, with stay-at-home orders shifting relationships with family and friends in major ways. But what has this meant for individuals looking for love?
Many men and women across the world are continuing to date during COVID-19 – even if that means coming up with creative solutions to meeting new people, like going on Zoom dates or watching movies at the same time in two separate apartments.
Why We Wrote This As it turns out, stripping human contact from our day-to-day lives transforms how we connect with each other. Is it even possible to comfortably date in the current climate? For many, the answer is yes. It just takes a bit of creativity.
Editor’s note: As a public service, all our coronavirus coverage is free. No paywall.
The shift away from dining in restaurants or going out has been frustrating, but those in the thick of it are finding things they like about this new approach to dating. There’s more time spent chatting on the phone, and less opportunity to “peacock” and show off. For some, it’s as if romance is getting a throwback to the style of Jane Austen novels, with heartfelt correspondence and a slower pace.
Although there’s a sense of anticipation and hope for the day dinner and a movie – in person and in public – is on the table once again, dating is getting a reboot.
Note: This audio story was designed to be heard. We strongly encourage you to experience it with your ears, but we understand that is not an option for everybody. For those who are unable to listen, we have provided a transcript of the story. (If you’re reading this off our website and don’t see an audio player, click here to access the audio player.)
Audio Transcript:
[Saxophone music]
Whitney Eulich: Dating has turned into a bit of a spectacle over the past 20 years. From reality TV show classics like “The Bachelor” [clip from “The Bachelor”] to the spread of online dating sites and the so-called “swipe culture.” And of course, more recently there’s the now seemingly prophetic Netflix series “Love is Blind” [clip from “Love is Blind” trailer].
Jessica Mendoza: But thanks to coronavirus, dating is moving even further online and onto our screens.
Whitney: Because, you know, as it turns out, essentially stripping human contact from our day-to-day lives transforms how we connect with each other.
Jess: My name is Jessica Mendoza, and I’m the multimedia reporter for The Christian Science Monitor.
Whitney: And I’m Whitney Eulich, the Monitor’s Latin America correspondent. We wanted to know: How are people navigating this uncharted territory?
Jess: So we asked a bunch of single men and women, and here’s a bit of what they had to say.
[Music transition into interview montage]
Tony Maddox: So, what went from three kind of magical dates turned into very limited contact. Shola Olabode-Dada: And then the other person we were supposed to have a virtual date. But he didn’t show up – he stood me up! Chloe Hollett: Now, I’m gonna be honest. I’m having difficulty. Because I’m running out of guys! Andrea Milla: Este situación nos ha obligado a cambiar la dinámica de la relación, de repente apresurar muchos procesos. [Voiceover translation: “This situation has forced us to change the dynamic of our relationship, and suddenly rush lots of these processes.”] Tracy Smith: I feel like this has been a reset for like the entire country. A reset for how we look at dating. Chloe Hollett: These guys that I see online, OMG, they’re like Grizzly Adams. It’s like society quiets for a moment and suddenly they all fall apart.
Whitney: Obviously all kinds of relationships are changing right now, you know it’s not just the romantic variety. I am here with a toddler who is missing her best friend who happens to live across the hall. Writing love letters and yelling to each other from the windows. And, it’s just breaking my heart that they cant be together right now. It’s been two months.
Jess: Whitney, that’s one of the saddest things I’ve ever heard. And I don’t have any kids, but I do have lots of single friends. And I feel like on my end, everyone seems to be asking: Is this a good time to embrace being single? Or do they keep trying to date? And if so, I mean, how?
It’s this kind of relationship that we’re exploring today. How has COVID-19 complicated the picture for folks who are looking for love?
Whitney: So, we talked to about half a dozen men and women. And we found that while everyone’s going about this moment in their own way, there are these shared threads of experiences. This willingness people seem to be demonstrating to embrace the unfamiliar and a new appreciation for connecting – even if it’s in ways that are a little out of the box.
Jess: Two of the women we spoke to really drove that home for us. One of them is Leah Hughes. She lives in San Francisco. She had been active on the online dating scene for about five years before Coronavirus hit. And she realized pretty quickly that social distancing was going to have a pretty big impact on her dating life.
Leah Hughes: My last human interaction, for better or for worse, was actually a bad date, right before the shelter in place was announced. A guy leaned in for the kiss and then I got too nervous and ran away. But I think every date is something new, and I need to figure out what my pacing is.
Whitney: The other woman we spoke to was just super busy with her career: She has an online business, just your regular social media influencer. Her name is Beige Ojai, she lives in Maryland. Dating was not even on her radar. But social isolation made her realize just how, well, isolated she was.
Jess: So, naturally, she joined a web-only dating show ...
Whitney: It’s called LoveCast ...
Jess: Where the public gets to vote for couples to go on blind dates with each other on video chat (which sounds like my personal nightmare). Each episode airs footage from the dates of the chosen couples. Beige happened to be in Episode 2. They’ve got a host who interviews them about their experience dating each other. And of course there’s a live chat feature so viewers can comment.
Beige Ojai: And I was like, oh, this is interesting. I liked the fact that your friends and family are voting for your potential match. I mean I don’t know if it was the quarantine that made me just feel like I need to talk to somebody. It was just a feeling of cabin fever. So after I kind of got over the uneasy feelings of it all it kind of made sense for me to do something like this.
Whitney: It turns out that it was interesting. Both women have already pinpointed some dos and don’ts when dating from a distance. And, believe it or not, there are things they enjoy and they hope endure once their relationships move back into the offline world.
Jess: We started by asking the two women about what it was like when this all started. How did they handle that first switch to social distance dating? Here’s Leah first, then Beige:
Leah: I think first dates are relatively the same. I mean a first date, 90% of them is basically an interview. But everything else is basically different. The way that I get ready. So I think about makeup for the screen versus in person or in a dimly lit bar.
Beige: I was conscious, yes. So I was filtering what I was saying. I wanted to seem professional and happy and perky. And it was awkward, because we didn’t really know each other. So it was a little bit different.
Leah: The inherent safety of my living room definitely makes me feel a little more relaxed. I don’t have to dodge bad kisses, which is good. I also unfortunately don’t get real kisses or good kisses. So that is definitely a detractor.
Beige: And we were supposed to only be on the phone for 15 minutes max, but our date was two and a half hours.
Whitney: As this situation dragged on, some of the newness started to wear off. There are still quirks that they’re both grappling with, but they’ve both pinpointed benefits of this new format, as well.
Leah: The way that you interact with the person on the screen, there’s definitely the challenge of seeing your face in the upper-right hand corner. My business persona, and the person who I am at work, I’m used to that. But the face that I put on and the attitude that I put on when I’m on a date is just very different.
Beige: To be honest with you, we went on our second date yesterday and that was a five hour [laughter]... a five hour date.
Leah: I think it’s one of those things where seeing my ‘flirt face’ is kind of like when you’re lying in bed at night and you’re trying to sleep and then you remember a deeply embarrassing moment. And it just stays with you for 10 minutes while you relive how awkward you are.
Beige: He made it so that we were able to FaceTime and watch the poetry night at the same time. And then after that we just FaceTimed. And it was really nice. It was really nice.
Leah: The bragging or the peacocking element of first dates isn’t there. The guy isn’t talking about what trips he has planned because you can’t go on a trip right now. So through the week, I’ll definitely try and gather up anecdotes. I try to get those interesting stories of saying, ‘Oh I saw ducklings on my walk.’ Which, now as I say it out loud, it’s not that interesting. But it’s interesting in terms of, my entire life is within one square mile.
Beige: To be honest with you I’ve never gone to a poetry night before. It was definitely something new. But if that’s what he’s into, I’m definitely willing to try different things.
Jess: Clearly they’re both finding ways to make this crazy situation work. But they also learned that there are aspects of dating in person that you really can’t replace.
Leah: Chemistry is hard. Chemistry is one of the things I’m really struggling with. What if I have built up this relationship in my head and then there’s just no chemistry? It’s almost like a Jane Austen letter, you know, where one of the characters will read this sweeping love letter and it’s almost like an online date. And then they meet the person in real life and they realize: Oh, this is actually a dud. Because I’m a little bitter that my last human interaction was a bad date, I am a little skittish about risking it all to go meet up with a guy. I would prioritize seeing my loved ones, my friends first. But, yes, once things start coming back, I would love to go on a walk. I would love to see what the chemistry is and see that person in real life and figure out if it’s something I would like to move forward with.
Whitney: Beige is trying to come up with creative ways to test that chemistry – from a safe distance, of course.
Jess: Watch out, we’re getting to Whitney’s favorite part.
Whitney: It is!
Beige: He thought of the perfect date for us to do virtually. And I’m looking forward to our next date. We’re trying to figure out how we’re going to do it. I mean there are no places to go, really. You know, we can’t go to the movies or anything that people typically would. The only place that’s open is the grocery store. And maybe we’ll meet in the grocery store parking lot. And eat popcorn and look at the stars. But he’s in his car and I’m in my car. We could actually – yes, now that I’m thinking about it, he could be in his car, I could be in my car and we could eat popcorn and watch a movie. But we’re watching the same movie on each other’s phones at the same time. And talking about it with our windows down. Can you see the vision? [laughter]
Whitney: I love the idea of a grocery store parking lot date.
Jess: I know you do. What do you like so much about it?
Whitney: I just think that it’s very on brand for coronavirus. And it really just seems to get to this idea that humans can be so creative and adaptable in times like these.
Jess: Right. And that actually leads us straight to our big question for Leah and Beige.
Beige: How to date during this period… be creative.
Leah: Don’t look at yourself in the upper-right-hand corner if you can avoid it.
Beige: Because if you think about how we’ve been dating regularly before all of this, a typical date may be dinner and a movie, and these cliché type of dates. But now if you want to practice social distancing, and going on dating, there’s no other way around it. You have to be creative.
Leah: It’s all about embracing the newness right now. I think every day brings an experience that I truly never expected to think about a year ago or six months ago, and now it’s just a part of daily life. And that’s one of the nice things about the human spirit, is this adaptability. I get to see that and meet people who are also willing to dip their toes in and be pioneers, maybe – I don’t know if pioneers is the right thing – in this online, online dating during the time of COVID.
[Music]
Whitney: I have to say, I think Leah’s upper-right hand corner advice is actually quite applicable far beyond online dating!
Jess: That’s what you took away from all of that?
Whitney: I’m starting to notice more – well, it’s not a flirt face, but my very serious reporter face and – I also would like to unsee that! But in all seriousness, both these women show humanity has such an amazing capacity for adapting and being open to new experiences.
Jess: Yeah, it takes courage to put yourself out there no matter what the situation is. And it just shows that the desire to connect is such a part of who we are that not even a global pandemic is going to stop people from trying to find and maintain relationships and build them and maintain them. That feels good to remember these days.
Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this story, help us make more. Subscribe to the Monitor at csmonitor.com/subscribe.
Whitney: And let us know if you have any stories about love and relationships you want to share with us. You can find us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Jess: This story was produced and hosted by me, Jessica Mendoza.
Get stories that
empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
Whitney: And me, Whitney Eulich.
Jess: It was edited by Samantha Laine Perfas and Kim Campbell, with sound design by Tim Malone. Produced by The Christian Science Monitor, copyright 2020.


csmonitor--2020-06-11--How an unemployed mother is feeding Dubai's jobless migrants

Feby Dela Peña saw her fellow Filipinos standing in line outside her building in Dubai , waiting for free food .
And she was stricken – what if her family , too , had lost their income amid the COVID-19 outbreak ?
How would she have fed her three children ?
Ms. Dela Peña is unemployed .
“ We ’ re poor , to be honest , ” she said .
“ But it ’ s not a reason for me not to help , you know ?
” So the next day , she pulled out the money that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ five for a month .
When their 11 housemates got wind of her plan – like most migrant workers in Dubai , the family lives in a shared apartment – those who could chipped in as well .
She was able to buy about 500 dirhams , or $ 136 , worth of groceries , including 30 frozen chickens and sacks of rice .
And she began to cook .
That is how Ms. Dela Peña launched the project she calls Ayuda – help , in Filipino , a language heavily influenced by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she offers 200 free meals to the hungry of Dubai , all of them foreigners , like her own family .
Migrants account for 90 % of the workforce in the United Arab Emirates .
The economic shutdown that came with COVID-19 has hit their communities hard .
Despite promises by the Philippine government to help overseas workers with a one-time cash assistance , and despite a nationwide “ 10 million meals ” initiative by the government of the United Arab Emirates to feed the poor , many are struggling to secure their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hard and they don ’ t have anyone to depend on , ” said Ms. Dela Peña .
Ms. Dela Peña ’ s a confident cook who used to sell homemade meals to friends as a way to earn extra money .
She said she also has a license in food safety .
But cooking 200 meals a day is a massive undertaking , especially with three children , including a toddler and a baby , at home .
The finances are dicey ; Ms. Dela Peña relies on her husband ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But when word of her efforts spread on social media , people began reaching out , dropping off cartons of eggs and bags of rice .
An influential Emirati blogger gave her $ 2,700 .
She leans on her housemates , husband , and her brother-in-law , who was let go from his job in a tea shop amid the pandemic , to help with buying the groceries , thawing the meats , chopping the food , and cooking .
Ultimately , though , she ’ s in charge .
“ It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help like 10 people not to sleep hungry , ” she said , as she scooped up cooked rice , fried fish , and boiled eggs into containers to distribute .
Her children ’ s wagon is used to deliver the meals each day .
It is 3 p.m. , and sweltering .
A sign on a cardboard box announces : “ FREE !
!
!
FOOD FOR EVERYONE.
” Some people walk 45 minutes for one of Ms. Dela Peña ’ s meals .
While most hail from the Philippines , there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and others .
Six Filipino women , who come every day , said they haven ’ t worked or been paid since March when they lost their sales jobs .
One of the women , Emma Moraga , said she heard about the meals on social media .
“ It ’ s good , because they can help a lot of people , ” Ms. Moraga said .
“ One meal a day , it ’ s big help.
” The crowd lines up .
“ Social distancing !
” Ms. Dela Peña @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , people are standing apart and everyone is wearing masks , as is required by law .
She ’ s nervous that authorities in Dubai could stop or fine her for violating laws on public gatherings or the distribution of food .
But she intends to feed Dubai ’ s hungry as long as she can .
“ If I will stop this , ” Ms. Dela Peña said , “ many people will stop eating.
” This story was reported by The Associated Press .
Editor ’ s note : As a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage .
It ’ s free .

Feby Dela Peña saw her fellow Filipinos standing in line outside her building in Dubai, waiting for free food. And she was stricken – what if her family, too, had lost their income amid the COVID-19 outbreak? How would she have fed her three children?
Ms. Dela Peña is unemployed. “We’re poor, to be honest,” she said. “But it’s not a reason for me not to help, you know?”
So the next day, she pulled out the money that was supposed to feed her family of five for a month. When their 11 housemates got wind of her plan – like most migrant workers in Dubai, the family lives in a shared apartment – those who could chipped in as well.
She was able to buy about 500 dirhams, or $136, worth of groceries, including 30 frozen chickens and sacks of rice. And she began to cook.
That is how Ms. Dela Peña launched the project she calls Ayuda – help, in Filipino, a language heavily influenced by Spanish colonial rule. Each day, she offers 200 free meals to the hungry of Dubai, all of them foreigners, like her own family.
Migrants account for 90% of the workforce in the United Arab Emirates. The economic shutdown that came with COVID-19 has hit their communities hard.
Despite promises by the Philippine government to help overseas workers with a one-time cash assistance, and despite a nationwide “10 million meals” initiative by the government of the United Arab Emirates to feed the poor, many are struggling to secure their next meal.
“Life is so hard and they don’t have anyone to depend on,” said Ms. Dela Peña.
Ms. Dela Peña’s a confident cook who used to sell homemade meals to friends as a way to earn extra money. She said she also has a license in food safety.
But cooking 200 meals a day is a massive undertaking, especially with three children, including a toddler and a baby, at home.
The finances are dicey; Ms. Dela Peña relies on her husband’s modest income from a sales job. But when word of her efforts spread on social media, people began reaching out, dropping off cartons of eggs and bags of rice. An influential Emirati blogger gave her $2,700.
She leans on her housemates, husband, and her brother-in-law, who was let go from his job in a tea shop amid the pandemic, to help with buying the groceries, thawing the meats, chopping the food, and cooking. Ultimately, though, she’s in charge.
“It’s a big thing if you can help like 10 people not to sleep hungry,” she said, as she scooped up cooked rice, fried fish, and boiled eggs into containers to distribute.
Her children’s wagon is used to deliver the meals each day. It is 3 p.m., and sweltering. A sign on a cardboard box announces: “FREE!!! FOOD FOR EVERYONE.”
Some people walk 45 minutes for one of Ms. Dela Peña’s meals. While most hail from the Philippines, there are also Africans, South Asians, and others.
Six Filipino women, who come every day, said they haven’t worked or been paid since March when they lost their sales jobs. One of the women, Emma Moraga, said she heard about the meals on social media.
“It’s good, because they can help a lot of people,” Ms. Moraga said. “One meal a day, it’s big help.”
The crowd lines up. “Social distancing!” Ms. Dela Peña says, repeatedly. Mostly, though, people are standing apart and everyone is wearing masks, as is required by law.
She’s nervous that authorities in Dubai could stop or fine her for violating laws on public gatherings or the distribution of food. But she intends to feed Dubai’s hungry as long as she can.
“If I will stop this,” Ms. Dela Peña said, “many people will stop eating.”
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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--2020-06-08--Why coronavirus modeling is so hard to pin down

Why is the course of the COVID-19 pandemic so hard to predict ?
Public health modeling is complex , and there are many ways to go about it .
The most well-known model is built by the University of Washington 's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation ( IHME ) .
That model predicts that COVID-19 cases in the United States will steadily decline over the summer , approaching zero in August .
The IHME model uses a technique called “ curve fitting ” in which researchers try to find patterns from previous COVID-19 outbreaks in other countries and apply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ observers have called this model too optimistic .
Other models rely more heavily on epidemiological knowledge .
They make predictions using mathematical equations that model how diseases are thought to spread through populations .
These models predict that the peak will decline more slowly .
Part of the reason these kinds of predictions are so hard is that the model changes according to how we react to it .
If a dire outlook prompts us to take stricter measures , then it might , in virtue of its own predictions , become less @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are part of the system .
Editor ’ s note : As a public service , all our coronavirus coverage is free .
No paywall .

Why is the course of the COVID-19 pandemic so hard to predict? Public health modeling is complex, and there are many ways to go about it.
The most well-known model is built by the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME). That model predicts that COVID-19 cases in the United States will steadily decline over the summer, approaching zero in August.
The IHME model uses a technique called “curve fitting” in which researchers try to find patterns from previous COVID-19 outbreaks in other countries and apply them to current ones. But many observers have called this model too optimistic.
Why We Wrote This Clarity can be hard to find in times of uncertainty. This comic explores some of the ways scientists are using mathematical equations to light our path forward on the coronavirus.
Other models rely more heavily on epidemiological knowledge. They make predictions using mathematical equations that model how diseases are thought to spread through populations. These models predict that the peak will decline more slowly.
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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.
Part of the reason these kinds of predictions are so hard is that the model changes according to how we react to it. If a dire outlook prompts us to take stricter measures, then it might, in virtue of its own predictions, become less accurate. That’s because you are part of the system.
Editor’s note: As a public service, all our coronavirus coverage is free. No paywall.


csmonitor--2020-06-08--What have these protests against police brutality accomplished?

Calls for deep police reforms gained momentum as leaders in the city where George Floyd died at the hands of police pushed to dismantle the entire department .
Mr. Floyd 's death sparked nationwide protests demanding a reckoning with institutional racism that have sometimes resulted in clashes with police , but many officers took a less aggressive stance over the weekend when demonstrations were overwhelmingly peaceful .
Two weeks after Mr. Floyd , an out-of-work black bouncer , died after a white Minneapolis officer pressed a knee on his neck for several minutes , a majority of the Minneapolis City @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ It is clear that our system of policing is not keeping our communities safe , ” City Council President Lisa Bender said Sunday .
“ Our efforts at incremental reform have failed , period.
” On Monday , Derek Chauvin – the officer filmed pressing his knee on Mr. Floyd 's neck and one of four to be fired from the department in the aftermath of Mr. Floyd 's death – is scheduled to make his first court appearance since the charge against him was upgraded to second-degree murder .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city has wrestled with how to deal with a police department accused of being overly aggressive or having bias in its ranks .
In Ferguson , Missouri – where a white officer in 2014 fatally shot Michael Brown , a black teen – then-Attorney General Eric Holder said federal authorities considered dismantling the police department .
The city eventually reached an agreement short of that but one that required massive reforms .
The state of Minnesota has launched a civil rights investigation of the Minneapolis Police Department , and the first concrete changes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chokeholds and neck restraints .
On Sunday , nine of the Minneapolis City Council ’ s 12 members vowed to end policing as the city currently knows it .
Mayor Jacob Frey said he doesn ’ t support the “ full abolition ” of the department .
Protesters nationwide are demanding police reforms and a reckoning with institutional racism in response to Mr. Floyd ’ s death , and calls to “ defund the police ” have become rallying cries for many .
A heavy-handed response to demonstrations in many places has underscored @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is militarized and too often uses excessive force .
Cities imposed curfews as several protests last week were marred by spasms of arson , assaults , and smash-and-grab raids on businesses .
More than 10,000 people have been arrested around the country since protests began , according to reports tracked by The Associated Press .
Videos have surfaced of officers in riot gear using tear gas or physical force against even peaceful demonstrators .
But U.S. protests in recent days have been overwhelmingly peaceful as several police departments appeared to retreat from aggressive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ curfews , including Chicago and New York City , where the governor urged protesters to get tested for the virus and to proceed with caution until they had .
Leaders around the country have expressed concern that demonstrations could lead to an increase in coronavirus cases .
For the first time since protests began in New York more than a week ago , most officers Sunday were not wearing riot helmets .
Officers in some places in the city casually ate ice cream and pizza .
Some officers shook hands and posed for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Things weren ’ t as peaceful in Seattle , where the mayor and police chief had said they were trying to deescalate tensions .
Police used flash bang devices and pepper spray to disperse protesters after rocks , bottles , and explosives were thrown at officers Saturday night .
On Sunday night , a man drove a car at protesters , hit a barricade then exited the vehicle brandishing a pistol , authorities said .
A man was shot and taken to a hospital in stable condition , the Seattle Fire Department said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the protests – have weighed particularly heavily on the black community , which has been disproportionately affected by the virus , and also exposed deep political fissures in the U.S. during this presidential election year .
Mr. Trump ’ s leadership during both has been called into question by Democrats and a few Republicans who viewed his response to COVID-19 as too little , too late , and his reaction to protests as heavy handed and insensitive .
On Sunday , U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah marched in a protest in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ making him the first known Republican senator to do so .
“ We need a voice against racism , we need many voices against racism and against brutality , ” Mr. Romney , who represents Utah , told NBC News .
On Sunday , Mr. Floyd ’ s body arrived in Texas for a third and final memorial service , said Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo .
A viewing is planned for Monday in Houston , followed by a service and burial Tuesday in suburban Pearland .
This story was reported by The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York , Lisa Marie Pane from Boise , Idaho , and Kimberlee Kruesi from Nashville , Tennessee .
AP writers around the world contributed .
Editor ’ s note : As a public service , the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage .
It ’ s free .

Calls for deep police reforms gained momentum as leaders in the city where George Floyd died at the hands of police pushed to dismantle the entire department.
Mr. Floyd's death sparked nationwide protests demanding a reckoning with institutional racism that have sometimes resulted in clashes with police, but many officers took a less aggressive stance over the weekend when demonstrations were overwhelmingly peaceful.
Two weeks after Mr. Floyd, an out-of-work black bouncer, died after a white Minneapolis officer pressed a knee on his neck for several minutes, a majority of the Minneapolis City Council vowed to dismantle the 800-member agency.
“It is clear that our system of policing is not keeping our communities safe,” City Council President Lisa Bender said Sunday. “Our efforts at incremental reform have failed, period.”
On Monday, Derek Chauvin – the officer filmed pressing his knee on Mr. Floyd's neck and one of four to be fired from the department in the aftermath of Mr. Floyd's death – is scheduled to make his first court appearance since the charge against him was upgraded to second-degree murder.
This is not the first time an American city has wrestled with how to deal with a police department accused of being overly aggressive or having bias in its ranks. In Ferguson, Missouri – where a white officer in 2014 fatally shot Michael Brown, a black teen – then-Attorney General Eric Holder said federal authorities considered dismantling the police department. The city eventually reached an agreement short of that but one that required massive reforms.
The state of Minnesota has launched a civil rights investigation of the Minneapolis Police Department, and the first concrete changes came when the city agreed to ban chokeholds and neck restraints.
On Sunday, nine of the Minneapolis City Council’s 12 members vowed to end policing as the city currently knows it. Mayor Jacob Frey said he doesn’t support the “full abolition” of the department.
Protesters nationwide are demanding police reforms and a reckoning with institutional racism in response to Mr. Floyd’s death, and calls to “defund the police” have become rallying cries for many. A heavy-handed response to demonstrations in many places has underscored what critics have maintained: Law enforcement is militarized and too often uses excessive force.
Cities imposed curfews as several protests last week were marred by spasms of arson, assaults, and smash-and-grab raids on businesses. More than 10,000 people have been arrested around the country since protests began, according to reports tracked by The Associated Press. Videos have surfaced of officers in riot gear using tear gas or physical force against even peaceful demonstrators.
But U.S. protests in recent days have been overwhelmingly peaceful as several police departments appeared to retreat from aggressive tactics.
Several cities have also lifted curfews, including Chicago and New York City, where the governor urged protesters to get tested for the virus and to proceed with caution until they had. Leaders around the country have expressed concern that demonstrations could lead to an increase in coronavirus cases.
For the first time since protests began in New York more than a week ago, most officers Sunday were not wearing riot helmets. Officers in some places in the city casually ate ice cream and pizza. Some officers shook hands and posed for photos with motorcyclists at one rally.
Things weren’t as peaceful in Seattle, where the mayor and police chief had said they were trying to deescalate tensions. Police used flash bang devices and pepper spray to disperse protesters after rocks, bottles, and explosives were thrown at officers Saturday night. On Sunday night, a man drove a car at protesters, hit a barricade then exited the vehicle brandishing a pistol, authorities said. A man was shot and taken to a hospital in stable condition, the Seattle Fire Department said.
Dual crises – the coronavirus pandemic and the protests – have weighed particularly heavily on the black community, which has been disproportionately affected by the virus, and also exposed deep political fissures in the U.S. during this presidential election year.
Mr. Trump’s leadership during both has been called into question by Democrats and a few Republicans who viewed his response to COVID-19 as too little, too late, and his reaction to protests as heavy handed and insensitive.
On Sunday, U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah marched in a protest in Washington against police mistreatment of minorities, making him the first known Republican senator to do so.
“We need a voice against racism, we need many voices against racism and against brutality,” Mr. Romney, who represents Utah, told NBC News.
On Sunday, Mr. Floyd’s body arrived in Texas for a third and final memorial service, said Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo. A viewing is planned for Monday in Houston, followed by a service and burial Tuesday in suburban Pearland.
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This story was reported by The Associated Press. Jake Seiner reported from New York, Lisa Marie Pane from Boise, Idaho, and Kimberlee Kruesi from Nashville, Tennessee. AP writers around the world contributed.
Editor’s note: As a public service, the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage. It’s free.


csmonitor--2020-06-08--Peaceful protests: Curfews lifted and National Guard sent home

With New York City poised to reopen after a more than two-month coronavirus shutdown , officials on Sunday lifted a curfew that was in place amid protests of police brutality and racial injustice .
But they also urged that demonstrators be tested for COVID-19 .
“ Get a test .
Get a test , ” New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo told people who have been participating in rallies and marches in memory of George Floyd .
Mr. Cuomo said the state would open 15 testing sites dedicated to protesters so they can get results quickly .
His call for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those made in Seattle , San Francisco , and Atlanta following massive demonstrations , with free testing for protesters .
New York has been the epicenter of the U.S. outbreak , with black communities hit especially hard .
The Rev .
Brandon Watts of Epiphany Church in Brooklyn , was mindful of the pandemic while organizing a “ Pray & Protest ” march with several other churches .
He mandated that protesters wear masks , and he came with boxes of them .
Attendees also were offered free coronavirus tests at one church @ @ @ @ @ @ @ harder than anybody else , ” Mr. Watts said .
“ And so we have to be very careful .
We ’ re the only ones in a pandemic within a pandemic.
” In addition to suffering disproportionately from the the virus , the black community also has been roiled by the death of Mr. Floyd , a black man who died after a white officer pressed a knee into his neck while arresting him .
Mr. Floyd 's death sparked massive protests throughout the country and renewed calls to reform policing in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Council in Minneapolis , where Mr. Floyd died , said on Sunday they support disbanding the police department .
A heavy-handed police response to protesters in many places has underscored what critics have maintained : Law enforcement is militarized and too often uses excessive force .
Cities imposed curfews as several protests last week were marred by spasms of arson , assaults , and smash-and-grab raids on businesses .
More than 10,000 people have been arrested around the country since protests began , sometimes after violent confrontations with officers .
Videos have surfaced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gas or physical force against even peaceful demonstrators .
But recent U.S. protests have been overwhelmingly peaceful – and over the weekend , several police departments appeared to retreat from aggressive tactics .
Several cities have also lifted their curfews , including Chicago and New York City , which is preparing to enter its first phase of reopening after virus shutdowns .
Up to 400,000 people are expected to head back to the workplace on Monday .
“ Last night was the best by far , ” Mayor Bill de Blasio said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ protesters , the fewest arrests , the fewest problems and that convinced me it was time for the curfew to go away.
” In Compton , California , several thousand protesters , some on horseback , peacefully demonstrated on Sunday through the city , just south of Los Angeles .
The only law enforcement presence was about a dozen sheriff ’ s deputies , who watched without engaging .
A similar scene played out on Saturday when thousands of protesters converged on San Francisco 's Golden Gate Bridge .
Tow trucks held off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ caught in the middle to go around protesters .
For the first time since protests popped up in New York more than a week ago , most NYPD officers were not wearing riot helmets as they watched over marches and rallies .
Police moved the barricades at the Trump hotel at Columbus Circle in Manhattan for protesters and replaced when they passed through the area .
Mayor de Blasio said police had arrested just four people and issued 24 court summonses on Saturday – in stark contrast to more than 2,000 arrests made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Barclays Center , which has been the site of numerous faceoffs between protesters and police , officers stood by casually as hundreds of protesters gathered to observe a moment of silence for George Floyd .
Some officers even shook hands and posed for photos with motorcyclists at the rally .
In Washington , D.C. , National Guard troops from South Carolina were seen checking out of their hotel on Sunday shortly before President Donald Trump tweeted he was giving the order to withdraw them from the nation ’ s capital .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Plaza near the White House , protesters posed with the street sign and the yellow block lettering painted on the pavement by the city .
As ice cream truck jingles mixed with protest chats , the district ’ s Metropolitan Police Department patrolled .
Meanwhile , a majority of city council members in Minneapolis vowed to radically overhaul policing .
Council Member Jeremiah Ellison went so far as to promise the council would “ dismantle ” the agency .
The state of Minnesota launched a civil rights investigation of the department last week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Friday when the city agreed to ban chokeholds and neck restraints .
“ It is clear that our system of policing is not keeping our communities safe , ” said Lisa Bender , the council president .
“ Our efforts at incremental reform have failed , period.
” ￼Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey told protesters outside his house that he does n't support the “ full abolition ” of the police department .
Protesters shouted back : “ Shame !
Shame ! ''
Mr. Floyd 's body arrived in Texas for a third @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Police Chief Art Acevedo .
A viewing is planned for Monday in Houston , followed by a service and burial on Tuesday in suburban Pearland .
The out-of-work bouncer 's death at the hands of police has drawn new attention to the treatment of African Americans by law enforcement – in the United States and around the world .
At Atlanta Motor Speedway , NASCAR paused before Sunday 's Cup race to acknowledge the nationwide protests , in a remarkable moment for the sport with its roots in the South and one-time embrace @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the 40 cars pulled to a stop in front of the empty grandstands , and NASCAR President Steve Phelps spoke .
“ The black community and all people of color have suffered in our country , and it has taken far too long for us to hear their demands for change , '' Mr. Phelps said .
`` Our sport must do better .
Our country must do better.
” Protesters in Bristol , England , tore down a statue of Edward Colston , a 17th century slave trader , and pushed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city in southwestern England .
A crowd estimated at 10,000 , many in face masks , filled a square in Brussels , holding white roses and signs decrying racism .
And outside the new U.S. Embassy in London , student Darcy Bourne said the demonstration was about “ more than just George Floyd , more than just America , but racism all around the world.
” This story was reported by The Associated Press .
Ms. Kruesi reported from Nashville , Tennessee , and Ms. Pane from Boise , Idaho .
AP writers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s note : As a public service , the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage .
It ’ s free .

With New York City poised to reopen after a more than two-month coronavirus shutdown, officials on Sunday lifted a curfew that was in place amid protests of police brutality and racial injustice. But they also urged that demonstrators be tested for COVID-19.
“Get a test. Get a test,” New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo told people who have been participating in rallies and marches in memory of George Floyd. Mr. Cuomo said the state would open 15 testing sites dedicated to protesters so they can get results quickly. His call for demonstrators to proceed carefully is similar to those made in Seattle, San Francisco, and Atlanta following massive demonstrations, with free testing for protesters.
New York has been the epicenter of the U.S. outbreak, with black communities hit especially hard.
The Rev. Brandon Watts of Epiphany Church in Brooklyn, was mindful of the pandemic while organizing a “Pray & Protest” march with several other churches. He mandated that protesters wear masks, and he came with boxes of them. Attendees also were offered free coronavirus tests at one church.
“COVID-19 hit the inner city harder than anybody else,” Mr. Watts said. “And so we have to be very careful. We’re the only ones in a pandemic within a pandemic.”
In addition to suffering disproportionately from the the virus, the black community also has been roiled by the death of Mr. Floyd, a black man who died after a white officer pressed a knee into his neck while arresting him.
Mr. Floyd's death sparked massive protests throughout the country and renewed calls to reform policing in America. A majority of the City Council in Minneapolis, where Mr. Floyd died, said on Sunday they support disbanding the police department. A heavy-handed police response to protesters in many places has underscored what critics have maintained: Law enforcement is militarized and too often uses excessive force.
Cities imposed curfews as several protests last week were marred by spasms of arson, assaults, and smash-and-grab raids on businesses. More than 10,000 people have been arrested around the country since protests began, sometimes after violent confrontations with officers. Videos have surfaced of officers in riot gear using tear gas or physical force against even peaceful demonstrators.
But recent U.S. protests have been overwhelmingly peaceful – and over the weekend, several police departments appeared to retreat from aggressive tactics.
Several cities have also lifted their curfews, including Chicago and New York City, which is preparing to enter its first phase of reopening after virus shutdowns. Up to 400,000 people are expected to head back to the workplace on Monday.
“Last night was the best by far,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said. "We had the biggest number of protesters, the fewest arrests, the fewest problems and that convinced me it was time for the curfew to go away.”
In Compton, California, several thousand protesters, some on horseback, peacefully demonstrated on Sunday through the city, just south of Los Angeles. The only law enforcement presence was about a dozen sheriff’s deputies, who watched without engaging.
A similar scene played out on Saturday when thousands of protesters converged on San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge. Tow trucks held off car traffic, and police directed vehicles caught in the middle to go around protesters.
For the first time since protests popped up in New York more than a week ago, most NYPD officers were not wearing riot helmets as they watched over marches and rallies. Police moved the barricades at the Trump hotel at Columbus Circle in Manhattan for protesters and replaced when they passed through the area.
Mayor de Blasio said police had arrested just four people and issued 24 court summonses on Saturday – in stark contrast to more than 2,000 arrests made through Friday morning.
Even at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, which has been the site of numerous faceoffs between protesters and police, officers stood by casually as hundreds of protesters gathered to observe a moment of silence for George Floyd. Some officers even shook hands and posed for photos with motorcyclists at the rally.
In Washington, D.C., National Guard troops from South Carolina were seen checking out of their hotel on Sunday shortly before President Donald Trump tweeted he was giving the order to withdraw them from the nation’s capital.
At the newly renamed Black Lives Matter Plaza near the White House, protesters posed with the street sign and the yellow block lettering painted on the pavement by the city. As ice cream truck jingles mixed with protest chats, the district’s Metropolitan Police Department patrolled.
Meanwhile, a majority of city council members in Minneapolis vowed to radically overhaul policing. Council Member Jeremiah Ellison went so far as to promise the council would “dismantle” the agency.
The state of Minnesota launched a civil rights investigation of the department last week, and the first concrete changes came on Friday when the city agreed to ban chokeholds and neck restraints.
“It is clear that our system of policing is not keeping our communities safe,” said Lisa Bender, the council president. “Our efforts at incremental reform have failed, period.”
￼Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey told protesters outside his house that he doesn't support the “full abolition” of the police department. Protesters shouted back: “Shame! Shame!"
Mr. Floyd's body arrived in Texas for a third and final memorial service, said Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo. A viewing is planned for Monday in Houston, followed by a service and burial on Tuesday in suburban Pearland.
The out-of-work bouncer's death at the hands of police has drawn new attention to the treatment of African Americans by law enforcement – in the United States and around the world.
At Atlanta Motor Speedway, NASCAR paused before Sunday's Cup race to acknowledge the nationwide protests, in a remarkable moment for the sport with its roots in the South and one-time embrace of Confederate symbols.
During warm-up laps, the 40 cars pulled to a stop in front of the empty grandstands, and NASCAR President Steve Phelps spoke.
“The black community and all people of color have suffered in our country, and it has taken far too long for us to hear their demands for change," Mr. Phelps said. "Our sport must do better. Our country must do better.”
Protesters in Bristol, England, tore down a statue of Edward Colston, a 17th century slave trader, and pushed it into the harbor of the port city in southwestern England.
A crowd estimated at 10,000, many in face masks, filled a square in Brussels, holding white roses and signs decrying racism. And outside the new U.S. Embassy in London, student Darcy Bourne said the demonstration was about “more than just George Floyd, more than just America, but racism all around the world.”
This story was reported by The Associated Press. Ms. Kruesi reported from Nashville, Tennessee, and Ms. Pane from Boise, Idaho. AP writers around the world contributed.
Editor’s note: As a public service, the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage. It’s free.


csmonitor--2020-06-08--Daily for June 8, 2020

Daily for June 8, 2020

“ Truth ” Take 1 : In 2019 , a peaceful pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong stunned the world ; at its peak nearly 2 million Hong Kongers gathered in the streets to oppose a move they felt would erode their beloved city ’ s autonomy .
“ Truth ” Take 2 : In 2019 , violent pro-democracy protesters smashed windows , stormed Hong Kong ’ s legislative chamber , and stockpiled petrol bombs .
Aided by anti-China foreign forces , the rioters were a radical fringe element who drew fewer than 350,000 at the movement ’ s height .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ s future is being fought not only between police and demonstrators for control of the streets , but also online in the digital sphere , as Beijing and protesters vie for control of the political narrative .
And , in the digital world , there is always more than one version of the “ truth.
” “ Anyone can publish anything , ” says Johannes Hillje , a Berlin-based expert on social media and author of “ Propaganda 4.0 , ” a book on German populism .
“ We still have no quality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Widespread confusion , just as social media networks command ever-greater shares of the global attention span .
Last year , more than half the world ’ s population read something online that they believed to be true , before realizing it was false , according to Statista , an online business data portal .
This matters – because informed citizens are essential to the fight against ills such as climate change and poverty , and ultimately , to flourishing democracies .
There are signs , say experts , that we are growing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we go online .
A growing number of organizations are promoting media literacy and the importance of nonpartisan information sources , while social media platforms are under increasing public pressure to scrub misinformation .
Social media companies such as Facebook and Youtube have created and connected communities on a scale barely imagined a decade ago .
Yet they have also propagated echo chambers of falsehoods that spread around the globe at the tap of a finger ; the COVID-19 pandemic , the Hong Kong pro-democracy protests , and the rise of the far-right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do we collectively tackle this problem ?
Who should judge what is true , and whether those who lie have the same right as anyone else to express themselves online ?
Is the idea that governments should police online content any more acceptable than the idea that for-profit companies such as Facebook or Twitter should fill that role ?
“ Now gatekeeping has to be done by every individual , ” Mr. Hillje says .
“ We haven ’ t learned this as a society .
That takes much more time than it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ citizens have been given a crash course by COVID-19 , as misinformation about the coronavirus has spread widely .
Every aspect of the pandemic has been subject to online falsehoods , from where it originated to how infectious it is ( deliberately released by a Chinese scientist ?
Secretly brought to China by a U.S .
soldier ? )
.
“ Pandemics are fertile ground for people being vulnerable to conspiracy theories , because there ’ s a lot of uncertainty and fear , ” says John Cook , a researcher at George @ @ @ @ @ @ @ narratives around climate change .
“ But misinformation can kill.
” President Donald Trump himself has been a source of misinformation , tweeting approval of unproven methods of combating COVID-19 .
But he was angered when Twitter took the unprecedented step of cautioning users against the president ’ s “ unsubstantiated ” claims about the reliability of mail-in votes , and flagged another of his tweets as “ glorifying violence.
” In Germany , it is the far-right Alternativ für Deutschland political party that has mounted the most successful social media strategy – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ history .
Standing on an anti-Muslim , anti-immigrant platform , the AfD has doubled its membership over the past seven years , largely on the back of online campaigns that spread inaccuracies , play on voters ’ emotions , and highlight scandals that polarize and provoke .
That ’ s exactly the type of content that platforms ’ algorithms tend to promote .
Research has shown that tweaks to Facebook and YouTube algorithms over the years – designed to increase “ engagement ” – have also boosted divisive posts that provoke outrage .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Facebook had to do with child trafficking and abortion , according to the social media tracking company NewsWhip .
Few issues in Germany have been as politically divisive as migration , which the AfD has used to its advantage .
The party ’ s social media posts have overstated the number of migrants seeking asylum in Germany by up to a million .
Its leaders have falsely claimed that foreigners commit more crimes than Germans , and cautioned that Europe was becoming “ Eurabia ” with an advertisement depicting a white woman surrounded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ created an “ alternative media universe , ” says Mr. Hillje .
“ They delegitimize mainstream media , and try to create a collective identity among their followers and their audience.
” AfD Facebook posts are shared five times more often than posts by traditional parties , and the majority of political retweets relate to the AfD .
The AfD , however , says social media allows it to bypass mainstream media that “ are heavily against and unfair to the AfD , ” complains Ronald Glaser , the party ’ s lead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it ’ s not so important , ” he says .
“ If they want to get the message out they call television.
” The AfD is now the third largest party in the German parliament , with the power to shape the mainstream political narrative .
Nearly a year after pro-democracy protests began in Hong Kong , the Chinese government moved last month to impose a new national security law that would further erode the former British colony ’ s political and cultural autonomy .
That has given the protests new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pro-Beijing forces have mounted a potent misinformation campaign that sought to paint protesters as violent rioters aided by foreign agents .
The goal was to turn mainland Chinese citizens and world public opinion against the movement .
Spreading “ lies ” was one part of a “ three-pronged approach of censorship , surveillance , and misinformation , ” says Lokman Tsui , a tech analyst and Google ’ s former head of free expression in Asia .
The strategy is “ sophisticated and weaponized to be on the offensive , ” he says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ events , for example , by reporting a demonstrator ’ s police-inflicted eye injury as the work of a fellow protester , or falsely tweeting that 2 million Hong Kongers had signed a petition that Beijing be granted more power .
Pro-Beijing forces have also used fake social media accounts to post content , purchased ads on social media platforms , and encouraged Chinese officials and supporters abroad to tweet .
They are also seeking to sow division within private pro-democracy messaging groups .
“ It ’ s really hard for people to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” says Isaac Cheng of the pro-democracy political group Demosisto .
“ Their aim is to demoralize the entire movement.
” On the flip side , protesters have posted thousands of videos and images to bring their story directly to the public .
Their narrative has sometimes penetrated : U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi referred to “ 2 million protesters ” as she urged Congress to support the “ impressive … young people speaking out for democratic freedoms in Hong Kong.
” The true size of the protest marches last year ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to independent parties who relied on artificial intelligence and crowd-density measurements .
As a new round of protests gears up , the battle for global public opinion continues online , as fiercely as it does on the streets .
Who should be responsible for monitoring the content that fills our screens every day ?
“ Who gets to decide what is an information operation or what is impulsive manipulation ?
” asks Evelyn Douek , an attorney and media rights researcher at Harvard University .
In the Hong Kong case , Twitter announced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allow “ state-controlled news media entities ” to purchase advertising .
Facebook and Google have also taken down some posts , fake accounts , and links , but offered little transparency about what they were doing , says Ms. Douek .
This patchwork approach illustrates a real challenge .
Currently , policing content requires “ private , for-profit companies to decide people ’ s speech rights all around the world , ” Ms. Douek says .
“ This is untenable and unacceptable.
” Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg does not seem keen on taking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t think that Facebook or internet platforms in general should be arbiters of truth , ” he told CNBC in an interview last month .
Facebook and YouTube have hired thousands of independent monitors to view content that ’ s flagged for review , and to remove inappropriate posts .
But Mr. Zuckerberg acknowledged in his CNBC interview that the fact-checkers ’ job is only to “ catch the worst of the worst stuff.
” He is now facing an open revolt among employees who want Facebook to do more .
On the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ too involved in regulating speech amounts to “ walking on ice , ” says Stephan Mundges , a digital communications researcher at Dortmund Technical University .
“ If we don ’ t have robust democratic institutions , any way of trying to regulate disinformation means that freedom of speech is in danger , ” he warns .
Take the example of South Africa , where the government has made it a crime to post COVID-19 misinformation , and also to criticize government , says Mr. Cook , the climate communications researcher .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” How the Germans do it … and the Americans Trying to keep its footing on that slope is Germany .
In the widest-ranging action by a Western democracy to date , the government two years ago compelled media platforms to identify and remove any content defined by the law as “ illegal.
” There are 21 categories , and platforms can be fined up to 5 million euros for failing to remove within 24 hours such content after it is flagged .
Human Rights Watch has declared the law vague and overly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ changes including allowing users to appeal decisions .
The effectiveness of the law is unclear ; six months after it was passed , only a small percentage of reported content had been removed ; Facebook had taken down only 20 % of the 1,700 posts reported , and Twitter had removed just 10 % of items reported as illegal by users .
The United States , as the world ’ s largest economy and headquarters for the globe ’ s most popular social media companies , is arguably the most important place in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ freedom and responsibility right .
Being home base “ gives regulators a certain degree of power over platforms that other jurisdictions don ’ t have , ” says Ms. Douek .
Yet the Communications Decency Act , which President Trump has sought to amend by executive order , essentially shields companies from legal liability for the content posted on its platforms .
To date , any action must be largely prompted from within the company .
Michael Quinn contends that society should be thinking about ethics and responsibility even farther upstream – when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Science and Engineering at Seattle University , and author of the popular text “ Ethics for the Information Age , ” Dr. Quinn has made a mission of educating both computer science students and tech executives alike .
A significant challenge around artificial intelligence , he says , is the bias inherent in the data used to train these systems .
“ If the data is being collected from the racist past , you could be building a future in which automated systems are making racist decisions , ” explains Dr. Quinn .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a hospital monitoring system to recommend which patients should receive early interventions .
Engineers found the AI system was recommending treatment more often for whites than for blacks , because historical data showed whites receiving more treatment .
But that was just because they had more money .
“ There need to be some guardrails , ” Dr. Quinn warns .
Even if online gatekeeping institutions strike an acceptable balance , individual netizens will still tend to seek out information that supports their opinions .
“ Confirmation bias existed before social media , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policy analyst .
“ This is a human phenomenon , not a digital phenomenon.
” John Gable , a former Silicon Valley insider who is now CEO of AllSides.com ( which has a partnership with CSMonitor.com ) , intends to expose people to information from all political perspectives .
“ So people are empowered to decide for themselves , ” Mr. Gable says .
AllSides.com places left- , center- and right-leaning news streams side-by-side , aiming to media “ filter bubbles , ” those echo chambers of information that build around single sources @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it may seem : Research has found 9 out of 10 students showed improved understanding after just one conversation with others across a spectrum of viewpoints .
Ultimately , the solution must include stronger critical thinking by individuals , argues Mr. Cook , the climate change communications researcher .
People must constantly ask themselves , “ What kind of filters do I use ?
What stereotypes do I have when I consume information ?
Where did this information come from ?
” There are signs that people going online are doing this mental @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2018 showed 78 % of Americans prefer news from sources without a partisan slant , up 14 points from five years ago .
Last year , a Pew survey also found more Americans were concerned about made-up news than about climate change , racism , illegal immigration , and terrorism .
“ The public intolerance for misinformation , and the danger of it , is so much stronger now than before , ” says Mr. Cook .
“ The pandemic is a terrible situation , but there ’ s potentially the opportunity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the foundations of new public awareness .
Society is building toward an inflection point after years of watching institutions upended by “ fake news , ” says AllSides.com ’ s Mr. Gable .
“ There are thousands of organizations now trying to bridge the divide and have people talk to each other , both for our own health and to make governments more functional , ” he adds .
“ We are scaling up our efforts .
”

Who should judge what is true? Tackling social media’s global impact. Collapse
“Truth” Take 1: In 2019, a peaceful pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong stunned the world; at its peak nearly 2 million Hong Kongers gathered in the streets to oppose a move they felt would erode their beloved city’s autonomy.
“Truth” Take 2: In 2019, violent pro-democracy protesters smashed windows, stormed Hong Kong’s legislative chamber, and stockpiled petrol bombs. Aided by anti-China foreign forces, the rioters were a radical fringe element who drew fewer than 350,000 at the movement’s height.
The continuing struggle for Hong Kong’s future is being fought not only between police and demonstrators for control of the streets, but also online in the digital sphere, as Beijing and protesters vie for control of the political narrative. And, in the digital world, there is always more than one version of the “truth.”
“Anyone can publish anything,” says Johannes Hillje, a Berlin-based expert on social media and author of “Propaganda 4.0,” a book on German populism. “We still have no quality checks on this phenomenon.”
The result? Widespread confusion, just as social media networks command ever-greater shares of the global attention span. Last year, more than half the world’s population read something online that they believed to be true, before realizing it was false, according to Statista, an online business data portal.
This matters – because informed citizens are essential to the fight against ills such as climate change and poverty, and ultimately, to flourishing democracies. There are signs, say experts, that we are growing more discerning and warier of misinformation as we go online. A growing number of organizations are promoting media literacy and the importance of nonpartisan information sources, while social media platforms are under increasing public pressure to scrub misinformation.
Social media companies such as Facebook and Youtube have created and connected communities on a scale barely imagined a decade ago. Yet they have also propagated echo chambers of falsehoods that spread around the globe at the tap of a finger; the COVID-19 pandemic, the Hong Kong pro-democracy protests, and the rise of the far-right in Germany offer vivid illustrations.
How do we collectively tackle this problem? Who should judge what is true, and whether those who lie have the same right as anyone else to express themselves online? Is the idea that governments should police online content any more acceptable than the idea that for-profit companies such as Facebook or Twitter should fill that role?
“Now gatekeeping has to be done by every individual,” Mr. Hillje says. “We haven’t learned this as a society. That takes much more time than it does to introduce new technologies.”
Julio Cortez/AP/File View caption Hide caption Pat Winters Lauro, a journalism professor at Kean University in Union, New Jersey, leads a class discussion talking about fake news on Jan. 20, 2017. Teachers from elementary school through college have been ramping up media literacy training to recognize bogus reports and understand their potential to weaken civic culture.
The COVID-19 dimension
Digital citizens have been given a crash course by COVID-19, as misinformation about the coronavirus has spread widely.
Every aspect of the pandemic has been subject to online falsehoods, from where it originated to how infectious it is (deliberately released by a Chinese scientist? Secretly brought to China by a U.S. soldier?).
“Pandemics are fertile ground for people being vulnerable to conspiracy theories, because there’s a lot of uncertainty and fear,” says John Cook, a researcher at George Mason University in Virginia who studies media narratives around climate change. “But misinformation can kill.”
President Donald Trump himself has been a source of misinformation, tweeting approval of unproven methods of combating COVID-19. But he was angered when Twitter took the unprecedented step of cautioning users against the president’s “unsubstantiated” claims about the reliability of mail-in votes, and flagged another of his tweets as “glorifying violence.”
Building a party on misinformation
In Germany, it is the far-right Alternativ für Deutschland political party that has mounted the most successful social media strategy – and political misinformation campaign – in recent history. Standing on an anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant platform, the AfD has doubled its membership over the past seven years, largely on the back of online campaigns that spread inaccuracies, play on voters’ emotions, and highlight scandals that polarize and provoke.
That’s exactly the type of content that platforms’ algorithms tend to promote. Research has shown that tweaks to Facebook and YouTube algorithms over the years – designed to increase “engagement” – have also boosted divisive posts that provoke outrage. In 2019, the most-shared posts on Facebook had to do with child trafficking and abortion, according to the social media tracking company NewsWhip.
Few issues in Germany have been as politically divisive as migration, which the AfD has used to its advantage. The party’s social media posts have overstated the number of migrants seeking asylum in Germany by up to a million. Its leaders have falsely claimed that foreigners commit more crimes than Germans, and cautioned that Europe was becoming “Eurabia” with an advertisement depicting a white woman surrounded by Muslim men.
SOURCE: Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism | Jacob Turcotte/Staff
The party has created an “alternative media universe,” says Mr. Hillje. “They delegitimize mainstream media, and try to create a collective identity among their followers and their audience.” AfD Facebook posts are shared five times more often than posts by traditional parties, and the majority of political retweets relate to the AfD.
The AfD, however, says social media allows it to bypass mainstream media that “are heavily against and unfair to the AfD,” complains Ronald Glaser, the party’s lead Berlin spokesperson. “For our competitors, it’s not so important,” he says. “If they want to get the message out they call television.”
The AfD is now the third largest party in the German parliament, with the power to shape the mainstream political narrative.
Lies and video tape
Nearly a year after pro-democracy protests began in Hong Kong, the Chinese government moved last month to impose a new national security law that would further erode the former British colony’s political and cultural autonomy. That has given the protests new urgency.
Since the demonstrations began, pro-Beijing forces have mounted a potent misinformation campaign that sought to paint protesters as violent rioters aided by foreign agents. The goal was to turn mainland Chinese citizens and world public opinion against the movement.
Spreading “lies” was one part of a “three-pronged approach of censorship, surveillance, and misinformation,” says Lokman Tsui, a tech analyst and Google’s former head of free expression in Asia. The strategy is “sophisticated and weaponized to be on the offensive,” he says.
Chinese state media websites have misrepresented events, for example, by reporting a demonstrator’s police-inflicted eye injury as the work of a fellow protester, or falsely tweeting that 2 million Hong Kongers had signed a petition that Beijing be granted more power.
Pro-Beijing forces have also used fake social media accounts to post content, purchased ads on social media platforms, and encouraged Chinese officials and supporters abroad to tweet.
They are also seeking to sow division within private pro-democracy messaging groups.
“It’s really hard for people to realize what the Communist Party is doing,” says Isaac Cheng of the pro-democracy political group Demosisto. “Their aim is to demoralize the entire movement.”
On the flip side, protesters have posted thousands of videos and images to bring their story directly to the public. Their narrative has sometimes penetrated: U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi referred to “2 million protesters” as she urged Congress to support the “impressive … young people speaking out for democratic freedoms in Hong Kong.”
The true size of the protest marches last year? Around 800,000 at their peak, according to independent parties who relied on artificial intelligence and crowd-density measurements.
As a new round of protests gears up, the battle for global public opinion continues online, as fiercely as it does on the streets.
Who decides?
Who should be responsible for monitoring the content that fills our screens every day? “Who gets to decide what is an information operation or what is impulsive manipulation?” asks Evelyn Douek, an attorney and media rights researcher at Harvard University.
In the Hong Kong case, Twitter announced last August that it would no longer allow “state-controlled news media entities” to purchase advertising. Facebook and Google have also taken down some posts, fake accounts, and links, but offered little transparency about what they were doing, says Ms. Douek.
This patchwork approach illustrates a real challenge. Currently, policing content requires “private, for-profit companies to decide people’s speech rights all around the world,” Ms. Douek says. “This is untenable and unacceptable.”
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg does not seem keen on taking that responsibility. “I don’t think that Facebook or internet platforms in general should be arbiters of truth,” he told CNBC in an interview last month.
Facebook and YouTube have hired thousands of independent monitors to view content that’s flagged for review, and to remove inappropriate posts. But Mr. Zuckerberg acknowledged in his CNBC interview that the fact-checkers’ job is only to “catch the worst of the worst stuff.” He is now facing an open revolt among employees who want Facebook to do more.
On the other hand, inviting governments to get too involved in regulating speech amounts to “walking on ice,” says Stephan Mundges, a digital communications researcher at Dortmund Technical University. “If we don’t have robust democratic institutions, any way of trying to regulate disinformation means that freedom of speech is in danger,” he warns.
Take the example of South Africa, where the government has made it a crime to post COVID-19 misinformation, and also to criticize government, says Mr. Cook, the climate communications researcher. “It’s a very slippery slope.”
How the Germans do it … and the Americans
Trying to keep its footing on that slope is Germany. In the widest-ranging action by a Western democracy to date, the government two years ago compelled media platforms to identify and remove any content defined by the law as “illegal.” There are 21 categories, and platforms can be fined up to 5 million euros for failing to remove within 24 hours such content after it is flagged.
Human Rights Watch has declared the law vague and overly broad, and policymakers are currently considering changes including allowing users to appeal decisions. The effectiveness of the law is unclear; six months after it was passed, only a small percentage of reported content had been removed; Facebook had taken down only 20% of the 1,700 posts reported, and Twitter had removed just 10% of items reported as illegal by users.
The United States, as the world’s largest economy and headquarters for the globe’s most popular social media companies, is arguably the most important place in which to get the balance between digital freedom and responsibility right.
Being home base “gives regulators a certain degree of power over platforms that other jurisdictions don’t have,” says Ms. Douek. Yet the Communications Decency Act, which President Trump has sought to amend by executive order, essentially shields companies from legal liability for the content posted on its platforms. To date, any action must be largely prompted from within the company.
SOURCE: Pew Research Center | Jacob Turcotte/Staff
Michael Quinn contends that society should be thinking about ethics and responsibility even farther upstream – when systems are being designed. Dean of Science and Engineering at Seattle University, and author of the popular text “Ethics for the Information Age,” Dr. Quinn has made a mission of educating both computer science students and tech executives alike.
A significant challenge around artificial intelligence, he says, is the bias inherent in the data used to train these systems. “If the data is being collected from the racist past, you could be building a future in which automated systems are making racist decisions,” explains Dr. Quinn.
He points to a real-life example – a hospital monitoring system to recommend which patients should receive early interventions. Engineers found the AI system was recommending treatment more often for whites than for blacks, because historical data showed whites receiving more treatment.
But that was just because they had more money. “There need to be some guardrails,” Dr. Quinn warns.
The answer – think harder
Even if online gatekeeping institutions strike an acceptable balance, individual netizens will still tend to seek out information that supports their opinions. “Confirmation bias existed before social media,” says Mr. Hillje, the Berlin policy analyst. “This is a human phenomenon, not a digital phenomenon.”
John Gable, a former Silicon Valley insider who is now CEO of AllSides.com (which has a partnership with CSMonitor.com), intends to expose people to information from all political perspectives. “So people are empowered to decide for themselves,” Mr. Gable says.
AllSides.com places left-, center- and right-leaning news streams side-by-side, aiming to media “filter bubbles,” those echo chambers of information that build around single sources. Bursting these bubbles is easier than it may seem: Research has found 9 out of 10 students showed improved understanding after just one conversation with others across a spectrum of viewpoints.
Ultimately, the solution must include stronger critical thinking by individuals, argues Mr. Cook, the climate change communications researcher. People must constantly ask themselves, “What kind of filters do I use? What stereotypes do I have when I consume information? Where did this information come from?”
There are signs that people going online are doing this mental work. A Pew Research Center survey in 2018 showed 78% of Americans prefer news from sources without a partisan slant, up 14 points from five years ago. Last year, a Pew survey also found more Americans were concerned about made-up news than about climate change, racism, illegal immigration, and terrorism.
“The public intolerance for misinformation, and the danger of it, is so much stronger now than before,” says Mr. Cook. “The pandemic is a terrible situation, but there’s potentially the opportunity to build a new public resilience” on the foundations of new public awareness.
Society is building toward an inflection point after years of watching institutions upended by “fake news,” says AllSides.com’s Mr. Gable.
“There are thousands of organizations now trying to bridge the divide and have people talk to each other, both for our own health and to make governments more functional,” he adds. “We are scaling up our efforts.”