csmonitor--2020-11-19--A star architect and his son go on a journey in search of beauty

An invitation to join a voyage with the Italian navy was too good to pass up for Pritzker Prize-winning Italian architect Renzo Piano .
In “ Atlantis : A Journey in Search of Beauty , ” Piano and his son Carlo embark on a peregrination around the globe .
Their goal is lofty : to find Atlantis , the famed sunken city and the embodiment of Platonic perfection .
To be sure , Atlantis is merely a pretext .
They are actually visiting some of the highlights from Renzo ’ s celebrated career .
This voyage takes them from Japan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ International Airport on an artificial island , to San Francisco , where he designed the California Academy of Sciences .
It is a long journey , but they also have much to discuss .
The book takes the form of an extended conversation between father and son .
Most of the time , they are responding to each other , but sometimes each man ’ s thoughts wander off on their own .
They are connected by their shared love of sailing , the sea , and cities .
Carlo , who is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voyage and the places they visit .
Renzo chimes in with stories from his long career .
The product is an inspiring meditation on beauty , architecture , and the essence of modern cities .
One noticeable feature of Renzo ’ s buildings is their transparency : Airy , accessible plazas are a centerpiece of his work .
“ I start with the piazza , always .
Empty space comes before crowded space , ” he writes .
According to him , a building exists to serve – it is only beautiful if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
When he was commissioned to build an extension to the Morgan Library in New York , he moved the collection of paintings and manuscripts to underground vaults to turn the building into a large , open atrium .
The New York Times Co. had just started building a skyscraper for its offices when the 9/11 attacks happened .
Suddenly , skyscrapers no longer seemed like a good idea .
Renzo , however , wanted the new building to respond with a gesture of resilience and undeterred openness .
Not only would the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also be transparent and have huge lobbies open to the public .
In his career as an architect , Renzo has often found himself veering toward ethnography .
An architect , he believes , should understand the intimate relationship between the soil and people living on it .
When he found himself tasked to design a cultural center for the Kanak people in the French-controlled South Pacific island of New Caledonia , he reached out to anthropologists for help .
For him , the profession of an architect transcends mere masonry or engineering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inspiration from almost anywhere .
He writes , “ At nine A.M. , you are a pragmatic constructor , an avid world explorer .
At eleven , you turn into a designer , drawn to the complexities of cities and the fragility of Earth .
At three P.M. , a humanist , curious about everything : art , music , people , communities .
The next day you begin all over again.
” A voyage like this also presents an opportunity for Renzo to look back on his life .
He tells Carlo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of builders , he always felt destined to build – but he had to take a leap of imagination to venture into architecture .
He also had to overcome debilitating public outrage and criticism in his early career .
One of his first major buildings was the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris , affectionately called Beaubourg .
The building , which is reminiscent of a construction site , was considered a blemish on the Paris cityscape when it opened in 1978 .
Renzo was criticized for being too academic and experimental .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the construction sites his father used to work in .
“ I didn ’ t build Beaubourg because I ’ d skimmed a few books , but because my father was a constructor , ” he tells Carlo .
Over time , public opinion shifted in favor of Beaubourg .
Today , he is grateful he had the courage to take those bold risks .
Coming of age right as reconstruction was starting up after World War II , Renzo found the power to heal cities through architecture .
His buildings have attracted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happy with all his work ?
Not really .
There are some designs he believes could have been executed better .
But he is not someone who is weighed down by regrets or nostalgia .
“ You live for what you have yet to do and what you haven ’ t even begun to imagine , ” he says .
In a letter to his team on his 80th birthday , he is as indomitable as ever .
“ I ’ m not retiring because it takes a lifetime to build all this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ profession to leave behind , ” he writes .
Renzo is not stopping because he hasn ’ t found Atlantis yet .
He understands that Atlantis is a myth , an emblem of unattainable beauty .
But it is a myth he takes seriously and tries to emulate .
Just look at the way the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York looks like it ’ s floating in midair or The Shard in London reaches up to the clouds .
They look and feel otherworldly .
Almost like Atlantis .

An invitation to join a voyage with the Italian navy was too good to pass up for Pritzker Prize-winning Italian architect Renzo Piano.
In “Atlantis: A Journey in Search of Beauty,” Piano and his son Carlo embark on a peregrination around the globe. Their goal is lofty: to find Atlantis, the famed sunken city and the embodiment of Platonic perfection. To be sure, Atlantis is merely a pretext. They are actually visiting some of the highlights from Renzo’s celebrated career. This voyage takes them from Japan, where Renzo modeled the iconic Kansai International Airport on an artificial island, to San Francisco, where he designed the California Academy of Sciences. It is a long journey, but they also have much to discuss.
The book takes the form of an extended conversation between father and son. Most of the time, they are responding to each other, but sometimes each man’s thoughts wander off on their own. They are connected by their shared love of sailing, the sea, and cities. Carlo, who is a journalist, writes beautifully about the voyage and the places they visit. Renzo chimes in with stories from his long career. The product is an inspiring meditation on beauty, architecture, and the essence of modern cities.
One noticeable feature of Renzo’s buildings is their transparency: Airy, accessible plazas are a centerpiece of his work. “I start with the piazza, always. Empty space comes before crowded space,” he writes. According to him, a building exists to serve – it is only beautiful if it can serve a noble civic cause.
When he was commissioned to build an extension to the Morgan Library in New York, he moved the collection of paintings and manuscripts to underground vaults to turn the building into a large, open atrium.
The New York Times Co. had just started building a skyscraper for its offices when the 9/11 attacks happened. Suddenly, skyscrapers no longer seemed like a good idea. Renzo, however, wanted the new building to respond with a gesture of resilience and undeterred openness. Not only would the skyscraper rise tall, but it would also be transparent and have huge lobbies open to the public.
In his career as an architect, Renzo has often found himself veering toward ethnography. An architect, he believes, should understand the intimate relationship between the soil and people living on it. When he found himself tasked to design a cultural center for the Kanak people in the French-controlled South Pacific island of New Caledonia, he reached out to anthropologists for help. For him, the profession of an architect transcends mere masonry or engineering. One needs to be receptive to inspiration from almost anywhere. He writes, “At nine A.M., you are a pragmatic constructor, an avid world explorer. At eleven, you turn into a designer, drawn to the complexities of cities and the fragility of Earth. At three P.M., a humanist, curious about everything: art, music, people, communities. The next day you begin all over again.”
A voyage like this also presents an opportunity for Renzo to look back on his life. He tells Carlo how, being born in a family of builders, he always felt destined to build – but he had to take a leap of imagination to venture into architecture. He also had to overcome debilitating public outrage and criticism in his early career. One of his first major buildings was the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris, affectionately called Beaubourg. The building, which is reminiscent of a construction site, was considered a blemish on the Paris cityscape when it opened in 1978. Renzo was criticized for being too academic and experimental. But he had actually found the inspiration in the construction sites his father used to work in. “I didn’t build Beaubourg because I’d skimmed a few books, but because my father was a constructor,” he tells Carlo. Over time, public opinion shifted in favor of Beaubourg. Today, he is grateful he had the courage to take those bold risks.
Coming of age right as reconstruction was starting up after World War II, Renzo found the power to heal cities through architecture. His buildings have attracted both awe and ire. Is he happy with all his work? Not really. There are some designs he believes could have been executed better. But he is not someone who is weighed down by regrets or nostalgia.
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“You live for what you have yet to do and what you haven’t even begun to imagine,” he says. In a letter to his team on his 80th birthday, he is as indomitable as ever. “I’m not retiring because it takes a lifetime to build all this. It’s too wonderful a profession to leave behind,” he writes.
Renzo is not stopping because he hasn’t found Atlantis yet. He understands that Atlantis is a myth, an emblem of unattainable beauty. But it is a myth he takes seriously and tries to emulate. Just look at the way the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York looks like it’s floating in midair or The Shard in London reaches up to the clouds. They look and feel otherworldly. Almost like Atlantis.


csmonitor--2020-11-19--Post-truth politics: As Trump pushes ‘fraud,’ partisans pick their own reality

As Republican Al Schmidt , a Philadelphia city commissioner , said while speaking for the undersung election workers in a CNN interview : “ One thing I can ’ t comprehend is how hungry people are to consume lies.
” The divide over what constitutes truth is not just due to partisan media or a president who fact-checkers rate as an unparalleled source of falsehoods .
It also stems from social media , the blurring of fact and opinion , and the decline in trust in national institutions and expertise .
State election officials of both parties insist that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ holding a fair and free vote , with no more glitches than normal , despite a pandemic and historic turnout .
Supporters of President-elect Joe Biden point to his solid leads in key battleground states as evidence he won fair and square .
Many supporters of President Trump are convinced by allegations , so far unsupported by evidence , that the election was rife with fraud .
President Donald Trump ’ s false insistence that he is the rightful winner of the 2020 election has exposed like nothing else the possibility that America @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political partisans can ’ t agree on a unifying framework of facts , and emotion and personal belief steer public opinion .
President Donald Trump ’ s false insistence that he is the rightful winner of the 2020 election has exposed like nothing else in his time in office the possibility that America is becoming a post-truth society , where political partisans can ’ t agree on a unifying framework of facts , and emotion and personal belief steer the winds of public opinion .
Since the vote , Democrats and Republicans seem @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Supporters of President-elect Joe Biden point to his solid leads in a number of key battleground states and record-breaking overall vote total as evidence he won fair and square .
Many supporters of President Trump have been convinced by right-wing media allegations , so far unsupported by evidence , that the election was rife with fraud – with dead people voting , ballots tossed , and corrupted election machines changing thousands of votes at a swipe .
Caught in between are state and national election officials of both parties who insist that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ holding a fair and free vote , with no more glitches than normal , despite a pandemic and historic turnout .
They point out that the Trump campaign ’ s many lawsuits about the results have virtually all collapsed and are doing nothing but further documenting the solidity of Mr. Biden ’ s win .
Republican Al Schmidt , a Philadelphia city commissioner , perhaps spoke for many of these undersung election workers in a CNN interview last week .
“ I realize a lot of people are happy about this election and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about this election , ” said Mr. Schmidt .
“ One thing I can ’ t comprehend is how hungry people are to consume lies.
” This divide over what constitutes truth and facts has been developing for some time , say experts .
It ’ s not just the result of the rise of right-wing media outlets such as Fox News or the election of a president whom fact-checkers rate as an unparalleled source of political falsehoods .
It ’ s also about the rise of social media , the blurring of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the decline in trust of many national institutions and even the nature of expertise .
“ It ’ s a phenomenon that ’ s not tied to one party or administration .
...
It ’ s not only an information problem .
It ’ s about the context in which information exists , ” says Jennifer Kavanagh , a senior political scientist at Rand Corp. and co-author of “ Truth Decay : An Initial Exploration of the Diminishing Role of Facts and Analysis in American Public Life.
” Unaddressed it could threaten democracy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pointed out this week in an interview with the Atlantic , if we lose the ability to sort the true from the false , then by definition the marketplace of ideas does not work – and neither does democracy .
Our whole theory of knowledge – epistemology – is threatened .
It may not have begun with him , but President Trump has proved that truth-bending politics has its advantages .
A candidacy that began with Mr. Trump leveraging “ birtherism ” – the lie that Mr. Obama was not born in America @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to false stories about why he has won reelection , despite overwhelming evidence he has lost .
During the campaign , Mr. Trump insisted without evidence that mail-in ballots were rife with fraud .
He cast doubt on ballots counted after Election Day , though lengthy ballot tallies and checks are routine .
Since the vote he has seized on small discrepancies in county vote counts as reasons why the ballots of entire states should be invalidated and state legislatures should name him as the winner of their Electoral College votes .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ keep him in the Oval Office .
But in the past , he has used falsehoods and misdirection just to throw dust in the air , overwhelm the media , and create an appearance of scandal to delegitimize opposition .
In his famous outreach to Ukraine – for which he was impeached – Mr. Trump only pushed for an investigation into Hunter Biden ’ s business deals to be announced , not completed or even begun .
In his fight to stay in office , the president has often taken a bit of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ context .
On Wednesday night , he tweeted that in Wisconsin , former Vice President Biden had received “ a dump of 143,379 votes at 3:42 AM , when they learned he was losing badly.
” What Mr. Trump did not mention was that the “ dump ” was a routine release of ballots by a number of counties and that not all of the ballots were for Mr. Biden , as a Reuters fact check clarifies .
While Rudy Giuliani gives press conferences like one on Thursday alleging widespread fraud , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far more measured : “ This is not a fraud case , ” he told a federal judge in Pennsylvania Tuesday .
This sort of activity could continue to cloud Mr. Biden ’ s presidency , says Whitney Phillips , a lecturer on media literacy and misinformation at Syracuse University .
“ It is creating a permission structure to not accept Joe Biden as president , ” Dr. Phillips says .
That may have real-world consequences , she adds .
If a quarter of the population does not think Mr. Biden is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for his coronavirus response plans ?
Will he face more entrenched opposition to masking recommendations or vaccine distribution ?
“ This is not just an abstract conversation about electoral consequences 10 years down the road , ” she says .
Dr. Phillips says it is also important to place Mr. Trump ’ s current charges in context .
The president began constructing a narrative about the “ deep state ” and shadowy enemies almost from the moment he entered office .
It has been a thread linking the investigation of special counsel Robert @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more fervid false conspiracy theories such as those espoused by QAnon .
This summer he began pushing a message that the Democrats would steal the election from him by any means necessary .
This feeds a constant media diet by right-wing outlets that wraps around and encompasses many issues and “ explains ” confusing developments .
“ It ’ s very hard to see outside the narrative .
People are convinced of the underlying idea , and they ’ re going to seek that story out , ” Dr. Phillips says .
Many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the vote was rife with wrongdoing , with dead people voting , ballots falsified , and corrupted election machines changing thousands of votes at a swipe .
A recent Monmouth poll , for instance , found that 77 % of Trump backers believed Mr. Biden ’ s victory was due to “ fraud.
” That ’ s in contrast to the 60 % of Americans who believe Mr. Biden won the election fair and square , according to Monmouth .
Sign-waving fans of the president interviewed at Nov. 14 ’ s “ Million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there was no way he could have lost legitimately .
They cited the size of Trump rallies , Mr. Biden ’ s flaws , and U.S. economic strength .
Janine Luzzi , a financial analyst from New Jersey , woke up at 5:15 a.m. to drive down to Washington with a friend .
“ We wanted to support our president .
We know he ’ s been cheated , ” said Ms. Luzzi .
Terry and Kevin Roche drove up from their hometown of Charlotte , North Carolina , the day before the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to attend because they don ’ t think the election process is over , and that courts and legislatures will discover there was fraud .
“ Historically , the economy , scandals , all the measures that we use to judge a candidate – Joe Biden could not have done well .
So it ’ s very inexplicable .
Simply because people don ’ t like Donald Trump ’ s tweets he would lose an election ?
” said Mr. Roche , who works in computers .
Cathy Boyd , a nurse from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a train to reach the rally .
She says she felt she had to come and support the president because his opponents are simply stealing the election .
“ I tell people that President Trump exposed the evil and corruption .
He ’ s the only person who can do it .
He ’ s got his own money , ” said Ms. Boyd .
Why would Trump supporters be so sure about fraud in the election , when evidence to support that claim is lacking , more than two dozen court cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign or been withdrawn , and a majority of the country believes otherwise ?
Media silos may be one big reason .
A quick glance at news headlines on Nov. 18 shows the split : The New York Times and other mainstream sources led with stories about the national coronavirus spike , with a smattering of pieces about the organization of the incoming Biden administration .
Fox News , Breitbart , and OANN lead with Trump lawyer Mr. Giuliani laying out a “ path to victory , ” and the continuing struggle to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wayne County .
Many adults now get much of their news through Facebook and other social media sites , where it remains difficult to ascertain the validity of stories .
At last weekend ’ s MAGA March , many participants repeated allegations that have been debunked by fact-checking , such as the false charge that Dominion Voting System machines were rigged to throw votes to Mr. Biden .
As The Wall Street Journal pointed out in an editorial Thursday , if there had been a problem with Dominion machines , the hand recount @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Dominion machines also were used in South Carolina and other states that voted for the president .
In his interview with The Atlantic , former President Obama criticized what he called the nation ’ s “ new malevolent information structure.
” America no longer has a trusted figure such as Walter Cronkite to bring us all together , he said .
Locally owned and controlled TV stations are dwindling .
Local newspapers run by experienced journalists are dying off .
“ Maybe most importantly , and most disconcertingly , what we ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ‘ truth decay , ’ something that ’ s been accelerated by outgoing President Trump – the sense that not only do we not have to tell the truth , but the truth doesn ’ t even matter , ” said the former president in a separate interview with “ 60 Minutes.
” “ Truth decay ” is a phrase Mr. Obama likely lifted from a lengthy 2018 Rand study of the same name .
Since his interviews “ we definitely have gotten renewed interest , ” says Dr. Kavanagh , who co-wrote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Michael D. Rich .
Truth decay , as defined by Dr. Kavanagh , is a set of four interrelated trends : increasing disagreement about facts and interpretations of facts and data , more and more blurring of lines between opinions and facts , an increased volume of opinions , and lowered trust in formerly respected sources of factual information .
Causes of these trends include changes in information providers , such as the rise in social media ; an educational system that places less emphasis on media literacy and critical thinking ; and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of this situation include the erosion of civil discourse , political paralysis , and uncertainty about national policy .
“ We ’ re describing a situation in which people don ’ t know what ’ s true and what ’ s not – and they don ’ t know where to turn to find fact-based information , ” says Dr. Kavanagh .
Solutions to truth decay could include more teaching about civic responsibilities and media literacy .
“ Understanding the responsibility to become informed , and then having the tools to do it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is also much that journalism can do to help overcome the challenge , according to Rand .
A first step would be much clearer separation of fact and opinion articles and broadcasts .
Consumers conflate the two much more than many journalists realize .
A second step would be an increased attention to breaking up high-quality news in small , digestible chunks .
That ’ s a market currently dominated by low-quality news providers .
The online news environment is a big part of the problem .
Right now , it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
How to balance privacy and access against manipulation and hate speech ?
Are the companies themselves the right people to make those decisions ?
Overall , with effort truth decay can be addressed , says Dr. Kavanagh .
“ It ’ s not inevitable , ” she says .

As Republican Al Schmidt, a Philadelphia city commissioner, said while speaking for the undersung election workers in a CNN interview: “One thing I can’t comprehend is how hungry people are to consume lies.”
The divide over what constitutes truth is not just due to partisan media or a president who fact-checkers rate as an unparalleled source of falsehoods. It also stems from social media, the blurring of fact and opinion, and the decline in trust in national institutions and expertise.
State election officials of both parties insist that the nation has managed the heroic act of holding a fair and free vote, with no more glitches than normal, despite a pandemic and historic turnout.
When Americans can’t agree on the truth, what does that mean for democracy?
Supporters of President-elect Joe Biden point to his solid leads in key battleground states as evidence he won fair and square. Many supporters of President Trump are convinced by allegations, so far unsupported by evidence, that the election was rife with fraud.
President Donald Trump’s false insistence that he is the rightful winner of the 2020 election has exposed like nothing else the possibility that America is becoming a post-truth society, where political partisans can’t agree on a unifying framework of facts, and emotion and personal belief steer public opinion.
President Donald Trump’s false insistence that he is the rightful winner of the 2020 election has exposed like nothing else in his time in office the possibility that America is becoming a post-truth society, where political partisans can’t agree on a unifying framework of facts, and emotion and personal belief steer the winds of public opinion.
Since the vote, Democrats and Republicans seem to be living in different worlds. Supporters of President-elect Joe Biden point to his solid leads in a number of key battleground states and record-breaking overall vote total as evidence he won fair and square. Many supporters of President Trump have been convinced by right-wing media allegations, so far unsupported by evidence, that the election was rife with fraud – with dead people voting, ballots tossed, and corrupted election machines changing thousands of votes at a swipe.
Caught in between are state and national election officials of both parties who insist that the nation has managed the heroic act of holding a fair and free vote, with no more glitches than normal, despite a pandemic and historic turnout. They point out that the Trump campaign’s many lawsuits about the results have virtually all collapsed and are doing nothing but further documenting the solidity of Mr. Biden’s win.
Why We Wrote This When Americans can’t agree on the truth, what does that mean for democracy?
Republican Al Schmidt, a Philadelphia city commissioner, perhaps spoke for many of these undersung election workers in a CNN interview last week.
“I realize a lot of people are happy about this election and a lot of people are not happy about this election,” said Mr. Schmidt. “One thing I can’t comprehend is how hungry people are to consume lies.”
This divide over what constitutes truth and facts has been developing for some time, say experts. It’s not just the result of the rise of right-wing media outlets such as Fox News or the election of a president whom fact-checkers rate as an unparalleled source of political falsehoods.
It’s also about the rise of social media, the blurring of lines between fact and opinion, and the decline in trust of many national institutions and even the nature of expertise.
“It’s a phenomenon that’s not tied to one party or administration. ... It’s not only an information problem. It’s about the context in which information exists,” says Jennifer Kavanagh, a senior political scientist at Rand Corp. and co-author of “Truth Decay: An Initial Exploration of the Diminishing Role of Facts and Analysis in American Public Life.”
Unaddressed it could threaten democracy itself. As former President Barack Obama pointed out this week in an interview with the Atlantic, if we lose the ability to sort the true from the false, then by definition the marketplace of ideas does not work – and neither does democracy. Our whole theory of knowledge – epistemology – is threatened.
“We are entering an epistemological crisis,” President Obama told Atlantic editor Jeffrey Goldberg.
Truth and politics
It may not have begun with him, but President Trump has proved that truth-bending politics has its advantages. A candidacy that began with Mr. Trump leveraging “birtherism” – the lie that Mr. Obama was not born in America – is ending with a president clinging to false stories about why he has won reelection, despite overwhelming evidence he has lost.
During the campaign, Mr. Trump insisted without evidence that mail-in ballots were rife with fraud. He cast doubt on ballots counted after Election Day, though lengthy ballot tallies and checks are routine. Since the vote he has seized on small discrepancies in county vote counts as reasons why the ballots of entire states should be invalidated and state legislatures should name him as the winner of their Electoral College votes.
John Beauge/The Patriot-News/AP View caption Hide caption Approximately 100 Trump supporters stand across West Third Street from the Federal Building in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, for hours Nov. 17, 2020, while attorneys for the Trump campaign organization urged a federal judge not to certify the election results.
The president may sincerely believe these moves will keep him in the Oval Office. But in the past, he has used falsehoods and misdirection just to throw dust in the air, overwhelm the media, and create an appearance of scandal to delegitimize opposition. In his famous outreach to Ukraine – for which he was impeached – Mr. Trump only pushed for an investigation into Hunter Biden’s business deals to be announced, not completed or even begun.
In his fight to stay in office, the president has often taken a bit of true information and presented it out of context. On Wednesday night, he tweeted that in Wisconsin, former Vice President Biden had received “a dump of 143,379 votes at 3:42 AM, when they learned he was losing badly.” What Mr. Trump did not mention was that the “dump” was a routine release of ballots by a number of counties and that not all of the ballots were for Mr. Biden, as a Reuters fact check clarifies.
While Rudy Giuliani gives press conferences, as on Thursday, alleging widespread fraud, in court he is far more measured: “This is not a fraud case,” he told a federal judge in Pennsylvania Tuesday.
This sort of activity could continue to cloud Mr. Biden’s presidency, says Whitney Phillips, a lecturer on media literacy and misinformation at Syracuse University.
“It is creating a permission structure to not accept Joe Biden as president,” Dr. Phillips says.
That may have real-world consequences, she adds. If a quarter of the population does not think Mr. Biden is a legitimate president, what does that mean for his coronavirus response plans? Will he face more entrenched opposition to masking recommendations or vaccine distribution?
“This is not just an abstract conversation about electoral consequences 10 years down the road,” she says.
Dr. Phillips says it is also important to place Mr. Trump’s current charges in context. The president began constructing a narrative about the “deep state” and shadowy enemies almost from the moment he entered office. It has been a thread linking the investigation of special counsel Robert Mueller, the impeachment effort, and more fervid false conspiracy theories such as those espoused by QAnon. This summer he began pushing a message that the Democrats would steal the election from him by any means necessary. This feeds a constant media diet by right-wing outlets that wraps around and encompasses many issues and “explains” confusing developments.
“It’s very hard to see outside the narrative. People are convinced of the underlying idea, and they’re going to seek that story out,” Dr. Phillips says.
“We wanted to support our president”
Many supporters of President Trump believe wholeheartedly that the vote was rife with wrongdoing, with dead people voting, ballots falsified, and corrupted election machines changing thousands of votes at a swipe. A recent Monmouth poll, for instance, found that 77% of Trump backers believed Mr. Biden’s victory was due to “fraud.”
That’s in contrast to the 60% of Americans who believe Mr. Biden won the election fair and square, according to Monmouth.
Sign-waving fans of the president interviewed at Nov. 14’s “Million MAGA March” in Washington were certain there was no way he could have lost legitimately. They cited the size of Trump rallies, Mr. Biden’s flaws, and U.S. economic strength.
Janine Luzzi, a financial analyst from New Jersey, woke up at 5:15 a.m. to drive down to Washington with a friend.
“We wanted to support our president. We know he’s been cheated,” said Ms. Luzzi.
Terry and Kevin Roche drove up from their hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina, the day before the rally. They felt it was important to attend because they don’t think the election process is over, and that courts and legislatures will discover there was fraud.
“Historically, the economy, scandals, all the measures that we use to judge a candidate – Joe Biden could not have done well. So it’s very inexplicable. Simply because people don’t like Donald Trump’s tweets he would lose an election?” said Mr. Roche, who works in computers.
Cathy Boyd, a nurse from western Massachusetts, spent seven hours on a train to reach the rally. She says she felt she had to come and support the president because his opponents are simply stealing the election.
“I tell people that President Trump exposed the evil and corruption. He’s the only person who can do it. He’s got his own money,” said Ms. Boyd.
Why would Trump supporters be so sure about fraud in the election, when evidence to support that claim is lacking, more than two dozen court cases have gone against the president’s campaign or been withdrawn, and a majority of the country believes otherwise? Media silos may be one big reason. A quick glance at news headlines on Nov. 18 shows the split: The New York Times and other mainstream sources led with stories about the national coronavirus spike, with a smattering of pieces about the organization of the incoming Biden administration. Fox News, Breitbart, and OANN lead with Trump lawyer Mr. Giuliani laying out a “path to victory,” and the continuing struggle to certify vote results in Michigan’s Wayne County.
Many adults now get much of their news through Facebook and other social media sites, where it remains difficult to ascertain the validity of stories. At last weekend’s MAGA March, many participants repeated allegations that have been debunked by fact-checking, such as the false charge that Dominion Voting System machines were rigged to throw votes to Mr. Biden. As The Wall Street Journal pointed out in an editorial Thursday, if there had been a problem with Dominion machines, the hand recount Georgia just completed would have uncovered them. Dominion machines also were used in South Carolina and other states that voted for the president.
In his interview with The Atlantic, former President Obama criticized what he called the nation’s “new malevolent information structure.” America no longer has a trusted figure such as Walter Cronkite to bring us all together, he said. Locally owned and controlled TV stations are dwindling. Local newspapers run by experienced journalists are dying off.
“Maybe most importantly, and most disconcertingly, what we’ve seen is what some people call ‘truth decay,’ something that’s been accelerated by outgoing President Trump – the sense that not only do we not have to tell the truth, but the truth doesn’t even matter,” said the former president in a separate interview with “60 Minutes.”
Combating “truth decay”
“Truth decay” is a phrase Mr. Obama likely lifted from a lengthy 2018 Rand study of the same name.
Since his interviews “we definitely have gotten renewed interest,” says Dr. Kavanagh, who co-wrote the book with Rand president and CEO Michael D. Rich.
Truth decay, as defined by Dr. Kavanagh, is a set of four interrelated trends: increasing disagreement about facts and interpretations of facts and data, more and more blurring of lines between opinions and facts, an increased volume of opinions, and lowered trust in formerly respected sources of factual information.
Causes of these trends include changes in information providers, such as the rise in social media; an educational system that places less emphasis on media literacy and critical thinking; and political and demographic polarization.
Damaging consequences of this situation include the erosion of civil discourse, political paralysis, and uncertainty about national policy.
“We’re describing a situation in which people don’t know what’s true and what’s not – and they don’t know where to turn to find fact-based information,” says Dr. Kavanagh.
Solutions to truth decay could include more teaching about civic responsibilities and media literacy.
“Understanding the responsibility to become informed, and then having the tools to do it,” says Dr. Kavanagh.
There is also much that journalism can do to help overcome the challenge, according to Rand. A first step would be much clearer separation of fact and opinion articles and broadcasts. Consumers conflate the two much more than many journalists realize. A second step would be an increased attention to breaking up high-quality news in small, digestible chunks. That’s a market currently dominated by low-quality news providers.
The online news environment is a big part of the problem. Right now, it’s a problem with more questions than answers. How to balance privacy and access against manipulation and hate speech? Are the companies themselves the right people to make those decisions?
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Overall, with effort truth decay can be addressed, says Dr. Kavanagh.
“It’s not inevitable,” she says.


csmonitor--2020-11-19--Why Big Tech faces rising pressure in Congress and courts

Separate questions are swirling about what role tech giants should play in controlling misinformation online , and Republican allegations that the firms have an anti-conservative bias .
The Senate Commerce Committee has been considering whether changes are needed to a 1996 provision that protects internet companies from liability for what people say on their platforms , but also allows them to moderate their content as they see fit .
In the U.S. , tighter antitrust oversight appears to be already taking shape .
On Oct. 20 , the U.S. Justice Department sued Google for using anticompetitive practices to maintain its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And many Democrats in Congress support legislation to break up tech monopolies .
While the tech industry delivers many benefits to society , governments around the world have been showing a rising interest in regulating it .
Digital platforms , they worry , may be encouraging tech overuse and eroding privacy among consumers , curbing competition among businesses , and failing to adequately manage their societal role as gatekeepers of information .
For the past two decades , the U.S. government has taken a relatively hands-off approach to Silicon Valley , as tech @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day-to-day lives .
But that may be changing .
Google , Facebook , and Twitter confront a series of government actions aimed at restricting their behavior , and are besieged by questions from Congress over how their platforms moderate the flow of information .
An October report prepared by Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee outlined what the committee says are anti-competitive practices by digital-era firms like Apple and Amazon .
The report quoted Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg mulling the price worth paying to buy up competitors – as the company has done @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years on the sidelines , antitrust regulators are taking action , at least in one case .
On Oct. 20 , the U.S. Justice Department sued Google for using anticompetitive practices to maintain its dominance over search and search advertising .
The suit claims that the company blocks rivals by paying device manufacturers to make Google their default search engine .
“ The end result , ” U.S. Attorney General William Barr said , “ is that no one can feasibly challenge Google ’ s dominance.
” Google called the lawsuit “ deeply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they choose to , not because they ’ re forced to , or because they can ’ t find alternatives , ” said the company in a statement .
The suit mirrors the government ’ s successful 1998 case that said Microsoft forced computer manufacturers to bundle its web browser with its Windows operating system , thus locking out competitors .
When two congressional committees recently called for tech CEOs to testify , the reason was concern about America ’ s information diet , not just preserving competitive markets .
On Oct. 28 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ potential changes to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996 , which protects internet companies from liability for what people say on their platforms , but also allows them to moderate their content as they see fit .
The hearing touched a nerve with Republican senators , who blasted the CEOs of Google , Twitter , and Facebook for alleged anti-conservative bias .
The Senate Judiciary Committee , meanwhile , is focused on complaints that digital platforms intentionally limited the spread of a controversial New York Post article about Hunter Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former Vice President and now President-elect Joe Biden , was in the final days of the presidential race .
This Tuesday , Republicans on the committee grilled Mr. Zuckerberg and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey over their content moderation policies , with some , such as Senator Marsha Blackburn of calling for reform of Section 230 .
Mr. Biden , in a July interview , said that the rule should not apply to Facebook and similar platforms .
“ [ Facebook ] is not merely an internet company , ” he said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be false.
” The American Civil Liberties Union demurs : “ Section 230 defines Internet culture as we know it , ” the group says on its website .
It ’ s why websites “ can offer platforms for critical and controversial speech without constantly worrying about getting sued.
” Q : What does this mean for the future ?
While the tech industry delivers many benefits to society , governments around the world have been showing a rising interest in regulation .
The worries include that digital platforms may be encouraging tech @ @ @ @ @ @ @ curbing competition among businesses , and failing to adequately manage their societal role as gatekeepers of information .
With a politically divided Senate , prospects for U.S. legislative action remain uncertain .
But tighter antitrust oversight appears to be already taking shape , and many Democrats in Congress support legislation to break up tech monopolies .
“ It would be a historical anomaly if tech were not to be robustly regulated , as other systemically important industries such as banking and food were before it , ” writes The Economist .
Writing in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had a video removed from Facebook without explanation , Nicole Aschoff agreed that public opinion is shifting in favor of regulation .
“ Preserving the internet as a place of free expression while simultaneously protecting the electoral process , shielding users from harassment and abuse , and reining in the power of hate groups is an incredibly difficult task , ” she wrote in July .
“ Indeed , one could argue that it is a defining challenge of the present moment .
”

The rise of the internet and social media occurred in an era of relatively light regulation of technology firms. Now, in an era of concern about the clout of a few tech giants, attitudes in Washington are shifting.
Separate questions are swirling about what role tech giants should play in controlling misinformation online, and Republican allegations that the firms have an anti-conservative bias. The Senate Commerce Committee has been considering whether changes are needed to a 1996 provision that protects internet companies from liability for what people say on their platforms, but also allows them to moderate their content as they see fit.
In the U.S., tighter antitrust oversight appears to be already taking shape. On Oct. 20, the U.S. Justice Department sued Google for using anticompetitive practices to maintain its dominance over search and search advertising. And many Democrats in Congress support legislation to break up tech monopolies.
While the tech industry delivers many benefits to society, governments around the world have been showing a rising interest in regulating it. Digital platforms, they worry, may be encouraging tech overuse and eroding privacy among consumers, curbing competition among businesses, and failing to adequately manage their societal role as gatekeepers of information.
For the past two decades, the U.S. government has taken a relatively hands-off approach to Silicon Valley, as tech companies have gained increasing influence over our day-to-day lives.
But that may be changing. Google, Facebook, and Twitter confront a series of government actions aimed at restricting their behavior, and are besieged by questions from Congress over how their platforms moderate the flow of information.
Q: Is Big Tech playing “monopoly”?
Why We Wrote This The rise of the internet and social media occurred in an era of relatively light regulation of technology firms. Now, in an era of concern about the clout of a few tech giants, attitudes in Washington are shifting.
An October report prepared by Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee outlined what the committee says are anti-competitive practices by digital-era firms like Apple and Amazon. The report quoted Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg mulling the price worth paying to buy up competitors – as the company has done with platforms like Instagram.
Now after years on the sidelines, antitrust regulators are taking action, at least in one case. On Oct. 20, the U.S. Justice Department sued Google for using anticompetitive practices to maintain its dominance over search and search advertising.
The suit claims that the company blocks rivals by paying device manufacturers to make Google their default search engine.
“The end result,” U.S. Attorney General William Barr said, “is that no one can feasibly challenge Google’s dominance.”
Google called the lawsuit “deeply flawed.” “People use Google because they choose to, not because they’re forced to, or because they can’t find alternatives,” said the company in a statement.
The suit mirrors the government’s successful 1998 case that said Microsoft forced computer manufacturers to bundle its web browser with its Windows operating system, thus locking out competitors.
Q: What about digital-era free speech?
When two congressional committees recently called for tech CEOs to testify, the reason was concern about America’s information diet, not just preserving competitive markets. On Oct. 28, the Senate Commerce Committee focused on potential changes to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996, which protects internet companies from liability for what people say on their platforms, but also allows them to moderate their content as they see fit.
The hearing touched a nerve with Republican senators, who blasted the CEOs of Google, Twitter, and Facebook for alleged anti-conservative bias.
The Senate Judiciary Committee, meanwhile, is focused on complaints that digital platforms intentionally limited the spread of a controversial New York Post article about Hunter Biden, which ran as his father, former Vice President and now President-elect Joe Biden, was in the final days of the presidential race.
This Tuesday, Republicans on the committee grilled Mr. Zuckerberg and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey over their content moderation policies, with some, such as Senator Marsha Blackburn of calling for reform of Section 230.
Mr. Biden, in a July interview, said that the rule should not apply to Facebook and similar platforms. “[Facebook] is not merely an internet company,” he said. “It is propagating falsehoods they know to be false.”
The American Civil Liberties Union demurs: “Section 230 defines Internet culture as we know it,” the group says on its website. It’s why websites “can offer platforms for critical and controversial speech without constantly worrying about getting sued.”
Q: What does this mean for the future?
While the tech industry delivers many benefits to society, governments around the world have been showing a rising interest in regulation. The worries include that digital platforms may be encouraging tech overuse and eroding privacy among consumers, curbing competition among businesses, and failing to adequately manage their societal role as gatekeepers of information.
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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.
With a politically divided Senate, prospects for U.S. legislative action remain uncertain. But tighter antitrust oversight appears to be already taking shape, and many Democrats in Congress support legislation to break up tech monopolies. “It would be a historical anomaly if tech were not to be robustly regulated, as other systemically important industries such as banking and food were before it,” writes The Economist.
Writing in Jacobin, a leftist magazine that recently had a video removed from Facebook without explanation, Nicole Aschoff agreed that public opinion is shifting in favor of regulation. “Preserving the internet as a place of free expression while simultaneously protecting the electoral process, shielding users from harassment and abuse, and reining in the power of hate groups is an incredibly difficult task,” she wrote in July. “Indeed, one could argue that it is a defining challenge of the present moment.”


csmonitor--2020-11-19--A chance to redo the past in ‘Before the Coffee Gets Cold’

Originally debuting onstage in Japan , “ Before the Coffee Gets Cold ” won praise and awards for its playwright , Toshikazu Kawaguchi .
Its popularity inspired Kawaguchi to adapt the play into his first novel in 2015 , producing a quirky , sigh-inducingly satisfying read that became an international bestseller .
A film adaptation followed in 2018 .
This month , the English edition translated by Australian Geoffrey Trousselot finally arrives stateside , ready to charm American audiences .
Welcome to Funiculi Funicula , a small café in a narrow back alley in Tokyo , established in 1874 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ has changed beyond the requisite addition of electricity .
A married couple , Kei and Nagare , are the current owners , while Nagare ’ s cousin , Kazu , a university student , helps out when she ’ s not in school .
Regular customers casually wander in and out with familiar ease , with the exception of a woman in a white dress who is always seated in the same seat at the same table , most often absorbed in reading her book , “ The Lovers.
” She is , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to follow the café ’ s most important rule – to finish drinking before the coffee gets cold .
Funiculi Funicula is no ordinary café .
That certain chair at that certain table is actually a time portal .
Only when its usual occupant vacates the seat to visit the restroom ( yes , even ghosts need relief ) can a ( living ) customer attempt a temporary visit .
The rules are many , but the most important is tied to the coffee : Travel commences when Kazu pours a fresh cup @ @ @ @ @ @ @ permanent specter , the traveler must conclude the short visit and drain the cup before the liquid becomes cold .
While time can be defied , the present will not , can not be , changed .
In four intertwined chapters , Kawaguchi invites readers to accompany four intrepid adventurers who desire a second chance at a crucial conversation in their lives .
No-nonsense businesswoman Fumiko is desperate to be more open and vulnerable during her last meeting with her boyfriend Goro before he makes a job transfer to the U.S. Nurse Kohtake @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her husband Fusagi before Alzheimer ’ s made him forget too much – including her .
Bar owner Hirai needs to talk to her younger sister Kumi , whom she ’ s been avoiding for too many years .
And then co-owner Kei , who is pregnant , wants a glimpse into the future to meet her unborn child .
As a first-time novelist , Kawaguchi ’ s writing isn ’ t quite comparable ( yet ? )
to some of his globally revered compatriots – think Haruki Murakami , Yoko Tawada , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ His narrative is occasionally uneven and tends to meander – readers might like to know why Kazu is the only one able to pour the brew , for example , while the description of Hirai ’ s family ’ s historic business could have skipped a few irrelevant details .
The new author is also sometimes repetitive , and his sentences aren ’ t always exactly elegant .
And yet , where Kawaguchi excels is undoubtedly more essential : He has a surprising , unerring ability to find lasting emotional resonance .
Interwoven @ @ @ @ @ @ @ escape are existential conundrums of love and loss , family and freedom , life and death .
“ [ N ] o matter what difficulties people face , ” Kazu muses at book ’ s end , “ they will always have the strength to overcome them .
It just takes heart .
And if the chair can change someone ’ s heart , it clearly has its purpose.
” That purpose is indeed clear , and audiences worldwide seem ready for more .
A sequel , “ Before Your Memory Fades , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Also translated by Trousselot and titled “ Tales from the Café ” for English readers , the book is already available in other predominantly English-speaking countries including Britain and Australia .
The U.S. edition is hopefully soon to follow , complete with Kazu ’ s warning admonition : “ ’ Drink the coffee before it gets cold .
’ ”

Originally debuting onstage in Japan, “Before the Coffee Gets Cold” won praise and awards for its playwright, Toshikazu Kawaguchi. Its popularity inspired Kawaguchi to adapt the play into his first novel in 2015, producing a quirky, sigh-inducingly satisfying read that became an international bestseller. A film adaptation followed in 2018. This month, the English edition translated by Australian Geoffrey Trousselot finally arrives stateside, ready to charm American audiences.
Welcome to Funiculi Funicula, a small café in a narrow back alley in Tokyo, established in 1874. Beyond a few minor renovations, little has changed beyond the requisite addition of electricity. A married couple, Kei and Nagare, are the current owners, while Nagare’s cousin, Kazu, a university student, helps out when she’s not in school.
Regular customers casually wander in and out with familiar ease, with the exception of a woman in a white dress who is always seated in the same seat at the same table, most often absorbed in reading her book, “The Lovers.” She is, in fact, a ghost who neglected to follow the café’s most important rule – to finish drinking before the coffee gets cold.
Funiculi Funicula is no ordinary café. That certain chair at that certain table is actually a time portal. Only when its usual occupant vacates the seat to visit the restroom (yes, even ghosts need relief) can a (living) customer attempt a temporary visit. The rules are many, but the most important is tied to the coffee: Travel commences when Kazu pours a fresh cup of java; to avoid becoming a permanent specter, the traveler must conclude the short visit and drain the cup before the liquid becomes cold. While time can be defied, the present will not, cannot be, changed.
In four intertwined chapters, Kawaguchi invites readers to accompany four intrepid adventurers who desire a second chance at a crucial conversation in their lives. No-nonsense businesswoman Fumiko is desperate to be more open and vulnerable during her last meeting with her boyfriend Goro before he makes a job transfer to the U.S. Nurse Kohtake wants one more opportunity to talk to her husband Fusagi before Alzheimer’s made him forget too much – including her. Bar owner Hirai needs to talk to her younger sister Kumi, whom she’s been avoiding for too many years. And then co-owner Kei, who is pregnant, wants a glimpse into the future to meet her unborn child.
As a first-time novelist, Kawaguchi’s writing isn’t quite comparable (yet?) to some of his globally revered compatriots – think Haruki Murakami, Yoko Tawada, Banana Yoshimoto, and Kenzaburō Ōe. His narrative is occasionally uneven and tends to meander – readers might like to know why Kazu is the only one able to pour the brew, for example, while the description of Hirai’s family’s historic business could have skipped a few irrelevant details. The new author is also sometimes repetitive, and his sentences aren’t always exactly elegant.
And yet, where Kawaguchi excels is undoubtedly more essential: He has a surprising, unerring ability to find lasting emotional resonance. Interwoven into what initially feels like a whimsical escape are existential conundrums of love and loss, family and freedom, life and death. “[N]o matter what difficulties people face,” Kazu muses at book’s end, “they will always have the strength to overcome them. It just takes heart. And if the chair can change someone’s heart, it clearly has its purpose.”
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That purpose is indeed clear, and audiences worldwide seem ready for more. A sequel, “Before Your Memory Fades,” hit shelves in 2018 in Japan. Also translated by Trousselot and titled “Tales from the Café” for English readers, the book is already available in other predominantly English-speaking countries including Britain and Australia. The U.S. edition is hopefully soon to follow, complete with Kazu’s warning admonition: “Drink the coffee before it gets cold.”
Terry Hong writes BookDragon, a book blog for the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center.


csmonitor--2020-11-19--‘Cassius X’ captures the spiritual awakening of Muhammad Ali

Muhammad Ali will forever be an icon of the boxing world , but what is less known is his conversion to Islam .
The dramatic evolution of his beliefs and the symbolic shifting of his name from Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. to Cassius X is the focus of Stuart Cosgrove 's penetrating “ Cassius X : The Transformation of Muhammad Ali.
” The story begins and ends in Miami ; in 1963 , Olympic medalist Clay had spent two years training in the city with his sights set on becoming the heavyweight champion of the world .
In short order @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out his most fearsome opponent , Sonny Liston , during their February 1964 match in South Beach .
That victory is still one of the biggest upsets in sports history .
Liston was widely thought to be the favorite , and Clay had spent the years since winning gold in 1960 developing a reputation for his braggadocio , famously boasting , “ I am the greatest.
” Many viewers were betting that Clay ’ s bark was worse than his bite .
As Cosgrove ’ s book suggests , Clay ’ s famous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ representation of his personality , but rather a persona crafted with a staggering amount of media savvy .
Carefully curated matches in which the newcomer was sure to triumph and a close relationship with the press helped to boost his rising star .
Clay provided the zippy one-liners , and the newspapers kept publishing what turned out to be media gold .
Beyond his boxing skill and his reputation as “ The Louisville Lip , ” he also had a deep understanding of the power of photography , setting up photo ops like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Clay claimed that he trained underwater to keep himself in shape .
He didn ’ t – in fact , he couldn ’ t even swim .
The impressive underwater photo shoot fooled the press and resulted in a gallery of indelible images .
While Clay was publicly working toward becoming heavyweight champion and a bonafide celebrity , he was also having a private transformation of his religious beliefs after being introduced to the Nation of Islam .
He was briefly mentored by Malcolm X , a spokesman for the organization at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before his full conversion that Cassius privately shed his surname , or slave name , to mark that “ Clay ” belonged to the family that once enslaved his ancestors .
He used his new name , Cassius X , only within his inner circle ; his team was concerned that public opinion regarding his religion would affect ticket sales .
Cosgrove presents this window of time – from roughly 1961 through 1964 – as Cassius Clay first became Cassius X and then eventually Muhammad Ali , and skillfully provides all the context @ @ @ @ @ @ @ understanding of the cultural moment both inside and outside of the boxing ring .
These were big years in America , during which ongoing racial tensions flared and President John F. Kennedy was assassinated .
The addition of these historical details is appropriate given Clay ’ s later tendency to be outspoken on social and political issues , and serves to illustrate that the phenomenon of sports stars getting political is hardly new .
In the preface , the author acknowledges that this book could be considered a prequel to his trilogy on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : The Year That Changed Soul , ” “ Memphis 68 : The Tragedy of Southern Soul , ” and “ Harlem 69 : The Future of Soul ” ) .
Indeed , interspersed throughout `` Cassius X '' are lengthy discussions about soul music and notable artists of the period .
In contrast to the contextual information provided elsewhere in the text , these sections prove to be more distracting than enriching ; the links between soul music and the famous boxer don ’ t prove to be solid enough to make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the text , Cosgove ’ s approach is solid and illuminating .
His command of the subject matter is evident and his storytelling skill is on full display as he chronicles the remarkable transformation of Cassius Clay into Muhummad Ali .

Muhammad Ali will forever be an icon of the boxing world, but what is less known is his conversion to Islam. The dramatic evolution of his beliefs and the symbolic shifting of his name from Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. to Cassius X is the focus of Stuart Cosgrove's penetrating “Cassius X: The Transformation of Muhammad Ali.”
The story begins and ends in Miami; in 1963, Olympic medalist Clay had spent two years training in the city with his sights set on becoming the heavyweight champion of the world. In short order, he achieved this goal by knocking out his most fearsome opponent, Sonny Liston, during their February 1964 match in South Beach.
That victory is still one of the biggest upsets in sports history. Liston was widely thought to be the favorite, and Clay had spent the years since winning gold in 1960 developing a reputation for his braggadocio, famously boasting, “I am the greatest.” Many viewers were betting that Clay’s bark was worse than his bite.
As Cosgrove’s book suggests, Clay’s famous swagger may not have been the truest representation of his personality, but rather a persona crafted with a staggering amount of media savvy. Carefully curated matches in which the newcomer was sure to triumph and a close relationship with the press helped to boost his rising star. Clay provided the zippy one-liners, and the newspapers kept publishing what turned out to be media gold.
Beyond his boxing skill and his reputation as “The Louisville Lip,” he also had a deep understanding of the power of photography, setting up photo ops like his 1961 shoot with Life magazine. Clay claimed that he trained underwater to keep himself in shape. He didn’t – in fact, he couldn’t even swim. The impressive underwater photo shoot fooled the press and resulted in a gallery of indelible images.
While Clay was publicly working toward becoming heavyweight champion and a bonafide celebrity, he was also having a private transformation of his religious beliefs after being introduced to the Nation of Islam. He was briefly mentored by Malcolm X, a spokesman for the organization at the time. It was during this period before his full conversion that Cassius privately shed his surname, or slave name, to mark that “Clay” belonged to the family that once enslaved his ancestors. He used his new name, Cassius X, only within his inner circle; his team was concerned that public opinion regarding his religion would affect ticket sales.
Cosgrove presents this window of time – from roughly 1961 through 1964 – as Cassius Clay first became Cassius X and then eventually Muhammad Ali, and skillfully provides all the context required to give the reader the fullest understanding of the cultural moment both inside and outside of the boxing ring. These were big years in America, during which ongoing racial tensions flared and President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. The addition of these historical details is appropriate given Clay’s later tendency to be outspoken on social and political issues, and serves to illustrate that the phenomenon of sports stars getting political is hardly new.
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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.
In the preface, the author acknowledges that this book could be considered a prequel to his trilogy on soul music (including “Detroit 67: The Year That Changed Soul,” “Memphis 68: The Tragedy of Southern Soul,” and “Harlem 69: The Future of Soul”). Indeed, interspersed throughout "Cassius X" are lengthy discussions about soul music and notable artists of the period. In contrast to the contextual information provided elsewhere in the text, these sections prove to be more distracting than enriching; the links between soul music and the famous boxer don’t prove to be solid enough to make a harmonious blend.
Everywhere else in the text, Cosgove’s approach is solid and illuminating. His command of the subject matter is evident and his storytelling skill is on full display as he chronicles the remarkable transformation of Cassius Clay into Muhummad Ali.


csmonitor--2020-11-19--Ski resorts expect a busy season. Can they find enough workers?

“ We ’ re still in the early days of our recruiting but we ’ re liking what we ’ re seeing , ” said Dave Fields , president of Snowbird Resort in Utah .
“ People want to work outside in a healthy environment , to be in the mountains.
” A visa ban by the Trump administration means that , for this season , ski facilities are recruiting closer to home .
One focus is on college students who have some flexibility due to online classes or lengthened winter breaks .
A key challenge for industry is staffing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ visas brings about 7,000 workers from other nations – often students from the Southern Hemisphere who are on their summer breaks .
“ People are excited to have this ability to have a respite from everything they ’ ve been dealing with the last several months , ” said Ryan Huff of Vail Resorts , which has several Colorado ski mountains open already .
As ski resorts start to open for a new season , the coronavirus pandemic has prompted protocols such as socially distanced lift lines and reduced capacity for indoor dining @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Americans ’ desire to get out of their houses and into fresh air .
Last winter , Angella Reyes spent every day working with a panoramic view of blue skies and snow-capped Smoky Mountains of Idaho .
Ms. Reyes , a university student studying architecture from Lima , Peru , spent her Southern Hemisphere summer break working as a dishwasher and pre-cook at a mountaintop eatery on Bald Mountain at Sun Valley Resort in Ketchum , Idaho .
“ The people I met , the weather , the place was beautiful , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beautiful experience that I will never forget.
” But Ms. Reyes won ’ t return to Sun Valley this season , she said , due to President Donald Trump ’ s June 22 executive order to freeze some federal foreign visa programs – in efforts to promote job opportunities for Americans after unemployment skyrocketed due to the outbreak of COVID-19 .
“ I really feel bad because I miss Sun Valley so much , ” Ms. Reyes said .
About 7,000 international seasonal workers like Ms. Reyes , usually from countries in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every year , making up 5 % to 10 % of the seasonal workforce at 470 resorts in 37 states , according to estimates from the National Ski Areas Association ( NSAA ) .
With the more limited pool of workers available this year , U.S. ski resorts have been forced to make alternative recruiting plans .
And with American consumers showing strong demand to be out on the slopes , the good news is that resorts are seeing an uptick in job applications from young people who don ’ t need to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ students and high school graduates who are deferring school for a year or taking online classes due to the impact of COVID-19 .
“ We ’ re still in the early days of our recruiting but we ’ re liking what we ’ re seeing , ” said Dave Fields , president and general manager of Snowbird Resort in Utah .
“ People want to work outside in a healthy environment , to be in the mountains.
” Snowbird has had difficulty filling all seasonal positions in past winters , even with about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Mr. Fields .
“ That ’ s not as many as some resorts , but they play a pivotal role in our operations because many are returning year after year , ” he said .
This year , he anticipates the resort will be able to hire staff in every position because the resort has received significant interest from locals .
Colleges across the U.S. are ending their in-person fall semesters once students go home for Thanksgiving and finishing their courses online until winter break to limit travel to and from campuses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are free from schoolwork .
But Dave Byrd , NSAA director of risk and regulation , said the extended winter break and flexibility with online classes are contributing to increased interest in working at ski resorts .
“ We have ironically and unexpectedly been able to take advantage of college students , ” Mr. Byrd said .
In a typical year , international workers include holders of J-1 visas who fill entry-level jobs such as operating lifts , busing in lodge restaurants , maintenance , and other hospitality positions .
Others are H-2B @ @ @ @ @ @ @ field , such as ski instructors or chefs at resorts .
Now that Joe Biden has won the 2020 U.S. presidential election , Mr. Byrd said the NSAA anticipates he will not renew the visa ban – set to expire at the end of 2020 – when he takes office in January 2021 .
Several court cases have also challenged the order – the most recent of which on Oct. 1 , when a U.S. District Court judge in California suspended the visa ban .
There are still barriers standing between ski resorts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in time for this season .
Ryan Huff , communications director at Vail Resorts , which owns 34 resorts in North America , said Vail is not pursuing international workers at this time , and is focusing its hiring efforts in local communities , many of which have shown interest .
The recruiting efforts could help resorts meet what appears to be strong demand .
“ Everything that we ’ re seeing points to a demand for outdoor recreation , also because open air activities tend to have a lower risk of transmission @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , director of marketing and communications for NSAA .
“ That ’ s huge for your mental and physical health as well , and skiing can offer people that opportunity.
” Ski resorts have new health protocols , such as socially distanced lift lines , reduced capacity in dining locations , and crowd limits on the slopes .
Despite the pandemic , Vail Resorts was able to mention an 18 % rise in season pass sales in a September 2020 earnings report , compared with that same time last year .
Sales may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ purchase passes ahead of time , but some experts still credit the demand to a desire to get outdoors this winter after pandemic lockdowns .
“ People are excited to have this ability to have a respite from everything they ’ ve been dealing with the last several months , ” said Mr. Huff at Vail Resorts , which has several of its ski mountains open already .
For Ms. Reyes in Peru , several factors still stand in the way of her ability to work at Sun Valley for another season .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a nationwide rise in coronavirus cases , but for now they are hopeful .
“ If the public health realities continue to be in their favor – that ’ s key – we think it could actually be a decent season for them , ” said Ms. Isaac of the industry association .
“ Maybe not a record one but a good one , all things considered.
” Editor ’ s note : As a public service , we have removed our paywall for all pandemic-related stories .

“We’re still in the early days of our recruiting but we’re liking what we’re seeing,” said Dave Fields, president of Snowbird Resort in Utah. “People want to work outside in a healthy environment, to be in the mountains.”
A visa ban by the Trump administration means that, for this season, ski facilities are recruiting closer to home. One focus is on college students who have some flexibility due to online classes or lengthened winter breaks.
A key challenge for industry is staffing. Typically, a system of temporary visas brings about 7,000 workers from other nations – often students from the Southern Hemisphere who are on their summer breaks.
Even in a pandemic, people want to get outdoors. That dynamic may help ski resorts survive, but they are having to look closer to home for their staff.
“People are excited to have this ability to have a respite from everything they’ve been dealing with the last several months,” said Ryan Huff of Vail Resorts, which has several Colorado ski mountains open already.
As ski resorts start to open for a new season, the coronavirus pandemic has prompted protocols such as socially distanced lift lines and reduced capacity for indoor dining. Yet the industry is also benefiting from Americans’ desire to get out of their houses and into fresh air.
Last winter, Angella Reyes spent every day working with a panoramic view of blue skies and snow-capped Smoky Mountains of Idaho.
Ms. Reyes, a university student studying architecture from Lima, Peru, spent her Southern Hemisphere summer break working as a dishwasher and pre-cook at a mountaintop eatery on Bald Mountain at Sun Valley Resort in Ketchum, Idaho.
“The people I met, the weather, the place was beautiful,” Ms. Reyes said. “A beautiful experience that I will never forget.”
Why We Wrote This Even in a pandemic, people want to get outdoors. That dynamic may help ski resorts survive, but they are having to look closer to home for their staff.
But Ms. Reyes won’t return to Sun Valley this season, she said, due to President Donald Trump’s June 22 executive order to freeze some federal foreign visa programs – in efforts to promote job opportunities for Americans after unemployment skyrocketed due to the outbreak of COVID-19.
“I really feel bad because I miss Sun Valley so much,” Ms. Reyes said.
About 7,000 international seasonal workers like Ms. Reyes, usually from countries in the Southern Hemisphere, travel to the U.S. every year, making up 5% to 10% of the seasonal workforce at 470 resorts in 37 states, according to estimates from the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA).
With the more limited pool of workers available this year, U.S. ski resorts have been forced to make alternative recruiting plans. And with American consumers showing strong demand to be out on the slopes, the good news is that resorts are seeing an uptick in job applications from young people who don’t need to cross international borders. Some are college students and high school graduates who are deferring school for a year or taking online classes due to the impact of COVID-19.
“We’re still in the early days of our recruiting but we’re liking what we’re seeing,” said Dave Fields, president and general manager of Snowbird Resort in Utah. “People want to work outside in a healthy environment, to be in the mountains.”
Snowbird has had difficulty filling all seasonal positions in past winters, even with about 120 international workers last year, according to Mr. Fields. “That’s not as many as some resorts, but they play a pivotal role in our operations because many are returning year after year,” he said.
This year, he anticipates the resort will be able to hire staff in every position because the resort has received significant interest from locals.
The search for workers
Colleges across the U.S. are ending their in-person fall semesters once students go home for Thanksgiving and finishing their courses online until winter break to limit travel to and from campuses.
That doesn’t mean students are free from schoolwork. But Dave Byrd, NSAA director of risk and regulation, said the extended winter break and flexibility with online classes are contributing to increased interest in working at ski resorts.
“We have ironically and unexpectedly been able to take advantage of college students,” Mr. Byrd said.
In a typical year, international workers include holders of J-1 visas who fill entry-level jobs such as operating lifts, busing in lodge restaurants, maintenance, and other hospitality positions. Others are H-2B visa holders, usually professionals in their field, such as ski instructors or chefs at resorts.
Courtesy of Angella Reyes View caption Hide caption Angella Reyes, a university student from Lima, Peru, visited Hot Springs, Idaho, in February 2020. She was using her Southern Hemisphere summer break to work as a dishwasher and pre-cook at Sun Valley Resort in Ketchum, Idaho. Ms. Reyes can't work there again this season due to pandemic-related visa restrictions.
Now that Joe Biden has won the 2020 U.S. presidential election, Mr. Byrd said the NSAA anticipates he will not renew the visa ban – set to expire at the end of 2020 – when he takes office in January 2021.
Several court cases have also challenged the order – the most recent of which on Oct. 1, when a U.S. District Court judge in California suspended the visa ban. There are still barriers standing between ski resorts and their ability to hire international workers in time for this season.
Ryan Huff, communications director at Vail Resorts, which owns 34 resorts in North America, said Vail is not pursuing international workers at this time, and is focusing its hiring efforts in local communities, many of which have shown interest.
A strong season ahead?
The recruiting efforts could help resorts meet what appears to be strong demand.
“Everything that we’re seeing points to a demand for outdoor recreation, also because open air activities tend to have a lower risk of transmission of COVID,” said Adrienne Isaac, director of marketing and communications for NSAA. “That’s huge for your mental and physical health as well, and skiing can offer people that opportunity.”
Ski resorts have new health protocols, such as socially distanced lift lines, reduced capacity in dining locations, and crowd limits on the slopes.
Despite the pandemic, Vail Resorts was able to mention an 18% rise in season pass sales in a September 2020 earnings report, compared with that same time last year. Sales may have increased due to new requirements to purchase passes ahead of time, but some experts still credit the demand to a desire to get outdoors this winter after pandemic lockdowns.
“People are excited to have this ability to have a respite from everything they’ve been dealing with the last several months,” said Mr. Huff at Vail Resorts, which has several of its ski mountains open already.
For Ms. Reyes in Peru, several factors still stand in the way of her ability to work at Sun Valley for another season. For ski resorts, one big uncertainty is a nationwide rise in coronavirus cases, but for now they are hopeful.
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“If the public health realities continue to be in their favor – that’s key – we think it could actually be a decent season for them,” said Ms. Isaac of the industry association. “Maybe not a record one but a good one, all things considered.”
Editor’s note: As a public service, we have removed our paywall for all pandemic-related stories.


csmonitor--2020-11-19--America’s new pastime: Police reform

America’s new pastime: Police reform

When a society turns to finger-pointing , which seems to be a pastime in America these days , the rush to blame can obscure progress .
Partisan battles over the pandemic , protests over racial injustice , and contested election results portray , to one point of view , a house divided .
Yet plenty of evidence exists that American society is striving to be more democratic and compassionate .
The most obvious example is the diligent effort by local officials and countless volunteers to ensure an orderly , fair , and transparent election .
A less apparent but no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reform police departments in order to prevent unjust killings like that of George Floyd last May .
Ten cities and four counties put 20 police reform measures on the Nov. 3 ballot across eight states .
Voters approved all of them .
Those initiatives are by no means a complete list of the reforms underway .
Local governing councils across the country are taking steps without direct voter initiative .
These efforts include both new and old ideas .
In Los Angeles County , Measure J will divert at least 10 % of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ community development ” and to alternatives to incarceration .
In San Francisco , Proposition E will remove mandatory levels for police staffing from the city charter .
Other measures around the United States require dash and body cameras for police , ban chokeholds , and rule out “ no knock ” warrants .
The most popular reform involves closer citizen review of police policies and actions through advisory commissions .
Such scrutiny is supported by President-elect Joe Biden .
Such commissions are not new .
There are more than 150 nationwide .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ political power of police unions that often lead to the protection of errant officers .
There is a growing consensus to make the commissions stronger and more diverse .
Polls show a majority of Americans seek to strengthen rather than “ defund ” police departments .
“ For me , it ’ s about the kind of world we want to leave behind and how policing would look 10 or 20 years from now , ” the Rev .
Mark Kelly Tyler , a co-director of Power Interfaith in Philadelphia , told Vox @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Royster , is more succinct .
“ I think the community wants healing , ” he told the Los Angeles Times .
The recent videos of fatal encounters between police and civilians have stirred action to reduce an experience far too common for Black citizens .
A new space has opened to understand and address the way America ’ s racial history has shaped policing .
Yet just as important is what police face on the streets .
In the two weeks since the election , there have been more than 2,500 incidents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Gun Violence Archive .
Of those , 22 resulted in four or more individuals being shot – the definition of a mass shooting .
Gun sales have surged over the past year .
Just since the election , 15 officers have been shot or killed in the line of duty .
From the streets to the ballot box to city hall , this year has brought overdue scrutiny to American law enforcement .
Debates over how officers conduct themselves on the beat should ripen into new partnerships between citizens and police .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ than demonizing the protesters of police brutality .
Reimagining the nature of policing in a just and compassionate society is a project all Americans can serve and protect .

When a society turns to finger-pointing, which seems to be a pastime in America these days, the rush to blame can obscure progress. Partisan battles over the pandemic, protests over racial injustice, and contested election results portray, to one point of view, a house divided.
Yet plenty of evidence exists that American society is striving to be more democratic and compassionate. The most obvious example is the diligent effort by local officials and countless volunteers to ensure an orderly, fair, and transparent election. A less apparent but no less significant example is the momentum to reform police departments in order to prevent unjust killings like that of George Floyd last May.
Ten cities and four counties put 20 police reform measures on the Nov. 3 ballot across eight states. Voters approved all of them. Those initiatives are by no means a complete list of the reforms underway. Local governing councils across the country are taking steps without direct voter initiative.
These efforts include both new and old ideas. In Los Angeles County, Measure J will divert at least 10% of the county’s general fund to “community development” and to alternatives to incarceration. In San Francisco, Proposition E will remove mandatory levels for police staffing from the city charter. Other measures around the United States require dash and body cameras for police, ban chokeholds, and rule out “no knock” warrants.
The most popular reform involves closer citizen review of police policies and actions through advisory commissions. Such scrutiny is supported by President-elect Joe Biden. Such commissions are not new. There are more than 150 nationwide. Many serve as a check on the political power of police unions that often lead to the protection of errant officers. There is a growing consensus to make the commissions stronger and more diverse.
Polls show a majority of Americans seek to strengthen rather than “defund” police departments. “For me, it’s about the kind of world we want to leave behind and how policing would look 10 or 20 years from now,” the Rev. Mark Kelly Tyler, a co-director of Power Interfaith in Philadelphia, told Vox News.
His colleague, Bishop Dwayne Royster, is more succinct. “I think the community wants healing,” he told the Los Angeles Times.
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empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
The recent videos of fatal encounters between police and civilians have stirred action to reduce an experience far too common for Black citizens. A new space has opened to understand and address the way America’s racial history has shaped policing. Yet just as important is what police face on the streets. In the two weeks since the election, there have been more than 2,500 incidents of violence involving guns, according to the Gun Violence Archive. Of those, 22 resulted in four or more individuals being shot – the definition of a mass shooting. Gun sales have surged over the past year. Just since the election, 15 officers have been shot or killed in the line of duty.
From the streets to the ballot box to city hall, this year has brought overdue scrutiny to American law enforcement. Debates over how officers conduct themselves on the beat should ripen into new partnerships between citizens and police. Demonizing the police is no more productive than demonizing the protesters of police brutality. Reimagining the nature of policing in a just and compassionate society is a project all Americans can serve and protect.