csmonitor--2020-10-26--Homeless and trying to learn in a pandemic: What some students face

Says Christine Quinn of the nonprofit Win , which has provided digital devices and tech support to children : “ It ’ s past time for the city to step up and provide homeless students , at a minimum , with reliable IT support ... social workers , paraprofessionals , and functioning technology.
” Issues like these are partly why New York City schools have resumed some in-person instruction .
Also , the city ’ s Department of Education has been pursuing a variety of initiatives , such as employing support staff in shelters and schools and assigning a dedicated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now homeless students are facing amplified challenges , many of which have been brought on by remote learning .
A lot of shelters have dead zones that render useless the digital devices that students have been issued .
In addition , typical shelter policies forbid children from being on-site without the parent – a rule that gets complicated when the parent is working and the children are supposed to learn online .
There are 114,000 homeless students in New York City .
That ’ s more people than the population of Green Bay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , these students faced roadblocks that their classmates couldn ’ t imagine .
Rosa Febo and her daughter , Melanie Bergos , are used to traveling for school .
After they moved into a Queens homeless shelter in 2018 , it would take 90 minutes to get to Melanie ’ s school in Harlem – two buses and two trains .
They ’ d wake at 5:30 a.m. and get home about 9 at night , shortly before curfew .
They eventually got a studio apartment in Harlem , only 20 minutes to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this apartment had a table where Melanie could do homework .
But then March hit , and Melanie ’ s school closed along with almost 2,000 other public schools in New York City , the largest school district in the United States .
Now the 2020-21 school year is in session , and parents , teachers , and students are concerned .
Currently in seventh grade , Melanie is joining almost half of public school students who are logging on for school every day rather than attending in person .
Or at least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Links often don ’ t connect , and city-issued iPads don ’ t easily mesh with school programs .
Some days Melanie has just two hours of school instruction – sometimes live , sometimes by recorded video .
“ She gets frustrated .
Everything is so messed up , ” says Ms. Febo .
“ What can you possibly learn in two hours ?
” Long before the pandemic closed schools in March , homeless students faced roadblocks their classmates couldn ’ t imagine .
Scant connectivity meant doing homework on iPhones @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made it hard to concentrate .
Bureaucracy led to persistent school absences .
Round trips could take three hours .
New York City schools are among a growing number of the nation ’ s largest districts to resume , or attempt to resume , at least some in-person learning , with classes once or more a week for its approximately 1.1 million pupils .
Part of the reason the city is forging ahead : its 114,000 homeless students .
That ’ s more people than the population of Green Bay , Wisconsin .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , structure , social services , food , socialization , continuity of care , relationship building , and security .
“ COVID further exposed a fragile safety net and the inability for the system to provide comprehensive services and care to the most vulnerable , ” says Eric Weingartner , CEO of the Broome Street Academy , a charter high school where many students are homeless or have vulnerable housing situations .
“ COVID made access harder , eliminated access to many services , and further fractured a decentralized system.
” About 13,500 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to the city ’ s Department of Homeless Services .
The rest crowd in with friends or relatives , like Ms. Febo and Melanie first had done .
Of those families in shelters , about one-third have a parent who works .
While getting parents back to work is a big reason the city is proceeding with in-person classes , the city ’ s schooling options are putting many of those parents in a bind .
Basically , city parents have two options : Have their children go 100 % remote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ instruction at home , like Melanie .
Or the children can go to the school building from one to three days per week ( depending on the school ) and learn online the rest of the time .
Under the best of circumstances , just about every New York City schoolchild will be online for class at least twice a week .
Though the city has distributed 345,000 internet-enabled iPads since March and schools another 500,000 Wi-Fi enabled laptops or tablets , many shelters have dead zones that render them useless .
For @ @ @ @ @ @ @ family or friends , Wi-Fi networks are quickly overburdened when several children are online simultaneously .
Even when devices can connect , there are problems .
Melanie has two iPads from the city , but they don ’ t work well with her school ’ s system .
So she works on her brother ’ s laptop and gets the internet via cable .
Ms. Febo owes the cable company $ 400 and worries about how Melanie will go online if her service is cut .
Cell reception in her apartment is so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the hall outside .
The nonprofit Win runs 11 family shelters across New York City , more than any other private group .
It has provided iPads , laptops , and hot spots to children .
The group also has hired in-house tech support to help children with city-issued devices that don ’ t work as they should .
“ It ’ s past time for the city to step up and provide homeless students , at a minimum , with reliable IT support ... social workers , paraprofessionals , and functioning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president and CEO of Win .
“ At Win , we ’ ve been working tirelessly to ensure that our students can succeed as long as schools remain closed .
... We shouldn ’ t have to do this alone.
” Observers note that the city ’ s Department of Education is trying : providing grab-and-go meals around New York for children whose primary meal is at school , allowing schools to tweak their models based on student needs , employing support staff in shelters and schools , loaning devices , and assigning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Typical shelter policies forbid children from being on-site without the parent , so the city also is funding Learning Bridges , a child care program where pre-K through eighth grade children in the hybrid model ( some in-person learning , some remote ) can go when they ’ re not in school .
There are about 30,000 Learning Bridges seats now , with 100,000 spots planned by December .
Homeless children have priority , but so do other groups .
Given the rule that no one under age 18 can be in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are calling for policy changes or an off-site program for high schoolers .
The Department of Homeless Services says decisions regarding unaccompanied high schoolers studying solo in shelters will be assessed on a case-by-case basis .
Though the best way to help homeless students is to find them homes , advocates say less expensive remedies could help in the meantime , such as extra bilingual support for parents , a dedicated IT person at each shelter , and common space where students can work .
Extra social and emotional support for these students @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , has also been called for .
Additional educational support could help narrow the gap as well , says Robert Mascali , former deputy commissioner of the Department of Homeless Services and former vice president of supportive housing at Win .
He suggests the Department of Education bring in City University of New York tutors , many of whom come from low-income families and could become role models .
“ People have been pushing these programs for years .
[ They ’ re ] going to pay dividends .
This is the future @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get the [ children ] educated now , ” Mr. Mascali says .
While he agrees that such programs will be expensive in a time of tight budgets and will require a change in procedure , “ if it takes three , six , nine months , or a year , every journey starts with one step.
” With so many students and a situation so exceptional , face-to-face reopening was bound to be difficult .
In September , for example , the city delayed school openings .
Unknowns and last-minute changes are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re incredibly hard on homeless families , says Jacquelyn Simone , policy analyst at the Coalition for the Homeless .
“ Not everyone comes up in ‘ ideal circumstances , ’ ” says Bronx middle school teacher Rosanna Perch , in a text message .
“ Some kids have issues , and none of these are their fault .
I am not going to blame their families , either .
Each child that I teach is a valuable part of our community ; each one of them has so much promise .
”

Says Christine Quinn of the nonprofit Win, which has provided digital devices and tech support to children: “It’s past time for the city to step up and provide homeless students, at a minimum, with reliable IT support ... social workers, paraprofessionals, and functioning technology.”
Issues like these are partly why New York City schools have resumed some in-person instruction. Also, the city’s Department of Education has been pursuing a variety of initiatives, such as employing support staff in shelters and schools and assigning a dedicated technology person at each school.
For many homeless students, school represents structure, continuity of care, and security. These students are one reason that New York City schools, which make up the nation’s largest district, are now forging ahead with some in-person learning.
And now homeless students are facing amplified challenges, many of which have been brought on by remote learning. A lot of shelters have dead zones that render useless the digital devices that students have been issued. In addition, typical shelter policies forbid children from being on-site without the parent – a rule that gets complicated when the parent is working and the children are supposed to learn online.
There are 114,000 homeless students in New York City. That’s more people than the population of Green Bay, Wisconsin. Long before the pandemic, these students faced roadblocks that their classmates couldn’t imagine.
Rosa Febo and her daughter, Melanie Bergos, are used to traveling for school. After they moved into a Queens homeless shelter in 2018, it would take 90 minutes to get to Melanie’s school in Harlem – two buses and two trains. They’d wake at 5:30 a.m. and get home about 9 at night, shortly before curfew. They eventually got a studio apartment in Harlem, only 20 minutes to school. Unlike at the shelter, this apartment had a table where Melanie could do homework.
But then March hit, and Melanie’s school closed along with almost 2,000 other public schools in New York City, the largest school district in the United States. Now the 2020-21 school year is in session, and parents, teachers, and students are concerned.
Currently in seventh grade, Melanie is joining almost half of public school students who are logging on for school every day rather than attending in person. Or at least she’s trying to log on. Links often don’t connect, and city-issued iPads don’t easily mesh with school programs. Some days Melanie has just two hours of school instruction – sometimes live, sometimes by recorded video. “She gets frustrated. Everything is so messed up,” says Ms. Febo. “What can you possibly learn in two hours?”
Why We Wrote This For many homeless students, school represents structure, continuity of care, and security. These students are one reason that New York City schools, which make up the nation’s largest district, are now forging ahead with some in-person learning.
Long before the pandemic closed schools in March, homeless students faced roadblocks their classmates couldn’t imagine. Scant connectivity meant doing homework on iPhones. Overcrowding and lack of quiet space made it hard to concentrate. Bureaucracy led to persistent school absences. Round trips could take three hours.
New York City schools are among a growing number of the nation’s largest districts to resume, or attempt to resume, at least some in-person learning, with classes once or more a week for its approximately 1.1 million pupils. Part of the reason the city is forging ahead: its 114,000 homeless students. That’s more people than the population of Green Bay, Wisconsin. For these students, school provides consistency, structure, social services, food, socialization, continuity of care, relationship building, and security.
“COVID further exposed a fragile safety net and the inability for the system to provide comprehensive services and care to the most vulnerable,” says Eric Weingartner, CEO of the Broome Street Academy, a charter high school where many students are homeless or have vulnerable housing situations. “COVID made access harder, eliminated access to many services, and further fractured a decentralized system.”
Melanie Stetson Freeman/Staff View caption Hide caption Eric Weingartner, CEO of the Broome Street Academy, stands by a mural, Oct. 5, 2020, in New York. The Broome Street Academy is a tuition-free public charter high school with an admissions policy that gives preference to students who are homeless, in foster care, or from low-performing schools.
About 13,500 school-age children sleep in shelters each night, according to the city’s Department of Homeless Services. The rest crowd in with friends or relatives, like Ms. Febo and Melanie first had done.
Of those families in shelters, about one-third have a parent who works. While getting parents back to work is a big reason the city is proceeding with in-person classes, the city’s schooling options are putting many of those parents in a bind. Basically, city parents have two options: Have their children go 100% remote and take Zoom classes or other video instruction at home, like Melanie. Or the children can go to the school building from one to three days per week (depending on the school) and learn online the rest of the time. Under the best of circumstances, just about every New York City schoolchild will be online for class at least twice a week.
Technology troubles
Though the city has distributed 345,000 internet-enabled iPads since March and schools another 500,000 Wi-Fi enabled laptops or tablets, many shelters have dead zones that render them useless. For children living doubled or tripled up with family or friends, Wi-Fi networks are quickly overburdened when several children are online simultaneously. Even when devices can connect, there are problems.
Melanie has two iPads from the city, but they don’t work well with her school’s system. So she works on her brother’s laptop and gets the internet via cable. Ms. Febo owes the cable company $400 and worries about how Melanie will go online if her service is cut. Cell reception in her apartment is so poor, Ms. Febo takes phone calls in the hall outside.
The nonprofit Win runs 11 family shelters across New York City, more than any other private group. It has provided iPads, laptops, and hot spots to children. The group also has hired in-house tech support to help children with city-issued devices that don’t work as they should.
“It’s past time for the city to step up and provide homeless students, at a minimum, with reliable IT support ... social workers, paraprofessionals, and functioning technology,” says Christine Quinn, president and CEO of Win. “At Win, we’ve been working tirelessly to ensure that our students can succeed as long as schools remain closed. ... We shouldn’t have to do this alone.”
Initiatives afoot
Observers note that the city’s Department of Education is trying: providing grab-and-go meals around New York for children whose primary meal is at school, allowing schools to tweak their models based on student needs, employing support staff in shelters and schools, loaning devices, and assigning a dedicated technology person at each school.
Typical shelter policies forbid children from being on-site without the parent, so the city also is funding Learning Bridges, a child care program where pre-K through eighth grade children in the hybrid model (some in-person learning, some remote) can go when they’re not in school. There are about 30,000 Learning Bridges seats now, with 100,000 spots planned by December. Homeless children have priority, but so do other groups.
Given the rule that no one under age 18 can be in a shelter without parental supervision, advocates are calling for policy changes or an off-site program for high schoolers. The Department of Homeless Services says decisions regarding unaccompanied high schoolers studying solo in shelters will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
Though the best way to help homeless students is to find them homes, advocates say less expensive remedies could help in the meantime, such as extra bilingual support for parents, a dedicated IT person at each shelter, and common space where students can work. Extra social and emotional support for these students, given their lack of stable homes, has also been called for.
Touting tutors
Additional educational support could help narrow the gap as well, says Robert Mascali, former deputy commissioner of the Department of Homeless Services and former vice president of supportive housing at Win. He suggests the Department of Education bring in City University of New York tutors, many of whom come from low-income families and could become role models.
“People have been pushing these programs for years. [They’re] going to pay dividends. This is the future homeless population if we don’t get the [children] educated now,” Mr. Mascali says. While he agrees that such programs will be expensive in a time of tight budgets and will require a change in procedure, “if it takes three, six, nine months, or a year, every journey starts with one step.”
With so many students and a situation so exceptional, face-to-face reopening was bound to be difficult. In September, for example, the city delayed school openings. Unknowns and last-minute changes are hard for everyone, but they’re incredibly hard on homeless families, says Jacquelyn Simone, policy analyst at the Coalition for the Homeless.
“Not everyone comes up in ‘ideal circumstances,’” says Bronx middle school teacher Rosanna Perch, in a text message. “Some kids have issues, and none of these are their fault. I am not going to blame their families, either. Each child that I teach is a valuable part of our community; each one of them has so much promise.”


csmonitor--2020-10-26--Pressure builds for US police to change military mindset

There were about 3,000 SWAT deployments per year in the early 1980s , and now there are about 60,000 per year , according to Peter Kraska , a professor at Eastern Kentucky University and an expert in police militarization .
Militarization over the past 30 years includes the transfer of Department of Defense weaponry to local law enforcement offices , but also the use of military battle dress , military training , and a culture of aggression and fear of the communities police serve .
“ We ’ ve seen broader support than any other year ” from the public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adds .
The Constitution “ is very intentional about the use of the military and the types of controls on it that need to exist , ” says Sarah Turberville , director of the Constitution Project at the Project on Government Oversight .
“ Militarization of local police really begins to bend that.
” The shooting death of Breonna Taylor earlier this year by Louisville , Kentucky , police officers during a botched drug raid has broadened and amplified a belief among lawmakers and policy advocates – across the ideological spectrum – that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. law enforcement may cause more danger to the public than it prevents .
On a September morning in 2008 , Brian Wood made a distraught retreat from a heated dispute with his wife and sat down with a gun in his truck in the driveway of his suburban Salt Lake City home .
The part-time firefighter was having a mental health crisis , and he fired two warning shots when police arrived at the beginning of a 12-hour standoff .
Wood ’ s father-in-law , William “ Dub ” Lawrence – a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ County Sheriff Department ’ s SWAT team in 1975 – stood behind the official cordon and watched the standoff escalate with horror and regret .
More than 100 law enforcement officers , including 46 SWAT members swarmed to the scene , armed and clothed in fatigues like combat soldiers , militarizing a mental health problem .
Wood eventually was forced from his truck by tear gas and pepper spray , hit with rubber bullets and pepper balls , tasered , and then fatally shot .
The escalation of that situation , says Mr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of police , is evidence of a paramilitary mindset pervading American policing.
“ As a nation we ’ ve become more tolerant and acceptable of killing people , ” says Mr. Lawrence .
“ To us it would have been a complete failure if either an officer or a civilian got hurt in a standoff situation.
” That paramilitary mindset has grown in recent decades to define much of American policing .
But Breonna Taylor ’ s killing earlier this year by Louisville , Kentucky , police officers during a botched drug raid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The incident broadened and amplified a belief among lawmakers and policy advocates – across the ideological spectrum – that militarized policing bends , if not breaks , constitutional norms and needs to be reined in .
The Constitution “ is very intentional about the use of the military and the types of controls on it that need to exist , ” says Sarah Turberville , director of the Constitution Project at the Project on Government Oversight .
“ Militarization of local police really begins to bend that.
” “ We ’ ve seen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the public and politicians to change that , she adds .
Military equipment and tactics can be used appropriately , such as responding to active shooter and hostage situations , but they have increasingly been wielded in more proactive circumstances like drug raids and mental health crises , endangering rather than supporting the law enforcement mission of ensuring public safety and basic rights .
Civilians killed and severely injured include a paraplegic woman in her 80s and a 19-month-old baby .
Breonna Taylor , an emergency room technician in her mid 20s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a late-night search warrant related to a drug investigation of a former boyfriend , broke through her front door last March .
At least 20 shots were exchanged between the three officers and Kenneth Walker , Ms. Taylor ’ s boyfriend at the time , including five shots that killed her .
The three officers involved were not part of a SWAT team , but their late-night “ dynamic entry ” raid was the same aggressive , special-forces-inspired tactic SWAT units have been using with increasing frequency around the nation since the war @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There were about 3,000 SWAT deployments per year in the early 1980s , and 30,000 per year by the 1990s , according to Peter Kraska , a professor at Eastern Kentucky University and an expert in police militarization .
And now there are about 60,000 deployments per year – an increase , he says , due to “ a paradigm shift , ” not because there are more situations requiring a SWAT response .
“ The bulk of their responsibilities [ became ] going out into the community and doing forced entries , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” often to execute drug-related search warrants , he adds .
Maryland tracked such data from 2011 to 2014 , learning that there were about 4.5 SWAT raids per day in the state , the majority for what the FBI classifies as “ misdemeanors and non-serious felonies.
” The Clinton administration ’ s 1033 Program expanded domestic law enforcement access to cheap or no-cost surplus U.S. Department of Defense equipment ranging from sleeping bags and canteens to grenade launchers , bayonets , and weaponized drones .
Over $ 7.4 billion worth of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since the program began , according to the Pentagon ’ s Law Enforcement Support Office .
The equipment , says former St. Louis Metropolitan Police Sgt .
Heather Taylor , is like “ toys ” in a “ male-dominated ” police culture .
“ That ’ s how they ‘ re thinking , and that ’ s part of the problem , ” she adds .
The 1033 Program is where reform seems to be gaining traction .
In a 90-10 vote in July , the U.S. Senate approved some restrictions on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of weaponized drones and combat vehicles and requiring departments that receive equipment to also get de-escalation training .
But restricting – even eliminating – the 1033 Program “ would not rein in police militarization one iota , ” says Dr. Kraska .
Militarization goes beyond just weaponry , he and others argue , to the use of military battle dress , military training , and a culture of aggression and fear of the communities police serve .
In one survey in the 1990s , Dr. Kraska found that 43 % of SWAT teams @ @ @ @ @ @ @ special operations personnel .
That “ had a dramatic influence on police culture , ” he says “ It puts the police in a highly aggressive posture and mindset towards the people they ’ re serving , ” he adds .
“ It runs against everything that we stand for in a democratic society.
” “ SWAT is necessary in some circumstances , with extreme levels of violence , ” says Ms. Taylor , the recently retired St. Louis homicide sergeant , who is now spokesperson for the Ethical Society of Police , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vividly the night she had to call SWAT a few years ago when a man shot and killed someone in a car , then took other people in the car hostage and drove them to a house .
“ I knew this guy was heavily armed .
And I didn ’ t want anyone to go in there , but we had to get someone into this house , ” she recalls .
“ But Breonna Taylor ’ s case , ” Ms. Taylor says , “ a [ no-knock ] search warrant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not necessary.
” And the consequences of violent militarized policing go beyond the direct physical injuries and deaths from these encounters .
The collective mental health effects of police killings of Black Americans in that community is almost as large as the mental health burden associated with diabetes , suggests one 2018 study that found Black adults in the U.S. experience 55 million additional poor-mental-health days per year because of police killings .
Even low-level contacts with law enforcement that don ’ t result in arrests or citations can increase trauma and anxiety @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under New York City ’ s controversial “ stop-and-frisk ” policy found .
“ Police violence is associated with mental health concerns that goes beyond the individual .
[ It ] is experienced at the community level , ” says Denise Herd , an associate professor of behavioral sciences at the University of California , Berkeley , who is researching the public health effects of the criminal justice system .
In Texas , Charley Wilkison – executive director of the Combined Law Enforcement Association of Texas , a statewide law enforcement union – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have to be prepared to see a lot of changes , because the public is going to want to see law enforcement doing things differently.
” But , he adds , “ the answers nationally are going to come from the people who do the hard work to get past the rhetoric and into the operations.
” Those answers , he says , are “ going to have to come from the elected officials.
” Data on things like the number and purpose of SWAT deployments would be helpful in framing the debate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law requiring such data to be reported revealed the 4.5 SWAT raids per day in the state statistic .
Utah passed a similar law in 2014 .
For Mr. Lawrence , the former Utah sheriff , police militarization and police accountability are intertwined .
As the accountability diminishes , the militarization can expand , meaning police can traumatize , injure , and kill with impunity .
“ Nobody should be above the law , ” he says , including police .
“ That ’ s what made America different , the dream of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” he adds .
“ We ’ re supposed to be equal under the law , and we ’ re not .
”

There were about 3,000 SWAT deployments per year in the early 1980s, and now there are about 60,000 per year, according to Peter Kraska, a professor at Eastern Kentucky University and an expert in police militarization.
Militarization over the past 30 years includes the transfer of Department of Defense weaponry to local law enforcement offices, but also the use of military battle dress, military training, and a culture of aggression and fear of the communities police serve.
“We’ve seen broader support than any other year” from the public and politicians to change that, she adds.
Breonna Taylor’s killing has heightened public concern across the ideological spectrum that the paramilitary mindset that pervades modern American policing endangers citizens rather than protects them.
The Constitution “is very intentional about the use of the military and the types of controls on it that need to exist,” says Sarah Turberville, director of the Constitution Project at the Project on Government Oversight. “Militarization of local police really begins to bend that.”
The shooting death of Breonna Taylor earlier this year by Louisville, Kentucky, police officers during a botched drug raid has broadened and amplified a belief among lawmakers and policy advocates – across the ideological spectrum – that the aggressive paramilitary mindset that defines modern U.S. law enforcement may cause more danger to the public than it prevents.
On a September morning in 2008, Brian Wood made a distraught retreat from a heated dispute with his wife and sat down with a gun in his truck in the driveway of his suburban Salt Lake City home. The part-time firefighter was having a mental health crisis, and he fired two warning shots when police arrived at the beginning of a 12-hour standoff.
Wood’s father-in-law, William “Dub” Lawrence – a former local sheriff who founded the Davis County Sheriff Department’s SWAT team in 1975 – stood behind the official cordon and watched the standoff escalate with horror and regret. More than 100 law enforcement officers, including 46 SWAT members swarmed to the scene, armed and clothed in fatigues like combat soldiers, militarizing a mental health problem.
Wood eventually was forced from his truck by tear gas and pepper spray, hit with rubber bullets and pepper balls, tasered, and then fatally shot.
Why We Wrote This Breonna Taylor’s killing has heightened public concern across the ideological spectrum that the paramilitary mindset that pervades modern American policing endangers citizens rather than protects them.
The escalation of that situation, says Mr. Lawrence who now advocates against the militarization of police, is evidence of a paramilitary mindset pervading American policing.“As a nation we’ve become more tolerant and acceptable of killing people,” says Mr. Lawrence. “To us it would have been a complete failure if either an officer or a civilian got hurt in a standoff situation.”
That paramilitary mindset has grown in recent decades to define much of American policing.
But Breonna Taylor’s killing earlier this year by Louisville, Kentucky, police officers during a botched drug raid has triggered powerful momentum for change. The incident broadened and amplified a belief among lawmakers and policy advocates – across the ideological spectrum – that militarized policing bends, if not breaks, constitutional norms and needs to be reined in.
The Constitution “is very intentional about the use of the military and the types of controls on it that need to exist,” says Sarah Turberville, director of the Constitution Project at the Project on Government Oversight. “Militarization of local police really begins to bend that.”
“We’ve seen broader support than any other year” from the public and politicians to change that, she adds.
Military equipment and tactics can be used appropriately, such as responding to active shooter and hostage situations, but they have increasingly been wielded in more proactive circumstances like drug raids and mental health crises, endangering rather than supporting the law enforcement mission of ensuring public safety and basic rights. Civilians killed and severely injured include a paraplegic woman in her 80s and a 19-month-old baby.
Breonna Taylor, an emergency room technician in her mid 20s, was asleep when police, executing a late-night search warrant related to a drug investigation of a former boyfriend, broke through her front door last March. At least 20 shots were exchanged between the three officers and Kenneth Walker, Ms. Taylor’s boyfriend at the time, including five shots that killed her.
The three officers involved were not part of a SWAT team, but their late-night “dynamic entry” raid was the same aggressive, special-forces-inspired tactic SWAT units have been using with increasing frequency around the nation since the war on drugs began in the 1970s.
There were about 3,000 SWAT deployments per year in the early 1980s, and 30,000 per year by the 1990s, according to Peter Kraska, a professor at Eastern Kentucky University and an expert in police militarization. And now there are about 60,000 deployments per year – an increase, he says, due to “a paradigm shift,” not because there are more situations requiring a SWAT response.
“The bulk of their responsibilities [became] going out into the community and doing forced entries, dynamic entries into people’s houses,” often to execute drug-related search warrants, he adds.
Maryland tracked such data from 2011 to 2014, learning that there were about 4.5 SWAT raids per day in the state, the majority for what the FBI classifies as “misdemeanors and non-serious felonies.”
Surplus “toys”
The Clinton administration’s 1033 Program expanded domestic law enforcement access to cheap or no-cost surplus U.S. Department of Defense equipment ranging from sleeping bags and canteens to grenade launchers, bayonets, and weaponized drones. Over $7.4 billion worth of property has been transferred to law enforcement since the program began, according to the Pentagon’s Law Enforcement Support Office.
The equipment, says former St. Louis Metropolitan Police Sgt. Heather Taylor, is like “toys” in a “male-dominated” police culture. “That’s how they‘re thinking, and that’s part of the problem,” she adds.
The 1033 Program is where reform seems to be gaining traction. In a 90-10 vote in July, the U.S. Senate approved some restrictions on the program, such as barring the transfer of weaponized drones and combat vehicles and requiring departments that receive equipment to also get de-escalation training.
But restricting – even eliminating – the 1033 Program “would not rein in police militarization one iota,” says Dr. Kraska.
Militarization goes beyond just weaponry, he and others argue, to the use of military battle dress, military training, and a culture of aggression and fear of the communities police serve.
In one survey in the 1990s, Dr. Kraska found that 43% of SWAT teams reported receiving training from active duty military special operations personnel. That “had a dramatic influence on police culture,” he says
“It puts the police in a highly aggressive posture and mindset towards the people they’re serving,” he adds. “It runs against everything that we stand for in a democratic society.”
Necessity vs. overkill
“SWAT is necessary in some circumstances, with extreme levels of violence,” says Ms. Taylor, the recently retired St. Louis homicide sergeant, who is now spokesperson for the Ethical Society of Police, a local police union.
She remembers vividly the night she had to call SWAT a few years ago when a man shot and killed someone in a car, then took other people in the car hostage and drove them to a house.
“I knew this guy was heavily armed. And I didn’t want anyone to go in there, but we had to get someone into this house,” she recalls.
“But Breonna Taylor’s case,” Ms. Taylor says, “a [no-knock] search warrant for drugs and packages? It was not necessary.”
And the consequences of violent militarized policing go beyond the direct physical injuries and deaths from these encounters.
The collective mental health effects of police killings of Black Americans in that community is almost as large as the mental health burden associated with diabetes, suggests one 2018 study that found Black adults in the U.S. experience 55 million additional poor-mental-health days per year because of police killings.
Even low-level contacts with law enforcement that don’t result in arrests or citations can increase trauma and anxiety, a 2014 survey of people searched under New York City’s controversial “stop-and-frisk” policy found.
“Police violence is associated with mental health concerns that goes beyond the individual. [It] is experienced at the community level,” says Denise Herd, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health, who is researching the public health effects of the criminal justice system..
In Texas, Charley Wilkison – executive director of the Combined Law Enforcement Association of Texas, a statewide law enforcement union – says that officers “are going to have to be prepared to see a lot of changes, because the public is going to want to see law enforcement doing things differently.”
But, he adds, “the answers nationally are going to come from the people who do the hard work to get past the rhetoric and into the operations.” Those answers, he says, are “going to have to come from the elected officials.”
Data on things like the number and purpose of SWAT deployments would be helpful in framing the debate, says Mr. Wilkison. A Maryland law requiring such data to be reported revealed the 4.5 SWAT raids per day in the state statistic. Utah passed a similar law in 2014.
For Mr. Lawrence, the former Utah sheriff, police militarization and police accountability are intertwined. As the accountability diminishes, the militarization can expand, meaning police can traumatize, injure, and kill with impunity.
“Nobody should be above the law,” he says, including police.
“That’s what made America different, the dream of having everybody equal under the law,” he adds. “We’re supposed to be equal under the law, and we’re not.”
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to clarify that Denise Herd is a professor at the University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health.


csmonitor--2020-10-26--Japan announces it will go carbon-free by 2050

Japan will achieve zero carbon emissions by 2050 , Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide declared Monday , outlining an ambitious agenda as the country struggles to balance economic and pandemic concerns .
The policy speech at the outset of the parliamentary session was Mr. Suga ’ s first since he took office on Sept. 16 after his boss Abe Shinzo resigned over health reasons .
It reflects Mr. Suga ’ s pragmatic approach to getting things done , though it ’ s unclear he will have the political heft needed to overcome vested interests in weaning this resource-scarce nation from its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Mr. Suga just returned from a trip last week to Vietnam and Indonesia , where he pushed ahead with Mr. Abe ’ s efforts to build closer ties and promote a regional vision for countering growing Chinese influence .
Now out of Mr. Abe ’ s shadow , back home Mr. Suga has been pumping out consumer-friendly policies .
He has earned a reputation as a cost-cutter .
He said he intends to make a sustainable economy a pillar of his growth strategy and “ put maximum effort into achieving a green @ @ @ @ @ @ @ society by 2050 .
The European Union and Britain have already set similar targets for net-zero greenhouse gas emissions , and China recently announced it would become carbon-free by 2060 .
Japan previously targeted a 80 % reduction by 2050 .
Mr. Suga portrayed the need to shift away from fossil fuels to counter climate change as an opportunity rather than a burden .
“ Global warming measures are no longer obstacles for economic growth , but would lead to industrial and socioeconomic reforms and a major growth , ” he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Japan ’ s current energy plan , set in 2018 , calls for 22 to 24 % of its energy to come from renewables , 20 to 22 % from nuclear power , and 56 % from fossil fuels such as oil , coal , and gas .
Progress toward reducing reliance on fossil fuels has been hindered due to the prolonged closures of most of Japan ’ s nuclear plants after the meltdown of the Fukushima Dai-Ichi plant due to the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in the northeastern Tohoku region .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Japan ’ s basic energy plan for 2030 and 2050 .
The 2050 emissions-free target would require drastic changes and likely prompt calls for more nuclear plant restarts .
About 40 % of Japan ’ s carbon emissions come from power companies , and they must use more renewable sources of energy while stepping up development of technologies using hydrogen , ammonia , and other carbon-free resources , experts say .
Mr. Suga said he will speed up research and development of key technologies such as next generation solar batteries and carbon recycling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s reliance on coal-fired energy by promoting conservation and maximizing renewables , while promoting nuclear energy .
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres called Japan ’ s announcement that it will achieve net zero emissions by 2050 “ a very significant positive development , ” his spokesman , Stephane Dujarric , said in a statement .
“ The secretary-general now looks forward to the concrete policy measures that will be proposed and implemented to reach this goal , that can help other countries define their own strategies , ” the statement said .
Environmental @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Carbon neutrality is no longer a lofty , faraway dream , but a necessary commitment , ” in line with international climate change agreements , Jennifer Morgan , executive director of Greenpeace International , said in a statement .
In the short term , Japan ’ s top priority is to curb the pandemic while reviving the economy , Mr. Suga said .
Turning to Japan ’ s biggest long-term problem , a low birthrate and shrinking population , Mr. Suga reiterated a pledge to provide insurance coverage for infertility treatments .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for working fathers to ease the burden of child-rearing and home-making on working mothers .
He promised more help for single-parent households , more than half of which are living in poverty .
Among other highlights from his speech , Mr. Suga said the Japan-United States alliance , a cornerstone of Japanese diplomacy and security , is key to achieving a “ Free and Open Indo-Pacific ” regional economic and security framework to counter China ’ s sway .
Japan will also seek to have stable ties and cooperate with China .
Japan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Korean leader Kim Jong Un to resolve conflicts over abductions of Japanese citizens years ago and wartime compensation and to normalize diplomacy with Pyongyang .
He also said South Korea is “ an extremely important neighbor , ” but it should drop its demands for compensation over Korean wartime forced laborers to restore “ healthy ” bilateral relations .
Since taking office Mr. Suga has crafted a populist and pragmatic image , winning public support for his relatively modest background and low-profile , hardworking style .
He has ordered his Cabinet to step @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lowering cellphone rates and accelerating use of online government , business , and medical services .
“ I will break administrative divisions , vested interests , and bad precedents to push for reforms , ” Mr. Suga said .
But he also said the Japanese should try to help themselves before looking to the government for assistance , in line with what experts say is a conservative stance that is unsympathetic to the disadvantaged .
Mr. Suga is best known for his effectiveness in corralling powerful bureaucrats to force through Mr. Abe ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sometimes drawn criticism .
Earlier this month , he was accused of seeking to muzzle dissent by choosing not to appoint six professors out of a slate of 105 to the state-funded Science Council of Japan .
The flap triggered massive protests from academics and took the public support rating for his Cabinet down about 10 points to just above 50 % .
Opposition lawmakers are expected to raise the issue during the 41-day session through Dec. 5 .
This story was reported by The Associated Press .

Japan will achieve zero carbon emissions by 2050, Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide declared Monday, outlining an ambitious agenda as the country struggles to balance economic and pandemic concerns.
The policy speech at the outset of the parliamentary session was Mr. Suga’s first since he took office on Sept. 16 after his boss Abe Shinzo resigned over health reasons. It reflects Mr. Suga’s pragmatic approach to getting things done, though it’s unclear he will have the political heft needed to overcome vested interests in weaning this resource-scarce nation from its reliance on imports of oil and gas.
Mr. Suga just returned from a trip last week to Vietnam and Indonesia, where he pushed ahead with Mr. Abe’s efforts to build closer ties and promote a regional vision for countering growing Chinese influence.
Now out of Mr. Abe’s shadow, back home Mr. Suga has been pumping out consumer-friendly policies. He has earned a reputation as a cost-cutter.
He said he intends to make a sustainable economy a pillar of his growth strategy and “put maximum effort into achieving a green society.” That includes achieving a carbon-free society by 2050.
The European Union and Britain have already set similar targets for net-zero greenhouse gas emissions, and China recently announced it would become carbon-free by 2060. Japan previously targeted a 80% reduction by 2050.
Mr. Suga portrayed the need to shift away from fossil fuels to counter climate change as an opportunity rather than a burden.
“Global warming measures are no longer obstacles for economic growth, but would lead to industrial and socioeconomic reforms and a major growth,” he said. “We need to change our mindset.”
Japan’s current energy plan, set in 2018, calls for 22 to 24% of its energy to come from renewables, 20 to 22% from nuclear power, and 56% from fossil fuels such as oil, coal, and gas.
Progress toward reducing reliance on fossil fuels has been hindered due to the prolonged closures of most of Japan’s nuclear plants after the meltdown of the Fukushima Dai-Ichi plant due to the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in the northeastern Tohoku region.
Energy experts are now discussing revisions to Japan’s basic energy plan for 2030 and 2050. The 2050 emissions-free target would require drastic changes and likely prompt calls for more nuclear plant restarts.
About 40% of Japan’s carbon emissions come from power companies, and they must use more renewable sources of energy while stepping up development of technologies using hydrogen, ammonia, and other carbon-free resources, experts say.
Mr. Suga said he will speed up research and development of key technologies such as next generation solar batteries and carbon recycling. He also promised to reduce Japan’s reliance on coal-fired energy by promoting conservation and maximizing renewables, while promoting nuclear energy.
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres called Japan’s announcement that it will achieve net zero emissions by 2050 “a very significant positive development,” his spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, said in a statement.
“The secretary-general now looks forward to the concrete policy measures that will be proposed and implemented to reach this goal, that can help other countries define their own strategies,” the statement said.
Environmental groups also welcomed the announcement. “Carbon neutrality is no longer a lofty, faraway dream, but a necessary commitment,” in line with international climate change agreements, Jennifer Morgan, executive director of Greenpeace International, said in a statement.
In the short term, Japan’s top priority is to curb the pandemic while reviving the economy, Mr. Suga said.
Turning to Japan’s biggest long-term problem, a low birthrate and shrinking population, Mr. Suga reiterated a pledge to provide insurance coverage for infertility treatments. He also said he would promote paternity leave for working fathers to ease the burden of child-rearing and home-making on working mothers. He promised more help for single-parent households, more than half of which are living in poverty.
Among other highlights from his speech, Mr. Suga said the Japan-United States alliance, a cornerstone of Japanese diplomacy and security, is key to achieving a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific” regional economic and security framework to counter China’s sway. Japan will also seek to have stable ties and cooperate with China.
Japan is also open to meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to resolve conflicts over abductions of Japanese citizens years ago and wartime compensation and to normalize diplomacy with Pyongyang. He also said South Korea is “an extremely important neighbor,” but it should drop its demands for compensation over Korean wartime forced laborers to restore “healthy” bilateral relations.
Since taking office Mr. Suga has crafted a populist and pragmatic image, winning public support for his relatively modest background and low-profile, hardworking style.
He has ordered his Cabinet to step up implementation of pet projects such as lowering cellphone rates and accelerating use of online government, business, and medical services.
“I will break administrative divisions, vested interests, and bad precedents to push for reforms,” Mr. Suga said.
But he also said the Japanese should try to help themselves before looking to the government for assistance, in line with what experts say is a conservative stance that is unsympathetic to the disadvantaged.
Mr. Suga is best known for his effectiveness in corralling powerful bureaucrats to force through Mr. Abe’s policies.
His hardline approach has sometimes drawn criticism. Earlier this month, he was accused of seeking to muzzle dissent by choosing not to appoint six professors out of a slate of 105 to the state-funded Science Council of Japan.
The flap triggered massive protests from academics and took the public support rating for his Cabinet down about 10 points to just above 50%.
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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.
Opposition lawmakers are expected to raise the issue during the 41-day session through Dec. 5.
This story was reported by The Associated Press.


csmonitor--2020-10-26--How Pelosi's fundraising wave could lift House Dems in 2022

Speaker Nancy Pelosi once predicted she ’ d have the 2020 House Democratic majority secured by November – of 2019 .
Now , days before the Nov. 3 election , she seems to have done it , and she ’ s expanding her reach .
With control of the House hardly contested , Ms. Pelosi is working to fortify Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and win extra House seats in case Congress is called on to resolve any Electoral College dispute with President Donald Trump .
Ms. Pelosi said she feels so confident Democrats will keep the House this election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ win the next one in 2022 .
“ This year , I ’ m trying to win it two years in advance – by being so substantial in this election that as soon as we start into the next year , people will see our strength , ” Ms. Pelosi told The Associated Press in an interview .
“ We intend to hold the House and grow our numbers , ” she said about the election Nov. 3 , and “ contribute to winning the Senate and the presidency.
” It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who just two years ago was being challenged for her job leading House Democrats .
As Ms. Pelosi rose as the face of party , the House impeached the president and emboldened Democrats are on the march to pick up House seats deep into Trump country .
Democrats are working to reelect some 40 House freshmen elected in the 2018 midterm to win the majority , most of them from districts Mr. Trump won in 2016 .
They ’ re digging deeper for additional seats in historically out-of-reach Republican strongholds including Nebraska , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , where winners could tip the balance in an Electoral College dispute .
To wrest control , Republicans need to gain some 20 seats , but even the House GOP leadership has downplayed their chances .
Strategists say Mr. Trump is a drag at the top of the GOP ticket .
Even though Republicans recruited more female and minority candidates to compete with Democrats in suburban swing districts , the battle for the House is something of an afterthought in the marquee contests for control of the White House and the Senate .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and right now it seems a Democratic tide is rising , ” said Michael Steel , a Republican strategist and former top aide to House GOP leadership .
Mr. Steel said it has less to to with Ms. Pelosi ’ s planning than the national political environment .
“ I attribute the presumed success of her efforts to keep the majority more to Trump ’ s failures than to her stated leadership , ” he said .
Those close to Ms. Pelosi ’ s political operation did not always join her prediction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mr. Trump wasn ’ t on the ballot when they picked up the majority two years ago , and freshmen are often the most vulnerable to defeat as they seek reelection , especially this class of lawmakers now having to run alongside the president in districts often off-limits to Democrats .
Ms. Pelosi pushed ahead with the risky House vote to impeach the president in late 2019 over his dealings with Ukraine only to see the Senate , controlled by Republicans , vote to acquit him of the charges in a highly charged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus pandemic hit , the Capitol abruptly shuttered .
Ms. Pelosi engineered a rules change to allow the House to vote by proxy and work online , but it left lawmakers largely away from Washington .
Now Ms. Pelosi is holding out for a robust COVID-19 aid package with the Trump administration , another risky move , seeking a $ 2 trillion-plus deal Republicans don ’ t want to give .
Rep. Cheri Bustos , D-Ill , who is the chairwoman of the party ’ s campaign arm in the House , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to get swept up in the national political debate but “ run your race like you ’ re running for mayor ” – meeting with constituents and responding to issues close to home .
“ When we set out to do this work in 2019 we had no idea what this cycle would hold , ” said Lucina Guinn , the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee ’ s executive director .
The goal , she said , was to make the incumbents “ as strong as possible ” while also recruiting new candidates “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Money helps .
Ms. Pelosi is on track to be a $ 1 billion fundraiser for her party – an eye-popping sum during nearly two decades in leadership .
This election cycle she raised $ 227.9 million for Democrats – most of it for the House campaign arm – but she also shoveled $ 4 million for Mr. Biden from an August event and sent nearly $ 5 million to the state parties .
She said she believes Democrats would sweep if the election were today , but it ’ s still a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t keep me up from the standpoint of worrying about it , ” she said , “ but it does get me up early to do something about it.
” It ’ s another surprising turn that the Affordable Care Act , which contributed in costing Ms. Pelosi her House majority in the 2010 election after Democrats passed “ Obamacare , ” is now a political calling card being used to win over Trump voters during the COVID-19 crisis .
Voters have come to rely on the health care law ’ s guarantees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ access insurance and parents can keep their adult children on family policies .
A decade after President Barack Obama signed the ACA into law , Republicans are still trying to undo it , including in a court case heading to the Supreme Court a week after the election .
“ Progressive ideas are actually popular , not just with progressives but also with moderate voters , with independent voters , and maybe even with some Republican voters , ” said Rep. Pramila Jayapal , D-Wash. , a co-chair of the progressive caucus .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ becomes an even more public presence for the party , Republicans run countless campaign ads against her .
But she also has a following from those celebrating her high-profile standoffs with Mr. Trump .
Since the spring COVID-19 crisis , she has appeared 20 times on the Sunday morning news shows and done more than 150 national television and radio interviews , her office said .
“ I would not miss any opportunity , on behalf of my colleagues , to make sure that there ’ s clarity on where we ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” she said .
She plans to run again for speaker , if Democrats keep control of the House : “ Definitely.
” But that ’ s for later .
Ms. Pelosi notes experts have suggested Democrats will pick up between five and 15 House seats .
“ Our goal originally was to hold the House , ” she said .
“ Everything we get after that will just be a further enhancement.
” This story was reported by The Associated Press .

Speaker Nancy Pelosi once predicted she’d have the 2020 House Democratic majority secured by November – of 2019.
Now, days before the Nov. 3 election, she seems to have done it, and she’s expanding her reach.
With control of the House hardly contested, Ms. Pelosi is working to fortify Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and win extra House seats in case Congress is called on to resolve any Electoral College dispute with President Donald Trump.
Ms. Pelosi said she feels so confident Democrats will keep the House this election, she’s already preparing to win the next one in 2022.
“This year, I’m trying to win it two years in advance – by being so substantial in this election that as soon as we start into the next year, people will see our strength,” Ms. Pelosi told The Associated Press in an interview.
“We intend to hold the House and grow our numbers,” she said about the election Nov. 3, and “contribute to winning the Senate and the presidency.”
It’s a stunning turnaround for the speaker, who just two years ago was being challenged for her job leading House Democrats. As Ms. Pelosi rose as the face of party, the House impeached the president and emboldened Democrats are on the march to pick up House seats deep into Trump country.
Democrats are working to reelect some 40 House freshmen elected in the 2018 midterm to win the majority, most of them from districts Mr. Trump won in 2016. They’re digging deeper for additional seats in historically out-of-reach Republican strongholds including Nebraska, Indiana, and even Alaska and Montana, where winners could tip the balance in an Electoral College dispute.
To wrest control, Republicans need to gain some 20 seats, but even the House GOP leadership has downplayed their chances.
Strategists say Mr. Trump is a drag at the top of the GOP ticket. Even though Republicans recruited more female and minority candidates to compete with Democrats in suburban swing districts, the battle for the House is something of an afterthought in the marquee contests for control of the White House and the Senate.
“A rising tide lifts all boats, and right now it seems a Democratic tide is rising,” said Michael Steel, a Republican strategist and former top aide to House GOP leadership.
Mr. Steel said it has less to to with Ms. Pelosi’s planning than the national political environment. “I attribute the presumed success of her efforts to keep the majority more to Trump’s failures than to her stated leadership,” he said.
Those close to Ms. Pelosi’s political operation did not always join her prediction that Democrats would handily keep control.
Mr. Trump wasn’t on the ballot when they picked up the majority two years ago, and freshmen are often the most vulnerable to defeat as they seek reelection, especially this class of lawmakers now having to run alongside the president in districts often off-limits to Democrats.
Ms. Pelosi pushed ahead with the risky House vote to impeach the president in late 2019 over his dealings with Ukraine only to see the Senate, controlled by Republicans, vote to acquit him of the charges in a highly charged political environment early this year.
When the coronavirus pandemic hit, the Capitol abruptly shuttered. Ms. Pelosi engineered a rules change to allow the House to vote by proxy and work online, but it left lawmakers largely away from Washington. Now Ms. Pelosi is holding out for a robust COVID-19 aid package with the Trump administration, another risky move, seeking a $2 trillion-plus deal Republicans don’t want to give.
Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-Ill, who is the chairwoman of the party’s campaign arm in the House, said she counseled the new lawmakers not to get swept up in the national political debate but “run your race like you’re running for mayor” – meeting with constituents and responding to issues close to home.
“When we set out to do this work in 2019 we had no idea what this cycle would hold,” said Lucina Guinn, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s executive director.
The goal, she said, was to make the incumbents “as strong as possible” while also recruiting new candidates “to set up a big battlefield.”
Money helps. Ms. Pelosi is on track to be a $1 billion fundraiser for her party – an eye-popping sum during nearly two decades in leadership.
This election cycle she raised $227.9 million for Democrats – most of it for the House campaign arm – but she also shoveled $4 million for Mr. Biden from an August event and sent nearly $5 million to the state parties.
“We are ready,” Ms. Pelosi said.
She said she believes Democrats would sweep if the election were today, but it’s still a week out. “It doesn’t keep me up from the standpoint of worrying about it,” she said, “but it does get me up early to do something about it.”
It’s another surprising turn that the Affordable Care Act, which contributed in costing Ms. Pelosi her House majority in the 2010 election after Democrats passed “Obamacare,” is now a political calling card being used to win over Trump voters during the COVID-19 crisis.
Voters have come to rely on the health care law’s guarantees that those with preexisting health conditions can access insurance and parents can keep their adult children on family policies. A decade after President Barack Obama signed the ACA into law, Republicans are still trying to undo it, including in a court case heading to the Supreme Court a week after the election.
“Progressive ideas are actually popular, not just with progressives but also with moderate voters, with independent voters, and maybe even with some Republican voters,” said Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., a co-chair of the progressive caucus.
As Ms. Pelosi, of California, becomes an even more public presence for the party, Republicans run countless campaign ads against her. But she also has a following from those celebrating her high-profile standoffs with Mr. Trump. Since the spring COVID-19 crisis, she has appeared 20 times on the Sunday morning news shows and done more than 150 national television and radio interviews, her office said.
“I would not miss any opportunity, on behalf of my colleagues, to make sure that there’s clarity on where we’re coming from on some of these issues,” she said.
She plans to run again for speaker, if Democrats keep control of the House: “Definitely.”
But that’s for later. Ms. Pelosi notes experts have suggested Democrats will pick up between five and 15 House seats.
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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.
“Our goal originally was to hold the House,” she said. “Everything we get after that will just be a further enhancement.”
This story was reported by The Associated Press.


csmonitor--2020-10-26--In India, urban planners anticipate climate change

India ’ s southern city of Hyderabad is known as a high-tech hub – but its infrastructure is looking increasingly dated in an era increasingly affected by climate change .
The city – home to offices of Microsoft and Google – this month saw its heaviest rainfall in a century , which left 70 dead and $ 77 million in damage to roads and drains , officials said .
In many cities in India , which find themselves increasingly caught between worsening droughts and deluges , urban planners have rarely considered growing climate risks when designing projects .
That lack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is expected to be hugely costly , with about $ 90 trillion likely to be spent worldwide building and updating infrastructure by 2030 , according to the Global Commission on the Economy and Climate .
But India – hit by worsening disaster-related losses – hopes to begin correcting that with a project launched last month to train cities to become climate smart .
“ Cities are experiencing huge variability in climate .
... One year there is flood , another year water scarcity , ” said Umamaheshwaran Rajasekar , who heads the Climate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ National Institute of Urban Affairs ( NIUA ) .
The institute is helping India ’ s housing and urban affairs ministry to implement the project , with Mr. Rajasekar at the helm .
“ It is not about looking at the past but looking at the future ... how we can enable future development through informed action , ” he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation by phone .
The effort is part of an ambitious broader plan to modernize cities with everything from high-speed internet to better transport systems .
Under it , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ climate risk in the planning stage of projects .
The “ Climate Smart Cities Assessment Framework ” will tackle the “ increasing frequency of cyclones , floods , heatwaves , water scarcity , and drought-like conditions ” , according to the government .
Cities will incorporate climate considerations in their management of water , waste and mobility , and in projects designed to make cities walkable and air breathable .
Virtual trainings have already begun with city planners and municipal authorities , officials said .
Several Indian cities have over the past few @ @ @ @ @ @ @ global goals to make cities sustainable and protect the planet but on a “ case by case basis ” , said Mr. Rajasekar .
“ These actions were happening in parts , but we want to make climate part of their ongoing activity , ” Mr. Rajasekar said .
” Cities should be informed of future climatic and demographic changes.
” Last year the country experienced a longer-than-usual summer , the biggest monsoon rains in 25 years , a record number of cyclones and unusual cold waves .
In August this year , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state of Madhya Pradesh – still awaiting its official inauguration – was washed away as the river flowing under it swelled after heavy rains , local media reported .
Heavy rainfall has hit operations and shut down the largest and busiest airport in coastal Kerala state ’ s Kochi for several days in 2018 and 2019 .
This month , machinery deployed at a planned new airport site in suburban Mumbai was submerged in floodwater amid heavy rainfall and water pouring in from a river diverted to make way for the airport , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ town Gurugram also were waterlogged once again this year as heavy rainfall lashed the capital .
India has ranked among the top 10 countries globally in disaster deaths with a toll of 98,000 lives lost between 1996 and 2015 , according to the U.N. disaster risk agency .
Financial losses from climate-related disasters also totaled about $ 80 billion for that period , it said .
Damodara Sivananda Pai , head of climate research and services at the India Meteorological Department , said the increasing rainfall over the last decade was in part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ climate change .
But human changes to land also are playing a role in worsening flooding , he said .
“ Earlier , the rain would be absorbed in the soil .
Now our drains are choked .
Because of urbanization , the impact [ of the rainfall ] is more.
” India ’ s population in the 70 years since it won independence from colonial rule has surged from about 320 million to 1.3 billion , and the percentage of people living in urban areas has jumped as well , the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
By 2030 , India is expected to be home to seven megacities with a population of more than 10 million , according to government projections .
While the government supports urban growth , which can create opportunities for people , “ the problem is , how do we want to grow ?
” asked Hyderabad-based urban planner and architect Srinivas Murthy .
Cities in India have expanded into adjoining agricultural land , buildings have been constructed on filled-in lakes , and roads are being built on land reclaimed from the sea to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and more traffic .
Some of those changes , however , are leaving cities more vulnerable to growing climate threats , from sea-level rise to growing water shortages , environmentalists say .
“ We are in a rush to catch up with the West when we should have learned from them , ” said activist Sumaira Abdulali who has for years campaigned against destruction of beaches and India ’ s Western Ghats .
“ COVID-19 has brought [ the impacts of ] interference with nature into our consciousness , yet we are not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” she said .
Still , the project to help cities become more climate-smart has stoked hopes for change .
Bedoshruti Sadhukhan , senior program coordinator at ICLEI South Asia – part of the Local Governments for Sustainability network – said infrastructure now being planned will have to factor in rising populations , growing demand for roads and water , and the impact of climate change over the next 50 to 100 years .
Right now , “ that thinking which we want cities to take up is not happening strongly ... @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a chance to do things differently and do them well , ” she said .
This story was reported by the Thomson Reuters Foundation .

India’s southern city of Hyderabad is known as a high-tech hub – but its infrastructure is looking increasingly dated in an era increasingly affected by climate change.
The city – home to offices of Microsoft and Google – this month saw its heaviest rainfall in a century, which left 70 dead and $77 million in damage to roads and drains, officials said.
In many cities in India, which find themselves increasingly caught between worsening droughts and deluges, urban planners have rarely considered growing climate risks when designing projects.
That lack of preparation – a global problem – is expected to be hugely costly, with about $90 trillion likely to be spent worldwide building and updating infrastructure by 2030, according to the Global Commission on the Economy and Climate.
But India – hit by worsening disaster-related losses – hopes to begin correcting that with a project launched last month to train cities to become climate smart.
“Cities are experiencing huge variability in climate. ... One year there is flood, another year water scarcity,” said Umamaheshwaran Rajasekar, who heads the Climate Center for Cities at India’s National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA).
The institute is helping India’s housing and urban affairs ministry to implement the project, with Mr. Rajasekar at the helm.
“It is not about looking at the past but looking at the future ... how we can enable future development through informed action,” he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation by phone.
The effort is part of an ambitious broader plan to modernize cities with everything from high-speed internet to better transport systems. Under it, 139 cities will be trained to integrate climate risk in the planning stage of projects.
The “Climate Smart Cities Assessment Framework” will tackle the “increasing frequency of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, water scarcity, and drought-like conditions”, according to the government.
Cities will incorporate climate considerations in their management of water, waste and mobility, and in projects designed to make cities walkable and air breathable.
Virtual trainings have already begun with city planners and municipal authorities, officials said.
Several Indian cities have over the past few years worked on achieving ambitious United Nations-led global goals to make cities sustainable and protect the planet but on a “case by case basis”, said Mr. Rajasekar.
“These actions were happening in parts, but we want to make climate part of their ongoing activity,” Mr. Rajasekar said. ”Cities should be informed of future climatic and demographic changes.”
Cost of a changing climate
Threats to India’s cities are growing amid worsening climate risks.
Last year the country experienced a longer-than-usual summer, the biggest monsoon rains in 25 years, a record number of cyclones and unusual cold waves.
In August this year, a new bridge in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh – still awaiting its official inauguration – was washed away as the river flowing under it swelled after heavy rains, local media reported.
Heavy rainfall has hit operations and shut down the largest and busiest airport in coastal Kerala state’s Kochi for several days in 2018 and 2019.
This month, machinery deployed at a planned new airport site in suburban Mumbai was submerged in floodwater amid heavy rainfall and water pouring in from a river diverted to make way for the airport, officials said.
Delhi and its satellite town Gurugram also were waterlogged once again this year as heavy rainfall lashed the capital.
India has ranked among the top 10 countries globally in disaster deaths with a toll of 98,000 lives lost between 1996 and 2015, according to the U.N. disaster risk agency.
Financial losses from climate-related disasters also totaled about $80 billion for that period, it said.
Damodara Sivananda Pai, head of climate research and services at the India Meteorological Department, said the increasing rainfall over the last decade was in part a product of rising heat linked to climate change.
But human changes to land also are playing a role in worsening flooding, he said.
“Earlier, the rain would be absorbed in the soil. Now our drains are choked. Because of urbanization, the impact [of the rainfall] is more.”
‘Do things differently’
India’s population in the 70 years since it won independence from colonial rule has surged from about 320 million to 1.3 billion, and the percentage of people living in urban areas has jumped as well, the country’s census data and studies show.
By 2030, India is expected to be home to seven megacities with a population of more than 10 million, according to government projections.
While the government supports urban growth, which can create opportunities for people, “the problem is, how do we want to grow?” asked Hyderabad-based urban planner and architect Srinivas Murthy.
Cities in India have expanded into adjoining agricultural land, buildings have been constructed on filled-in lakes, and roads are being built on land reclaimed from the sea to accommodate growing populations, expanding industries, and more traffic.
Some of those changes, however, are leaving cities more vulnerable to growing climate threats, from sea-level rise to growing water shortages, environmentalists say.
“We are in a rush to catch up with the West when we should have learned from them,” said activist Sumaira Abdulali who has for years campaigned against destruction of beaches and India’s Western Ghats.
“COVID-19 has brought [the impacts of] interference with nature into our consciousness, yet we are not planning in terms of protecting the environment,” she said.
Still, the project to help cities become more climate-smart has stoked hopes for change.
Bedoshruti Sadhukhan, senior program coordinator at ICLEI South Asia – part of the Local Governments for Sustainability network – said infrastructure now being planned will have to factor in rising populations, growing demand for roads and water, and the impact of climate change over the next 50 to 100 years.
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Right now, “that thinking which we want cities to take up is not happening strongly ... but this [new project] is a chance to do things differently and do them well,” she said.
This story was reported by the Thomson Reuters Foundation.


csmonitor--2020-10-27--Martin Amis delivers the ‘Inside Story,’ a sprawling autobiographical novel

It ’ s been 20 years since Martin Amis published his memoir , “ Experience , ” which was both a surprisingly tender , generous portrait of his famous father , Kingsley Amis , and a defensive account of his personal tribulations in the 1990s , including divorce , remarriage , and extensive dental work .
Now , at 71 , having attained the legal age of reminiscence , Amis delivers “ Inside Story , ” a big , thumping autobiographical novel , which he says is “ almost certainly my last long novel.
” Amis has packed more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moving , mostly entertaining and stimulating , but sometimes exhausting manifesto on love , sex , literature , politics , parenting , writing , aging , and mortality .
In the vein of his paternal portrait in “ Experience , ” “ Inside Story ” offers heartfelt tributes to three cherished , seminal influences – poet Philip Larkin , a family friend ; novelist Saul Bellow , a mentor and father figure ; and essayist Christopher Hitchens , his best friend .
In an addendum , Amis also extends a tribute to his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Elizabeth Jane Howard , whom he says got him reading , rescued him from academic indifference as a teenager , and , along with his father , provided a template for the writing life – before she bolted from her difficult , frequently inebriated third husband .
Amis announces up front that his book “ won ’ t read like a novel – more like a collection of linked short stories , with essayistic detours.
” The difficulty of what he calls “ life-writing ” is that life “ is shapeless , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anything , it does not cohere.
” He suggests reading “ Inside Story ” “ in fitful bursts , with plenty of skipping and postponing and doubling back.
” And he adds , “ My heart goes out to those poor dabs , the professionals ( editors and reviewers ) , who ’ ll have to read the whole thing straight through , and against the clock.
” I ’ m one of those “ poor dabs , ” and I ’ m happy to report that I survived the marathon .
Even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cohere , Amis ’ prose is always coherent , and often dazzling .
High points include those portraits of his literary touchstones , even through sobering descriptions of their waning days .
This is not what Amis calls a “ babble novel , ” with the author ranting on and on .
Still , it ’ s a tsunami of words , and what makes it more pleasurable than one might expect is that Amis has written “ Inside Story ” from a position of gratitude rather than anger or self-pity .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in his inkwell ” that critic John Leonard flagged in his New York Times review of “ Experience ” in 2000 .
Among the things Amis expresses gratitude for are his wife , American-Uruguayan writer Isabel Fonseca , and his five children – two sons from his first marriage , two daughters from his second , and an elder daughter from a youthful fling , whom he didn ’ t know about until she was 19 – all of whose names are altered in the book .
Particularly lovely is his description of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ a ventilation of happiness.
” “ Inside Story ” is , among other things , a paean to family .
The desire for a family , we learn , is what finally pushes Amis to end a torturous and at times hilarious five-year relationship with Phoebe Phelps , scenes of which are woven through the novel .
A businesswoman ( the nature of whose business he ’ s laughably slow to learn ) , Phoebe declares off the bat that she has no interest in marriage or children .
The sordid details @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the protection of “ the loincloth of the third person ” and then discussed with his buddy “ Hitch ” – read as fiction .
In fact , Amis says that this complicated character is a fictional amalgam of several women he ’ s dated .
Amis has long been lambasted by the British press , and he ’ s bound to raise hackles again with sexist remarks about “ the birds ” he made hay with in his heyday , his pronouncements on Israel , the Holocaust , Iraq , and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and considerable privilege .
He mentions vacation homes in East Hampton , New York ; West Palm Beach , Florida ; Uruguay ; and a six-bedroom house near Regent ’ s Park in London – replaced in 2011 by a Brooklyn townhouse , when he and his family left England for the United States .
After a chimney fire on the last night of 2016 sends him and a daughter into their Brooklyn street , he comments with appalling tone deafness , “ The two Amises had very temporarily joined the 60,000 homeless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ambitious project , the title “ Inside Story ” works on multiple levels .
It suggests that we ’ re getting the author ’ s deeply personal lowdown .
But it ’ s also a clever reference to Amis ’ quirky and rather charming decision to address this book to a dear reader , whom he instructs on what writing entails .
While some of his advice is trite ( “ Writers must find their own way to their own voice ” ) , there are also good tips here .
( “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cautions , because prose should be “ purpose-built , and not mass-produced.
” ) The book is pleasurably infused with literary references , and Amis ’ love of literature and appreciation and respect for readers shines through .
He reminds us that “ a tale , a teller , is nothing without a listener .
...
Readers are your guests .
... [ D ] on ’ t be baffling and indigestible.
” Or , he adds , overwhelming .
“ Inside Story ” is at times overwhelming .
Much of the material @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been cut .
The irritatingly distracting footnotes are decidedly not reader-friendly .
Redundancies from his earlier publications heighten the sense that we ’ re reading an anthology or a valedictory summing up .
Or , perhaps , a greatest hits .
In addition to The Christian Science Monitor , Heller McAlpin reviews books regularly for NPR , The Wall Street Journal , and The Los Angeles Times .

It’s been 20 years since Martin Amis published his memoir, “Experience,” which was both a surprisingly tender, generous portrait of his famous father, Kingsley Amis, and a defensive account of his personal tribulations in the 1990s, including divorce, remarriage, and extensive dental work. Now, at 71, having attained the legal age of reminiscence, Amis delivers “Inside Story,” a big, thumping autobiographical novel, which he says is “almost certainly my last long novel.”
Amis has packed more than comfortably fits between covers in this often moving, mostly entertaining and stimulating, but sometimes exhausting manifesto on love, sex, literature, politics, parenting, writing, aging, and mortality. In the vein of his paternal portrait in “Experience,” “Inside Story” offers heartfelt tributes to three cherished, seminal influences – poet Philip Larkin, a family friend; novelist Saul Bellow, a mentor and father figure; and essayist Christopher Hitchens, his best friend. In an addendum, Amis also extends a tribute to his father’s second wife, novelist Elizabeth Jane Howard, whom he says got him reading, rescued him from academic indifference as a teenager, and, along with his father, provided a template for the writing life – before she bolted from her difficult, frequently inebriated third husband.
Amis announces up front that his book “won’t read like a novel – more like a collection of linked short stories, with essayistic detours.” The difficulty of what he calls “life-writing” is that life “is shapeless, it does not point to and gather round anything, it does not cohere.” He suggests reading “Inside Story” “in fitful bursts, with plenty of skipping and postponing and doubling back.” And he adds, “My heart goes out to those poor dabs, the professionals (editors and reviewers), who’ll have to read the whole thing straight through, and against the clock.”
I’m one of those “poor dabs,” and I’m happy to report that I survived the marathon. Even when this book doesn’t entirely cohere, Amis’ prose is always coherent, and often dazzling. High points include those portraits of his literary touchstones, even through sobering descriptions of their waning days.
This is not what Amis calls a “babble novel,” with the author ranting on and on. Still, it’s a tsunami of words, and what makes it more pleasurable than one might expect is that Amis has written “Inside Story” from a position of gratitude rather than anger or self-pity. There is strikingly less of the “acid in his inkwell” that critic John Leonard flagged in his New York Times review of “Experience” in 2000.
Among the things Amis expresses gratitude for are his wife, American-Uruguayan writer Isabel Fonseca, and his five children – two sons from his first marriage, two daughters from his second, and an elder daughter from a youthful fling, whom he didn’t know about until she was 19 – all of whose names are altered in the book. Particularly lovely is his description of his youngest daughter singing to herself as “a ventilation of happiness.”
“Inside Story” is, among other things, a paean to family. The desire for a family, we learn, is what finally pushes Amis to end a torturous and at times hilarious five-year relationship with Phoebe Phelps, scenes of which are woven through the novel. A businesswoman (the nature of whose business he’s laughably slow to learn), Phoebe declares off the bat that she has no interest in marriage or children. The sordid details of their affair – often written with the protection of “the loincloth of the third person” and then discussed with his buddy “Hitch” – read as fiction. In fact, Amis says that this complicated character is a fictional amalgam of several women he’s dated.
Amis has long been lambasted by the British press, and he’s bound to raise hackles again with sexist remarks about “the birds” he made hay with in his heyday, his pronouncements on Israel, the Holocaust, Iraq, and the refugee crisis, plus his barely acknowledged and considerable privilege. He mentions vacation homes in East Hampton, New York; West Palm Beach, Florida; Uruguay; and a six-bedroom house near Regent’s Park in London – replaced in 2011 by a Brooklyn townhouse, when he and his family left England for the United States. After a chimney fire on the last night of 2016 sends him and a daughter into their Brooklyn street, he comments with appalling tone deafness, “The two Amises had very temporarily joined the 60,000 homeless of New York City.”
Like this ambitious project, the title “Inside Story” works on multiple levels. It suggests that we’re getting the author’s deeply personal lowdown. But it’s also a clever reference to Amis’ quirky and rather charming decision to address this book to a dear reader, whom he instructs on what writing entails. While some of his advice is trite (“Writers must find their own way to their own voice”), there are also good tips here. (“Shun all vogue phrases,” he cautions, because prose should be “purpose-built, and not mass-produced.”) The book is pleasurably infused with literary references, and Amis’ love of literature and appreciation and respect for readers shines through. He reminds us that “a tale, a teller, is nothing without a listener. ... Readers are your guests. ... [D]on’t be baffling and indigestible.” Or, he adds, overwhelming.
Get stories that
empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
“Inside Story” is at times overwhelming. Much of the material is not new, and much could have been cut. The irritatingly distracting footnotes are decidedly not reader-friendly. Redundancies from his earlier publications heighten the sense that we’re reading an anthology or a valedictory summing up. Or, perhaps, a greatest hits.
In addition to The Christian Science Monitor, Heller McAlpin reviews books regularly for NPR, The Wall Street Journal, and The Los Angeles Times.