csmonitor--2020-10-16--When migrants fall through the cracks in France, volunteers step in

“ The idea is that you should integrate first and then we ’ ll help you , ” says Sarah Belaisch of nonprofit La Cimade .
“ What we ’ re trying to show is that doing this is extremely difficult if you ’ re undocumented.
” Nonprofits have been essential in picking up the slack where French bureaucracy has fallen short .
In addition to offering legal aid , they provide French classes and help in finding housing .
This kind of support is essential , they say , especially because , for all the money the government spends @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overwhelmed that many migrants are forced to leave .
But the government hasn ’ t been able to keep up with the realities needed to successfully welcome the continuing influx .
And so French society has stepped into the gaps .
Since the 2015 European migration crisis , when more than 1 million people arrived on the continent and paralyzed governments , France has seen a consistent uptick in the number of asylum-seekers .
The increase has put pressure on the government to meet demands for housing and jobs , and effectively integrate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , right after two dilapidated buildings had collapsed in her adopted city of Marseille .
Elodie Marie was wandering around her neighborhood , contemplating the thousands who had subsequently been displaced , and the lack of housing for poor people , when she spotted a small group of men on the street .
“ They had a desperate look on their faces , ” says Ms. Marie .
“ I asked them what they were doing there , and they said , ‘ We don ’ t have anywhere to sleep.
’ ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arrived from Italy when the building collapses forced them onto the street .
Ms. Marie told two of them , 20-somethings from Gambia , they could stay at her place that night .
She locked her bedroom door , wondering if she were crazy , and hoped for the best .
One slept on her couch for a month , the other for 10 .
They helped cook meals ; she helped them navigate French bureaucracy as they applied for asylum .
Two years later , she still speaks to them regularly .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of what it meant to be a migrant ] , ” she says .
“ It was like a slap in the face.
” Since the 2015 surge , when more than 1 million people arrived on the European continent and paralyzed governments , France has seen a consistent uptick in the number of asylum-seekers .
In 2015 , about 71,000 people applied for asylum and in 2019 , over 170,000 .
The increase has put pressure on the government to meet demands for housing and jobs , and effectively integrate new arrivals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ set out to uphold , the government hasn ’ t been able to keep up with the realities needed to successfully welcome the continuing influx .
And so a large swath of French society , including Ms. Marie , has stepped into the gaps .
Around 38 % of the French population is estimated to be involved in volunteerism of some kind .
“ We ’ re seeing an increase in demands for asylum as well as an increase in difficulties to obtain housing , food , and documentation , ” says Héloïse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Paris-based nonprofit that aids migrants .
“ But we ’ re also seeing that the commitment of volunteers has not stopped .
That ’ s the positive side in all this.
” The 2015 migrant crisis saw the largest wave of people seeking asylum on European soil since the Schengen Agreement in 1985 .
European Union member states , Switzerland , and Norway registered a record 1.3 million asylum applications that year , with Germany , Hungary , and Sweden receiving the highest numbers .
But while France was one of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2010 , it fell short of public expectation in 2015 , receiving roughly the same amount of applications as in previous years .
According to a 2016 poll by the Pew Research Center , 70 % of French people disapproved of the EU ’ s handling of the refugee issue .
The EU member states remain divided over how to reform the asylum system across the bloc .
But even as that debate continues , the French government has recognized its own stagnating immigration system , calling it neither satisfactory nor sustainable .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and around Paris in recent years , despite repeated evacuations .
In 2017 , France received more than 100,000 asylum applications , putting pressure on the country ’ s already strained accommodation system .
That same year , French President Emmanuel Macron promised that no one would be left sleeping on the streets by the end of the year .
But many French nonprofits say the government hasn ’ t been concrete enough in its objectives , and that administrative and housing hurdles have only increased in recent years .
The dismantling of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Calais in 2016 , has left thousands displaced , and as of 2019 , one out of every two asylum-seekers in France were homeless .
On Sept. 1 , more than 200 families camped out in front of the Paris city hall , in cooperation with nonprofit Utopia56 , to call attention to the lack of housing for migrants .
Meanwhile , local prefectures have been so bogged down by demand that many people looking to apply for work or asylum visas can ’ t even get an appointment , leaving no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those unable to speak French , the challenges are amplified .
Nonprofits like BAAM and La Cimade have been essential in picking up the slack where French bureaucracy has fallen short .
In addition to offering legal aid , they provide French classes and help in finding housing .
This kind of support is essential , they say – especially because , for all the money the government spends on migrants , state services are so overwhelmed that many migrants are forced to leave .
“ The idea is that you should integrate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you , ” says Sarah Belaisch , director of national agenda at La Cimade .
“ What we ’ re trying to show is that doing this is extremely difficult if you ’ re undocumented.
” “ There are people who need help ” Amid a raging COVID-19 pandemic , Europe must still tend to managing migration , whether it concerns economic migrants or asylum-seekers .
France and Britain have been at odds in recent months , as the British government has renewed its calls to make the Channel crossing between the two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how Brexit will affect future migration regulations .
But one upside of the pandemic has been more creative thinking and cooperation between nonprofits , local businesses , and the government .
Across France , hotels have opened their rooms – left empty by the drop in tourism – to those without housing .
Many nonprofits have continued to carry out their activities , even if much of their volunteer work is face-to-face and comes with a certain amount of risk .
“ There would be no French classes for asylum-seekers , no free @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the president of BAAM , “ if nonprofits weren ’ t doing something about it.
” In order for nonprofits to function fully , of course , it takes interest from the community .
Marion Jagu of Paris says she has always felt France should be doing more for migrants , and that ’ s why she volunteered with BAAM in 2017 to be paired up with someone in need of language and legal help .
Three years later , Ms. Jagu still meets for dinner every Friday with Abdo , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ French nationality .
Even during France ’ s COVID-19 lockdown , they upheld their end-of-the-week ritual – over Zoom .
He ’ s become like family , meeting her parents and attending her wedding .
“ There are people who need help and [ in France ] we have the means to help them , ” says Ms. Jagu .
“ Everyone deserves to be welcomed with dignity .
”

“The idea is that you should integrate first and then we’ll help you,” says Sarah Belaisch of nonprofit La Cimade. “What we’re trying to show is that doing this is extremely difficult if you’re undocumented.”
Nonprofits have been essential in picking up the slack where French bureaucracy has fallen short. In addition to offering legal aid, they provide French classes and help in finding housing. This kind of support is essential, they say, especially because, for all the money the government spends on migrants, state services are so overwhelmed that many migrants are forced to leave.
How successful a country is at integrating migrants often depends as much on the public’s willingness to help newcomers as it does on the government’s. In France, the population is lending a hand.
But the government hasn’t been able to keep up with the realities needed to successfully welcome the continuing influx. And so French society has stepped into the gaps.
Since the 2015 European migration crisis, when more than 1 million people arrived on the continent and paralyzed governments, France has seen a consistent uptick in the number of asylum-seekers. The increase has put pressure on the government to meet demands for housing and jobs, and effectively integrate new arrivals.
It was in 2018, right after two dilapidated buildings had collapsed in her adopted city of Marseille. Elodie Marie was wandering around her neighborhood, contemplating the thousands who had subsequently been displaced, and the lack of housing for poor people, when she spotted a small group of men on the street.
“They had a desperate look on their faces,” says Ms. Marie. “I asked them what they were doing there, and they said, ‘We don’t have anywhere to sleep.’”
The group of African migrants had just arrived from Italy when the building collapses forced them onto the street. Ms. Marie told two of them, 20-somethings from Gambia, they could stay at her place that night. She locked her bedroom door, wondering if she were crazy, and hoped for the best.
Why We Wrote This How successful a country is at integrating migrants often depends as much on the public’s willingness to help newcomers as it does on the government’s. In France, the population is lending a hand.
One slept on her couch for a month, the other for 10. They helped cook meals; she helped them navigate French bureaucracy as they applied for asylum. Two years later, she still speaks to them regularly.
“I finally saw the reality [of what it meant to be a migrant],” she says. “It was like a slap in the face.”
Since the 2015 surge, when more than 1 million people arrived on the European continent and paralyzed governments, France has seen a consistent uptick in the number of asylum-seekers. In 2015, about 71,000 people applied for asylum and in 2019, over 170,000. The increase has put pressure on the government to meet demands for housing and jobs, and effectively integrate new arrivals.
But despite the values it initially set out to uphold, the government hasn’t been able to keep up with the realities needed to successfully welcome the continuing influx. And so a large swath of French society, including Ms. Marie, has stepped into the gaps. Around 38% of the French population is estimated to be involved in volunteerism of some kind.
“We’re seeing an increase in demands for asylum as well as an increase in difficulties to obtain housing, food, and documentation,” says Héloïse Mary, the president of BAAM, a Paris-based nonprofit that aids migrants. “But we’re also seeing that the commitment of volunteers has not stopped. That’s the positive side in all this.”
Stephane Mahe/Reuters/File View caption Hide caption Migrants wash dishes after a free meal distributed by L'Autre Cantine association in downtown Nantes, France, Sept. 17, 2018.
France’s migration problem
The 2015 migrant crisis saw the largest wave of people seeking asylum on European soil since the Schengen Agreement in 1985. European Union member states, Switzerland, and Norway registered a record 1.3 million asylum applications that year, with Germany, Hungary, and Sweden receiving the highest numbers.
But while France was one of the leading destinations for asylum-seekers between 2000 and 2010, it fell short of public expectation in 2015, receiving roughly the same amount of applications as in previous years. According to a 2016 poll by the Pew Research Center, 70% of French people disapproved of the EU’s handling of the refugee issue.
The EU member states remain divided over how to reform the asylum system across the bloc. But even as that debate continues, the French government has recognized its own stagnating immigration system, calling it neither satisfactory nor sustainable. Migrant camps have continued to form in and around Paris in recent years, despite repeated evacuations. In 2017, France received more than 100,000 asylum applications, putting pressure on the country’s already strained accommodation system. That same year, French President Emmanuel Macron promised that no one would be left sleeping on the streets by the end of the year.
But many French nonprofits say the government hasn’t been concrete enough in its objectives, and that administrative and housing hurdles have only increased in recent years.
The dismantling of migrant camps, like the massive Jungle in Calais in 2016, has left thousands displaced, and as of 2019, one out of every two asylum-seekers in France were homeless. On Sept. 1, more than 200 families camped out in front of the Paris city hall, in cooperation with nonprofit Utopia56, to call attention to the lack of housing for migrants.
Meanwhile, local prefectures have been so bogged down by demand that many people looking to apply for work or asylum visas can’t even get an appointment, leaving no paper trail for their efforts. For those unable to speak French, the challenges are amplified.
Nonprofits like BAAM and La Cimade have been essential in picking up the slack where French bureaucracy has fallen short. In addition to offering legal aid, they provide French classes and help in finding housing. This kind of support is essential, they say – especially because, for all the money the government spends on migrants, state services are so overwhelmed that many migrants are forced to leave.
“The idea is that you should integrate first and then we’ll help you,” says Sarah Belaisch, director of national agenda at La Cimade. “What we’re trying to show is that doing this is extremely difficult if you’re undocumented.”
“There are people who need help”
Amid a raging COVID-19 pandemic, Europe must still tend to managing migration, whether it concerns economic migrants or asylum-seekers. France and Britain have been at odds in recent months, as the British government has renewed its calls to make the Channel crossing between the two countries nonviable. No one knows exactly how Brexit will affect future migration regulations.
But one upside of the pandemic has been more creative thinking and cooperation between nonprofits, local businesses, and the government. Across France, hotels have opened their rooms – left empty by the drop in tourism – to those without housing. Many nonprofits have continued to carry out their activities, even if much of their volunteer work is face-to-face and comes with a certain amount of risk.
“There would be no French classes for asylum-seekers, no free legal aid,” says Ms. Mary, the president of BAAM, “if nonprofits weren’t doing something about it.”
In order for nonprofits to function fully, of course, it takes interest from the community. Marion Jagu of Paris says she has always felt France should be doing more for migrants, and that’s why she volunteered with BAAM in 2017 to be paired up with someone in need of language and legal help.
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Three years later, Ms. Jagu still meets for dinner every Friday with Abdo, a Sudanese asylum-seeker who has since received his French nationality. Even during France’s COVID-19 lockdown, they upheld their end-of-the-week ritual – over Zoom. He’s become like family, meeting her parents and attending her wedding.
“There are people who need help and [in France] we have the means to help them,” says Ms. Jagu. “Everyone deserves to be welcomed with dignity.”


csmonitor--2020-10-16--It’s the world according to Trump: Could Biden turn back the clock?

Many say , however , that the nationalist genie may be out of the bottle .
“ The world is not the same , ” says analyst Robert Kaplan .
A Biden foreign policy “ would seek to challenge ” rising authoritarianism and blunt nationalism with multilateralism , he says .
But a new administration would soon learn that “ on the whole , each country is going on its own.
” Yet a U.S. election is approaching that may turn the White House over to former Vice President Joe Biden , and foreign policy experts anticipate that a President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and reinvigorate multilateralism .
The exercise of this newfound freedom has been strongest among leaders who find inspiration in Mr. Trump ’ s “ America First ” unilateralism .
From Brazil to India and Saudi Arabia to Hungary , the leaders have pursued national interests and regional ambitions that an earlier imperial America might have sought to check .
In his nearly four years in the White House , President Donald Trump has shrunk from intervening to preserve the U.S.-led global order .
As America has pulled back from its leadership role , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but have acted .
While the cat ’ s been away , in a sense , the mice have come out to play .
When former Vice President Joe Biden used the first presidential debate to tout his plan for a $ 20 billion international fund to encourage Brazil to preserve its endangered rainforests , it was a shoutout to a bygone era of robust , American-led multilateralism .
But when Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro lost no time in condemning Mr. Biden ’ s idea as an arrogant stab at national sovereignty , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – a reminder that much of the world has already adjusted to the approach of President Donald Trump .
In his nearly four years in the White House , Mr. Trump has shrunk from intervening to preserve the U.S.-led global order .
Instead of wielding the influence of a superpower to tackle the issues of the day – from climate change and public health to trade and nuclear nonproliferation – Mr. Trump has preferred a more transactional foreign policy that meets America ’ s narrower economic and security interests first .
As America @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , nations not only have taken notice , but have acted .
While the cat ’ s been away , in a sense , the mice have come out to play .
The exercise of this newfound freedom has been strongest within what Shivshankar Menon of Brookings India calls the “ League of Nationalists ” – leaders like Mr. Bolsonaro , India ’ s Narendra Modi , and Saudi Arabia ’ s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman , who find inspiration in Mr. Trump ’ s “ America First ” unilateralism .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ found a green light to pursue national interests and regional ambitions that an earlier imperial America would have sought to check .
Yet as the U.S. approaches an election that may turn the White House over to Mr. Biden , much of the world wonders if the cat is away for good – or poised to pounce back .
No one expects anything markedly different from a second-term Trump foreign policy .
Yet based on Mr. Biden ’ s campaign pronouncements and long experience , many foreign policy experts anticipate he would seek @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ World is not the same ” Yet even if a President Biden were to attempt to rein in the new nationalists , many believe that genie may be out of the bottle .
“ We are not the same country that we were four years ago , and the world is not the same , ” says Robert Kaplan , an influential U.S. analyst of geopolitics and U.S. foreign policy .
A Biden foreign policy “ would seek to challenge ” a rising authoritarianism and to blunt nationalism with multilateralism , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration would soon learn , he adds , that “ while the U.S. can nudge the needle 10 % in one direction or 10 % in another , on the whole each country is going on its own.
” Around the world , leaders have adjusted to Mr. Trump .
In Brazil , for example , many see Mr. Bolsonaro inspired and empowered by the U.S. president as he has fired an independent federal police chief and severely cut the budgets of government agencies meant to protect the environment and indigenous people .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” says Andre Pagliarini , a lecturer at Dartmouth College writing a book on Brazilian nationalism .
“ He can say … ‘ The leader of the most democratic country in the world is a friend and aligned with me , so by definition , I ’ m not radical , ’ ” Mr. Pagliarini says .
The same holds for other leaders in the Americas .
In Guatemala , former President Jimmy Morales made multiple attempts to disband the regionally admired International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala , finally engineering the commission @ @ @ @ @ @ @ January .
That action gutted years of U.S. investment in fighting corruption in the region , experts say .
Since Mr. Trump came into office , says Ursula Roldán , a researcher at Rafael Landívar University in Guatemala City , “ there ’ s been a weakening of U.S. interest here that ’ s in turn weakened our fight against corruption.
” Other regions are likely to present even tougher challenges to any president seeking to reverse Mr. Trump ’ s retreat from leadership .
Explicit green lights from the White House have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United Arab Emirates , Egypt , and Turkey to suppress freedoms at home , hunt down dissidents abroad , and ramp up proxy wars across the Middle East and North Africa to secure economic and political interests .
Saudi Arabia and the UAE have escalated a war in Yemen and applied pressure in Sudan and Libya , while Turkey and Egypt are extending their influence into Libya .
“ America has declared with its actions , inaction , and troop drawdowns that it no longer considers the Middle East critical to its strategic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Gulf Arab decision-makers , who requested anonymity for security reasons .
“ We have learned that we … must secure our own national interest with our own two hands.
” If a President Biden were to seek to set an example of U.S. diplomatic reengagement in the region , it would likely start with Saudi Arabia , says F. Gregory Gause III , a Saudi Arabia specialist who heads the international affairs department at Texas A & M University in College Station .
Candidate Biden said this month his administration would end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ war in Yemen and “ make sure America does not check its values at the door to sell arms or buy oil.
” Other regional experts assert that uncertainty over the outcome of the U.S. election is prompting some regional autocrats to accelerate territorial grabs in Libya and Syria .
Ironically , it could be one of the Trump administration ’ s diplomatic successes that ends up serving as a blueprint for a Biden administration in the region .
When Sudan ’ s post-dictatorship political transition turned violent in June 2019 , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ torturing protesters demanding a civilian government , the U.S. stepped in .
The result : an agreement for a mixed civilian-military interim government to oversee a three-year political transition , underscoring how the U.S. retains considerable leverage in the region .
Yet that does not mean the U.S. is about to reverse its retreat , no matter who occupies the White House .
Indeed , the underlying reason for the U.S. pullback from the Middle East is Mr. Trump ’ s rejection of what he calls “ endless wars ” – such as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president has found broad support for that stance from the American public – a reality not lost on Mr. Biden , who has sounded Trump-like on ending “ these forever wars.
” Conventional wisdom has it that Iran especially has benefited from the influence vacuum left by the diminishing U.S. military footprint .
But it is the gains of outside actors in less visible conflicts – such as those in Syria and Libya – that most clearly expose the risks of American disengagement .
When Mr. Trump ordered 1,000 American troops out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kurdish militias trained by U.S. Special Forces to fight the Islamic State , critics faulted him for forsaking friends and ceding influence to Russia , Iran , Turkey , and others .
But it was President Barack Obama ’ s earlier distancing from rebels arrayed against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad that told democratic forces across the region that the days of U.S. interventions for democratic governance were over .
That realization would be sustained in Libya – where U.S. disengagement following the 2011 overthrow of strongman Muammar Qaddafi paved the way for other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back opposing sides in the conflict between the United Nations-backed government in Tripoli and a rebel regime in eastern Libya .
Yet while Mr. Trump ’ s desire to end America ’ s long wars largely explains his disengagement from the Middle East , another reason altogether may be behind his laissez-faire attitude toward the world ’ s new nationalists .
If Mr. Trump has not sought to rein them in , some experts say , it is because he identifies with them .
And this may be true nowhere more than with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a close relationship with Mr. Modi , the Hindu nationalist prime minister .
“ We ’ ve learned that it ’ s a very personal prism through which President Trump sees other leaders , ” says Navnita Behera , a professor of political science at Delhi University .
“ And so when we see [ Mr. Trump ’ s ] policies on refugees , on illegal immigrants , and his views toward white nationalism , we understand his close friendship with Mr. Modi , ” she says .
“ The two identify with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Trump steered clear of the controversy flaring over Mr. Modi ’ s Muslim-excluding citizenship law when he visited India in February .
Nor did the U.S. have much to say about Mr. Modi ’ s revocation of majority-Muslim Kashmir ’ s autonomy in 2019 .
Professor Behera believes Kashmir is the kind of potentially destabilizing regional issue that a Biden administration would try to influence .
“ And that , ” she adds , would “ force both sides to come up with a better set of rules of engagement than the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s identification with nationalist leaders has also played a part in the close relations the U.S. has developed with two of the European Union ’ s nationalist “ bad boys ” in Poland and Hungary .
In both countries , sky-high public approval for Mr. Trump is shared among the top echelons of government , analysts say , where leaders are relieved that the Trump administration seems to care little about democracy or human rights .
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has chipped away at the rule of law and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concentrating power through a law allowing him to rule by decree .
“ The election of Trump , such an important international actor , emboldened similar discourse in Hungary , ” says Dr. Zsuzsanna Végh , a political scientist at European University Viadrina in Frankfurt .
Poland is on a similar path , with Mr. Trump and right-wing populist President Andrzej Duda professing to share many of the same values .
“ I sometimes joke that we Poles have put on the MAGA T-shirt more than many other countries , ” says Michal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fund ’ s Warsaw office .
The Trump administration , which responded to Polish jitters over Russia , its geopolitically ambitious neighbor , by moving U.S. troops from Germany to Poland , has said nothing about erosions of Poland ’ s independent press and judiciary .
That could change under a President Biden , some European experts believe .
They expect a Biden administration would work to reinvigorate the NATO-centered transatlantic alliance – with renewed focus on shared democratic values .
To be sure , there are exceptions to the narrative of America @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration has intensified America ’ s focus on China and its periphery , labeling Beijing a strategic competitor that is undermining the international order .
Economically , Washington has imposed tariffs on hundreds of billions ’ worth of Chinese goods , while cracking down on intellectual property theft and China ’ s infiltration of U.S. government-funded research .
Citing threats to national security , Washington has placed restrictions on a widening range of Chinese technology .
The U.S. has stepped up patrols in the South China Sea , and increased arms sales to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is that a President Biden would largely continue the tough stance , while doing more to reassert U.S. leadership in the Indo-Pacific region and return human rights to the core of U.S. foreign policy .
While that return to a more traditional U.S. foreign policy might be cheered by some allies , it would not sit so well with others who have welcomed a less attentive America .
Those would likely include the Philippines , where President Rodrigo Duterte has racked up an abysmal human rights record while showing open disdain for foreign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ domestic affairs .
A President Biden could learn quickly from Mr. Duterte just how complicated it would be to push back on the newly emboldened nationalists .
Mr. Biden would lose Mr. Duterte “ the moment he or any U.S. official ” dared to criticize the Philippines over extrajudicial killings , suppression of a free press , or detention of political enemies , says Herman Joseph Kraft , a political science professor at the University of the Philippines .
That could mean losing a strategic ally in the fight for freedom of navigation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abrogation of a binational accord allowing joint training of American and Filipino soldiers on Philippine soil .
It could also push Mr. Duterte and others like him deeper into China ’ s arms – not the outcome a new president looking to burnish American global leadership would want to encourage .
Contributing to this report were special correspondent Whitney Eulich in Mexico City ; special correspondent Taylor Luck in Amman , Jordan ; staff writer Scott Peterson in London ; special correspondent Lenora Chu in Berlin ; correspondent Aie Balagtas See in Manila @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Many say, however, that the nationalist genie may be out of the bottle. “The world is not the same,” says analyst Robert Kaplan. A Biden foreign policy “would seek to challenge” rising authoritarianism and blunt nationalism with multilateralism, he says. But a new administration would soon learn that “on the whole, each country is going on its own.”
Yet a U.S. election is approaching that may turn the White House over to former Vice President Joe Biden, and foreign policy experts anticipate that a President Biden would seek to refurbish American leadership and reinvigorate multilateralism.
Transactional diplomacy. America First. Autocrats have adjusted to the terms of President Trump’s foreign policy. Our writers explore what might happen if a President Biden tries to revive U.S.-led multilateralism.
The exercise of this newfound freedom has been strongest among leaders who find inspiration in Mr. Trump’s “America First” unilateralism. From Brazil to India and Saudi Arabia to Hungary, the leaders have pursued national interests and regional ambitions that an earlier imperial America might have sought to check.
In his nearly four years in the White House, President Donald Trump has shrunk from intervening to preserve the U.S.-led global order. As America has pulled back from its leadership role, nations not only have taken notice, but have acted. While the cat’s been away, in a sense, the mice have come out to play.
When former Vice President Joe Biden used the first presidential debate to tout his plan for a $20 billion international fund to encourage Brazil to preserve its endangered rainforests, it was a shoutout to a bygone era of robust, American-led multilateralism.
But when Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro lost no time in condemning Mr. Biden’s idea as an arrogant stab at national sovereignty, it was a different kind of shout – a reminder that much of the world has already adjusted to the approach of President Donald Trump.
In his nearly four years in the White House, Mr. Trump has shrunk from intervening to preserve the U.S.-led global order. Instead of wielding the influence of a superpower to tackle the issues of the day – from climate change and public health to trade and nuclear nonproliferation – Mr. Trump has preferred a more transactional foreign policy that meets America’s narrower economic and security interests first.
Why We Wrote This Transactional diplomacy. America First. Autocrats have adjusted to the terms of President Trump’s foreign policy. Our writers explore what might happen if a President Biden tries to revive U.S.-led multilateralism.
As America has pulled back from its leadership role, nations not only have taken notice, but have acted. While the cat’s been away, in a sense, the mice have come out to play.
The exercise of this newfound freedom has been strongest within what Shivshankar Menon of Brookings India calls the “League of Nationalists” – leaders like Mr. Bolsonaro, India’s Narendra Modi, and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who find inspiration in Mr. Trump’s “America First” unilateralism.
In the U.S. pullback, they have also found a green light to pursue national interests and regional ambitions that an earlier imperial America would have sought to check.
Yet as the U.S. approaches an election that may turn the White House over to Mr. Biden, much of the world wonders if the cat is away for good – or poised to pounce back.
No one expects anything markedly different from a second-term Trump foreign policy. Yet based on Mr. Biden’s campaign pronouncements and long experience, many foreign policy experts anticipate he would seek to refurbish American leadership and reinvigorate multilateralism.
“World is not the same”
Yet even if a President Biden were to attempt to rein in the new nationalists, many believe that genie may be out of the bottle.
“We are not the same country that we were four years ago, and the world is not the same,” says Robert Kaplan, an influential U.S. analyst of geopolitics and U.S. foreign policy.
A Biden foreign policy “would seek to challenge” a rising authoritarianism and to blunt nationalism with multilateralism, Mr. Kaplan says. But a new administration would soon learn, he adds, that “while the U.S. can nudge the needle 10% in one direction or 10% in another, on the whole each country is going on its own.”
Around the world, leaders have adjusted to Mr. Trump.
In Brazil, for example, many see Mr. Bolsonaro inspired and empowered by the U.S. president as he has fired an independent federal police chief and severely cut the budgets of government agencies meant to protect the environment and indigenous people.
“Trump offers Bolsonaro clear cover,” says Andre Pagliarini, a lecturer at Dartmouth College writing a book on Brazilian nationalism. “He can say … ‘The leader of the most democratic country in the world is a friend and aligned with me, so by definition, I’m not radical,’” Mr. Pagliarini says.
The same holds for other leaders in the Americas.
Kevin Lamarque/Reuters/File View caption Hide caption President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump stand with Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales and Hilda Patricia Marroquin Argueta de Morales on the West Wing colonnade shortly after their arrival at the White House in Washington, Dec. 17, 2019.
In Guatemala, former President Jimmy Morales made multiple attempts to disband the regionally admired International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala, finally engineering the commission’s demise before leaving office last January. That action gutted years of U.S. investment in fighting corruption in the region, experts say.
Since Mr. Trump came into office, says Ursula Roldán, a researcher at Rafael Landívar University in Guatemala City, “there’s been a weakening of U.S. interest here that’s in turn weakened our fight against corruption.”
Green lights to autocrats
Other regions are likely to present even tougher challenges to any president seeking to reverse Mr. Trump’s retreat from leadership.
Explicit green lights from the White House have emboldened autocrats in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Turkey to suppress freedoms at home, hunt down dissidents abroad, and ramp up proxy wars across the Middle East and North Africa to secure economic and political interests.
Saudi Arabia and the UAE have escalated a war in Yemen and applied pressure in Sudan and Libya, while Turkey and Egypt are extending their influence into Libya.
“America has declared with its actions, inaction, and troop drawdowns that it no longer considers the Middle East critical to its strategic interests,” says an adviser close to Gulf Arab decision-makers, who requested anonymity for security reasons. “We have learned that we … must secure our own national interest with our own two hands.”
If a President Biden were to seek to set an example of U.S. diplomatic reengagement in the region, it would likely start with Saudi Arabia, says F. Gregory Gause III, a Saudi Arabia specialist who heads the international affairs department at Texas A&M University in College Station. Candidate Biden said this month his administration would end U.S. support for Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen and “make sure America does not check its values at the door to sell arms or buy oil.”
Other regional experts assert that uncertainty over the outcome of the U.S. election is prompting some regional autocrats to accelerate territorial grabs in Libya and Syria.
Ironically, it could be one of the Trump administration’s diplomatic successes that ends up serving as a blueprint for a Biden administration in the region.
When Sudan’s post-dictatorship political transition turned violent in June 2019, with Saudi- and UAE-backed paramilitary groups killing and torturing protesters demanding a civilian government, the U.S. stepped in. The result: an agreement for a mixed civilian-military interim government to oversee a three-year political transition, underscoring how the U.S. retains considerable leverage in the region.
Anti-war sentiment
Yet that does not mean the U.S. is about to reverse its retreat, no matter who occupies the White House. Indeed, the underlying reason for the U.S. pullback from the Middle East is Mr. Trump’s rejection of what he calls “endless wars” – such as those in Afghanistan and Iraq. The president has found broad support for that stance from the American public – a reality not lost on Mr. Biden, who has sounded Trump-like on ending “these forever wars.”
Conventional wisdom has it that Iran especially has benefited from the influence vacuum left by the diminishing U.S. military footprint. But it is the gains of outside actors in less visible conflicts – such as those in Syria and Libya – that most clearly expose the risks of American disengagement.
When Mr. Trump ordered 1,000 American troops out of northern Syria in October 2019, abandoning Kurdish militias trained by U.S. Special Forces to fight the Islamic State, critics faulted him for forsaking friends and ceding influence to Russia, Iran, Turkey, and others. But it was President Barack Obama’s earlier distancing from rebels arrayed against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad that told democratic forces across the region that the days of U.S. interventions for democratic governance were over.
That realization would be sustained in Libya – where U.S. disengagement following the 2011 overthrow of strongman Muammar Qaddafi paved the way for other outside players, including Turkey, to back opposing sides in the conflict between the United Nations-backed government in Tripoli and a rebel regime in eastern Libya.
Fahad Shadeed/Reuters/File View caption Hide caption Vice President Joe Biden speaks with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal upon his arrival at Riyadh airbase Oct. 27, 2011. Mr. Biden was leading an American delegation to offer condolences on the death of Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul-Aziz al-Saud.
Yet while Mr. Trump’s desire to end America’s long wars largely explains his disengagement from the Middle East, another reason altogether may be behind his laissez-faire attitude toward the world’s new nationalists.
If Mr. Trump has not sought to rein them in, some experts say, it is because he identifies with them. And this may be true nowhere more than with India, where the president has developed a close relationship with Mr. Modi, the Hindu nationalist prime minister.
“We’ve learned that it’s a very personal prism through which President Trump sees other leaders,” says Navnita Behera, a professor of political science at Delhi University. “And so when we see [Mr. Trump’s] policies on refugees, on illegal immigrants, and his views toward white nationalism, we understand his close friendship with Mr. Modi,” she says. “The two identify with each other.”
Professor Behera notes that President Trump steered clear of the controversy flaring over Mr. Modi’s Muslim-excluding citizenship law when he visited India in February. Nor did the U.S. have much to say about Mr. Modi’s revocation of majority-Muslim Kashmir’s autonomy in 2019.
Professor Behera believes Kashmir is the kind of potentially destabilizing regional issue that a Biden administration would try to influence.
“And that,” she adds, would “force both sides to come up with a better set of rules of engagement than the two leaders’ personal relationship.”
Trump’s “bad boy” admirers
Mr. Trump’s identification with nationalist leaders has also played a part in the close relations the U.S. has developed with two of the European Union’s nationalist “bad boys” in Poland and Hungary.
In both countries, sky-high public approval for Mr. Trump is shared among the top echelons of government, analysts say, where leaders are relieved that the Trump administration seems to care little about democracy or human rights.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has chipped away at the rule of law and the independence of media, while most recently concentrating power through a law allowing him to rule by decree.
“The election of Trump, such an important international actor, emboldened similar discourse in Hungary,” says Dr. Zsuzsanna Végh, a political scientist at European University Viadrina in Frankfurt.
Poland is on a similar path, with Mr. Trump and right-wing populist President Andrzej Duda professing to share many of the same values. “I sometimes joke that we Poles have put on the MAGA T-shirt more than many other countries,” says Michal Baranowski, director of the German Marshall Fund’s Warsaw office.
The Trump administration, which responded to Polish jitters over Russia, its geopolitically ambitious neighbor, by moving U.S. troops from Germany to Poland, has said nothing about erosions of Poland’s independent press and judiciary.
That could change under a President Biden, some European experts believe. They expect a Biden administration would work to reinvigorate the NATO-centered transatlantic alliance – with renewed focus on shared democratic values.
To be sure, there are exceptions to the narrative of America’s global retreat. The Trump administration has intensified America’s focus on China and its periphery, labeling Beijing a strategic competitor that is undermining the international order.
Economically, Washington has imposed tariffs on hundreds of billions’ worth of Chinese goods, while cracking down on intellectual property theft and China’s infiltration of U.S. government-funded research.
Citing threats to national security, Washington has placed restrictions on a widening range of Chinese technology. The U.S. has stepped up patrols in the South China Sea, and increased arms sales to Taiwan.
Across Asia, the expectation is that a President Biden would largely continue the tough stance, while doing more to reassert U.S. leadership in the Indo-Pacific region and return human rights to the core of U.S. foreign policy.
A welcome inattention
While that return to a more traditional U.S. foreign policy might be cheered by some allies, it would not sit so well with others who have welcomed a less attentive America.
Those would likely include the Philippines, where President Rodrigo Duterte has racked up an abysmal human rights record while showing open disdain for foreign leaders who meddle in other countries’ domestic affairs.
A President Biden could learn quickly from Mr. Duterte just how complicated it would be to push back on the newly emboldened nationalists.
Mr. Biden would lose Mr. Duterte “the moment he or any U.S. official” dared to criticize the Philippines over extrajudicial killings, suppression of a free press, or detention of political enemies, says Herman Joseph Kraft, a political science professor at the University of the Philippines.
That could mean losing a strategic ally in the fight for freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, or abrogation of a binational accord allowing joint training of American and Filipino soldiers on Philippine soil.
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It could also push Mr. Duterte and others like him deeper into China’s arms – not the outcome a new president looking to burnish American global leadership would want to encourage.
Contributing to this report were special correspondent Whitney Eulich in Mexico City; special correspondent Taylor Luck in Amman, Jordan; staff writer Scott Peterson in London; special correspondent Lenora Chu in Berlin; correspondent Aie Balagtas See in Manila; and staff writer Ann Scott Tyson.


csmonitor--2020-10-16--A light shines on Nigerian corruption

A light shines on Nigerian corruption

For decades in Nigeria , businesspeople in Africa ’ s largest economy have accepted that corruption is the cost of doing business .
They have witnessed the failure of successive anti-corruption initiatives by government .
The current elected president , Muhammadu Buhari , even headed the African Union ’ s corruption awareness campaign in 2018 .
Despite these efforts , the country is still ranked low on a global corruption index .
According to a poll last year by Transparency International , nearly half of Nigerians who engaged with a public service – schools , police , utilities – said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days , however , mass protests have dealt a blow to that pessimism .
The spark was the killing of a young man by members of a special plainclothes police unit notorious for murder , torture , and extortion .
A video of the incident went viral .
The outpouring of popular anger prompted Mr. Buhari to announce that the unit , the Special Anti-Robbery Squad , would be abolished .
Given that government leaders had already promised four times to disband the unit , his announcement felt flat .
The largely leaderless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As if to confirm the protesters ’ skepticism , police keep using heavy-handed tactics against them .
The military announced it too was prepared to step in .
Many Nigerians seem unfazed .
They are less fearful and less resigned to the inevitability of corruption and the system of patronage that comes with it .
“ This protest is not just about [ the police unit ] but about bad governance , ” a 27-year-old lawyer told The Wall Street Journal .
According to the latest Transparency International survey , more than half @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials are involved in corruption .
Mr. Buhari , a retired general who led a military government in the 1980s , can claim some credit for shifting public expectations .
Since returning to power five years ago , this time as a democratically elected civilian , he has launched several investigations of high-profile officials and bolstered protections for whistleblowers .
His anti-corruption agencies have recovered billions in pilfered public funds .
Police opened a call center to field and investigate public complaints of misconduct .
These measures may be achieving only modest or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to build awareness that norms of honesty , accountability , and transparency are possible and expected .
A 2017 Chatham House survey of Nigerian attitudes toward corruption found that “ if people were aware of how commonly held their personal beliefs are , they would be more motivated to act collectively against corruption.
” That survey foresaw the current protests : “ Anti-corruption efforts may have the greatest chance of success if they stem from a shared sense of responsibility and urgency – and thus foster collective grassroots pressure.
” In recent years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world demanding honest governance .
Now it is Nigeria ’ s turn .
Instead of Africa ’ s most populous country remaining an icon of corruption , its youth have opened a door for it to be a beacon .

For decades in Nigeria, businesspeople in Africa’s largest economy have accepted that corruption is the cost of doing business. They have witnessed the failure of successive anti-corruption initiatives by government. The current elected president, Muhammadu Buhari, even headed the African Union’s corruption awareness campaign in 2018. Despite these efforts, the country is still ranked low on a global corruption index. According to a poll last year by Transparency International, nearly half of Nigerians who engaged with a public service – schools, police, utilities – said their transactions involved graft.
In recent days, however, mass protests have dealt a blow to that pessimism. The spark was the killing of a young man by members of a special plainclothes police unit notorious for murder, torture, and extortion. A video of the incident went viral. The outpouring of popular anger prompted Mr. Buhari to announce that the unit, the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, would be abolished.
Given that government leaders had already promised four times to disband the unit, his announcement felt flat. The largely leaderless protests have continued across major cities. As if to confirm the protesters’ skepticism, police keep using heavy-handed tactics against them. The military announced it too was prepared to step in.
Many Nigerians seem unfazed. They are less fearful and less resigned to the inevitability of corruption and the system of patronage that comes with it. “This protest is not just about [the police unit] but about bad governance,” a 27-year-old lawyer told The Wall Street Journal. According to the latest Transparency International survey, more than half of Nigerians believe most or all public officials are involved in corruption.
Mr. Buhari, a retired general who led a military government in the 1980s, can claim some credit for shifting public expectations. Since returning to power five years ago, this time as a democratically elected civilian, he has launched several investigations of high-profile officials and bolstered protections for whistleblowers. His anti-corruption agencies have recovered billions in pilfered public funds. Police opened a call center to field and investigate public complaints of misconduct.
These measures may be achieving only modest or halting results. But they are helping to build awareness that norms of honesty, accountability, and transparency are possible and expected. A 2017 Chatham House survey of Nigerian attitudes toward corruption found that “if people were aware of how commonly held their personal beliefs are, they would be more motivated to act collectively against corruption.”
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That survey foresaw the current protests: “Anti-corruption efforts may have the greatest chance of success if they stem from a shared sense of responsibility and urgency – and thus foster collective grassroots pressure.”
In recent years, youth-led protest movements have erupted around the world demanding honest governance. Now it is Nigeria’s turn. Instead of Africa’s most populous country remaining an icon of corruption, its youth have opened a door for it to be a beacon.


csmonitor--2020-10-16--Points of Progress: US Navy honors Doris Miller, and more

The newest supercarrier will be named the USS Doris Miller after the African American sailor who helped save his injured captain and crewmates at Pearl Harbor .
During the 1941 attack , Miller also opened fire on Japanese planes , despite the fact that being Black limited him to the job of messman , and he was not trained to use weapons .
Most supercarriers are named after U.S. presidents , and this marks the first time an African American or an enlisted sailor has received the honor .
The Black press fought for his recognition back in 1941 – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ desegregating the military – and his actions were immortalized in poems by Langston Hughes and Gwendolyn Brooks .
Still , many in the Navy are unfamiliar with Miller ’ s story .
Former acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas Modly said the tribute was long overdue , and reflects the Navy ’ s diversity today : “ We have about 340,000 active-duty sailors , and they come from every part of the country , every skin color , every ethnicity.
” ( NPR ) France ’ s Ministry of Ecological Transition announced a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ throughout the country .
Traveling circuses will no longer be allowed to use wild animals such as tigers , bears , and elephants , and marine parks can no longer breed or obtain dolphins and orcas to keep in captivity .
The new policies also bring an end to mink farming in France by 2025 .
Some of the changes go into effect immediately , while others will be implemented over several years .
“ It is time to open a new era in our relationship with these [ wild ] animals , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minister .
The government is dedicating $ 9.4 million to help marine parks transition into sanctuaries and find new jobs for circus and marine park workers .
( The Associated Press , Green Matters ) Togo has a record number of women in the upper echelons of government after a recent cabinet reshuffle .
Women have been appointed to 30 % of the country ’ s 33 ministerial positions , including Prime Minister Victoire Tomegah Dogbe and Defense Minister Essozimna Marguerite Gnakade – a first for each post .
While some hesitate to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ controversial figure who continues his 15-year rule despite growing opposition – is still in power , others say the historic lineup gives them hope .
Ms. Dogbe in particular has led efforts against youth unemployment and poverty , and is widely respected throughout the country .
Human rights activist Mimi Dossou Soedédjé said the appointment sends “ a strong signal to our young girls and women that they have the right to dream big.
” ( Reuters , CNN , Deutsche Welle ) Kazakhstan took an important step toward abolishing the death penalty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights .
There are now only three countries in Europe and Central Asia that have not signed the document : Russia , Tajikistan , and Belarus .
Kazakhstan has been gradually narrowing the scope of capital punishment .
The courts generally stopped imposing the death penalty in 2004 , but can make exceptions for acts of terrorism .
A man convicted of a 2016 mass shooting remains the only person on death row today .
In his speech to the United Nations , President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ committed to the implementation of the fundamental right to life and human dignity , ” according to a Kazakh Foreign Ministry statement .
( Amnesty International , New Europe ) Hong Kong ’ s latest transitional housing initiative is helping low-income families live with dignity .
In one of the world ’ s most expensive and crowded cities , thousands are waiting an average of 5 1/2 years to access public housing .
Transitional homes built on idle land offer a short-term solution .
Nam Cheong 2020 is Hong Kong ’ s first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can be moved and reused when the lease is done .
Although temporary , the 290-square-foot apartments have already made a huge difference for families such as Lau Kai Fai , his wife , and their teenage son .
They recently swapped their 80-square-foot “ coffin home ” for a spot in Nam Cheong 2020 , paying 60 % of their old rent .
They can cook , eat meals together , and do homework at an actual desk .
“ It feels like a home , ” Mr. Lau said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to sleep.
” ( Reuters ) Rights of nature laws are gaining momentum around the world , empowering communities and bringing fresh arguments to court .
Based in Indigenous thought , this approach affirms the rights of rivers , reefs , and other forms of nature to exist and thrive .
Under the current paradigm , say environmental activists , nature is treated as property , limiting the ways in which people can defend the planet against pollution and overuse .
At least 14 countries have adopted rights of nature laws in recent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ international resolutions , or constitutional amendments .
From Bolivia to Bangladesh , these measures allow residents to sue for harm done to nature on behalf of their local ecosystems .
“ This is a new area of rights , but it ’ s also a growing movement , ” said Monti Aguirre , Latin America coordinator with International Rivers .
( Thomson Reuters Foundation )

1. United States
The newest supercarrier will be named the USS Doris Miller after the African American sailor who helped save his injured captain and crewmates at Pearl Harbor. During the 1941 attack, Miller also opened fire on Japanese planes, despite the fact that being Black limited him to the job of messman, and he was not trained to use weapons. Most supercarriers are named after U.S. presidents, and this marks the first time an African American or an enlisted sailor has received the honor.
ROD AYDELOTTE/WACO TRIBUNE-HERALD/AP View caption Hide caption Former sailors salute a 9-foot-tall bronze statue of Doris Miller during an unveiling ceremony on Dec. 7, 2017, in Miller’s hometown of Waco, Texas.
The Black press fought for his recognition back in 1941 – seven years before the government committed to desegregating the military – and his actions were immortalized in poems by Langston Hughes and Gwendolyn Brooks. Still, many in the Navy are unfamiliar with Miller’s story. Former acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas Modly said the tribute was long overdue, and reflects the Navy’s diversity today: “We have about 340,000 active-duty sailors, and they come from every part of the country, every skin color, every ethnicity.” (NPR)
Why We Wrote This This is more than feel-good news – it's where the world is making concrete progress. A roundup of positive stories to inspire you.
2. France
France’s Ministry of Ecological Transition announced a series of bans to improve animal welfare throughout the country. Traveling circuses will no longer be allowed to use wild animals such as tigers, bears, and elephants, and marine parks can no longer breed or obtain dolphins and orcas to keep in captivity. The new policies also bring an end to mink farming in France by 2025.
REGIS DUVIGNAU/REUTERS/FILE View caption Hide caption Elephants perform at the Arlette Gruss Circus in Bordeaux, France, on Feb. 4, 2014.
Some of the changes go into effect immediately, while others will be implemented over several years. “It is time to open a new era in our relationship with these [wild] animals,” said Barbara Pompili, the environment minister. The government is dedicating $9.4 million to help marine parks transition into sanctuaries and find new jobs for circus and marine park workers. (The Associated Press, Green Matters)
3. Togo
Togo has a record number of women in the upper echelons of government after a recent cabinet reshuffle. Women have been appointed to 30% of the country’s 33 ministerial positions, including Prime Minister Victoire Tomegah Dogbe and Defense Minister Essozimna Marguerite Gnakade – a first for each post. While some hesitate to celebrate since President Faure Gnassingbé – a controversial figure who continues his 15-year rule despite growing opposition – is still in power, others say the historic lineup gives them hope. Ms. Dogbe in particular has led efforts against youth unemployment and poverty, and is widely respected throughout the country. Human rights activist Mimi Dossou Soedédjé said the appointment sends “a strong signal to our young girls and women that they have the right to dream big.” (Reuters, CNN, Deutsche Welle)
4. Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan took an important step toward abolishing the death penalty with the signing of the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. There are now only three countries in Europe and Central Asia that have not signed the document: Russia, Tajikistan, and Belarus. Kazakhstan has been gradually narrowing the scope of capital punishment. The courts generally stopped imposing the death penalty in 2004, but can make exceptions for acts of terrorism. A man convicted of a 2016 mass shooting remains the only person on death row today. In his speech to the United Nations, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev stressed that “Kazakhstan is committed to the implementation of the fundamental right to life and human dignity,” according to a Kazakh Foreign Ministry statement. (Amnesty International, New Europe)
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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.
5. Hong Kong
Hong Kong’s latest transitional housing initiative is helping low-income families live with dignity. In one of the world’s most expensive and crowded cities, thousands are waiting an average of 5 1/2 years to access public housing. Transitional homes built on idle land offer a short-term solution. Nam Cheong 2020 is Hong Kong’s first modular home project, whose prefabricated dwellings can be moved and reused when the lease is done.
TYRONE SIU/REUTERS View caption Hide caption The four-story modular homes in Hong Kong are made from prefabricated parts.
Although temporary, the 290-square-foot apartments have already made a huge difference for families such as Lau Kai Fai, his wife, and their teenage son. They recently swapped their 80-square-foot “coffin home” for a spot in Nam Cheong 2020, paying 60% of their old rent. They can cook, eat meals together, and do homework at an actual desk. “It feels like a home,” Mr. Lau said. “The previous flat was only a place to sleep.” (Reuters)
World
Rights of nature laws are gaining momentum around the world, empowering communities and bringing fresh arguments to court. Based in Indigenous thought, this approach affirms the rights of rivers, reefs, and other forms of nature to exist and thrive. Under the current paradigm, say environmental activists, nature is treated as property, limiting the ways in which people can defend the planet against pollution and overuse. At least 14 countries have adopted rights of nature laws in recent years, sometimes through judicial decisions, international resolutions, or constitutional amendments. From Bolivia to Bangladesh, these measures allow residents to sue for harm done to nature on behalf of their local ecosystems. “This is a new area of rights, but it’s also a growing movement,” said Monti Aguirre, Latin America coordinator with International Rivers. (Thomson Reuters Foundation)


csmonitor--2020-10-16--US poised to see highest voter turnout since 1908

More than 17 million Americans have already cast ballots in the 2020 election , a record-shattering avalanche of early votes driven both by Democratic enthusiasm and a pandemic that has transformed the way the nation votes .
The total represents 12 % of all the votes cast in the 2016 presidential election , even as eight states are not yet reporting their totals and voters still have more than two weeks to cast ballots .
Americans ’ rush to vote is leading election experts to predict that a record 150 million votes may be cast and turnout rates could be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1908 .
“ It ’ s crazy , ” said Michael McDonald , a University of Florida political scientist who has long tracked voting for his site ElectProject.org .
Mr. McDonald ’ s analysis shows roughly 10 times as many people have voted compared with this point in 2016 .
“ We can be certain this will be a high-turnout election , ” Mr. McDonald said .
So far the turnout has been lopsided , with Democrats outvoting Republicans by a 2-1 ratio in the 42 states included in The Associated Press count @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this early Democratic advantage for months , as they ’ ve watched President Donald Trump rail against mail-in ballots and raise unfounded worries about fraud .
Polling , and now early voting , suggest the rhetoric has turned his party ’ s rank and file away from a method of voting that , traditionally , they dominated in the weeks before Election Day .
That gives Democrats a tactical advantage in the final stretch of the campaign .
In many critical battleground states , Democrats have “ banked ” a chunk of their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ money toward harder-to-find infrequent voters .
But it does not necessarily mean Democrats will lead in votes by the time ballots are counted .
Both parties anticipate a swell of Republican votes on Election Day that could , in a matter of hours , dramatically shift the dynamic .
“ The Republican numbers are going to pick up , ” said John Couvillon , a GOP pollster who is tracking early voting .
“ The question is at what velocity , and when ?
” Mr. Couvillon said Democrats can ’ t rest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are themselves making a big gamble .
A number of factors , from rising virus infections to the weather , can impact in-person turnout on Election Day .
“ If you ’ re putting all your faith into one day of voting , that ’ s really high risk , ” Mr. Couvillon said .
That ’ s why , despite Mr. Trump ’ s rhetoric , his campaign and party are encouraging their own voters to cast ballots by mail or early and in-person .
The campaign , which has been sending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months despite the pandemic , touts that it has registered more voters this year than Democrats in key swing states like Florida and Pennsylvania – a sharp reversal from the usual pattern as a presidential election looms .
But it ’ s had limited success in selling absentee voting .
In key swing states , Republicans remain far less interested in voting by mail .
In Pennsylvania , more than three-quarters of the more than 437,000 ballots sent through the mail so far have been from Democrats .
In Florida , half of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far have been from Democrats and less than a third of them from Republicans .
Even in Colorado , a state where every voter is mailed a ballot and Republicans usually dominate the first week of voting , only 19 % of ballots returned have been from Republicans .
“ This is all encouraging , but three weeks is a lifetime , ” Democratic data strategist Tom Bonier said of the early vote numbers .
“ We may be midway through the first quarter and Democrats have put a couple of points on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voting has occurred without any of the violent skirmishes at polling places that some activists and law enforcement officials feared .
It has featured high-profile errors – 100,000 faulty mail ballots sent out in New York , 50,000 in Columbus , Ohio , and a vendor supplying that state and Pennsylvania blaming delays on sending ballots on overwhelming demand .
But there ’ s little evidence of the mass disruption that some feared as election offices had to abruptly shift to deal with the influx of early voting .
But there have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Georgia , Texas , and North Carolina as they ’ ve opened in-person early voting .
The delays were largely a result of insufficient resources to handle the surge , something advocates contend is a form of voter suppression .
Republicans argue that these signs of enthusiasm are meaningless – Democratic early voters are people who would have voted anyway , they say .
But an AP analysis of the early vote shows 8 % of early voters had never cast a ballot before , and 13.8 % had voted in half or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were eligible .
The data also show voters embracing mail voting , which health officials say is the safest way to avoid coronavirus infection while voting .
Of the early voters , 82 % cast ballots through the mail and 18 % in person .
Black voters cast 10 % of the ballots cast , about the same as their share of the national electorate , according to the AP analysis of data from L2 , a political data firm .
That ’ s a sign that those voters , who have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ white people and Latinos , have warmed to the method .
Mail ballots so far have skewed toward older voters , with half coming from voters over age 64 .
Traditionally , younger and minority voters send their mail ballots in closer to Election Day or vote in person .
The mail ballots already returned in several states dwarf the entire total in prior elections .
In Wisconsin , more than five times as many mail ballots have been cast compared with the entire number in 2016 .
North Carolina has seen nearly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ early voting began this week in several major states and also broke records , particularly in crowded , Democratic-leaning metropolitan areas .
In Texas , Houston ’ s Harris County saw a record 125,000 ballots cast .
In Georgia , hours-long lines threaded from election offices through much of the state ’ s urban areas .
Tunde Ezekiel , a lawyer and Democrat who voted early in Atlanta on Thursday , said he wanted to be certain he had a chance to oust Mr. Trump from office : “ I don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like on Election Day .
... And I didn ’ t want to take any chances.
” The obvious enthusiasm among Democrats has cheered party operatives , but they note that it ’ s hard to tell which way turnout will eventually fall .
Republicans may be just as motivated , but saving themselves for Election Day .
“ High turnout can benefit either side , ” Mr. Bonier said .
“ It just depends.
” This story was reported by The Associated Press .
AP writers Kate Brumback in Atlanta and Pia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Editor ’ s note : As a public service , the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage .
It ’ s free .

More than 17 million Americans have already cast ballots in the 2020 election, a record-shattering avalanche of early votes driven both by Democratic enthusiasm and a pandemic that has transformed the way the nation votes.
The total represents 12% of all the votes cast in the 2016 presidential election, even as eight states are not yet reporting their totals and voters still have more than two weeks to cast ballots. Americans’ rush to vote is leading election experts to predict that a record 150 million votes may be cast and turnout rates could be higher than in any presidential election since 1908.
“It’s crazy,” said Michael McDonald, a University of Florida political scientist who has long tracked voting for his site ElectProject.org. Mr. McDonald’s analysis shows roughly 10 times as many people have voted compared with this point in 2016.
“We can be certain this will be a high-turnout election,” Mr. McDonald said.
So far the turnout has been lopsided, with Democrats outvoting Republicans by a 2-1 ratio in the 42 states included in The Associated Press count. Republicans have been bracing themselves for this early Democratic advantage for months, as they’ve watched President Donald Trump rail against mail-in ballots and raise unfounded worries about fraud. Polling, and now early voting, suggest the rhetoric has turned his party’s rank and file away from a method of voting that, traditionally, they dominated in the weeks before Election Day.
That gives Democrats a tactical advantage in the final stretch of the campaign. In many critical battleground states, Democrats have “banked” a chunk of their voters and can turn their time and money toward harder-to-find infrequent voters.
But it does not necessarily mean Democrats will lead in votes by the time ballots are counted. Both parties anticipate a swell of Republican votes on Election Day that could, in a matter of hours, dramatically shift the dynamic.
“The Republican numbers are going to pick up,” said John Couvillon, a GOP pollster who is tracking early voting. “The question is at what velocity, and when?”
Mr. Couvillon said Democrats can’t rest on their voting lead, but Republicans are themselves making a big gamble. A number of factors, from rising virus infections to the weather, can impact in-person turnout on Election Day. “If you’re putting all your faith into one day of voting, that’s really high risk,” Mr. Couvillon said.
That’s why, despite Mr. Trump’s rhetoric, his campaign and party are encouraging their own voters to cast ballots by mail or early and in-person. The campaign, which has been sending volunteers and staffers into the field for months despite the pandemic, touts that it has registered more voters this year than Democrats in key swing states like Florida and Pennsylvania – a sharp reversal from the usual pattern as a presidential election looms.
But it’s had limited success in selling absentee voting. In key swing states, Republicans remain far less interested in voting by mail.
In Pennsylvania, more than three-quarters of the more than 437,000 ballots sent through the mail so far have been from Democrats. In Florida, half of all ballots sent through the mail so far have been from Democrats and less than a third of them from Republicans. Even in Colorado, a state where every voter is mailed a ballot and Republicans usually dominate the first week of voting, only 19% of ballots returned have been from Republicans.
“This is all encouraging, but three weeks is a lifetime,” Democratic data strategist Tom Bonier said of the early vote numbers. “We may be midway through the first quarter and Democrats have put a couple of points on the board.”
The massive amount of voting has occurred without any of the violent skirmishes at polling places that some activists and law enforcement officials feared. It has featured high-profile errors – 100,000 faulty mail ballots sent out in New York, 50,000 in Columbus, Ohio, and a vendor supplying that state and Pennsylvania blaming delays on sending ballots on overwhelming demand. But there’s little evidence of the mass disruption that some feared as election offices had to abruptly shift to deal with the influx of early voting.
But there have been extraordinary lines and hours-long wait times in Georgia, Texas, and North Carolina as they’ve opened in-person early voting. The delays were largely a result of insufficient resources to handle the surge, something advocates contend is a form of voter suppression.
Republicans argue that these signs of enthusiasm are meaningless – Democratic early voters are people who would have voted anyway, they say. But an AP analysis of the early vote shows 8% of early voters had never cast a ballot before, and 13.8% had voted in half or fewer of previous elections for which they were eligible.
The data also show voters embracing mail voting, which health officials say is the safest way to avoid coronavirus infection while voting. Of the early voters, 82% cast ballots through the mail and 18% in person. Black voters cast 10% of the ballots cast, about the same as their share of the national electorate, according to the AP analysis of data from L2, a political data firm. That’s a sign that those voters, who have been less likely to vote by mail than white people and Latinos, have warmed to the method.
Mail ballots so far have skewed toward older voters, with half coming from voters over age 64. Traditionally, younger and minority voters send their mail ballots in closer to Election Day or vote in person.
The mail ballots already returned in several states dwarf the entire total in prior elections. In Wisconsin, more than five times as many mail ballots have been cast compared with the entire number in 2016. North Carolina has seen nearly triple the number so far.
In-person early voting began this week in several major states and also broke records, particularly in crowded, Democratic-leaning metropolitan areas. In Texas, Houston’s Harris County saw a record 125,000 ballots cast. In Georgia, hours-long lines threaded from election offices through much of the state’s urban areas.
Tunde Ezekiel, a lawyer and Democrat who voted early in Atlanta on Thursday, said he wanted to be certain he had a chance to oust Mr. Trump from office: “I don’t know what things are going to look like on Election Day. ... And I didn’t want to take any chances.”
The obvious enthusiasm among Democrats has cheered party operatives, but they note that it’s hard to tell which way turnout will eventually fall. Republicans may be just as motivated, but saving themselves for Election Day.
“High turnout can benefit either side,” Mr. Bonier said. “It just depends.”
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This story was reported by The Associated Press. AP writers Kate Brumback in Atlanta and Pia Deshpande in Chicago contributed to this report.
Editor’s note: As a public service, the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage. It’s free.


csmonitor--2020-10-16--YouTube joins Twitter and Facebook to ban QAnon content

YouTube is following the lead of Twitter and Facebook , saying that it is taking more steps to limit QAnon and other baseless conspiracy theories that can lead to real-world violence .
The Google-owned video platform said Thursday it will now prohibit material targeting a person or group with conspiracy theories that have been used to justify violence .
One example would be videos that threaten or harass someone by suggesting they are complicit in a conspiracy such as QAnon , which paints United States President Donald Trump as a secret warrior against a supposed child-trafficking ring run by celebrities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The QAnon phenomenon sprawls across a patchwork of secret Facebook groups , Twitter accounts , and YouTube videos .
QAnon has also been linked to real-world violence such as criminal reports of kidnapping and dangerous claims that the coronavirus is a hoax .
Although restricted to the backwaters of the internet for years , QAnon posts reached millions of people via social media this year .
Pizzagate is another internet conspiracy theory – essentially a predecessor to QAnon – that would fall in the banned category .
Its promoters claimed children were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Washington , D.C. A man who believed in the conspiracy entered the restaurant in December 2016 and fired an assault rifle .
He was sentenced to prison in 2017 .
YouTube is the third of the major social platforms to announce policies intended rein in QAnon , a conspiracy theory they all helped spread .
Twitter announced in July a crackdown on QAnon , though it did not ban its supporters from its platform .
It did ban thousands of accounts associated with QAnon content and blocked URLs associated with it from being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would stop highlighting and recommending tweets associated with QAnon .
It expected over 150,000 accounts globally to have reduced visibility due to these measures .
Facebook , meanwhile , announced last week that it was banning groups that openly support QAnon .
It said it would remove pages , groups , and Instagram accounts for representing QAnon – even if they don ’ t promote violence .
The social network said it will consider a variety of factors in deciding whether a group meets its criteria for a ban .
Those include the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or “ about ” section , and discussions within the page or group on Facebook , or account on Instagram , which is owned by Facebook .
Mentions of QAnon in a group focused on a different subject wo n't necessarily lead to a ban .
Administrators of banned groups will have their personal accounts disabled as well .
Facebook ’ s move came two months after it announced a softer crackdown , saying it would stop promoting the group and its adherents .
But that effort faltered due to spotty enforcement .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of thousands of QAnon-videos and eliminated hundreds of channels under its existing policies – especially those that explicitly threaten violence or deny the existence of major violent events .
“ All of this work has been pivotal in curbing the reach of harmful conspiracies , but there ’ s even more we can do to address certain conspiracy theories that are used to justify real-world violence , like QAnon , ” the company said in Thursday ’ s blog post .
Experts said the move shows that YouTube is taking threats around violent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of limiting the spread of such conspiracies .
But with QAnon increasingly creeping into mainstream politics and U.S. life , they wonder if it is too late .
“ While this is an important change , for almost three years YouTube was a primary site for the spread of QAnon , ” said Sophie Bjork-James , an anthropologist at Vanderbilt University who studies QAnon .
“ Without the platform , Q would likely remain an obscure conspiracy .
For years YouTube provided this radical group an international audience.
” This story was reported @ @ @ @ @

YouTube is following the lead of Twitter and Facebook, saying that it is taking more steps to limit QAnon and other baseless conspiracy theories that can lead to real-world violence.
The Google-owned video platform said Thursday it will now prohibit material targeting a person or group with conspiracy theories that have been used to justify violence.
One example would be videos that threaten or harass someone by suggesting they are complicit in a conspiracy such as QAnon, which paints United States President Donald Trump as a secret warrior against a supposed child-trafficking ring run by celebrities and “deep state” government officials.
The QAnon phenomenon sprawls across a patchwork of secret Facebook groups, Twitter accounts, and YouTube videos. QAnon has also been linked to real-world violence such as criminal reports of kidnapping and dangerous claims that the coronavirus is a hoax. Although restricted to the backwaters of the internet for years, QAnon posts reached millions of people via social media this year.
Pizzagate is another internet conspiracy theory – essentially a predecessor to QAnon – that would fall in the banned category. Its promoters claimed children were being harmed at a pizza restaurant in Washington, D.C. A man who believed in the conspiracy entered the restaurant in December 2016 and fired an assault rifle. He was sentenced to prison in 2017.
YouTube is the third of the major social platforms to announce policies intended rein in QAnon, a conspiracy theory they all helped spread.
Twitter announced in July a crackdown on QAnon, though it did not ban its supporters from its platform. It did ban thousands of accounts associated with QAnon content and blocked URLs associated with it from being shared. Twitter also said that it would stop highlighting and recommending tweets associated with QAnon. It expected over 150,000 accounts globally to have reduced visibility due to these measures.
Facebook, meanwhile, announced last week that it was banning groups that openly support QAnon. It said it would remove pages, groups, and Instagram accounts for representing QAnon – even if they don’t promote violence.
The social network said it will consider a variety of factors in deciding whether a group meets its criteria for a ban. Those include the group’s name, its biography or “about” section, and discussions within the page or group on Facebook, or account on Instagram, which is owned by Facebook. Mentions of QAnon in a group focused on a different subject won't necessarily lead to a ban. Administrators of banned groups will have their personal accounts disabled as well.
Facebook’s move came two months after it announced a softer crackdown, saying it would stop promoting the group and its adherents. But that effort faltered due to spotty enforcement.
YouTube said it had already removed tens of thousands of QAnon-videos and eliminated hundreds of channels under its existing policies – especially those that explicitly threaten violence or deny the existence of major violent events.
“All of this work has been pivotal in curbing the reach of harmful conspiracies, but there’s even more we can do to address certain conspiracy theories that are used to justify real-world violence, like QAnon,” the company said in Thursday’s blog post.
Experts said the move shows that YouTube is taking threats around violent conspiracy theories seriously and recognizes the importance of limiting the spread of such conspiracies. But with QAnon increasingly creeping into mainstream politics and U.S. life, they wonder if it is too late.
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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.
“While this is an important change, for almost three years YouTube was a primary site for the spread of QAnon,” said Sophie Bjork-James, an anthropologist at Vanderbilt University who studies QAnon. “Without the platform, Q would likely remain an obscure conspiracy. For years YouTube provided this radical group an international audience.”
This story was reported by The Associated Press.


csmonitor--2020-10-16--Barrett confirmation vote expected by end of the month

Republicans powered Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett closer to confirmation Thursday , pushing past Democratic objections and other priorities during the COVID-19 crisis in the drive to seat President Donald Trump ’ s pick before the Nov. 3 election .
The Senate Judiciary Committee set Oct. 22 for its vote to recommend Judge Barrett ’ s nomination to the full Senate , with a final confirmation vote expected by month ’ s end .
“ You don ’ t convene a Supreme Court confirmation hearing , in the middle of a pandemic , when the Senate ’ s on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the presidential election in a majority of states , ” declared Sen. Chris Coons , D-Del .
Republicans eager to fill the seat of the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg countered that Mr. Trump is well within bounds to fill the vacancy , and they have the votes to do it .
Relying on a slim Senate majority , Mr. Trump ’ s Republicans are poised to lock a 6-3 conservative court majority for years to come .
Sen. John Cornyn , R-Texas , said he understands Democrats ’ “ disappointment.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the American people ’ s gain.
” Judge Barrett ’ s confirmation would bring the most pronounced ideological change on the court in 30 years , replacing the liberal icon Justice Ginsburg with the conservative appeals court judge from Indiana .
The shift is poised to launch a new era of court rulings on abortion , voting rights , and other matters that are now open to new uncertainty .
The 48-year-old Judge Barrett was careful during two days of public testimony not to tip her views on many issues , or take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Facing almost 20 hours of questions from senators , she declined to offer specifics beyond a vow to keep an open mind and take the cases as they come .
“ It ’ s not the law of Amy , ” the mother of seven told the senators at various times .
Judge Barrett wasn ’ t present for Thursday ’ s hearing , the last of the week ’ s sessions as the coronavirus pandemic hangs over the country .
Two GOP senators on the committee tested positive for the virus and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kamala Harris , the vice presidential nominee , also tested positive , grounding her travel Thursday , the campaign announced .
Stakes are high for all sides .
Liberals pounced when top Democrat Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California hugged the chairman , Sen. Lindsey Graham , R-S.C. , as days of hearings closed , praising his handling of the process .
They called for her immediate removal from leadership .
Among those testifying Thursday in support of Judge Barrett ’ s nomination , retired appellate court Judge Thomas Griffith assured senators that Judge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can and do put aside party and politics.
” But a coalition of civil rights groups opposed her nomination .
Kristen Clarke , the president of the Lawyers Committee on Civil Rights , said the judge ’ s unwillingness to speak forcefully for the Voting Rights Act and other issues should “ sound an alarm ” for Americans with a case heading to the high court .
“ Our nation deserves a justice who is committed to preserving the hard-earned rights of all Americans , particularly the most vulnerable , ” Ms. Clarke @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allies , led by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , are reshaping the judiciary , having changed Senate rules at the start of the president ’ s term to allow 51 votes , rather than the traditional 60 , to advance Supreme Court nominees .
With a slim 53-47 majority , her confirmation is almost assured .
Two Republican senators , Alaska ’ s Lisa Murkowski and Maine ’ s Susan Collins , are opposed to voting before the election , but no others objected .
Sen. Mitt Romney , R-Utah , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Barrett .
She would be Mr. Trump ’ s third justice on the high court .
A former Notre Dame Law School professor , Judge Barrett would be the only one of her Supreme Court colleagues not groomed in the Ivy League .
She had little courtroom experience when the Senate confirmed her to the federal bench in 2017 , but quickly became a rising conservative star .
At the high court , she may be quickly called on , if confirmed , to consider the GOP-backed challenge to the Affordable Care Act @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nov. 10 , as well as any election-related challenges between Mr. Trump and Democrat Joe Biden in the heated presidential campaign .
“ Amy ’ s doing a fantastic job , ” Mr. Trump said at the White House before heading out to a Wednesday night campaign rally .
Mr. Trump has publicly stated he wants a justice swiftly seated for both situations .
The president has said on Twitter he wants a justice who would rule differently than Chief Justice John Roberts , who helped preserve the health care law in previous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a justice in place for any disputes arising from the election , particularly concerning the surge of mail-in ballots expected during the pandemic .
Judge Barrett frustrated senators during two days of public hearings by declining to disclose views on those matters , and many others , despite a collection of public statements and writings against abortion and the health care law .
She brushed past Democrats ’ pressing questions about ensuring the date of next month ’ s election or preventing voter intimidation , both set in federal law , and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also refused to express her view on whether the president can pardon himself .
When it came to major issues that are likely to come before the court , including abortion and health care , Judge Barrett repeatedly promised to keep an open mind and said neither Mr. Trump nor anyone else in the White House had tried to influence her views .
Nominees typically resist offering any more information than they have to .
But Judge Barrett is the most open opponent of abortion nominated to the Supreme Court in decades .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ landmark Roe v. Wade ruling on abortion rights was correctly decided , though she has signed two ads against it .
“ What was the point of the hearing if we don ’ t know what she thinks about any issues ?
” Mr. Durbin asked at Thursday ’ s final session .
Mr. Durbin said even if Judge Barrett won ’ t disclose her views , “ We get direct answers every day from the president.
” Republicans focused intently on her Catholic faith and what Mr. Graham called Judge Barrett ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a role model for conservative women .
Others testifying Thursday included Laura Wolk , the first blind woman to be a law clerk for the Supreme Court , who told senators that Judge Barrett ’ s encouragement and support were life-changing .
“ Her brilliance is matched only by her compassion , ” said Ms. Wolk , who also spent a year as a law clerk for Judge Barrett .
But Crystal Good , a writer from West Virginia , shared the very personal story of seeking an abortion as an abused teenager @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you not to approve this nomination , ” she implored the senators .
This story was reported by The Associated Press .
AP writers Matthew Daly and Jessica Gresko in Washington , Elana Schor in New York , and Aaron Morrison contributed to this report .

Lisa Mascaro, Mark Sherman, and Mary Clare Jalonick

Republicans powered Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett closer to confirmation Thursday, pushing past Democratic objections and other priorities during the COVID-19 crisis in the drive to seat President Donald Trump’s pick before the Nov. 3 election.
The Senate Judiciary Committee set Oct. 22 for its vote to recommend Judge Barrett’s nomination to the full Senate, with a final confirmation vote expected by month’s end.
“A sham,” said Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn. “Power grab,” protested Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. “Not normal,” said Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill.
“You don’t convene a Supreme Court confirmation hearing, in the middle of a pandemic, when the Senate’s on recess, when voting has already started in the presidential election in a majority of states,” declared Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del.
Republicans eager to fill the seat of the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg countered that Mr. Trump is well within bounds to fill the vacancy, and they have the votes to do it. Relying on a slim Senate majority, Mr. Trump’s Republicans are poised to lock a 6-3 conservative court majority for years to come.
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said he understands Democrats’ “disappointment.” He said, “Their loss is the American people’s gain.”
Judge Barrett’s confirmation would bring the most pronounced ideological change on the court in 30 years, replacing the liberal icon Justice Ginsburg with the conservative appeals court judge from Indiana. The shift is poised to launch a new era of court rulings on abortion, voting rights, and other matters that are now open to new uncertainty.
The 48-year-old Judge Barrett was careful during two days of public testimony not to tip her views on many issues, or take on the president who nominated her. Facing almost 20 hours of questions from senators, she declined to offer specifics beyond a vow to keep an open mind and take the cases as they come.
“It’s not the law of Amy,” the mother of seven told the senators at various times.
Judge Barrett wasn’t present for Thursday’s hearing, the last of the week’s sessions as the coronavirus pandemic hangs over the country. Two GOP senators on the committee tested positive for the virus and two campaign staff members for Democratic Sen. Kamala Harris, the vice presidential nominee, also tested positive, grounding her travel Thursday, the campaign announced.
Stakes are high for all sides. Liberals pounced when top Democrat Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California hugged the chairman, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., as days of hearings closed, praising his handling of the process. They called for her immediate removal from leadership.
Among those testifying Thursday in support of Judge Barrett’s nomination, retired appellate court Judge Thomas Griffith assured senators that Judge Barrett would be among justices who “can and do put aside party and politics.”
But a coalition of civil rights groups opposed her nomination. Kristen Clarke, the president of the Lawyers Committee on Civil Rights, said the judge’s unwillingness to speak forcefully for the Voting Rights Act and other issues should “sound an alarm” for Americans with a case heading to the high court.
“Our nation deserves a justice who is committed to preserving the hard-earned rights of all Americans, particularly the most vulnerable,” Ms. Clarke testified.
Mr. Trump’s Republican allies, led by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, are reshaping the judiciary, having changed Senate rules at the start of the president’s term to allow 51 votes, rather than the traditional 60, to advance Supreme Court nominees. With a slim 53-47 majority, her confirmation is almost assured. Two Republican senators, Alaska’s Lisa Murkowski and Maine’s Susan Collins, are opposed to voting before the election, but no others objected. Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, said Thursday he will vote to confirm Judge Barrett. She would be Mr. Trump’s third justice on the high court.
A former Notre Dame Law School professor, Judge Barrett would be the only one of her Supreme Court colleagues not groomed in the Ivy League. She had little courtroom experience when the Senate confirmed her to the federal bench in 2017, but quickly became a rising conservative star.
At the high court, she may be quickly called on, if confirmed, to consider the GOP-backed challenge to the Affordable Care Act in a case coming before the court Nov. 10, as well as any election-related challenges between Mr. Trump and Democrat Joe Biden in the heated presidential campaign.
“Amy’s doing a fantastic job,” Mr. Trump said at the White House before heading out to a Wednesday night campaign rally.
Mr. Trump has publicly stated he wants a justice swiftly seated for both situations. The president has said on Twitter he wants a justice who would rule differently than Chief Justice John Roberts, who helped preserve the health care law in previous cases. And he said he wants a justice in place for any disputes arising from the election, particularly concerning the surge of mail-in ballots expected during the pandemic.
Judge Barrett frustrated senators during two days of public hearings by declining to disclose views on those matters, and many others, despite a collection of public statements and writings against abortion and the health care law.
She brushed past Democrats’ pressing questions about ensuring the date of next month’s election or preventing voter intimidation, both set in federal law, and the peaceful transfer of presidential power. She also refused to express her view on whether the president can pardon himself.
When it came to major issues that are likely to come before the court, including abortion and health care, Judge Barrett repeatedly promised to keep an open mind and said neither Mr. Trump nor anyone else in the White House had tried to influence her views.
Nominees typically resist offering any more information than they have to. But Judge Barrett is the most open opponent of abortion nominated to the Supreme Court in decades. She refused to say whether the 1973 landmark Roe v. Wade ruling on abortion rights was correctly decided, though she has signed two ads against it.
“What was the point of the hearing if we don’t know what she thinks about any issues?” Mr. Durbin asked at Thursday’s final session.
Mr. Durbin said even if Judge Barrett won’t disclose her views, “We get direct answers every day from the president.”
Republicans focused intently on her Catholic faith and what Mr. Graham called Judge Barrett’s “unashamedly pro-life” views as a role model for conservative women.
Others testifying Thursday included Laura Wolk, the first blind woman to be a law clerk for the Supreme Court, who told senators that Judge Barrett’s encouragement and support were life-changing.
“Her brilliance is matched only by her compassion,” said Ms. Wolk, who also spent a year as a law clerk for Judge Barrett.
But Crystal Good, a writer from West Virginia, shared the very personal story of seeking an abortion as an abused teenager. “Hear us when we ask you not to approve this nomination,” she implored the senators.
This story was reported by The Associated Press. AP writers Matthew Daly and Jessica Gresko in Washington, Elana Schor in New York, and Aaron Morrison contributed to this report.