csmonitor--2020-07-13--Migratory birds in the crosswinds of federal, state protections

The Bay State is “ very , very strong in terms of lots of habitat , ” says Harvard ornithologist Scott Edwards .
“ I would say Massachusetts is an excellent place to be a birder.
” One bright spot can be found in Massachusetts , where four acres of land are protected for every one developed , up from a 2-to-1 ratio in 2005 , according to Mass Audubon .
The rule change came in 2017 .
Before then , one could be prosecuted for accidentally killing a bird .
Today , companies have been taking fewer precautions to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through strong partnerships and by working across boundaries , ” says Katie Blake , conservationist at Highstead , a land conservation organization .
“ A wood thrush doesn ’ t ... think ‘ Oh wait , I should stop here because this is the state line.
’ ” For more than a century , migratory birds enjoyed protection under the 1918 Migratory Bird Treaty Act , which imposes criminal penalties for killing certain species .
But a recent rollback of the law has shifted the burden of conservation more to individual states and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at conservation .
A spotted sandpiper flies in spurts across Delaney Pond and alights on a bed of lilies near the water ’ s edge – right in the frame of Rita Gibes Grossman ’ s spotting scope .
“ At 11 o ’ clock there are some yellow flowers , and then there ’ s that little lily pad island , ” she says to Sandy Oxley , a fellow bird-watcher who had joined the small late-June expedition in the Delaney Wildlife Management Area .
Ms. Oxley raises her binoculars to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ form of a great heron .
Humming nearby is a colony of ground-nesting bees .
The birds at this site have picked prime real estate for nesting season .
The 580-acre swath of protected land sits in a state with a robust legacy of bird conservation .
Migrating here across state lines , however , can be challenging for a bird – and it ’ s getting harder .
Migratory birds have been protected for a century under the 1918 Migratory Bird Treaty Act ( MBTA ) , but a rollback of that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ piecemeal network of state laws and regional efforts .
To combat shrinking global bird numbers , states and towns are turning to collaborative conservation programs .
“ Conservation works through strong partnerships and by working across boundaries , ” says Katie Blake , conservationist at Highstead , a land conservation organization .
“ A wood thrush doesn ’ t stop at the border … and think ‘ Oh wait , I should stop here because this is the state line.
’ ” Nine out of 10 migratory birds are inadequately protected during at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to a 2015 study published in Science .
Before 2017 , a person could be prosecuted for accidentally killing a bird , but an opinion submitted by the Department of the Interior effectively changed that interpretation so that only intentional harm – mainly illegal hunting – is legally punishable .
Critics say that , since that change , companies have been free to take fewer precautions to avoid migration paths or nesting grounds .
“ Under the previous implementation of the MBTA , many states looked toward the federal government as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authorities … to both provide guidance and enforce that , ” says Katie Umekubo , a lawyer representing the Natural Resources Defense Council and National Wildlife Federation in a lawsuit against the change to the MBTA .
“ With that gone now , I think it ’ ll be a mixed bag .
It ’ s yet to be seen how the states will react.
” Eight states including Massachusetts are challengers in the case .
The Trump administration ’ s opinion has been in practice since 2017 , but will likely become @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on July 20 .
With challenges like climate change and bird decline , “ the work that is already ahead of a lot of conservation groups is so steep and constant that this would really exacerbate that , ” says Ms. Blake .
A separate bill that would punish incidental killing of birds was introduced to Congress in January .
“ Bringing birds back … is pretty darn complicated , ” says Pamela Hunt , senior biologist in avian conservation at New Hampshire Audubon .
She says the weakening of the MBTA isn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hampshire , where the law is often used to caution homeowners from disturbing nests near their houses .
Western states hosting big energy companies will see a stronger impact on their birds , she says .
The MBTA has been used to prosecute energy companies for failing to minimize the risk to birds of getting caught in wind turbines or electrical wires .
BP had to pay $ 200 million to conservation efforts for violating the MBTA after its 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico .
Still , Dr. Hunt says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ It involves Brazil and Trinidad and Guatemala and Florida .
… Birds are going to be impacted somewhere else during the year when they ’ re migrating.
” July is nesting season , which means the spotted sandpiper back in Stow will be settled for a while in a state where bird-friendliness appears to be growing .
In 2019 , four acres of land were protected for every one developed in Massachusetts , up from a 2-to-1 ratio in 2005 , according to Mass Audubon .
Massachusetts is “ very , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ habitat , lots of protected land , ” says Scott Edwards , professor of biology and curator of ornithology in the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University .
“ Yeah , I would say Massachusetts is an excellent place to be a birder.
” Dr. Edwards is taking phone calls from the bike lane as he makes his own kind of migration across the United States .
He ’ s biking to Oregon to raise awareness of Black Lives Matter and # BlackBirdersWeek , and to do some cross-country bird-watching .
Last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where a “ staggering ” acreage of corn and soybean fields have taken over vibrant bird habitats .
His route will later wind through the sprawling fields of the West – once dotted with greater sage grouse , but today a friendlier territory to oil and gas companies .
Dr. Edwards took off from Massachusetts , where the first Audubon society was founded in 1896 by Harriet Hemenway and Minna Hall , who were angered by the killing of millions of well-plumed birds for ladies ’ hats .
Their steadfast lobbying led in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ MBTA .
But even this state , home to naturalists past like Henry David Thoreau and present like David Sibley of “ The Sibley Guide to Birds , ” has seen changes .
“ We have a river birch in front of our house , and during spring migration or even fall migration , it would be nothing to see more than a dozen yellow-rumped warblers ” 20-odd years ago , says Ms. Gibes Grossman .
“ Now , if I see two or three , it ’ s dramatic.
” The weakening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ chip away ” at bird conservation , says Dr. Hunt .
“ I think keeping awareness of … what individuals can do is in some ways the most important thing.
” “ If they care at least , that filters up.
” Shaded under Stow ’ s white pines , Ms. Gibes Grossman looks away from the spotted sandpiper to explain the relatively quiet morning .
During migration season , “ all the males have on their … courtship clothes , and they ’ re singing their little hearts out , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re all nesting , they ’ re quieter.
” Ms. Oxley , a birder of 20 years , still delights in migration season .
“ It can be pretty intoxicating , ” she says .

The Bay State is “very, very strong in terms of lots of habitat,” says Harvard ornithologist Scott Edwards. “I would say Massachusetts is an excellent place to be a birder.”
One bright spot can be found in Massachusetts, where four acres of land are protected for every one developed, up from a 2-to-1 ratio in 2005, according to Mass Audubon.
The rule change came in 2017. Before then, one could be prosecuted for accidentally killing a bird. Today, companies have been taking fewer precautions to avoid harming birds.
Federalism sometimes creates a seesaw effect between states and the federal government. When one side relaxes its rules, the other often rushes in to fill the gap.
“Conservation works through strong partnerships and by working across boundaries,” says Katie Blake, conservationist at Highstead, a land conservation organization. “A wood thrush doesn’t ... think ‘Oh wait, I should stop here because this is the state line.’”
For more than a century, migratory birds enjoyed protection under the 1918 Migratory Bird Treaty Act, which imposes criminal penalties for killing certain species. But a recent rollback of the law has shifted the burden of conservation more to individual states and towns, creating piecemeal regional networks aimed at conservation.
A spotted sandpiper flies in spurts across Delaney Pond and alights on a bed of lilies near the water’s edge – right in the frame of Rita Gibes Grossman’s spotting scope.
“At 11 o’clock there are some yellow flowers, and then there’s that little lily pad island,” she says to Sandy Oxley, a fellow bird-watcher who had joined the small late-June expedition in the Delaney Wildlife Management Area.
Ms. Oxley raises her binoculars to the sandpiper, then skyward to the gliding form of a great heron. Humming nearby is a colony of ground-nesting bees.
Why We Wrote This Federalism sometimes creates a seesaw effect between states and the federal government. When one side relaxes its rules, the other often rushes in to fill the gap.
The birds at this site have picked prime real estate for nesting season. The 580-acre swath of protected land sits in a state with a robust legacy of bird conservation. Migrating here across state lines, however, can be challenging for a bird – and it’s getting harder.
Migratory birds have been protected for a century under the 1918 Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA), but a rollback of that federal law has turned conservation into a piecemeal network of state laws and regional efforts. To combat shrinking global bird numbers, states and towns are turning to collaborative conservation programs.
“Conservation works through strong partnerships and by working across boundaries,” says Katie Blake, conservationist at Highstead, a land conservation organization. “A wood thrush doesn’t stop at the border … and think ‘Oh wait, I should stop here because this is the state line.’”
Tough trek for birds
Nine out of 10 migratory birds are inadequately protected during at least one leg of their annual migrations, according to a 2015 study published in Science.
Jules Struck/The Christian Science Monitor View caption Hide caption Rita Gibes Grossman and Sandy Oxley zero in on a spotted sandpiper floating on a bed of lily pads in the pond at Delaney Wildlife Management Center in Stow, Massachusetts, June 20, 2020.
Before 2017, a person could be prosecuted for accidentally killing a bird, but an opinion submitted by the Department of the Interior effectively changed that interpretation so that only intentional harm – mainly illegal hunting – is legally punishable.
Critics say that, since that change, companies have been free to take fewer precautions to avoid migration paths or nesting grounds.
“Under the previous implementation of the MBTA, many states looked toward the federal government as the backstop, and leaned on the authorities … to both provide guidance and enforce that,” says Katie Umekubo, a lawyer representing the Natural Resources Defense Council and National Wildlife Federation in a lawsuit against the change to the MBTA.
“With that gone now, I think it’ll be a mixed bag. It’s yet to be seen how the states will react.”
Eight states including Massachusetts are challengers in the case. The Trump administration’s opinion has been in practice since 2017, but will likely become regulation after a public comment period ends on July 20.
With challenges like climate change and bird decline, “the work that is already ahead of a lot of conservation groups is so steep and constant that this would really exacerbate that,” says Ms. Blake.
A separate bill that would punish incidental killing of birds was introduced to Congress in January.
“Bringing birds back … is pretty darn complicated,” says Pamela Hunt, senior biologist in avian conservation at New Hampshire Audubon. She says the weakening of the MBTA isn’t “huge” for New Hampshire, where the law is often used to caution homeowners from disturbing nests near their houses.
Western states hosting big energy companies will see a stronger impact on their birds, she says.
The MBTA has been used to prosecute energy companies for failing to minimize the risk to birds of getting caught in wind turbines or electrical wires. BP had to pay $200 million to conservation efforts for violating the MBTA after its 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
Still, Dr. Hunt says bird protections need to go even further. “It involves Brazil and Trinidad and Guatemala and Florida. … Birds are going to be impacted somewhere else during the year when they’re migrating.”
Jules Struck/The Christian Science Monitor View caption Hide caption Sandy Oxley points out a bird in the treetops above at the Delaney Wildlife Management Center in Stow, Massachusetts, June 20, 2020. “It’s endlessly fascinating to us,” says Ms. Oxley.
The state of bird protections
July is nesting season, which means the spotted sandpiper back in Stow will be settled for a while in a state where bird-friendliness appears to be growing. In 2019, four acres of land were protected for every one developed in Massachusetts, up from a 2-to-1 ratio in 2005, according to Mass Audubon.
Massachusetts is “very, very strong in terms of lots of habitat, lots of protected land,” says Scott Edwards, professor of biology and curator of ornithology in the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University.
“Yeah, I would say Massachusetts is an excellent place to be a birder.”
Dr. Edwards is taking phone calls from the bike lane as he makes his own kind of migration across the United States. He’s biking to Oregon to raise awareness of Black Lives Matter and #BlackBirdersWeek, and to do some cross-country bird-watching.
Last week he pedaled through rural Indiana, where a “staggering” acreage of corn and soybean fields have taken over vibrant bird habitats. His route will later wind through the sprawling fields of the West – once dotted with greater sage grouse, but today a friendlier territory to oil and gas companies.
Dr. Edwards took off from Massachusetts, where the first Audubon society was founded in 1896 by Harriet Hemenway and Minna Hall, who were angered by the killing of millions of well-plumed birds for ladies’ hats. Their steadfast lobbying led in 1913 to an early version of the MBTA.
But even this state, home to naturalists past like Henry David Thoreau and present like David Sibley of “The Sibley Guide to Birds,” has seen changes.
“We have a river birch in front of our house, and during spring migration or even fall migration, it would be nothing to see more than a dozen yellow-rumped warblers” 20-odd years ago, says Ms. Gibes Grossman.
“Now, if I see two or three, it’s dramatic.”
The weakening of the MBTA is only the latest “chip away” at bird conservation, says Dr. Hunt. “I think keeping awareness of … what individuals can do is in some ways the most important thing.”
“If they care at least, that filters up.”
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Shaded under Stow’s white pines, Ms. Gibes Grossman looks away from the spotted sandpiper to explain the relatively quiet morning. During migration season, “all the males have on their … courtship clothes, and they’re singing their little hearts out,” she says. “Now, they’re all nesting, they’re quieter.”
Ms. Oxley, a birder of 20 years, still delights in migration season. “It can be pretty intoxicating,” she says.


csmonitor--2020-07-14--Trump admin. revokes new rule, foreign students can stay on

Facing eight federal lawsuits and opposition from hundreds of universities , the Trump administration on Tuesday rescinded a rule that would have required international students to transfer or leave the country if their schools held classes entirely online because of the pandemic .
The decision was announced at the start of a hearing in a federal lawsuit in Boston brought by Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology .
U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs said federal immigration authorities agreed to pull the July 6 directive and `` return to the status quo . ''
A lawyer representing the Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Customs Enforcement said only that the judge 's characterization was correct .
The announcement brings relief to thousands of foreign students who had been at risk of being deported from the country , along with hundreds of universities that were scrambling to reassess their plans for the fall in light of the policy .
Under the policy , international students in the U.S. would have been forbidden from taking all their courses online this fall .
New visas would not have been issued to students at schools planning to provide all classes online @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the U.S. would have faced deportation if they did n't transfer schools or leave the country voluntarily .
Immigration officials issued the policy last week , reversing earlier guidance from March 13 telling colleges that limits around online education would be suspended during the pandemic .
University leaders believed the rule was part of President Donald Trump 's effort to pressure the nation 's schools and colleges to reopen this fall even as new virus cases rise .
The policy drew sharp backlash from higher education institutions , with more than 200 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Harvard and MIT .
Colleges said the policy would put students ' safety at risk and hurt schools financially .
Many schools rely on tuition from international students , and some stood to lose millions of dollars in revenue if the rule had taken hold .
Harvard and MIT were the first to contest the policy , but at least seven other federal suits had been filed by universities and states opposing the rule .
Harvard and MIT argued that immigration officials violated procedural rules by issuing the guidance without justification and without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also argued that the policy contradicted ICE 's March 13 directive telling schools that existing limits on online education would be suspended `` for the duration of the emergency . ''
The suit noted that Mr. Trump 's national emergency declaration has not been rescinded and that virus cases are spiking in some regions .
Immigration officials , however , argued that they told colleges all along that any guidance prompted by the pandemic was subject to change .
They said the rule was consistent with existing law barring international students from taking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they were providing leniency by allowing students to keep their visas even if they study online from abroad .
This story was reported by The Associated Press .
Editor ’ s note : As a public service , the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage .
It ’ s free .

Facing eight federal lawsuits and opposition from hundreds of universities, the Trump administration on Tuesday rescinded a rule that would have required international students to transfer or leave the country if their schools held classes entirely online because of the pandemic.
The decision was announced at the start of a hearing in a federal lawsuit in Boston brought by Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs said federal immigration authorities agreed to pull the July 6 directive and "return to the status quo."
A lawyer representing the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said only that the judge's characterization was correct.
The announcement brings relief to thousands of foreign students who had been at risk of being deported from the country, along with hundreds of universities that were scrambling to reassess their plans for the fall in light of the policy.
Under the policy, international students in the U.S. would have been forbidden from taking all their courses online this fall. New visas would not have been issued to students at schools planning to provide all classes online, which includes Harvard. Students already in the U.S. would have faced deportation if they didn't transfer schools or leave the country voluntarily.
Immigration officials issued the policy last week, reversing earlier guidance from March 13 telling colleges that limits around online education would be suspended during the pandemic. University leaders believed the rule was part of President Donald Trump's effort to pressure the nation's schools and colleges to reopen this fall even as new virus cases rise.
The policy drew sharp backlash from higher education institutions, with more than 200 signing court briefs supporting the challenge by Harvard and MIT. Colleges said the policy would put students' safety at risk and hurt schools financially. Many schools rely on tuition from international students, and some stood to lose millions of dollars in revenue if the rule had taken hold.
Harvard and MIT were the first to contest the policy, but at least seven other federal suits had been filed by universities and states opposing the rule.
Harvard and MIT argued that immigration officials violated procedural rules by issuing the guidance without justification and without allowing the public to respond. They also argued that the policy contradicted ICE's March 13 directive telling schools that existing limits on online education would be suspended "for the duration of the emergency."
The suit noted that Mr. Trump's national emergency declaration has not been rescinded and that virus cases are spiking in some regions.
Immigration officials, however, argued that they told colleges all along that any guidance prompted by the pandemic was subject to change. They said the rule was consistent with existing law barring international students from taking classes entirely online. Federal officials said they were providing leniency by allowing students to keep their visas even if they study online from abroad.
This story was reported by The Associated Press.
Editor’s note: As a public service, the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage. It’s free.


csmonitor--2020-07-14--School’s starting soon. Why are parents and kids still in limbo?

“ We have a policy solution for entertainment and personal services and restaurants .
We can continue to do unemployment support and loans for small businesses , ” says Sarah Cohodes , associate professor of economics and education at Columbia University .
“ Currently , we don ’ t have any policies or solutions for kids other than to say to families , ‘ Tough luck , figure it out.
’ ” But the problem remains : The economy can ’ t grow without children in safe , full-time care .
Competing priorities , a streak of individualism , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not to mention the uncertain science around COVID-19 and the anxieties parents feel about sending their kids back into group settings – have conspired to leave families and their employers in prolonged limbo .
Yet , if carefully planned , school reopening could be done in many places , experts suggest .
As governments allow restaurants , malls , and even gyms to reopen with strict new guidelines , schools are seeming a policy afterthought to many .
In the United States , President Donald Trump is pressuring governors to reopen schools in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases climbing across many states , and several large urban school systems already announcing plans for online-only or hybrid instruction , a full return to school appears unlikely to occur for many students .
Karla Hayward , a working parent in Newfoundland , finally got back to her office in July , while her daughter has come home from camp each afternoon , as Mom puts it , “ sweaty and starving , just as I want her to be.
” Yet when she looks ahead to the fall , she has no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the job in marketing that she loves , because her 5-year-old might be stuck at home again .
Although her employer has figured out how to get staff back to work , and her kid ’ s summer camp is operating , there is no concrete plan – or even a best guess in many places – for how to get millions of school-aged children in North America safely back to class .
Instead , she feels that authorities have left families – and particularly women – to simply “ figure it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thought that women know how to deal with the children , women will figure it out , ” she says .
“ But coping with something for a few months is very different than coping with something looking out over a year .
I literally don ’ t know how I do it on top of working full time.
” As governments allow restaurants , malls , and even gyms to reopen with strict new guidelines , the 2020-21 academic year is seeming to many a policy afterthought , something for local school @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United States , the debate has surged in recent days as President Donald Trump has pressured governors to reopen schools in person come fall .
Yet with COVID-19 cases climbing across many states , and several large urban school systems already announcing plans for online-only or hybrid instruction , a full return to school appears unlikely to occur for many students .
But the problem remains : The economy can ’ t grow without kids in safe , full-time care .
In the U.S. , parents with minor children make up nearly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 2017 , 41 % of children relied on their mother as the sole or primary breadwinner for their family .
Competing priorities , a streak of individualism , and perhaps most crucially , stretched resources – not to mention the uncertain science around COVID-19 and the anxieties parents feel about sending their kids back into group settings – has conspired to leave families and their employers in prolonged limbo .
Yet , if carefully planned , school reopening could be done in many places , experts suggest .
“ We have a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and restaurants .
We can continue to do unemployment support and loans for small businesses , ” says Sarah Cohodes , associate professor of economics and education at Columbia University .
“ Currently , we don ’ t have any policies or solutions for kids other than to say to families , ‘ Tough luck , figure it out.
’ ” Marguerite Roza , director of the Edunomics Lab at Georgetown University , says schools have fallen down the priority list , despite their key role in the economy as default child care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and cost state governments money .
And public school teachers and administrators continue to earn their full salaries during remote learning .
“ There wasn ’ t the natural advocacy base to open schools , ” she says .
Dr. Cohodes also believes individualism , particularly deep in American society , plays a role in why schools have not taken center stage in the economic discussion .
“ The business itself can decide whether or not to reopen .
You can decide whether or not you feel comfortable patronizing a store or going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she says .
“ We ’ re a very individualist society , but that also puts the responsibility and onus on the individual , and schools are a collective responsibility.
” It also makes it hard to plan reopening as a community , recognizing that bars might need to close now if schools are to open later , says Elizabeth Powers , associate professor in the economics department at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign .
“ They ’ re all bad choices .
We don ’ t want people not to work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think there has to be a conversation .
We can ’ t just open everything across the board.
” Juliette Kayyem is a former assistant secretary for homeland security under former President Barack Obama .
School is not considered “ essential infrastructure ” the way communications or transportation are , those systems that “ separate us from chaos , ” she says .
This was made clear when schools were shut down to “ flatten the curve ” with no plan in place to reopen – while states like Arizona or Florida reopened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I think we just did not conceptualize the role of schools in making our society function in the same way that we would if a hurricane brought down an electrical grid , ” says Ms. Kayyem , a senior lecturer at Harvard ’ s Kennedy School of Government .
“ Upon closing all the schools , which seemed like the right approach in March , somehow we waited until July to sort of figure this out.
” Frustration has grown over social media , with # schoolsbeforebars trending .
In some ways it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , since the numbers of confirmed cases and hospitalizations have continued on a downward decline , and the academic year has not become a political wedge issue .
The American Academy of Pediatrics and the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto have argued for as normal a return to class as possible – given the emerging science around risks associated with children and as school openings elsewhere haven ’ t seeded the same kind of outbreaks as concerts or conferences .
When Ottawa-based policy analyst Lauren Dobson-Hughes wrote a column in Canada ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month , the conversation lit up north of the border .
“ Education is a human right .
But you would not know this in most of Canada , ” she wrote .
“ With restaurants , bars , golf clubs , and gyms reopening , it is increasingly obvious that we have our priorities utterly backward .
Education and child care must be our biggest priority , not a mere afterthought delegated to school boards and schools.
” “ I think every mother I know went , ‘ Yes .
Plus a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , president of Higher Education Strategy Associates , a Toronto-based consultancy .
Mr .
Usher knows there are unions , regulations , access , transport , and a host of other barriers to consider for safe reopenings – but that ’ s why provinces should be mobilizing now with every bit of creativity they can , he argues .
His own work is concentrated in higher education , so he is well aware of how space in those institutions will be available next term .
“ In Toronto , we ’ ve got @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Why not use community centers ?
Why not use churches ?
” he says .
“ None of these are perfect solutions , but they are options beyond what the government seems to be considering.
” Six weeks away from September , Ontario ’ s Education Minister Stephen Lecce has revealed nothing more than that school boards should plan on three scenarios : online classes ; full-time , in-class instruction ; or a hybrid model .
Teachers inside the province ’ s largest school board in Toronto say they ’ ve not been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced Monday that many parts of Ontario will be moving to Stage 3 this week , allowing for bars and inside dining to resume , and angering parents who say that cases should be kept as low as possible to ensure a safe return to school .
John Bailey , visiting fellow at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington , D.C. , and co-author of “ A blueprint for back to school , ” says some patience is due .
“ I think opening a bar or restaurant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ operation like a school , ” he says .
The plans must reflect the fast-changing nature of the pandemic , which favors a wait-and-see approach , and address concerns of teachers and school staff fearful for their health .
Politics has only complicated the path forward .
“ We just saw the tweets from Trump and [ Secretary of Education ] Betsy DeVos saying reopen schools fully in the fall .
To me , that is politicizing something that shouldn ’ t be politicized – but I do think that outside of those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thinking that we can return to normal in the fall , ” says Dr. Cohodes .
“ We lost our window for that , if it ever existed .
When we think about different options moving forward , I think what we have to remember is that we ’ re not comparing it to the school we knew , but a very changed experience.
” Plus , those who need school to open the most might be the least inclined to send their children back .
Much attention has been paid to inequalities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from being overrepresented in frontline work , victim tallies , and among children in poor education outcomes .
Yet Carycruz Bueno , a postdoctoral research associate at the Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University , says minority students might find a school setting too risky .
For example , Black and Latino families are more likely to have intergenerational households with grandparents living under the same roof , she says , so those families will need to make collective decisions about whether a child returning to school in person is good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Despite the complexities around reopening , many parents say it ’ s also impossible to ignore the gender aspect .
The economic toll on women has been huge .
In the U.S. , social norms and gender pay gaps mean that most likely it will be mothers who leave the workforce , says Dr .
Powers .
A study in Canada showed the pandemic exacerbating the gender employment gap , particularly among those with elementary-age children .
Colorado mom Amy Webb has 7- and 11-year-old sons and is also the founder of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the flexibility she has to work from home , unlike many parents .
But it means readjusting her expectations as the only realistic way to juggle it all .
“ I ’ m planning the lowest threshold of work I can do , ” she says .
Society is too accepting of this , says Ms. Hayward , the Newfoundland mom , exposing the fragility of women ’ s full equality when it comes to labor .
“ When it comes down to brass tacks , that sort of support tends to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says .
The stigmas surrounding working mothers have also exacerbated the impossible choices women face now and kept some women from advocating for better solutions .
“ As a mother , if I speak out and say , ‘ You know , I need my child to go back to school in September , ’ there ’ s a worry for me that someone is going to say , ‘ You ’ re willing to put your child at risk for your career , ’ ” Ms. Hayward says .
“ And a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and we ’ re tired and we ’ re busy and we don ’ t have a voice left .
We ’ ve really become so exhausted by all of this that the thought of advocating for one more thing has felt impossible .
”

Despite broad agreement on the importance of in-person instruction, many say there’s been a lack of official planning and resources provided to help schools reopen safely, as the COVID-19 pandemic appears far from over.
“We have a policy solution for entertainment and personal services and restaurants. We can continue to do unemployment support and loans for small businesses,” says Sarah Cohodes, associate professor of economics and education at Columbia University. “Currently, we don’t have any policies or solutions for kids other than to say to families, ‘Tough luck, figure it out.’”
But the problem remains: The economy can’t grow without children in safe, full-time care. Competing priorities, a streak of individualism, and perhaps most crucially, stretched resources – not to mention the uncertain science around COVID-19 and the anxieties parents feel about sending their kids back into group settings – have conspired to leave families and their employers in prolonged limbo. Yet, if carefully planned, school reopening could be done in many places, experts suggest.
As governments allow restaurants, malls, and even gyms to reopen with strict new guidelines, schools are seeming a policy afterthought to many. In the United States, President Donald Trump is pressuring governors to reopen schools in person come fall. Yet with COVID-19 cases climbing across many states, and several large urban school systems already announcing plans for online-only or hybrid instruction, a full return to school appears unlikely to occur for many students.
Karla Hayward, a working parent in Newfoundland, finally got back to her office in July, while her daughter has come home from camp each afternoon, as Mom puts it, “sweaty and starving, just as I want her to be.”
Yet when she looks ahead to the fall, she has no idea if she’ll still be at the job in marketing that she loves, because her 5-year-old might be stuck at home again. Although her employer has figured out how to get staff back to work, and her kid’s summer camp is operating, there is no concrete plan – or even a best guess in many places – for how to get millions of school-aged children in North America safely back to class.
Instead, she feels that authorities have left families – and particularly women – to simply “figure it out.”
Why We Wrote This Despite broad agreement on the importance of in-person instruction, many say there’s been a lack of official planning and resources provided to help schools reopen safely, as the COVID-19 pandemic appears far from over.
“There is a pervasive thought that women know how to deal with the children, women will figure it out,” she says. “But coping with something for a few months is very different than coping with something looking out over a year. I literally don’t know how I do it on top of working full time.”
As governments allow restaurants, malls, and even gyms to reopen with strict new guidelines, the 2020-21 academic year is seeming to many a policy afterthought, something for local school districts or families to solve.
In the United States, the debate has surged in recent days as President Donald Trump has pressured governors to reopen schools in person come fall. Yet with COVID-19 cases climbing across many states, and several large urban school systems already announcing plans for online-only or hybrid instruction, a full return to school appears unlikely to occur for many students.
But the problem remains: The economy can’t grow without kids in safe, full-time care. In the U.S., parents with minor children make up nearly one-third of the workforce, and as of 2017, 41% of children relied on their mother as the sole or primary breadwinner for their family.
Competing priorities, a streak of individualism, and perhaps most crucially, stretched resources – not to mention the uncertain science around COVID-19 and the anxieties parents feel about sending their kids back into group settings – have conspired to leave families and their employers in prolonged limbo. Yet, if carefully planned, school reopening could be done in many places, experts suggest.
“We have a policy solution for entertainment and personal services and restaurants. We can continue to do unemployment support and loans for small businesses,” says Sarah Cohodes, associate professor of economics and education at Columbia University. “Currently, we don’t have any policies or solutions for kids other than to say to families, ‘Tough luck, figure it out.’”
Competing priorities
Marguerite Roza, director of the Edunomics Lab at Georgetown University, says schools have fallen down the priority list, despite their key role in the economy as default child care. Schools do not generate tax revenues and cost state governments money. And public school teachers and administrators continue to earn their full salaries during remote learning. “There wasn’t the natural advocacy base to open schools,” she says.
Dr. Cohodes also believes individualism, particularly deep in American society, plays a role in why schools have not taken center stage in the economic discussion. “The business itself can decide whether or not to reopen. You can decide whether or not you feel comfortable patronizing a store or going to get your hair cut,” she says. “We’re a very individualist society, but that also puts the responsibility and onus on the individual, and schools are a collective responsibility.”
It also makes it hard to plan reopening as a community, recognizing that bars might need to close now if schools are to open later, says Elizabeth Powers, associate professor in the economics department at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. “They’re all bad choices. We don’t want people not to work at bars and restaurants, but I think there has to be a conversation. We can’t just open everything across the board.”
Juliette Kayyem is a former assistant secretary for homeland security under former President Barack Obama. School is not considered “essential infrastructure” the way communications or transportation are, those systems that “separate us from chaos,” she says.
This was made clear when schools were shut down to “flatten the curve,” with no plan in place to reopen, while states like Arizona or Florida reopened bars and restaurants early despite public health warnings. “I think we just did not conceptualize the role of schools in making our society function in the same way that we would if a hurricane brought down an electrical grid,” says Ms. Kayyem, a senior lecturer at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. “Upon closing all the schools, which seemed like the right approach in March, somehow we waited until July to sort of figure this out.”
Frustration has grown over social media, with #schoolsbeforebars trending. In some ways it’s become more intense in Canada, since the numbers of confirmed cases and hospitalizations have continued on a downward decline, and the academic year has not become a political wedge issue. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto have argued for as normal a return to class as possible – given the emerging science around risks associated with children and as school openings elsewhere haven’t seeded the same kind of outbreaks as concerts or conferences.
When Ottawa-based policy analyst Lauren Dobson-Hughes wrote a column in Canada’s The Globe and Mail early this month, the conversation lit up north of the border. “Education is a human right. But you would not know this in most of Canada,” she wrote. “With restaurants, bars, golf clubs, and gyms reopening, it is increasingly obvious that we have our priorities utterly backward. Education and child care must be our biggest priority, not a mere afterthought delegated to school boards and schools.”
“I think every mother I know went, ‘Yes. Plus a thousand,’” says Alex Usher, president of Higher Education Strategy Associates, a Toronto-based consultancy. Mr. Usher knows there are unions, regulations, access, transport, and a host of other barriers to consider for safe reopenings – but that’s why provinces should be mobilizing now with every bit of creativity they can, he argues. His own work is concentrated in higher education, so he is well aware of how space in those institutions will be available next term.
“In Toronto, we’ve got a massive convention center sitting empty. Why not use community centers? Why not use churches?” he says. “None of these are perfect solutions, but they are options beyond what the government seems to be considering.”
Six weeks away from September, Ontario’s Education Minister Stephen Lecce has revealed nothing more than that school boards should plan on three scenarios: online classes; full-time, in-class instruction; or a hybrid model. Teachers inside the province’s largest school board in Toronto say they’ve not been given any guidance for the upcoming year. Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced Monday that many parts of Ontario will be moving to Stage 3 this week, allowing for bars and inside dining to resume, and angering parents who say that cases should be kept as low as possible to ensure a safe return to school.
A need for patience
John Bailey, visiting fellow at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, D.C., and co-author of “A blueprint for back to school,” says some patience is due. “I think opening a bar or restaurant is much simpler than opening a complex operation like a school,” he says. The plans must reflect the fast-changing nature of the pandemic, which favors a wait-and-see approach, and address concerns of teachers and school staff fearful for their health.
Politics has only complicated the path forward. “We just saw the tweets from Trump and [Secretary of Education] Betsy DeVos saying reopen schools fully in the fall. To me, that is politicizing something that shouldn’t be politicized – but I do think that outside of those politicized takes there’s this wishful thinking that we can return to normal in the fall,” says Dr. Cohodes. “We lost our window for that, if it ever existed. When we think about different options moving forward, I think what we have to remember is that we’re not comparing it to the school we knew, but a very changed experience.”
Plus, those who need school to open the most might be the least inclined to send their children back. Much attention has been paid to inequalities faced by minorities during the pandemic, from being overrepresented in frontline work, victim tallies, and among children in poor education outcomes. Yet Carycruz Bueno, a postdoctoral research associate at the Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University, says minority students might find a school setting too risky. For example, Black and Latino families are more likely to have intergenerational households with grandparents living under the same roof, she says, so those families will need to make collective decisions about whether a child returning to school in person is good for the health of the home.
Despite the complexities around reopening, many parents say it’s also impossible to ignore the gender aspect. The economic toll on women has been huge. In the U.S., social norms and gender pay gaps mean that most likely it will be mothers who leave the workforce, says Dr. Powers. A study in Canada showed the pandemic exacerbating the gender employment gap, particularly among those with elementary-age children.
Colorado mom Amy Webb has 7- and 11-year-old sons and is also the founder of the Thoughtful Parent blog. She is grateful for the flexibility she has to work from home, unlike many parents. But it means readjusting her expectations as the only realistic way to juggle it all. “I’m planning the lowest threshold of work I can do,” she says.
Society is too accepting of this, says Ms. Hayward, the Newfoundland mom, exposing the fragility of women’s full equality when it comes to labor. “When it comes down to brass tacks, that sort of support tends to fall away fairly quickly,” she says.
The stigmas surrounding working mothers have also exacerbated the impossible choices women face now and kept some women from advocating for better solutions.
“As a mother, if I speak out and say, ‘You know, I need my child to go back to school in September,’ there’s a worry for me that someone is going to say, ‘You’re willing to put your child at risk for your career,’” Ms. Hayward says. “And a lot of us have health worries, and we’re tired and we’re busy and we don’t have a voice left. We’ve really become so exhausted by all of this that the thought of advocating for one more thing has felt impossible.”
Editor’s note: As a public service, all our coronavirus coverage is free. No paywall.


csmonitor--2020-07-14--Removing names that hurt

Removing names that hurt

What ’ s in a name ?
A lot , we are learning .
The decision by Washington ’ s National Football League team to change its name from a racist slur against Native Americans will remove one of the most offensive nicknames in sports .
After 87 years of use , “ Redskins ” has finally been retired .
The effect should be to deepen the rethinking of names not only in sports but elsewhere in society .
The NFL ’ s Kansas City Chiefs may be the next to reconsider whether its name is appropriate .
Baseball ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and hockey ’ s Chicago Blackhawks , will be under new pressure to follow .
The decision by Washington was a financial one .
Its corporate sponsors no longer felt comfortable with being associated with the name .
They threatened to leave if a change wasn ’ t made .
The sponsors themselves were under pressure .
Behind their new enthusiasm was a sea change in public opinion .
The death of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minneapolis in May has seemed to ignite a widespread feeling across racial and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Confederate flags and monuments are being seen in a new light – the light of empathy and with more compassion for the experiences of Black Americans .
Even brand names such as Uncle Ben ’ s rice and Aunt Jemima ’ s pancakes now will disappear from shelves along with their racist connotations .
Native Americans hope that the decision by the Washington team will prompt name changes at the collegiate and high school levels as well .
Some 2,200 high schools still use Native American names and mascots , though that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rule , it seems , is being applied : How would I feel if I were in their shoes ?
Ways of thinking do change .
Limited views expand and take in the world from broader perspectives .
History is being revised to portray a more inclusive narrative .
One of the grievances from American colonists to the king of England in the Declaration of Independence was his inability to protect them from people they believed were merciless and savage .
Contemporary review has shown these were Indigenous societies struggling to defend their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ English were the aggressors .
Recently a Supreme Court decision affirmed the rights and existence of Indigenous peoples as Americans , protected by federal law .
The court upheld an 1866 treaty between the United States and the Creek Nation that , in effect , confirmed that the tribe rightly still possesses its reservation land in Oklahoma .
The land had been given to the tribe as compensation for being removed from its traditional homeland in the southeastern U.S .
The forced move westward of some 60,000 Native Americans became known as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far end of the Trail of Tears was a promise ” that this land “ would be secure forever , ” wrote Justice Neil Gorsuch in the decision .
“ [ W ] e hold the government to its word.
” Those who see nothing wrong with using Native American names for sports teams argue that they are meant to honor these people .
But Native Americans say they are much more honored when the U.S. government honors the treaties it has made with them .
Democracies only exist in practice if the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That makes the uncovering and correcting of slights toward Black and Native Americans good news for American democracy .

What’s in a name? A lot, we are learning.
The decision by Washington’s National Football League team to change its name from a racist slur against Native Americans will remove one of the most offensive nicknames in sports. After 87 years of use, “Redskins” has finally been retired.
The effect should be to deepen the rethinking of names not only in sports but elsewhere in society. The NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs may be the next to reconsider whether its name is appropriate. Baseball’s Cleveland Indians and Atlanta Braves, and hockey’s Chicago Blackhawks, will be under new pressure to follow.
The decision by Washington was a financial one. Its corporate sponsors no longer felt comfortable with being associated with the name. They threatened to leave if a change wasn’t made.
The sponsors themselves were under pressure. Behind their new enthusiasm was a sea change in public opinion. The death of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minneapolis in May has seemed to ignite a widespread feeling across racial and generational lines that “enough is enough.”
Confederate flags and monuments are being seen in a new light – the light of empathy and with more compassion for the experiences of Black Americans. Even brand names such as Uncle Ben’s rice and Aunt Jemima’s pancakes now will disappear from shelves along with their racist connotations.
Native Americans hope that the decision by the Washington team will prompt name changes at the collegiate and high school levels as well. Some 2,200 high schools still use Native American names and mascots, though that number has been shrinking.
The golden rule, it seems, is being applied: How would I feel if I were in their shoes? Ways of thinking do change. Limited views expand and take in the world from broader perspectives.
History is being revised to portray a more inclusive narrative. One of the grievances from American colonists to the king of England in the Declaration of Independence was his inability to protect them from people they believed were merciless and savage. Contemporary review has shown these were Indigenous societies struggling to defend their own homes and territories, and the English were the aggressors.
Recently a Supreme Court decision affirmed the rights and existence of Indigenous peoples as Americans, protected by federal law. The court upheld an 1866 treaty between the United States and the Creek Nation that, in effect, confirmed that the tribe rightly still possesses its reservation land in Oklahoma. The land had been given to the tribe as compensation for being removed from its traditional homeland in the southeastern U.S. The forced move westward of some 60,000 Native Americans became known as the Trail of Tears.
“On the far end of the Trail of Tears was a promise” that this land “would be secure forever,” wrote Justice Neil Gorsuch in the decision. “[W]e hold the government to its word.”
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Those who see nothing wrong with using Native American names for sports teams argue that they are meant to honor these people. But Native Americans say they are much more honored when the U.S. government honors the treaties it has made with them.
Democracies only exist in practice if the rights of their minorities are protected. That makes the uncovering and correcting of slights toward Black and Native Americans good news for American democracy.


csmonitor--2020-07-14--First US federal execution held in 17 years. Here's why.

The federal government on Tuesday carried out its first execution in almost two decades , killing by lethal injection a man convicted of murdering an Arkansas family in a 1990s plot to build a whites-only nation in the Pacific Northwest .
The execution of Daniel Lewis Lee came over the objection of the victims ’ relatives and following days of legal wrangling and delays .
Mr. Lee of Yukon , Oklahoma , professed his innocence just before he was executed at the federal prison in Terre Haute , Indiana .
“ I didn ’ t do it , ” Mr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made a lot of mistakes in my life , but I ’ m not a murderer.
” His final words were : “ You ’ re killing an innocent man.
” The decision to move forward with the first execution by the Bureau of Prisons since 2003 – and two others scheduled later in the week – drew scrutiny from civil rights groups and the relatives of Mr. Lee ’ s victims , who had sued to try to halt it , citing concerns about the coronavirus pandemic .
The pandemic has killed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ States and is ravaging prisons nationwide .
Critics argued the government was creating an unnecessary and manufactured urgency for political gain .
One of Mr. Lee ’ s lawyers , Ruth Friedman , said it was “ shameful that the government saw fit to carry out this execution during a pandemic.
” “ And it is beyond shameful that the government , in the end , carried out this execution in haste , ” Ms. Friedman said in a statement .
The developments are likely to add a new front to the national @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lead-up to the 2020 elections .
The execution of Mr. Lee , who died at 8:07 a.m. EDT , went off after a series of legal volleys that ended when the Supreme Court stepped in early Tuesday in a 5-4 ruling and allowed it to move forward .
Attorney General William Barr has said the Justice Department has a duty to carry out the sentences imposed by the courts , including the death penalty , and provide closure to the victims and those in the communities where the killings happened .
But relatives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1996 opposed that idea and argued Mr. Lee deserved life in prison .
They wanted to be present to counter any contention the execution was being done on their behalf .
“ For us it is a matter of being there and saying , ‘ This is not being done in our name ; we do not want this , ’ ” relative Monica Veillette said .
They noted Mr. Lee ’ s co-defendant and the reputed ringleader , Chevie Kehoe , received a life sentence .
Mr. Kehoe , of Colville , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to join his white supremacist organization , known as the Aryan Peoples ’ Republic .
Two years later , they were arrested for the killings of gun dealer William Mueller , his wife , Nancy , and her 8-year-old daughter , Sarah Powell , in Tilly , Arkansas , about 75 miles northwest of Little Rock .
At their 1999 trial , prosecutors said Mr. Kehoe and Mr. Lee stole guns and $ 50,000 in cash from the Muellers as part of their plan to establish a whites-only nation .
A U.S. District @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lee ’ s execution on Monday , over concerns from death row inmates on how executions were to be carried out , and an appeals court upheld it , but the high court overturned it .
That delay came after an appeals court on Sunday overturned a hold put in place last week after the victims ’ relatives argued they ’ d be put at high risk for the coronavirus if they had to travel to attend the execution .
Mr. Lee ’ s execution was then set to happen at 4 a.m. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was raised by his lawyers .
The Justice Department said it filed a request with the court to straighten it out but went through with the execution .
Two other federal executions are scheduled for this week , though one remains on hold in a separate legal claim .
There have been two state executions in the U.S. since the pandemic forced shutdowns nationwide in mid-March – one in Texas and one in Missouri , according to the Death Penalty Information Center .
Alabama had one in early March .
Executions on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the government has put to death only three defendants since restoring the federal death penalty in 1988 – most recently in 2003 , when Louis Jones was executed for the 1995 kidnapping , rape , and murder of a young female soldier .
Though there hadn ’ t been a federal execution since 2003 , the Justice Department has continued to approve death penalty prosecutions and federal courts have sentenced defendants to death .
In 2014 , following a botched state execution in Oklahoma , President Barack Obama directed the Justice Department to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and issues surrounding lethal injection drugs .
The attorney general said last July the review had been completed , allowing executions to resume .
He approved a new procedure for lethal injections that replaces the three-drug combination previously used in federal executions with one drug , pentobarbital .
This is similar to the procedure used in several states , including Georgia , Missouri , and Texas .
Numbers of state executions have fallen steadily since the 2003 federal execution , according to data compiled by the Death Penalty Information Center .
States put @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 22 in 2019 .
This story was reported by The Associated Press .
AP writers Mark Sherman and Colleen Long in Washington and Michael Tarm 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 .

The federal government on Tuesday carried out its first execution in almost two decades, killing by lethal injection a man convicted of murdering an Arkansas family in a 1990s plot to build a whites-only nation in the Pacific Northwest.
The execution of Daniel Lewis Lee came over the objection of the victims’ relatives and following days of legal wrangling and delays. Mr. Lee of Yukon, Oklahoma, professed his innocence just before he was executed at the federal prison in Terre Haute, Indiana.
“I didn’t do it,” Mr. Lee said. “I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life, but I’m not a murderer.”
His final words were: “You’re killing an innocent man.”
The decision to move forward with the first execution by the Bureau of Prisons since 2003 – and two others scheduled later in the week – drew scrutiny from civil rights groups and the relatives of Mr. Lee’s victims, who had sued to try to halt it, citing concerns about the coronavirus pandemic. The pandemic has killed more than 135,000 people in the United States and is ravaging prisons nationwide.
Critics argued the government was creating an unnecessary and manufactured urgency for political gain.
One of Mr. Lee’s lawyers, Ruth Friedman, said it was “shameful that the government saw fit to carry out this execution during a pandemic.”
“And it is beyond shameful that the government, in the end, carried out this execution in haste,” Ms. Friedman said in a statement.
The developments are likely to add a new front to the national conversation about criminal justice reform in the lead-up to the 2020 elections.
The execution of Mr. Lee, who died at 8:07 a.m. EDT, went off after a series of legal volleys that ended when the Supreme Court stepped in early Tuesday in a 5-4 ruling and allowed it to move forward.
Attorney General William Barr has said the Justice Department has a duty to carry out the sentences imposed by the courts, including the death penalty, and provide closure to the victims and those in the communities where the killings happened.
But relatives of those killed by Mr. Lee in 1996 opposed that idea and argued Mr. Lee deserved life in prison. They wanted to be present to counter any contention the execution was being done on their behalf.
“For us it is a matter of being there and saying, ‘This is not being done in our name; we do not want this,’” relative Monica Veillette said.
They noted Mr. Lee’s co-defendant and the reputed ringleader, Chevie Kehoe, received a life sentence.
Mr. Kehoe, of Colville, Washington, recruited Mr. Lee in 1995 to join his white supremacist organization, known as the Aryan Peoples’ Republic. Two years later, they were arrested for the killings of gun dealer William Mueller, his wife, Nancy, and her 8-year-old daughter, Sarah Powell, in Tilly, Arkansas, about 75 miles northwest of Little Rock.
At their 1999 trial, prosecutors said Mr. Kehoe and Mr. Lee stole guns and $50,000 in cash from the Muellers as part of their plan to establish a whites-only nation.
A U.S. District Court judge put a hold on Mr. Lee’s execution on Monday, over concerns from death row inmates on how executions were to be carried out, and an appeals court upheld it, but the high court overturned it. That delay came after an appeals court on Sunday overturned a hold put in place last week after the victims’ relatives argued they’d be put at high risk for the coronavirus if they had to travel to attend the execution.
Mr. Lee’s execution was then set to happen at 4 a.m. EDT, but a last-minute legal question was raised by his lawyers. The Justice Department said it filed a request with the court to straighten it out but went through with the execution.
Two other federal executions are scheduled for this week, though one remains on hold in a separate legal claim.
There have been two state executions in the U.S. since the pandemic forced shutdowns nationwide in mid-March – one in Texas and one in Missouri, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. Alabama had one in early March.
Executions on the federal level have been rare, and the government has put to death only three defendants since restoring the federal death penalty in 1988 – most recently in 2003, when Louis Jones was executed for the 1995 kidnapping, rape, and murder of a young female soldier.
Though there hadn’t been a federal execution since 2003, the Justice Department has continued to approve death penalty prosecutions and federal courts have sentenced defendants to death.
In 2014, following a botched state execution in Oklahoma, President Barack Obama directed the Justice Department to conduct a broad review of capital punishment and issues surrounding lethal injection drugs.
The attorney general said last July the review had been completed, allowing executions to resume. He approved a new procedure for lethal injections that replaces the three-drug combination previously used in federal executions with one drug, pentobarbital. This is similar to the procedure used in several states, including Georgia, Missouri, and Texas.
Numbers of state executions have fallen steadily since the 2003 federal execution, according to data compiled by the Death Penalty Information Center. States put to death 59 people in 2004 and 22 in 2019.
This story was reported by The Associated Press. AP writers Mark Sherman and Colleen Long in Washington and Michael Tarm 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--2020-07-14--Washington Redskins drop nickname. Will other teams do the same?

The spotlight for change is shining on the Cleveland Indians .
Now that the NFL 's Washington Redskins have retired their contentious nickname and logo after decades of objection and amid a nationwide movement calling for racial justice , the Indians appear to be the next major sports franchise that might assume a new identity .
Along with the Indians , who recently announced they are in the early stages of evaluating a name change for the first time in 105 years , the Atlanta Braves , Chicago Blackhawks , and Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs are among those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sponsors pulling their financial support .
For some , the time has come for widespread changes to sports nicknames , mascots , and symbols as the country reckons with its legacy of racism .
`` I understand people are n't willing to change or so quickly , or they 're hoping this moment is going to pass .
It 's not , '' said activist Frances Danger , who is Muscogee ( Creek ) and Seminole from Oklahoma .
`` And now that we 've gotten what we needed on the Redskins side @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the rest of them .
We 're not going to let up . ''
On Monday , Washington announced it was dropping a nickname that had been in place since 1933 and had grown into an embarrassing scar for the NFL franchise .
The team buckled under financial pressure from sponsors including FedEx , the shipping giant and naming rights holder to the teams 's stadium , as well as other groups .
Indians manager Terry Francona acknowledged having `` mixed emotions '' about the Redskins ' situation .
`` I 'm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on it , '' he said Monday night .
`` Also , I think that it was probably financially driven .
... You ca n't always do things when the timing is right , when it 's convenient .
That 's kind of how I feel about this .
I hope that our organization will lead as opposed to follow . ''
While the debate over the Redskins ' nickname was waged for years , the drastic change came just two weeks after owner Dan Snyder , who once said he would never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the franchise would undergo a `` thorough review '' before its next move .
Cleveland 's situation is different from Washington 's on several fronts .
First , the Indians are not feeling heat from any corporate sponsors .
At least not publicly .
When the Redskins announced their review earlier this month , the Indians released a statement within hours of Washington 's that said , `` we are committed to engaging our community and appropriate stakeholders to determine the best path forward with regard to our team name . ''
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nickname .
But it would be hard to imagine them going through a detailed evaluation and deciding to stick with a nickname that Native American groups have condemned for years as degrading and racist .
Cleveland showed a willingness to rebrand itself when it pulled the highly debated Chief Wahoo logo off its game jerseys and caps .
While the red-faced , toothy caricature remains a presence on some team merchandise , its reduced status and removal from the diamond and signage around Progressive Field was applauded as a positive step .
Even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nickname , there are numerous other layers – trademark contracts , new logos , Major League Baseball 's approval – to work through before the change could take effect .
While the Indians seem open to a new identity , the Braves are n't budging .
They have no plans to change their nickname , telling season-ticket holders in a letter last week that `` we will always be the Atlanta Braves . ''
However , the team said it will review the team 's `` tomahawk chop '' chant – a tradition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ State 's powerful football program .
The Blackhawks , too , have no plans for change , saying their name honors a Native American leader , Black Hawk of Illinois ' Sac & Fox Nation .
The NHL team said it plans to work harder to raise awareness of Black Hawk and `` the important contributions of all Native American people . ''
`` We 're trying to honor the logo and be respectful , '' general manager Stan Bowman said .
`` There 's certainly a fine line between respect and disrespect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do an even better job .
I think the most important thing is to be clear that we want to help educate .
...
I think we 've done a good job , but we want to do a better job .
And I think we 're committed to that as we go forward . ''
Part of Atlanta 's insistence to keep a nickname the franchise brought from Milwaukee in 1966 is due to the the team 's `` cultural working relationship '' with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in North @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with regularly .
But as teams look to make changes , Ms .
Danger and other activists will continue to push them to abandon any connection with Native Americans , who have been portrayed as mascots for generations .
`` We 're being paraded around without a say in how we 're seen , '' she said .
`` It 's a less bloody continuation of that , of us being a sideshow .
It 's not hard to choose the right side of history , so I hope these teams will take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ side , as we all work together to change the world . ''
This story was reported by The Associated Press .
AP writer Felicia Fonseca in Flagstaff , Arizona , and AP Sports Writers Charles Odum in Atlanta , and Jay Cohen 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 .

The spotlight for change is shining on the Cleveland Indians.
Now that the NFL's Washington Redskins have retired their contentious nickname and logo after decades of objection and amid a nationwide movement calling for racial justice, the Indians appear to be the next major sports franchise that might assume a new identity.
Along with the Indians, who recently announced they are in the early stages of evaluating a name change for the first time in 105 years, the Atlanta Braves, Chicago Blackhawks, and Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs are among those facing backlash along with the potential of sponsors pulling their financial support.
For some, the time has come for widespread changes to sports nicknames, mascots, and symbols as the country reckons with its legacy of racism.
"I understand people aren't willing to change or so quickly, or they're hoping this moment is going to pass. It's not," said activist Frances Danger, who is Muscogee (Creek) and Seminole from Oklahoma. "And now that we've gotten what we needed on the Redskins side, we're going to start working on the rest of them. We're not going to let up."
On Monday, Washington announced it was dropping a nickname that had been in place since 1933 and had grown into an embarrassing scar for the NFL franchise. The team buckled under financial pressure from sponsors including FedEx, the shipping giant and naming rights holder to the teams's stadium, as well as other groups.
Indians manager Terry Francona acknowledged having "mixed emotions" about the Redskins' situation.
"I'm glad to see that they're acting on it," he said Monday night. "Also, I think that it was probably financially driven. ... You can't always do things when the timing is right, when it's convenient. That's kind of how I feel about this. I hope that our organization will lead as opposed to follow."
While the debate over the Redskins' nickname was waged for years, the drastic change came just two weeks after owner Dan Snyder, who once said he would never change the team's moniker, said the franchise would undergo a "thorough review" before its next move.
Cleveland's situation is different from Washington's on several fronts.
First, the Indians are not feeling heat from any corporate sponsors. At least not publicly.
When the Redskins announced their review earlier this month, the Indians released a statement within hours of Washington's that said, "we are committed to engaging our community and appropriate stakeholders to determine the best path forward with regard to our team name."
The Indians didn't promise to change their nickname. But it would be hard to imagine them going through a detailed evaluation and deciding to stick with a nickname that Native American groups have condemned for years as degrading and racist.
Cleveland showed a willingness to rebrand itself when it pulled the highly debated Chief Wahoo logo off its game jerseys and caps.
While the red-faced, toothy caricature remains a presence on some team merchandise, its reduced status and removal from the diamond and signage around Progressive Field was applauded as a positive step.
Even if the Indians decide to drop the nickname, there are numerous other layers – trademark contracts, new logos, Major League Baseball's approval – to work through before the change could take effect.
While the Indians seem open to a new identity, the Braves aren't budging.
They have no plans to change their nickname, telling season-ticket holders in a letter last week that "we will always be the Atlanta Braves." However, the team said it will review the team's "tomahawk chop" chant – a tradition borrowed in the early 1990s from Florida State's powerful football program.
The Blackhawks, too, have no plans for change, saying their name honors a Native American leader, Black Hawk of Illinois' Sac & Fox Nation. The NHL team said it plans to work harder to raise awareness of Black Hawk and "the important contributions of all Native American people."
"We're trying to honor the logo and be respectful," general manager Stan Bowman said. "There's certainly a fine line between respect and disrespect, and I think we want to do an even better job. I think the most important thing is to be clear that we want to help educate. ... I think we've done a good job, but we want to do a better job. And I think we're committed to that as we go forward."
Part of Atlanta's insistence to keep a nickname the franchise brought from Milwaukee in 1966 is due to the the team's "cultural working relationship" with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in North Carolina and other tribal leaders it collaborates with regularly.
But as teams look to make changes, Ms. Danger and other activists will continue to push them to abandon any connection with Native Americans, who have been portrayed as mascots for generations.
"We're being paraded around without a say in how we're seen," she said. "It's a less bloody continuation of that, of us being a sideshow. It's not hard to choose the right side of history, so I hope these teams will take that step with us, side by side, as we all work together to change the world."
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This story was reported by The Associated Press. AP writer Felicia Fonseca in Flagstaff, Arizona, and AP Sports Writers Charles Odum in Atlanta, and Jay Cohen 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--2020-07-14--From South Sudan to Australia: One man’s quest to save stories

“ Reading our history can be part of our healing , ” Mr. Deng says .
“ Because we come from an oral culture , this is a job none of my ancestors had , but I think it ’ s one they would respect.
” If he wanted to make his country ’ s literature and history more accessible , he decided , he needed to start printing it himself .
He ’ d never worked in publishing before , but founded Africa World Books – not only as a resource for the members of the diaspora , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I didn ’ t want people to forget where they came from , ” he says .
“ I wanted them to know the history they were a part of.
” Australia is home to some 25,000 people born in Sudan or South Sudan .
But Mr. Deng worried that many people he met knew little of their community ’ s history .
They tripped over the words when they tried to speak their mother tongues .
Years of war have forced hundreds of thousands of people from what is now South @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them is Peter Deng , who moved from the cattle camps where he was raised , to a Kenyan refugee camp , and finally to Perth , Australia .
Growing up , much of Peter Deng ’ s world revolved around stories .
In the cattle camps where he was raised in southern Sudan , “ we passed down our history through songs , ” he says .
When the country ’ s brutal civil war forced him to flee his home at the age of 18 , he took those stories with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ later , he received the news that he was being resettled from the Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya to Australia , the stories he ’ d memorized all those years before traveled there , too .
But as he made his life as a refugee in Australia , Mr. Deng began to worry .
Many of the southern Sudanese he met in Australia had either been born abroad or were too young when they left to remember life there .
They knew little of their community ’ s history .
They tripped over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their mother tongues .
“ I didn ’ t want people to forget where they came from , ” he says .
“ I wanted them to know the history they were a part of.
” In 2009 , Mr. Deng began scouring the internet for books on southern Sudanese history to share with other refugees in Australia , but quickly discovered that many were out of print or prohibitively expensive because they were so rare .
He imported what he could from Kenya , the United States , and the United Kingdom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to make his country ’ s literature and history more accessible , he needed to start printing it himself .
Mr. Deng had never worked in publishing .
Since arriving in Australia he ’ d been an electrician , spray-painted the logo of a pet food company on buildings , made pastries , ran a day care , and started a butchery .
But along the way , he ’ d earned a degree in international business at the University of Victoria in Melbourne , and so he figured , why not try @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he founded Africa World Books in a small office park in the city of Perth , where he lives .
Today , the company prints its titles largely on demand , which Mr. Deng says has allowed him to sidestep the traditional financial barriers to publishing and distribute a much wider range of texts .
He sells not just the old-school histories of southern Sudan written by missionaries and Western academics , but also more contemporary history books , memoirs , and language textbooks written by South Sudanese themselves .
The books , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a resource for both the South Sudanese diaspora and Australians curious about their new neighbors .
“ Australians are a kind people , but they don ’ t always know who we are , ” he says .
Currently , Africa World Books stocks about four dozen titles , and Mr. Deng says its most popular are grammar manuals for languages commonly spoken in South Sudan – which became independent from Sudan in 2011 – like Dinka and Acholi .
Ajak Duany Ajak , a South Sudanese mining consultant who also lives in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The Dinka ’ s Grammar ” to learn more about the structure of a language he has spoken from birth .
He says he hopes to eventually start teaching Dinka to younger South Sudanese in Australia .
“ If you lose your language , then you lose your culture as a South Sudanese .
It ’ s as simple as that , ” he says .
“ And if we can not read and write Dinka , there will come a time with all of us spread around the world that our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Like Mr. Deng , Mr. Ajak worries about what it means that so many South Sudanese don ’ t know their own homeland because of the wars that have convulsed it for decades .
Hundreds of thousands live outside the country , and some 25,000 people born in either Sudan or South Sudan live in Australia .
“ Reading our history can be part of our healing , ” Mr. Deng says .
“ Because we come from an oral culture , this is a job none of my ancestors had , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would respect .
”

“Reading our history can be part of our healing,” Mr. Deng says. “Because we come from an oral culture, this is a job none of my ancestors had, but I think it’s one they would respect.”
If he wanted to make his country’s literature and history more accessible, he decided, he needed to start printing it himself. He’d never worked in publishing before, but founded Africa World Books – not only as a resource for the members of the diaspora, but for their Australian neighbors, too.
“I didn’t want people to forget where they came from,” he says. “I wanted them to know the history they were a part of.”
Home isn’t just a place, but a set of stories. When South Sudanese refugee Peter Deng realized books about his country, language, and history were scarce, he decided to change that.
Australia is home to some 25,000 people born in Sudan or South Sudan. But Mr. Deng worried that many people he met knew little of their community’s history. They tripped over the words when they tried to speak their mother tongues.
Years of war have forced hundreds of thousands of people from what is now South Sudan to become refugees. One of them is Peter Deng, who moved from the cattle camps where he was raised, to a Kenyan refugee camp, and finally to Perth, Australia.
Growing up, much of Peter Deng’s world revolved around stories. In the cattle camps where he was raised in southern Sudan, “we passed down our history through songs,” he says.
When the country’s brutal civil war forced him to flee his home at the age of 18, he took those stories with him. And when, a decade later, he received the news that he was being resettled from the Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya to Australia, the stories he’d memorized all those years before traveled there, too.
But as he made his life as a refugee in Australia, Mr. Deng began to worry. Many of the southern Sudanese he met in Australia had either been born abroad or were too young when they left to remember life there. They knew little of their community’s history. They tripped over the words when they tried to speak their mother tongues.
Why We Wrote This Home isn’t just a place, but a set of stories. When South Sudanese refugee Peter Deng realized books about his country, language, and history were scarce, he decided to change that.
“I didn’t want people to forget where they came from,” he says. “I wanted them to know the history they were a part of.”
In 2009, Mr. Deng began scouring the internet for books on southern Sudanese history to share with other refugees in Australia, but quickly discovered that many were out of print or prohibitively expensive because they were so rare. He imported what he could from Kenya, the United States, and the United Kingdom, but realized that if he were to make his country’s literature and history more accessible, he needed to start printing it himself.
Mr. Deng had never worked in publishing. Since arriving in Australia he’d been an electrician, spray-painted the logo of a pet food company on buildings, made pastries, ran a day care, and started a butchery. But along the way, he’d earned a degree in international business at Victoria University in Melbourne, and so he figured, why not try book publishing next?
In 2012, he founded Africa World Books. Today, the company prints its titles largely on demand, which Mr. Deng says has allowed him to sidestep the traditional financial barriers to publishing and distribute a much wider range of texts. He sells not just the old-school histories of southern Sudan written by missionaries and Western academics, but also more contemporary history books, memoirs, and language textbooks written by South Sudanese themselves.
The books, he says, are meant to be a resource for both the South Sudanese diaspora and Australians curious about their new neighbors. “Australians are a kind people, but they don’t always know who we are,” he says.
Currently, Africa World Books stocks about four dozen titles, and Mr. Deng says its most popular are grammar manuals for languages commonly spoken in South Sudan – which became independent from Sudan in 2011 – like Dinka and Acholi.
Ajak Duany Ajak, a South Sudanese mining consultant who lives in Perth, like Mr. Deng, recently bought a book called “The Dinka’s Grammar” to learn more about the structure of a language he has spoken from birth. He says he hopes to eventually start teaching Dinka to younger South Sudanese in Australia.
“If you lose your language, then you lose your culture as a South Sudanese. It’s as simple as that,” he says. “And if we cannot read and write Dinka, there will come a time with all of us spread around the world that our stories written in Dinka will disappear.”
Like Mr. Deng, Mr. Ajak worries about what it means that so many South Sudanese don’t know their own homeland because of the wars that have convulsed it for decades. Hundreds of thousands live outside the country, and some 25,000 people born in either Sudan or South Sudan live in Australia.
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“Reading our history can be part of our healing,” Mr. Deng says. “Because we come from an oral culture, this is a job none of my ancestors had, but I think it’s one they would respect.”
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story misstated the name of Victoria University, and incorrectly identified the town where Africa World Books was first founded.


csmonitor--2020-07-14--Hunger jumps, travel plummets: Tracing pandemic’s ripples in 3 charts

It ’ s no secret that the coronavirus pandemic has altered daily patterns of life .
It has upended everything from commuting and dining out to sending children to school or to sports practices .
As the accompanying charts show , efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19 have caused a dramatic economic slump .
Some of the changes are expected to be temporary , but such dramatic upheavals can have lasting effects .
Habits like doing more shopping and communicating online could persist .
In fact , the stock of Amazon and many other internet-oriented companies has risen , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have fallen sharply .
The longer certain sectors of the economy are depressed , the harder it will be for those businesses and jobs to recover .
One sobering trend : In recent weeks more unemployment has shifted from “ temporary ” to “ permanent.
” Editor ’ s note : As a public service , all our coronavirus coverage is free .
No paywall .
Some people are coping fine with working at home .
And policy changes by some large employers suggest the trend toward more telework will endure beyond the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more socially isolated lives mean a rise in mental-health challenges .
Massachusetts General Hospital , citing census data , says about one-third of Americans show signs of clinical depression and anxiety , and that such mental health conditions are becoming amplified during the pandemic .
One thing people can do for friends or neighbors who may be struggling is to reach out , even in simple ways .
“ It has a positive effect , ” said Maurizio Fava , the hospital ’ s psychiatrist in chief , in a statement .
Could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic ?
Some analysts say a side effect could be lower emissions of gases that contribute to global warming .
That ’ s certainly the case for now , with reduced gasoline sales and air travel .
U.S. transportation spending as of July 1 is down 49 % since February , according to data tracked by Opportunity Insights at Harvard University .
And some people have learned in the lockdowns that quieter lives don ’ t need to be less meaningful ones .
They ’ d just rather not have social-distance guidelines be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Editor ’ s note : As a public service , all our coronavirus coverage is free .
No paywall .

It’s no secret that the coronavirus pandemic has altered daily patterns of life. It has upended everything from commuting and dining out to sending children to school or to sports practices.
As the accompanying charts show, efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19 have caused a dramatic economic slump. Some of the changes are expected to be temporary, but such dramatic upheavals can have lasting effects.
Habits like doing more shopping and communicating online could persist. In fact, the stock of Amazon and many other internet-oriented companies has risen, while share prices for many physical-space companies have fallen sharply.
Why We Wrote This As the United States tries “reopening” amid an ongoing pandemic, it is an opportune moment to look at how the coronavirus is changing life for Americans, and reshaping the economy.
The longer certain sectors of the economy are depressed, the harder it will be for those businesses and jobs to recover. One sobering trend: In recent weeks more unemployment has shifted from “temporary” to “permanent.”
Editor’s note: As a public service, all our coronavirus coverage is free. No paywall.
SOURCE: Opportunity Insights, based at Harvard University; census surveys, June 25-30; Transportation Security Administration | Jacob Turcotte and Mark Trumbull/Staff
Some people are coping fine with working at home. And policy changes by some large employers suggest the trend toward more telework will endure beyond the pandemic. But by some measures, more socially isolated lives mean a rise in mental-health challenges.
Massachusetts General Hospital, citing census data, says about one-third of Americans show signs of clinical depression and anxiety, and that such mental health conditions are becoming amplified during the pandemic. One thing people can do for friends or neighbors who may be struggling is to reach out, even in simple ways. “It has a positive effect,” said Maurizio Fava, the hospital’s psychiatrist in chief, in a statement.
Could some positive lifestyle shifts emerge from the pandemic? Some analysts say a side effect could be lower emissions of gases that contribute to global warming. That’s certainly the case for now, with reduced gasoline sales and air travel. U.S. transportation spending as of July 1 is down 49% since February, according to data tracked by Opportunity Insights at Harvard University.
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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.
And some people have learned in the lockdowns that quieter lives don’t need to be less meaningful ones. They’d just rather not have social-distance guidelines be a governing force in their lives.
Editor’s note: As a public service, all our coronavirus coverage is free. No paywall.