csmonitor--2020-09-03--Why US wants Saudis to follow UAE’s path to nuclear energy

“ We are keenly aware of the fact that other governments , specifically the Russians and Chinese , use their lower nonproliferation standards as an economic advantage , ” says a State Department official .
“ The message we are providing ... is : Who do you want to be partners with ?
” The country insists it has a sovereign right to mine its own uranium , and China , which is helping it do so , is wooing Riyadh with low-cost nuclear technology and few nonproliferation strings attached .
Yet concerns remain over nuclear proliferation and the potential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wracked by divisions .
Perhaps of most concern to the U.S. is its opaque ally , Saudi Arabia , which says it plans to build 16 nuclear reactors across the country by 2040 .
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has vowed to pursue a nuclear weapon should Iran do the same .
With its first civilian nuclear power plant coming online last month , the United Arab Emirates has become the first in a line of fossil fuel-rich Arab states scrambling to go nuclear .
The UAE says nuclear energy is critical to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and its nuclear cooperation agreement with the United States has been hailed as the “ gold standard.
” Home to the fifth-largest natural gas reserves and sixth-largest oil deposits in the world with a population the size of New York City , at first glance the United Arab Emirates does not seem an obvious candidate to spend billions to split the atom for energy .
With its Barakah nuclear power plant coming online last month , the UAE has become the first Arab country to successfully pursue civilian nuclear power – and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fuel-rich Arab states scrambling to go nuclear .
The UAE and its neighbors say civilian nuclear energy is critical to lowering their dependency on gas and oil , and the UAE ’ s 2009 nuclear cooperation agreement with the United States has been hailed in Washington as a “ gold standard ” for pursuing civilian nuclear power .
Yet concerns remain over nuclear proliferation and the potential for an arms race in a region wracked by political divisions and little transparency .
That leaves the U.S. to play a pivotal role to ensure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – and within its ability to influence .
Of the countries in the region , perhaps the one of most concern to the U.S. is its longtime yet opaque ally , Saudi Arabia , which is determined to follow the UAE and become the second Arab state with nuclear power .
With China and Russia making overtures to Saudi Arabia , Washington is trying to win over and convince Riyadh to follow the Emirates ’ peaceful path at a time Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has vowed to pursue a nuclear weapon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. is embroiled in talks with the kingdom to enter a nuclear cooperation agreement that would allow it to benefit from U.S. technology and expertise .
Saudi Arabia says its intentions to build 16 nuclear reactors across the country by 2040 are meant to free up its domestic oil production for exports abroad – to China , India , and others .
Yet the Saudi energy program is shrouded in ambiguity , even confusion .
Saudi rulers have shuffled the program between various government and royal agencies as it has stumbled to get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advancements .
Concerned observers and veteran diplomats point to statements made by the crown prince during his visit to the U.S. in March 2018 that left no room for similar ambiguity over Saudi intentions should Iran pursue a nuclear weapon .
“ Without a doubt , if Iran ever developed a nuclear bomb , we would follow suit as soon as possible , ” Crown Prince Mohammed told CBS in an interview .
“ Given Mohammed bin Salman ’ s statements and [ Saudi Arabia ’ s ] refusal to sign protocols on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out the program being used for military reasons , ” says Antonino Occhiuto , analyst at the U.S.-based Gulf States Analytics .
“ Saudi Arabia has substantial quantities of uranium in their soil , which would allow them to develop a noncivil nuclear program if they choose to.
” Given these sentiments , China ’ s courting of Saudi Arabia and the ongoing uranium exploration and mining activities of a state-owned Chinese company in southwest Saudi Arabia , one of several extraction “ collaborations , ” have triggered alarm in Washington .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Chinese uranium exploration in the southwest part of a project for a yellowcake mill .
In response , members of Congress petitioned the State Department for “ information regarding the People ’ s Republic of China ’ s reported transfers of nuclear and missile technology to Saudi Arabia.
” “ On the surface , this is not a nefarious enterprise , and the alarm is inappropriate , ” says Mark Hibbs , senior fellow at Carnegie ’ s Nuclear Policy Program .
“ But in a situation in the Mideast where we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of clandestine nuclear activity , coupled with provocative statements by the Saudi Arabian government , it is only natural for people to ask whether these investments and projects have a nefarious intent.
” Who do you want to partner with ?
As a consequence , the U.S. Department of Energy , Congress , and the State Department are all pushing Saudi Arabia to follow the example of the UAE , which surrendered its right to extract , enrich , or process uranium as part of its cooperation agreement .
The UAE has met @ @ @ @ @ @ @ call “ the highest nonproliferation standards in the industry.
” Its South Korean-built 1,400-megawatt Barakah reactor is the first of four reactors that are planned to provide 25 % of the electricity needs of a tiny country that has seen its demand for electricity increase 150 % over the past decade .
The UAE says its nuclear energy is to power its desalination and complement its growing solar energy sector .
U.S. officials say they are “ comfortable and confident ” that the Emiratis ' abidance by the strict nonproliferation safeguards will prevent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ technology .
But the Saudis have been resistant to follow suit , and talks have stalled for years , even under a Trump administration close to the crown prince and eager to strike a deal that would allow American companies to take part in the Saudi nuclear project .
Saudi sources close to decision-makers say Riyadh insists it has a “ natural sovereign right ” to extract and process uranium from its own soil to fuel its peaceful nuclear energy program and sell abroad .
China , meanwhile , has attempted to win @ @ @ @ @ @ @ few strings attached .
With lower nonproliferation standards and transparency , Chinese-Saudi cooperation would allow Saudi Arabia to pursue nuclear energy without the safeguards desired in Washington .
“ We are keenly aware of the fact that other governments , specifically the Russians and Chinese , use their lower nonproliferation standards as an economic advantage , ” says a State Department official with knowledge of the nuclear file .
In response , while insisting on its nonproliferation standards , the U.S. is highlighting to any Arab state considering pacts with Beijing or Moscow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not just an economic relationship , [ but ] a strategic and political relationship.
” “ The message we are providing to these governments is : Who do you want to be partners with over the next quarter-century to half-century ?
” the official says .
“ Our hope is that these governments will recognize that in the long run their security and political interests are much better served to partner with Washington.
” The mere presence of nuclear reactors in a Gulf region wracked with tensions , divisions , and asymmetrical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The UAE will be shipping enriched uranium fuel and radioactive waste through the waters of the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz , narrow shipping lanes between Gulf states and Iran that have recently witnessed acts of sabotage and are a flashpoint of U.S.-Iran tensions .
And just last year , a series of crude drones struck at the heart of Saudi Arabia ’ s ARAMCO oil processing facilities , causing immense damage and bringing Saudi oil production offline .
Missiles from neighboring Yemen fall onto Saudi territory on a regular basis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Iran-backed proxies across Yemen and even Iraq have entrenched ballistic missiles pointed at Gulf cities and sites as a defensive line should Tehran feel threatened .
Already in 2017 , Houthi rebels claimed to have fired a missile at the then-under-construction Barakah nuclear power plant , a claim the Emiratis have denied , insisting their air defense system is “ capable of dealing with any threat of any type or kind , ” says Paul Dorfman , senior research fellow at the University College London Energy Institute and former adviser to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Recent military strikes on Saudi infer that the region is still very volatile .
There really is no parallel elsewhere in the world , ” he says .
“ The idea of Iran sending missiles into Saudi or Emirati nuclear facilities – what would happen then ?
”

“We are keenly aware of the fact that other governments, specifically the Russians and Chinese, use their lower nonproliferation standards as an economic advantage,” says a State Department official. “The message we are providing ... is: Who do you want to be partners with?”
The country insists it has a sovereign right to mine its own uranium, and China, which is helping it do so, is wooing Riyadh with low-cost nuclear technology and few nonproliferation strings attached.
Learn from example. In its global competition with China, the rules-heavy U.S. often finds itself at a competitive disadvantage. Which explains, as it woos the Saudis, the value of the UAE's by-the-book nuclear power plant.
Yet concerns remain over nuclear proliferation and the potential for an arms race in a region wracked by divisions. Perhaps of most concern to the U.S. is its opaque ally, Saudi Arabia, which says it plans to build 16 nuclear reactors across the country by 2040. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has vowed to pursue a nuclear weapon should Iran do the same.
With its first civilian nuclear power plant coming online last month, the United Arab Emirates has become the first in a line of fossil fuel-rich Arab states scrambling to go nuclear. The UAE says nuclear energy is critical to lowering its dependency on gas and oil, and its nuclear cooperation agreement with the United States has been hailed as the “gold standard.”
Home to the fifth-largest natural gas reserves and sixth-largest oil deposits in the world with a population the size of New York City, at first glance the United Arab Emirates does not seem an obvious candidate to spend billions to split the atom for energy.
With its Barakah nuclear power plant coming online last month, the UAE has become the first Arab country to successfully pursue civilian nuclear power – and the first in a line of fossil fuel-rich Arab states scrambling to go nuclear.
The UAE and its neighbors say civilian nuclear energy is critical to lowering their dependency on gas and oil, and the UAE’s 2009 nuclear cooperation agreement with the United States has been hailed in Washington as a “gold standard” for pursuing civilian nuclear power.
Why We Wrote This Learn from example. In its global competition with China, the rules-heavy U.S. often finds itself at a competitive disadvantage. Which explains, as it woos the Saudis, the value of the UAE's by-the-book nuclear power plant.
Yet concerns remain over nuclear proliferation and the potential for an arms race in a region wracked by political divisions and little transparency. That leaves the U.S. to play a pivotal role to ensure its Arab allies’ pursuits remain peaceful – and within its ability to influence.
Of the countries in the region, perhaps the one of most concern to the U.S. is its longtime yet opaque ally, Saudi Arabia, which is determined to follow the UAE and become the second Arab state with nuclear power.
With China and Russia making overtures to Saudi Arabia, Washington is trying to win over and convince Riyadh to follow the Emirates’ peaceful path at a time Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has vowed to pursue a nuclear weapon should Iran do the same.
The U.S. is embroiled in talks with the kingdom to enter a nuclear cooperation agreement that would allow it to benefit from U.S. technology and expertise.
Saudi Arabia says its intentions to build 16 nuclear reactors across the country by 2040 are meant to free up its domestic oil production for exports abroad – to China, India, and others.
Ambiguity ... and clarity
Yet the Saudi energy program is shrouded in ambiguity, even confusion. Saudi rulers have shuffled the program between various government and royal agencies as it has stumbled to get off the ground, with few technical advancements.
Concerned observers and veteran diplomats point to statements made by the crown prince during his visit to the U.S. in March 2018 that left no room for similar ambiguity over Saudi intentions should Iran pursue a nuclear weapon.
“Without a doubt, if Iran ever developed a nuclear bomb, we would follow suit as soon as possible,” Crown Prince Mohammed told CBS in an interview.
“Given Mohammed bin Salman’s statements and [Saudi Arabia’s] refusal to sign protocols on uranium enrichment, we cannot rule out the program being used for military reasons,” says Antonino Occhiuto, analyst at the U.S.-based Gulf States Analytics.
“Saudi Arabia has substantial quantities of uranium in their soil, which would allow them to develop a noncivil nuclear program if they choose to.”
Given these sentiments, China’s courting of Saudi Arabia and the ongoing uranium exploration and mining activities of a state-owned Chinese company in southwest Saudi Arabia, one of several extraction “collaborations,” have triggered alarm in Washington.
WAM/AP/File View caption Hide caption Employees work at the UAE's 1,400-megawatt Barakah nuclear power plant, the first of four reactors that will provide 25% of the country's electricity needs.
A Wall Street Journal report last month called the Chinese uranium exploration in the southwest part of a project for a yellowcake mill.
In response, members of Congress petitioned the State Department for “information regarding the People’s Republic of China’s reported transfers of nuclear and missile technology to Saudi Arabia.”
Multiple bills introduced this year require regular reports on Saudi nuclear efforts.
“On the surface, this is not a nefarious enterprise, and the alarm is inappropriate,” says Mark Hibbs, senior fellow at Carnegie’s Nuclear Policy Program.
“But in a situation in the Mideast where we have all these ambiguities, a legacy of clandestine nuclear activity, coupled with provocative statements by the Saudi Arabian government, it is only natural for people to ask whether these investments and projects have a nefarious intent.”
Who do you want to partner with?
As a consequence, the U.S. Department of Energy, Congress, and the State Department are all pushing Saudi Arabia to follow the example of the UAE, which surrendered its right to extract, enrich, or process uranium as part of its cooperation agreement.
The UAE has met all the stringent requirements, which observers call “the highest nonproliferation standards in the industry.” Its South Korean-built 1,400-megawatt Barakah reactor is the first of four reactors that are planned to provide 25% of the electricity needs of a tiny country that has seen its demand for electricity increase 150% over the past decade.
The UAE says its nuclear energy is to power its desalination and complement its growing solar energy sector.
U.S. officials say they are “comfortable and confident” that the Emiratis' abidance by the strict nonproliferation safeguards will prevent the military use of nuclear materials and technology.
But the Saudis have been resistant to follow suit, and talks have stalled for years, even under a Trump administration close to the crown prince and eager to strike a deal that would allow American companies to take part in the Saudi nuclear project.
Saudi sources close to decision-makers say Riyadh insists it has a “natural sovereign right” to extract and process uranium from its own soil to fuel its peaceful nuclear energy program and sell abroad.
China, meanwhile, has attempted to win over Riyadh with low-cost nuclear technology with few strings attached.
With lower nonproliferation standards and transparency, Chinese-Saudi cooperation would allow Saudi Arabia to pursue nuclear energy without the safeguards desired in Washington.
“We are keenly aware of the fact that other governments, specifically the Russians and Chinese, use their lower nonproliferation standards as an economic advantage,” says a State Department official with knowledge of the nuclear file.
In response, while insisting on its nonproliferation standards, the U.S. is highlighting to any Arab state considering pacts with Beijing or Moscow that the development of nuclear energy “is not just an economic relationship, [but] a strategic and political relationship.”
“The message we are providing to these governments is: Who do you want to be partners with over the next quarter-century to half-century?” the official says. “Our hope is that these governments will recognize that in the long run their security and political interests are much better served to partner with Washington.”
Regional hazards
The mere presence of nuclear reactors in a Gulf region wracked with tensions, divisions, and asymmetrical warfare could be a security threat.
The UAE will be shipping enriched uranium fuel and radioactive waste through the waters of the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, narrow shipping lanes between Gulf states and Iran that have recently witnessed acts of sabotage and are a flashpoint of U.S.-Iran tensions.
And just last year, a series of crude drones struck at the heart of Saudi Arabia’s ARAMCO oil processing facilities, causing immense damage and bringing Saudi oil production offline.
Missiles from neighboring Yemen fall onto Saudi territory on a regular basis, even striking the capital, Riyadh. Iran-backed proxies across Yemen and even Iraq have entrenched ballistic missiles pointed at Gulf cities and sites as a defensive line should Tehran feel threatened.
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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.
Already in 2017, Houthi rebels claimed to have fired a missile at the then-under-construction Barakah nuclear power plant, a claim the Emiratis have denied, insisting their air defense system is “capable of dealing with any threat of any type or kind,” says Paul Dorfman, senior research fellow at the University College London Energy Institute and former adviser to the British government on nuclear plant decommissioning.
“Recent military strikes on Saudi infer that the region is still very volatile. There really is no parallel elsewhere in the world,” he says. “The idea of Iran sending missiles into Saudi or Emirati nuclear facilities – what would happen then?”


csmonitor--2020-09-03--Tolstoy suffered writer’s block as he worked on ‘Anna Karenina’

The novel “ Anna Karenina ” ranks as one of the greatest works in Western literature .
Vladimir Nabokov described it as “ the supreme masterpiece of nineteenth-century literature.
” It regularly sits atop famous writers ’ lists of favorite books .
Bob Blaisdell , a professor of English at the City University of New York , was so enamored that he read the book some 20 times , and then learned Russian so he could read it in the original language .
Now Blaisdell , who also reviews books for the Monitor , has written an engaging and insightful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to complete his masterpiece .
“ Creating Anna Karenina : Tolstoy and the Birth of Literature ’ s Most Enigmatic Heroine ” is packed with telling insights and details about Tolstoy ’ s life that shaped the direction of the book .
Tolstoy originally conceived of “ Anna Karenina ” as a novella that he hoped to knock out quickly .
He completed an outline in just a few weeks , but then things slowed down because Tolstoy was a gifted procrastinator .
Blaisdell estimates that in 30 of the 53 months that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did not touch the manuscript .
Partly this lack of progress could be attributed to a busy and sometimes tragic family life – three of his children died as he worked on the book .
His professional life included working to reform Russian education .
And he was devoted to his hobbies – horses , travel , and hunting .
Tolstoy came to actively dislike the project .
At various points he wrote that the book was “ sickening to me , ” “ unbearably repulsive , ” “ terribly disgusting and nasty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ insipid as a bitter radish.
” At one point he proclaimed in a letter , “ [ I ] have stopped publishing my novel and want to give it up , I dislike it so much.
” Thankfully for literature , Tolstoy persevered .
Partly , this was the result of the inner fire that can propel genius to accomplish amazing things .
Equally important were the roles played by his wife , Sophia , and his friend , Nikolai Strakhov .
Sophia – who would eventually give birth to 13 children , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ house by day – patiently recopied draft after draft of the manuscript at night .
“ She was almost always on the job , right there , the sympathetic , forbearing midwife to artistic creation.
” Strakhov was a critic and for many years Tolstoy ’ s closest friend and most perceptive reader .
Tolstoy repeatedly sought reassurance from Strakhov that he was on the right track and always received it .
Indeed , Strakhov once wrote to Tolstoy , “ You and your novels – for already a long time are the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s conception of Anna changed as he wrote and this further challenged the author .
Initially he saw her simply as a cheating wife who had run off with another man and deserved neither sympathy nor pity for her fate .
But over time she became a more complete and rounded person .
Indeed , she emerges from the pages of the novel as a beautiful , elegant , charming , and intelligent woman who “ strikes us ... as a goddess would.
” Yes , she was flawed .
But the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ humanity emerged and he began , according to Blaisdell , to “ love ” her .
Perhaps the biggest reason for the long gestation was that Tolstoy was beginning to wrestle with the thoughts and feelings that , later in life , would lead him to renounce his wealth and become a pacifist and Christian anarchist .
He would document and explain this midlife crisis a few years later in “ My Confession ” ( published 1882 ) .
But while writing the novel , Tolstoy found himself torn between bouts of pleasure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ despair so severe that he apparently considered suicide .
Blaisdell concludes that by writing in such detail about Anna ’ s descent into madness and suicide , Tolstoy may have survived his own depression .
“ Creating Anna Karenina ” is the product of a lifetime of study .
It demonstrates extensive research and great learning and is written by a gifted storyteller .
The good news is that the book is not simply an academic treatise and will appeal to general readers .
Indeed , Blaisdell ’ s sly humor and deprecating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it .
This volume is unlikely to be read by those who have never read “ Anna Karenina.
” But for those who have , Blaisdell offers intriguing insights and fresh perspectives that will no doubt lead some , including this writer , to reread Tolstoy ’ s great masterpiece with renewed appreciation .

The novel “Anna Karenina” ranks as one of the greatest works in Western literature. Vladimir Nabokov described it as “the supreme masterpiece of nineteenth-century literature.” It regularly sits atop famous writers’ lists of favorite books. Bob Blaisdell, a professor of English at the City University of New York, was so enamored that he read the book some 20 times, and then learned Russian so he could read it in the original language.
Now Blaisdell, who also reviews books for the Monitor, has written an engaging and insightful book about Leo Tolstoy’s struggle to complete his masterpiece. “Creating Anna Karenina: Tolstoy and the Birth of Literature’s Most Enigmatic Heroine” is packed with telling insights and details about Tolstoy’s life that shaped the direction of the book.
Tolstoy originally conceived of “Anna Karenina” as a novella that he hoped to knock out quickly. He completed an outline in just a few weeks, but then things slowed down because Tolstoy was a gifted procrastinator. Blaisdell estimates that in 30 of the 53 months that he worked on the book, Tolstoy did not touch the manuscript.
Partly this lack of progress could be attributed to a busy and sometimes tragic family life – three of his children died as he worked on the book. His professional life included working to reform Russian education. And he was devoted to his hobbies – horses, travel, and hunting.
Tolstoy came to actively dislike the project. At various points he wrote that the book was “sickening to me,” “unbearably repulsive,” “terribly disgusting and nasty,” and “a bore, insipid as a bitter radish.” At one point he proclaimed in a letter, “[I] have stopped publishing my novel and want to give it up, I dislike it so much.”
Thankfully for literature, Tolstoy persevered. Partly, this was the result of the inner fire that can propel genius to accomplish amazing things. Equally important were the roles played by his wife, Sophia, and his friend, Nikolai Strakhov. Sophia – who would eventually give birth to 13 children, oversee their education, and manage the house by day – patiently recopied draft after draft of the manuscript at night. “She was almost always on the job, right there, the sympathetic, forbearing midwife to artistic creation.”
Strakhov was a critic and for many years Tolstoy’s closest friend and most perceptive reader. Tolstoy repeatedly sought reassurance from Strakhov that he was on the right track and always received it. Indeed, Strakhov once wrote to Tolstoy, “You and your novels – for already a long time are the best parts of my life.”
Tolstoy’s conception of Anna changed as he wrote and this further challenged the author. Initially he saw her simply as a cheating wife who had run off with another man and deserved neither sympathy nor pity for her fate. But over time she became a more complete and rounded person. Indeed, she emerges from the pages of the novel as a beautiful, elegant, charming, and intelligent woman who “strikes us ... as a goddess would.” Yes, she was flawed. But the more he wrote, the more her humanity emerged and he began, according to Blaisdell, to “love” her.
Perhaps the biggest reason for the long gestation was that Tolstoy was beginning to wrestle with the thoughts and feelings that, later in life, would lead him to renounce his wealth and become a pacifist and Christian anarchist. He would document and explain this midlife crisis a few years later in “My Confession” (published 1882). But while writing the novel, Tolstoy found himself torn between bouts of pleasure and happiness and periods of depression and despair so severe that he apparently considered suicide. Blaisdell concludes that by writing in such detail about Anna’s descent into madness and suicide, Tolstoy may have survived his own depression.
Get stories that
empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
“Creating Anna Karenina” is the product of a lifetime of study. It demonstrates extensive research and great learning and is written by a gifted storyteller. The good news is that the book is not simply an academic treatise and will appeal to general readers. Indeed, Blaisdell’s sly humor and deprecating wit add to the pleasure of reading it.
This volume is unlikely to be read by those who have never read “Anna Karenina.” But for those who have, Blaisdell offers intriguing insights and fresh perspectives that will no doubt lead some, including this writer, to reread Tolstoy’s great masterpiece with renewed appreciation.


csmonitor--2020-09-03--Movies bring us together. But should we get used to viewing them apart?

“ We have discovered that our creative possibilities as a nation , as a society , and the world are so vast that the future from that sense looks bright , ” says Timothy Burke , a cultural historian at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania .
“ We are not going to run out of things worth seeing together and apart.
” While this feels like a further erosion of shared cultural experiences , experts say that , thanks to technology , physical proximity isn ’ t the only means of sharing communal experiences .
They champion the variety and creativity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s drift away from theaters may last past the pandemic and its closure of gathering places , pop culture experts say .
Now accustomed to Hollywood releasing films straight to streaming services and video on demand – think `` Mulan , '' arriving Friday on Disney+ – audiences may encourage studios to sometimes bypass cinemas altogether .
Theaters in the U.S. are hoping that “ Tenet , ” a science fiction thriller opening on Thursday , will remind viewers that a cinematic spectacle is best viewed on the largest screen possible .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Tenet ” on Monday was a kind of homecoming .
Anticipating his first big-screen outing in six months , the film buff says even the elevator ascent to the AMC South Bay Center 12 in Boston was exhilarating .
The only thing missing was the smell of popcorn – state pandemic regulations still prohibit concessions – and a regular audience .
Due to social distancing , the sold-out late afternoon show included just 25 masked viewers scattered about the 241-seat IMAX auditorium – and an eerily quiet lobby .
“ It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know , as when you see it the first time with a bunch of people , ” says Mr. Miller , founder and host of the “ Cinemania World ” podcast .
“ A crowd environment makes the moment better because , like , when I saw ‘ Avengers : Endgame ’ for the first time , that crowd was crazy .
I saw ‘ Endgame ’ in theaters eight times.
” Shared experiences at the movies may diminish in the wake of the pandemic , as Hollywood releases more films straight to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people partake of debuts in a new way ( consider “ Mulan , ” arriving on Disney+ tomorrow ) .
The sidelining of big-screen entertainment comes at a time when music and sports venues remain shuttered to crowds , too .
But some pop culture watchers say that thanks to technology , physical proximity isn ’ t the only way for people to share culture .
By some accounts , pop culture has never been more diverse , dynamic , and available for people to connect with .
“ The trend is towards @ @ @ @ @ @ @ universal experiences , ” says Peter Suderman , a features editor and film reviewer at Reason magazine who just wrote an article titled “ A Summer Without Summer Movies.
” “ There may be some downsides to that , but there is an upside as well .
There ’ s so many more things out there for us to watch and look at and experience .
And they are more likely to be individually tailored towards our particular interests and niches and desires.
” Movie theaters are hoping that Christopher Nolan ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ story as nonlinear as an M.C .
Escher illustration , will remind viewers that the communal setting of a big screen is still the optimal way to experience a high-octane blockbuster .
Its car chase scene , in which vehicles drive in reverse on a busy highway , would make even Dale Earnhardt Jr. flinch .
That movie , which officially opens today , and the few other new releases could play for months on end given that there ’ s less in the pipeline from Hollywood .
Even before the pandemic , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at creating shared experiences mainly for the demographic most likely to go to the theater : men under the age of 25 .
Now , comedies , romances , and midbudget movies such as “ The Old Guard ” starring Charlize Theron , Tom Hanks ’ “ Greyhound , ” and “ Eurovision Song Contest : The Story of Fire Saga ” with Will Ferrell are more likely to premiere on Netflix , Amazon , and Apple TV+ .
Anne Thompson , who writes the blog “ Thompson on Hollywood ” for Indiewire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ easily replace a theater experience , and the shared response and empathy you feel watching a movie .
“ That is how a movie like ‘ 12 Years a Slave ’ can have an impact on a culture .
... Because that movie became an Oscar contender and ultimately an Oscar winner , everyone had to see it and then share that experience and understand what those characters went through.
” Due to the limited seating in theaters , it will be a while before they can fully meet the demand to view @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That ’ s reminiscent of an earlier era when the original “ Star Wars ” played in single-screen theaters for an entire year .
And it echoes Steven Spielberg ’ s prediction in 2013 that movies may become like Broadway plays – just a couple of spectacular big-screen events playing on a screen for a whole season .
“ It ’ s possible that Mr. Spielberg will be right in the long run , but I think that ’ s a long way off , ” says Mark Gill , producer of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which was the first major new release to debut in reopened theaters .
He says the pandemic has accelerated the trend toward Hollywood often bypassing the big screen for the small one .
“ What happens going forward , ” he says , “ is [ studios ] will still make some films for theaters , but less of them , and they probably will mostly be the bigger ones.
” For millennia , shared cultural experiences depended upon physical proximity .
But the arrival of electronics introduced new forms of communal gatherings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ national cohesiveness and unity .
Television kindled a new kind of family hearth .
As people began talking about the shows they watched , it created a strong community outside the home , says Paul Levinson , a professor of communication and media studies at Fordham University in New York .
With each new technological advancement , it ’ s the sharing of information that has created a sense of community .
“ The World Wide Web has greatly expanded and accelerated this process , ” says Mr. Levinson .
“ The watching @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is just another part of this evolution.
” One advantage of home-viewing : You don ’ t have to worry about kids in the back row pelting the audience with Jujubes .
Another is the sheer variety of specialty options available on a proliferation of platforms .
Mr. Suderman points to Starz , with its app and cable channel , as an example of a company that produces stories for minority viewers and women over age 25 , audiences that bigger Hollywood studios don ’ t regularly serve .
Meanwhile , fans of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ available from companies such as the Criterion Channel and Grasshopper Film .
Some cultural observers suggest that the sense of community created during a two-hour movie is more fleeting than what can be experienced at home , where technology is capable of facilitating richer connections with strangers and acquaintances .
When a community is online , it ’ s often easy to find out more information about others , discovering common interests and perspectives that help deepen relationships .
But the decline of in-person communities doesn ’ t mean the end of them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a fundamental part of humanity .
For that reason , theaters aren ’ t going to completely disappear , says Mike S. Ryan , who has produced art house movies such as Amy Adams ’ s breakout movie “ Junebug ” and director Todd Solondz ’ s “ Palindromes.
” Some may become even more communal .
“ I believe that we are going to eventually , soon return to the Cinema Club situation that we had in the ’ 60s , where people are able to gather together in small clubs to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ streaming and thus it will be like live music or a singular experience , ” says Mr. Ryan , who now teaches at Emerson College in Boston .
“ I think that eventually that might go to a subscription model , ” much like the season tickets people buy for some live theater companies , he says .
The sheer plenitude of options can often feel overwhelming to consumers .
But unlike earlier decades , constrained by a narrow band of available media , there ’ s more opportunity now for the misfits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to find an outlet and create fresh communities .
Case in point : the thousands of user-made viral videos on TikTok .
“ We have discovered that our creative possibilities as a nation , as a society , and the world are so vast that the future from that sense looks bright , ” says Timothy Burke , a cultural historian at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania .
“ We are not going to run out of things worth seeing together and apart.
” Editor ’ s note : As a public service , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic-related stories .

“We have discovered that our creative possibilities as a nation, as a society, and the world are so vast that the future from that sense looks bright,” says Timothy Burke, a cultural historian at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania. “We are not going to run out of things worth seeing together and apart.”
While this feels like a further erosion of shared cultural experiences, experts say that, thanks to technology, physical proximity isn’t the only means of sharing communal experiences. They champion the variety and creativity sparked by multiple platforms.
Very little can replace the collective laugh or gasp in a theater as a movie unfolds. But how might that experience be evolving – with streaming splintering our attention and a pandemic closing cinema doors?
The public’s drift away from theaters may last past the pandemic and its closure of gathering places, pop culture experts say. Now accustomed to Hollywood releasing films straight to streaming services and video on demand – think "Mulan," arriving Friday on Disney+ – audiences may encourage studios to sometimes bypass cinemas altogether.
Theaters in the U.S. are hoping that “Tenet,” a science fiction thriller opening on Thursday, will remind viewers that a cinematic spectacle is best viewed on the largest screen possible.
For Duane Miller, seeing the blockbuster “Tenet” on Monday was a kind of homecoming.
Anticipating his first big-screen outing in six months, the film buff says even the elevator ascent to the AMC South Bay Center 12 in Boston was exhilarating. The only thing missing was the smell of popcorn – state pandemic regulations still prohibit concessions – and a regular audience. Due to social distancing, the sold-out late afternoon show included just 25 masked viewers scattered about the 241-seat IMAX auditorium – and an eerily quiet lobby.
“It’s not the same feeling, you know, as when you see it the first time with a bunch of people,” says Mr. Miller, founder and host of the “Cinemania World” podcast. “A crowd environment makes the moment better because, like, when I saw ‘Avengers: Endgame’ for the first time, that crowd was crazy. I saw ‘Endgame’ in theaters eight times.”
Why We Wrote This Very little can replace the collective laugh or gasp in a theater as a movie unfolds. But how might that experience be evolving – with streaming splintering our attention and a pandemic closing cinema doors?
Shared experiences at the movies may diminish in the wake of the pandemic, as Hollywood releases more films straight to streaming services and video on demand and people partake of debuts in a new way (consider “Mulan,” arriving on Disney+ tomorrow). The sidelining of big-screen entertainment comes at a time when music and sports venues remain shuttered to crowds, too. But some pop culture watchers say that thanks to technology, physical proximity isn’t the only way for people to share culture. By some accounts, pop culture has never been more diverse, dynamic, and available for people to connect with.
“The trend is towards fragmentation and towards a reduced number of universal experiences,” says Peter Suderman, a features editor and film reviewer at Reason magazine who just wrote an article titled “A Summer Without Summer Movies.” “There may be some downsides to that, but there is an upside as well. There’s so many more things out there for us to watch and look at and experience. And they are more likely to be individually tailored towards our particular interests and niches and desires.”
Melanie Stetson Freeman/Staff View caption Hide caption People line up in Boston on Aug. 31, 2020, for tickets with assigned seats that they bought online. While movie theaters will likely not disappear, some pop culture watchers suggest the model may shift to a few big-screen events a year that play for longer intervals.
Movie theaters are hoping that Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet,” a science fiction story as nonlinear as an M.C. Escher illustration, will remind viewers that the communal setting of a big screen is still the optimal way to experience a high-octane blockbuster. Its car chase scene, in which vehicles drive in reverse on a busy highway, would make even Dale Earnhardt Jr. flinch.
That movie, which officially opens today, and the few other new releases could play for months on end given that there’s less in the pipeline from Hollywood. Even before the pandemic, multiplex fare was increasingly action-oriented and targeted at creating shared experiences mainly for the demographic most likely to go to the theater: men under the age of 25. Now, comedies, romances, and midbudget movies such as “The Old Guard” starring Charlize Theron, Tom Hanks’ “Greyhound,” and “Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga” with Will Ferrell are more likely to premiere on Netflix, Amazon, and Apple TV+.
Anne Thompson, who writes the blog “Thompson on Hollywood” for Indiewire, says that you can’t easily replace a theater experience, and the shared response and empathy you feel watching a movie. “That is how a movie like ‘12 Years a Slave’ can have an impact on a culture. ... Because that movie became an Oscar contender and ultimately an Oscar winner, everyone had to see it and then share that experience and understand what those characters went through.”
Due to the limited seating in theaters, it will be a while before they can fully meet the demand to view the current movies that are available. That’s reminiscent of an earlier era when the original “Star Wars” played in single-screen theaters for an entire year. And it echoes Steven Spielberg’s prediction in 2013 that movies may become like Broadway plays – just a couple of spectacular big-screen events playing on a screen for a whole season.
“It’s possible that Mr. Spielberg will be right in the long run, but I think that’s a long way off,” says Mark Gill, producer of the Russell Crowe thriller “Unhinged,” which was the first major new release to debut in reopened theaters. He says the pandemic has accelerated the trend toward Hollywood often bypassing the big screen for the small one. “What happens going forward,” he says, “is [studios] will still make some films for theaters, but less of them, and they probably will mostly be the bigger ones.”
For millennia, shared cultural experiences depended upon physical proximity. But the arrival of electronics introduced new forms of communal gatherings. Radio broadcasts created a sense of national cohesiveness and unity. Television kindled a new kind of family hearth. As people began talking about the shows they watched, it created a strong community outside the home, says Paul Levinson, a professor of communication and media studies at Fordham University in New York. With each new technological advancement, it’s the sharing of information that has created a sense of community.
“The World Wide Web has greatly expanded and accelerated this process,” says Mr. Levinson. “The watching of movies online in our COVID age is just another part of this evolution.”
One advantage of home-viewing: You don’t have to worry about kids in the back row pelting the audience with Jujubes. Another is the sheer variety of specialty options available on a proliferation of platforms. Mr. Suderman points to Starz, with its app and cable channel, as an example of a company that produces stories for minority viewers and women over age 25, audiences that bigger Hollywood studios don’t regularly serve. Meanwhile, fans of art house movies can access rich libraries available from companies such as the Criterion Channel and Grasshopper Film.
Melanie Stetson Freeman/Staff View caption Hide caption The concession stand is closed, per state regulations, at Boston's AMC South Bay Center 12 theater.
Some cultural observers suggest that the sense of community created during a two-hour movie is more fleeting than what can be experienced at home, where technology is capable of facilitating richer connections with strangers and acquaintances. When a community is online, it’s often easy to find out more information about others, discovering common interests and perspectives that help deepen relationships. But the decline of in-person communities doesn’t mean the end of them. Seeking out interpersonal contact is still a fundamental part of humanity.
For that reason, theaters aren’t going to completely disappear, says Mike S. Ryan, who has produced art house movies such as Amy Adams’s breakout movie “Junebug” and director Todd Solondz’s “Palindromes.” Some may become even more communal.
“I believe that we are going to eventually, soon return to the Cinema Club situation that we had in the ’60s, where people are able to gather together in small clubs to show films that do not exist on streaming and thus it will be like live music or a singular experience,” says Mr. Ryan, who now teaches at Emerson College in Boston. “I think that eventually that might go to a subscription model,” much like the season tickets people buy for some live theater companies, he says.
The sheer plenitude of options can often feel overwhelming to consumers. But unlike earlier decades, constrained by a narrow band of available media, there’s more opportunity now for the misfits, the outliers, and overlooked talent to find an outlet and create fresh communities. Case in point: the thousands of user-made viral videos on TikTok.
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“We have discovered that our creative possibilities as a nation, as a society, and the world are so vast that the future from that sense looks bright,” says Timothy Burke, a cultural historian at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania. “We are not going to run out of things worth seeing together and apart.”
Editor’s note: As a public service, we have removed our paywall for all pandemic-related stories.


csmonitor--2020-09-03--Tracking the pandemic on private phones

Tracking the pandemic on private phones

In the largely hidden realm of high-tech , Apple and Google are introducing a helpful but potentially Orwellian twist .
The tech giants plan to embed software in smartphones that would track the spread of COVID-19 from person to person .
A public need would reach deep into private lives .
The basic approach is not new .
Personal data collection has been key to containing the pandemic in a few places , such as Rhode Island and the Colombian city of Medellín .
Both have developed tech tools to map the coronavirus among their populations .
Nearly 90 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apparently eager to trade privacy for a greater good .
The data collected includes information about such personal matters as food and utility costs as well as whether a family member might have symptoms of the virus .
In exchange for this data , sick and needy people have received food aid and money .
As of June , in a metropolitan area of 3.7 million people , only three had died of the illness .
Even as COVID-19 spurs the gathering of even more personal data , it is running into a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s ability to control his or her digital life .
The pandemic has shifted the balance toward the public interest .
Yet while phone users can choose to opt in to these new data collection programs , what happens to that data once the pandemic is over ?
Will governments or tech companies delete it ?
Or will it be stored and used either to monitor citizens or to monetize it for profit ?
More than 80 % of Americans say they feel they have no control over the way private enterprises @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to the Pew Research Center .
Yet more than 6 in 10 say they do not think it is possible to go through daily life without the collection of data .
As of July , three U.S. states had enacted comprehensive privacy laws while 21 others have measures at various stages in the legislative process .
These drafts – which in most cases were underway before the pandemic struck – include provisions giving people greater control over who has access to their information , how it is used , and if it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has such a bill in committee .
Unlike the European Union , the federal government does not grant a comprehensive right to privacy .
That right is instead being established in a piecemeal way , either through Supreme Court rulings or laws on specific issues .
Apple and Google note that only six states have their own apps to track COVID-19 .
By embedding contract-tracing tools in their operating systems , the tech firms hope to make it easier for people to know when they have been in proximity to others known to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 20 other countries have expressed interest in the new tool .
A revised version of Rhode Island ’ s app , based on consumer feedback , shows an attempt to resolve some of the privacy concerns that may be preventing it from being more widely used .
The new version provides individuals with updated information about the pandemic and testing sites and enables them to keep a detailed location diary .
But it keeps all information on the user ’ s phone .
No data is shared with app developers or the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trend in both law and tech design that gives people greater control over their data .
It isn ’ t just about restraining how companies and governments use personal data for either selfish or social gains .
Privacy is also a condition of personal conduct .
More than a decade after social media and smartphones enabled all of us to make our private lives public commodities , we may be learning that the best privacy protection – in the digital as well as mental and physical spaces wherein we reside – is each @ @ @ @ @ @ @

In the largely hidden realm of high-tech, Apple and Google are introducing a helpful but potentially Orwellian twist. The tech giants plan to embed software in smartphones that would track the spread of COVID-19 from person to person. A public need would reach deep into private lives.
The basic approach is not new. Personal data collection has been key to containing the pandemic in a few places, such as Rhode Island and the Colombian city of Medellín. Both have developed tech tools to map the coronavirus among their populations. Nearly 90% of Medellín residents have signed up, apparently eager to trade privacy for a greater good. The data collected includes information about such personal matters as food and utility costs as well as whether a family member might have symptoms of the virus. In exchange for this data, sick and needy people have received food aid and money. As of June, in a metropolitan area of 3.7 million people, only three had died of the illness.
Even as COVID-19 spurs the gathering of more personal data, it is running into a growing concern over privacy and each person’s ability to control his or her digital life. The pandemic has shifted the balance toward the public interest. Yet while phone users can choose to opt in to these new data collection programs, what happens to that data once the pandemic is over? Will governments or tech companies delete it? Or will it be stored and used either to monitor citizens or to monetize it for profit?
More than 80% of Americans say they feel they have no control over the way private enterprises and public entities use their data, according to the Pew Research Center. Yet more than 6 in 10 say they do not think it is possible to go through daily life without the collection of data.
As of July, three U.S. states had enacted comprehensive privacy laws while 21 others have measures at various stages in the legislative process. These drafts – which in most cases were underway before the pandemic struck – include provisions giving people greater control over who has access to their information, how it is used, and if it should ever be deleted. The Senate has such a bill in committee. Unlike the European Union, the federal government does not grant a comprehensive right to privacy. That right is instead being established in a piecemeal way, either through Supreme Court rulings or laws on specific issues.
Apple and Google note that only six states have their own apps to track COVID-19. By embedding contact-tracing tools in their operating systems, the tech firms hope to make it easier for people to know when they have been in proximity to others known to have been infected. Twenty-five states and 20 other countries have expressed interest in the new tool.
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A revised version of Rhode Island’s app, based on consumer feedback, shows an attempt to resolve some of the privacy concerns that may be preventing it from being more widely used. The new version provides individuals with updated information about the pandemic and testing sites and enables them to keep a detailed location diary. But it keeps all information on the user’s phone. No data is shared with app developers or the state government.
That conforms to an emerging trend in both law and tech design that gives people greater control over their data. It isn’t just about restraining how companies and governments use personal data for either selfish or social gains. Privacy is also a condition of personal conduct. More than a decade after social media and smartphones enabled all of us to make our private lives public commodities, we may be learning that the best privacy protection – in the digital as well as mental and physical spaces wherein we reside – is each person’s capacity for self-governance.


csmonitor--2020-09-03--Beijing opens its skies to international flights

Beijing ’ s main international airport on Thursday began receiving international flights again from a limited number of countries considered at low risk of coronavirus infection .
Passengers flying in from Cambodia , Greece , Denmark , Thailand , Pakistan , Austria , Canada , and Sweden must have first shown a negative coronavirus test before boarding , city government spokesperson Xu Hejian told reporters .
Passenger arrivals will be limited to roughly 500 per day during a trial period and all will need to undergo additional testing for the virus on arrival , followed by two weeks of quarantine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Air China Flight 746 , arrived from Pnom Penh , Cambodia , just before 7 a.m. Beginning in March , all international flights to Beijing had been redirected to a dozen other cities where passengers were tested and processed before being allowed to travel on to the Chinese capital .
China has gone weeks without new cases of local infection and the 11 new cases recorded Thursday were all imported .
Beijing ’ s last local outbreak in July was linked to a wholesale food market , and the city ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all imported frozen foods , along with other goods arriving from countries considered to be at high risk .
Storage and transportation facilities for imported food would also be disinfected and Beijing customs would work with other cities to ensure the safety of the supply chain .
In other developments in the Asia-Pacific region : India has registered a record single-day spike of 83,883 new cases , driving the country overall tally to 3.85 million .
The Health Ministry on Thursday also reported 1,043 deaths in the past 24 hours , taking total @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been reporting the highest daily increases for more than three weeks .
The ministry said the country ’ s fatality rate had declined to 1.76 % and its deaths per million population was “ one of the lowest in the world.
” Experts say deaths could be substantially undercounted in several states .
South Korea reported its first drop below 200 new coronavirus cases in more than two weeks , but the country ’ s strained hospitals were treating more seriously ill patients after the prolonged recent surge in infections .
Thursday ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first daily increase below 200 in 17 days , indicated the country was beginning to see the effects of stringent social distancing restrictions recently imposed in the greater capital area .
However , the number of patients in serious or critical condition with active COVID-19 increased to 154 , compared to 14 on Aug. 14 when the country began what ’ s now a 21-day run in triple-digit daily jumps in infections .
The country has added more than 5,800 newly ill people to its caseload during the streak , raising fears @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just six people have tested positive for the coronavirus out of 128,000 residents who have taken part in the city ’ s mass testing program that began Tuesday .
Four of the six people were previous coronavirus patients who were discharged last month and still carried traces of the virus when they were tested .
As of Thursday , 850,000 people in the city of 7.5 million have registered to take part in the weeklong free testing program aimed at identifying silent carriers of the virus .
The low number of positive cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not cost-effective , amid privacy concerns and fears that DNA data could be sent to mainland China .
Coronavirus infections surged in Hong Kong in early July .
At its peak , the territory recorded more than 100 locally transmitted cases a day , after going weeks without any in June .
Tough restrictions were imposed , including limiting restaurant dining-in hours and shuttering bars and karaoke lounges , and cases have steadily dwindled .
Apart from the six people who tested positive in the mass testing program , Hong Kong reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It has confirmed a total of 4,839 cases , including 93 deaths .
Australia ’ s hot spot Victoria state on Thursday recorded its second consecutive day of increased COVID-19 cases .
The state health department said there had been 113 new infections and 15 deaths in the latest 24-hour period .
There were 90 new infections and six deaths recorded on Wednesday .
There were only 70 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday , the lowest tally since June .
Zoe Buhler , a pregnant woman in Australia , says she didn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when she was handcuffed by police in front of her children and led away in her pajamas for allegedly inciting people to demonstrate against Victoria state ’ s pandemic lockdown .
Ms. Buhler ’ s partner helped her livestream the arrest on Wednesday at her home where she lives with two children aged 3 and 4 in the city of Ballarat .
The video has been viewed millions of times .
She has been charged with using social media platforms to incite others to break pandemic restrictions by attending weekend rallies to protest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 .

Beijing’s main international airport on Thursday began receiving international flights again from a limited number of countries considered at low risk of coronavirus infection.
Passengers flying in from Cambodia, Greece, Denmark, Thailand, Pakistan, Austria, Canada, and Sweden must have first shown a negative coronavirus test before boarding, city government spokesperson Xu Hejian told reporters.
Passenger arrivals will be limited to roughly 500 per day during a trial period and all will need to undergo additional testing for the virus on arrival, followed by two weeks of quarantine. The first flight under the arrangement, Air China Flight 746, arrived from Pnom Penh, Cambodia, just before 7 a.m.
Beginning in March, all international flights to Beijing had been redirected to a dozen other cities where passengers were tested and processed before being allowed to travel on to the Chinese capital.
China has gone weeks without new cases of local infection and the 11 new cases recorded Thursday were all imported.
Beijing’s last local outbreak in July was linked to a wholesale food market, and the city’s customs department announced Wednesday it would test all imported frozen foods, along with other goods arriving from countries considered to be at high risk.
Storage and transportation facilities for imported food would also be disinfected and Beijing customs would work with other cities to ensure the safety of the supply chain.
In other developments in the Asia-Pacific region:
India has registered a record single-day spike of 83,883 new cases, driving the country overall tally to 3.85 million. The Health Ministry on Thursday also reported 1,043 deaths in the past 24 hours, taking total fatalities up to 67,376. India has been reporting the highest daily increases for more than three weeks. The ministry said the country’s fatality rate had declined to 1.76% and its deaths per million population was “one of the lowest in the world.” Experts say deaths could be substantially undercounted in several states.
South Korea reported its first drop below 200 new coronavirus cases in more than two weeks, but the country’s strained hospitals were treating more seriously ill patients after the prolonged recent surge in infections. Thursday’s increase of 195 new cases, the first daily increase below 200 in 17 days, indicated the country was beginning to see the effects of stringent social distancing restrictions recently imposed in the greater capital area. However, the number of patients in serious or critical condition with active COVID-19 increased to 154, compared to 14 on Aug. 14 when the country began what’s now a 21-day run in triple-digit daily jumps in infections. The country has added more than 5,800 newly ill people to its caseload during the streak, raising fears about overwhelmed hospitals.
Hong Kong says just six people have tested positive for the coronavirus out of 128,000 residents who have taken part in the city’s mass testing program that began Tuesday. Four of the six people were previous coronavirus patients who were discharged last month and still carried traces of the virus when they were tested. As of Thursday, 850,000 people in the city of 7.5 million have registered to take part in the weeklong free testing program aimed at identifying silent carriers of the virus. The low number of positive cases has drawn criticism that the testing program is not cost-effective, amid privacy concerns and fears that DNA data could be sent to mainland China. Coronavirus infections surged in Hong Kong in early July. At its peak, the territory recorded more than 100 locally transmitted cases a day, after going weeks without any in June. Tough restrictions were imposed, including limiting restaurant dining-in hours and shuttering bars and karaoke lounges, and cases have steadily dwindled. Apart from the six people who tested positive in the mass testing program, Hong Kong reported eight other coronavirus infections on Thursday. It has confirmed a total of 4,839 cases, including 93 deaths.
Australia’s hot spot Victoria state on Thursday recorded its second consecutive day of increased COVID-19 cases. The state health department said there had been 113 new infections and 15 deaths in the latest 24-hour period. There were 90 new infections and six deaths recorded on Wednesday. There were only 70 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, the lowest tally since June. Zoe Buhler, a pregnant woman in Australia, says she didn’t know she was breaking any law when she was handcuffed by police in front of her children and led away in her pajamas for allegedly inciting people to demonstrate against Victoria state’s pandemic lockdown. Ms. Buhler’s partner helped her livestream the arrest on Wednesday at her home where she lives with two children aged 3 and 4 in the city of Ballarat. The video has been viewed millions of times. She has been charged with using social media platforms to incite others to break pandemic restrictions by attending weekend rallies to protest the restrictions.
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This story was reported by The Associated Press.
Editor’s note: As a public service, the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage. It’s free.


csmonitor--2020-09-03--Facebook's democratic role? New steps to stop misinformation.

With just two months left until the U.S. presidential election , Facebook says it is taking more steps to encourage voting , minimize misinformation , and reduce the likelihood of post-election “ civil unrest.
” The company said Thursday it will restrict new political ads in the week before the election and remove posts that convey misinformation about COVID-19 and voting .
It will also attach links to official results to posts from candidates and campaigns that declare premature victories .
“ This election is not going to be business as usual .
We all have a responsibility to protect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Zuckerberg said in a post on Thursday .
“ That means helping people register and vote , clearing up confusion about how this election will work , and taking steps to reduce the chances of violence and unrest.
” Facebook and other social media companies are being scrutinized over how they handle misinformation , given issues with President Donald Trump and other candidates posting false information and Russia ’ s ongoing attempts to interfere in U.S. politics .
Facebook has long been criticized for not fact-checking political ads or limiting how they can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
With the nation divided , and election results potentially taking days or weeks to be finalized , there could be an “ increased risk of civil unrest across the country , ” Mr. Zuckerberg said .
In July , Mr. Trump refused to publicly commit to accepting the results of the upcoming election , as he scoffed at polls that showed him lagging behind Democratic rival Joe Biden .
Mr. Trump also has made false claims that the increased use of mail-in voting because of the coronavirus pandemic allows for voter fraud @ @ @ @ @ @ @ willingness of Mr. Trump and his supporters to abide by election results .
Under the new measures , Facebook says it will prohibit politicians and campaigns from running new election ads in the week before the election .
However , they can still run existing ads and change how they are targeted .
Posts with obvious misinformation on voting policies and the coronavirus pandemic will also be removed .
Users can only forward articles to a maximum of five others on Messenger , Facebook ’ s messaging app .
The company also will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ results and make the information available both on its platform and with push notifications .
After being caught off-guard by Russia ’ s efforts to interfere in the 2016 U.S. presidential election , Facebook , Google , Twitter , and others companies put safeguards in place to prevent it from happening again .
That includes taking down posts , groups , and accounts that engage in “ coordinated inauthentic behavior ” and strengthening verification procedures for political ads .
Last year , Twitter banned political ads altogether .
Mr. Zuckerberg said Facebook had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in such interference over the last few years .
“ Just this week , we took down a network of 13 accounts and two pages that were trying to mislead Americans and amplify division , ” he said .
But experts and Facebook ’ s own employees say the measures are not enough to stop the spread of misinformation – including from politicians and in the form of edited videos .
Facebook had previously drawn criticism for its ads policy , which cited freedom of expression as the reason for letting politicians like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Trump campaign spokeswoman Samantha Zager criticized the ban on new political ads , saying it would prevent Mr. Trump from defending himself on the platform in the last seven days of the presidential campaign .
This story was reported by The Associated Press .

With just two months left until the U.S. presidential election, Facebook says it is taking more steps to encourage voting, minimize misinformation, and reduce the likelihood of post-election “civil unrest.”
The company said Thursday it will restrict new political ads in the week before the election and remove posts that convey misinformation about COVID-19 and voting. It will also attach links to official results to posts from candidates and campaigns that declare premature victories.
“This election is not going to be business as usual. We all have a responsibility to protect our democracy,” Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a post on Thursday. “That means helping people register and vote, clearing up confusion about how this election will work, and taking steps to reduce the chances of violence and unrest.”
Facebook and other social media companies are being scrutinized over how they handle misinformation, given issues with President Donald Trump and other candidates posting false information and Russia’s ongoing attempts to interfere in U.S. politics.
Facebook has long been criticized for not fact-checking political ads or limiting how they can be targeted at small groups of people.
With the nation divided, and election results potentially taking days or weeks to be finalized, there could be an “increased risk of civil unrest across the country,” Mr. Zuckerberg said.
In July, Mr. Trump refused to publicly commit to accepting the results of the upcoming election, as he scoffed at polls that showed him lagging behind Democratic rival Joe Biden. Mr. Trump also has made false claims that the increased use of mail-in voting because of the coronavirus pandemic allows for voter fraud. That has raised concern over the willingness of Mr. Trump and his supporters to abide by election results.
Under the new measures, Facebook says it will prohibit politicians and campaigns from running new election ads in the week before the election. However, they can still run existing ads and change how they are targeted.
Posts with obvious misinformation on voting policies and the coronavirus pandemic will also be removed. Users can only forward articles to a maximum of five others on Messenger, Facebook’s messaging app. The company also will work with Reuters to provide official election results and make the information available both on its platform and with push notifications.
After being caught off-guard by Russia’s efforts to interfere in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, Facebook, Google, Twitter, and others companies put safeguards in place to prevent it from happening again. That includes taking down posts, groups, and accounts that engage in “coordinated inauthentic behavior” and strengthening verification procedures for political ads. Last year, Twitter banned political ads altogether.
Mr. Zuckerberg said Facebook had removed more than 100 networks worldwide engaging in such interference over the last few years.
“Just this week, we took down a network of 13 accounts and two pages that were trying to mislead Americans and amplify division,” he said.
But experts and Facebook’s own employees say the measures are not enough to stop the spread of misinformation – including from politicians and in the form of edited videos.
Facebook had previously drawn criticism for its ads policy, which cited freedom of expression as the reason for letting politicians like Mr. Trump post false information about voting.
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Trump campaign spokeswoman Samantha Zager criticized the ban on new political ads, saying it would prevent Mr. Trump from defending himself on the platform in the last seven days of the presidential campaign.
This story was reported by The Associated Press.


csmonitor--2020-09-03--'Proof without doubt' that Navalny was poisoned, says Germany

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was poisoned with the same type of Soviet-era nerve agent used in a 2018 attack on a former Russian spy , the German government said Wednesday , provoking outrage from Western leaders who demanded Moscow provide an explanation .
The findings – which experts say point strongly to Russian state involvement – added to tensions between Russia and the West .
German Chancellor Angela Merkel called Mr. Navalny ’ s poisoning attempted murder , meant to silence one of Russian President Vladimir Putin ’ s fiercest critics .
But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov insisted Thursday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any evidence from Germany to back up their allegation .
“ We haven ’ t received any information so far , ” Mr. Peskov said .
“ We hope that it will happen soon and will help figure out what caused the condition the patient is in right now.
” The Berlin hospital treating the dissident said he remains on a ventilator though his condition is improving .
It said it expects a long recovery and still can ’ t rule out long-term effects on his health from the poisoning .
The German @ @ @ @ @ @ @ military laboratory showed “ proof without doubt of a chemical nerve agent from the Novichok group.
” British authorities identified Novichok as the poison used on former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in England .
“ There are very serious questions now that only the Russian government can answer , and must answer , ” Ms. Merkel said .
The United Kingdom and Italy also called on Russia to explain what happened , with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson calling the use of a chemical weapon “ outrageous.
” In Washington , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that it was “ completely reprehensible.
” “ We will work with allies and the international community to hold those in Russia accountable , wherever the evidence leads , ” Mr. Ullyot said .
The European Union ’ s foreign affairs chief , Josep Borrell , said any use of chemical weapons was “ a breach of international law.
” Mr. Navalny , a politician and corruption investigator , fell ill on a flight to Moscow on Aug. 20 and was taken to a hospital in the Siberian city of Omsk after the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was moved two days later to Berlin ’ s Charite hospital , where doctors last week said initial tests indicated Mr. Navalny had been poisoned .
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said the Russian ambassador was summoned to his ministry Wednesday after the latest findings .
Russia ’ s deputy U.N. ambassador , Dmitry Polyansky , dismissed the finger pointing as a knee-jerk reaction .
“ Today accusing # Russia is a must-do for any Western country , ” he said in a tweet .
In Moscow , Russian authorities were quick to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Mr. Peskov said Russian authorities are “ ready and interested in full cooperation and exchange of information ” with Germany but added that Berlin still hasn ’ t provided any official response to formal requests from the Russian prosecutor general ’ s office and doctors who treated Mr. Navalny .
Mr. Peskov reiterated that Russian doctors didn ’ t find any poisonous substances in Navalny ’ s system .
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova charged on state TV that Germany preferred “ public statements without providing any facts whatsoever ” to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government said it would inform its partners in the European Union and NATO about the test results and would consult them on a response .
Germany also will contact the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons .
Shortly after the test results were announced , the Charite hospital said that Mr. Navalny is still in intensive care but “ continues to improve.
” “ Recovery is likely to be lengthy , ” it said in a statement .
“ It is still too early to gauge the long-term effects , which may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Andrea Sella , a professor of inorganic chemistry at University College London , said Mr. Navalny ’ s prognosis is hard to predict .
He said that “ very swift action ” is needed to stabilize patients in poisoning cases and noted the “ significant delay , ” given that Mr. Navalny was initially cared for by Russian doctors who said they had ruled out poisoning .
“ The problem is that even if Mr. Navalny were to survive there may be lingering long-term neurological issues , ” Ms. Sella said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ have insisted he was deliberately poisoned by the country ’ s authorities , accusations that the Kremlin has rejected as “ empty noise.
” “ To poison Navalny with Novichok in 2020 would be exactly the same as leaving an autograph at a crime scene , like this one , ” Mr. Navalny ’ s longtime ally and strategist Leonid Volkov said in a tweet that featured a photo of Mr. Putin ’ s name and a signature next to it .
It would not be the first time a prominent , outspoken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – or the first time the Kremlin was accused of being behind it .
Mr. Navalny ’ s allies have also accused Russian authorities of delaying his transfer out of the country after the poisoning .
It took much wrangling and 48 hours to move Mr. Navalny to Berlin .
Local doctors at the time said he was too unstable to be transported , and the Kremlin said it would defer to the physicians .
The Siberian medical team relented only after a charity that had organized a medevac plane revealed that German @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was stable enough to be moved .
The reversal came as international pressure on Moscow mounted substantially .
“ The system has long lost its ability to operate in an optimal way .
It had to choose between the scandal related to Navalny ’ s [ possible ] death in Omsk and the risk of the poisoning being discovered by German doctors , ” political analyst Abbas Gallyamov said .
Novichok is a class of military-grade nerve agents developed by the Soviet Union at the end of the Cold War .
Western weapons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Russia .
After the Skripals were poisoned , Russia said the U.S. , Britain , and other Western countries had acquired the expertise to make the nerve agent and that the Novichok used in that attack could have come from them .
Several Russian lawmakers have said Russia isn ’ t manufacturing Novichok-type agents .
“ Unless you are working for the military , it is impossible to be accidentally exposed , ” Richard Parsons , a senior lecturer in biochemical toxicology at King ’ s College London , said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russian military as far as I am aware.
” Britain charged two Russians – alleged to be agents of the Russian military intelligence service GRU – in absentia with the 2018 attack that left the Skripals in critical condition and killed a British woman .
Russia has refused to extradite the men to the U.K .
This story was reported by The Associated Press .
AP writers Daria Litvinova in Moscow , Jill Lawless in London , Raf Casert in Brussels , Matthew Lee in Washington , David Rising and Frank Jordans in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United Nations contributed to this report .

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was poisoned with the same type of Soviet-era nerve agent used in a 2018 attack on a former Russian spy, the German government said Wednesday, provoking outrage from Western leaders who demanded Moscow provide an explanation.
The findings – which experts say point strongly to Russian state involvement – added to tensions between Russia and the West. German Chancellor Angela Merkel called Mr. Navalny’s poisoning attempted murder, meant to silence one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s fiercest critics.
But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov insisted Thursday that Russian authorities still had not received any evidence from Germany to back up their allegation.
“We haven’t received any information so far,” Mr. Peskov said. “We hope that it will happen soon and will help figure out what caused the condition the patient is in right now.”
The Berlin hospital treating the dissident said he remains on a ventilator though his condition is improving. It said it expects a long recovery and still can’t rule out long-term effects on his health from the poisoning.
The German government said that testing by a German military laboratory showed “proof without doubt of a chemical nerve agent from the Novichok group.” British authorities identified Novichok as the poison used on former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in England.
“There are very serious questions now that only the Russian government can answer, and must answer,” Ms. Merkel said.
The United Kingdom and Italy also called on Russia to explain what happened, with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson calling the use of a chemical weapon “outrageous.” In Washington, National Security Council spokesman John Ullyot tweeted that it was “completely reprehensible.”
“We will work with allies and the international community to hold those in Russia accountable, wherever the evidence leads,” Mr. Ullyot said.
The European Union’s foreign affairs chief, Josep Borrell, said any use of chemical weapons was “a breach of international law.”
Mr. Navalny, a politician and corruption investigator, fell ill on a flight to Moscow on Aug. 20 and was taken to a hospital in the Siberian city of Omsk after the plane made an emergency landing.
He was moved two days later to Berlin’s Charite hospital, where doctors last week said initial tests indicated Mr. Navalny had been poisoned.
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said the Russian ambassador was summoned to his ministry Wednesday after the latest findings.
Russia’s deputy U.N. ambassador, Dmitry Polyansky, dismissed the finger pointing as a knee-jerk reaction. “Today accusing #Russia is a must-do for any Western country,” he said in a tweet.
In Moscow, Russian authorities were quick to blame Germany for not sharing its findings.
Mr. Peskov said Russian authorities are “ready and interested in full cooperation and exchange of information” with Germany but added that Berlin still hasn’t provided any official response to formal requests from the Russian prosecutor general’s office and doctors who treated Mr. Navalny.
Mr. Peskov reiterated that Russian doctors didn’t find any poisonous substances in Navalny’s system. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova charged on state TV that Germany preferred “public statements without providing any facts whatsoever” to “a thorough investigation.”
The German government said it would inform its partners in the European Union and NATO about the test results and would consult them on a response. Germany also will contact the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.
Shortly after the test results were announced, the Charite hospital said that Mr. Navalny is still in intensive care but “continues to improve.”
“Recovery is likely to be lengthy,” it said in a statement. “It is still too early to gauge the long-term effects, which may arise in relation to this severe poisoning.”
Andrea Sella, a professor of inorganic chemistry at University College London, said Mr. Navalny’s prognosis is hard to predict. He said that “very swift action” is needed to stabilize patients in poisoning cases and noted the “significant delay,” given that Mr. Navalny was initially cared for by Russian doctors who said they had ruled out poisoning.
“The problem is that even if Mr. Navalny were to survive there may be lingering long-term neurological issues,” Ms. Sella said.
Mr. Navalny’s allies in Russia have insisted he was deliberately poisoned by the country’s authorities, accusations that the Kremlin has rejected as “empty noise.”
“To poison Navalny with Novichok in 2020 would be exactly the same as leaving an autograph at a crime scene, like this one,” Mr. Navalny’s longtime ally and strategist Leonid Volkov said in a tweet that featured a photo of Mr. Putin’s name and a signature next to it.
It would not be the first time a prominent, outspoken Russian was targeted in such a way – or the first time the Kremlin was accused of being behind it.
Mr. Navalny’s allies have also accused Russian authorities of delaying his transfer out of the country after the poisoning. It took much wrangling and 48 hours to move Mr. Navalny to Berlin. Local doctors at the time said he was too unstable to be transported, and the Kremlin said it would defer to the physicians.
The Siberian medical team relented only after a charity that had organized a medevac plane revealed that German doctors who examined the politician said he was stable enough to be moved.
The reversal came as international pressure on Moscow mounted substantially.
“The system has long lost its ability to operate in an optimal way. It had to choose between the scandal related to Navalny’s [possible] death in Omsk and the risk of the poisoning being discovered by German doctors,” political analyst Abbas Gallyamov said.
Novichok is a class of military-grade nerve agents developed by the Soviet Union at the end of the Cold War. Western weapons experts believe it was only ever manufactured in Russia. After the Skripals were poisoned, Russia said the U.S., Britain, and other Western countries had acquired the expertise to make the nerve agent and that the Novichok used in that attack could have come from them.
Several Russian lawmakers have said Russia isn’t manufacturing Novichok-type agents.
“Unless you are working for the military, it is impossible to be accidentally exposed,” Richard Parsons, a senior lecturer in biochemical toxicology at King’s College London, said. “It is unavailable from anywhere except the Russian military as far as I am aware.”
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Britain charged two Russians – alleged to be agents of the Russian military intelligence service GRU – in absentia with the 2018 attack that left the Skripals in critical condition and killed a British woman. Russia has refused to extradite the men to the U.K.
This story was reported by The Associated Press. AP writers Daria Litvinova in Moscow, Jill Lawless in London, Raf Casert in Brussels, Matthew Lee in Washington, David Rising and Frank Jordans in Berlin, and Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this report.


csmonitor--2020-09-03--Postmaster General DeJoy served a subpoena for mail delays

The House Oversight Committee on Wednesday subpoenaed Postmaster General Louis DeJoy for records about the widespread mail delivery delays that have pulled the Postal Service into the political spotlight as it prepares to handle an onslaught of ballots in the November election .
The subpoena , which seeks documents related to operational changes that have slowed mail and the agency ’ s plans for the presidential election , comes after committee chair Rep. Carolyn Maloney said Mr. DeJoy has not sufficiently answered the panel ’ s requests for more information .
“ It is clear that a subpoena has become @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigation and help inform potential legislative actions , ” Ms. Maloney , D-N.Y. , said this week .
Mr. DeJoy , a major donor to Republicans and President Donald Trump , took over the agency in June after a career in logistics and set in motion a set of policy changes that have delayed mail and sparked concern over the agency ’ s ability to process mail-in ballots this fall .
He has appeared before Congress twice in recent weeks to testify about the removal of the agency ’ s blue collection boxes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as changes to trucking operations and overtime hours that postal workers say are resulting in delays .
Amid a public outcry , Mr. DeJoy said he halted some of the changes until after election .
Democrats have been pushing for increased oversight of the Postal Service following Mr. DeJoy ’ s operational changes and Mr. Trump ’ s baseless claims that mail-in voting will lead to widespread fraud .
The president has also admitted that he was withholding emergency money from the agency in order to make it more difficult for the service @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a record number of mail-in ballots due to the coronavirus pandemic .
The committee is also asking for information about how Mr. DeJoy , whose appointment broke a long line of postmaster generals with previous experience at the agency , was picked for the job , as well as any communications between Mr. DeJoy and the Trump campaign .
It is also requesting Mr. DeJoy ’ s unredacted calendar along with records on potential communications with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows .
In a letter Friday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ postal leadership has expanded a task force on election mail with local officials and said his staff was working to provide the requested materials .
He has said election mail is his “ No .
1 priority , ” and that he will authorize expanded use of overtime , extra truck trips , and other measures in the weeks before the election to ensure on-time delivery of ballots .
A spokesman for the Postal Service said the agency will comply with its legal obligations .
“ We remain surprised and confused by Chairwoman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ subpoena to the Postal Service in the midst of ongoing dialogue with her staff on the House Committee on Oversight and Reform to produce information in an orderly fashion .
We fully intend to comply with our obligations under the law , ” the statement read .
The subpoena placed a noon Sept. 16 deadline for Mr. DeJoy to provide the records .
Separately , an audit from the inspector general of the Postal Service found that more than a million mail-in ballots were sent to voters late during the primary elections .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the agency ahead of the November election .
The report found state election boards sent more than a million ballots within a week of their primaries , creating a “ high risk ” that they couldn ’ t be filled out and returned in time to be counted .
In thousands of cases across the country , ballots were sent out after states ’ mailing deadlines or on election day .
The inspector general also identified a handful of “ concerns ” surrounding election mail , including ballots sent without bar-coded tracking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ processing difficult , postmark requirements , and out-of-date voter addresses .
“ Resolving these issues will require higher level partnerships and cooperation between the Postal Service and various state officials , including secretaries of state and state election boards , ” the auditors wrote .
“ Timely delivery of election and political mail is necessary to ensure the integrity of the U.S. election process.
” The report found election officials in Kentucky and New York sent more than 600,000 mail-in ballots late during their primaries .
In Pennsylvania , 500 ballots were mailed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than a half-million ballots after mailing deadlines , and 44,000 ballots were mailed on or a day before election day in 11 states .
Also , an analysis of political and election mail in seven Postal Service processing centers between April and June identified around 1.6 million mailpieces that were not delivered on time .
The report did not evaluate controversial operational changes implemented by Mr. DeJoy .
The inspector general ’ s office has opened a separate inquiry into those changes .
Mr. DeJoy has recommended that voters request absentee ballots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and then return them within seven days from election day .
“ To be clear , these recommendations are designed to help ensure that ballots will be delivered and counted , and should in no way be misconstrued to imply that we lack confidence in our ability to deliver those ballots .
We can , and will , handle the volume of election mail we receive , ” Mr. DeJoy told the House Oversight committee last week .
This story was reported by The Associated Press .

The House Oversight Committee on Wednesday subpoenaed Postmaster General Louis DeJoy for records about the widespread mail delivery delays that have pulled the Postal Service into the political spotlight as it prepares to handle an onslaught of ballots in the November election.
The subpoena, which seeks documents related to operational changes that have slowed mail and the agency’s plans for the presidential election, comes after committee chair Rep. Carolyn Maloney said Mr. DeJoy has not sufficiently answered the panel’s requests for more information.
“It is clear that a subpoena has become necessary to further the Committee’s investigation and help inform potential legislative actions,” Ms. Maloney, D-N.Y., said this week.
Mr. DeJoy, a major donor to Republicans and President Donald Trump, took over the agency in June after a career in logistics and set in motion a set of policy changes that have delayed mail and sparked concern over the agency’s ability to process mail-in ballots this fall.
He has appeared before Congress twice in recent weeks to testify about the removal of the agency’s blue collection boxes and mail sorting machines, as well as changes to trucking operations and overtime hours that postal workers say are resulting in delays. Amid a public outcry, Mr. DeJoy said he halted some of the changes until after election.
Democrats have been pushing for increased oversight of the Postal Service following Mr. DeJoy’s operational changes and Mr. Trump’s baseless claims that mail-in voting will lead to widespread fraud. The president has also admitted that he was withholding emergency money from the agency in order to make it more difficult for the service to process what is expected to be a record number of mail-in ballots due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The committee is also asking for information about how Mr. DeJoy, whose appointment broke a long line of postmaster generals with previous experience at the agency, was picked for the job, as well as any communications between Mr. DeJoy and the Trump campaign.
It is also requesting Mr. DeJoy’s unredacted calendar along with records on potential communications with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows.
In a letter Friday to the committee, Mr. DeJoy said postal leadership has expanded a task force on election mail with local officials and said his staff was working to provide the requested materials. He has said election mail is his “No. 1 priority,” and that he will authorize expanded use of overtime, extra truck trips, and other measures in the weeks before the election to ensure on-time delivery of ballots.
A spokesman for the Postal Service said the agency will comply with its legal obligations.
“We remain surprised and confused by Chairwoman Maloney’s insistence on issuing a subpoena to the Postal Service in the midst of ongoing dialogue with her staff on the House Committee on Oversight and Reform to produce information in an orderly fashion. We fully intend to comply with our obligations under the law,” the statement read.
The subpoena placed a noon Sept. 16 deadline for Mr. DeJoy to provide the records.
Separately, an audit from the inspector general of the Postal Service found that more than a million mail-in ballots were sent to voters late during the primary elections. The watchdog urged greater cooperation between states and the agency ahead of the November election.
The report found state election boards sent more than a million ballots within a week of their primaries, creating a “high risk” that they couldn’t be filled out and returned in time to be counted. In thousands of cases across the country, ballots were sent out after states’ mailing deadlines or on election day.
The inspector general also identified a handful of “concerns” surrounding election mail, including ballots sent without bar-coded tracking technology, mail-in ballot designs that make processing difficult, postmark requirements, and out-of-date voter addresses.
“Resolving these issues will require higher level partnerships and cooperation between the Postal Service and various state officials, including secretaries of state and state election boards,” the auditors wrote. “Timely delivery of election and political mail is necessary to ensure the integrity of the U.S. election process.”
The report found election officials in Kentucky and New York sent more than 600,000 mail-in ballots late during their primaries. In Pennsylvania, 500 ballots were mailed after election day. Seventeen states sent more than a half-million ballots after mailing deadlines, and 44,000 ballots were mailed on or a day before election day in 11 states. Also, an analysis of political and election mail in seven Postal Service processing centers between April and June identified around 1.6 million mailpieces that were not delivered on time.
The report did not evaluate controversial operational changes implemented by Mr. DeJoy. The inspector general’s office has opened a separate inquiry into those changes.
Mr. DeJoy has recommended that voters request absentee ballots at least 15 days before the election and then return them within seven days from election day.
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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.
“To be clear, these recommendations are designed to help ensure that ballots will be delivered and counted, and should in no way be misconstrued to imply that we lack confidence in our ability to deliver those ballots. We can, and will, handle the volume of election mail we receive,” Mr. DeJoy told the House Oversight committee last week.
This story was reported by The Associated Press.