csmonitor--2020-08-04--In Israel, coronavirus brings out a new generation of protesters

Getting arrested cemented why she wants to be part of this new struggle .
“ It made me realize what reality we are living in , ” she says .
“ It changed my perspective.
” Merav Ferziger , 24 , was bruised the first night police turned on the water cannons in Jerusalem .
She was also arrested that night for the first time .
“ I ’ m here because I want to create a better future , ” she says .
“ I feel like our leadership is just so rotten and unable to unite us.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been gathering alongside older protesters across the country to denounce the policies and Mr. Netanyahu .
In recent years , younger Jewish Israelis were the demographic most visibly absent from demonstrations .
Older Israelis called them out as apathetic , seemingly content to put their energies into what felt like a world of opportunities .
But in the COVID-19 era that world has vanished , replaced by record unemployment and a growing belief that Mr. Netanyahu has forsaken them and the country .
Israel ’ s once-lauded handling of the coronavirus pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sloppy reopening .
Infection rates have soared .
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly dismissed expert medical guidance , preferring to make the calls himself .
It ’ s a song for another season , one borrowed from the Hanukkah holiday and citing a need to bring light to banish the winter darkness .
But for a new generation of Israelis finding their own political voice as they protest the government ’ s handling of the coronavirus pandemic this summer , it has become something of an anthem .
Amid the beating of drums @ @ @ @ @ @ @ epicenter of the protest movement , thousands of young people filling the street facing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ’ s official residence last Thursday raised their fists and shouted the lyrics .
Their voices reverberated like a roar , even through masks : “ Though the night is cold and dark .
In our soul , there lies a spark .
Each of us , is one small light .
All together , we shine bright.
” For the past month , tens of thousands of Israelis , many in their 20s and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protesters across the country .
Their steadily swelling numbers produced a crowd Saturday night in Jerusalem that police estimated to be nearly 17,000 people and some activists to be twice that .
In recent years , these younger Jewish Israelis were the demographic most visibly absent from demonstrations .
Fairly or not , older generations called them out as apathetic and seemingly content to put their energies less into politics and more into what felt like a world of opportunities – like post-army international travel and plentiful work in high-tech and creative fields @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world has vanished , replaced by record unemployment , what is largely seen as a botched government response to the virus , and a growing belief that Mr. Netanyahu , who has been in power for most of their lives , has forsaken them and the country .
He is more occupied , they say , with quashing his ongoing trial for multiple corruption charges , trying to annex the West Bank , and painting them as traitors and agitators .
“ I feel the country has lost its way morally .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a divide-and-conquer approach .
That ’ s Bibi [ Netanyahu ] , that ’ s his role .
It ’ s how he wins , ” says Achinoam Cohen , 31 , who grew up in a religious , right-wing home .
“ I feel like he ’ s betrayed me .
...
I feel like my generation has woken up and is talking about change and wanting to be part of decision-making.
” Israel ’ s policies , once seen as an example of sober , smart handling of the virus , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rushed and sloppy reopening .
Infection rates soared .
Mr. Netanyahu reportedly dismissed expert medical guidance , preferring to make the calls himself .
Some moves made him appear out of touch .
With almost a million unemployed , the Knesset approved a tax exemption for him worth an estimated $ 145,000 to cover renovations to his private home .
A close political ally crudely dismissed people ’ s claims they had no food at home .
The young , many of whom work as freelancers and are not eligible for some government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A July 12 poll by the Israel Democracy Institute found 29.5 % of respondents trust Mr. Netanyahu ’ s handling of the crisis , down from 57.5 % in April and 47 % in June .
The protesters say they are looking for someone they can trust .
One who will not , they say , trample on democracy and threaten their future as part of his bid to remain in power .
The protests are motivated by multiple causes but share one goal , to force Mr. Netanyahu out .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is corrupt , our prime minister is corrupt , ” says Hagar Dotan , 21 .
“ I was aware of what was going on in the country , but not active until now.
” She came to Thursday night ’ s demonstration with her friend Noa Noy , also 21 , who notes , “ there are people out there who don ’ t have enough to eat.
” According to Neta Kligler-Vilenchik , a professor of communications at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem whose research has focused on youth political participation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are more engaged in politics than some of their peers abroad when it comes to voting rates and political interest and knowledge .
But what has changed in bringing people to the streets , she says , is mostly economics , which has the clearest impact on their lives .
“ The energy is partially driven by that anger but also over their concern for the future of the country .
They are saying , ‘ We have these ideals we care about , and we are now worried about them , ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ times “ it ’ s easier for the public to ignore what is happening among politicians .
It feels like a sphere unrelated to everyday life , ” she adds .
“ But at the moment we can not remove politics from everyday life.
” A rough police response to the protests seems only to have fueled demonstrators ’ determination .
The use of water cannons to disperse nonviolent protesters and the manhandling of others being arrested has left people bruised and injured .
Mr. Netanyahu has tried to delegitimize the protesters by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ derogatory term for many in right-leaning Israel ) , while offering only mild condemnations of far-right activists accused of physically attacking , even stabbing , demonstrators in Tel Aviv and elsewhere .
Merav Ferziger , 24 , was bruised the first night the police turned on the water cannons in Jerusalem three weeks ago .
She was also arrested that night for the first time .
Since then she has not left the city ; she moved into an encampment of young people at nearby Independence Park .
She and her friends there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spiritual support center for dialogue and connection among the demonstrators .
“ I ’ m here because I want to create a better future .
I feel like our leadership is just so rotten and unable to unite us .
They prefer to talk about what separates us .
I feel like my place in this is to be someone who connects and creates space for other people.
” Getting arrested cemented why she wants to be part of this new struggle , she says .
“ It made me realize what reality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says , still surprised nonviolent protest would be met with what some are calling police brutality .
“ It changed my perspective.
” Where some young Israelis in the past may have felt more of an impetus to rebel by just leaving the country , decamping for cities like New York or Berlin , Ms. Ferziger says her friends want to stake their claim instead : “ I feel like we are understanding how much this place is important to us , how much we want to be here and live here and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ research on political movements and youth show that such moments can shape a generation ’ s future political identity .
“ For young people , finding voice and protesting can have a mark on them ...
If over time they feel they have achieved something , to have had their voices heard and have some kind of outcome – it will increase their sense of political efficacy.
” Rumbles from the right The demonstrations in Jerusalem – a city known for its predominantly religious and right-wing population – are attracting participants from constituencies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prime minister .
Though the majority of the protesters are secular Jews of European descent , the socioeconomic message of the protests has appeal among both working-class Israelis who are a mainstay of Mr. Netanyahu ’ s Likud party and national religious Jews .
Matan Barak , an 18-year-old graduate of an Orthodox Jewish high school in Jerusalem , participated in one of the protests and says he was bruised after being roughed up by policemen .
“ What I liked about Balfour [ the demonstrations outside Mr. Netanyahu ’ s residence ] @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kind of people there .
I spoke to [ ultra-Orthodox ] Haredim there , and I spoke to Arabs there .
There were secular and religious participants , right wing and left wing , ” says Mr. Barak , who sees the government ’ s economic response to the pandemic as inconsistent and insensitive .
“ If they just cared a bit more , the situation wouldn ’ t be this bad .
Stupid decisions .
Bibi puts his own needs before the country.
” Mr. Barak ’ s father , Mitchell , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mr. Netanyahu is vulnerable because many of his loyal supporters are susceptible to the economic shock caused by the pandemic .
“ It ’ s not just a leftist thing going on here .
Likud voters normally push aside their own interests and look for a strong foreign policy leader who stands up to the world , ” says the elder Mr. Barak .
“ But now they are hurting , and they ’ ve lost their jobs .
These are people who don ’ t have money for food.
” Editor ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , all our coronavirus coverage is free .
No paywall .

Getting arrested cemented why she wants to be part of this new struggle. “It made me realize what reality we are living in,” she says. “It changed my perspective.”
Merav Ferziger, 24, was bruised the first night police turned on the water cannons in Jerusalem. She was also arrested that night for the first time. “I’m here because I want to create a better future,” she says. “I feel like our leadership is just so rotten and unable to unite us.”
Can a historic event shape a whole generation? In Israel, a younger demographic seen as apathetic by their elders have taken to the streets to protest the government’s handling of the coronavirus.
Now tens of thousands of younger Israelis have been gathering alongside older protesters across the country to denounce the policies and Mr. Netanyahu. In recent years, younger Jewish Israelis were the demographic most visibly absent from demonstrations. Older Israelis called them out as apathetic, seemingly content to put their energies into what felt like a world of opportunities. But in the COVID-19 era that world has vanished, replaced by record unemployment and a growing belief that Mr. Netanyahu has forsaken them and the country.
Israel’s once-lauded handling of the coronavirus pandemic has been marred by a rushed and sloppy reopening. Infection rates have soared. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly dismissed expert medical guidance, preferring to make the calls himself.
It’s a song for another season, one borrowed from the Hanukkah holiday and citing a need to bring light to banish the winter darkness.
But for a new generation of Israelis finding their own political voice as they protest the government’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic this summer, it has become something of an anthem.
Amid the beating of drums and blowing of plastic horns at the epicenter of the protest movement, thousands of young people filling the street facing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s official residence last Thursday raised their fists and shouted the lyrics.
Why We Wrote This Can a historic event shape a whole generation? In Israel, a younger demographic seen as apathetic by their elders have taken to the streets to protest the government’s handling of the coronavirus.
Their voices reverberated like a roar, even through masks:
“Though the night is cold and dark.
In our soul, there lies a spark.
Each of us, is one small light.
All together, we shine bright.”
For the past month, tens of thousands of Israelis, many in their 20s and 30s, have been gathering alongside older protesters across the country. Their steadily swelling numbers produced a crowd Saturday night in Jerusalem that police estimated to be nearly 17,000 people and some activists to be twice that.
In recent years, these younger Jewish Israelis were the demographic most visibly absent from demonstrations. Fairly or not, older generations called them out as apathetic and seemingly content to put their energies less into politics and more into what felt like a world of opportunities – like post-army international travel and plentiful work in high-tech and creative fields.
But in the COVID-19 era that world has vanished, replaced by record unemployment, what is largely seen as a botched government response to the virus, and a growing belief that Mr. Netanyahu, who has been in power for most of their lives, has forsaken them and the country. He is more occupied, they say, with quashing his ongoing trial for multiple corruption charges, trying to annex the West Bank, and painting them as traitors and agitators.
“I feel the country has lost its way morally. It’s all hatred and division – a divide-and-conquer approach. That’s Bibi [Netanyahu], that’s his role. It’s how he wins,” says Achinoam Cohen, 31, who grew up in a religious, right-wing home. “I feel like he’s betrayed me. ... I feel like my generation has woken up and is talking about change and wanting to be part of decision-making.”
Israel’s policies, once seen as an example of sober, smart handling of the virus, are now a cautionary tale of a rushed and sloppy reopening. Infection rates soared. Mr. Netanyahu reportedly dismissed expert medical guidance, preferring to make the calls himself.
Some moves made him appear out of touch. With almost a million unemployed, the Knesset approved a tax exemption for him worth an estimated $145,000 to cover renovations to his private home. A close political ally crudely dismissed people’s claims they had no food at home. The young, many of whom work as freelancers and are not eligible for some government grants, have been hit disproportionately hard.
A July 12 poll by the Israel Democracy Institute found 29.5% of respondents trust Mr. Netanyahu’s handling of the crisis, down from 57.5% in April and 47% in June.
What has changed: economics
The protesters say they are looking for someone they can trust. One who will not, they say, trample on democracy and threaten their future as part of his bid to remain in power. The protests are motivated by multiple causes but share one goal, to force Mr. Netanyahu out.
“I’m here because our government is corrupt, our prime minister is corrupt,” says Hagar Dotan, 21. “I was aware of what was going on in the country, but not active until now.”
She came to Thursday night’s demonstration with her friend Noa Noy, also 21, who notes, “there are people out there who don’t have enough to eat.”
According to Neta Kligler-Vilenchik, a professor of communications at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem whose research has focused on youth political participation in the digital age, young Israelis are more engaged in politics than some of their peers abroad when it comes to voting rates and political interest and knowledge.
But what has changed in bringing people to the streets, she says, is mostly economics, which has the clearest impact on their lives.
Oded Balilty/AP View caption Hide caption Thousands of protesters chant slogans and hold signs during a protest against Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu outside his official residence in Jerusalem, Saturday, Aug 1, 2020.
“The energy is partially driven by that anger but also over their concern for the future of the country. They are saying, ‘We have these ideals we care about, and we are now worried about them,’” says Professor Kligler-Vilenchik.
In normal times “it’s easier for the public to ignore what is happening among politicians. It feels like a sphere unrelated to everyday life,” she adds. “But at the moment we cannot remove politics from everyday life.”
Violence against protesters
A rough police response to the protests seems only to have fueled demonstrators’ determination. The use of water cannons to disperse nonviolent protesters and the manhandling of others being arrested has left people bruised and injured.
Mr. Netanyahu has tried to delegitimize the protesters by labeling them anarchists or leftists (a derogatory term for many in right-leaning Israel), while offering only mild condemnations of far-right activists accused of physically attacking, even stabbing, demonstrators in Tel Aviv and elsewhere.
Merav Ferziger, 24, was bruised the first night the police turned on the water cannons in Jerusalem three weeks ago. She was also arrested that night for the first time. Since then she has not left the city; she moved into an encampment of young people at nearby Independence Park. She and her friends there see their role as helping create a spiritual support center for dialogue and connection among the demonstrators.
“I’m here because I want to create a better future. I feel like our leadership is just so rotten and unable to unite us. They prefer to talk about what separates us. I feel like my place in this is to be someone who connects and creates space for other people.”
Getting arrested cemented why she wants to be part of this new struggle, she says.
“It made me realize what reality we are living in,” she says, still surprised nonviolent protest would be met with what some are calling police brutality. “It changed my perspective.”
Where some young Israelis in the past may have felt more of an impetus to rebel by just leaving the country, decamping for cities like New York or Berlin, Ms. Ferziger says her friends want to stake their claim instead: “I feel like we are understanding how much this place is important to us, how much we want to be here and live here and enjoy this place.”
Professor Kligler-Vilenchik says research on political movements and youth show that such moments can shape a generation’s future political identity.
“For young people, finding voice and protesting can have a mark on them ... If over time they feel they have achieved something, to have had their voices heard and have some kind of outcome – it will increase their sense of political efficacy.”
Rumbles from the right
The demonstrations in Jerusalem – a city known for its predominantly religious and right-wing population – are attracting participants from constituencies that are normally more supportive of the prime minister.
Though the majority of the protesters are secular Jews of European descent, the socioeconomic message of the protests has appeal among both working-class Israelis who are a mainstay of Mr. Netanyahu’s Likud party and national religious Jews.
Matan Barak, an 18-year-old graduate of an Orthodox Jewish high school in Jerusalem, participated in one of the protests and says he was bruised after being roughed up by policemen.
“What I liked about Balfour [the demonstrations outside Mr. Netanyahu’s residence] is that there wasn’t one kind of people there. I spoke to [ultra-Orthodox] Haredim there, and I spoke to Arabs there. There were secular and religious participants, right wing and left wing,” says Mr. Barak, who sees the government’s economic response to the pandemic as inconsistent and insensitive.
“If they just cared a bit more, the situation wouldn’t be this bad. Stupid decisions. Bibi puts his own needs before the country.”
Mr. Barak’s father, Mitchell, is a public opinion expert who says Mr. Netanyahu is vulnerable because many of his loyal supporters are susceptible to the economic shock caused by the pandemic.
“It’s not just a leftist thing going on here. Likud voters normally push aside their own interests and look for a strong foreign policy leader who stands up to the world,” says the elder Mr. Barak. “But now they are hurting, and they’ve lost their jobs. These are people who don’t have money for food.”
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Correspondent Joshua Mitnick contributed reporting from Tel Aviv.
Editor’s note: As a public service, all our coronavirus coverage is free. No paywall.


csmonitor--2020-08-04--In heat-struck Iraq, power shortages prompt protests

In Iraq ’ s oil-rich south , the scorching summer months pose painful new choices in the age of the coronavirus : stay at home in the sweltering heat with electricity cut off for hours , or go out and risk the virus .
This is Zain al-Abidin ’ s predicament .
A resident of al-Hartha district , in Basra province , Mr. Abidin lost his job due to pandemic-related restrictions .
During the day he listens helplessly to his four-month old daughter cry in the unbearable heat , too poor to afford private generators to offset up to eight-hour @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tricks to deal with this but to pray to God for relief , ” he said .
As temperatures soar to record levels this summer – reaching 125 Fahrenheit in Baghdad last week – Iraq ’ s power supply has fallen short of demand yet again , creating a spark for renewed anti-government protests .
Iraq has imposed a strict lockdown and 24-hour curfew .
So families have to pump fuel and money into generators or , if they ca n't , suffer in stifling homes without air conditioning .
State coffers were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by falling oil prices and the pandemic , leaving little for investment to maintain Iraq ’ s aging electricity infrastructure .
Importing additional power is tied up in politics .
On one side , Iranians demand overdue payments on energy they already provided Iraq .
On the other , the United States is pushing Baghdad to move away from Iran and strike energy deals with Gulf allies , according to three senior Iraqi government officials .
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations .
Power cuts , coinciding with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into Lebanon and Syria , two countries also teetering on the brink of economic collapse .
In Lebanon , residents suffer from power cuts lasting up to 20 hours a day in Beirut even as humidity climbs to above 80 % , adding to public outrage over the country ’ s severe financial crisis .
Neighborhood generators have had to switch off to give their engines a break and to ration fuel , causing a run on candles and battery-operated lamps .
Like Iraq , blackouts in Lebanon have been a fixture of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ corruption , and mismanagement , ever since the 1975-1990 civil war .
In Syria , nearly a decade of war has left infrastructure in shambles and electricity cuts are frequent .
Last week , power was off for hours even as temperatures in Damascus reached a record-breaking 118 degrees Fahrenheit .
In Baghdad , the roar of generators punctuates daily outages like clockwork .
Iraqis find short-lived respite by using public showers set up on the street .
The heat was blamed for an explosion at a federal police weapons depot .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them with a hose to cool them down , ” said Ahmed Mohamed , in Baghdad .
Reforms in the electricity sector have been stymied by protests and the vested interests of private generator companies , some with connections to political figures .
Public reluctance to pay the state for electricity has long flummoxed Iraqi officials .
In the summer of 2018 , poor service delivery prompted destabilizing protests in Basra .
The following year , mass anti-government protests paralyzed Baghdad and Iraq ’ s south , as tens of thousands decried the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ services , including electricity .
Two protesters were killed by security forces in Baghdad last week while demonstrating against power cuts .
Crumbling power lines mean there is 1,000 megawatts less power this summer .
Supply now falls 10,000 megawatts short of demand , a senior official in the Electricity Ministry said .
“ You have to work very hard just to stand still , ” said Ali al-Saffar , the head of the Middle East a division of the Paris-based International Energy Agency .
To survive the summer months , Mr. Saffar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in public offices to see what can be put toward the national grid , as fewer people come to work under lockdown measures .
The government has already implemented emergency measures to divert power used in operations in oil fields to add to the grid , officials in oil and electricity ministries said .
Iraq relies heavily on Iran for power especially during the summer .
But budgetary shortfalls have thrown Baghdad into arrears .
Two government officials said urgent allocations were being made to avoid a repeat of 2018 , when Iran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outstanding payments .
Dependence on Iranian energy has also complicated U.S.-Iraq relations .
To qualify for successive sanctions waivers enabling imports to continue , Iraq must prove to the Trump administration that it is taking concrete steps to wean itself off reliance on Iran .
The U.S. has pushed for deals with Gulf allies to diversify Iraq ’ s power supply , three officials said .
Two projects appear to be in advanced stages of negotiations .
The first would provide an initial 500 megawatts of supply to southern Iraq by connecting the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ countries .
A framework agreement was signed last year with the Gulf Cooperation Council Interconnection Authority , but lack of financing to pay for 187 miles of transmission lines has slowed progress .
The Gulf has pledged to put up the money , but “ they are worried about the political situation , ” said one senior government official .
“ They had a video-conference with the [ Electricity ] Ministry in early July – representatives from the U.S. were on the call to push them.
” The second is the development of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to feed domestic power demands .
Talks are ongoing to develop Iraq 's Ratawi oil field and capture gas flared in nearby fields to generate electricity .
Under the deal , Riyadh-based ACWA Power and U.S. firm Honeywell would construct the gas hub , financed by proceeds from the field , operated by Saudi Aramco .
But the agreement has not been officially inked .
Meanwhile , Iraqis continue taking to the streets in protest .
Activist Mohammed Ibrahim , who stages small sit-ins with his fellow activists in Basra said demonstrations would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fell on deaf ears in the halls of power .
“ The protests are the only way to show this injustice , ” he said .
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 .

In Iraq’s oil-rich south, the scorching summer months pose painful new choices in the age of the coronavirus: stay at home in the sweltering heat with electricity cut off for hours, or go out and risk the virus.
This is Zain al-Abidin’s predicament. A resident of al-Hartha district, in Basra province, Mr. Abidin lost his job due to pandemic-related restrictions. During the day he listens helplessly to his four-month old daughter cry in the unbearable heat, too poor to afford private generators to offset up to eight-hour power cuts.
“I have no tricks to deal with this but to pray to God for relief,” he said.
As temperatures soar to record levels this summer – reaching 125 Fahrenheit in Baghdad last week – Iraq’s power supply has fallen short of demand yet again, creating a spark for renewed anti-government protests. Iraq has imposed a strict lockdown and 24-hour curfew. So families have to pump fuel and money into generators or, if they can't, suffer in stifling homes without air conditioning.
State coffers were slashed because of an economic crisis spurred by falling oil prices and the pandemic, leaving little for investment to maintain Iraq’s aging electricity infrastructure. Importing additional power is tied up in politics. On one side, Iranians demand overdue payments on energy they already provided Iraq. On the other, the United States is pushing Baghdad to move away from Iran and strike energy deals with Gulf allies, according to three senior Iraqi government officials. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.
Power cuts, coinciding with stay-at-home restrictions and scorching temperatures have extended into Lebanon and Syria, two countries also teetering on the brink of economic collapse.
In Lebanon, residents suffer from power cuts lasting up to 20 hours a day in Beirut even as humidity climbs to above 80%, adding to public outrage over the country’s severe financial crisis. Neighborhood generators have had to switch off to give their engines a break and to ration fuel, causing a run on candles and battery-operated lamps.
Like Iraq, blackouts in Lebanon have been a fixture of life, largely because of profiteering, corruption, and mismanagement, ever since the 1975-1990 civil war.
In Syria, nearly a decade of war has left infrastructure in shambles and electricity cuts are frequent. Last week, power was off for hours even as temperatures in Damascus reached a record-breaking 118 degrees Fahrenheit.
In Baghdad, the roar of generators punctuates daily outages like clockwork. Iraqis find short-lived respite by using public showers set up on the street. The heat was blamed for an explosion at a federal police weapons depot.
“We bring our children downstairs and spray them with a hose to cool them down,” said Ahmed Mohamed, in Baghdad.
Reforms in the electricity sector have been stymied by protests and the vested interests of private generator companies, some with connections to political figures. Public reluctance to pay the state for electricity has long flummoxed Iraqi officials.
In the summer of 2018, poor service delivery prompted destabilizing protests in Basra. The following year, mass anti-government protests paralyzed Baghdad and Iraq’s south, as tens of thousands decried the rampant corruption that has plagued delivery of services, including electricity.
Two protesters were killed by security forces in Baghdad last week while demonstrating against power cuts.
Crumbling power lines mean there is 1,000 megawatts less power this summer. Supply now falls 10,000 megawatts short of demand, a senior official in the Electricity Ministry said.
“You have to work very hard just to stand still,” said Ali al-Saffar, the head of the Middle East a division of the Paris-based International Energy Agency.
To survive the summer months, Mr. Saffar recommends an immediate audit of generators used in public offices to see what can be put toward the national grid, as fewer people come to work under lockdown measures.
The government has already implemented emergency measures to divert power used in operations in oil fields to add to the grid, officials in oil and electricity ministries said.
Iraq relies heavily on Iran for power especially during the summer. But budgetary shortfalls have thrown Baghdad into arrears. Two government officials said urgent allocations were being made to avoid a repeat of 2018, when Iran halted imports in the summer because of outstanding payments.
Dependence on Iranian energy has also complicated U.S.-Iraq relations.
To qualify for successive sanctions waivers enabling imports to continue, Iraq must prove to the Trump administration that it is taking concrete steps to wean itself off reliance on Iran.
The U.S. has pushed for deals with Gulf allies to diversify Iraq’s power supply, three officials said.
Two projects appear to be in advanced stages of negotiations. The first would provide an initial 500 megawatts of supply to southern Iraq by connecting the grid to a supergrid encompassing six Gulf countries. A framework agreement was signed last year with the Gulf Cooperation Council Interconnection Authority, but lack of financing to pay for 187 miles of transmission lines has slowed progress.
The Gulf has pledged to put up the money, but “they are worried about the political situation,” said one senior government official.
“They had a video-conference with the [Electricity] Ministry in early July – representatives from the U.S. were on the call to push them.”
The second is the development of a much-anticipated gas hub in southern Iraq to feed domestic power demands.
Talks are ongoing to develop Iraq's Ratawi oil field and capture gas flared in nearby fields to generate electricity. Under the deal, Riyadh-based ACWA Power and U.S. firm Honeywell would construct the gas hub, financed by proceeds from the field, operated by Saudi Aramco.
But the agreement has not been officially inked.
Meanwhile, Iraqis continue taking to the streets in protest.
Activist Mohammed Ibrahim, who stages small sit-ins with his fellow activists in Basra said demonstrations would continue even if their calls for change fell on deaf ears in the halls of power.
“The protests are the only way to show this injustice,” he said.
Get stories that
empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
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--2020-08-04--Embattled TikTok: Behind the dance duels, a platform for youth activism

“ TikTok was not the place for activism , but we got creative and turned it into that , ” says TikTok user Alyssa Bigbee .
“ That just shows that that can happen in any space they enter , even if this app was gone.
” Young activists say their message will find an outlet , with or without a ban .
The White House is making threats against the app , out of what it says are concerns that the app ’ s parent company could censor content or steal users ’ sensitive data for the Chinese government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ban the app if its Chinese parent company doesn ’ t divest ownership to an American firm .
TikTok , the Chinese-owned video-sharing network that has taken the world by storm during quarantine , has quickly transformed from a way of sharing 15-second lip-sync clips to a powerful youth political platform in the United States .
Across the country , young people have used the app to artificially inflate the expected attendance of Trump rallies and to organize Black Lives Matter demonstrations .
Alyssa Bigbee , an acrobatics instructor in Philadelphia , downloaded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her students performing .
For her – like its millions of other users – the app was something of an internet playground , filled with endless videos offering 15-second fun .
But that would soon change .
During the George Floyd protests at the start of the summer , Ms. Bigbee had noticed countless Americans asking how to be a white ally .
She had an answer , so she posted it on TikTok .
More than 150,000 people watched it .
“ I never thought I would get 10,000 followers from talking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This year , millions of people around the world took to social media for entertainment during lockdowns , helping video platform TikTok become one of 2020 ’ s most downloaded apps .
In months , it has gone from an apolitical teen utopia to an emerging activist platform and possible security threat – with the Trump administration recently threatening to ban the app if its Chinese parent company doesn ’ t divest ownership to an American firm .
As its users and owners race to adjust to the White House ’ s threats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s dramatic shift is another example of cyberspace colliding with the real world .
“ When young people see the organizing that they do online can have an impact on what ’ s happening offline , then they feel more encouraged to vote and get involved in electoral politics , ” says CedarBough Saeji , a visiting assistant professor of East Asian languages and cultures at Indiana University Bloomington .
“ This is a crucial moment for them to think about the impact of politics on their lives.
” The app has begun @ @ @ @ @ @ @ started using it for activism .
Ahead of President Donald Trump ’ s June rally in Tulsa , teens used the app to artificially inflate the expected attendance .
Others are confronting white supremacy by using the app to organize demonstrations and communicate about racism .
Yet among social platforms , TikTok seems one of the least likely for political activity .
It plays tailored feeds of memes , lip-syncing , dance challenges , and other bite-size diversions – most intended for its young user demographic .
Often set to music , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entertain rather than inform .
Owned by Chinese parent company ByteDance , the app also has a reputation for removing controversial content .
In late 2019 a teen ’ s account was suspended after she criticized the Chinese government for its treatment of Uyghurs in Xinjiang province .
Last December , TikTok admitted that it had policies suppressing videos of people with disabilities , people with neurodiverse conditions , obese people , and members of the LGBTQ community .
( These policies have changed , according to a spokesman . )
Many users @ @ @ @ @ @ @ getting targeted .
Other outspoken users have accused TikTok of “ shadowbanning ” them – or making their posts invisible to anyone outside their followers .
While TikTok ’ s activist culture is global , it ’ s found a special resonance in the U.S. during the George Floyd protests .
In the past few months , politically minded young people have taken to the app , using hashtags such as # blacklivesmatter billions of times .
“ Young people are really good at – I don ’ t want to use the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in unique and unexpected ways , ” says Dhiraj Murthy , a sociologist at the University of Texas at Austin .
Those strategies include intentionally misspelling sensitive words , avoiding certain hashtags , and using symbols to sneak past censors .
TikTok users have adapted their activism to the app , developing a distinct etiquette and language .
In the process , TikTok is finding a niche among other activist-oriented media , such as Facebook , Twitter , and YouTube .
Its particularly arresting videos help catch the attention of today ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And in a world of unlimited content , catching people ’ s attention can matter .
Ms. Bigbee , the acrobatics instructor , has seen it matter firsthand .
She and a network of “ virtual allies ” on the app have coordinated posts about Black Lives Matter protests and spread information about the challenges faced by certain ethnic groups , such as Native Americans .
Some of those efforts have reached tens of thousands of users , she says .
“ I credit TikTok and a mixture of the quarantine for why @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says Ms. Bigbee .
When it comes to raising awareness about issues related to race , the numbers on TikTok often speak for themselves – just ask Anastasia Achiaa .
Late this May , Anastasia , a high school student in Uxbridge , Massachusetts , posted a poem about her experience with stereotypes of Black women .
In two months , it ’ s gotten more than 2 million views , and helped bring Anastasia ’ s account from relative obscurity to nearly a quarter of a million followers .
Since then – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – Anastasia has continued posting on politically relevant issues .
For her , TikTok ’ s adolescent activist culture is a sign that her generation is continuing the tradition of civil rights activists who came before .
Whether it ’ s sharing problems while dancing to a catchy song ; answering questions about race , gender , sexuality , or politics ; or describing one ’ s culture and history , such action can take many forms and reach millions of users worldwide .
TikTok has “ allowed a lot of the younger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just like wildfire , ” says Luana , who has 14,000 followers .
Asking to go only by her first name for privacy reasons , Luana uses the app to share Hawaiian culture and history .
“ It ’ s nice to know that my voice is actually being heard and people are starting to understand more about our culture , ” she says .
“ That ’ s all we want .
Even if it ’ s just one person , I ’ m happy that I was able to help them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interference , TikTok activism may come with particular risks – such as improper data use or misinformation campaigns .
India , once the app ’ s largest user base , instituted a ban in June .
The evidence for these threats is mixed , says Samm Sacks , a cybersecurity fellow at the think tank New America and a senior fellow at Yale Law School ’ s Paul Tsai China Center .
Still , on July 31 , President Trump announced he planned to ban the app from the U.S. , which he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or an executive order .
Mr. Trump later relaxed his threat , saying the deal can go through if TikTok finds a buyer by Sept. 15 – but only if the U.S. government gets a cut .
Even if the app dodges a ban , for Microsoft to purchase the company under pressure from the U.S. government still represents “ an unprecedented move in the way that you have state control over internet platforms , ” Ms. Sacks says .
Meanwhile , TikTok U.S. General Manager Vanessa Pappas quickly responded to Mr. Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re not planning on going anywhere , ” said Ms. Pappas in a minute-long video posted on the app .
But even if TikTok were banned , says Professor Murthy , its users would likely adapt .
“ If the political will is there in terms of an activist momentum , it ’ s going to find steam in another platform if the platform is taken away from them , ” he says .
Ms. Bigbee , who says she and other users are already planning to spread their activism to other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , YouTube , or even creating their own websites – agrees : The movement is bigger than the medium .
“ I just hope that everyone knows that this is not the end , ” she says .
“ TikTok was not the place for activism , but we got creative and turned it into that .
That just shows that that can happen in any space they enter , even if this app was gone .
”

“TikTok was not the place for activism, but we got creative and turned it into that,” says TikTok user Alyssa Bigbee. “That just shows that that can happen in any space they enter, even if this app was gone.”
Young activists say their message will find an outlet, with or without a ban.
If there is anything that young people are good at, it’s adopting technology to suit their own ends. Nothing illustrates that better than a popular channel for activism that arose from an app for sharing lip-sync videos.
The White House is making threats against the app, out of what it says are concerns that the app’s parent company could censor content or steal users’ sensitive data for the Chinese government. The Trump administration recently threatened to ban the app if its Chinese parent company doesn’t divest ownership to an American firm.
TikTok, the Chinese-owned video-sharing network that has taken the world by storm during quarantine, has quickly transformed from a way of sharing 15-second lip-sync clips to a powerful youth political platform in the United States. Across the country, young people have used the app to artificially inflate the expected attendance of Trump rallies and to organize Black Lives Matter demonstrations.
Alyssa Bigbee, an acrobatics instructor in Philadelphia, downloaded TikTok last December to post videos of her students performing. For her – like its millions of other users – the app was something of an internet playground, filled with endless videos offering 15-second fun.
But that would soon change.
During the George Floyd protests at the start of the summer, Ms. Bigbee had noticed countless Americans asking how to be a white ally. She had an answer, so she posted it on TikTok. More than 150,000 people watched it.
Why We Wrote This If there is anything that young people are good at, it’s adopting technology to suit their own ends. Nothing illustrates that better than a popular channel for activism that arose from an app for sharing lip-sync videos.
“I never thought I would get 10,000 followers from talking about racism,” she says.
This year, millions of people around the world took to social media for entertainment during lockdowns, helping video platform TikTok become one of 2020’s most downloaded apps. In months, it has gone from an apolitical teen utopia to an emerging activist platform and possible security threat – with the Trump administration recently threatening to ban the app if its Chinese parent company doesn’t divest ownership to an American firm.
As its users and owners race to adjust to the White House’s threats, social media experts say TikTok’s dramatic shift is another example of cyberspace colliding with the real world.
“When young people see the organizing that they do online can have an impact on what’s happening offline, then they feel more encouraged to vote and get involved in electoral politics,” says CedarBough Saeji, a visiting assistant professor of East Asian languages and cultures at Indiana University Bloomington. “This is a crucial moment for them to think about the impact of politics on their lives.”
Tuning in, tuning out
The app has begun to change as users like Ms. Bigbee started using it for activism. Ahead of President Donald Trump’s June rally in Tulsa, teens used the app to artificially inflate the expected attendance. Others are confronting white supremacy by using the app to organize demonstrations and communicate about racism.
Yet among social platforms, TikTok seems one of the least likely for political activity. It plays tailored feeds of memes, lip-syncing, dance challenges, and other bite-size diversions – most intended for its young user demographic. Often set to music, the app’s 15-second videos tend to entertain rather than inform.
Owned by Chinese parent company ByteDance, the app also has a reputation for removing controversial content. In late 2019 a teen’s account was suspended after she criticized the Chinese government for its treatment of Uyghurs in Xinjiang province. Last December, TikTok admitted that it had policies suppressing videos of people with disabilities, people with neurodiverse conditions, obese people, and members of the LGBTQ community. (These policies have changed, according to a spokesman.) Many users now say videos with #blacklivesmatter are getting targeted.
Other outspoken users have accused TikTok of “shadowbanning” them – or making their posts invisible to anyone outside their followers.
While TikTok’s activist culture is global, it’s found a special resonance in the U.S. during the George Floyd protests. In the past few months, politically minded young people have taken to the app, using hashtags such as #blacklivesmatter billions of times.
“Young people are really good at – I don’t want to use the word hacking – but using social media in unique and unexpected ways,” says Dhiraj Murthy, a sociologist at the University of Texas at Austin.
Those strategies include intentionally misspelling sensitive words, avoiding certain hashtags, and using symbols to sneak past censors. TikTok users have adapted their activism to the app, developing a distinct etiquette and language.
In the process, TikTok is finding a niche among other activist-oriented media, such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Its particularly arresting videos help catch the attention of today’s distracted culture, says Professor Saeji. And in a world of unlimited content, catching people’s attention can matter.
Rising voices
Ms. Bigbee, the acrobatics instructor, has seen it matter firsthand. She and a network of “virtual allies” on the app have coordinated posts about Black Lives Matter protests and spread information about the challenges faced by certain ethnic groups, such as Native Americans. Some of those efforts have reached tens of thousands of users, she says.
“I credit TikTok and a mixture of the quarantine for why BLM blew up so wide,” says Ms. Bigbee.
When it comes to raising awareness about issues related to race, the numbers on TikTok often speak for themselves – just ask Anastasia Achiaa.
Late this May, Anastasia, a high school student in Uxbridge, Massachusetts, posted a poem about her experience with stereotypes of Black women. In two months, it’s gotten more than 2 million views, and helped bring Anastasia’s account from relative obscurity to nearly a quarter of a million followers. Since then – even in the face of repeated shadowbans – Anastasia has continued posting on politically relevant issues. For her, TikTok’s adolescent activist culture is a sign that her generation is continuing the tradition of civil rights activists who came before.
“We’re a generation that’s gonna fight,” she says.
Whether it’s sharing problems while dancing to a catchy song; answering questions about race, gender, sexuality, or politics; or describing one’s culture and history, such action can take many forms and reach millions of users worldwide.
TikTok has “allowed a lot of the younger generations to really connect and spread awareness just like wildfire,” says Luana, who has 14,000 followers. Asking to go only by her first name for privacy reasons, Luana uses the app to share Hawaiian culture and history.
“It’s nice to know that my voice is actually being heard and people are starting to understand more about our culture,” she says. “That’s all we want. Even if it’s just one person, I’m happy that I was able to help them.
An “unprecedented move”
But with concerns over potential Chinese interference, TikTok activism may come with particular risks – such as improper data use or misinformation campaigns. India, once the app’s largest user base, instituted a ban in June.
The evidence for these threats is mixed, says Samm Sacks, a cybersecurity fellow at the think tank New America and a senior fellow at Yale Law School’s Paul Tsai China Center. Still, on July 31, President Trump announced he planned to ban the app from the U.S., which he said he could do through emergency powers or an executive order. Mr. Trump later relaxed his threat, saying the deal can go through if TikTok finds a buyer by Sept. 15 – but only if the U.S. government gets a cut.
Even if the app dodges a ban, for Microsoft to purchase the company under pressure from the U.S. government still represents “an unprecedented move in the way that you have state control over internet platforms,” Ms. Sacks says.
Meanwhile, TikTok U.S. General Manager Vanessa Pappas quickly responded to Mr. Trump’s proposed ban. “We’re not planning on going anywhere,” said Ms. Pappas in a minute-long video posted on the app.
But even if TikTok were banned, says Professor Murthy, its users would likely adapt.
“If the political will is there in terms of an activist momentum, it’s going to find steam in another platform if the platform is taken away from them,” he says.
Get stories that
empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
Ms. Bigbee, who says she and other users are already planning to spread their activism to other sites – such as Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, or even creating their own websites – agrees: The movement is bigger than the medium.
“I just hope that everyone knows that this is not the end,” she says. “TikTok was not the place for activism, but we got creative and turned it into that. That just shows that that can happen in any space they enter, even if this app was gone.”


csmonitor--2020-08-04--Rep. Karen Bass on women, politics, and this moment in history

Today , Representative Bass is serving her fifth term and heads the Congressional Black Caucus .
As someone who has spent 15 years in elected office , Ms. Bass describes political power as “ absolutely critical for change to happen.
” And the best way to build power , she says , is through relationships and helping others , rather than “ walking over other people.
” But “ I saw all those other people doing it .
You know , when you ’ re young , you ’ re invincible .
I felt it was my obligation.
” While @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a ritual that was absolutely a must , ” she says , neither of her parents wanted her to become involved in politics .
It was an age of political violence and assassination , and they feared she would get hurt .
When she was 14 , Karen Bass signed her mother up to be a precinct captain in the 1968 presidential campaign , then did all the door-knocking herself .
The congresswoman from Los Angeles attributes that motivation to her father – watching the news with him , trying to understand the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the brutal attacks on Black people .
When California Rep. Karen Bass was growing up in Los Angeles in the 1950s and ’ 60s , her father didn ’ t talk about his earlier life experiences with Jim Crow Texas .
It was too traumatic .
But through his actions , the mail carrier taught her one way to counter that ugly injustice .
“ Voting was a must .
That is a ritual that was absolutely a must , ” says Representative Bass , who now heads the Congressional Black Caucus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she regularly took her daughter to the voting booth , and has pictures of the first time her daughter voted .
In an in-depth phone interview from her home district in Los Angeles last month , Ms. Bass shared her thoughts about the centennial of the women ’ s vote , how Democrats should use their power should they win the presidency , and where African Americans fit in this constellation .
It ’ s a universe in which she has become a star in her own right , rising above barriers to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the California Assembly ( and of any state legislature ) .
She has been mentioned as a possible future speaker of the U.S. House .
In recent weeks , she has become one of the most-talked-about candidates under consideration as a running mate for Joe Biden .
Ms. Bass referred all queries about the VP search to Mr. Biden ’ s campaign .
But she answered a question about whether he needs to tap an African American woman , given the mass protests nationwide over racial justice .
“ I don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he needs to , ” she comments .
“ Do I want him to do that ?
Of course.
” More broadly , she speaks to the importance of African American women holding top leadership positions in the United States .
“ Women who do the work should be given the authority to lead , and I think that ’ s true across the board for all women , ” she says .
Black women “ have always done the work behind the scenes.
” While Ms. Bass sees the 100th anniversary of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ very important landmark , a historic day , ” she also believes there is a “ ways to go ” for women in politics .
Rwanda has the highest representation of women in the world , notes Ms. Bass – more than 60 % in its lower house of parliament .
She also chairs the House subcommittee on Africa , global health , and human rights .
In the United States , women make up only about a quarter of Congress , and they ’ re overwhelmingly Democrats such as herself .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ shape , or form at parity , ” she says .
On the other hand , “ our voting ability and our ability to make a difference in elections has certainly been recognized , which is why everybody courts the women ’ s vote.
” Exhibit A : the 2018 midterm elections , which flipped the House to Democrats on a blue wave of women voters and candidates .
Ms. Bass is particularly excited about the growing prominence of African American women in Congress and in state and local offices – particularly Black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all over cable news .
“ I felt it was my obligation ” Ms. Bass got her start in politics at a young age .
When she was 14 , she signed her mother up to be a precinct captain for Robert Kennedy ’ s 1968 presidential campaign , then did all the door-knocking herself .
She attributes her motivation to her father – watching the news with him , trying to understand the civil rights movement , civil disobedience , and the brutal attacks on Black people .
“ My father was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” she remembers , though neither of her parents ever wanted her to become involved in politics .
It was an age of political violence and assassination , and they feared she would get hurt .
But “ I saw all those other people doing it .
You know , when you ’ re young , you ’ re invincible .
I felt it was my obligation.
” She became a physician ’ s assistant and took her passion to the front lines , founding a nonprofit to fight crack cocaine and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was elected to the state Assembly in 2004 , becoming speaker just in time for a budget crisis , when she had to work out painful cuts with her fellow lawmakers and Republican Gov .
Arnold Schwarzenegger .
She was elected to the U.S. Congress in 2010 .
In looking toward the November elections , she believes Black people will “ turn out in big numbers.
” The last three and a half years under President Donald Trump have been a strong motivator for Black voters , she says , pointing especially to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 deaths among people of color .
Still , she says , Democrats can ’ t be complacent about getting out the vote .
She expresses deep concern about voter suppression , particularly in the South .
In 2016 , she says , many voters took it for granted that Hillary Clinton would win .
“ She was running against somebody who was so extreme that nobody believed he would win , ” she says .
“ When he announced his candidacy , I was happy because I thought , ‘ Well , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fine.
’ And what a mistake I made.
” Ms. Bass notes that the U.S. is still behind much of the world in that it has not had a female president .
A record-breaking six women ran for the presidency this primary season , including an African American , but all of them lost .
The congresswoman says there ’ s no single reason , but adds : “ I do believe that women candidates are viewed harsher , picked over , and examined under a microscope in a different way.
” She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a “ mother bear ” when she was speaker because she spent so much time with members as they wrestled with a fiscal crisis .
She saw the term as pejorative , because if she ’ d been a man , “ they would have said I was collaborative and inclusive.
” As someone who has spent 15 years in elected office , Ms. Bass describes political power as “ absolutely critical for change to happen.
” The best way to build power , she says , is through relationships and helping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other people.
” The independent Cook Political Report recently suggested a Democratic “ tsunami ” may be on the horizon in the fall .
If Democrats get a trifecta this November – winning the House , the Senate , and the White House – how should they use their power ?
“ The number one thing we have to do is heal this nation ” – both physically , from COVID-19 and a president “ in denial ” about the disease , and in every other way .
She hopes a President Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the wreckage ” in the various government agencies , and call back government workers who were “ run out by the Trump administration or couldn ’ t take it anymore.
” She ’ s also looking for healing on the race front , and is encouraged by polls showing white and Black Americans for the first time holding similar views about police brutality .
When it comes to issues affecting marginalized people , “ you have to have the outside pushing the inside.
” It also helps to elect more women , she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s again encouraged .
The next generation is going to do “ so much better ” in part because many programs have been established to help them run for office .

Today, Representative Bass is serving her fifth term and heads the Congressional Black Caucus. As someone who has spent 15 years in elected office, Ms. Bass describes political power as “absolutely critical for change to happen.” And the best way to build power, she says, is through relationships and helping others, rather than “walking over other people.”
But “I saw all those other people doing it. You know, when you’re young, you’re invincible. I felt it was my obligation.”
The head of the Congressional Black Caucus says she’s encouraged by the growing ranks of women in Congress and by recognition of their political clout. But there’s a long way to go. Part of our special 100th anniversary edition on women winning the right to vote.
While voting in her family was considered “a ritual that was absolutely a must,” she says, neither of her parents wanted her to become involved in politics. It was an age of political violence and assassination, and they feared she would get hurt.
When she was 14, Karen Bass signed her mother up to be a precinct captain in the 1968 presidential campaign, then did all the door-knocking herself. The congresswoman from Los Angeles attributes that motivation to her father – watching the news with him, trying to understand the civil rights movement, civil disobedience, and the brutal attacks on Black people.
When California Rep. Karen Bass was growing up in Los Angeles in the 1950s and ’60s, her father didn’t talk about his earlier life experiences with Jim Crow Texas. It was too traumatic. But through his actions, the mail carrier taught her one way to counter that ugly injustice.
“Voting was a must. That is a ritual that was absolutely a must,” says Representative Bass, who now heads the Congressional Black Caucus. When she became a parent, she regularly took her daughter to the voting booth, and has pictures of the first time her daughter voted.
In an in-depth phone interview from her home district in Los Angeles last month, Ms. Bass shared her thoughts about the centennial of the women’s vote, how Democrats should use their power should they win the presidency, and where African Americans fit in this constellation.
Why We Wrote This The head of the Congressional Black Caucus says she’s encouraged by the growing ranks of women in Congress and by recognition of their political clout. But there’s a long way to go. Part of our special 100th anniversary edition on women winning the right to vote.
It’s a universe in which she has become a star in her own right, rising above barriers to become the first Black female speaker of the California Assembly (and of any state legislature). She has been mentioned as a possible future speaker of the U.S. House.
In recent weeks, she has become one of the most-talked-about candidates under consideration as a running mate for Joe Biden. Ms. Bass referred all queries about the VP search to Mr. Biden’s campaign. But she answered a question about whether he needs to tap an African American woman, given the mass protests nationwide over racial justice.
“I don’t think it’s right to say he needs to,” she comments. “Do I want him to do that? Of course.”
More broadly, she speaks to the importance of African American women holding top leadership positions in the United States.
“Women who do the work should be given the authority to lead, and I think that’s true across the board for all women,” she says. Black women “have always done the work behind the scenes.”
While Ms. Bass sees the 100th anniversary of the women’s vote as a “very important landmark, a historic day,” she also believes there is a “ways to go” for women in politics. Rwanda has the highest representation of women in the world, notes Ms. Bass – more than 60% in its lower house of parliament. She also chairs the House subcommittee on Africa, global health, and human rights. In the United States, women make up only about a quarter of Congress, and they’re overwhelmingly Democrats such as herself.
Women “are in no way, shape, or form at parity,” she says. On the other hand, “our voting ability and our ability to make a difference in elections has certainly been recognized, which is why everybody courts the women’s vote.”
Exhibit A: the 2018 midterm elections, which flipped the House to Democrats on a blue wave of women voters and candidates. Ms. Bass is particularly excited about the growing prominence of African American women in Congress and in state and local offices – particularly Black women mayors, who are being featured all over cable news.
“I felt it was my obligation”
Ms. Bass got her start in politics at a young age. When she was 14, she signed her mother up to be a precinct captain for Robert Kennedy’s 1968 presidential campaign, then did all the door-knocking herself. She attributes her motivation to her father – watching the news with him, trying to understand the civil rights movement, civil disobedience, and the brutal attacks on Black people.
“My father was very patient in explaining it to me,” she remembers, though neither of her parents ever wanted her to become involved in politics. It was an age of political violence and assassination, and they feared she would get hurt. But “I saw all those other people doing it. You know, when you’re young, you’re invincible. I felt it was my obligation.”
She became a physician assistant and took her passion to the front lines, founding a nonprofit to fight crack cocaine and gang violence in Los Angeles. She was elected to the state Assembly in 2004, becoming speaker just in time for a budget crisis, when she had to work out painful cuts with her fellow lawmakers and Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. She was elected to the U.S. Congress in 2010.
In looking toward the November elections, she believes Black people will “turn out in big numbers.” The last three and a half years under President Donald Trump have been a strong motivator for Black voters, she says, pointing especially to the “extremely disproportionate rate” of COVID-19 deaths among people of color.
Still, she says, Democrats can’t be complacent about getting out the vote. She expresses deep concern about voter suppression, particularly in the South. In 2016, she says, many voters took it for granted that Hillary Clinton would win.
“She was running against somebody who was so extreme that nobody believed he would win,” she says. “When he announced his candidacy, I was happy because I thought, ‘Well, for sure, we’ll be fine.’ And what a mistake I made.”
Power in relationships
Ms. Bass notes that the U.S. is still behind much of the world in that it has not had a female president.
A record-breaking six women ran for the presidency this primary season, including an African American, but all of them lost. The congresswoman says there’s no single reason, but adds: “I do believe that women candidates are viewed harsher, picked over, and examined under a microscope in a different way.”
She remembers the California press referring to her as a “mother bear” when she was speaker because she spent so much time with members as they wrestled with a fiscal crisis. She saw the term as pejorative, because if she’d been a man, “they would have said I was collaborative and inclusive.”
As someone who has spent 15 years in elected office, Ms. Bass describes political power as “absolutely critical for change to happen.” The best way to build power, she says, is through relationships and helping others, rather than “walking over other people.”
The independent Cook Political Report recently suggested a Democratic “tsunami” may be on the horizon in the fall. If Democrats get a trifecta this November – winning the House, the Senate, and the White House – how should they use their power?
“The number one thing we have to do is heal this nation” – both physically, from COVID-19 and a president “in denial” about the disease, and in every other way. She hopes a President Biden will move quickly to “clean up the wreckage” in the various government agencies, and call back government workers who were “run out by the Trump administration or couldn’t take it anymore.”
She’s also looking for healing on the race front, and is encouraged by polls showing white and Black Americans for the first time holding similar views about police brutality. When it comes to issues affecting marginalized people, “you have to have the outside pushing the inside.”
Get stories that
empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
It also helps to elect more women, she says. On that front, she’s again encouraged. The next generation is going to do “so much better” in part because many programs have been established to help them run for office.
“That’s going to make a huge, huge difference.”


csmonitor--2020-08-04--Backyard learning pods: Creative solution or blow to public ed?

On the 4-acre farm at the edge of the Everglades where Timea Hunter runs a horse academy , she has hosted plenty of parties , picnics , and workshops .
So with her children ’ s school building closed , she figured why not use it also a classroom ?
While her son and daughter will participate in distance learning at their school , she plans to hire a teacher together with the families of four to six other children who could provide supplemental , in-person instruction on the farm shaded by royal poinciana trees .
“ We have a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ playground , and big tables where the kids can seat under the shade and they can study there , ” Ms. Hunter said .
“ We are not educated to do this , so everybody is freaking out and saying , ‘ What are we gon na do , how we are going to do it ?
’ ” As the coronavirus pandemic has clouded hopes of reopening schools nationwide , parents who want more than remote instruction have been scrambling to hire tutors and private teachers for small groups of children .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ pods ” threatens to vastly deepen inequities in access to education .
In some cases , parents are paying thousands of dollars each to include their children in pods , promising teachers $ 40 to $ 100 an hour or more .
A Facebook group on learning pods attracted more than 30,000 members within three weeks of being formed and launched numerous offshoots in states and cities .
New sites like pod-up.com and partnerpods.org have emerged offering to connect families and instructors .
Florida Gov .
Ron DeSantis , a Republican , has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are not an option for low-income parents .
“ We hear these different things about some parents are going to create their own learning pods and all this other stuff , and just to understand that is really going to be dependent on financial wherewithal and what income bracket they are in , ” Mr. DeSantis said at a recent education discussion .
“ When you have working-class parents , they really do need to have an option.
” Ms. Hunter said distance learning was extremely hard on her son .
She said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a week and then left the rest up to the parents .
Now she also worries about a younger daughter who is entering kindergarten .
“ They just gave us all the projects , all the stuff we needed to do was overwhelming .
I had to sit with my son and explain everything , ” she said .
Among those considering work as pod instructors are teachers like Jeanette Matas who are leery of going back to their jobs .
Ms. Matas , a reading teacher in Miami , knows from seeing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of younger siblings while also juggling virtual classes that students from lower-income families get “ the short end of the stick.
” But her grandmother died of COVID-19 after her caretaker infected her , she says , and her own third-grade daughter has had a respiratory illness that kept her away from school for weeks .
So Ms. Matas is also considering taking a year of leave and getting hired to teach her own pod , bringing along her children .
“ It has hit too close to home , ” she said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to go to the classroom.
” Some view the pods as a necessary and even creative solution to the crisis facing the education system .
“ It is civil society in action , ” said Lindsey Burke , director of the Center for Education Policy at the conservative Heritage Foundation , which advocates for school choice policies that allow public funding to follow students to private or alternative schools .
Tina Cheuk , an education researcher at California Polytechnic State University , said she is troubled by the trend toward learning pods and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public funding that normally would go to the schools .
“ That decision has implications for public education , ” she said .
Not only would it defund public education but it threatens to de-professionalize teachers , who are often “ replaced ” in pods by college students or retirees , she said .
“ You choosing to be in a pod may seem very innocent – ‘ well , of course , it makes sense .
I ’ m looking out for my family , ’ ” Ms. Cheuk said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public education , which we either ignore or we choose to ignore because our private interests trump the others that we don ’ t know.
” A group of Oakland , California , elementary school principals spelled out their concerns in open letter , reminding parents that health professionals recommend limiting in-person interactions and pointing out the potential to “ cause feelings of exclusion , especially for kids who may see or hear of their peers congregating and learning together while they remain isolated.
” Although some parents are forming learning pods with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reaching out to social media groups to cast a wider net , raising questions about safety and quality assurance .
In Miami , Melissa Cedeno , who has two boys in elementary school , advertised on Facebook her search for other children and a tutor to assist students following virtual programs through their local schools .
In the announcement , Ms. Cedeno , who works in digital marketing , announced she would grant parents online access to her indoor camera and conduct background checks on the teaching candidates .
“ In another house @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is an uncle , a brother , or someone who would come in .
It is so completely transparent in my house with the camera , where there is no question where your kid was , ” she said in an interview .
“ I have overseen children ministry programs and it is so normal for me to be on top of this.
” Atlanta , Georgia , parent Nikolai Pizarro de Jesus has homeschooled her son since he was in kindergarten and has been busy in recent weeks helping families organize more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ homeschooling families who wouldn ’ t necessarily need to hire a teacher .
She is hopeful that the discussions about pods will raise awareness among people who , when they send their children off to high-performing district schools , normally don ’ t think about the inequalities that have long existed in public education .
“ Whereas now , they ’ re creating very consciously this pod .
They ’ re recognizing their privilege , ” she said .
“ Now they ’ re aware of the lack of equity in schools and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” 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 .

Carolyn Thompson and Adriana Gomez Licon

On the 4-acre farm at the edge of the Everglades where Timea Hunter runs a horse academy, she has hosted plenty of parties, picnics, and workshops. So with her children’s school building closed, she figured why not use it also a classroom?
While her son and daughter will participate in distance learning at their school, she plans to hire a teacher together with the families of four to six other children who could provide supplemental, in-person instruction on the farm shaded by royal poinciana trees.
“We have a very nice picnic area, a mini playground, and big tables where the kids can seat under the shade and they can study there,” Ms. Hunter said. “We are not educated to do this, so everybody is freaking out and saying, ‘What are we gonna do, how we are going to do it?’”
As the coronavirus pandemic has clouded hopes of reopening schools nationwide, parents who want more than remote instruction have been scrambling to hire tutors and private teachers for small groups of children. The race to set up “learning pods” threatens to vastly deepen inequities in access to education.
In some cases, parents are paying thousands of dollars each to include their children in pods, promising teachers $40 to $100 an hour or more. A Facebook group on learning pods attracted more than 30,000 members within three weeks of being formed and launched numerous offshoots in states and cities. New sites like pod-up.com and partnerpods.org have emerged offering to connect families and instructors.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, has called learning pods “luxuries” that are not an option for low-income parents.
“We hear these different things about some parents are going to create their own learning pods and all this other stuff, and just to understand that is really going to be dependent on financial wherewithal and what income bracket they are in,” Mr. DeSantis said at a recent education discussion. “When you have working-class parents, they really do need to have an option.”
Ms. Hunter said distance learning was extremely hard on her son. She said the teacher met with the class once a week and then left the rest up to the parents. Now she also worries about a younger daughter who is entering kindergarten.
“They just gave us all the projects, all the stuff we needed to do was overwhelming. I had to sit with my son and explain everything,” she said.
Among those considering work as pod instructors are teachers like Jeanette Matas who are leery of going back to their jobs. Ms. Matas, a reading teacher in Miami, knows from seeing her 6th-grade and 7th-grade students take care of younger siblings while also juggling virtual classes that students from lower-income families get “the short end of the stick.”
But her grandmother died of COVID-19 after her caretaker infected her, she says, and her own third-grade daughter has had a respiratory illness that kept her away from school for weeks. So Ms. Matas is also considering taking a year of leave and getting hired to teach her own pod, bringing along her children.
“It has hit too close to home,” she said. “I don’t want to go to the classroom.”
Some view the pods as a necessary and even creative solution to the crisis facing the education system.
“It is civil society in action,” said Lindsey Burke, director of the Center for Education Policy at the conservative Heritage Foundation, which advocates for school choice policies that allow public funding to follow students to private or alternative schools.
Tina Cheuk, an education researcher at California Polytechnic State University, said she is troubled by the trend toward learning pods and the related push to finance them with public funding that normally would go to the schools.
“That decision has implications for public education,” she said. Not only would it defund public education but it threatens to de-professionalize teachers, who are often “replaced” in pods by college students or retirees, she said.
“You choosing to be in a pod may seem very innocent – ‘well, of course, it makes sense. I’m looking out for my family,’” Ms. Cheuk said. “It’s these unintended consequences for public education, which we either ignore or we choose to ignore because our private interests trump the others that we don’t know.”
A group of Oakland, California, elementary school principals spelled out their concerns in open letter, reminding parents that health professionals recommend limiting in-person interactions and pointing out the potential to “cause feelings of exclusion, especially for kids who may see or hear of their peers congregating and learning together while they remain isolated.”
Although some parents are forming learning pods with neighbors they already know, others are reaching out to social media groups to cast a wider net, raising questions about safety and quality assurance.
In Miami, Melissa Cedeno, who has two boys in elementary school, advertised on Facebook her search for other children and a tutor to assist students following virtual programs through their local schools. In the announcement, Ms. Cedeno, who works in digital marketing, announced she would grant parents online access to her indoor camera and conduct background checks on the teaching candidates.
“In another house, I would not know if there is an uncle, a brother, or someone who would come in. It is so completely transparent in my house with the camera, where there is no question where your kid was,” she said in an interview. “I have overseen children ministry programs and it is so normal for me to be on top of this.”
Atlanta, Georgia, parent Nikolai Pizarro de Jesus has homeschooled her son since he was in kindergarten and has been busy in recent weeks helping families organize more socio-economically accessible pods by matching them with homeschooling families who wouldn’t necessarily need to hire a teacher.
She is hopeful that the discussions about pods will raise awareness among people who, when they send their children off to high-performing district schools, normally don’t think about the inequalities that have long existed in public education.
“Whereas now, they’re creating very consciously this pod. They’re recognizing their privilege,” she said. “Now they’re aware of the lack of equity in schools and the lack of choices that people have.”
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--2020-08-04--As eviction moratoriums expire, millions hope for rent assistance

Kelyn Yanez used to clean homes during the day and wait tables at night in the Houston area before the coronavirus .
But the mother of three lost both jobs in March because of the pandemic and now is facing eviction .
The Honduran immigrant got help from a local church to pay part of July ’ s rent but was still hundreds of dollars short and is now awaiting a three-day notice to vacate the apartment where she lives with her children .
She has no idea how she will meet her August rent .
“ Right now , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yanez , who briefly got her bar job back when the establishment reopened , but lost it again when she and her 4-year-old daughter contracted the virus in June and had to quarantine .
The apartment owners “ don ’ t care if you ’ re sick , if you ’ re not well .
Nobody cares here .
They told me that I had to have the money.
” Ms. Yanez , who lives in the United States illegally , is among some 23 million people nationwide at risk of being evicted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as moratoriums enacted because of the coronavirus expire and courts reopen .
Around 30 state moratoriums have expired since May , according to The Eviction Lab at Princeton University .
On top of that , some tenants were already encountering illegal evictions even with the moratoriums .
Now , tenants are crowding courtrooms – or appearing virtually – to detail how the pandemic has upended their lives .
Some are low-income families who have endured evictions before , but there are also plenty of wealthier families facing homelessness for the first time – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and sometimes dangerous shelter systems amid the pandemic .
Experts predict the problem will only get worse in the coming weeks , with 30 million unemployed and uncertainty over whether Congress will extend the extra $ 600 in weekly unemployment benefits that expired Friday .
The federal eviction moratorium that protects more than 12 million renters living in federally subsidized apartments or units with federally backed mortgages expired July 25 .
If it ’ s not extended , landlords can initiate eviction proceedings in 30 days .
“ It ’ s going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Faith , executive director of Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio , referring to the Census Bureau Household Pulse Survey , which found last week that more than 23 % of Ohioans questioned said they weren ’ t able to make last month ’ s rent or mortgage payment or had little or no confidence they could pay next month ’ s .
Nationally , the figure was 26.5 % among adults 18 years or older , with numbers in Louisiana , Oklahoma , Nevada , Alabama , Florida , Mississippi , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reaching 30 % or higher .
The margins of error in the survey vary by state .
“ I ’ ve never seen this many people poised to lose their housing in a such a short period of time , ” Mr .
Faith said .
“ This is a huge disaster that is beginning to unfold.
” Housing advocates fear parts of the country could soon look like Milwaukee , which saw a 21 % spike in eviction filings in June , to nearly 1,500 after the moratorium was lifted in May @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % across the state .
“ We are sort of a harbinger of what is to come in other places , ” said Colleen Foley , the executive director of the Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee .
“ We are getting calls to us from zip codes that we don ’ t typically serve , the part of the community that aren ’ t used to coming to us , ” she added .
“ It ’ s a reflection of the massive job loss and a lot of people facing eviction who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their rent.
” In New Orleans , a legal aid organization saw its eviction-related caseload almost triple in the month since Louisiana ’ s moratorium ended in mid-June .
Among those seeking help is Natasha Blunt , who could be evicted from her two-bedroom apartment where she lives with her two grandchildren .
Ms. Blunt owes thousands of dollars in back rent after she lost her banquet porter job .
She has yet to receive her stimulus check and has not been approved for unemployment benefits .
Her family is getting by with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I can ’ t believe this happened to me because I work hard , ” said Ms. Blunt , whose eviction is at the mercy of the federal moratorium .
“ I don ’ t have any money coming in .
I don ’ t have nothing .
I don ’ t know what to do .
... My heart is so heavy.
” Along with exacerbating a housing crisis in many cities that have long been plagued by a shortage of affordable options , widespread discrimination , and a lack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the spike in filings is raising concerns that housing courts could spread the coronavirus .
Many cities are still running hearings virtually .
But others , like New Orleans , have opened their housing courts .
Masks and temperature checks are required , but maintaining social distance has been a challenge .
“ The first couple of weeks , we were in at least two courts where we felt really quite unsafe , ” said Hannah Adams , a staff attorney with Southeast Louisiana Legal Services .
In Columbus , Ohio , Amanda @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the docket Friday for eviction hearings at a convention center converted into a courtroom .
Ms. Wood lost her job at a claims management company in early April .
The following day , the mother of a 6-month-old found out she was pregnant again .
Now , she is two months behind rent and can ’ t figure out a way to make ends meet .
Ms. Wood managed to find a part-time job at FedEx , loading vans at night .
But her pregnancy and inability to find stable childcare has left @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whole process has been really difficult and scary , ” said Ms. Wood , who is hoping to set up a payment scheduled after meeting with a lawyer Friday .
“ Not knowing if you ’ re going to have somewhere to live , when you ’ re pregnant and have a baby , is hard.
” Though the numbers of eviction filings in Ohio and elsewhere are rising and , in some places reaching several hundred a week , they are still below those in past years for July .
Higher numbers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Experts credit the slower pace to the federal eviction moratorium as well as states and municipalities that used tens of millions of dollars in federal stimulus funding for rental assistance .
It also helped that several states , including Massachusetts and Arizona , have extended their eviction moratorium into the fall .
Still , experts argue more needs to be done at the state and federal level for tenants and landlords .
Negotiations between Congress and the White House over further assistance are ongoing .
A $ 3 trillion coronavirus relief bill passed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would provide about $ 175 billion to pay rents and mortgages , but the $ 1 trillion counter from Senate Republicans only has several billion in rental assistance .
Advocacy groups are looking for over $ 100 billion .
“ An eviction moratorium without rental assistance is still a recipe for disaster , ” said Graham Bowman , staff attorney with the Ohio Poverty Law Center .
“ We need the basic economics of the housing market to continue to work .
The way you do that is you need broad-based rental assistance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during this crisis.
” “ The scale of this problem is enormous so it needs a federal response.
” This story was reported by The Associated Press .
AP Writer Farnoush Amiri in Columbus , Ohio , contributed .
Editor ’ s note : As a public service , the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage .
It ’ s free .

Kelyn Yanez used to clean homes during the day and wait tables at night in the Houston area before the coronavirus. But the mother of three lost both jobs in March because of the pandemic and now is facing eviction.
The Honduran immigrant got help from a local church to pay part of July’s rent but was still hundreds of dollars short and is now awaiting a three-day notice to vacate the apartment where she lives with her children. She has no idea how she will meet her August rent.
“Right now, I have nothing,” said Ms. Yanez, who briefly got her bar job back when the establishment reopened, but lost it again when she and her 4-year-old daughter contracted the virus in June and had to quarantine. The apartment owners “don’t care if you’re sick, if you’re not well. Nobody cares here. They told me that I had to have the money.”
Ms. Yanez, who lives in the United States illegally, is among some 23 million people nationwide at risk of being evicted, according to The Aspen Institute, as moratoriums enacted because of the coronavirus expire and courts reopen. Around 30 state moratoriums have expired since May, according to The Eviction Lab at Princeton University. On top of that, some tenants were already encountering illegal evictions even with the moratoriums.
Now, tenants are crowding courtrooms – or appearing virtually – to detail how the pandemic has upended their lives. Some are low-income families who have endured evictions before, but there are also plenty of wealthier families facing homelessness for the first time – and now being forced to navigate overcrowded and sometimes dangerous shelter systems amid the pandemic.
Experts predict the problem will only get worse in the coming weeks, with 30 million unemployed and uncertainty over whether Congress will extend the extra $600 in weekly unemployment benefits that expired Friday. The federal eviction moratorium that protects more than 12 million renters living in federally subsidized apartments or units with federally backed mortgages expired July 25. If it’s not extended, landlords can initiate eviction proceedings in 30 days.
“It’s going to be a mess,” said Bill Faith, executive director of Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio, referring to the Census Bureau Household Pulse Survey, which found last week that more than 23% of Ohioans questioned said they weren’t able to make last month’s rent or mortgage payment or had little or no confidence they could pay next month’s.
Nationally, the figure was 26.5% among adults 18 years or older, with numbers in Louisiana, Oklahoma, Nevada, Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, New York, Tennessee, and Texas reaching 30% or higher. The margins of error in the survey vary by state.
“I’ve never seen this many people poised to lose their housing in a such a short period of time,” Mr. Faith said. “This is a huge disaster that is beginning to unfold.”
Housing advocates fear parts of the country could soon look like Milwaukee, which saw a 21% spike in eviction filings in June, to nearly 1,500 after the moratorium was lifted in May. It’s more than 24% across the state.
“We are sort of a harbinger of what is to come in other places,” said Colleen Foley, the executive director of the Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee.
“We are getting calls to us from zip codes that we don’t typically serve, the part of the community that aren’t used to coming to us,” she added. “It’s a reflection of the massive job loss and a lot of people facing eviction who aren’t used to not paying their rent.”
In New Orleans, a legal aid organization saw its eviction-related caseload almost triple in the month since Louisiana’s moratorium ended in mid-June. Among those seeking help is Natasha Blunt, who could be evicted from her two-bedroom apartment where she lives with her two grandchildren.
Ms. Blunt owes thousands of dollars in back rent after she lost her banquet porter job. She has yet to receive her stimulus check and has not been approved for unemployment benefits. Her family is getting by with food stamps and the charity of neighbors.
“I can’t believe this happened to me because I work hard,” said Ms. Blunt, whose eviction is at the mercy of the federal moratorium. “I don’t have any money coming in. I don’t have nothing. I don’t know what to do. ... My heart is so heavy.”
Along with exacerbating a housing crisis in many cities that have long been plagued by a shortage of affordable options, widespread discrimination, and a lack of resources for families in need, the spike in filings is raising concerns that housing courts could spread the coronavirus.
Many cities are still running hearings virtually. But others, like New Orleans, have opened their housing courts. Masks and temperature checks are required, but maintaining social distance has been a challenge.
“The first couple of weeks, we were in at least two courts where we felt really quite unsafe,” said Hannah Adams, a staff attorney with Southeast Louisiana Legal Services.
In Columbus, Ohio, Amanda Wood was among some 60 people on the docket Friday for eviction hearings at a convention center converted into a courtroom.
Ms. Wood lost her job at a claims management company in early April. The following day, the mother of a 6-month-old found out she was pregnant again. Now, she is two months behind rent and can’t figure out a way to make ends meet.
Ms. Wood managed to find a part-time job at FedEx, loading vans at night. But her pregnancy and inability to find stable childcare has left her with inconsistent paychecks.
“The whole process has been really difficult and scary,” said Ms. Wood, who is hoping to set up a payment scheduled after meeting with a lawyer Friday. “Not knowing if you’re going to have somewhere to live, when you’re pregnant and have a baby, is hard.”
Though the numbers of eviction filings in Ohio and elsewhere are rising and, in some places reaching several hundred a week, they are still below those in past years for July. Higher numbers are expected in August and September.
Experts credit the slower pace to the federal eviction moratorium as well as states and municipalities that used tens of millions of dollars in federal stimulus funding for rental assistance. It also helped that several states, including Massachusetts and Arizona, have extended their eviction moratorium into the fall.
Still, experts argue more needs to be done at the state and federal level for tenants and landlords.
Negotiations between Congress and the White House over further assistance are ongoing. A $3 trillion coronavirus relief bill passed in May by Democrats in the House would provide about $175 billion to pay rents and mortgages, but the $1 trillion counter from Senate Republicans only has several billion in rental assistance. Advocacy groups are looking for over $100 billion.
“An eviction moratorium without rental assistance is still a recipe for disaster,” said Graham Bowman, staff attorney with the Ohio Poverty Law Center. “We need the basic economics of the housing market to continue to work. The way you do that is you need broad-based rental assistance available to families who have lost employment during this crisis.”
“The scale of this problem is enormous so it needs a federal response.”
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This story was reported by The Associated Press. AP Writer Farnoush Amiri in Columbus, Ohio, contributed.
Editor’s note: As a public service, the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage. It’s free.