csmonitor--2020-02-28--US stocks plunge: Why it might be a healthy correction

After six days of being pounded by a virus-induced , global sell-off , U.S. markets hit a milestone this week .
The S & P 500 has dropped more than 10 % from the record highs set just over a week ago as a fast-spreading new virus raises the specter of damaged economies and tumbling sales for companies in the U.S. , Asia , Europe , and elsewhere .
The S & P just went through a correction .
While that can be scary , particularly when a sell-off happens as fast as it did this week , corrections are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A correction can be a healthy event , eliminating excesses that have built up after extended runs of market optimism .
The stock market is still in the midst of its longest bull run on record , which began in March 2009 out of the ashes of the financial crisis .
The fear is that this correction may turn into another bear market : a drop of at least 20 % .
Here 's a look at what history shows about past corrections , and what market watchers are expecting going forward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Every couple years , on average .
Even within this nearly 11-year-long bull run for U.S. stocks , the S & P 500 has stumbled to five corrections prior to this one , according to CFRA .
In some , the market came within a breath of falling into a bear market , including a 19.8 % fall in late 2018 .
But each time , stocks regained their footing and resumed climbing again .
This is the 24th time in the last 50 years that the S & P 500 has fallen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bear markets and milder corrections .
Do they always happen so fast ?
No , this one has been particularly swift .
Looking only at corrections since World War II , not at bear markets , it 's taken an average of 76 days for the S & P 500 to lose 10 % , according to CFRA .
The S & P 500 has dropped 12 % in a little more than a week .
What usually happens after a drop like this ?
Looking only at corrections that managed to right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the S & P 500 has taken an average of 135 days to find a bottom and lost 14 % along the way , according to CFRA .
But the ensuing recoveries have often been quick , and the index has taken an average of 116 days to recoup all its losses .
For declines that metastasize into bear markets , the damage is much worse .
Going back to 1929 , the average bull market has taken an average of 21 months to complete and brought with it a loss of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ P 500 , according to S & P Dow Jones Indices .
What caused the last correction ?
In late 2018 , when investors were worried that the Federal Reserve was raising interest rates too quickly and could force the economy into a recession .
They were also worried about the U.S.-China trade war , which was running hot at the time .
What happened after that ?
After hitting a bottom on Dec. 24 , 2018 , the stock market rocketed to one of its best years in decades .
The S @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2019 , including dividends .
The Federal Reserve halted its rate increases and cut rates three times last year , the first such cuts in more than a decade .
Investors see low rates as steroids for stocks because they can boost profits , while also making rival investments such as bonds less attractive .
What 's the Fed doing now ?
The Fed has been on hold since last fall , but traders are increasingly betting that it will have to cut rates again soon to prop up the economy .
Expectations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bank and others around the world helped stocks hold up in the first few weeks of the virus outbreak .
But doubts are rising now about how effective lower interest rates can be when the problem is people getting sick around the world .
So how bad can this get ?
No one knows .
Medical experts ca n't say how far the virus will spread and what its ultimate toll will be .
With so much uncertainty , investors are left to guess how many factories will be shut , how many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by how much corporate profits will ultimately be shorn .
In the face of so much uncertainty , the impulse has been to sell stocks now and run to the safety of U.S. government bonds instead .
Some experts say the market was already primed for a decline , even before the threat of the virus escalated .
Stocks had become expensive , particularly when compared with how much profit companies are producing , leaving them more risky and vulnerable .
Doug Ramsey , chief investment officer of the Leuthold Group , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of over-confidence in some corners of the market by retail investors .
`` We could have had this size of a drop based on sentiment alone , without the coronavirus , '' he said .
`` This could not have come at a worse time . ''
This story was reported by The Associated Press .

After six days of being pounded by a virus-induced, global sell-off, U.S. markets hit a milestone this week.
The S&P 500 has dropped more than 10% from the record highs set just over a week ago as a fast-spreading new virus raises the specter of damaged economies and tumbling sales for companies in the U.S., Asia, Europe, and elsewhere.
The S&P just went through a correction.
While that can be scary, particularly when a sell-off happens as fast as it did this week, corrections are fairly regular occurrences in the stock market. A correction can be a healthy event, eliminating excesses that have built up after extended runs of market optimism.
The stock market is still in the midst of its longest bull run on record, which began in March 2009 out of the ashes of the financial crisis.
The fear is that this correction may turn into another bear market: a drop of at least 20%.
Here's a look at what history shows about past corrections, and what market watchers are expecting going forward.
How often do corrections occur?
Every couple years, on average. Even within this nearly 11-year-long bull run for U.S. stocks, the S&P 500 has stumbled to five corrections prior to this one, according to CFRA. In some, the market came within a breath of falling into a bear market, including a 19.8% fall in late 2018.
But each time, stocks regained their footing and resumed climbing again.
This is the 24th time in the last 50 years that the S&P 500 has fallen at least 10%, including both bear markets and milder corrections.
Do they always happen so fast?
No, this one has been particularly swift. Looking only at corrections since World War II, not at bear markets, it's taken an average of 76 days for the S&P 500 to lose 10%, according to CFRA.
The S&P 500 has dropped 12% in a little more than a week.
What usually happens after a drop like this?
Looking only at corrections that managed to right themselves before turning into a bear market, the S&P 500 has taken an average of 135 days to find a bottom and lost 14% along the way, according to CFRA. But the ensuing recoveries have often been quick, and the index has taken an average of 116 days to recoup all its losses.
For declines that metastasize into bear markets, the damage is much worse. Going back to 1929, the average bull market has taken an average of 21 months to complete and brought with it a loss of nearly 40% for the S&P 500, according to S&P Dow Jones Indices.
What caused the last correction?
In late 2018, when investors were worried that the Federal Reserve was raising interest rates too quickly and could force the economy into a recession. They were also worried about the U.S.-China trade war, which was running hot at the time.
What happened after that?
After hitting a bottom on Dec. 24, 2018, the stock market rocketed to one of its best years in decades. The S&P 500 returned 31.5% in 2019, including dividends.
The Federal Reserve halted its rate increases and cut rates three times last year, the first such cuts in more than a decade.
Investors see low rates as steroids for stocks because they can boost profits, while also making rival investments such as bonds less attractive.
What's the Fed doing now?
The Fed has been on hold since last fall, but traders are increasingly betting that it will have to cut rates again soon to prop up the economy.
Expectations for such aid from China's central bank and others around the world helped stocks hold up in the first few weeks of the virus outbreak. But doubts are rising now about how effective lower interest rates can be when the problem is people getting sick around the world.
So how bad can this get?
No one knows.
Medical experts can't say how far the virus will spread and what its ultimate toll will be. With so much uncertainty, investors are left to guess how many factories will be shut, how many customers of companies will be quarantined and by how much corporate profits will ultimately be shorn. In the face of so much uncertainty, the impulse has been to sell stocks now and run to the safety of U.S. government bonds instead.
Some experts say the market was already primed for a decline, even before the threat of the virus escalated.
Stocks had become expensive, particularly when compared with how much profit companies are producing, leaving them more risky and vulnerable. Doug Ramsey, chief investment officer of the Leuthold Group, said he was also unnerved by recent signs of over-confidence in some corners of the market by retail investors.
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"We could have had this size of a drop based on sentiment alone, without the coronavirus," he said. "This could not have come at a worse time."
This story was reported by The Associated Press.


csmonitor--2020-02-28--How US schools are planning to adapt if coronavirus spreads

Schools across the United States are canceling trips abroad , preparing online lessons , and even rethinking `` perfect attendance '' awards as they brace for the possibility that the new coronavirus could begin spreading in their communities .
Districts have been rushing to update emergency plans this week after federal officials warned that the virus , which started in China , is almost certain to begin spreading in the U.S .
Many are preparing for possible school closures that could stretch weeks or longer , even as they work to tamp down panic among students , parents , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to minimize fears about the virus , but on Wednesday he also recommended that schools and other organizations start planning for the COVID-19 virus `` just in case . ''
`` It 's the perfect time for businesses , health care systems , universities , and schools to look at their pandemic preparedness plans , dust them off , and make sure that they 're ready , '' Mr. Trump said Wednesday at a White House news conference .
School letters sent home from Florida to California this week sought to assure parents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ risk of exposure to the virus is still very low .
Most suggested the same precautions used to combat the flu : wash hands frequently , cover sneezes and coughs , and stay home if fever or other symptoms arise .
At schools , cleaning crews have been told to pay extra attention to door knobs , keyboards , and other surfaces that students touch through the day .
Some districts have invested in handheld disinfectant sprayers that are used in hospitals ; others are adding traditional hand sanitizers in schools and buses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prevention , schools are also starting to prepare for the worst .
Many are making plans to teach students online in case schools are forced to close .
Officials are considering how they would handle large numbers of absences among students or teachers , and how to make up days that could be missed .
At least one school temporarily closed Thursday over fears tied to the virus .
Bothell High School , near Seattle , canceled classes after a staffer 's family member was placed in quarantine .
Officials said the school @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of an abundance of caution . ''
In Miami , public school leaders said they 're readying 200,000 laptops and tablets for students in case buildings close and force classes online .
They 're also directing new international students to register at two reception centers instead of at school buildings , where students have typically registered .
`` We are ready .
We have protocols in place , '' said Alberto Carvalho , superintendent of Miami-Dade County Public Schools , said at a Wednesday news conference .
The district is also among many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Miami officials opted to cancel upcoming field trips to Italy and Scotland , while Virginia 's Fairfax County announced it 's suspending all trips to countries where the virus has spread .
In Colorado , where state law requires schools to provide 160 days of instruction per year , education officials are promising flexibility .
A Wednesday letter from the state 's education department says it will support schools that `` experience a prolonged closure . ''
Many districts say they 're awaiting instruction from their state health departments and the U.S. Centers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ' public school district said it 's `` reviewing and modifying crisis response plans should an outbreak occur . ''
Public schools in San Francisco say they 're preparing for exposure of the virus in the district but have `` no such cases at this time . ''
Districts already have plans to deal with natural disasters , flu outbreaks , and other emergencies ; and many have planned for widespread infections before , most notably during the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic .
But most have never faced the prospect of closing for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happened in China and other countries working to prevent the virus from spreading .
On Thursday , the virus prompted Japan 's prime minister to ask all of the nation 's schools to close for a month as officials work to control the spread of the new virus in the country .
Some U.S. districts say they already have online learning systems that could be used to provide classes online , but not all schools have that technology .
Some have started preparing lessons that could be emailed to students instead or sent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forced to close for long stretches , it could have a heavy impact on students who rely on school meals and for parents who use their schools ' child care programs , said Francisco Negrón , chief legal officer for the National School Boards Association .
The group is urging school leaders to discuss those issues with local authorities and develop contingency plans .
The group is also asking districts to reconsider attendance awards that are sometimes given to students who do n't miss a day of class for an entire year or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the practice amid fears that it encourages students to come to school sick , but some still award gift cards , cash , or raffle prizes to students with perfect attendance .
`` School districts may want to revisit what it means to have perfect attendance , '' Mr. Negrón said .
`` We certainly would n't want sick kids to come to school just because their parents are shooting for that perfect attendance award . ''
In many districts , nurses are being asked to serve as the front line in combating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Schools said nurses have been trained on guidelines for managing an outbreak and will respond to any cases and report to health authorities .
A national association of school superintendents said it 's pressing the CDC for more detailed guidance for schools as they confront the virus .
In the meantime , the American Association of School Administrators issued a letter on Thursday telling schools to use `` common sense strategies '' focusing on prevention .
The letter urged districts to focus on personal hygiene , to develop procedures for reporting cases , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ areas in the U.S. or abroad where there have been outbreaks .
`` [ W ] e need to plan what we 're going to do when we begin to see incidents of the coronavirus in our schools and in our communities , '' said Dan Domenech , executive director of the group .
This story was reported by The Associated Press .

Schools across the United States are canceling trips abroad, preparing online lessons, and even rethinking "perfect attendance" awards as they brace for the possibility that the new coronavirus could begin spreading in their communities.
Districts have been rushing to update emergency plans this week after federal officials warned that the virus, which started in China, is almost certain to begin spreading in the U.S. Many are preparing for possible school closures that could stretch weeks or longer, even as they work to tamp down panic among students, parents, and teachers.
President Donald Trump has worked to minimize fears about the virus, but on Wednesday he also recommended that schools and other organizations start planning for the COVID-19 virus "just in case."
"It's the perfect time for businesses, health care systems, universities, and schools to look at their pandemic preparedness plans, dust them off, and make sure that they're ready," Mr. Trump said Wednesday at a White House news conference.
School letters sent home from Florida to California this week sought to assure parents that, in most communities, the risk of exposure to the virus is still very low. Most suggested the same precautions used to combat the flu: wash hands frequently, cover sneezes and coughs, and stay home if fever or other symptoms arise.
At schools, cleaning crews have been told to pay extra attention to door knobs, keyboards, and other surfaces that students touch through the day. Some districts have invested in handheld disinfectant sprayers that are used in hospitals; others are adding traditional hand sanitizers in schools and buses.
But even as they work on prevention, schools are also starting to prepare for the worst. Many are making plans to teach students online in case schools are forced to close. Officials are considering how they would handle large numbers of absences among students or teachers, and how to make up days that could be missed.
At least one school temporarily closed Thursday over fears tied to the virus. Bothell High School, near Seattle, canceled classes after a staffer's family member was placed in quarantine. Officials said the school was being cleaned and disinfected "out of an abundance of caution."
In Miami, public school leaders said they're readying 200,000 laptops and tablets for students in case buildings close and force classes online. They're also directing new international students to register at two reception centers instead of at school buildings, where students have typically registered.
"We are ready. We have protocols in place," said Alberto Carvalho, superintendent of Miami-Dade County Public Schools, said at a Wednesday news conference.
The district is also among many halting or scaling back foreign travel. Miami officials opted to cancel upcoming field trips to Italy and Scotland, while Virginia's Fairfax County announced it's suspending all trips to countries where the virus has spread.
In Colorado, where state law requires schools to provide 160 days of instruction per year, education officials are promising flexibility. A Wednesday letter from the state's education department says it will support schools that "experience a prolonged closure."
Many districts say they're awaiting instruction from their state health departments and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dallas' public school district said it's "reviewing and modifying crisis response plans should an outbreak occur." Public schools in San Francisco say they're preparing for exposure of the virus in the district but have "no such cases at this time."
Districts already have plans to deal with natural disasters, flu outbreaks, and other emergencies; and many have planned for widespread infections before, most notably during the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic. But most have never faced the prospect of closing for weeks at a time, as has happened in China and other countries working to prevent the virus from spreading.
On Thursday, the virus prompted Japan's prime minister to ask all of the nation's schools to close for a month as officials work to control the spread of the new virus in the country.
Some U.S. districts say they already have online learning systems that could be used to provide classes online, but not all schools have that technology. Some have started preparing lessons that could be emailed to students instead or sent home in packets.
If schools are forced to close for long stretches, it could have a heavy impact on students who rely on school meals and for parents who use their schools' child care programs, said Francisco Negrón, chief legal officer for the National School Boards Association.
The group is urging school leaders to discuss those issues with local authorities and develop contingency plans.
The group is also asking districts to reconsider attendance awards that are sometimes given to students who don't miss a day of class for an entire year or semester. Some schools have previously abandoned the practice amid fears that it encourages students to come to school sick, but some still award gift cards, cash, or raffle prizes to students with perfect attendance.
"School districts may want to revisit what it means to have perfect attendance," Mr. Negrón said. "We certainly wouldn't want sick kids to come to school just because their parents are shooting for that perfect attendance award."
In many districts, nurses are being asked to serve as the front line in combating the virus. Officials at Denver Public Schools said nurses have been trained on guidelines for managing an outbreak and will respond to any cases and report to health authorities.
A national association of school superintendents said it's pressing the CDC for more detailed guidance for schools as they confront the virus. In the meantime, the American Association of School Administrators issued a letter on Thursday telling schools to use "common sense strategies" focusing on prevention.
The letter urged districts to focus on personal hygiene, to develop procedures for reporting cases, and to consider canceling trips to any areas in the U.S. or abroad where there have been outbreaks.
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empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
"[W]e need to plan what we're going to do when we begin to see incidents of the coronavirus in our schools and in our communities," said Dan Domenech, executive director of the group.
This story was reported by The Associated Press.


Daily for May 28, 2020

From the outset , Donald Trump viewed the Russia affair as an attack aimed at him .
In December 2016 , when then-President Barack Obama expelled Russian diplomats in response to Moscow ’ s meddling in the United States election , President-elect Trump felt personally slighted , according to his first chief of staff , Reince Priebus .
“ The President-elect viewed the sanctions as an attempt by the Obama Administration to embarrass him by delegitimizing his election , ” Mr. Priebus told investigators for special counsel Robert Mueller , according to Mr. Mueller ’ s final report .
Now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year old and another election looming , President Trump appears to have launched a concerted attempt to undermine the foundation of the Russia probe and cement in history his vision of the investigation as a long , underhanded strike against his presidency .
President Trump ’ s repeated tweets about “ Obamagate ” – a vague , unfounded charge that his predecessor orchestrated a spying conspiracy – are part of this effort .
Central to its narrative is the saga of Michael Flynn , the Trump national security adviser who pleaded guilty to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigation .
Under Attorney General Bill Barr , the Department of Justice recently announced it wants to drop its case against Mr. Flynn , an extraordinary move considering that his prosecution is essentially over .
The president has hailed the decision as “ justice ” and proof that the entire Russia investigation was thin as tissue , nothing but a scheme of the “ deep state.
” “ He wants to turn the scandal against the accusers .
...
Translate this into his being the victim , not the villain , ” says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Zelizer in an email .
In recent months , President Trump seems to have turned up the volume on the subject of Russia .
Critics say it is an effort to distract attention from his administration ’ s handling of the coronavirus epidemic .
Before 8:45 a.m. on Wednesday , for instance , the president tweeted eight times about “ Obamagate- ” and five times about Michael Flynn .
He tweeted only once about a COVID-19 related subject .
Mr. Mueller ’ s final report , issued in March 2019 , concluded that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from a Trump presidency and worked to secure that outcome .
Investigators did not establish that Trump campaign members conspired or coordinated with Russia in the effort .
In addition , Mueller investigators said that given the facts and applicable legal standards , they could not say that President Trump did not commit obstruction of justice during their probe .
“ While this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime , it also does not exonerate him , ” the Mueller report says .
In the months following the report @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that it amounted to a complete exoneration .
More recently , he has pushed the idea that the real criminal conspiracy was among the investigators .
As support , he has pointed to revelations about problems in the first days of the FBI ’ s Russia probe , including serious errors and omissions in secret applications to surveil a former Trump campaign aide .
Top administration officials have echoed his concerns .
Attorney General Barr has been especially supportive .
“ I think the president has every right to be frustrated , because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of the greatest travesties in American history , ” Mr. Barr said in an April interview with Fox News .
In April 2019 , Mr. Barr tapped U.S. Attorney John Durham to examine the early days of the Russia probe , and in particular , whether there was any impropriety in the investigation .
Mr. Durham ’ s investigation has largely proceeded in secret .
In April of this year , Mr. Barr said he did not expect the Justice Department would open criminal investigations into President Obama or former Vice President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ critics interpreted this statement as an implicit rebuke of President Trump and his “ Obamagate !
” tweets .
The president himself said he “ was surprised ” by Mr. Barr ’ s remark .
But Mr. Durham might yet bring a criminal indictment of some sort related to the opening of the FBI ’ s “ Crossfire Hurricane ” probe into the Trump campaign and Russia , noted Ryan Goodman , a former Department of Defense counsel , in a Just Security piece on May 15 .
In particular , it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ senior official who leaked to a Washington Post reporter the classified intercept of a Dec. 29 , 2016 , phone call between Mr. Flynn and Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak .
The leak was serious disclosure of classified material , revealing details of a phone call at the heart of the case against Mr. Flynn , and Trump critics would have a hard time criticizing an indictment .
At the same time , why now ?
“ Even if there were criminal misconduct involving the leak to the media over three years ago , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happens to be heating up now as we enter the general election ?
” writes Mr. Goodman .
Whatever the Durham investigation produces , events dealing with Mr. Flynn and his legal case could well keep the Mueller probe , Russia , and President Trump ’ s attempts to flip the narrative in headlines for weeks to come .
To his supporters , Mr. Flynn is a good American who was treated badly by powerful , overzealous federal prosecutors .
To critics , his actions raised obvious , serious national security concerns , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had serious consequences .
Mr. Flynn , a former Army lieutenant general , was an early and enthusiastic supporter of Mr. Trump ’ s presidential campaign , and was rewarded with the plum job of national security adviser .
He only lasted 24 days , a record for shortest tenure in the job .
President Trump fired him following revelations that he had misled Vice President Mike Pence and other top officials about the nature of his communications during the presidential transition with Russian Ambassador Kislyak .
In December 2017 , he pleaded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ FBI and agreed to cooperate with Mr. Mueller ’ s investigation .
Asked by agents whether he had talked about U.S. sanctions with Ambassador Kislyak and urged restraint , Mr. Flynn said no .
But the agents knew better , as they had transcripts of FBI wiretaps of the Flynn-Kislyak conversations .
Mr. Flynn reiterated his guilty plea before a federal judge in December 2018 .
Then in January 2020 , he asked to withdraw it , alleging among other things that he had been “ duped ” into admitting wrongdoing .
Earlier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abruptly reversed course , and filed a motion to dismiss the case with federal Judge Emmet Sullivan .
In essence , prosecutors said that in terms of the FBI ’ s investigation into Mr. Flynn ’ s activities , his lies didn ’ t matter .
Agent questioning “ was untethered to , and unjustified by , the FBI ’ s counterintelligence investigation into Mr. Flynn , ” wrote Timothy Shea , acting U.S. attorney in Washington , in the motion to dismiss the charges .
But Judge Sullivan appears to be in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has asked for outside groups to file friend-of-the-court legal briefs about the case for his consideration , and appointed retired U.S. District Judge John Gleeson to present arguments against the motion to dismiss .
In response , Mr. Flynn ’ s lawyers went over Judge Sullivan ’ s head .
They asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for D.C. to order the case dismissed .
Instead , an appeals court panel ordered Judge Sullivan to explain himself within 10 days .
Judge Sullivan has hired his own lawyer to guide him through the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Yes – but it ’ s a mess with important and complicated separation-of-powers implications , says Barbara McQuade , a former U.S. attorney and University of Michigan law professor .
“ Usually it is the executive branch that gets to decide whether to bring prosecutions , and the court plays a very limited role , ” says Ms. McQuade .
“ But here , where there is some concern about the merits of a motion to dismiss , the district judge quite properly wants to make sure that he is not a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attempt to dismiss the Flynn case say the Justice Department has long known the details surrounding the FBI interview in question , and the only thing that has changed since Mr. Flynn pleaded guilty is the leadership of the Justice Department .
In addition , Mr. Flynn has long been a figure of personal concern for President Trump , they point out .
In early February 2017 , shortly after Mr. Flynn ’ s dismissal , the president cleared the Oval Office to have a one-on-one talk with then-FBI Director James Comey .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ way clear to letting this go , to letting Flynn go .
He is a good guy , ” President Trump said to the FBI chief , according to the Mueller report .
Later that month , President Trump asked his chief of staff , Mr. Priebus , to reach out to Mr. Flynn and let him know that the president still cared about him .
Mr. Priebus called Mr. Flynn and said he was just checking in , and that Mr. Flynn was an “ American hero.
” “ Priebus thought the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ things about him , ” the Mueller report says .

Trump, Flynn, and flipping the script on Russia Collapse
Jonathan Ernst/Reuters/File View caption Hide caption President Donald Trump (from left), joined by Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, Vice President Mike Pence, national security adviser Michael Flynn, communications director Sean Spicer, and senior adviser Steve Bannon, speaks by phone with Russia's President Vladimir Putin in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, Jan. 28, 2017.
From the outset, Donald Trump viewed the Russia affair as an attack aimed at him.
In December 2016, when then-President Barack Obama expelled Russian diplomats in response to Moscow’s meddling in the United States election, President-elect Trump felt personally slighted, according to his first chief of staff, Reince Priebus.
“The President-elect viewed the sanctions as an attempt by the Obama Administration to embarrass him by delegitimizing his election,” Mr. Priebus told investigators for special counsel Robert Mueller, according to Mr. Mueller’s final report.
Now, with the Mueller report over a year old and another election looming, President Trump appears to have launched a concerted attempt to undermine the foundation of the Russia probe and cement in history his vision of the investigation as a long, underhanded strike against his presidency.
President Trump’s repeated tweets about “Obamagate” – a vague, unfounded charge that his predecessor orchestrated a spying conspiracy – are part of this effort. Central to its narrative is the saga of Michael Flynn, the Trump national security adviser who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI during the Mueller investigation.
Under Attorney General Bill Barr, the Department of Justice recently announced it wants to drop its case against Mr. Flynn, an extraordinary move considering that his prosecution is essentially over. The president has hailed the decision as “justice” and proof that the entire Russia investigation was thin as tissue, nothing but a scheme of the “deep state.”
“He wants to turn the scandal against the accusers. ... Translate this into his being the victim, not the villain,” says Princeton University professor of political history Julian Zelizer in an email.
The Muller report, a year later
In recent months, President Trump seems to have turned up the volume on the subject of Russia. Critics say it is an effort to distract attention from his administration’s handling of the coronavirus epidemic. Before 8:45 a.m. on Wednesday, for instance, the president tweeted eight times about “Obamagate-” and five times about Michael Flynn. He tweeted only once about a COVID-19 related subject.
Mr. Mueller’s final report, issued in March 2019, concluded that the Russian government believed it would benefit from a Trump presidency and worked to secure that outcome. Investigators did not establish that Trump campaign members conspired or coordinated with Russia in the effort.
In addition, Mueller investigators said that given the facts and applicable legal standards, they could not say that President Trump did not commit obstruction of justice during their probe.
“While this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him,” the Mueller report says.
In the months following the report’s release, President Trump insisted that it amounted to a complete exoneration. More recently, he has pushed the idea that the real criminal conspiracy was among the investigators. As support, he has pointed to revelations about problems in the first days of the FBI’s Russia probe, including serious errors and omissions in secret applications to surveil a former Trump campaign aide.
Top administration officials have echoed his concerns. Attorney General Barr has been especially supportive.
“I think the president has every right to be frustrated, because I think what happened to him was one of the greatest travesties in American history,” Mr. Barr said in an April interview with Fox News.
In April 2019, Mr. Barr tapped U.S. Attorney John Durham to examine the early days of the Russia probe, and in particular, whether there was any impropriety in the investigation. Mr. Durham’s investigation has largely proceeded in secret.
In April of this year, Mr. Barr said he did not expect the Justice Department would open criminal investigations into President Obama or former Vice President Joe Biden on this matter. Some critics interpreted this statement as an implicit rebuke of President Trump and his “Obamagate!” tweets. The president himself said he “was surprised” by Mr. Barr’s remark.
But Mr. Durham might yet bring a criminal indictment of some sort related to the opening of the FBI’s “Crossfire Hurricane” probe into the Trump campaign and Russia, noted Ryan Goodman, a former Department of Defense counsel, in a Just Security piece on May 15.
In particular, it’s possible he could identify a former senior official who leaked to a Washington Post reporter the classified intercept of a Dec. 29, 2016, phone call between Mr. Flynn and Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak.
The leak was serious disclosure of classified material, revealing details of a phone call at the heart of the case against Mr. Flynn, and Trump critics would have a hard time criticizing an indictment. At the same time, why now?
“Even if there were criminal misconduct involving the leak to the media over three years ago, ask yourself why the investigation just so happens to be heating up now as we enter the general election?” writes Mr. Goodman.
The Flynn saga
Whatever the Durham investigation produces, events dealing with Mr. Flynn and his legal case could well keep the Mueller probe, Russia, and President Trump’s attempts to flip the narrative in headlines for weeks to come.
Carolyn Kaster/AP/File View caption Hide caption Michael Flynn, then national security adviser, speaks during the daily news briefing at the White House in Washington, Feb. 1, 2017.
To his supporters, Mr. Flynn is a good American who was treated badly by powerful, overzealous federal prosecutors. To critics, his actions raised obvious, serious national security concerns, and the lies he told about them had serious consequences.
Mr. Flynn, a former Army lieutenant general, was an early and enthusiastic supporter of Mr. Trump’s presidential campaign, and was rewarded with the plum job of national security adviser.
He only lasted 24 days, a record for shortest tenure in the job. President Trump fired him following revelations that he had misled Vice President Mike Pence and other top officials about the nature of his communications during the presidential transition with Russian Ambassador Kislyak.
In December 2017, he pleaded guilty to making false statements to the FBI and agreed to cooperate with Mr. Mueller’s investigation. Asked by agents whether he had talked about U.S. sanctions with Ambassador Kislyak and urged restraint, Mr. Flynn said no. But the agents knew better, as they had transcripts of FBI wiretaps of the Flynn-Kislyak conversations.
Mr. Flynn reiterated his guilty plea before a federal judge in December 2018. Then in January 2020, he asked to withdraw it, alleging among other things that he had been “duped” into admitting wrongdoing.
Earlier this month, the Department of Justice abruptly reversed course, and filed a motion to dismiss the case with federal Judge Emmet Sullivan. In essence, prosecutors said that in terms of the FBI’s investigation into Mr. Flynn’s activities, his lies didn’t matter.
Agent questioning “was untethered to, and unjustified by, the FBI’s counterintelligence investigation into Mr. Flynn,” wrote Timothy Shea, acting U.S. attorney in Washington, in the motion to dismiss the charges.
But Judge Sullivan appears to be in no hurry to do that. He has asked for outside groups to file friend-of-the-court legal briefs about the case for his consideration, and appointed retired U.S. District Judge John Gleeson to present arguments against the motion to dismiss.
In response, Mr. Flynn’s lawyers went over Judge Sullivan’s head. They asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for D.C. to order the case dismissed. Instead, an appeals court panel ordered Judge Sullivan to explain himself within 10 days. Judge Sullivan has hired his own lawyer to guide him through the legal morass.
Is this a mess? Yes – but it’s a mess with important and complicated separation-of-powers implications, says Barbara McQuade, a former U.S. attorney and University of Michigan law professor.
“Usually it is the executive branch that gets to decide whether to bring prosecutions, and the court plays a very limited role,” says Ms. McQuade. “But here, where there is some concern about the merits of a motion to dismiss, the district judge quite properly wants to make sure that he is not a party to corruption.”
Of personal concern
Critics of the attempt to dismiss the Flynn case say the Justice Department has long known the details surrounding the FBI interview in question, and the only thing that has changed since Mr. Flynn pleaded guilty is the leadership of the Justice Department.
In addition, Mr. Flynn has long been a figure of personal concern for President Trump, they point out.
In early February 2017, shortly after Mr. Flynn’s dismissal, the president cleared the Oval Office to have a one-on-one talk with then-FBI Director James Comey.
“I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go, to letting Flynn go. He is a good guy,” President Trump said to the FBI chief, according to the Mueller report.
Later that month, President Trump asked his chief of staff, Mr. Priebus, to reach out to Mr. Flynn and let him know that the president still cared about him. Mr. Priebus called Mr. Flynn and said he was just checking in, and that Mr. Flynn was an “American hero.”
“Priebus thought the President did not want Flynn saying bad things about him,” the Mueller report says.


csmonitor--2020-05-29--How faith and science support US public health care leaders

The relationship between faith and science has faced its share of strain during the coronavirus pandemic – but for some medical scientists leading the nation 's response , the two have worked in concert .
National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins founded a nonprofit focused on “ the harmony between science and biblical faith.
” NIH ’ s senior infectious disease specialist , has said he is n't active in organized religion but credited his Jesuit schooling with burnishing the values that drive his public service .
And Robert Redfield , director of the Centers for Disease Control and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public health work as mutually reinforcing .
“ One of the great things about faith is , you can approach life with a sense of hope – no matter what the challenges you ’ re dealing with , that there ’ s a path forward , ” Mr. Redfield told The Associated Press .
The influence of faith on some of the government ’ s top coronavirus fighters illustrates its complicated connection to science .
While tensions over public worship ’ s effect on public health arise amid the pandemic – with President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” – personal spirituality , in all of its forms , remains an unquestioned guidepost for some scientists guiding the U.S. response .
Mr. Redfield said that during major crises he 's faced , such as his role responding to 2010 's Haiti earthquake and the death of his son , his faith had helped orient him toward the potential for “ greater good ” to arise from tragedy .
Faith and science have not been in tension for him , Mr. Redfield said .
During the early weeks of the pandemic , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a fixture at the televised White House briefings as Mr. Fauci , his fellow Catholic .
But Mr. Redfield ’ s modesty is itself a facet of how his faith plays out in his public persona , as his longtime friend William Blattner put it .
Mr. Redfield sees people of faith as “ not holier than anybody – we ’ re just who we are , ” said Mr. Blattner , who co-founded University of Maryland ’ s Institute of Human Virology alongside Mr. Redfield and a third prominent AIDS researcher , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ You don ’ t see him jumping up to the microphone .
You see him speaking as he ’ s required , ” Mr. Blattner said of his friend .
Faith helps Mr. Redfield “ filter out the noise and distraction ” of the push to contain the virus , Mr. Blattner added , affording “ him , and us , the ability to see more clearly.
” Mr. Redfield was tapped by Mr. Trump , while Mr. Collins and Mr. Fauci ’ s stints as government scientists predate 2016 .
Mr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already a vocal advocate for communicating what he sees as the consistency between religious belief and evidence-based science before he was named to lead NIH .
After writing a 2006 book about his journey from youthful atheism to belief in God , Mr. Collins founded the BioLogos Foundation to help further a dialogue about religion ’ s relationship to science .
Since the pandemic began , he has received a major religion prize for his work .
“ I see science as the most reliable way to study nature – and that includes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by email .
“ But science doesn ’ t help me with deeper questions like why suffering exists , what we are supposed to learn from it , what is the meaning of life , and whether there is a loving God who grieves with us at a time like this , ” he added .
“ For that , I rely on what I have learned as a person of faith.
” Mr. Collins lauded the majority of American faith communities for treating the pandemic as an opportunity to live out their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that “ most of that loving and altruistic behavior doesn ’ t get much attention.
” He also offered careful criticism for the “ occasional examples of churches who reject the scientific conclusions and demand the right to continue to assemble freely , even in the face of evidence that this endangers their whole community.
” Mr. Trump on Friday called for governors to allow in-person worship , vowing that “ faith leaders will make sure that their congregations are safe as they gather and pray.
” The president spoke as the CDC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ religious services , and faith gatherings that occurred this week largely operated with safeguards in place to help prevent the virus ’ spread .
Mr. Fauci ’ s faith has shifted from the path of his Catholic upbringing to what he has described as a humanist belief system .
The 36-year veteran chief of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases told C-SPAN in 2015 that “ I 'm less enamored of organized religion than I am with the principles of humanity and goodness to mankind and doing the best that you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from organized religion in that 2015 interview , he has described himself as Catholic and told C-SPAN his Jesuit education had helped develop the “ principles that I run my life by . ''
Those principles came into sharper view this month when Mr. Fauci recorded a video for graduates of high schools affiliated with the Jesuits , a Catholic order that focuses on service .
After citing “ precision of thought and economy of expression '' as two watchwords , he invoked “ social justice ” as another value instilled by his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1958 from New York 's Regis High School , a Jesuit institution .
“ And now is the time , if ever there was one , for us to care selflessly about one another , ” Mr. Fauci said .
The Rev .
Daniel Lahart , president of Regis , hosted Mr. Fauci during a visit to his alma mater last year .
He hailed the scientist as a worthy example of a Jesuit education 's call for students to dedicate themselves to helping the common good , becoming “ men and women @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part of who we are , that we take community service , public service , as something essential to what our faith ’ s about , ” Mr. Lahart 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 .

The relationship between faith and science has faced its share of strain during the coronavirus pandemic – but for some medical scientists leading the nation's response, the two have worked in concert.
National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins founded a nonprofit focused on “the harmony between science and biblical faith.” NIH’s senior infectious disease specialist, has said he isn't active in organized religion but credited his Jesuit schooling with burnishing the values that drive his public service.
And Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, describes his faith and his public health work as mutually reinforcing.
“One of the great things about faith is, you can approach life with a sense of hope – no matter what the challenges you’re dealing with, that there’s a path forward,” Mr. Redfield told The Associated Press.
The influence of faith on some of the government’s top coronavirus fighters illustrates its complicated connection to science. While tensions over public worship’s effect on public health arise amid the pandemic – with President Donald Trump declaring religious services “essential” – personal spirituality, in all of its forms, remains an unquestioned guidepost for some scientists guiding the U.S. response.
Mr. Redfield said that during major crises he's faced, such as his role responding to 2010's Haiti earthquake and the death of his son, his faith had helped orient him toward the potential for “greater good” to arise from tragedy. Faith and science have not been in tension for him, Mr. Redfield said.
During the early weeks of the pandemic, the virologist was not as much of a fixture at the televised White House briefings as Mr. Fauci, his fellow Catholic. But Mr. Redfield’s modesty is itself a facet of how his faith plays out in his public persona, as his longtime friend William Blattner put it.
Mr. Redfield sees people of faith as “not holier than anybody – we’re just who we are,” said Mr. Blattner, who co-founded University of Maryland’s Institute of Human Virology alongside Mr. Redfield and a third prominent AIDS researcher, Robert Gallo, in the mid-1990s.
“You don’t see him jumping up to the microphone. You see him speaking as he’s required,” Mr. Blattner said of his friend. Faith helps Mr. Redfield “filter out the noise and distraction” of the push to contain the virus, Mr. Blattner added, affording “him, and us, the ability to see more clearly.”
Mr. Redfield was tapped by Mr. Trump, while Mr. Collins and Mr. Fauci’s stints as government scientists predate 2016. Mr. Collins, for his part, was already a vocal advocate for communicating what he sees as the consistency between religious belief and evidence-based science before he was named to lead NIH.
After writing a 2006 book about his journey from youthful atheism to belief in God, Mr. Collins founded the BioLogos Foundation to help further a dialogue about religion’s relationship to science. Since the pandemic began, he has received a major religion prize for his work.
“I see science as the most reliable way to study nature – and that includes this virus,” Mr. Collins said by email.
“But science doesn’t help me with deeper questions like why suffering exists, what we are supposed to learn from it, what is the meaning of life, and whether there is a loving God who grieves with us at a time like this,” he added. “For that, I rely on what I have learned as a person of faith.”
Mr. Collins lauded the majority of American faith communities for treating the pandemic as an opportunity to live out their values by helping the vulnerable, adding that “most of that loving and altruistic behavior doesn’t get much attention.” He also offered careful criticism for the “occasional examples of churches who reject the scientific conclusions and demand the right to continue to assemble freely, even in the face of evidence that this endangers their whole community.”
Mr. Trump on Friday called for governors to allow in-person worship, vowing that “faith leaders will make sure that their congregations are safe as they gather and pray.” The president spoke as the CDC released recommendations for safe reopening of physical religious services, and faith gatherings that occurred this week largely operated with safeguards in place to help prevent the virus’ spread.
Mr. Fauci’s faith has shifted from the path of his Catholic upbringing to what he has described as a humanist belief system. The 36-year veteran chief of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases told C-SPAN in 2015 that “I'm less enamored of organized religion than I am with the principles of humanity and goodness to mankind and doing the best that you can.”
While Mr. Fauci distanced himself from organized religion in that 2015 interview, he has described himself as Catholic and told C-SPAN his Jesuit education had helped develop the “principles that I run my life by." Those principles came into sharper view this month when Mr. Fauci recorded a video for graduates of high schools affiliated with the Jesuits, a Catholic order that focuses on service.
After citing “precision of thought and economy of expression" as two watchwords, he invoked “social justice” as another value instilled by his Jesuit education. Mr. Fauci graduated in 1958 from New York's Regis High School, a Jesuit institution.
“And now is the time, if ever there was one, for us to care selflessly about one another,” Mr. Fauci said.
The Rev. Daniel Lahart, president of Regis, hosted Mr. Fauci during a visit to his alma mater last year. He hailed the scientist as a worthy example of a Jesuit education's call for students to dedicate themselves to helping the common good, becoming “men and women for others."
“It is part of who we are, that we take community service, public service, as something essential to what our faith’s about,” Mr. Lahart said.
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This story was reported by The Associated Press.
Editor’s note: As a public service, the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage. It’s free.


csmonitor--2020-05-29--A grand cleansing in governance

A grand cleansing in governance

The pandemic lockdown has pushed many people to do what they should have done long ago .
Clean out closets .
Rethink finances .
Set new goals .
Now entire countries are in cleansing mode .
On Thursday , for example , lawmakers in Lebanon agreed to end banking secrecy for public officials .
It was a first step toward curbing corruption and the first of many reforms being forced on Lebanon by the economic fallout of the COVID-19 crisis .
Since March , more than 100 countries like Lebanon have sought a financial rescue from the International Monetary Fund @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last resort .
The aid , however , often comes with strings attached , such as demands for transparency in banking or accountability in how public money is spent .
For nations in need , the coronavirus emergency could end up being a healer of old wounds .
“ History shows that crises and disasters have continually set the stage for change , often for the better , ” states a new report on post-COVID-19 trends from the corruption watchdog Transparency International .
In early May , a group of 97 civil society @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asking it to ensure that its aid is tied to reforms .
Accountability and transparency , the group said , are key “ to protecting lives and livelihoods.
” That is especially true for Lebanon , a country that once had a vibrant middle class but now finds more than 50 % of its people living below the poverty line .
The IMF predicts Lebanon will experience one of the world ’ s worst recessions this year .
Hunger protests broke out in Beirut a few weeks ago , largely directed at banks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ money out of the country .
In May , Lebanon finally opened talks with the IMF .
Its leaders were quickly told to make reforms for “ inclusive growth ” and to widen the social safety net .
To be given more funds for medical and educational needs , the government must first stop the flow of illicit money through banks .
Expect other countries to start enacting reforms like those in Lebanon .
“ We may never return to the world we left behind before COVID-19 , ” states the Transparency International @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could bring an awakening to the need for honest and open governance .

The pandemic lockdown has pushed many people to do what they should have done long ago. Clean out closets. Rethink finances. Set new goals. Now entire countries are in cleansing mode. On Thursday, for example, lawmakers in Lebanon agreed to end banking secrecy for public officials. It was a first step toward curbing corruption and the first of many reforms being forced on Lebanon by the economic fallout of the COVID-19 crisis.
Since March, more than 100 countries like Lebanon have sought a financial rescue from the International Monetary Fund – the world’s banker of last resort. The aid, however, often comes with strings attached, such as demands for transparency in banking or accountability in how public money is spent. For nations in need, the coronavirus emergency could end up being a healer of old wounds.
“History shows that crises and disasters have continually set the stage for change, often for the better,” states a new report on post-COVID-19 trends from the corruption watchdog Transparency International. In early May, a group of 97 civil society organizations sent a letter to the IMF asking it to ensure that its aid is tied to reforms. Accountability and transparency, the group said, are key “to protecting lives and livelihoods.”
That is especially true for Lebanon, a country that once had a vibrant middle class but now finds more than 50% of its people living below the poverty line. The IMF predicts Lebanon will experience one of the world’s worst recessions this year.
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Hunger protests broke out in Beirut a few weeks ago, largely directed at banks and their role in secretly funneling corrupt money out of the country. In May, Lebanon finally opened talks with the IMF. Its leaders were quickly told to make reforms for “inclusive growth” and to widen the social safety net. To be given more funds for medical and educational needs, the government must first stop the flow of illicit money through banks.
Expect other countries to start enacting reforms like those in Lebanon. “We may never return to the world we left behind before COVID-19,” states the Transparency International report. Indeed, a health crisis could bring an awakening to the need for honest and open governance.


csmonitor--2020-05-06--Why stargazing is looking up

Why stargazing is looking up

Just when the world is feeling down , stargazing is looking up .
It ’ s a simple activity for those stuck at home with a view of the heavens .
All it takes is an inexpensive telescope , a pair of binoculars , or just the naked eye .
“ The moon is still there .
The stars are still there , ” a British stargazer told CBS News .
Centuries ago , humans paid more attention to the night sky , especially to the moon as it shrank each month to a sliver of itself and then regrew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in reliable patterns , providing seasonal and travel guides .
Planets were a mystery unto themselves .
Today , many people are taking comfort in searching the celestial scene .
A few months of sheltering in place , after all , is nothing compared with the timelessness and immensity of the universe .
Looking up , people see that .
Yet there may be another reason for the increase in backyard astronomy .
In April , the Hubble Space Telescope marked 30 years of sending back images from the far reaches of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , such as revealing that the universe is roughly 13.8 billion years old .
In a patch of space where the human eye sees nothing , Hubble has found thousands of galaxies , just part of 1.4 million such observations so far .
Hubble ’ s success serves as another guiding star for those in pandemic lockdown .
Problems can be overcome .
When it first began transmitting images in 1990 , scientists discovered Hubble had a flaw in its large mirror .
Its distorted photos were nearly useless .
But scientists and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In 1993 astronauts spent five days in spacesuits making crucial repairs .
The result : spectacularly clear views ever since .
More progress in space is scheduled for late May , when American astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley travel to the International Space Station .
They ’ ll be the first astronauts sent into space from American soil since 2011 .
After the end of the space shuttle program , the United States was forced to buy seats for its astronauts on Soyuz launches from Russia .
Domestic rockets are a vital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the moon by 2024 , the government ’ s stated goal .
And beyond that , Mars awaits .
But the May launch has taken on greater meaning .
“ It ’ s important that this agency do this now , because our country – and in fact the whole world – has been shaken by this coronavirus pandemic , ” NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said at a recent news conference .
“ We need to give people hope.
” The astronauts will be test-driving a new type of spacecraft , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spacecraft – Mercury , Gemini , Apollo , and then the space shuttle .
More than six decades of space exploration has produced practical progress .
Where would the world be without wireless communication and weather satellites ?
Imagine driving in unfamiliar areas without a GPS signal .
Yet these feats have not diminished the deep need to explore .
Thought marvels at the universe ’ s beauty and its mysteries .
Curiosity demands to unlock them .
On Earth , it might seem like a time to hunker down inside .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and be renewed .

Just when the world is feeling down, stargazing is looking up. It’s a simple activity for those stuck at home with a view of the heavens. All it takes is an inexpensive telescope, a pair of binoculars, or just the naked eye.
“The moon is still there. The stars are still there,” a British stargazer told CBS News.
Centuries ago, humans paid more attention to the night sky, especially to the moon as it shrank each month to a sliver of itself and then regrew to its glowing roundness. Stars moved in reliable patterns, providing seasonal and travel guides. Planets were a mystery unto themselves.
Today, many people are taking comfort in searching the celestial scene. A few months of sheltering in place, after all, is nothing compared with the timelessness and immensity of the universe. Looking up, people see that.
Yet there may be another reason for the increase in backyard astronomy. In April, the Hubble Space Telescope marked 30 years of sending back images from the far reaches of the universe. It has made numerous discoveries, such as revealing that the universe is roughly 13.8 billion years old.
In a patch of space where the human eye sees nothing, Hubble has found thousands of galaxies, just part of 1.4 million such observations so far.
Hubble’s success serves as another guiding star for those in pandemic lockdown. Problems can be overcome. When it first began transmitting images in 1990, scientists discovered Hubble had a flaw in its large mirror. Its distorted photos were nearly useless. But scientists and technicians didn’t give up. In 1993 astronauts spent five days in spacesuits making crucial repairs. The result: spectacularly clear views ever since.
More progress in space is scheduled for late May, when American astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley travel to the International Space Station. They’ll be the first astronauts sent into space from American soil since 2011. After the end of the space shuttle program, the United States was forced to buy seats for its astronauts on Soyuz launches from Russia.
Domestic rockets are a vital step if the U.S. wants to return to the moon by 2024, the government’s stated goal. And beyond that, Mars awaits.
But the May launch has taken on greater meaning.
“It’s important that this agency do this now, because our country – and in fact the whole world – has been shaken by this coronavirus pandemic,” NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said at a recent news conference. “We need to give people hope.”
The astronauts will be test-driving a new type of spacecraft, the fifth one in a line of U.S. spacecraft – Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, and then the space shuttle.
Get stories that
empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
More than six decades of space exploration has produced practical progress. Where would the world be without wireless communication and weather satellites? Imagine driving in unfamiliar areas without a GPS signal. Yet these feats have not diminished the deep need to explore. Thought marvels at the universe’s beauty and its mysteries. Curiosity demands to unlock them.
On Earth, it might seem like a time to hunker down inside. But many are choosing to look up – and be renewed.


csmonitor--2020-06-19--Ballet in the kitchen? What arts majors learned during lockdown.

If there is anything that Camille Sokk learned this spring , it ’ s that she can practice pliés and rond de jambes in the kitchen .
The dance major at San Jose State University simply cleared off a spot on the counter to use as her ballet barre when classes transitioned online .
There were other adjustments , too : Checking her technique without looking in a dance studio mirror , and turning in a choreographed video using TikTok – the app popular among teens – as a final exam .
“ I was just so flabbergasted by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” says the rising senior from her home in San Jose , California .
The coronavirus may have cut short college semesters across the United States – forcing arts majors to continue their classes from home without access to tools , studio spaces , or performance halls .
But many students and professors found this kind of experimentation opened up new ways of learning and problem-solving they hope to continue through the summer and even into the fall .
San Jose State ’ s School of Music and Dance told its students to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fall that will incorporate both in-person and remote instruction , as well as an outdoor studio .
Other schools have figured out how to provide art supplies and training materials to students off campus .
And some performing arts professors now want to permanently incorporate video recording as a learning tool .
“ I mean that ’ s our life as artists .
… Can you adapt ?
Can you stay creative ?
Can you stay connected ?
” says Kim Perlak , chair of the guitar department at Berklee School of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now in 2020 , we all proved it , that ’ s true .
You know , if that ’ s going to be our legacy of this [ time ] , I ’ ll take it.
” Working alone at home may be the norm for experienced artists , but for students still on a learning curve , it presents a new set of challenges .
In some disciplines , such as dance or music , stepping back from training feels like a race against time , some students say .
If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , practicing scales , flexing the muscles and technique you ’ ve honed for years preparing for a career , those hard-won skills can regress .
“ I do think I ’ ve learned more about choreographers and dance history .
But when it comes down to the actual technique , I don ’ t think I ’ ve progressed as much as I ’ d want to , ” say Ms. Sokk .
Amanda Kenner , a dance student at the University of Cincinnati , agrees .
“ You work all the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on stage , ” says Ms. Kenner , who transformed her living room in Connecticut into both studio and stage .
Her university ordered extra rubber dance flooring that local students could pick up to use at home for pointe work , she says .
She spent the spring semester recording herself following pre-recorded ballet barre combinations and submitted the videos to her professors , along with written assignments .
But the biggest disappointment was the cancellation of “ Serenade , ” a classical ballet choreographed by George Balanchine in which she had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ It was the biggest opportunity I ’ ve ever had in my life – probably ever will .
It was a dream role , ” she says .
For many of these developing artists , the pandemic lockdown has forced not only new ways of practicing their craft but also moments of reflection .
Amid all the uncertainty – gallery openings , concerts , and performances are all still on hold – disciplined practice has become an act of hope .
“ I now look at performances with a different meaning , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my last performance was going to be my last one for a time , ” says Anna Gasanova , a viola student at the University of Rochester ’ s Eastman School of Music in New York .
“ What ’ s been keeping me going is that one day we will be able to perform again in person.
” But until art students and professors are reunited , educators have to find ways to keep students on track .
This spring , art professors mailed art supplies to home addresses , adapted theater @ @ @ @ @ @ @ calls , and reviewed hours of student-made videos .
For media-based arts , such as fiber and jewelry , maintaining students ’ access to raw materials proved key .
Heather White – a professor of fine art , metalsmithing , and jewelry at Massachusetts College of Art and Design ( MassArt ) in Boston – arranged for tool kits to be mailed to students directly from suppliers .
She made bench pens and shipped wax and carving tools to her students to use in their home workspaces .
Once the classes transitioned online @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unique assignment : “ Carve a ring that is directly informed by your current living environment , your ‘ new normal ’ surroundings.
” Ms. White said students rose to the challenge , “ reaching out to every resource to be creative.
” For music students , however , remote learning at times proved problematic .
Ensemble rehearsals over video calls would sometimes freeze or the audio would lag .
But some students discovered that video can boost solo practice in useful ways .
Coby Schoolman , a French horn student at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Baltimore , recorded himself this spring practicing three- to four-minute exercises at home in Raleigh , North Carolina , and sent them to his teacher for evaluation .
Now he is reviewing the videos himself to measure his progress – a point of reference he didn ’ t have from in-person lessons .
He says he plans to continue this practice even when he is allowed to return to campus .
Ms. Gasanova , who graduated this spring , says the pandemic gave her a new perspective on the purpose of day-to-day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think , have we been practicing for the wrong reason ?
Have we only been practicing because we had a performance scheduled ?
” she says .
“ Maybe as musicians we should be practicing … just to be the best musicians that we can be .
That has been really eye-opening for me.
” Arts professors say some aspects of distance learning will be valuable to keep in curriculums moving forward .
Robert Colby , chair of performing arts at Emerson College in Boston , says practicing the skill of self-taped auditions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ classes , will become a permanent part of the curriculum .
“ If we do decide to do or continue this remote learning , I think it will be important to embrace that as an opportunity and to talk about how we can achieve the goals of the courses in this parallel environment rather than adopting a mindset that we just can ’ t do this as well , ” Mr. Colby says .
“ What we ’ ll do is do it differently , but we can reach many of our goals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ found that already in this experiment this spring.
” Karen Hampton , a 3D fine arts professor at MassArt , now wants to incorporate more natural dyes into her fibers lab class after her students used blueberries , chili powder , and teas to create block print on dresses , curtains , and other fabrics at home .
“ The work that they ’ ve been turning out has been really great , ” she says , reflecting on the spring semester .
“ It ’ s not what we would be doing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but I think that what they are learning in the long run , what they ’ ll take with them into the work that they produce in the future , I think that it ’ s setting a lot of foundations.
” Editor ’ s note : As a public service , the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage .
It ’ s free .

If there is anything that Camille Sokk learned this spring, it’s that she can practice pliés and rond de jambes in the kitchen.
The dance major at San Jose State University simply cleared off a spot on the counter to use as her ballet barre when classes transitioned online. There were other adjustments, too: Checking her technique without looking in a dance studio mirror, and turning in a choreographed video using TikTok – the app popular among teens – as a final exam.
“I was just so flabbergasted by the idea of having a TikTok final,” says the rising senior from her home in San Jose, California.
Why We Wrote This When the pandemic hit, arts students and professors found that at-home learning invited creative experimentation and problem-solving. What innovations might colleges keep through the summer and even into the fall?
The coronavirus may have cut short college semesters across the United States – forcing arts majors to continue their classes from home without access to tools, studio spaces, or performance halls. But many students and professors found this kind of experimentation opened up new ways of learning and problem-solving they hope to continue through the summer and even into the fall.
San Jose State’s School of Music and Dance told its students to plan on a hybrid teaching model for the fall that will incorporate both in-person and remote instruction, as well as an outdoor studio. Other schools have figured out how to provide art supplies and training materials to students off campus. And some performing arts professors now want to permanently incorporate video recording as a learning tool.
“I mean that’s our life as artists. … Can you adapt? Can you stay creative? Can you stay connected?” says Kim Perlak, chair of the guitar department at Berklee School of Music in Boston. “Everybody right now in 2020, we all proved it, that’s true. You know, if that’s going to be our legacy of this [time], I’ll take it.”
Working alone at home may be the norm for experienced artists, but for students still on a learning curve, it presents a new set of challenges. In some disciplines, such as dance or music, stepping back from training feels like a race against time, some students say. If you go days without jumping, turning, practicing scales, flexing the muscles and technique you’ve honed for years preparing for a career, those hard-won skills can regress.
“I do think I’ve learned more about choreographers and dance history. But when it comes down to the actual technique, I don’t think I’ve progressed as much as I’d want to,” say Ms. Sokk.
Amanda Kenner, a dance student at the University of Cincinnati, agrees. “You work all the time for, like, 10 minutes on stage,” says Ms. Kenner, who transformed her living room in Connecticut into both studio and stage.
Her university ordered extra rubber dance flooring that local students could pick up to use at home for pointe work, she says. She spent the spring semester recording herself following pre-recorded ballet barre combinations and submitted the videos to her professors, along with written assignments. But the biggest disappointment was the cancellation of “Serenade,” a classical ballet choreographed by George Balanchine in which she had been cast for a leading role.
“It was the biggest opportunity I’ve ever had in my life – probably ever will. It was a dream role,” she says.
For many of these developing artists, the pandemic lockdown has forced not only new ways of practicing their craft but also moments of reflection. Amid all the uncertainty – gallery openings, concerts, and performances are all still on hold – disciplined practice has become an act of hope.
“I now look at performances with a different meaning, because I didn’t know that my last performance was going to be my last one for a time,” says Anna Gasanova, a viola student at the University of Rochester’s Eastman School of Music in New York. “What’s been keeping me going is that one day we will be able to perform again in person.”
But until art students and professors are reunited, educators have to find ways to keep students on track.
This spring, art professors mailed art supplies to home addresses, adapted theater scenes to be acted out via Zoom calls, and reviewed hours of student-made videos. For media-based arts, such as fiber and jewelry, maintaining students’ access to raw materials proved key. Heather White – a professor of fine art, metalsmithing, and jewelry at Massachusetts College of Art and Design (MassArt) in Boston – arranged for tool kits to be mailed to students directly from suppliers. She made bench pens and shipped wax and carving tools to her students to use in their home workspaces.
Once the classes transitioned online, Ms. White came up with a unique assignment: “Carve a ring that is directly informed by your current living environment, your ‘new normal’ surroundings.” Ms. White said students rose to the challenge, “reaching out to every resource to be creative.”
For music students, however, remote learning at times proved problematic. Ensemble rehearsals over video calls would sometimes freeze or the audio would lag.
But some students discovered that video can boost solo practice in useful ways. Coby Schoolman, a French horn student at the Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, recorded himself this spring practicing three- to four-minute exercises at home in Raleigh, North Carolina, and sent them to his teacher for evaluation. Now he is reviewing the videos himself to measure his progress – a point of reference he didn’t have from in-person lessons. He says he plans to continue this practice even when he is allowed to return to campus.
Ms. Gasanova, who graduated this spring, says the pandemic gave her a new perspective on the purpose of day-to-day practice.
“It does make me think, have we been practicing for the wrong reason? Have we only been practicing because we had a performance scheduled?” she says. “Maybe as musicians we should be practicing … just to be the best musicians that we can be. That has been really eye-opening for me.”
Arts professors say some aspects of distance learning will be valuable to keep in curriculums moving forward. Robert Colby, chair of performing arts at Emerson College in Boston, says practicing the skill of self-taped auditions, a new exercise introduced in online classes, will become a permanent part of the curriculum.
“If we do decide to do or continue this remote learning, I think it will be important to embrace that as an opportunity and to talk about how we can achieve the goals of the courses in this parallel environment rather than adopting a mindset that we just can’t do this as well,” Mr. Colby says. “What we’ll do is do it differently, but we can reach many of our goals is our hope. I think we found that already in this experiment this spring.”
Karen Hampton, a 3D fine arts professor at MassArt, now wants to incorporate more natural dyes into her fibers lab class after her students used blueberries, chili powder, and teas to create block print on dresses, curtains, and other fabrics at home.
“The work that they’ve been turning out has been really great,” she says, reflecting on the spring semester. “It’s not what we would be doing if we were in the classroom, but I think that what they are learning in the long run, what they’ll take with them into the work that they produce in the future, I think that it’s setting a lot of foundations.”
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