November 28, 2015


News Clips For The Day


http://www.cbsnews.com/news/colorado-springs-shooting-survivors-frightening-moments-planned-parenthood/

Shooting survivors describe tense moments in Colorado
CBS NEWS
November 28, 2015

Play VIDEO -- FBI had warned of possible attacks against Planned Parenthood
Photograph -- swasey-295x300.jpg, University of Colorado Colorado Springs police officer Garrett Swasey. UCCS
Photograph -- Robert Lewis Dear, 57, of North Carolina is seen in a booking photo released by the Colorado Springs Police Department.


An investigation was underway in Colorado Saturday following a deadly attack on a Planned Parenthood facility.

A gunman shot and killed three people, including a police officer.

That officer, Garrett Swasey, was a member of the University of Colorado Police Department in Colorado Springs. Five other officers and four civilians were wounded in the attack.

The shooting happened in Colorado Springs, about 70 miles south of Denver. A dramatic standoff with police ended after five hours.

The suspected gunman, Robert Lewis Dear of North Carolina, is in custody. He was booked into the El Paso County Jail, was being held without bail and was scheduled to appear in court Monday.

Sources told CBS News that Dear surrendered Friday after realizing that he was cornered and had nowhere to run. Since then, he's been cooperating with investigators.

Law enforcement sources said police were able to tap into the Planned Parenthood building's surveillance camera system, CBS News' Jeff Pegues reports. Near the end of the standoff, they were able to pinpoint where the gunman was in the building.

CBS News' David Begnaud reports that the facility remained an active crime scene Saturday morning with investigators going through it room by room.

Swasey's body was transported under heavy police escort to a local funeral home Saturday morning.

Frightening moments were captured on police scanners after authorities say Dear opened fire on officers who were responding to reports of an active shooter:

"He's shooting at you as you coming in."

"I've been shot. I'm hit!"

With the gunman still on the loose inside the Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood, police were able to rescue people hiding inside the building, including Katanya Craion.

"I heard everyone in the lobby screaming 'get down, get down,' and then I saw the gunman walking with a shotgun just shooting randomly," she said.

Said Ozy Licano: "He was aiming for my head. It's just weird to stare into the face of somebody like that, and he didn't win."

"While this was a terrible, terrible tragedy," said Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers, "it could have been much worse but for the actions of the first responders, particularly the police officers involved."

The situation was further complicated because law enforcement was concerned the gunman brought explosives.

"We did get officers inside of the building at the Planned Parenthood," said Lt. Catherine Buckley, "and the officers were able to shout to the suspect and make communication with him, and at that point they were able to get him to surrender, and he was taken into custody."

On the police scanner, an officer said: "We have our suspect right now. He's saying that he is alone and he's by himself."

Nine other people were shot but are listed in good condition at a local hospital.

Swasey, the officer who died, leaves behind a wife, a son and a daughter.




“Sources told CBS News that Dear surrendered Friday after realizing that he was cornered and had nowhere to run. Since then, he's been cooperating with investigators. Law enforcement sources said police were able to tap into the Planned Parenthood building's surveillance camera system, CBS News' Jeff Pegues reports. Near the end of the standoff, they were able to pinpoint where the gunman was in the building. …. With the gunman still on the loose inside the Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood, police were able to rescue people hiding inside the building, including Katanya Craion. "I heard everyone in the lobby screaming 'get down, get down,' and then I saw the gunman walking with a shotgun just shooting randomly," she said. …. Nine other people were shot but are listed in good condition at a local hospital. Swasey, the officer who died, leaves behind a wife, a son and a daughter.”


One more religious zealot does what they do best – randomly killing innocent people. Somehow that apparently forwards the plans of the Christian Church, or so such people think. Very few religious congregations actually support that, with the possible exception of the Westboro Baptist Church and the “Christian Identity” churches.




Trump – Two Articles


http://www.cbsnews.com/news/donald-trump-to-speak-out-on-disabled-americans-at-florida-rally/

Donald Trump to speak out on disabled Americans at Florida rally
By REENA FLORES CBS NEWS
November 28, 2015


Days after a public outcry over his apparent ridiculing of a disabled journalist, Donald Trump is promising to discuss the issue of Americans with disabilities during a campaign stop on Saturday.

In a series of tweets this weekend, Donald Trump previewed his trip to Sarasota, Florida, and addressed the recent controversy that erupted around the mocking impression he made of Serge Kovaleski, a New York Times reporter with a condition that limits the mobility in his joints.


Trump Tweets:

“I will be going to Sarasota, Florida, today for a big rally with amazing people! I have one goal on mind: MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 28, 2015

“The reporter who pulled-back from his 14 year old never retracted story is having fun. I don't know what he looks like and don't know him!” — Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump) November 28, 2015

“Virtually no-one has spent more money in helping the American people with disabilities than me. Will discuss today at my speech in Sarasota,” — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 28, 2015


Trump later promised to discuss his work with disabled Americans during his Sarasota campaign stop, claiming that "virtually no-one has spent more money in helping the American people with disabilities than me."

At a Tuesday rally in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Trump had criticized Kovaleski for walking back a story he wrote after Sept. 11, 2001, that said New Jersey police had detained people celebrating the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. During his speech, Trump waved his arms in an imitation of Kovaleski, saying "the poor guy. You ought to see this guy. 'Oh, I don't know what I said! Ah, I don't remember!'"

After later receiving flak for the mocking impression, Trump claimed that he had "no idea" who Kovaleski was and had no clue about "what he looks like or his level of intelligence."

"I don't know if he is J.J. Watt or Muhammad Ali in his prime --- or somebody of less athletic or physical ability. I know nothing about him other than I have great respect for the way he wrote the story, on September 18, 2001, and in particular the paragraph talking about Muslims and tailgate parties taking place in New Jersey," Trump said Thursday in a statement. He added, "despite having one of the all-time great memories, I certainly do not remember him."

In an earlier statement, the business mogul demanded an apology from the New York Times after a spokesperson for the newspaper called his mocking impersonation "outrageous."

But Kovaleski, in an interview with the Times, said he and Trump "were on a first-name basis for years," when the reporter worked for the New York Daily News from 1987 to 1993.

"I've interviewed him in his office," Kovaleski said. "I've talked to him at press conferences. All in all, I would say around a dozen times, I've interacted with him."

Speaking with the Daily News, Kovaleski also recalled an incident from 1989, when he covered the launch of Trump's airline and spent an entire day with the billionaire businessman. Later, after Kovaleski published a report that included details of the airline's first flight delay, Trump called the journalist and "started screaming over the speakerphone about what a piece of s--- the story was."

On Friday, Trump acknowledged that he "may have met him," but he didn't remember it.

"He made no impression on me," the GOP candidate said in a statement. "I have done many day in the life stories with reporters - the entire day in the life usually last for a very short period as far as actual reporting goes."



http://www.cbsnews.com/news/donald-trump-prompts-nazi-references/

Donald Trump prompts Nazi references
By STEPHANIE CONDON CBS NEWS
November 27, 2015

Photograph -- Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at a rally at the Birmingham Jefferson Civic Complex in Birmingham, Alabama, November 21,2015. REUTERS


After Donald Trump in recent weeks suggested stepping up security measures to put further scrutiny on Muslim Americans, such as surveilling mosques, liberals and conservatives alike called his ideas fascist.

But in case those critiques didn't get the point across, some politicians and pundits are now making a more direct connection between Trump's views and Nazism.

Donald Trump: "I want surveillance of certain mosques"

For instance, New Day for America, the super PAC supporting the candidacy of Ohio's GOP Gov. John Kasich, released a web video this week featuring retired Air Force Col. Tom Moe, a former Vietnam POW. Moe is shown speaking at an event in Ohio, where he warns about the potential danger Trump's candidacy poses by paraphrasing the famous anti-Nazi remarks delivered by pastor Martin Niemöller.

"You might not care if Donald Trump says Muslims should register with their government, because you're not one," Moe is shown saying over ominous music. "And you might not care if Donald Trump says he's going to round up all the Hispanic immigrants, because you're not one. And you might not care if Donald Trump says it's okay to rough up black protesters, because you're not one. And you might not care if Donald Trump wants to suppress journalists, because you're not one. But think about this: If he keeps going, and he actually becomes president, he might just get around to you. And you better hope there's someone left to help you."

The brutal video was released a day after New Day For America released an anti-Trump ad in New Hampshire. The super PAC is planning to spend $2.5 million to attack Trump.

Meanwhile, New York Times op-ed writer Timothy Egan on Friday published a column slamming Trump's proposed "police state" that would target Muslims, as well as other groups like Hispanics. Trump's proposal to deport the nation's 11 million undocumented immigrants "would prompt a million Hispanic Anne Franks -- people hiding in the attics and basements of Donald Trump's America," Egan wrote. He also bashed Trump supporters, charging that Trump's rallies are "scary spectacles of rabid brown shirts in Dockers."

Political commentator Roger Simon wrote in a column this week, "Do not say you were not warned. Der Donald has warned you. Security is going to rule in America. And unthinkable things will be done." Simon also referenced Martin Niemöller's warning.

Last week, Jeb Bush adviser John Noonan said on Twitter that tracking Muslims -- an idea that Trump didn't propose himself, but hasn't ruled out -- equates to fascism.

John Noonan @noonanjo – “Forced federal registration of US citizens, based on religious identity, is fasicm. Period. Nothing else to call it.” https://twitter.com/moody/status/667737259811209216 … 11:57 AM - 20 Nov 2015

Conservative radio host Steve Deace and conservative Max Boot, and adviser for Marco Rubio, had similar criticisms:

Steve Deace @SteveDeaceShow, “If Obama proposed the same religion registry as Trump every conservative in the country would call it what it is -- creeping fascism.”
12:51 PM - 20 Nov 2015

Max Boot @MaxBoot, “Trump is a fascist. And that's not a term I use loosely or often. But he's earned it.” https://twitter.com/blakehounshell/status/668439594518585345 …
10:15 AM - 22 Nov 2015




Disabled -- “After later receiving flak for the mocking impression, Trump claimed that he had "no idea" who Kovaleski was and had no clue about "what he looks like or his level of intelligence." …. In an earlier statement, the business mogul demanded an apology from the New York Times after a spokesperson for the newspaper called his mocking impersonation "outrageous." But Kovaleski, in an interview with the Times, said he and Trump "were on a first-name basis for years," when the reporter worked for the New York Daily News from 1987 to 1993. "I've interviewed him in his office," Kovaleski said. "I've talked to him at press conferences. All in all, I would say around a dozen times, I've interacted with him." Speaking with the Daily News, Kovaleski also recalled an incident from 1989, when he covered the launch of Trump's airline and spent an entire day with the billionaire businessman. Later, after Kovaleski published a report that included details of the airline's first flight delay, Trump called the journalist and "started screaming over the speakerphone about what a piece of s--- the story was."


Trump has known Kovaleski “on a first name basis” since the 1980s when he covered Trump in New York, so Trump was fully aware of and was making a grotesque imitation of the man’s difficulty with his joints. Trump just can’t resist the urge to be as unkind as possible. This won’t win the good people over to his side.


Fascism -- “Moe is shown speaking at an event in Ohio, where he warns about the potential danger Trump's candidacy poses by paraphrasing the famous anti-Nazi remarks delivered by pastor Martin Niemöller. "You might not care if Donald Trump says Muslims should register with their government, because you're not one," Moe is shown saying over ominous music. "And you might not care if Donald Trump says he's going to round up all the Hispanic immigrants, because you're not one. And you might not care if Donald Trump says it's okay to rough up black protesters, because you're not one. And you might not care if Donald Trump wants to suppress journalists, because you're not one. But think about this: If he keeps going, and he actually becomes president, he might just get around to you. And you better hope there's someone left to help you." …. Meanwhile, New York Times op-ed writer Timothy Egan on Friday published a column slamming Trump's proposed "police state" that would target Muslims, as well as other groups like Hispanics. Trump's proposal to deport the nation's 11 million undocumented immigrants "would prompt a million Hispanic Anne Franks -- people hiding in the attics and basements of Donald Trump's America," Egan wrote. He also bashed Trump supporters, charging that Trump's rallies are "scary spectacles of rabid brown shirts in Dockers." Political commentator Roger Simon wrote in a column this week, "Do not say you were not warned. Der Donald has warned you. Security is going to rule in America. And unthinkable things will be done." Simon also referenced Martin Niemöller's warning.”


Fascism -- The responses from John Kasich and Jeb Bush’s advisor John Noon to the conservative pundits Steve Deace and Max Boot make it clear that there is a strong anti-Trump strain among Republicans, so I am reassured that Trump won’t find it easy to become the GOP presidential candidate in 2016.

And so goes the political saga for today. I can’t believe there are no Republicans who believe in civilized human discourse, so I don’t believe that when the Republican primaries come that Trump will be voted in.





http://www.cbsnews.com/news/laquan-mcdonald-shooting-chicago-protesters-black-friday-jason-van-dyke-arrest/

Protesters take action to keep focus on black teen's death
CBS NEWS
November 27, 2015

Play VIDEO -- Legal expert on Chicago police shooting death, dashcam video
Photograph -- Demonstrators march down Michigan Avenue during a protest intending to disrupt Black Friday shopping in reaction to the fatal shooting of Laquan McDonald in Chicago, Illinois, Nov. 27, 2015. REUTERS/ANDREW NELLES
Play VIDEO -- Two more views released of Chicago fatal police shooting
Photograph -- 2015-11-27t203906z1831986773gf20000076739rtrmadp3usa-race-chicago-protests.jpg, Demonstrators link arms to block access to stores during a protest intending to disrupt Black Friday shopping in reaction to the fatal shooting of black teenager Laquan McDonald in Chicago, Illinois, November 27, 2015. REUTERS
Play VIDEO -- Chicago cop charged with murder had checkered past
Play VIDEO -- Chicago officer's lawyer on murder charges
Play VIDEO -- Watch: Police release dashcam video of Chicago cop shooting teen


CHICAGO -- Activists shut down part of Chicago's Magnificent Mile on Black Friday and planned to march in protest of the fatal police shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald, CBS Chicago reports.

Hundreds of protesters gathered at Pioneer Court at Michigan Avenue and the Chicago River late Friday morning.

Chicago Police Officer Jason Van Dyke has been charged with first-degree murder in McDonald's death on Oct. 20, 2014. Hours after Van Dyke was charged, city officials released dashboard camera video of Van Dyke shooting McDonald 16 times in the span of about 15 seconds on the Southwest Side.

"I wish that they could turn back the hands of time and this would have never happened, but it happened for a reason: to show that every job that a person have wherever, we've got a bad seed somewhere," community activist Andrew Holmes said ahead of Friday's march. "I said, in talking to my head not my heart, he does not represent our Chicago police officers because there are some fine officers and detectives that work these cases out there."

Many activists have called what happened to McDonald a "modern-day lynching."

The march along the Magnificent Mile comes after two nights of protests downtown after the video of McDonald's death was made public.

The video shows McDonald jogging down a street and then veering away from Van Dyke and another officer who emerge from a police SUV drawing their guns. Within seconds, Van Dyke begins firing. McDonald, who authorities allege was carrying a three-inch knife and was suspected of breaking into cars, spins around and falls to the pavement as Van Dyke keeps shooting.

Among the marchers Friday was 73-year-old Frank Chapman of Chicago, who said the disturbing video confirms what activists have said for years about Chicago police brutality.

"That needs to end. Too many have already died," said Chapman, whose organization, the Chicago Alliance Against Racism and Political Oppression, is pushing for an elected, civilian police accountability council.

Many Chicago police officers were lining Michigan Avenue as the march got underway. Police have said they will protect protesters' rights to free speech but won't tolerate criminal activity.

Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy said officers have done a "remarkable" job monitoring protests and making sure they remain peaceful.

"That's why we're not having problems that other cities are having or have had in the past," McCarthy said before Friday's march. "We're going to facilitate the protests. We're trying to help them do what they want to do, quite frankly, and we're going to do it in a professional manner; but we will not allow criminal behavior, quite frankly. We're not going to stand by and watch something happen. We're not going to let windows get broken and stand by idly watching it happen. We're not going to let places get looted. It's just not going to happen."

Shortly after 11 a.m., activists began marching north along the middle of Michigan Avenue from Pioneer Court to Water Tower Place, through the heart of arguably the most popular retail district in the city.

When the demonstrators reached Water Tower Place, many tried to push their way inside the shopping center but found the doors on Michigan Avenue locked.

Activists said the intent of the protest was to slow down business on the Magnificent Mile.

"We have to stop business as usual until we stop police terror," protest organizer Grant Newburger said.

Despite the crowds of protesters and cold and rainy weather, plenty of shoppers were still heading into stores on Michigan Avenue and seemed to be taking things in stride, at least before the protest really caused any disruptions on Michigan Avenue.

"I think it's those people's right to protest, and I support their freedom to do that, so I'm just out here getting some shopping done, but good luck to anyone trying to brave the weather. It's pretty miserable out here," Andrew Boudwin said.

However, fellow shopper Keefe Powell said the protesters were in the wrong place.

"They need to be with the mayor, City Hall, police department. Department stores have nothing, nothing, nothing to do with this," he said.

Protesters have said they specifically targeted the Magnificent Mile because they don't want it to be business as usual on Black Friday; they want to keep attention on McDonald's death and the need for reforms within the Chicago Police Department.

Many have called for Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez and McCarthy to resign over their handling of the case.

Bishop Larry Trotter, senior pastor of Sweet Holy Spirit Church, has endorsed Alvarez's challenger, Kim Foxx, who said Alvarez took too long to charge Van Dyke with murder.

"See this beautiful black lady? We're going to put her in Anita's position," Trotter said Thursday.

Foxx said Alvarez should have acted sooner to charge Van Dyke and should have released the controversial dashboard camera video of the shooting much earlier.

"It is the responsibility of the state's attorney to hold accountable people who do wrong, whether you are gang banger, a police officer, or a politician. That is your job," Foxx said. "Right now, our whole city and our whole criminal justice system is under indictment because the people who were charged with making sure he was held accountable did it in darkness."

Trotter also insisted McCarthy must lose his job for not moving to fire Van Dyke.

Activists have said more than 20 misconduct complaints were filed against Van Dyke during his career without him facing any disciplinary action.

"The superintendent needs to be fired too," Trotter said.

McCarthy said he has no plans to resign, and the mayor has given him his full support.

"I've never quit on anything in my life. I'm 56 years old. Don't expect that to change," McCarthy said. "The mayor has made it very clear that he has my back, and if people peel away the onion on what's happening right now in the policing world, you're going to find a police department that's doing an exceptional job, and quite frankly I'm not going to quit on the people of Chicago, and I'll never quit on these men and women."



“However, fellow shopper Keefe Powell said the protesters were in the wrong place. "They need to be with the mayor, City Hall, police department. Department stores have nothing, nothing, nothing to do with this," he said. Protesters have said they specifically targeted the Magnificent Mile because they don't want it to be business as usual on Black Friday; they want to keep attention on McDonald's death and the need for reforms within the Chicago Police Department. Many have called for Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez and McCarthy to resign over their handling of the case. Bishop Larry Trotter, senior pastor of Sweet Holy Spirit Church, has endorsed Alvarez's challenger, Kim Foxx, who said Alvarez took too long to charge Van Dyke with murder. "See this beautiful black lady? We're going to put her in Anita's position," Trotter said Thursday.” …. Among the marchers Friday was 73-year-old Frank Chapman of Chicago, who said the disturbing video confirms what activists have said for years about Chicago police brutality. "That needs to end. Too many have already died," said Chapman, whose organization, the Chicago Alliance Against Racism and Political Oppression, is pushing for an elected, civilian police accountability council. …. Foxx said Alvarez should have acted sooner to charge Van Dyke and should have released the controversial dashboard camera video of the shooting much earlier. "It is the responsibility of the state's attorney to hold accountable people who do wrong, whether you are gang banger, a police officer, or a politician. That is your job," Foxx said. "Right now, our whole city and our whole criminal justice system is under indictment because the people who were charged with making sure he was held accountable did it in darkness." …. Trotter also insisted McCarthy must lose his job for not moving to fire Van Dyke. Activists have said more than 20 misconduct complaints were filed against Van Dyke during his career without him facing any disciplinary action.”


Boycotts have a long and often effective history for thousands of years. A classical Greek comical play by Aristophanes shows the women of Athens boycotting sex to force an end to the Peloponnesian War. The 1957 Montgomery Bus Boycott ended bus desegregation there and made heroes of Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King. You might ask, what the connection is in this Chicago case, but the link is the purse strings which control the operations of City Hall in the long run. That will make its’ way down to the Police Department as Mayor Rahm Emanuel is forced to change police discipline, rules of operation and training, OR AT LEAST TO APPEAR TO. An “elected police accountability council would be a good first step toward reconciling police work and citizens’ issues. In many of these cities where the public is opposed to their police departments’ techniques, there are no official bodies for discussing the conflicts. As a result the issues just go on and on with no change. Chicago is no exception. Most fairly sizable police forces have these problems, especially since most US cities have largely segregated housing.





http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/11/28/457697276/relatives-of-drowned-syrian-boy-will-move-to-canada

Relatives Of Drowned Syrian Boy Will Move To Canada
Bill Chappell
November 28, 2015

Photograph -- Tima Kurdi, seen here next to a painting of her late nephew, Alan Kurdi, says she has received official approval to welcome her brother and his family into her home in Canada. Virginia Mayo/AP


Nearly three months after the tragic death of Alan Kurdi in waters off Turkey's coast came to symbolize a refugee crisis, seven of his relatives are heading to Canada to live with Kurdi's aunt, in a reversal of an earlier decision by immigration officials.

"I was crying," Tima Kurdi told The Toronto Star Friday, speaking from her home in Coquitlam, east of Vancouver. "To be honest, I was like, 'Why now? Why not then?"

The "then" she's referring to is this past summer, when the government refused Tima Kurdi's application to sponsor her brother Mohammed and his family. That application had been intended to help pave the way for Tima's other brother, Abdullah, to bring his wife and two sons, Alan and Ghaleb, from Syria.

But when the first application was rejected, Abdullah and his family embarked on a desperate trip across the Mediterranean from Turkey to a Greek island. It ended in disaster: of the four, only Abdullah survived after their overcrowded boat capsized, and little Alan's lifeless body was later found on a beach by police, in an event that was documented in a series of haunting images.

Tima Kurdi, who has been living in Canada for more than 20 years, tells The Globe and Mail that this month, she received an email from Canadian immigration officials telling her Mohammed, his wife and their five children have been cleared. She's hoping they'll join her, her husband, and their son by Christmas.

But in interviews with several Canadian news outlets, Tima also says she can't stop thinking about her two nephews who died trying to leave Syria, and about her brother, Abdullah, who now works to help refugees. He lives in northern Iraq and has abandoned all thoughts of reaching Canada.

Speaking to the CBC, Abdullah says, "I was angry at their government but now ... my hard feelings are gone."

Calling his son's death "a message from God sent to the world," Abdullah adds, "Losing my family opened the door to many other families, and I'm not angry at the Canadian people."




"I was crying," Tima Kurdi told The Toronto Star Friday, speaking from her home in Coquitlam, east of Vancouver. "To be honest, I was like, 'Why now? Why not then?" The "then" she's referring to is this past summer, when the government refused Tima Kurdi's application to sponsor her brother Mohammed and his family. That application had been intended to help pave the way for Tima's other brother, Abdullah, to bring his wife and two sons, Alan and Ghaleb, from Syria. …. Speaking to the CBC, Abdullah says, "I was angry at their government but now ... my hard feelings are gone." Calling his son's death "a message from God sent to the world," Abdullah adds, "Losing my family opened the door to many other families, and I'm not angry at the Canadian people."


We need to step up the accuracy with which we identify who is a radical killer and who isn’t. The problem with all racially and religiously biased thinking is that it lacks information. Too many people just don’t care about that, though, so the Right wing reactions against such groups go on. If these people’s names are Kurdi, then they surely are Kurds, who are ON OUR SIDE, for goodness’ sake! Most of them are Islamic, but they aren’t “Islamists,” or Fundamentalist radicals.




http://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2015/11/24/457203807/in-the-west-bank-a-synagogue-comes-down

In The West Bank, A Synagogue Comes Down
Emily Harris, International Correspondent, Jerusalem
Updated November 24, 2015

Photograph -- The Ayalet HaShahar synagogue in the West Bank settlement of Giv'at Ze'ev was built in the late 1990s. After years of legal battles, Israel's highest court ruled the synagogue, built on privately owned Palestinian land, had to be taken down. A new, temporary synagogue went up overnight, just a block away. Emily Harris/NPR
Photograph -- Palestinian Rabah Abdellatif fought in court against the synagogue on his land for years. He died a year ago, but his sons pressed on with the battle. They welcomed the court's decisions but say the government payout to settlers will encourage them to build again on Palestinian land. Emily Harris/NPR
Photograph -- A Palestinian farmer from the nearby village of Jib got an Israeli permit to cross a military checkpoint and prepare his land next to the settlement of Giv'at Ze'ev for sowing wheat. The disputed synagogue is being dismantled in the background as he works. Emily Harris/NPR
Photograph - A new synagogue went up almost overnight as the older one was being taken down. They are only a block apart, but the new one is on land that is not part of this lawsuit.i
A new synagogue went up almost overnight as the older one was being taken down. They are only a block apart, but the new one is on land that is not part of this lawsuit. Emily Harris/NPR
Photograph -- Jewish activists put up posters as part of a campaign to save the synagogue. The synagogue came down, but the government agreed to pay the settlers $1.3 million. Emily Harris/NPR


In a West Bank settlement, Israelis are taking down a synagogue. The country's highest court ordered its removal because it was built without a permit on property owned by Palestinians.

It's a rare move, and the story of how this came to be reveals a heated debate around judicial activism, government money, and settlers' political power.

Two weeks ago, the Ayalet HaShahar synagogue in the Giv'at Ze'ev settlement was packed with young Israeli men.

They milled around, eating lunch in the courtyard entrance, or studying Scripture in the wooden pews of the sanctuary. When a prominent rabbi stopped by, some chanted and danced as an Israeli television crew recorded the visit.

These young men had come from around Israel and settlements in the West Bank in a bid to prevent the removal of the synagogue as ordered by Israel's highest court.

Amichai Malik, a 20-year-old from a nearby settlement, said "bad" court rulings should be fought.

"The fact that the guy has a hat of judge, doesn't mean anything," he said. "In this case, they're just doing an evil thing. And the house that should be destroyed is the court."

This synagogue, a sturdy building with cut-glass chandeliers in the foyer and sanctuary, was constructed in 1998, on what was then the outskirts of Giv'at Ze'ev, a settlement just east of Jerusalem that had started 15 years earlier. By 1999, a Palestinian from the nearby village of Jib had won a court ruling to take it down.

Palestinian Rabah Abdellatif claimed the Jewish house of worship was built on his family's farmland, although it had lain fallow for a while. The Israeli court ordered the synagogue removed based not on his claim but on grounds that the Jewish builders had not obtained proper Israeli construction permits.

This case went in and out of court. Abdellatif died last year, but his sons pressed on to win control of the property. Synagogue backers say they paid for the land, but they couldn't substantiate that to satisfy the court.

Two years ago, the Israeli government agreed to take the synagogue down. Appeals delayed the destruction until a final court order to remove it no later than Nov. 17.

So the young men hanging out there two weeks ago were expecting Israeli security forces to arrive with orders to remove them.

They were ready. Tires were stacked near the entrance and along outer walls — some stuffed with paper to ignite quickly. Barbed wire stretched across the building's flat roof.

Matanel Giladi, 23, from the coastal town of Netanya, said the court order crossed a red line.

"Even if in Europe or the U.S.A. [the government is] coming to destroy a synagogue this is a red line, but in Israel this does not make sense. This is something you need to stand for and say, 'No. Enough is enough,' " he said.

By last week, the synagogue was empty and surrounded by a 6-foot metal fence. Outside, a police officer sat on duty. A few workers on the roof took the building apart, while simultaneously, one block away, other workers put up a new, temporary synagogue.

Twenty-four hours after they started, the temporary synagogue was ready for prayers amid the construction.

How did this all finally get resolved without a major confrontation?

The government was looking for a way out. Israeli officials didn't want clashes between settlers and Israeli forces. They also expressed concern that angry settlers might take revenge on Palestinians.

So after negotiations that included Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli government offered the settlers the equivalent of $1.3 million. Elana Dror, a member of the Giv'at Ze'ev municipal council, was relieved.

"I was sure it was going to end in violence," she said, outside the new synagogue, which she supports but does not attend. "And that's why Bibi Netanyahu stepped in, because he realized if he wouldn't step in, God forbid there would have been bloodshed or something else."

Still, settlers are angry at the court. Wealthy Israeli backers of the synagogue say since the judges ordered a Jewish prayer site removed, they plan to fund lawsuits challenging illegally built mosques.

Law professor Barak Medina of Jerusalem's Hebrew University says Israel's high court has come under increased pressure as the country has shifted right politically.

"We see in recent years this growing criticism of politicians from the right against the court," he says. "Which of course has an adverse affect on public confidence in court. But I must say it is still only rhetoric."

He notes that Israel's parliament has not, despite threats of some politicians, revoked the high court's right to choose to review any law or government policy, or hear any claim, giving it broader rights to intervene than the U.S. Supreme Court has, for example.

But it's not just rhetoric, says Gilad Grossman, a spokesman for Yesh Din, the Israeli legal organization that represents the Abdellatif family.

Grossman says the Israeli government undermined the country's highest court by taking years and paying a large sum to fulfill the court's removal order. In the end, he says, the family got what it asked for. But the way it happened is "very dangerous for democracy," he said.


Members of the Abdellatif family, who have American citizenship, agree. Mohammad Abdellatif says the Israeli high court brought his family some justice. But he worries the government payment to the settlers could encourage others to build on property owned by Palestinians.

"They have no justice for giving them this money. For what?" Abdellatif asks. "To go to other areas and fight Palestinians?"

He and most of his siblings live in Jib, the same West Bank village where their father was born. They hope to raise olives or grapes on their land once the synagogue is completely gone. To tend to crops, they need permits from the Israeli military to cross a soldier-staffed checkpoint — the only opening in the barrier, topped with barbed wire, that separates Giv'at Ze'ev and other nearby settlements from Palestinian villages in the area.




“In a West Bank settlement, Israelis are taking down a synagogue. The country's highest court ordered its removal because it was built without a permit on property owned by Palestinians. It's a rare move, and the story of how this came to be reveals a heated debate around judicial activism, government money, and settlers' political power. …. Palestinian Rabah Abdellatif claimed the Jewish house of worship was built on his family's farmland, although it had lain fallow for a while. The Israeli court ordered the synagogue removed based not on his claim but on grounds that the Jewish builders had not obtained proper Israeli construction permits. This case went in and out of court. Abdellatif died last year, but his sons pressed on to win control of the property. Synagogue backers say they paid for the land, but they couldn't substantiate that to satisfy the court. Two years ago, the Israeli government agreed to take the synagogue down. …. By last week, the synagogue was empty and surrounded by a 6-foot metal fence. Outside, a police officer sat on duty. A few workers on the roof took the building apart, while simultaneously, one block away, other workers put up a new, temporary synagogue. Twenty-four hours after they started, the temporary synagogue was ready for prayers amid the construction. …. "I was sure it was going to end in violence," she said, outside the new synagogue, which she supports but does not attend. "And that's why Bibi Netanyahu stepped in, because he realized if he wouldn't step in, God forbid there would have been bloodshed or something else." Still, settlers are angry at the court. Wealthy Israeli backers of the synagogue say since the judges ordered a Jewish prayer site removed, they plan to fund lawsuits challenging illegally built mosques. …. "We see in recent years this growing criticism of politicians from the right against the court," he says. "Which of course has an adverse affect on public confidence in court. But I must say it is still only rhetoric." He notes that Israel's parliament has not, despite threats of some politicians, revoked the high court's right to choose to review any law or government policy, or hear any claim, giving it broader rights to intervene than the U.S. Supreme Court has, for example. …. Members of the Abdellatif family, who have American citizenship, agree. Mohammad Abdellatif says the Israeli high court brought his family some justice. But he worries the government payment to the settlers could encourage others to build on property owned by Palestinians. "They have no justice for giving them this money. For what?" Abdellatif asks. "To go to other areas and fight Palestinians?" …. To tend to crops, they need permits from the Israeli military to cross a soldier-staffed checkpoint — the only opening in the barrier, topped with barbed wire, that separates Giv'at Ze'ev and other nearby settlements from Palestinian villages in the area.”


I must say I don’t see why the Israeli government should pay Israeli settlers to “agree” to the thing that by law they were already constrained to do. This isn’t a victory for the Abdellatif family, but a case of corruption. The whole business of Jewish settlements on Palestinian land makes no sense, and doesn’t seem to me to be legal at all. I also don’t like the “barrier topped with barbed wire” that separates Jewish settlements and Palestinian villages. That’s no way to keep the peace.



http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/11/27/457424528/how-long-can-floridas-citrus-industry-survive

How Long Can Florida's Citrus Industry Survive?
Greg Allen
Updated November 27, 2015

Photograph -- Oranges ripen in a grove in Plant City, Fla. Citrus greening, a disease spread by a tiny insect that ruins oranges and eventually kills the trees, has put the future of the state's $10 billion citrus industry in doubt.
Chris O'Meara/AP


While others are thinking about the holidays, in Florida November is the beginning of citrus season. Grower Jeff Schorner sells citrus fruit gift boxes by mail order and at his store, Al's Family Farm in Fort Pierce.

"We began our harvest about three weeks ago," he says. "And we'll harvest all the way about until the beginning of June." Right now, it's navel oranges. Next come tangerines, ruby red grapefruit and the popular honeybell tangelos.

In Florida, citrus is so important, oranges are on the state's license plate. But a disease, citrus greening, has taken a severe toll on Florida's signature crop. Researchers and growers are working on a solution but they received a shock recently: The U.S. Department of Agriculture said, after years of decline, there would be an additional 20 percent drop in Florida's orange production this season.

Outside his market, Schorner has a small citrus grove. He says for growers, fighting citrus greening disease is challenging and expensive. "We're doing the same level of care," he says. "But we're doing it three times as often." And that's tripled per acre expenses.

Citrus growers in Florida, California and Texas have contended with a variety of diseases and pests over the years. But none has posed the threat they now face with citrus greening. A tiny insect, the Asian psyllid, carries bacteria that ruin the fruit and eventually kills the tree.

It's been nine years now since the disease was confirmed in Florida. It infects every part of the state and has led to a steady decline in orange, tangerine and grapefruit production. The USDA stunned Florida growers when it announced it was lowering its estimate of this year's orange crop to 74 million boxes. That would be Florida's smallest orange harvest in more than 50 years.

Now some in Florida are questioning how much longer the citrus industry can survive. Florida's agriculture secretary, Adam Putnam, says the future of the state's $10 billion citrus industry hangs in the balance. "If the estimate plays out, it will be half of what we harvested just four years ago," he says. "We are at a tipping point, and some would say we've blown past the tipping point."

That's the point at which there's no longer enough fruit to sustain all the juice plants and packing houses. If enough shut down, it could spell the end of an industry that provides some 76,000 jobs in Florida.

Putnam spoke at a state senate workshop in Sebring, in the heart of Florida's citrus-growing region. Grower John Barben was also there. He tends citrus groves in Highlands County that were planted by his father 60 years ago. He's begun to dread the annual USDA crop estimate. He says, "It's just like having your heart stomped on every year at this time. We sort of joke every year, 'Well, we'll know next June if we did the things right or not.' "

When citrus greening first emerged, researchers and growers pinned their hopes on finding a cure. They began looking for an effective treatment or a new variety of disease-resistant trees. But a cure has proved elusive. So now, the industry has focused on strategies to keep infected trees healthy and productive as long as possible. Growers are using costly treatments like extra fertilizer and pesticide. Some also have also begun using heat to control the disease, subjecting trees to periodic steam baths.

At his 35-acre research facility in Vero Beach, Bob Adair has had promising results with something he calls metalized reflective mulch. "It's a monomolecular layer of aluminum," he says, "a very, very thin coating of aluminum, very shiny. Looks much like aluminum foil."

Underneath a row of grapefruit trees, the ground is covered by a silvery plastic sheet. It acts like a mirror, reflecting the light and heat of the intense Florida sunshine. "As we stand here," Adair says, "you can probably feel the heat. And what we're looking at are trees that are growing 50 percent faster than trees that were planted with the grower's standard, which is bare ground."

Even more important, on trees with the metalized mulch, Adair is seeing fewer Asian psyllids, the insects that carry citrus greening disease. "So we have a healthy tree, a bigger tree with more fruit," he says. He believes it could be a valuable tool for growers, helping keep their groves productive while the search continues for a cure.

Adair's project is one of dozens in Florida competing for scarce research dollars. Since citrus greening appeared there, more than $176 million in state, federal and grower funds have been spent on the search for solutions. And some are impatient for results.

At the recent workshop, a state senator asked growers when the legislature might expect to see a return on its investment. Grower Marty McKenna said for the industry, spending on research has bought hope, and that's what keeps him and other growers going. "That money has allowed this industry one more year, this year," McKenna said. "Without the huge investment in research, we can't continue to go forward. We have that hope that the research will pull us through."

Last week, the University of Florida announced that it has developed a genetically modified orange tree that appears to be resistant to citrus greening. But even if that turns out to be the silver bullet growers have been waiting for, with field testing and government approval, it will still be years before it becomes commercially available — not to mention the consumer opposition GMO oranges would likely face. Clearing those hurdles may come too late for many in Florida's citrus industry.




“The U.S. Department of Agriculture said, after years of decline, there would be an additional 20 percent drop in Florida's orange production this season. Outside his market, Schorner has a small citrus grove. He says for growers, fighting citrus greening disease is challenging and expensive. "We're doing the same level of care," he says. "But we're doing it three times as often." And that's tripled per acre expenses. Citrus growers in Florida, California and Texas have contended with a variety of diseases and pests over the years. But none has posed the threat they now face with citrus greening. A tiny insect, the Asian psyllid, carries bacteria that ruin the fruit and eventually kills the tree. …. Florida's agriculture secretary, Adam Putnam, says the future of the state's $10 billion citrus industry hangs in the balance. "If the estimate plays out, it will be half of what we harvested just four years ago," he says. "We are at a tipping point, and some would say we've blown past the tipping point." That's the point at which there's no longer enough fruit to sustain all the juice plants and packing houses. If enough shut down, it could spell the end of an industry that provides some 76,000 jobs in Florida. …. When citrus greening first emerged, researchers and growers pinned their hopes on finding a cure. They began looking for an effective treatment or a new variety of disease-resistant trees. But a cure has proved elusive. So now, the industry has focused on strategies to keep infected trees healthy and productive as long as possible. Growers are using costly treatments like extra fertilizer and pesticide. Some also have also begun using heat to control the disease, subjecting trees to periodic steam baths. …. Underneath a row of grapefruit trees, the ground is covered by a silvery plastic sheet. It acts like a mirror, reflecting the light and heat of the intense Florida sunshine. "As we stand here," Adair says, "you can probably feel the heat. And what we're looking at are trees that are growing 50 percent faster than trees that were planted with the grower's standard, which is bare ground." Even more important, on trees with the metalized mulch, Adair is seeing fewer Asian psyllids, the insects that carry citrus greening disease. "So we have a healthy tree, a bigger tree with more fruit," he says. He believes it could be a valuable tool for growers, helping keep their groves productive while the search continues for a cure. …. But even if that turns out to be the silver bullet growers have been waiting for, with field testing and government approval, it will still be years before it becomes commercially available — not to mention the consumer opposition GMO oranges would likely face. Clearing those hurdles may come too late for many in Florida's citrus industry.”


It seems to me that the aluminum based mulch is the way to go. The article didn’t say what the drawbacks from that are – cost, probably, as a minutely thin layer of aluminum may be difficult to manufacture in large quantities. The “steam bath” seems the most difficult to do, however, though in cold winter weather Florida farmers have used “smudge pots” as long as I can remember. An Internet article on Asian psyllid spraying is about California growers who have the problem also. Psyllid killing predators have also been tried, including in Florida, but apparently the psyllid is winning. See the Wikipedia article below.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diaphorina_citri

Diaphorina citri

The Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri, is a sap-sucking, hemipteran bug in the family Psyllidae. It is an important pest of citrus, as it is one of only two confirmed vectors of the serious citrus greening disease.[1] It is widely distributed in southern Asia and has spread to other citrus growing regions.

Distribution[edit]

The Asian citrus psyllid originated in Asia but it is now also found in parts of the Middle East, South and Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean. In the United States, this psyllid was first detected in Florida in 1998 and is now also found in Louisiana, Georgia, Arizona and South Carolina.[2] In Southern California, the San Joaquin Valley and Central Coast counties, such as San Luis Obispo an eradication programme has been instituted in an attempt to prevent it becoming established.[3][4] In the whole of the United States and its territories, areas where this psyllid are found are under quarantine restrictions.[5]

Life cycle[edit]

Eggs are laid on the tips of growing shoots, between and near the unfolding leaves. A female may lay up to 800 eggs during her lifetime which may be several months. The whole development cycle takes from two to seven weeks depending on the temperature and the time of year.[6]

Predation[edit]

The wasp species Brachygastra mellifica is a common predator to D. citri.[7]

Control[edit]

The Asian citrus psyllid has a number of natural enemies including hoverflies, lacewings, several species of ladybird and a number of species of parasitic wasp.[8] One of these wasps, Tamarixia radiata, has proved very effective at controlling the pest and has been successfully released and become established in a number of citrus growing areas including Florida.[9] Both adults and nymphs of the psyllid can be controlled by the use of a wide range of insecticides.[10] Citrus greening disease is best controlled through an integrated strategy involving the use of healthy planting material, the prompt removal of infected trees and branches and the control of vectors.[11





http://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2015/11/27/457589359/in-brazil-deforestation-is-up-and-so-is-the-risk-of-tree-extinction

In Brazil, Deforestation Is Up, And So Is The Risk Of Tree Extinction
Hannah Bloch
Updated November 27, 2015

Photograph -- In Brazil's western state of Rondonia, a patch of the forest burns near a small farm. Kainaz Amaria/NPR
Photograph -- Deforestation in Rondonia has increased by 41 percent.
Kainaz Amaria/NPR


The rate of deforestation in Brazil has increased by 16 percent over the past year, the country's Environment Ministry announced.

Brazil has often declared progress in reducing the rate of deforestation in the Amazon, but the government's own figures, released Thursday, show the challenges still facing the country.

Satellite imagery showed that 2,251 square miles were destroyed in Brazil's Amazon from August 2014 to July 2015, compared with 1,935 square miles destroyed in the same period a year earlier.

Earlier this month, before these figures were released, NPR's Lourdes Garcia-Navarro reported from the Amazon:

In Rondonia, a small Amazonian state in western Brazil, the environmental police just had their only helicopter taken away in budget cuts. The people on the ground tell us that deforestation is "out of control."
Thursday's figures showed that Rondonia experienced a 41 percent increase in deforestation. Again, NPR's Lourdes Garcia-Navarro reporting earlier this month:

According to the government figures, the rate of deforestation is down dramatically over the past decade. And there's a general consensus this is true. But critics say the numbers don't tell the whole story because so much of the Amazon has already been damaged or destroyed. And the country is still losing about 2,000 square miles of jungle each year.

Meanwhile, in a separate study published last week, an international team of more than 150 scientists reported that due to deforestation, "at least 36 percent and up to 57 percent of all Amazonian tree species are likely to qualify as globally threatened under International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List criteria."

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species categorizes the world's species according to risk of extinction.

Last week's study, published Nov. 20 in the journal Science Advances, examined 15,000 different Amazonian tree species. "If confirmed," the authors write, "these results would increase the number of threatened plant species on Earth by 22 percent."

In addition to contributing to degradation and loss of habitat, deforestation also emits greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. Global leaders, including those from the Amazon region, will gather in Paris starting Nov. 30 for the United Nations conference on climate change.




“In Rondonia, a small Amazonian state in western Brazil, the environmental police just had their only helicopter taken away in budget cuts. The people on the ground tell us that deforestation is "out of control." Thursday's figures showed that Rondonia experienced a 41 percent increase in deforestation. Again, NPR's Lourdes Garcia-Navarro reporting earlier this month: According to the government figures, the rate of deforestation is down dramatically over the past decade. And there's a general consensus this is true. But critics say the numbers don't tell the whole story because so much of the Amazon has already been damaged or destroyed. And the country is still losing about 2,000 square miles of jungle each year. Meanwhile, in a separate study published last week, an international team of more than 150 scientists reported that due to deforestation, "at least 36 percent and up to 57 percent of all Amazonian tree species are likely to qualify as globally threatened under International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List criteria."

“In addition to contributing to degradation and loss of habitat, deforestation also emits greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. Global leaders, including those from the Amazon region, will gather in Paris starting Nov. 30 for the United Nations conference on climate change.” I assume the US won’t support any efforts to prevent this situation, because the Billionaire Class doesn’t want to stifle their personal and collective economic growth. I’m sure Republicans here will say it “causes job loss,” and anyway, everybody knows that global warming doesn’t exist.





http://www.npr.org/2015/11/27/457382196/americans-dont-disagree-on-politics-as-much-as-you-might-think

Americans Don't Disagree On Politics As Much As You Might Think
Danielle Kurtzleben
Updated November 27, 2015

Photograph -- Only around 1 in 5 Americans trusts the government, which has helped political outsiders like Donald Trump. Ty Wright/Getty Images


It has become de rigueur to write about the woes of Thanksgiving-table political arguments. If you are unlucky enough to actually experience these, you may have noticed that the fights at the Thanksgiving table have grown more heated in recent years. That would make sense — after all, we keep hearing that Capitol Hill is growing more polarized (and, relatedly, paralyzed).

Given all that, it may surprise you to hear that Americans aren't actually all that ideologically polarized. In fact, they're really pretty moderate, at least according to Vanderbilt University's Marc Hetherington and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's Thomas Rudolph, the authors of the recent book Why Washington Won't Work.

Hetherington talked with NPR about why Americans distrust Washington so much and why partisanship seems more intense than ever. Here's a transcript of the conversation (edited for length and clarity):

You say that Americans really aren't getting all that ideologically polarized. That doesn't feel true. So how on Earth is that right?

Hetherington: People are not so polarized on issues specifically or in terms of their ideological predispositions.

And the reason is that most people don't pay that close of attention to politics. And in order to have extreme viewpoints on the issues or in terms of their ideologies, that requires a lot of political expertise to take extreme positions on issues.

But that doesn't mean that we're not polarized. It just means that we're not polarized in terms of our issue positions or ideologies. We point out that ordinary Americans are, in fact, polarized, but it's in their feelings, not in their issue positions. We've come to dislike our opponents in a way that we've never disliked them at this level before.

How did that happen?

It's a combination of lots of things over time. A big part of this, at least to Tom and me, is that there's really nothing that [our representatives] in Washington agree on across party lines any longer. In other words, all the moderates kind of disappeared from the people who represent us.

It's a story that's tied up in the evolution of the parties on racial issues. As race came to dominate politics, no longer could Southern Democrats survive, so they were replaced with ever-more conservative Republicans and, in the Northeast, Northeastern Republicans couldn't survive; they were replaced by really liberal Democrats.

So, the center of both parties ended up disappearing, in fact, becoming pretty conservative among the Republicans [and] Southerners, and liberal among the Democrats — the Northeasterners and far Westerners, for that matter.

So, a big part of why we don't like each other is the people who provide us with our cues — that is, our leaders — they basically spend all their time telling us that the other side is always wrong, on every single vector. And that's one of the things that causes people to dislike the other side.

Another important piece is the types of issues that divide us these days — when we are divided about things people have deep, strong feelings about, like race and ethnicity, as it is tied up in immigration these days, or gay rights.

These are issues that people have really strong feelings and opinions about. It's not like wage and price controls or something along those lines. These are deep-seated values — things like keeping us safe from terrorism. People care.

And I think the last piece that's really important but maybe underappreciated is that the margins between Republicans and Democrats are so close these days.

I've been thinking about this a little bit. I'm a big baseball fan. When two sides are really pretty evenly matched, and you like one of them, and you don't like the other one, you really don't like the other one more when you're evenly matched than if the other team is a lot better or a lot worse than your team.

So, I'm a Red Sox fan. I hate the Yankees, but when I really hate the Yankees is when the two teams are competing closely. And that's one of the things happening in politics these days. It's just raising the temperature.

We found out this week that trust in government is at near-historic lows. How does that play into this discussion?

It's a very straightforward kind of notion: If you really just don't like the other side, the other side when they're running the government is very basically seen as untrustworthy.

And what we show is that this trust, it provides for a bridge between the two different political parties. But if there's no one in the party opposite the president who trusts the other side, that bridge is never going to get formed.

If there are very few out-party partisans who support the president's programs, there's no reason for Republican legislators to compromise with President Obama. Or during the last years of the Bush administration, there was no incentive for Democrats to compromise with President Bush. There was no one in their constituencies saying, "I trust this guy! I believe these ideas are good ones."

Then why do both sides dislike each other so much now? Is it the same reasons that pushed trust downward?

I would put it in this order. So the changes that I talked about with close party margins and issues being these sort of gut-level issues, the emergence of all of these, and the re-sorting of the electoral map because of race, all those things contribute to dislike, and dislike contributes to distrust.

And polarization itself contributes to this distrust in government as well. When the government is polarized like it is — and there's no doubt that the political left is way different from the political right in Washington these days — what we see in the measures of government productivity is that it's abysmally low.

People don't like that. So this polarization, the gridlock that results from the polarization, that causes people to distrust the government too, and with good reason: people expect the government to perform well.

So it's circular?

It's absolutely circular in that regard. More polarization begets poor performance, which begets worse trust, which gives you worse performance, which, of course, gives you more frustration.

What I think is fascinating is what you write about that chart of Americans' trust levels — that maybe our baseline we're aiming for shouldn't be the super-high trust levels of the 1950s and '60s.

I think that that's one of the really interesting things we ought to take away from this. Most of the good survey research that's being done has its roots in the 1950s and the 1960s.

And I think one of the things that's important to keep in mind is that may well have been a super-anomalous period in American history. But it's become the baseline we measure everything from. Levels of trust in government in that period were extraordinarily high, and one of the things we do in the book is explore why they might have been so high then.

When you think about what was going on in the late 1950s, early 1960s, when these first trust measures were taken, it was a really scary time. You had the end of the Korean War, the beginning of the Cold War; you had the Cuban Missile Crisis. All of these things were making people think about how government was keeping them safe and successfully so.

And these kinds of partisan issues were taking a back seat. Everybody was together on these things.

But what's changed in the last 40 or 50 years is that foreign policy has played a less-central role, except after, of course, 9/11, when trust in government shot way up. A big part of what's going on here is that when politics are more what you might think of as normal-state — when there's not the worry about losing your life, for instance — we trust the government less.

You write that Republicans distrust government more when Democrats are in charge. I can't help thinking about GOP candidates like Donald Trump, Carly Fiorina and Ben Carson. Is Obama one reason these political outsiders have become such huge phenomena?

I think that's a really good observation. If trust and dislike of the Democrats wasn't so high, it would be a much-less fertile environment for the Trumps and Carsons, and I'd add Ted Cruz to that mix of things, too — people who really want to, either in the case of Cruz, someone who has governed as though he wants to blow up the system, or in the case of Trump or Carson, that they are kind of exemplars of blowing up the system. They might not have promised to do that, but they're so outside the box that they're very different.

So after eight years of George W. Bush being president, did the same sort of government mistrust — this time from Democrats — fuel a young, relatively inexperienced senator to being elected president?

It could be. We never really thought about that, but Obama, of course, was a tremendous outsider candidate. And if you may have noted, trust in government among Democrats was super low in 2007 and 2008 because of the financial crisis and all of that, and so they were looking for in a sense "the real deal." Everybody would have predicted Hillary Clinton would have won in 2008.

I hadn't thought about it. I love that idea, actually — that the low-trust environment was likely something that fueled the outsider Obama, just like it's fueling different outsiders among Republicans this year. I will say this, too: It provided him the fuel. The one thing that he also had mixed with that fuel was tremendous political skills.

OK, so let's switch gears: Give us some optimism. Your last chapter is called, "Things Will Probably Get Better, But We Are Not Sure How." Reassure our readers that things will get better.

I don't know if I can!

The only optimism that we're able to generate in that last chapter is because in the past we've found ourselves in these positions before, and the country has somehow grown out of them. I find this fascinating.

I'm doing similar research on this: the politics of the late 1800s and the politics of today are so similar. And eventually there was a Teddy Roosevelt and the Republicans winning huge victories, starting in 1896, 1900, 1904, and then the Republicans actually became a governing majority and did lots of stuff. And the same happens with Franklin Roosevelt in 1932 and thereafter.

But what we find ourselves with right now is the sort of politics that's very similar to when characters like Rutherford Hayes and Chester Arthur and Grover Cleveland were president. These presidents — they're known for their facial hair, not for their great accomplishments. And we're right back to that moment in time where the gridlock makes it impossible for much of anything to happen.



“In fact, they're really pretty moderate, at least according to Vanderbilt University's Marc Hetherington and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's Thomas Rudolph, the authors of the recent book Why Washington Won't Work. Hetherington talked with NPR about why Americans distrust Washington so much and why partisanship seems more intense than ever. …. And the reason is that most people don't pay that close of attention to politics. And in order to have extreme viewpoints on the issues or in terms of their ideologies, that requires a lot of political expertise to take extreme positions on issues. …. In other words, all the moderates kind of disappeared from the people who represent us. It's a story that's tied up in the evolution of the parties on racial issues. As race came to dominate politics, no longer could Southern Democrats survive, so they were replaced with ever-more conservative Republicans and, in the Northeast, Northeastern Republicans couldn't survive; they were replaced by really liberal Democrats. …. So, a big part of why we don't like each other is the people who provide us with our cues — that is, our leaders — they basically spend all their time telling us that the other side is always wrong, on every single vector. …. And I think the last piece that's really important but maybe underappreciated is that the margins between Republicans and Democrats are so close these days. …. It's a very straightforward kind of notion: If you really just don't like the other side, the other side when they're running the government is very basically seen as untrustworthy. And what we show is that this trust, it provides for a bridge between the two different political parties. …. Most of the good survey research that's being done has its roots in the 1950s and the 1960s. And I think one of the things that's important to keep in mind is that may well have been a super-anomalous period in American history. But it's become the baseline we measure everything from. …. . All of these things were making people think about how government was keeping them safe and successfully so. And these kinds of partisan issues were taking a back seat. Everybody was together on these things. A big part of what's going on here is that when politics are more what you might think of as normal-state — when there's not the worry about losing your life, for instance — we trust the government less. …. Is Obama one reason these political outsiders have become such huge phenomena? I think that's a really good observation. If trust and dislike of the Democrats wasn't so high, it would be a much-less fertile environment for the Trumps and Carsons …. So after eight years of George W. Bush being president, did the same sort of government mistrust — this time from Democrats — fuel a young, relatively inexperienced senator to being elected president?



“Is Obama one reason these political outsiders have become such huge phenomena?” Yes, social distinctions of several kinds are basic to “the American Dream” and our personal sense of security. For whites, the fear of the black man is still firmly in place along with their “white rights” of dominance, so ethnic groups are again the subject of hatred as they were during the 1920s when the very wealthy white Protestants controlled everything, and were in the habit of treading upon all poor people. Poor whites (i.e. “poor white trash”) have no way to gain their “white rights” in that system except by brutalizing darker-skinned people wherever they live. It’s bad enough that Obama was able to win the Presidency, but he is so obviously well-educated, intelligent and gentlemanly that he shames the poor whites and all class-conscious Americans. They have to hate him, as a result; and the Billionaire business class cynically fans that hatred, the better to “conquer” the democratic government and replace it with a Neo-Nazi state. They are even now close enough to accomplishing this that it frightens me.