海角大神

The Taiwanese are fervently democratic. In polls, a resounding majority oppose a 鈥渙ne country, two systems鈥� formula for relations with China,聽脿 la Hong Kong. But how do they walk that path?

Is yesterday鈥檚 Rosie the Riveter today鈥檚 Rosie the Mask-maker? As the pandemic persists, some scholars wonder what will spur more Americans toward collective sacrifice 鈥� just as the nation managed during World War II.聽

What鈥檚 in a name? A rose by any other name may smell as sweet, but for Black Americans, the rendering of their cultural identity matters.聽Columnist Ken Makin explores the historical fight for a capital 鈥淏.鈥�

American public opinion has undergone a major shift this spring amid national focus on the death of George Floyd and racial justice protests, according to one polling group.

Consider that at the time of a 2017 Unite the Right rally by white supremacists in Charlottesville, Virginia, net public support for the Black Lives Matter movement was about negative 5%, meaning 5% more Americans disapproved of the movement than supported it.聽

In recent months that has dramatically changed, after the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and Mr. Floyd, for whom a memorial service was held this week. Net support for Black Lives Matter recently reached 28% (with 53% approving of the movement and 25% disapproving), according to surveys by the polling group聽. 鈥� Mark Trumbull, Staff writer

It鈥檚 the simple pleasures that mean the most in our cooped-up lives right now. Two women in Austin, Texas, have turned their love of baking bread into a way to give back to their community, and help others give joy.

Protesters in Lebanon crossed a red line Friday. They attacked the central bank, setting one of its branches ablaze in anger at the country鈥檚 severe financial crisis. It was a telling event on the global scene. Central banks are now the leaders in preventing what the World Bank predicts will be the worst global recession in 75 years, a result of pandemic lockdowns.

The gloom in Lebanon is not reflected in most places, however. Central banks have generally ripped up old rules and opened their money spigots to keep banks, corporations, and governments afloat with credit. In Japan, the central bank has bought up stock while the European Central Bank is buying downgraded bonds as collateral in return for loans. These kinds of steps are unprecedented.

In the United States, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said the Fed has 鈥渃rossed a lot of red lines that had not been crossed before鈥� in deploying its vast lending powers. A good example: He promises no hike in interest rates through 2022. 鈥淭he work of the Fed touches communities鈥�, families, and businesses across the country. Everything we do is in service to our public mission,鈥� Mr. Powell said.

The nimble creativity of most central banks may have prevented a total collapse of the global financial system, something not easily foreseen three months ago. As keeper of the world鈥檚 reserve currency, the Fed played a big role. Since March, it has lent $447 billion to other central banks, helping to stabilize currency exchange markets. (Lebanon is one exception.)

Now central banks must also keep breaking mental barriers in stoking an economic recovery. On Thursday, for example, Europe鈥檚 bank decided to provide $1.5 trillion to financial institutions as a way to end a recession. That amount is close to 9% of Europe鈥檚 economic output for 2020.

Mr. Powell points out that the innovations of the rescue efforts have mattered as much as their size and speed of delivery. Compared with past crises, the Fed, like many central banks, knows much better where the needs are. Sometimes the best models of thinking are those that challenge the old models.

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