npr--2020-05-08--French Education Minister Says School Reopenings Will Be Done 'Very Progressively'

French Education Minister Says School Reopenings Will Be Done 'Very Progressively' Primary schools in France are reopening next week .
There will , of course , be social distancing measures in place .
Class sizes will be limited to 15 and no games at recess .
It 's a gradual three-week process beginning with preschoolers .
The government says the reopening is voluntary and students wo n't be forced to return .
Still , many parents and administrators are against the plan .
More than 300 mayors in the Paris region signed an open letter to President Macron , urging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ timeline is `` untenable and unrealistic . ''
They said schools needed more time to implement the required sanitary measures .
Jean-Michel Blanquer , France 's minister of education , talked with Mary Louise Kelly on All Things Considered about bringing students back to class for the first time since mid-March .
Here are selected excerpts : Do you think they will come ?
Do you think you will have 15 students in classrooms come next week ?
Yes , because we are asking the parents during the last weeks who are going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to come .
So we know that we are going to start with 15 or 20 % of the students .
And then the other ones are going to come .
It 's a question of trust .
I think that when those who do not come will see that things are going well with those who come , they will be convinced .
Those who will stay in their houses , will have a distance learning system working for them .
I wonder how much weight have you given to warnings coming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warning that opening schools could lead to a second wave of the virus .
Are you going to have widespread testing in schools to make sure that this does not become the case ?
Yes , of course , we are very cautious about that .
That 's why we are not [ reopening ] everything at the same time depending on the evolution of the epidemic .
And at the end of the month , we will see what we do .
Of course , we do n't want a second wave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very progressively .
We do n't receive all the children at the same times , but we have also studies that show that it can be worse for the health of the children to do not go to school .
Last thing , which is just to ask how you are preparing staff and teachers , because this has been obviously a traumatic experience for everyone living through the pandemic .
Are teachers prepared to talk about what we 're all going through ?
What 's the message going to be to kids @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Well , what you said is a very important dimension of the situation for France and I think for other countries .
That 's why we pay a lot of attention to the psychological questions .
People need to speak and to exchange about what they have lived .
Some people have lost someone or have very bad experiences of those two months .
That 's why we have some days of preparation with the teachers .
And that 's why we are going to have our psychologists in the schools to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those days .
Listen to the full audio version of the interview on All Things Considered .

French Education Minister Says School Reopenings Will Be Done 'Very Progressively'
Enlarge this image toggle caption Ian Langsdon/Pool/AFP via Getty Images Ian Langsdon/Pool/AFP via Getty Images
Primary schools in France are reopening next week.
There will, of course, be social distancing measures in place. Class sizes will be limited to 15 and no games at recess. It's a gradual three-week process beginning with preschoolers.
The government says the reopening is voluntary and students won't be forced to return.
Still, many parents and administrators are against the plan. More than 300 mayors in the Paris region signed an open letter to President Macron, urging a delay in reopening and saying the timeline is "untenable and unrealistic." They said schools needed more time to implement the required sanitary measures.
Jean-Michel Blanquer, France's minister of education, talked with Mary Louise Kelly on All Things Considered about bringing students back to class for the first time since mid-March. Here are selected excerpts:
Do you think they will come? Do you think you will have 15 students in classrooms come next week?
Yes, because we are asking the parents during the last weeks who are going to come and who are not going to come. So we know that we are going to start with 15 or 20% of the students. And then the other ones are going to come.
It's a question of trust. I think that when those who do not come will see that things are going well with those who come, they will be convinced. Those who will stay in their houses, will have a distance learning system working for them.
I wonder how much weight have you given to warnings coming out from health officials, epidemiologists, warning that opening schools could lead to a second wave of the virus. Are you going to have widespread testing in schools to make sure that this does not become the case?
Yes, of course, we are very cautious about that. That's why we are not [reopening] everything at the same time depending on the evolution of the epidemic. And at the end of the month, we will see what we do. Of course, we don't want a second wave. That's why we do things very progressively. We don't receive all the children at the same times, but we have also studies that show that it can be worse for the health of the children to do not go to school.
Last thing, which is just to ask how you are preparing staff and teachers, because this has been obviously a traumatic experience for everyone living through the pandemic. Are teachers prepared to talk about what we're all going through? What's the message going to be to kids about staying safe and getting through this?
Well, what you said is a very important dimension of the situation for France and I think for other countries. That's why we pay a lot of attention to the psychological questions. People need to speak and to exchange about what they have lived. Some people have lost someone or have very bad experiences of those two months. That's why we have some days of preparation with the teachers. And that's why we are going to have our psychologists in the schools to speak with adults and with children during those days.
Listen to the full audio version of the interview on All Things Considered.


npr--2020-05-08--Google Says Most Of Its Employees Will Likely Work Remotely Through End of Year

Google Says Most Of Its Employees Will Likely Work Remotely Through End of Year Google says most of its employees @ @ @ @ @ work remotely through the end of year .
In a companywide meeting Thursday , Google @ @ @ @ @ who needed to work in the office would be allowed to return in June or @ @ @ @ @ in place .
The rest would likely continue working from home , a Google spokesperson @ @ @ @ @ originally told employees work-from-home protocols would be in place at least through June 1 .
@ @ @ @ @ allow most of its employees to work remotely through the end of 2020 , according @ @ @ @ @ company had previously announced it was canceling large events through June 2021 due to the @ @ @ @ @ began telling employees to stay home in March .

Google Says Most Of Its Employees Will Likely Work Remotely Through End of Year
Enlarge this image toggle caption Michael Liedtke/AP Michael Liedtke/AP
Google says most of its employees will likely be allowed to work remotely through the end of year.
In a companywide meeting Thursday, Google CEO Sundar Pichai said employees who needed to work in the office would be allowed to return in June or July with enhanced safety measures in place. The rest would likely continue working from home, a Google spokesperson told NPR.
Google had originally told employees work-from-home protocols would be in place at least through June 1.
Facebook also said it would allow most of its employees to work remotely through the end of 2020, according to media reports. The company had previously announced it was canceling large events through June 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Both companies began telling employees to stay home in March.


npr--2020-05-08--V-E Day: Europe Celebrates A Subdued 75th Anniversary During COVID-19 Pandemic

It was supposed to be a day of parades , a vast party that would transcend borders and bring generations together , not unlike the spontaneous euphoria that swept through victorious European allies when Nazi Germany finally surrendered .
But instead of a mega-event , leaders in London , Paris , Moscow and other capitals , observed the 75th anniversary of V-E Day at a diminished level Friday due to the COVID-19 pandemic .
French President Emmanuel Macron led a small ceremony at the Arc de Triomphe , looking out over an empty Champs-Élysées .
Because of health risks the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ veterans of the war were forced to avoid travel and keep their distance at public gatherings .
`` The veterans are of course getting older every year and this is probably one of the last great anniversaries that could have taken place with their presence , '' as FRANCE 24 's James André reports .
Russian President Vladimir Putin had hoped to invite President Trump and other world leaders to attend a splashy commemoration in Moscow .
Instead , he spoke to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson by phone , discussing how their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — and how the international community is fighting the coronavirus today .
Queen Elizabeth II , who was 19 on the first V-E Day , addressed the U.K. at 9 p.m. local time Friday , invoking the memory of her father 's speech to the country as peace began in the European theater .
Perhaps also invoking measures against the coronavirus , she said of people of the day , `` They risked all so our families and neighborhoods could be safe . ''
`` We remember from our homes and our doorsteps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our streets are not empty .
They are filled with the love and the care we have for each other . ''
The Royal Family also issued an earlier recording of the queen recalling the celebrations of an Allied victory in Europe .
`` I remember lines of unknown people linking arms and walking down Whitehall , all of us just swept along on a tide of happiness and relief , '' Elizabeth says in the BBC recording .
`` I think it was one of the most memorable nights of my life @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flyovers were one of the only large-scale celebrations that could take place safely .
At ground level , remembrances were smaller than they 've ever been — and much smaller than the events that had been planned to herald a landmark anniversary .
The United Kingdom remains under lockdown , but some neighborhoods put on socially distanced block parties .
In the town of Weybridge , outside of London , neighbors strung Union Jack bunting around their yards and cooked cheeseburgers on the grill .
Andy Muskett , a professional DJ , wore @ @ @ @ @ @ @ II-era tunes , including `` We 'll Meet Again , '' as a couple danced on the sidewalk .
`` Britain has been raided so many times by the Vikings , by the Romans and I think it was a case of showing that we stand together , '' said Muskett , referring to the battle against the Nazis .
`` We wo n't be taken over . ''
Around the corner , George Scarrott , 82 , sat in a lawn chair flanked by his family and recalled the Blitz that began @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bombed Britain , hoping to set the stage for an invasion across the English Channel .
`` I remember the Blitz because every day the sirens would go and we would spend the day or the night-time in a shelter in the back garden , '' recalled Scarrott , who was a toddler at the time .
`` I was that young to not know fear , but ... my mum must have gone through hell thinking about her children . ''
Political leaders have invoked Britain 's famous wartime resolve as they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ battle the coronavirus .
But some in the neighborhood said some younger people were being undisciplined as they headed out to meet up with friends .
`` I think our generation is significantly softer than the queen 's generation , '' said Emma-Jane Nutbrown , who is in her thirties .
`` We 're being brats about staying indoors and all we 're having to do is sit on our sofas and watch Netflix . ''
In Berlin , German Chancellor Angela Merkel led a somber ceremony honoring the victims of war and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Noting that COVID-19 has made everyone celebrate V-E Day alone , German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier suggested that in some ways , the circumstances are appropriate to a remembrance of 1945 .
From his speech : In Washington , President Trump and first lady Melania Trump participated in a wreath-laying ceremony at the World War II Memorial .
Trump saluted as `` Taps '' was played , with seven World War II veterans looking on along with Defense Secretary Mark Esper and current military service members .
Trump then briefly spoke of the veterans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around the memorial , which is ringed with pillars that mark each U.S. state 's role in the war effort — and especially the lives that were lost in the struggle .
`` Here we mark the price of freedom , '' a large engraving at the memorial reads .
In Brussels , NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg marked the anniversary by honoring the millions who died in the war — and those who hope to prevent similar conflicts by serving in the military today .
`` NATO was founded five years after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the famous words of its first secretary general , to 'keep the Soviet Union out , the Americans in , and the Germans down , ' `` Teri Schultz reports for NPR 's Newscast unit .
`` West Germany became a member in 1955 , joined by East Germany after the two countries unified in 1990 . ''
Despite the jubilation over Germany 's surrender , the world remained in a precarious state on May 8 , 1945 .
In the Pacific theater , a bloody conflict was still being waged against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ soldiers and citizens had died – including millions of Jews in the Holocaust .

V-E Day: Europe Celebrates A Subdued 75th Anniversary During COVID-19 Pandemic
Enlarge this image toggle caption Francois Mori/Pool/AFP via Getty Images Francois Mori/Pool/AFP via Getty Images
Updated at 5:02 p.m. ET
It was supposed to be a day of parades, a vast party that would transcend borders and bring generations together, not unlike the spontaneous euphoria that swept through victorious European allies when Nazi Germany finally surrendered.
But instead of a mega-event, leaders in London, Paris, Moscow and other capitals, observed the 75th anniversary of V-E Day at a diminished level Friday due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
French President Emmanuel Macron led a small ceremony at the Arc de Triomphe, looking out over an empty Champs-Élysées.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Daniel Leal-Olivas/AFP via Getty Images Daniel Leal-Olivas/AFP via Getty Images
Because of health risks the disease poses to older people, many veterans of the war were forced to avoid travel and keep their distance at public gatherings.
"The veterans are of course getting older every year and this is probably one of the last great anniversaries that could have taken place with their presence," as FRANCE 24's James André reports.
Russian President Vladimir Putin had hoped to invite President Trump and other world leaders to attend a splashy commemoration in Moscow. Instead, he spoke to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson by phone, discussing how their countries had overcome the Nazis in 1945 — and how the international community is fighting the coronavirus today.
Queen Elizabeth II, who was 19 on the first V-E Day, addressed the U.K. at 9 p.m. local time Friday, invoking the memory of her father's speech to the country as peace began in the European theater. Perhaps also invoking measures against the coronavirus, she said of people of the day, "They risked all so our families and neighborhoods could be safe."
"We remember from our homes and our doorsteps," Elizabeth said, "But our streets are not empty. They are filled with the love and the care we have for each other."
The Royal Family also issued an earlier recording of the queen recalling the celebrations of an Allied victory in Europe. "I remember lines of unknown people linking arms and walking down Whitehall, all of us just swept along on a tide of happiness and relief," Elizabeth says in the BBC recording.
"I think it was one of the most memorable nights of my life," the queen said.
toggle caption Leslie Priest/AP
Military flyovers were one of the only large-scale celebrations that could take place safely. At ground level, remembrances were smaller than they've ever been — and much smaller than the events that had been planned to herald a landmark anniversary.
The United Kingdom remains under lockdown, but some neighborhoods put on socially distanced block parties. In the town of Weybridge, outside of London, neighbors strung Union Jack bunting around their yards and cooked cheeseburgers on the grill. Andy Muskett, a professional DJ, wore desert military camouflage and blasted World War II-era tunes, including "We'll Meet Again," as a couple danced on the sidewalk.
"Britain has been raided so many times by the Vikings, by the Romans and I think it was a case of showing that we stand together," said Muskett, referring to the battle against the Nazis. "We won't be taken over."
Around the corner, George Scarrott, 82, sat in a lawn chair flanked by his family and recalled the Blitz that began in 1940, when the German Luftwaffe bombed Britain, hoping to set the stage for an invasion across the English Channel.
"I remember the Blitz because every day the sirens would go and we would spend the day or the night-time in a shelter in the back garden," recalled Scarrott, who was a toddler at the time. "I was that young to not know fear, but ... my mum must have gone through hell thinking about her children."
Enlarge this image toggle caption Frank Langfitt/NPR Frank Langfitt/NPR
Political leaders have invoked Britain's famous wartime resolve as they urge the country to stay home and battle the coronavirus. But some in the neighborhood said some younger people were being undisciplined as they headed out to meet up with friends.
"I think our generation is significantly softer than the queen's generation," said Emma-Jane Nutbrown, who is in her thirties. "We're being brats about staying indoors and all we're having to do is sit on our sofas and watch Netflix."
In Berlin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel led a somber ceremony honoring the victims of war and marking widespread liberation from the Nazis.
Noting that COVID-19 has made everyone celebrate V-E Day alone, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier suggested that in some ways, the circumstances are appropriate to a remembrance of 1945. From his speech:
"On that date the Germans really were alone. Germany had suffered military defeat, political and economic ruin, and moral collapse. We had made enemies of the entire world. "Today, 75 years later, we are forced to commemorate alone, but we are not alone! That is today's good news. We live in a vigorous and well-established democracy, in a country that has been reunified for 30 years, at the heart of a peaceful and united Europe. We are a trusted member of the international community and reap the fruits of cooperation and partnership around the world. "We Germans can definitely now say that the day of liberation is a day of thanksgiving!"
In Washington, President Trump and first lady Melania Trump participated in a wreath-laying ceremony at the World War II Memorial.
Trump saluted as "Taps" was played, with seven World War II veterans looking on along with Defense Secretary Mark Esper and current military service members.
Trump then briefly spoke of the veterans (from a distance) and walked around the memorial, which is ringed with pillars that mark each U.S. state's role in the war effort — and especially the lives that were lost in the struggle.
"Here we mark the price of freedom," a large engraving at the memorial reads.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Mindaugas Kulbis/AP Mindaugas Kulbis/AP
In Brussels, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg marked the anniversary by honoring the millions who died in the war — and those who hope to prevent similar conflicts by serving in the military today.
"NATO was founded five years after the end of World War II — in the famous words of its first secretary general, to 'keep the Soviet Union out, the Americans in, and the Germans down,' " Teri Schultz reports for NPR's Newscast unit. "West Germany became a member in 1955, joined by East Germany after the two countries unified in 1990."
Despite the jubilation over Germany's surrender, the world remained in a precarious state on May 8, 1945. In the Pacific theater, a bloody conflict was still being waged against Japan. And tens of millions of soldiers and citizens had died – including millions of Jews in the Holocaust.


npr--2020-05-08--Judith Warner's New Book On Middle School Suggests It Doesn't Have To Be All Bad

Judith Warner 's New Book On Middle School Suggests It Does n't Have To Be All Bad Middle school spans those tween and early teenage years when , for many , puberty hits .
Bullies seem to reign supreme .
And we begin to grow into ourselves .
Like most , writer and reporter Judith Warner was once a middle schooler .
She 's also the mother of two former middle schoolers .
In her new book , And Then They Stopped Talking To Me , she investigates why the middle-school years can be so awful — and what we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ little bit better .
On asking people what words come to their mind when thinking of middle school Soul crushing .
Shattering .
A rush of nausea .
Any variation on the word misery that you can come up with .
By and large , the answers were so powerful .
And yet then there were a couple of people who had good memories too .
And that was something that was important for me to hold on to and listen to in more detail .
On deciding to write the book It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ random thought one day when my daughter was in middle school and I thought , I wonder who the 12-year-olds are who are walking around inside of us looking at the parents .
I was surprised , in a sense , by the fact that the kids were very different than I expected .
My expectations were really built on my perceptions from when I was much younger .
So I expected middle schoolers to be these sorts of monsters .
And they were n't .
They were just kids .
But the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over them when our kids hit 6th grade or so .
And the behavior around me became odder and odder .
And I found myself becoming odder , too , in that I felt everything so acutely — everything that was happening to my daughters , you know , the ups and downs .
And it struck me that it was a little bit out of whack .
And that 's when I got to wondering about that , you know , was there something going on inside of us ?
And that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
On busting many of our stereotypes about middle school We have these stereotypes and we operate from them and generalize from them .
And we have these terrible expectations , basically , that there are bullies , there are mean girls , alpha boys , that they are just basically vehicles of torture to come .
And , of course , there are painful things that happen in middle school .
There is a lot of meanness that goes on .
You know , 7th grade is the year when bullying peaks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at these kids as an adult , and not as another middle schooler , you really do see that they are just kids moving through their lives and trying to make the best of a difficult phase of life without the awareness to what they 're doing .
And that was really eye-opening for me .
On why we separate middle school from other school ages One of the most fascinating parts of the research for me was looking at the history of how we came to have middle schools and junior high @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is that we take kids — in what is arguably the most difficult phase of their lives — and just sort of lock them together , so that they can drive each other crazy .
Other countries do n't always do this .
There are a lot of other countries , peer nations of ours , that have a division that 's more like kindergarten to 6th grade and then 7th through 12th .
And there are many educators who believe that that 's better .
When the junior high schools came into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ century , it was partly for very good reasons .
There was this new awareness that kids around the age of puberty develop all of these fantastic new capacities for learning and thinking and creativity , and that having them in elementary schools was n't giving the structure , basically , in which all of that could thrive .
There was also , at the same time , a sense that these kids were maybe kind of awful , maybe kind of capable of corrupting younger children and that they ought to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just the very prosaic issue of overcrowding in schools and the need to make more space , because it 's relatively recent that kids of what is now middle school age actually stayed in school , or continued living at home full time , once they hit 11 or 12 .
So all of those things came together and created the situation we have now of having kids who are , as you say , in this incredibly difficult , vulnerable , you name it , stage of life , sort of locked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a big part of the problem with that has been , ever since these schools were first created , that a lot of adults just really do n't like kids this age — and do , kind of , want to cage them up together so that they can just take out their stuff on one another — and not infect the larger population .
But that has not tended to work out all that well .
On starting out generally not liking kids of middle-school age I did change my mind ... @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fact that I had my own children , right ?
And I did like my own children .
And I like their friends .
And I found , once again , that the reality of these kids was very , very different from the stereotype .
And then , as I was doing the research , I was talking to teachers who , and middle-school heads , who were talking about how they really love this age group .
And we 're talking about the good things associated with this age group .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , to my experience as a parent , that all of that was true .
That , in fact , those years were an incredibly creative period of time for my daughters .
...
But it really was the moment when they came into the passions that carried them through high school and now college afterwards .
I also realized that it had been an incredibly creative time for me .
I had held on to all the most negative memories of how painful it was .
But I had managed , over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that middle school was the time — junior high , it was called junior high — when I really seriously started wanting to be a writer , when I discovered a lot of the books that are still my favorite books and that I formed some of the ambitions that really carried me through .
... And my personality was in a lot of ways pretty similar , too .
I also discovered something that I also discovered in the course of reporting , when I was able to contact people I 'd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I was a lot less nice than I remembered .
I had really held on to the memory of myself as a victim and had managed to forget — that funny kind of forgetting without forgetting that you do sometimes — that I had brought a lot of my travails onto myself .
And also that I had n't been so wonderful to others necessarily .
I was n't a bully .
I did n't lead people in making fun or ostracizing others .
But I was n't so great .
And I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I remembered people saying about me that I thought were so horrifically unfair and untrue were kind of true .
On a piece of advice she would give middle schoolers I think that one of the most important pieces of advice is actually for parents and kids , which is that we tend to have such a narrow image of what 's normal or OK. And I think that that 's true for people at all ages in our society .
But it 's especially true in the middle-school phase of life because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feel like they 're `` of '' everyone else .
And just like everyone else .
I mean , it 's the age really when conformity peaks .
And unfortunately , parents way too often go along for the ride and want the same things that their kids want and worry enormously if their kids are n't like everyone else .
Especially if they are n't like the popular kids — you know , that something is wrong with them .
But what experts have known — and this was so surprising to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ research ... is that early adolescence is a point when you have enormous variability in terms of where they are maturity wise .
And the physical maturity affects their emotional and cognitive maturity .
And there 's a huge range of normal .
And we tend to pass all of these judgments about where kids are .
If we say that they 're mature , it tends to have a negative sound to it or we say they 're immature , it obviously has a negative sound to it .
And if we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the gamut of looking and seeming like 9- or 10-year-olds or like 14- or 15-year-olds — and that all of that is normal and OK — I think it would make an enormous difference for everyone .
On expecting the worst when her daughter entered middle school Did absolutely everyone expect the worst ?
I 'm not sure .
But it certainly seemed that way .
You know , there was a lot of sort of sighing and anticipatory anxiety and a sense of drama brewing and kind of grim faces .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Not because my daughters had such wonderful times , but because I 'm not 12 years old .
So what happened , the things that happened did n't have the same level , of kind , of horror ... they did n't have the same sort of totalizing reality about them that they have when you are that age yourself .
And maintaining that boundary between yourself and your kids at that phase of life is so incredibly important .
It 's definitely something I struggled with .
It is absolutely something @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I do n't think any of us were necessarily conscious of it at the time .
I mean , I think in general , as parents with kids of whatever age , we do n't tend to be conscious of it when our boundaries start to slip .
And I think that it 's a danger that 's particularly acute when we have middle schoolers , because our own memories and feelings from that time of life are so immediate .
On why parents do seemingly crazy things On the one hand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ maybe , just a few months before was sort of happy and light and childlike — and now has the weight of the world on their shoulders .
And that can be a really terrifying transition to watch .
A lot of parents feel a kind of grief because they feel like they 're losing their child .
And if they do n't have older kids , or they do n't have people around them who are sort of reassuring them , they do n't realize that the child 's coming back .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ phase .
This is not going to last forever .
And also that it 's normal .
And then , of course , kids do have a lot of problems at this age .
There are the normal range of difficulties that simply come from going through early adolescence .
And then there is also the fact that if you have a child who is prone to anxiety or depression , it 's going to get worse , most likely , right at that point .
In fact , it may show up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if you have a kid with ADHD .
It tends to become more acute at that point .
It shows up more because the organizational challenges of school are so much harder and also the social demands become so much more complicated .
And I think that there is an added pointedness to all of this right now for parents and this generation .
Because everything is so anxious-making .
We have so many worries about the future and about our kid 's ability to succeed .
The notion of what goes into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ life is hard , because there 's so much inequality — because it 's so hard to just be middle class or be at the lower end of the upper middle class .
Not to mention being low income , that all of this is brought to bear .
So if a kid is struggling , it 's very easy for all of this to become catastrophized .
... All of a sudden , you do n't really have the power to do anything because they do n't want to talk to you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ makes it so hard and so fraught — and sometimes crazy-seeming parent fear .
On how not to be crazy-seeming parents You know , with kids of all ages — and it 's just that all of the difficulties , these are much more acute at this age — [ you need to ] take care of yourself and make yourself as mentally healthy as possible so that you have the bandwidth to try to relate to your kids from the part of your brain that is rational , reasonable , able to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than from a place of pure emotion — because that 's where we always get into trouble .
And the problem is , of course , our emotions are so easily triggered and , sort of , cut so deep when our kids are of middle-school age .
So it 's that much more difficult to hold on to that .
But I think being able to be self-aware , being able to be aware if you 're being triggered and then think about what you really want to be saying or doing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a parent , is kind of the basic starting point to be able to do things differently .
On how much of this is universal – transcending class , race , cultures The question of what was universal and what was culturally specific or class-specific or race-specific was one that was very important to me from the very start — and that I really tried to get at both in my research and talking to experts , and in reading and in talking to people about their middle-school experiences .
And what I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ great deal that 's universal .
I mean , puberty is universal .
Our emotions are universal .
The questions that we ask ourselves when we are of middle-school age having to do with : Who am I ?
Where do I fit ?
Where do I rank ?
Where does my family rank ?
These really are universals .
And there are human universals in there .
The question of sort of ranking and hierarchy , those are primate universals , too .
Obviously not with the use of language , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all share the love for our children and the worries about what happens to them at that point of life , what their future is going to be .
There are all kinds of elements to this that hold up across cultures , across subcultures in the U.S. and also across time , historically .
But what is specific is the behavior that accompanies all of this .
And also , I think , the degree of nonsense that happens — mostly , of course , when I say nonsense , I 'm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the excessive presence , helicopter parenting , and also the competitive parenting .
And one thing that research has shown , actually , is that mental-health-wise , and in terms of engaging in behaviors we do n't want them to engage in , upper-middle-class kids in the U.S. are doing worse than their counterparts who are middle-class or low-income .
And that seems to come down to the fact that their [ upper-middle-class ] communities are very competitive and the value systems in those communities really stress a kind of , `` me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on what you need to do to succeed and to get where you 're going , which necessarily means that you 're not thinking about other people .
You 're not empathetic .
And you 're not in a universe all that nice , frankly .
So I think there 's a lot of food for thought there in terms of what we can change and what we ca n't change — and what we actually want for our kids .

Judith Warner's New Book On Middle School Suggests It Doesn't Have To Be All Bad
Enlarge this image toggle caption Crown Crown
Middle school spans those tween and early teenage years when, for many, puberty hits.
Bullies seem to reign supreme. And we begin to grow into ourselves.
Like most, writer and reporter Judith Warner was once a middle schooler. She's also the mother of two former middle schoolers. In her new book, And Then They Stopped Talking To Me, she investigates why the middle-school years can be so awful — and what we can do to help make them a little bit better.
Interview Highlights
On asking people what words come to their mind when thinking of middle school
Soul crushing. Shattering. A rush of nausea. Any variation on the word misery that you can come up with. By and large, the answers were so powerful. And yet then there were a couple of people who had good memories too. And that was something that was important for me to hold on to and listen to in more detail.
On deciding to write the book
It really grew out of a kind of random thought one day when my daughter was in middle school and I thought, I wonder who the 12-year-olds are who are walking around inside of us looking at the parents. I was surprised, in a sense, by the fact that the kids were very different than I expected. My expectations were really built on my perceptions from when I was much younger. So I expected middle schoolers to be these sorts of monsters. And they weren't. They were just kids.
But the parents seem to have something strange come over them when our kids hit 6th grade or so. And the behavior around me became odder and odder. And I found myself becoming odder, too, in that I felt everything so acutely — everything that was happening to my daughters, you know, the ups and downs. And it struck me that it was a little bit out of whack. And that's when I got to wondering about that, you know, was there something going on inside of us? And that was really the genesis for the book.
On busting many of our stereotypes about middle school
We have these stereotypes and we operate from them and generalize from them. And we have these terrible expectations, basically, that there are bullies, there are mean girls, alpha boys, that they are just basically vehicles of torture to come. And, of course, there are painful things that happen in middle school. There is a lot of meanness that goes on. You know, 7th grade is the year when bullying peaks. But when you're actually looking at these kids as an adult, and not as another middle schooler, you really do see that they are just kids moving through their lives and trying to make the best of a difficult phase of life without the awareness to what they're doing. And that was really eye-opening for me.
On why we separate middle school from other school ages
One of the most fascinating parts of the research for me was looking at the history of how we came to have middle schools and junior high schools before that, and why it is that we take kids — in what is arguably the most difficult phase of their lives — and just sort of lock them together, so that they can drive each other crazy. Other countries don't always do this. There are a lot of other countries, peer nations of ours, that have a division that's more like kindergarten to 6th grade and then 7th through 12th. And there are many educators who believe that that's better.
When the junior high schools came into being at the beginning of the 20th century, it was partly for very good reasons. There was this new awareness that kids around the age of puberty develop all of these fantastic new capacities for learning and thinking and creativity, and that having them in elementary schools wasn't giving the structure, basically, in which all of that could thrive. There was also, at the same time, a sense that these kids were maybe kind of awful, maybe kind of capable of corrupting younger children and that they ought to be separated out. And then there was just the very prosaic issue of overcrowding in schools and the need to make more space, because it's relatively recent that kids of what is now middle school age actually stayed in school, or continued living at home full time, once they hit 11 or 12.
So all of those things came together and created the situation we have now of having kids who are, as you say, in this incredibly difficult, vulnerable, you name it, stage of life, sort of locked up in their own company. And a big part of the problem with that has been, ever since these schools were first created, that a lot of adults just really don't like kids this age — and do, kind of, want to cage them up together so that they can just take out their stuff on one another — and not infect the larger population. But that has not tended to work out all that well.
On starting out generally not liking kids of middle-school age
I did change my mind ... I would say it began with the fact that I had my own children, right? And I did like my own children. And I like their friends. And I found, once again, that the reality of these kids was very, very different from the stereotype.
And then, as I was doing the research, I was talking to teachers who, and middle-school heads, who were talking about how they really love this age group. And we're talking about the good things associated with this age group. And I was realizing, looking back, to my experience as a parent, that all of that was true. That, in fact, those years were an incredibly creative period of time for my daughters. ... But it really was the moment when they came into the passions that carried them through high school and now college afterwards. I also realized that it had been an incredibly creative time for me. I had held on to all the most negative memories of how painful it was. But I had managed, over the years, to forget the fact that middle school was the time — junior high, it was called junior high — when I really seriously started wanting to be a writer, when I discovered a lot of the books that are still my favorite books and that I formed some of the ambitions that really carried me through. ... And my personality was in a lot of ways pretty similar, too.
I also discovered something that I also discovered in the course of reporting, when I was able to contact people I'd been in middle school with, that I was a lot less nice than I remembered. I had really held on to the memory of myself as a victim and had managed to forget — that funny kind of forgetting without forgetting that you do sometimes — that I had brought a lot of my travails onto myself. And also that I hadn't been so wonderful to others necessarily. I wasn't a bully. I didn't lead people in making fun or ostracizing others. But I wasn't so great. And I also discovered that some of the things I remembered people saying about me that I thought were so horrifically unfair and untrue were kind of true.
On a piece of advice she would give middle schoolers
I think that one of the most important pieces of advice is actually for parents and kids, which is that we tend to have such a narrow image of what's normal or OK. And I think that that's true for people at all ages in our society. But it's especially true in the middle-school phase of life because it's so important for kids to feel like they're "of" everyone else. And just like everyone else. I mean, it's the age really when conformity peaks. And unfortunately, parents way too often go along for the ride and want the same things that their kids want and worry enormously if their kids aren't like everyone else. Especially if they aren't like the popular kids — you know, that something is wrong with them.
But what experts have known — and this was so surprising to find when I was doing the historical research ... is that early adolescence is a point when you have enormous variability in terms of where they are maturity wise. And the physical maturity affects their emotional and cognitive maturity. And there's a huge range of normal. And we tend to pass all of these judgments about where kids are. If we say that they're mature, it tends to have a negative sound to it or we say they're immature, it obviously has a negative sound to it. And if we could just recognize that 12-year-olds can run the gamut of looking and seeming like 9- or 10-year-olds or like 14- or 15-year-olds — and that all of that is normal and OK — I think it would make an enormous difference for everyone.
On expecting the worst when her daughter entered middle school
Did absolutely everyone expect the worst? I'm not sure. But it certainly seemed that way. You know, there was a lot of sort of sighing and anticipatory anxiety and a sense of drama brewing and kind of grim faces. I don't think I was proven right. Not because my daughters had such wonderful times, but because I'm not 12 years old. So what happened, the things that happened didn't have the same level, of kind, of horror ... they didn't have the same sort of totalizing reality about them that they have when you are that age yourself. And maintaining that boundary between yourself and your kids at that phase of life is so incredibly important. It's definitely something I struggled with. It is absolutely something the parents around me were struggling with. I don't think any of us were necessarily conscious of it at the time. I mean, I think in general, as parents with kids of whatever age, we don't tend to be conscious of it when our boundaries start to slip. And I think that it's a danger that's particularly acute when we have middle schoolers, because our own memories and feelings from that time of life are so immediate.
On why parents do seemingly crazy things
On the one hand, you have a child who, maybe, just a few months before was sort of happy and light and childlike — and now has the weight of the world on their shoulders. And that can be a really terrifying transition to watch. A lot of parents feel a kind of grief because they feel like they're losing their child. And if they don't have older kids, or they don't have people around them who are sort of reassuring them, they don't realize that the child's coming back. You know, that this is a phase. This is not going to last forever. And also that it's normal.
And then, of course, kids do have a lot of problems at this age. There are the normal range of difficulties that simply come from going through early adolescence. And then there is also the fact that if you have a child who is prone to anxiety or depression, it's going to get worse, most likely, right at that point. In fact, it may show up for the first time at that point if you have a kid with ADHD. It tends to become more acute at that point. It shows up more because the organizational challenges of school are so much harder and also the social demands become so much more complicated. And I think that there is an added pointedness to all of this right now for parents and this generation. Because everything is so anxious-making. We have so many worries about the future and about our kid's ability to succeed. The notion of what goes into being successful has become so narrow because life is hard, because there's so much inequality — because it's so hard to just be middle class or be at the lower end of the upper middle class. Not to mention being low income, that all of this is brought to bear. So if a kid is struggling, it's very easy for all of this to become catastrophized. ... All of a sudden, you don't really have the power to do anything because they don't want to talk to you. So I think that's what makes it so hard and so fraught — and sometimes crazy-seeming parent fear.
On how not to be crazy-seeming parents
You know, with kids of all ages — and it's just that all of the difficulties, these are much more acute at this age — [you need to] take care of yourself and make yourself as mentally healthy as possible so that you have the bandwidth to try to relate to your kids from the part of your brain that is rational, reasonable, able to sort of think things through, rather than from a place of pure emotion — because that's where we always get into trouble.
And the problem is, of course, our emotions are so easily triggered and, sort of, cut so deep when our kids are of middle-school age. So it's that much more difficult to hold on to that. But I think being able to be self-aware, being able to be aware if you're being triggered and then think about what you really want to be saying or doing, who you want to be as a parent, is kind of the basic starting point to be able to do things differently.
On how much of this is universal – transcending class, race, cultures
The question of what was universal and what was culturally specific or class-specific or race-specific was one that was very important to me from the very start — and that I really tried to get at both in my research and talking to experts, and in reading and in talking to people about their middle-school experiences. And what I've found is that there's a great deal that's universal. I mean, puberty is universal. Our emotions are universal. The questions that we ask ourselves when we are of middle-school age having to do with: Who am I? Where do I fit? Where do I rank? Where does my family rank? These really are universals. And there are human universals in there. The question of sort of ranking and hierarchy, those are primate universals, too. Obviously not with the use of language, but we all share these elements and we all share the love for our children and the worries about what happens to them at that point of life, what their future is going to be.
There are all kinds of elements to this that hold up across cultures, across subcultures in the U.S. and also across time, historically. But what is specific is the behavior that accompanies all of this. And also, I think, the degree of nonsense that happens — mostly, of course, when I say nonsense, I'm talking about parent behavior. Some of the excessive presence, helicopter parenting, and also the competitive parenting. And one thing that research has shown, actually, is that mental-health-wise, and in terms of engaging in behaviors we don't want them to engage in, upper-middle-class kids in the U.S. are doing worse than their counterparts who are middle-class or low-income. And that seems to come down to the fact that their [upper-middle-class] communities are very competitive and the value systems in those communities really stress a kind of, "me above everyone else" ... focusing narrowly on what you need to do to succeed and to get where you're going, which necessarily means that you're not thinking about other people. You're not empathetic. And you're not in a universe all that nice, frankly. So I think there's a lot of food for thought there in terms of what we can change and what we can't change — and what we actually want for our kids.
Courtney Dorning edited this piece for radio and Aubri Juhasz produced it. Meghan Sullivan edited it for the web.


npr--2020-05-08--Attorneys: Watchdog Wants Coronavirus Scientist Reinstated Amid Probe

Attorneys for Rick Bright , the government scientist who said he had been reassigned and subsequently filed a whistleblower complaint , say a government watchdog agrees that he should be reinstated to his post .
Bright was serving as director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority , which is working on a vaccine to combat the coronavirus .
He said he was ousted from the position last month because he wanted to spend money on safe and vetted treatments for COVID-19 — not on ones without `` scientific merit , '' such as hydroxychloroquine , the anti-malarial drug @ @ @ @ @ @ @ touting .
Trump on Wednesday called Bright `` a disgruntled employee who 's trying to help the Democrats win an election . ''
Bright 's attorneys say that the Office of Special Counsel , which hears whistleblower cases , determined there were `` reasonable grounds '' to believe that his removal was retaliatory and therefore prohibited .
Bright 's attorneys say OSC plans to contact the Department of Health and Human Services to request that it put Bright 's removal on hold for 45 days so the office can complete its investigation into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` can not comment on or confirm the status of open investigations . ''
In a statement to NPR , Caitlin Oakley , a spokesperson for HHS , said : `` This is a personnel matter that is currently under review .
However , HHS strongly disagrees with the allegations and characterizations in the complaint from Dr .
Bright . ''

Attorneys: Watchdog Wants Coronavirus Scientist Reinstated Amid Probe
Enlarge this image toggle caption Public Health Emergency via AP Public Health Emergency via AP
Attorneys for Rick Bright, the government scientist who said he had been reassigned and subsequently filed a whistleblower complaint, say a government watchdog agrees that he should be reinstated to his post.
Bright was serving as director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, which is working on a vaccine to combat the coronavirus.
He said he was ousted from the position last month because he wanted to spend money on safe and vetted treatments for COVID-19 — not on ones without "scientific merit," such as hydroxychloroquine, the anti-malarial drug that President Trump and others had been touting.
Trump on Wednesday called Bright "a disgruntled employee who's trying to help the Democrats win an election."
Bright's attorneys say that the Office of Special Counsel, which hears whistleblower cases, determined there were "reasonable grounds" to believe that his removal was retaliatory and therefore prohibited.
Bright's attorneys say OSC plans to contact the Department of Health and Human Services to request that it put Bright's removal on hold for 45 days so the office can complete its investigation into the allegations.
The OSC said it "cannot comment on or confirm the status of open investigations."
In a statement to NPR, Caitlin Oakley, a spokesperson for HHS, said: "This is a personnel matter that is currently under review. However, HHS strongly disagrees with the allegations and characterizations in the complaint from Dr. Bright."


npr--2020-05-08--Andy Serkis Reads Aloud The Entirety Of 'The Hobbit' For Charity

Andy Serkis Reads Aloud The Entirety Of 'The Hobbit ' For Charity Andy Serkis , the physically nimble actor largely known for his CGI-assisted roles , did some quarantine reading , performing the entirety of The Hobbit in a livestream on Friday .
On a Gofundme page established for the event , Serkis wrote that he would conduct the 12-hour marathon reading of J.R.R .
Tolkien 's beloved fantasy novel to raise funds for COVID-19 relief efforts .
Depending on his copy , that 's some 300 pages of Bilbo Baggins ' adventure from his humble hobbit hole in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fearsome dragon Smaug – and back again , read and performed by Serkis .
The actor began reading the novel at around 10 a.m. in the United Kingdom ( that 's 5 a.m .
ET ) .
`` Together we 'll face the might of the trolls , journey to the magical Rivendell , encounter the giant spiders in the labyrinths of Mirkwood , and the evil goblins living among the roots of the Misty Mountains , until we meet the dragon Smaug , and see the Battle of the Five Armies , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Serkis is known for his performance as Gollum — an impish creature broken by his ownership of a powerful ring — in Peter Jackson 's adaptations of The Hobbit and its sequel trilogy , The Lord of The Rings .
He played the role under heavy CGI with his movements and his voice , perhaps most memorably , selling the character that inspired countless fans to bemoan their `` precious . ''
This time around , Serkis worked without the digital effects but with a likeness of his character perched nearby .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ which has surpassed £240,000 ( or nearly $ 298,000 ) at the time of writing — will be split evenly between two charities , the NHS Charities Together and Best Beginnings , which provides supports to pregnant women and families with young children .
In addition The Hobbit and the Lords of The Rings trilogy , Serkis has portrayed characters in Stars Wars : The Last Jedi , Black Panther and the most recent series of Planet of the Apes films .

Andy Serkis Reads Aloud The Entirety Of 'The Hobbit' For Charity
Enlarge this image toggle caption Vianney Le Caer/Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP Vianney Le Caer/Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP
Updated at 6:12 p.m. ET
Andy Serkis, the physically nimble actor largely known for his CGI-assisted roles, did some quarantine reading, performing the entirety of The Hobbit in a livestream on Friday.
On a Gofundme page established for the event, Serkis wrote that he would conduct the 12-hour marathon reading of J.R.R. Tolkien's beloved fantasy novel to raise funds for COVID-19 relief efforts. Depending on his copy, that's some 300 pages of Bilbo Baggins' adventure from his humble hobbit hole in the Shire to the mountain lair of the fearsome dragon Smaug – and back again, read and performed by Serkis.
The actor began reading the novel at around 10 a.m. in the United Kingdom (that's 5 a.m. ET).
"Together we'll face the might of the trolls, journey to the magical Rivendell, encounter the giant spiders in the labyrinths of Mirkwood, and the evil goblins living among the roots of the Misty Mountains, until we meet the dragon Smaug, and see the Battle of the Five Armies," Serkis wrote on the Gofundme page.
Serkis is known for his performance as Gollum — an impish creature broken by his ownership of a powerful ring — in Peter Jackson's adaptations of The Hobbit and its sequel trilogy, The Lord of The Rings. He played the role under heavy CGI with his movements and his voice, perhaps most memorably, selling the character that inspired countless fans to bemoan their "precious."
This time around, Serkis worked without the digital effects but with a likeness of his character perched nearby.
Serkis says proceeds from the reading — which has surpassed £240,000 (or nearly $298,000) at the time of writing — will be split evenly between two charities, the NHS Charities Together and Best Beginnings, which provides supports to pregnant women and families with young children.
In addition The Hobbit and the Lords of The Rings trilogy, Serkis has portrayed characters in Stars Wars: The Last Jedi, Black Panther and the most recent series of Planet of the Apes films.


npr--2020-05-08--Your Boss May Soon Track You At Work For Coronavirus Safety

Your Boss May Soon Track You At Work For Coronavirus Safety The last time you were in your office , who did you walk past in the lobby ?
Stand next to in the elevator ?
Chat with in the kitchen ?
You 're not alone if you ca n't remember each of those encounters .
But that is exactly the sort of information employers want to have on hand , in case an employee catches the coronavirus .
Some companies that are preparing to welcome employees back to the office are planning to use technology to monitor their movements @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be more precise than human memory , it raises fears about greater surveillance at work — and whether employers would relinquish that power after the health crisis subsides .
One company that has begun to use such tools is PwC , the big accounting and consulting firm .
It has developed an app that tracks how close employees get to each other by noting their smartphones ' Bluetooth and Wi-Fi signals .
The app allows the company to do contact tracing — the process of identifying people who may have been exposed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ positive for COVID-19 , he or she notifies human resources .
Using data from the app , PwC can identify other employees whose phones came close to the infected person 's phone in prior weeks .
Then , the human resources staff notifies those people that they may have been exposed to the virus , so they can stay home .
The app only monitors people when they are on company property , said David Sapin , a principal at PwC who worked on the app .
It does not track employees outside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the app in Shanghai , the firm 's first location to reopen since the pandemic .
Employees there are required to use it when in the office .
Sapin said they are still debating whether to make it mandatory in all offices as they reopen .
`` In order for us to protect all of our employees , I think we need to make sure that we have solutions like this in place and that they 're as effective as they can be , '' Sapin said .
`` And if that requires @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need to mandate it . ''
PwC is pitching the tool to other companies that are trying to figure out how to bring people back to their workplaces safely .
And it 's not alone .
Businesses are considering all sorts of technology .
`` I have been busier these past two months than I think I have ever been in my professional career , '' said Jarrod Easterwood , director of marketing and partner relations at Ohio-based Avuity .
It makes occupancy sensors and software that monitor how many people are in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pressure on companies to get this right .
To lure teleworking employees back to the office , they must convince them that it is safe to return .
But there are also concerns about liability .
If someone gets sick at work , or spreads the virus to colleagues , that could be expensive and damaging for an employer .
`` This is the new normal of protecting employees ' safety , '' said Dennis Kwan , CEO of TRACEsafe , which makes badges that monitor employees ' location and proximity to one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ having ] a safety policy ... just like sexual harassment policy , [ like ] child safety policy . ''
Of course , public health officials are also trying to figure out ways to contain the virus as states ease their stay-at-home orders .
Like PwC , some government agencies are working on apps to track whom people who get Covid-19 have come in contact with .
But there 's a big difference : in the U.S. , the government can not force people to use these apps .
Companies , on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do so .
`` Employers really have carte blanche in terms of the policies they can institute , in terms of the technologies that they can employ , '' said Ifeoma Ajunwa , an assistant professor of labor relations and law at Cornell University .
Even before the pandemic , more and more companies were monitoring their employees through their phones and computers , Ajunwa said .
She worries that once companies start using tracking technology , they have little incentive to stop .
`` The fact that you already have limitless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these new , more intense surveillance without any limits ... that does n't give me confidence that these measures will go away ... ever , '' she said .
PwC 's Sapin said he sees the tracking app as something that a firm could toggle on when there 's a health crisis , such as a bad flu season , and then off , when the risk fades .
But ultimately , the power to use the app would be in the employer 's hands .

Your Boss May Soon Track You At Work For Coronavirus Safety
Enlarge this image toggle caption Getty Images Getty Images
The last time you were in your office, who did you walk past in the lobby? Stand next to in the elevator? Chat with in the kitchen?
You're not alone if you can't remember each of those encounters. But that is exactly the sort of information employers want to have on hand, in case an employee catches the coronavirus.
Some companies that are preparing to welcome employees back to the office are planning to use technology to monitor their movements at work. While the technology may be more precise than human memory, it raises fears about greater surveillance at work — and whether employers would relinquish that power after the health crisis subsides.
One company that has begun to use such tools is PwC, the big accounting and consulting firm. It has developed an app that tracks how close employees get to each other by noting their smartphones' Bluetooth and Wi-Fi signals.
The app allows the company to do contact tracing — the process of identifying people who may have been exposed to the virus. If an employee tests positive for COVID-19, he or she notifies human resources. Using data from the app, PwC can identify other employees whose phones came close to the infected person's phone in prior weeks. Then, the human resources staff notifies those people that they may have been exposed to the virus, so they can stay home.
Enlarge this image toggle caption PwC PwC
The app only monitors people when they are on company property, said David Sapin, a principal at PwC who worked on the app. It does not track employees outside of work.
PwC is only using the app in Shanghai, the firm's first location to reopen since the pandemic. Employees there are required to use it when in the office. Sapin said they are still debating whether to make it mandatory in all offices as they reopen.
"In order for us to protect all of our employees, I think we need to make sure that we have solutions like this in place and that they're as effective as they can be," Sapin said. "And if that requires mandating it, then I think we need to mandate it."
PwC is pitching the tool to other companies that are trying to figure out how to bring people back to their workplaces safely. And it's not alone. Businesses are considering all sorts of technology.
"I have been busier these past two months than I think I have ever been in my professional career," said Jarrod Easterwood, director of marketing and partner relations at Ohio-based Avuity. It makes occupancy sensors and software that monitor how many people are in offices.
There is a lot of pressure on companies to get this right. To lure teleworking employees back to the office, they must convince them that it is safe to return. But there are also concerns about liability. If someone gets sick at work, or spreads the virus to colleagues, that could be expensive and damaging for an employer.
"This is the new normal of protecting employees' safety," said Dennis Kwan, CEO of TRACEsafe, which makes badges that monitor employees' location and proximity to one another. "It's just like [having] a safety policy ... just like sexual harassment policy, [like] child safety policy."
Of course, public health officials are also trying to figure out ways to contain the virus as states ease their stay-at-home orders. Like PwC, some government agencies are working on apps to track whom people who get Covid-19 have come in contact with.
But there's a big difference: in the U.S., the government cannot force people to use these apps. Companies, on the other hand, can require employees to do so.
"Employers really have carte blanche in terms of the policies they can institute, in terms of the technologies that they can employ," said Ifeoma Ajunwa, an assistant professor of labor relations and law at Cornell University.
Even before the pandemic, more and more companies were monitoring their employees through their phones and computers, Ajunwa said. She worries that once companies start using tracking technology, they have little incentive to stop.
"The fact that you already have limitless worker surveillance and then you're instituting these new, more intense surveillance without any limits ... that doesn't give me confidence that these measures will go away ... ever," she said.
PwC's Sapin said he sees the tracking app as something that a firm could toggle on when there's a health crisis, such as a bad flu season, and then off, when the risk fades. But ultimately, the power to use the app would be in the employer's hands.


npr--2020-05-08--Pence Spokeswoman Katie Miller Tests Positive For Coronavirus

The White House on Friday confirmed a second case of coronavirus this week , now in Vice President Pence 's office , as both the president and his No .
2 have recently begun traveling again .
Pence spokeswoman Katie Miller tested positive for the virus on Friday , after having tested negative Thursday .
President Trump told reporters Friday that Miller has n't come into contact with him but has `` spent some time '' with the vice president .
`` She is a wonderful young woman , Katie , '' he said .
`` She tested very good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And then all of a sudden today she tested positive . ''
`` So , she tested positive out of the blue , '' he continued .
`` This is why the whole concept of tests are n't necessarily , right , the tests are perfect but something can happen between a test where it 's good and then something happens and then all of a sudden , she was tested very recently and tested negative . ''
The discovery caused Pence 's departure to Iowa on Friday morning to be delayed by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration official told reporters traveling on Air Force Two with Pence .
Miller was not on the plane , but the White House is tracing her contacts and asked six people who had already boarded Air Force Two at Joint Base Andrews to leave the flight , the official said .
`` Nobody else was exhibiting any symptoms or having any feeling of sickness .
We asked them to go get tested and to go home out of an abundance of caution , '' the official said .
Pence and about 10 members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the official also said .
The six deplaned staffers subsequently tested negative for the virus , the official said .
Miller is the second person in the White House orbit to test positive for the virus this week , after one of President Trump 's aides — a member of the military — tested positive earlier this week .
Miller is married to Trump senior adviser Stephen Miller , whose fiery anti-immigration stance and public loyalty to the president has made him one of Trump 's closest allies .
The White House said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those in contact with the president daily rather than weekly .
Despite the possible close proximity of both the president and the vice president to these aides , White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany attempted to downplay the risk to the president , saying on Friday : `` I can assure the American people that their commander in chief is protected . ''
Trump has thus far declined to wear protective face masks in public .
When asked whether the most recent cases of COVID-19 should have prompted the president to wear a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ commemoration meeting with nonagenarian and centenarian veterans earlier in the day , McEnany was noncommittal .
`` This president is regularly tested .
This president will make the decision as to whether to wear a mask or not .
I can tell you those veterans are protected .
They made the choice to come here because they 've chosen to put their nation first .
They wanted to be with their commander in chief on this momentous day , '' McEnany said .
McEnany also declined to detail how close the president had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Pence Spokeswoman Katie Miller Tests Positive For Coronavirus
Enlarge this image toggle caption Bloomberg via Getty Images Bloomberg via Getty Images
Updated at 4:02 p.m. ET
The White House on Friday confirmed a second case of coronavirus this week, now in Vice President Pence's office, as both the president and his No. 2 have recently begun traveling again.
Pence spokeswoman Katie Miller tested positive for the virus on Friday, after having tested negative Thursday.
President Trump told reporters Friday that Miller hasn't come into contact with him but has "spent some time" with the vice president.
"She is a wonderful young woman, Katie," he said. "She tested very good for a long period of time. And then all of a sudden today she tested positive."
"So, she tested positive out of the blue," he continued. "This is why the whole concept of tests aren't necessarily, right, the tests are perfect but something can happen between a test where it's good and then something happens and then all of a sudden, she was tested very recently and tested negative."
The discovery caused Pence's departure to Iowa on Friday morning to be delayed by more than an hour, a senior administration official told reporters traveling on Air Force Two with Pence.
Miller was not on the plane, but the White House is tracing her contacts and asked six people who had already boarded Air Force Two at Joint Base Andrews to leave the flight, the official said.
"Nobody else was exhibiting any symptoms or having any feeling of sickness. We asked them to go get tested and to go home out of an abundance of caution," the official said. Pence and about 10 members of his staff are tested daily, the official also said.
The six deplaned staffers subsequently tested negative for the virus, the official said.
Miller is the second person in the White House orbit to test positive for the virus this week, after one of President Trump's aides — a member of the military — tested positive earlier this week.
Miller is married to Trump senior adviser Stephen Miller, whose fiery anti-immigration stance and public loyalty to the president has made him one of Trump's closest allies.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Charlie Neibergall/AP Charlie Neibergall/AP
The White House said on Thursday that it would now test those in contact with the president daily rather than weekly.
Despite the possible close proximity of both the president and the vice president to these aides, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany attempted to downplay the risk to the president, saying on Friday: "I can assure the American people that their commander in chief is protected."
Trump has thus far declined to wear protective face masks in public. When asked whether the most recent cases of COVID-19 should have prompted the president to wear a face covering during a World War II commemoration meeting with nonagenarian and centenarian veterans earlier in the day, McEnany was noncommittal.
"This president is regularly tested. This president will make the decision as to whether to wear a mask or not. I can tell you those veterans are protected. They made the choice to come here because they've chosen to put their nation first. They wanted to be with their commander in chief on this momentous day," McEnany said.
McEnany also declined to detail how close the president had come to his aide in recent days.


npr--2020-05-08--Supreme Court Puts Temporary Hold On Order To Release Redacted Mueller Materials

The Supreme Court has temporarily put on hold the release of redacted grand jury material from the Russia investigation to @ @ @ @ @ Trump administration is trying to block the release .
Last October , a district court @ @ @ @ @ had to turn over the materials , which were blacked out , from former special @ @ @ @ @ into Russian interference in the 2016 election .
An appeals court upheld the decision , @ @ @ @ @ hoping to keep the evidence secret , appealed to the Supreme Court .
Chief Justice @ @ @ @ @ stops the process .
Lawyers for the House Judiciary Committee have until May 18 to @ @ @ @ @ Justice Department 's attempts to keep the materials from the House panel .
The Justice @ @ @ @ @ turn over the material following the appeals court order .
But on Thursday , the @ @ @ @ @ Court to block Congress from seeking it , saying , `` The government will suffer @ @ @ @ @ . ''

Supreme Court Puts Temporary Hold On Order To Release Redacted Mueller Materials
Enlarge this image toggle caption Andrew Harnik/AP Andrew Harnik/AP
The Supreme Court has temporarily put on hold the release of redacted grand jury material from the Russia investigation to a House panel.
The Trump administration is trying to block the release.
Last October, a district court judge ruled the Justice Department had to turn over the materials, which were blacked out, from former special counsel Robert Mueller's report into Russian interference in the 2016 election.
An appeals court upheld the decision, but the Trump administration, hoping to keep the evidence secret, appealed to the Supreme Court.
Chief Justice John Roberts' order temporarily stops the process. Lawyers for the House Judiciary Committee have until May 18 to file their response to the Justice Department's attempts to keep the materials from the House panel.
The Justice Department had until Monday to turn over the material following the appeals court order. But on Thursday, the Trump administration asked the Supreme Court to block Congress from seeking it, saying, "The government will suffer irreparable harm absent a stay."


npr--2020-05-09--Women Bear The Brunt Of Coronavirus Job Losses

Very briefly , at the end of 2019 and the start of 2020 , there were slightly more women on American nonfarm payrolls than men .
That 's no longer true .
The historically disastrous April jobs report shows that the brunt of job losses fell on women .
Women now account for around just under half — 49 % — of American workers , and they accounted for 55 % of the increase in job losses last month .
One way of looking at why that matters that is to look at the gap that opened up between women @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The below chart shows women 's unemployment rate minus men 's unemployment rate since 2007 .
Usually , the line bumps around near or just below zero — meaning men 's unemployment is usually near or slightly higher than women 's .
But that spike on the far right shows how women 's unemployment leapt to be 2.7 points higher than men 's in April .
Women had an unemployment rate of 16.2 % to men 's 13.5 % last month .
That 's uncommon for a recession .
The below chart @ @ @ @ @ @ @ periods with gray backgrounds are recessions .
During every recession since 1981 , men 's unemployment has shot up past women 's — that is , the line dips negative .
This is a big sign of how the downturn caused by coronavirus is unlike past recessions , says Matthias Doepke , professor of economics at Northwestern University .
He and some colleagues wrote a paper in March about the coronavirus ' effects on women , before the first coronavirus job report was even out .
`` It 's stuff we said was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They saw it coming for a couple of reasons , he says .
One is the industries suffering most in this downturn .
Past recessions have hit male-dominated industries like manufacturing and construction relatively hard — think about the housing downturn and automaker layoffs after the 2008 financial crisis , for example .
Those helped push unemployment for men higher .
This time is different , Doepke says : `` The highest employment losses are things like restaurants and hospitality , hotels , and those are sectors with high female employment . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ important factor here , he says : child care .
`` You have all these schools closed .
So you have a much higher requirement for child care at home , '' he said .
`` And because women are going to do the majority of that already , they are more affected . ''
It is true that women do more child care in the home right now .
Even in families with both parents working full-time , women are far more likely than men to manage schedules and activities , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In addition , women are far more likely than men to be a single parent , meaning that a lack of child care leaves them with no options .
`` You have 60 million single moms in the United States and many of them have no alternative child care , especially now that grandparents are not supposed to come over anymore , '' Doepke said .
`` And so for many of them , it 's simply not possible to work again .
So there will be forced unemployment because of child @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may last well beyond the coronavirus crisis — Doepke and his coauthors note that job losses in a recession often mean persistently lower wages , as well as less secure future employment .
That may mean that one long-term effect of this crisis is a wider gender wage gap .
However , Doepke also says some aspects of the current crisis could counteract those child-rearing forces working women are up against .
`` One side is the side of employers who are now going to be more flexible , offer work from home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and maybe also just become more aware that everybody has child care needs , not just mothers , '' he said .
Many workers who are able to work from home , after all , have seen their fellow workers caring for children on Zoom meetings .
The reality of parenting while working is much more visible for some workers and bosses now .
In addition , the economic crisis could contribute to further shifting of social norms in terms of how much work fathers do .
`` There 's also going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ things actually completely reversed because the mother is maybe a doctor or at the hospital and has to be there , '' Doepke said .
`` Whereas the father is an academic like me or an office worker who can work from home or maybe even is unemployed and therefore by default becomes the primary provider of child care . ''
But then , there remain the millions of workers who ca n't work from home and who are hard at work at the grocery store or delivering food .
The gendered effects @ @ @ @ @ @ @ class and race , and will become much more clear as we get more and more jobs reports .

Women Bear The Brunt Of Coronavirus Job Losses
Enlarge this image toggle caption Nam Y. Huh/AP Nam Y. Huh/AP
Very briefly, at the end of 2019 and the start of 2020, there were slightly more women on American nonfarm payrolls than men.
That's no longer true. The historically disastrous April jobs report shows that the brunt of job losses fell on women.
Women now account for around just under half — 49% — of American workers, and they accounted for 55% of the increase in job losses last month.
One way of looking at why that matters that is to look at the gap that opened up between women's and men's unemployment last month. The below chart shows women's unemployment rate minus men's unemployment rate since 2007.
Usually, the line bumps around near or just below zero — meaning men's unemployment is usually near or slightly higher than women's.
But that spike on the far right shows how women's unemployment leapt to be 2.7 points higher than men's in April. Women had an unemployment rate of 16.2% to men's 13.5% last month.
That's uncommon for a recession. The below chart is a longer view, and the periods with gray backgrounds are recessions. During every recession since 1981, men's unemployment has shot up past women's — that is, the line dips negative.
This is a big sign of how the downturn caused by coronavirus is unlike past recessions, says Matthias Doepke, professor of economics at Northwestern University. He and some colleagues wrote a paper in March about the coronavirus' effects on women, before the first coronavirus job report was even out.
"It's stuff we said was probably coming," Doepke said.
They saw it coming for a couple of reasons, he says. One is the industries suffering most in this downturn.
Past recessions have hit male-dominated industries like manufacturing and construction relatively hard — think about the housing downturn and automaker layoffs after the 2008 financial crisis, for example. Those helped push unemployment for men higher.
This time is different, Doepke says: "The highest employment losses are things like restaurants and hospitality, hotels, and those are sectors with high female employment."
But there may be an even more important factor here, he says: child care.
"You have all these schools closed. So you have a much higher requirement for child care at home," he said. "And because women are going to do the majority of that already, they are more affected."
It is true that women do more child care in the home right now. Even in families with both parents working full-time, women are far more likely than men to manage schedules and activities, and to take care of kids when sick.
In addition, women are far more likely than men to be a single parent, meaning that a lack of child care leaves them with no options.
"You have 60 million single moms in the United States and many of them have no alternative child care, especially now that grandparents are not supposed to come over anymore," Doepke said. "And so for many of them, it's simply not possible to work again. So there will be forced unemployment because of child care."
The effects of this may last well beyond the coronavirus crisis — Doepke and his coauthors note that job losses in a recession often mean persistently lower wages, as well as less secure future employment.
That may mean that one long-term effect of this crisis is a wider gender wage gap.
However, Doepke also says some aspects of the current crisis could counteract those child-rearing forces working women are up against.
"One side is the side of employers who are now going to be more flexible, offer work from home much more than they used to, and maybe also just become more aware that everybody has child care needs, not just mothers," he said.
Many workers who are able to work from home, after all, have seen their fellow workers caring for children on Zoom meetings. The reality of parenting while working is much more visible for some workers and bosses now.
In addition, the economic crisis could contribute to further shifting of social norms in terms of how much work fathers do.
"There's also going to be millions of families right now where things actually completely reversed because the mother is maybe a doctor or at the hospital and has to be there," Doepke said. "Whereas the father is an academic like me or an office worker who can work from home or maybe even is unemployed and therefore by default becomes the primary provider of child care."
But then, there remain the millions of workers who can't work from home and who are hard at work at the grocery store or delivering food. The gendered effects of the crisis will also vary by class and race, and will become much more clear as we get more and more jobs reports.


npr--2020-05-09--Anti-Vaccination Activists Join Stay-At-Home Order Protesters

Protests over stay-at-home orders because of COVID-19 have become more common around the country .
In California , a surprising group is behind some of them : those who oppose mandatory vaccinations .
On Thursday , a mash-up of people mingled on the sidewalk in front of California 's state Capitol in Sacramento .
There were Trump supporters wearing MAGA hats and waving American flags .
There were Christians , singing along to religious rock songs and raising their hands in prayer .
The event 's MC .
urged Gov .
Gavin Newsom to tune into their event .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gavin Newsom [ to tune in to ] 107.9 FM , if he wants to hear what we have to say , '' the MC told the crowd over loudspeakers .
`` It could be kind of good for him ! ''
There were also mothers with their children at the rally .
Many people were not wearing face masks or observing social distancing protocols .
They 'd all come out to protest California 's stay-at-home order , put in place to slow the spread of COVID-19 .
This week 's event was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and featured pastors and sermons .
But it was organized by a group called Freedom Angels , which was originally formed to fight mandatory vaccine laws in the state .
At the beginning of the rally , the group 's founders took the stage , including Denise Aguilar .
`` Hello everybody , my name is Denise , I 'm one of the founders of Freedom Angels , '' Aguilar said to a cheering crowd .
`` Thank you guys for being out here to let Gov .
Newsom know we 're @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this for years ! ''
The group has become a fixture at the Capitol ever since California passed a law requiring school students to be vaccinated and a second law tightening restrictions on medical exemptions for those vaccines .
But another Freedom Angels founder , Stefanie Fetzer , said they 're not a single-issue group .
She said these events are about promoting personal freedom .
`` I think what we 're seeing now is the predictive modeling that they came out with in the beginning did n't hold true .
We are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Fetzer said .
`` And instead of backing off of the shutdown and the restrictive measures that Gov .
Newsom implemented , he seems to be doubling down . ''
Public health advocates point out that the reason those early predictions did n't come true is that aggressive social distancing measures — including stay-at-home orders — worked .
Democratic state Senator Richard Pan , who authored California 's vaccine laws , believes this anti-vaccine group is aligning with others protesting the stay-at-home order as a way to promote their cause .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccine would eventually allow the economy to reopen .
`` They have staged these protests to basically find a way to get media attention for themselves .
They fund raise off of their activities as well , '' Pan said .
`` So , frankly , many of the anti-vaxxers who are involved in this are really there for their own interests . ''
It 's common for anti-vaccine groups to latch onto other controversial issues , according to epidemiologist and vaccine educator René Najera .
For instance , he points to abortion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there are aborted fetal cells in vaccines — which there are not — to try to get the anti-abortion people on their side , '' he said .
`` And then they flip it around and say , also , 'My body , my choice . '
'' Najera said those tactics can have dangerous outcomes , including making people think twice about getting vaccines .
In fact , he said , in 2019 the World Health Organization named vaccine hesitancy , or people 's reluctance to consider vaccination , as one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ challenges .
`` And we saw the effects of that , '' Najera said .
`` We saw a rise of measles in the United States to the point where the elimination status of the United States for measles was in jeopardy . ''
Najera is confident vaccine opponents are n't going away .
He says , if anything , the rise of social media has made it easier for them to spread their message .
What he finds most frustrating is that these anti-vaccines protesters are n't just making choices that affect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not to vaccinate their children and joining other large protests to spread their message puts the health of everyone at risk .

Anti-Vaccination Activists Join Stay-At-Home Order Protesters
Enlarge this image toggle caption Katie Orr/KQED Katie Orr/KQED
Protests over stay-at-home orders because of COVID-19 have become more common across the country. In California, a surprising group is behind some of them: those who oppose mandatory vaccinations.
On Thursday, a mashup of people mingled on the sidewalk in front of California's state Capitol in Sacramento. There were Trump supporters wearing MAGA hats and waving American flags. There were Christians, singing along to religious rock songs and raising their hands in prayer. The event's emcee urged Gov. Gavin Newsom to tune into their event.
"Everybody up at the Capitol, tell Gavin Newsom [to tune in to] 107.9 FM, if he wants to hear what we have to say," the emcee told the crowd over loudspeakers. "It could be kind of good for him!"
There were also mothers with their children at the rally. Many people were not wearing face masks or observing social distancing protocols.
They had all come out to protest California's stay-at-home order, put in place to slow the spread of COVID-19. This week's event was built around the National Day of Prayer and featured pastors and sermons. But it was organized by a group called Freedom Angels, which was originally formed to fight mandatory vaccine laws in the state.
At the beginning of the rally, the group's founders took the stage, including Denise Aguilar.
"Hello everybody, my name is Denise, I'm one of the founders of Freedom Angels," Aguilar said to a cheering crowd. "Thank you guys for being out here to let Gov. Newsom know we're not going away! We've said this for years!"
The group has become a fixture at the Capitol ever since California passed a law requiring school students to be vaccinated and a second law tightening restrictions on medical exemptions for those vaccines. But another Freedom Angels founder, Stefanie Fetzer, said it is not a single-issue group. She said these events are about promoting personal freedom.
"I think what we're seeing now is the predictive modeling that they came out with in the beginning didn't hold true. We aren't seeing the numbers that they predicted," Fetzer said. "And instead of backing off of the shutdown and the restrictive measures that Gov. Newsom implemented, he seems to be doubling down."
Attention-seeking strategy
Public health advocates point out that the reason those early predictions didn't come true is that aggressive social distancing measures — including stay-at-home orders — worked. Democratic state Sen. Richard Pan, who authored California's vaccine laws, believes this anti-vaccine group is aligning with others protesting the stay-at-home order as a way to promote their cause. After all, Pan said, a vaccine would eventually allow the economy to reopen.
"They have staged these protests to basically find a way to get media attention for themselves. They fundraise off of their activities as well," Pan said. "So, frankly, many of the anti-vaxxers who are involved in this are really there for their own interests."
It's common for anti-vaccine groups to latch onto other controversial issues, according to epidemiologist and vaccine educator René Najera. For instance, he points to abortion.
"They try to say that there are aborted fetal cells in vaccines — which there are not — to try to get the anti-abortion people on their side," he said. "And then they flip it around and say, also, 'My body, my choice.' "
Najera said those tactics can have dangerous outcomes, including making people think twice about getting vaccines. In fact, he said, in 2019, the World Health Organization named vaccine hesitancy, or people's reluctance to consider vaccination, as one of the world's Top 10 public health challenges.
"And we saw the effects of that," Najera said. "We saw a rise of measles in the United States to the point where the elimination status of the United States for measles was in jeopardy."
Najera is confident vaccine opponents aren't going away. He says that if anything, the rise of social media has made it easier for them to spread their message. What he finds most frustrating is that these anti-vaccines protesters aren't just making choices that affect their own families. Najera says choosing not to vaccinate their children and joining other large protests to spread their message puts the health of everyone at risk.


npr--2020-05-09--Reopening After COVID: The 3 Phases Recommended By The White House

Reopening After COVID : The 3 Phases Recommended By The White House President Trump wants states to begin relaxing stay-at-home orders and reopen businesses after the spread of the coronavirus pummeled the global economy and killed millions of jobs .
The White House coronavirus task force released guidelines on April 16 to encourage state governors to adopt a phased approach to lifting restrictions across the country .
Some states have moved ahead without meeting the criteria .
The task force rejected a set of additional detailed draft recommendations for schools , restaurants , churches and mass transit systems from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it considered `` overly prescriptive . ''
A number of states have already begun to lift restrictions , allowing for businesses including hair salons , diners and tattoo parlors to once again begin accepting customers .
Health experts have warned that reopening too quickly could result in a potential rebound in cases .
States are supposed to wait to begin lifting any restrictions until they have a 14-day `` downward trajectory '' of influenza-like illnesses and confirmed virus cases , as well as sufficient hospital capacity and testing for health care workers .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ phases as outlined by the task force ( read the full guidance here ) : Do n't see the graphic above ?
Click here .

Reopening After COVID: The 3 Phases Recommended By The White House
Enlarge this image toggle caption Johannes Eisele/AFP via Getty Images Johannes Eisele/AFP via Getty Images
President Trump wants states to begin relaxing stay-at-home orders and reopen businesses after the spread of the coronavirus pummeled the global economy and killed millions of jobs.
The White House coronavirus task force released guidelines on April 16 to encourage state governors to adopt a phased approach to lifting restrictions across the country. Some states have moved ahead without meeting the criteria.
The task force rejected a set of additional detailed draft recommendations for schools, restaurants, churches and mass transit systems from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that it considered "overly prescriptive."
A number of states have already begun to lift restrictions, allowing for businesses including hair salons, diners and tattoo parlors to once again begin accepting customers. Health experts have warned that reopening too quickly could result in a potential rebound in cases.
States are supposed to wait to begin lifting any restrictions until they have a 14-day "downward trajectory" of influenza-like illnesses and confirmed virus cases, as well as sufficient hospital capacity and testing for health care workers.
Below is a summary of the three phases as outlined by the task force (read the full guidance here):
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Don't see the graphic above? Click here.