npr--2020-05-07--Top U.S. General: Proposed COVID-19 Recruiting Ban 'Has Not Been Approved'

Top U.S. General : Proposed COVID-19 Recruiting Ban 'Has Not Been Approved' The nation 's top military officer says the Pentagon is still weighing its options when it comes to recruitment and COVID-19 , several days after an internal memo surfaced publicly that suggested all recovered patients would be ineligible to join the military .
That interim guidance was revised Wednesday to suggest that only those who had been hospitalized would be disqualified — but the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff , Army Gen. Mark Milley , told NPR that even the latest version remains just a draft @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thought out and reviewed by the service secretaries — the chiefs — or the secretary of defense , '' Milley said in an interview with Morning Edition recorded Thursday .
`` We 'll have to , with the doctors , take a very , very hard look at the medical standards of recruits and how COVID — or if you 've been infected by COVID — how that applies . ''
`` But that has not been approved , '' he added .
`` That got out there by accident , as sometimes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appear to quash many of the questions marks that swirled for days around the U.S. military 's recruiting policies in the midst of the global pandemic .
The original document that began circulating publicly this week , an internal message issued by the U.S. Military Entrance Processing Command , or USMEPCOM , advised its readers to label any reported history of COVID-19 as `` Considered Disqualifying . ''
`` During the medical history interview or examination , a history of COVID-19 , confirmed by either a laboratory test or a clinician diagnosis , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the earlier version of the document , which the Pentagon has confirmed as authentic .
The memo was then revised on Wednesday , according to a Pentagon spokesperson , to bar only those applicants who were hospitalized with the respiratory disease .
Those who have tested positive for the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 but have avoided serious complications would remain eligible , under the revised guidelines , while those who did find themselves in a hospital can satisfy the rule by obtaining a service waiver — similar to the process established for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recruit , such as asthma or a recent case of pneumonia .
But the revised version is not final either , Milley told NPR , adding that he expects the finalized version `` in maybe , say , a week or two . ''
He noted that it would not pass his `` common sense test '' to apply those medical disqualifications to service members who have been hospitalized with COVID-19 either .
`` We 're going to have to implement a whole series of protocols , '' he said , `` not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there 's a whole series of adjustments we 're going to have to make to this world we 're now in . ''
The Pentagon 's decision is unfolding in the shadow of the Trump administration 's push to reopen states and lift the sweeping coronavirus restrictions across the country , which has included celebrations of those who have recovered from COVID-19 .
At the same time , the World Health Organization has warned that there is no reliable evidence yet to know for sure that recovered COVID-19 patients are safe from a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ draft recruiting guidance are not the only ones the U.S. military has confronted about its coronavirus response .
Controversy has swirled around the outbreak on a nuclear aircraft carrier , the USS Theodore Roosevelt .
The U.S. Navy continues to review how and why the vessel 's commander , Capt .
Brett Crozier , was relieved of his command after his request for help leaked to the media .
Thomas Modly resigned as acting secretary of the Navy last month amid a hailstorm of criticism , just four months after Trump had installed @ @ @ @ @

Top U.S. General: Proposed COVID-19 Recruiting Ban 'Has Not Been Approved'
Enlarge this image toggle caption Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images
Updated at 4:58 p.m. ET
The nation's top military officer says the Pentagon is still weighing its options when it comes to recruitment and COVID-19, several days after an internal memo surfaced publicly that suggested all recovered patients would be ineligible to join the military. That interim guidance was revised Wednesday to suggest that only those who had been hospitalized would be disqualified — but the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Army Gen. Mark Milley, told NPR that even the latest version remains just a draft.
National Security The Military Ban On COVID-19 Patients Enlisting Is Yet To Become A Policy The Military Ban On COVID-19 Patients Enlisting Is Yet To Become A Policy Listen · 3:16 3:16
"It hasn't been rigorously thought out and reviewed by the service secretaries — the chiefs — or the secretary of defense," Milley said in an interview with Morning Edition recorded Thursday. "We'll have to, with the doctors, take a very, very hard look at the medical standards of recruits and how COVID — or if you've been infected by COVID — how that applies."
National Security Top U.S. General On COVID-19, Reorienting For Great Power Competition Top U.S. General On COVID-19, Reorienting For Great Power Competition Listen · 7:39 7:39
"But that has not been approved," he added. "That got out there by accident, as sometimes documents do."
Milley's comments appear to quash many of the questions marks that swirled for days around the U.S. military's recruiting policies in the midst of the global pandemic. The original document that began circulating publicly this week, an internal message issued by the U.S. Military Entrance Processing Command, or USMEPCOM, advised its readers to label any reported history of COVID-19 as "Considered Disqualifying."
"During the medical history interview or examination, a history of COVID-19, confirmed by either a laboratory test or a clinician diagnosis, is permanently disqualifying," officials stated in the earlier version of the document, which the Pentagon has confirmed as authentic.
The memo was then revised on Wednesday, according to a Pentagon spokesperson, to bar only those applicants who were hospitalized with the respiratory disease. Those who have tested positive for the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 but have avoided serious complications would remain eligible, under the revised guidelines, while those who did find themselves in a hospital can satisfy the rule by obtaining a service waiver — similar to the process established for other conditions that could medically disqualify a recruit, such as asthma or a recent case of pneumonia.
But the revised version is not final either, Milley told NPR, adding that he expects the finalized version "in maybe, say, a week or two." He noted that it would not pass his "common sense test" to apply those medical disqualifications to service members who have been hospitalized with COVID-19 either.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Kena Betancur/AFP via Getty Images Kena Betancur/AFP via Getty Images
"We're going to have to implement a whole series of protocols," he said, "not something only like that memo, but there's a whole series of adjustments we're going to have to make to this world we're now in."
The Pentagon's decision is unfolding in the shadow of the Trump administration's push to reopen states and lift the sweeping coronavirus restrictions across the country, which has included celebrations of those who have recovered from COVID-19. At the same time, the World Health Organization has warned that there is no reliable evidence yet to know for sure that recovered COVID-19 patients are safe from a second infection.
The questions around the draft recruiting guidance are not the only ones the U.S. military has confronted about its coronavirus response.
Controversy has swirled around the outbreak on a nuclear aircraft carrier, the USS Theodore Roosevelt. The U.S. Navy continues to review how and why the vessel's commander, Capt. Brett Crozier, was relieved of his command after his request for help leaked to the media.
Thomas Modly resigned as acting secretary of the Navy last month amid a hailstorm of criticism, just four months after Trump had installed Modly in the role.
NPR's Tom Bowman contributed to this report.


npr--2020-05-07--White House Rejected 'Overly Prescriptive' CDC Guidance For Reopening Communities

The White House coronavirus task force rejected detailed guidance drafted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on how workplaces ranging from schools to bars to churches should resume operations to prevent the spread of the virus because it was viewed as `` overly prescriptive . ''
President Trump has said he wants to see the country begin to reopen .
The pandemic crashed the economy by keeping people at home , leading to millions of job losses .
The White House task force issued guidelines on how to gradually and safely reopen but left decisions up to governors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Experts have warned that a rush to reopen could have disastrous implications for containing COVID-19 .
Many businesses have said they want more details about how to do things safely .
The draft detailed guidance was provided to the task force in late April , a couple of weeks after it released its April 16 guidance to states for reopening .
The task force sought `` certain revisions '' to the CDC 's detailed guidance , two administration officials told NPR .
But revised recommendations were never returned to the task force .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ task force decision to shelve the detailed guidance .
Copies obtained and published by the AP , The New York Times and The Washington Post revealed detailed , staged directions for child care centers , schools , camps , restaurants and bars , churches and mass transit providers about how to safely resume operations .
`` I think many people would argue that it is not the role of the federal government to tell specific entities — whether they be schools or churches or businesses — how they should go about doing things @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' one of the administration officials said .
The task force said that some of the points may be helpful , but they needed to `` zoom out a little bit and not be so prescriptive , '' according to the official .
The task force said they would welcome a new set of recommendations , but that never happened , the official said .
`` Issuing overly specific instructions — that CDC leadership never cleared — for how various types of businesses open up would be overly prescriptive and broad for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country , '' the second administration official said .
`` Guidance in rural Tennessee should n't be the same guidance for urban New York City . ''
The United States last month reached 1 million known coronavirus cases , representing one-third of all coronavirus cases worldwide .
Nearly 74,000 Americans have been felled by the disease as of Thursday , according to data compiled by the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center .

White House Rejected 'Overly Prescriptive' CDC Guidance For Reopening Communities
Enlarge this image toggle caption Doug Mills/Pool/Getty Images Doug Mills/Pool/Getty Images
The White House coronavirus task force rejected detailed guidance drafted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on how workplaces ranging from schools to bars to churches should resume operations to prevent the spread of the virus because it was viewed as "overly prescriptive."
President Trump has said he wants to see the country begin to reopen. The pandemic crashed the economy by keeping people at home, leading to millions of job losses. The White House task force issued guidelines on how to gradually and safely reopen but left decisions up to governors based on conditions in their states.
Experts have warned that a rush to reopen could have disastrous implications for containing COVID-19. Many businesses have said they want more details about how to do things safely.
The draft detailed guidance was provided to the task force in late April, a couple of weeks after it released its April 16 guidance to states for reopening.
The task force sought "certain revisions" to the CDC's detailed guidance, two administration officials told NPR. But revised recommendations were never returned to the task force.
The Associated Press first reported on the task force decision to shelve the detailed guidance. Copies obtained and published by the AP, The New York Times and The Washington Post revealed detailed, staged directions for child care centers, schools, camps, restaurants and bars, churches and mass transit providers about how to safely resume operations.
"I think many people would argue that it is not the role of the federal government to tell specific entities — whether they be schools or churches or businesses — how they should go about doing things because the nation is so diverse," one of the administration officials said.
The task force said that some of the points may be helpful, but they needed to "zoom out a little bit and not be so prescriptive," according to the official. The task force said they would welcome a new set of recommendations, but that never happened, the official said.
"Issuing overly specific instructions — that CDC leadership never cleared — for how various types of businesses open up would be overly prescriptive and broad for the various circumstances states are experiencing throughout the country," the second administration official said. "Guidance in rural Tennessee shouldn't be the same guidance for urban New York City."
The United States last month reached 1 million known coronavirus cases, representing one-third of all coronavirus cases worldwide. Nearly 74,000 Americans have been felled by the disease as of Thursday, according to data compiled by the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.


npr--2020-05-07--Table For None: Tom Colicchio Explains What Restaurants Need To Survive

Table For None : Tom Colicchio Explains What Restaurants Need To Survive Chef Tom Colicchio is one of the many restaurateurs wondering what will be left of the industry after the COVID-19 pandemic has run its course .
Colicchio , who serves as head judge on the Bravo series Top Chef , laid off more than 400 staff members in the past few months .
His five restaurants in New York and Los Angeles have been shuttered since March 14 , and the two restaurants he 's associated with in Las Vegas have closed as well .
He says he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reopening and more on what the `` new normal '' might look like while the country waits for a vaccine .
`` There 's going to be a reduction in our seating .
...
The bartender is going to have a face mask on and the server 's going to have a face mask on , '' he says .
`` Sitting down after you finish your meal , everything 's going to have to be disinfected . ''
Colicchio is a longtime activist on issues related to the food supply chain , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that most restaurants run on low margins and without large cash reserves .
In response to the pandemic , he helped form the Independent Restaurant Coalition to lobby Congress for relief for the industry .
The coalition is `` asking for a restaurant stabilization package , '' he says .
`` We are looking for income replacement that will go to cover employees , or pay suppliers , and sustain us through the losses that we 're going to incur for the next at least eight months to a year . ''
Colicchio @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that provide a semblance of normalcy and connection in trying times .
He 's particularly concerned about the smaller `` mom and pop '' establishments .
`` We actually need to make sure those places that make us feel connected and part of a community are there for the long haul , '' he says .
`` We 're really looking at saving every restaurant , because we think that every restaurant needs to be there . ''
On how disrupted supply chains have resulted in large-scale food waste Certain producers and certain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ things .
So if you have a milk distributor that is set up to purchase milk from a dairy farm , and they are producing milk for , say , institutions — meaning college campuses and hotels — maybe they produce milk in a 5-gallon container that has a plastic bladder in it and it 's set up to put in a dispenser .
Those are all closed when schools closed and college campuses closed and hotels all closed down .
Now , you have this distributor set up to do that .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and all of a sudden start putting milk into gallon and half-gallon containers .
There 's different labeling involved there .
It 's a different production line .
So those dairy farmers that were selling into that market , they do n't have a market anymore , and so they have to throw out their milk .
It 's not even a matter of taking it and shipping it to a different producer , because those other producers , they 're at capacity .
... Eggs , for instance .
We 're hearing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cracked and thrown out .
Again , there is a market and production in place that a lot of institutional feedings use — hospitals and schools and colleges and larger restaurant operations and hotel operations — that buy eggs already cracked , pasteurized in a gallon container .
Well , that business is gone .
So these eggs , there 's nowhere for them to go .
It 's not a simple sort of thing to just change that production on a dime .
On how the closure of slaughterhouses has had an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ farmer and you 're growing a pig , [ you ] want that pig to be 200 pounds because that 's the way [ your ] production line can accommodate that pig and with various cuts that are a certain size .
Now , all of a sudden that pig , it 's 200 pounds and those slaughterhouses are closed .
That pig has nowhere to go .
And these farmers are n't manufacturers .
They do n't slaughter these animals .
They just grow them and they put [ them ] on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the slaughterhouse .
Now , all of a sudden that slaughterhouse is closed .
What do they do with that animal ?
If they continue to feed it , it just gets too big — especially once it hits 200 pounds .
It starts growing very quickly .
No .
2 , they 're feeding this animal and there 's nowhere to go .
So there 's a cost that they are incurring .
They know they 're not going to have a market for it .
So they 're killing these animals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ humanely as possible .
On food being wasted , despite the record number of people who are relying on food stamps and food banks There should have been a way to move food around the country .
There should be a plan for this .
And see , this is the problem when you decide that you want to shrink government down , to the size that you could `` drown it in a bathtub '' — that 's the old Grover Norquist line .
All these years , we keep getting spoon-fed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do n't want big government ; it 's too intrusive and it gets in the way of our freedoms .
But we do n't want big government , we want smart government .
Smart government that has plans in place when something like this happens .
They know what to do .
They do n't deny it 's happening .
They do n't sit there and pretend that somehow it 's all going to go away .
No , you have a plan to act .
And so this is what we need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is , there 's a couple of bills right now that are moving through Congress that are getting support on both sides to actually start moving this food and somehow getting it to where it needs to go .
Because ... there 's a huge demand .
I mean , prior to COVID , we had about 38 million Americans using SNAP , or food stamps .
... so we have a major , major problem right now .
We have enough food in this country .
We produce enough food in this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ divert that food , get it to where it needs [ to go ] .
On his plan to fix the distribution model and help restaurants , suppliers and people in need If somebody asked me , I could have a plan together in 10 minutes .
So , for instance , what I would have said is , OK , restaurant , I 'm going to give you 75 % of your revenue that you did last year .
We 'll break it down per month , and I 'm going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to hire your staff back , and you 're going to pay your suppliers and you 're going to continue to produce food — not your menu , but produce food , because that 's a whole distribution model now that we can tap into .
We 're going to continue to produce food , and you 're going to create menus that are less expensive [ so ] that you can actually turn your restaurants into community feeding centers .
Because restaurants process food .
So if I get a whole @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them down , we cut them into portions .
We could cook them .
We can prepare them .
We can get them to the food pantries and food distribution [ sites ] .
We had a distribution set up .
No one tapped into it .
So instead of trying to actually create something new , you just kind of have to go with what you have .
What we did n't have was the money flowing through the restaurants to do that .
This is a pretty simple solution .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to go around the system or create something new .
You work within the system .
Could you imagine , if every restaurant was turned into a community feeding center where we do n't have to do thousands of meals , every restaurant could do 200 , 300 , and then there 's no choke point ?
It happens seamlessly , and that whole ecosystem of the restaurant — the employees , the suppliers — all of it stays intact .
That would 've been the best way to do it , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hungry people at the same time .
On how he believes the government can do better What 's frustrating is hearing , `` No one knew .
No one knew this was going to happen . ''
Yeah , plenty of people knew this was going to happen .
Bill Gates talked about it two years ago in a documentary that was made .
People have known this .
I 'm angry because ... this would protect restaurants , suppliers , employees .
You know what it protects ?
It protects the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thing our government is supposed to do .
For too long , we 've spent a lot of money on the military because the military was supposed to protect the country .
The military ca n't protect against something like this .
So we need to be smarter .
We need it to say , you know what ?
There are things out there that are greater than a missile attack from another country .
And we need to actually rethink the way America protects its citizenry , looking at a safety net @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have to start thinking ahead .
What does the new normal look like ?
What are the great ideas out there that can actually move this country forward ?
We have an opportunity now .
And so we have to start thinking about , how do we envision , how do we protect our food supply , how to make it more resistant to what is going to happen again ?
Lauren Krenzel and Mooj Zadie produced and edited the audio of this interview .
Bridget Bentz , Molly Seavy-Nesper and Beth Novey @ @ @ @ @ @

Table For None: Tom Colicchio Explains What Restaurants Need To Survive
Enlarge this image toggle caption Michael Hickey/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images Michael Hickey/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images
Chef Tom Colicchio is one of the many restaurateurs wondering what will be left of the industry after the COVID-19 pandemic has run its course.
Colicchio, who serves as head judge on the Bravo series Top Chef, laid off more than 400 staff members in the past few months. His five restaurants in New York and Los Angeles have been shuttered since March 14, and the two restaurants he's associated with in Las Vegas have closed as well. He says he's focused less on a timeline for reopening and more on what the "new normal" might look like while the country waits for a vaccine.
"There's going to be a reduction in our seating. ... The bartender is going to have a face mask on and the server's going to have a face mask on," he says. "Sitting down after you finish your meal, everything's going to have to be disinfected."
Colicchio is a longtime activist on issues related to the food supply chain, restaurants and hunger relief. He notes that most restaurants run on low margins and without large cash reserves. In response to the pandemic, he helped form the Independent Restaurant Coalition to lobby Congress for relief for the industry.
The coalition is "asking for a restaurant stabilization package," he says. "We are looking for income replacement that will go to cover employees, or pay suppliers, and sustain us through the losses that we're going to incur for the next at least eight months to a year."
Colicchio says restaurants are "cultural centers" that provide a semblance of normalcy and connection in trying times. He's particularly concerned about the smaller "mom and pop" establishments.
"We actually need to make sure those places that make us feel connected and part of a community are there for the long haul," he says. "We're really looking at saving every restaurant, because we think that every restaurant needs to be there."
Interview Highlights
On how disrupted supply chains have resulted in large-scale food waste
Certain producers and certain distributors are set up to do certain things. So if you have a milk distributor that is set up to purchase milk from a dairy farm, and they are producing milk for, say, institutions — meaning college campuses and hotels — maybe they produce milk in a 5-gallon container that has a plastic bladder in it and it's set up to put in a dispenser. Those are all closed when schools closed and college campuses closed and hotels all closed down. Now, you have this distributor set up to do that. They can't turn on a dime and all of a sudden start putting milk into gallon and half-gallon containers. There's different labeling involved there. It's a different production line. So those dairy farmers that were selling into that market, they don't have a market anymore, and so they have to throw out their milk. It's not even a matter of taking it and shipping it to a different producer, because those other producers, they're at capacity. ...
Eggs, for instance. We're hearing stories about eggs that are just being cracked and thrown out. Again, there is a market and production in place that a lot of institutional feedings use — hospitals and schools and colleges and larger restaurant operations and hotel operations — that buy eggs already cracked, pasteurized in a gallon container. Well, that business is gone. So these eggs, there's nowhere for them to go. It's not a simple sort of thing to just change that production on a dime.
On how the closure of slaughterhouses has had an impact on farmers
If you are a farmer and you're growing a pig, [you] want that pig to be 200 pounds because that's the way [your] production line can accommodate that pig and with various cuts that are a certain size. Now, all of a sudden that pig, it's 200 pounds and those slaughterhouses are closed. That pig has nowhere to go. And these farmers aren't manufacturers. They don't slaughter these animals. They just grow them and they put [them] on a truck and they bring them to the slaughterhouse. Now, all of a sudden that slaughterhouse is closed. What do they do with that animal? If they continue to feed it, it just gets too big — especially once it hits 200 pounds. It starts growing very quickly. No. 2, they're feeding this animal and there's nowhere to go. So there's a cost that they are incurring. They know they're not going to have a market for it. So they're killing these animals. Hopefully they're killing them as humanely as possible.
On food being wasted, despite the record number of people who are relying on food stamps and food banks
There should have been a way to move food around the country. There should be a plan for this. And see, this is the problem when you decide that you want to shrink government down, to the size that you could "drown it in a bathtub" — that's the old Grover Norquist line. All these years, we keep getting spoon-fed that big government's bad and we don't want big government; it's too intrusive and it gets in the way of our freedoms. But we don't want big government, we want smart government. Smart government that has plans in place when something like this happens. They know what to do. They don't deny it's happening. They don't sit there and pretend that somehow it's all going to go away. No, you have a plan to act. And so this is what we need to do.
We have enough food in this country. We produce enough food in this country. We need a plan to divert that food, get it to where it needs [to go].
Now, my understanding is, there's a couple of bills right now that are moving through Congress that are getting support on both sides to actually start moving this food and somehow getting it to where it needs to go. Because ... there's a huge demand. I mean, prior to COVID, we had about 38 million Americans using SNAP, or food stamps. ... so we have a major, major problem right now. We have enough food in this country. We produce enough food in this country. We need a plan to divert that food, get it to where it needs [to go].
On his plan to fix the distribution model and help restaurants, suppliers and people in need
If somebody asked me, I could have a plan together in 10 minutes. So, for instance, what I would have said is, OK, restaurant, I'm going to give you 75% of your revenue that you did last year. We'll break it down per month, and I'm going to give you that money and you're going to hire your staff back, and you're going to pay your suppliers and you're going to continue to produce food — not your menu, but produce food, because that's a whole distribution model now that we can tap into. We're going to continue to produce food, and you're going to create menus that are less expensive [so] that you can actually turn your restaurants into community feeding centers. Because restaurants process food. So if I get a whole case of chickens and my butchers break them down, we cut them into portions. We could cook them. We can prepare them. We can get them to the food pantries and food distribution [sites].
We had a distribution set up. No one tapped into it. So instead of trying to actually create something new, you just kind of have to go with what you have. What we didn't have was the money flowing through the restaurants to do that. This is a pretty simple solution. And it works because you don't have to go around the system or create something new. You work within the system.
Could you imagine, if every restaurant was turned into a community feeding center where we don't have to do thousands of meals, every restaurant could do 200, 300, and then there's no choke point? It happens seamlessly, and that whole ecosystem of the restaurant — the employees, the suppliers — all of it stays intact. That would've been the best way to do it, and [to] feed a lot of hungry people at the same time.
On how he believes the government can do better
What's frustrating is hearing, "No one knew. No one knew this was going to happen." Yeah, plenty of people knew this was going to happen. Bill Gates talked about it two years ago in a documentary that was made. People have known this. I'm angry because ... this would protect restaurants, suppliers, employees. You know what it protects? It protects the country, and this is the kind of thing our government is supposed to do.
For too long, we've spent a lot of money on the military because the military was supposed to protect the country. The military can't protect against something like this. So we need to be smarter.
For too long, we've spent a lot of money on the military because the military was supposed to protect the country. The military can't protect against something like this. So we need to be smarter. We need it to say, you know what? There are things out there that are greater than a missile attack from another country. And we need to actually rethink the way America protects its citizenry, looking at a safety net that protects more people. ... We have to start thinking ahead. What does the new normal look like? What are the great ideas out there that can actually move this country forward? We have an opportunity now. And so we have to start thinking about, how do we envision, how do we protect our food supply, how to make it more resistant to what is going to happen again?
Lauren Krenzel and Mooj Zadie produced and edited the audio of this interview. Bridget Bentz, Molly Seavy-Nesper and Beth Novey adapted it for the Web.


npr--2020-05-08--Yelling 'Fore' Again ... But 2 At A Time

Yelling 'Fore ' Again ...
But 2 At A Time As communities start to emerge from COVID-19 shutdowns , so do recreational opportunities .
Golf seems to be a natural for these times , with its built-in social distancing .
Still , as courses around the country reopen , there are many new restrictions .
Thursday , Massachusetts became the last state to bring back golf , with rules that prohibit caddies and golf carts , and requirements that golfers stay in their car until 15 minutes before their tee time and have to return to their car right after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ended its golf shutdown earlier this week , hoping golfers comply with the new rules , whether they like them or not .
Reopening day was near perfect at Three Rivers Golf Course in the southwest Washington city of Kelso .
Blue sky .
An occasional puff of wind .
Manicured fairways and greens .
The kind of day that had golfers pining for their beloved sport since it shut down March 23 as part of Washington 's stay-at-home order .
But amid the classic conditions , there was a new kind of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Three Rivers pro shop , course general manager Lance Satcher picked up the microphone he normally uses to call players to the first tee .
`` Hey Joe , Matt and Pat , you guys ca n't be out there on the putting green .
You can only use the putting green if you 're out there a half-hour before your tee time . ''
The trio left the practice green .
Satcher , wearing a light blue protective face mask , noticed they did n't look too happy .
`` They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Satcher said , `` but that 's the rules .
They do n't want people congregating around here .
We have a lot of guys who do nothing but come out and just practice hitting balls and chip and putt for hours .
And they just ca n't do it anymore . ''
As Hatcher spoke , his pro shop assistant Randy Wright came out from behind the front desk , carrying a spray bottle of cleaner .
`` I 'll go hit those bathrooms again , '' Wright said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ is known for its rules , perhaps too many and arcane .
But now , there 's new layer of regulation with much more serious intent .
Washington 's Governor sent out a list of around 20 reopening restrictions and guidelines for the state 's more than 275 golf courses .
Satcher , who closed Three Rivers a week before it was required , is fully on board .
`` I think what 's going on is a real thing , '' he said .
`` I mean I do n't know if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what it is , but people are dying .
I mean I know that sounds cliché but it 's true .
People are dying , and I do n't want to contribute to that .
That 's why we closed a week early .
I do n't want to be part of that . ''
So , at Three Rivers , it 's now a different experience .
If golfers from different households want to play together , they can only go out in groups of two .
Any larger group , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the same household .
It 's one person per golf cart .
The flagsticks stay in and golfers are told not to touch .
The holes themselves are altered so the ball does n't drop all the way down , as a way to prevent touching the cup .
The course has removed other high-touch items , such as rakes in fairway and greenside bunkers , ball washers and benches .
Some restrictions are mandated , others are up to course operators .
Usually there 's one marshal , roaming the grounds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added a second , stationed on the first tee with a clipboard .
`` I need to get some contact information .
What 's your name ? ''
Marshal Matt Bradley asked a golfer about to tee off , `` what 's your phone number ? ''
Bradley logs every golfer 's information for potential contact tracing if someone tests positive for the virus .
It 's still golf , in all its maddening glory All these elements of new golf seem strange .
But when it 's time to pull out a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same .
In all its glory , and agony .
`` Well not very far , not very straight , but it 'll play , '' Dave Mansius sighed as he watched his first tee drive .
Mansius is from Vancouver , Wash .
Moments before his tee shot , he said the last time he played was late February .
`` We 're excited to be out here today , let me tell you , '' Mansius said .
As he and his playing partner started their round , Kathy Dibblee from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the nearby 18th green .
`` Just being able to get out and swing the clubs feels good , '' Dibblee said , adding , `` I mean there were a couple of swings [ where I said ] where did that come from ?
And other ones just yeah , that felt good !
I can do this ! ''
Dibblee said she 's glad the state finally lifted the ban , giving her a chance to get some exercise .
And she said she and her playing partner stuck to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lady I was golfing with , '' she said , `` we never got super close .
No high fives .
None of that .
We were just socializing as far as just talking , which was nice .
Because you do n't get to see these people very often . ''
And , having been without golf , following the rules was that much easier .
`` We do n't want to be that rebel and just do what we want to do , '' Dibblee said , `` and then all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rules we do n't get to play again . ''
Complying with the new , stricter rules should be a national goal , according to Erik Matuszewski .
He 's the editorial director of the National Golf Foundation , the sport 's biggest business research company in the U.S. '' You really want to make sure they understand that this is an opportunity , '' Matuszewski said about the country 's golfers playing through the pandemic .
`` They 're going to be playing before , perhaps , the biggest gallery of their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to be watching to see if golf can do this the right way . ''
Lance Satcher in Kelso certainly hopes so .
Especially as he tries to bring his business back .
Before this week , Three Rivers had n't made any money since mid-March .
He had to lay off about a dozen employees .
To come back and fully rehire and make the business viable means every golfer on every course in the state has to comply .
`` If [ Washington Gov .
Jay Inslee ] starts seeing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he 's going to pull back again on it , said Satcher , `` and the last thing we want to do is be out of business . ''
The pandemic forced several Washington courses to close for good .
The rest are trying to keep that number low , one socially distancing twosome at a time .

Yelling 'Fore' Again ... But 2 At A Time
Enlarge this image toggle caption Tom Goldman/NPR Tom Goldman/NPR
As communities start to emerge from COVID-19 shutdowns, so do recreational opportunities.
Carefully.
Golf seems to be a natural for these times, with its built-in social distancing. Still, as courses around the country reopen, there are many new restrictions. Thursday, Massachusetts became the last state to bring back golf, with rules that prohibit caddies and golf carts and requirements that golfers stay in their car until 15 minutes before their tee time and have to return to their car right after they finish the round.
Washington state ended its golf shutdown earlier this week, hoping golfers comply with the new rules, whether they like them or not.
A new kind of problem
Reopening day was near perfect at Three Rivers Golf Course in the southwest Washington city of Kelso. Blue sky. An occasional puff of wind. Manicured fairways and greens. The kind of day that had golfers pining for their beloved sport since it shut down March 23 as part of Washington's stay-at-home order.
But amid the classic conditions, there was a new kind of problem.
Peering out the window of the Three Rivers pro shop, course general manager Lance Satcher picked up the microphone he normally uses to call players to the first tee.
"Hey Joe, Matt and Pat, you guys can't be out there on the putting green. You can only use the putting green if you're out there a half-hour before your tee time."
The trio left the practice green. Satcher, wearing a light blue protective face mask, noticed they didn't look too happy.
"They're going to get upset about it," Satcher said, "but that's the rules. They don't want people congregating around here. We have a lot of guys who do nothing but come out and just practice hitting balls and chip and putt for hours. And they just can't do it anymore."
As Satcher spoke, his pro shop assistant Randy Wright came out from behind the front desk carrying a spray bottle of cleaner.
"I'll go hit those bathrooms again," Wright said.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Tom Goldman/NPR Tom Goldman/NPR
What's going on is real
Golf is known for its rules, perhaps too many and arcane.
But now there's a new layer of regulation with much more serious intent. Washington's governor sent out a list of about 20 reopening restrictions and guidelines for the state's more than 275 golf courses.
Satcher, who closed Three Rivers a week before it was required, is fully on board.
"I think what's going on is a real thing," he said. "I mean I don't know if people are taking it as serious as what it is, but people are dying. I mean I know that sounds cliché, but it's true. People are dying, and I don't want to contribute to that. That's why we closed a week early. I don't want to be part of that."
So, at Three Rivers, it's now a different experience.
If golfers from different households want to play together, they can only go out in groups of two. Any larger group, a threesome or foursome, has to be from the same household. It's one person per golf cart. The flagsticks stay in and golfers are told not to touch. The holes themselves are altered so the ball doesn't drop all the way down, as a way to prevent touching the cup. The course has removed other high-touch items, such as rakes in fairway and greenside bunkers, ball washers and benches.
Some restrictions are mandated; others are up to course operators.
Usually there's one marshal, roaming the grounds in a golf cart. Three Rivers added a second, stationed on the first tee with a clipboard.
"I need to get some contact information. What's your name?" marshal Matt Bradley asked a golfer about to tee off. "What's your phone number?"
Bradley logs every golfer's information for potential contact tracing if someone tests positive for the virus.
It's still golf, in all its maddening glory
All these elements of new golf seem strange. But when it's time to pull out a club, the sport still is the same.
In all its glory, and agony.
"Well not very far, not very straight, but it'll play," Dave Mansius sighed as he watched his first tee drive. Mansius is from Vancouver, Wash. Moments before his tee shot, he said the last time he played was late February.
"We're excited to be out here today, let me tell you," Mansius said.
As he and his playing partner started their round, Kathy Dibblee from Castle Rock was finishing hers on the nearby 18th green.
"Just being able to get out and swing the clubs feels good," Dibblee said, adding, "I mean, there were a couple of swings [where I said] where did that come from? And other ones just yeah, that felt good! I can do this!"
Dibblee said she's glad the state finally lifted the ban, giving her a chance to get some exercise. And she said she and her playing partner stuck to the new set of rules.
"The lady I was golfing with," she said, "we never got super close. No high-fives. None of that. We were just socializing as far as just talking, which was nice. Because you don't get to see these people very often."
And, having been without golf, following the rules was that much easier.
"We don't want to be that rebel and just do what we want to do," Dibblee said, "and then all of a sudden because people broke the rules we don't get to play again."
The biggest gallery
Complying with the new, stricter rules should be a national goal, according to Erik Matuszewski. He's the editorial director of the National Golf Foundation, the sport's biggest business research company in the United States.
"You really want to make sure they understand that this is an opportunity," Matuszewski said about the country's golfers playing through the pandemic. "They're going to be playing before, perhaps, the biggest gallery of their lives, you know? People are going to be watching to see if golf can do this the right way."
Lance Satcher in Kelso certainly hopes so. Especially as he tries to bring his business back.
Before this week, Three Rivers hadn't made any money since mid-March. He had to lay off about a dozen employees. To come back and fully rehire and make the business viable means every golfer on every course in the state has to comply.
"If [Washington Gov. Jay Inslee] starts seeing spikes [in COVID-19 cases], he's going to pull back again on it," said Satcher, "and the last thing we want to do is be out of business."
The pandemic forced several Washington courses to close for good. The rest are trying to keep that number low, one socially distancing twosome at a time.


npr--2020-05-08--Students Call College That Got Millions In Coronavirus Relief 'A Sham'

Students Call College That Got Millions In Coronavirus Relief ' A Sham' A for-profit college received millions of dollars from the federal government to help low-income students whose lives have been upended by the coronavirus outbreak , but that same school , Florida Career College ( FCC ) , is also accused of defrauding students .
A federal class-action lawsuit filed on behalf of students in April calls FCC `` a sham '' and alleges that , long before the pandemic , the college was targeting economically vulnerable people of color .
The plaintiffs say the vocational school enticed them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ job placement — but spent little on instruction while charging exorbitant prices and pushing students into loans they can not repay .
The lawsuit comes as thousands of colleges across the country are receiving federal emergency relief in response to the coronavirus pandemic .
Through the CARES Act , FCC has been allotted $ 17 million .
The law requires that at least half of that money goes directly to students , but makes few stipulations for the rest of it .
Experts say the complaint against FCC raises serious concerns about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as well as its ability to serve its own students .
In a statement to NPR , Florida Career College General Counsel Aaron Mortensen says : `` This lawsuit is baseless legally and factually .
Though we can not comment because the matter is in litigation , we will aggressively fight these false allegations . ''
Equipment was `` at best limited , and at worse , nonexistent '' Plaintiff Kareem Britt was working as a cook when he noticed a Facebook ad for FCC .
`` Are you tired of working @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ? ''
the ad asked .
`` Are you ready to step up to steak ?
HVAC degrees make $ 16 to $ 23/hr . ''
An FCC representative told Britt that a degree could change his life and that the school would help him land a job .
He qualified for a $ 6,000 federal Pell Grant and an FCC `` scholarship loan '' for $ 3,000 .
Britt decided to enroll in the HVAC training program .
After classes began , though , Britt says equipment necessary to learn the trade @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , machinery , and other learning devices were at best limited , and at worse , nonexistent , '' according to the complaint .
When it came time for the school to help Britt find a job , he says , FCC found him just two , two-week placements , and he failed to find HVAC work on his own .
Making matters worse , once he 'd finished school , Britt learned that he had also taken on federal loans worth $ 9,500 , which he must now pay back as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ job he 'd held before enrolling .
The complaint alleges that Florida Career College , along with its parent company , specifically targets economically vulnerable people of color .
`` They are recruiting at majority Black high schools , '' says Toby Merrill , director of the Project on Predatory Student Lending at the Legal Services Center of Harvard Law School , one of the organizations representing the plaintiffs .
`` They are putting up billboards in towns where the population is mostly Black .
And they 're doing a lot of advertising @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to target your ad essentially by race . ''
Stephen Stewart is Jamaican and says he was drawn to an FCC ad on Instagram .
He decided to visit campus , and says one word captures his experience : `` pressure . ''
Like Britt , Stewart was considering FCC 's HVAC program .
After his tour , when a representative told him the program would cost more than $ 20,000 , Stewart balked .
He remembers the representative pushed , telling him : `` ' I know so many students that have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people with five , six kids in a worse situation than you 're in . '
'' Stewart was 20 at the time and childless .
`` 'You 're telling me that they can go through this , make their payments and pay off their tuition , and you ca n't ? '
'' Stewart enrolled in FCC 's HVAC program after being promised that , within a year , the school would find him a job in his field .
The complaint takes aim at these recruiting practices .
It alleges that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ career and financial success to cash-strapped communities of color where college feels out of reach , `` discriminating against students on the basis of race by inducing them to purchase a worthless product by taking on debt they can not repay . ''
According to Education Department data , 85 % of FCC 's students are people of color .
This practice of discriminating by targeting students of color has a name : Reverse redlining — a reference to the historical practice of excluding African-American families from home ownership and denying them access @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and it 's what sets this suit apart from previous legal battles over alleged predatory practices by for-profit colleges .
`` In a weekly memo to my board last Friday , I said , 'So the new angle of attack against our sector is that we are predatory to minority communities , ' '' says Steve Gunderson , head of Career Education Colleges and Universities , an organization that serves as the national voice for career education schools like FCC .
`` We have always celebrated the fact that approximately 45 to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ schools are African American and Hispanic , '' he says .
`` We 're proud of that . ''
Long before the federal government granted FCC $ 17 million in pandemic relief , the school was already largely government-dependent .
According to federal data , the lion 's share of FCC 's revenue — 86 % — comes from federal financial aid funds , namely Pell Grants and student loans .
At the same time , federal data also suggest that the college fails to prepare many students for their chosen professions .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ gainful employment , '' schools could lose access to federal aid if graduates do n't earn enough income to repay their student debts .
According to the complaint , 16 of the 17 FCC programs evaluated under the gainful employment rule failed that metric , meaning graduates were n't able to repay their loans .
( The gainful employment rule was repealed in 2019 . )
The median annual earnings of FCC graduates who ultimately found employment ranged from $ 8,983 to $ 32,871 , according to the suit , which helps explain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal data , just 23 % of FCC students have been able to pay down any of their loans ' original balance within three years of leaving .
`` Classes were a scam , a waste of time , '' says Stephen Stewart .
The equipment was `` limited '' and `` outdated , '' he says , and the instructor admitted to the class that he had little experience with HVAC .
Stewart 's worst day , though , came near the end of his nine-month program when he visited the career @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help him find a job as they had promised .
Stewart says he was given a list of possible HVAC companies and told , `` 'You got ta get your job . '
'' So he did , with no help .
But Stewart says it was clear that FCC had n't given him the skills he needed to keep up in the job , let alone succeed , and he ultimately left .
Today , Stewart is $ 15,000 in debt and says he feels `` shattered '' by the whole experience @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the most about this is how much it preys upon people 's hopes and dreams , '' says Ben Miller , who studies higher education accountability at the left-leaning Center for American Progress .
`` You know , you have a lot of folks who want to make a better life for themselves .
They have maybe one shot at college , and you rip them off and basically ruin it . ''
But Gunderson takes a very different view , as head of the national association for postsecondary career colleges .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , because this is nothing more than an organized national effort to destroy the reputation of the [ career college ] sector , '' he says .
Gunderson insists that career colleges , including FCC , have been held to unrealistic standards .
He points to the gainful employment rule , which he says measured students ' incomes relatively soon after graduation .
`` You 've got to go into the five- or 10-year mark before most of these occupations have what you and I would call our respectable salaries . ''
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10 years after enrolling in FCC , more than half of its students still did n't earn more than the typical high school graduate .
Gunderson says this lawsuit is just the latest salvo in a decade-long fight to discredit for-profit , career colleges — a fight he calls `` monotonous and disappointing . ''
`` Even if you 're doing a terrible job '' The law requires that at least half of the $ 17 million FCC is receiving through the CARES Act must go directly to students , but makes few @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In a letter , U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said institutions have `` significant discretion '' on how to award the assistance to students .
`` We stand ready to deliver these funds , '' said Fardad Fateri , the head of FCC and its parent company , International Education Corporation , in a press release .
`` It is important we get these grants into the hands of our students right away , so they can better deal with this crisis . ''
FCC 's $ 17 million is a small @ @ @ @ @ @ @ billion lawmakers set aside in the CARES Act to help colleges and vulnerable students during the coronavirus pandemic .
But Ben Miller says , in Congress ' haste to help schools that serve low-income students , lawmakers are giving money to many schools with questionable records like FCC 's .
`` When there 's no consideration of quality or outcomes , it 's potentially a big award , even if you 're doing a terrible job , '' Miller says .
Meanwhile DeVos has also championed separate policies that have made it easier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enroll students and receive federal student aid even as their graduates struggle .
In 2019 , DeVos repealed the Obama-era gainful employment rule that would have denied low-performing schools access to federal student aid .
Under the Trump administration , the Education Department has also changed the College Scorecard , a website meant to help prospective students compare colleges by price and performance .
The department has removed easy access to schools ' loan repayment rates .
In 2018 , it also removed another important metric : How the earnings of a school @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high school grads .
`` Rather than highlighting institutions that show the best employment and loan repayment outcomes for students , this administration has made a concerted effort to hide this information from students with no explanation as to why , '' says Michael Itzkowitz , who was director of the College Scorecard during the Obama administration .
`` What 's become more transparent is their willingness to prioritize certain institutions — namely for-profits — even if those are n't the best options for students choosing to pursue a postsecondary education . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ time to requests for comment .
When students filed suit against the now-defunct for-profit Corinthian Colleges , claiming , like Britt and Stewart , that their schools had made promises about job placement and future earnings that they simply did not keep , DeVos revised another rule , known as `` borrower defense , '' to make it more difficult for defrauded borrowers to get their money back .
But the revision was so strict that 10 Senate Republicans joined with Democrats in March to rebuke the education secretary and reverse her decision @

Students Call College That Got Millions In Coronavirus Relief 'A Sham'
Enlarge this image smartboy10/Getty Images smartboy10/Getty Images
Updated on May 12 at 11:20 a.m. ET
A for-profit college received millions of dollars from the federal government to help low-income students whose lives have been upended by the coronavirus outbreak, but that same school, Florida Career College (FCC), is also accused of defrauding students.
A federal class action lawsuit filed on behalf of students in April calls FCC "a sham" and alleges that, long before the pandemic, the college was targeting economically vulnerable people of color. The plaintiffs say the vocational school enticed them with false promises of career training and job placement — but spent little on instruction while charging exorbitant prices and pushing students into loans they cannot repay.
The lawsuit comes as thousands of colleges across the country are receiving federal emergency relief in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Through the CARES Act, FCC has been allotted $17 million. The law requires that at least half of that money goes directly to students, but makes few stipulations for the rest of it.
Experts say the complaint against FCC raises serious concerns about the college's ability to safeguard taxpayer dollars, as well as its ability to serve its own students.
In a statement to NPR, Florida Career College General Counsel Aaron Mortensen says: "This lawsuit is baseless legally and factually. Though we cannot comment because the matter is in litigation, we will aggressively fight these false allegations."
Equipment was "at best limited, and at worse, nonexistent"
Plaintiff Kareem Britt was working as a cook when he noticed a Facebook ad for FCC.
"Are you tired of working minimum wage jobs? Eating ramen noodles?" the ad asked. "Are you ready to step up to steak? HVAC degrees make $16 to $23/hr."
An FCC representative told Britt that a degree could change his life and that the school would help him land a job. He qualified for a $6,000 federal Pell Grant and an FCC "scholarship loan" for $3,000. Britt decided to enroll in the HVAC training program.
After classes began, though, Britt says equipment necessary to learn the trade was in short supply. "Tools, machinery, and other learning devices were at best limited, and at worse, nonexistent," according to the complaint.
When it came time for the school to help Britt find a job, he says, FCC found him just two placements, each two weeks, and he failed to find HVAC work on his own. Making matters worse, once he'd finished school, Britt learned that he had also taken on federal loans worth $9,500, which he must now pay back as a hotel cook, the same kind of job he'd held before enrolling.
Reverse redlining
The complaint alleges that Florida Career College, along with its parent company, specifically targets economically vulnerable people of color.
"They are recruiting at majority Black high schools," says Toby Merrill, director of the Project on Predatory Student Lending at the Legal Services Center of Harvard Law School, one of the organizations representing the plaintiffs. "They are putting up billboards in towns where the population is mostly Black. And they're doing a lot of advertising on social media where you can choose to target your ad essentially by race."
Stephen Stewart is Jamaican and says he was drawn to an FCC ad on Instagram. He decided to visit campus, and says one word captures his experience: "pressure."
Like Britt, Stewart was considering FCC's HVAC program. After his tour, when a representative told him the program would cost more than $20,000, Stewart balked. He remembers the representative pushed, telling him: "'I know so many students that have [gone] here ... I'm talking about people with five, six kids in a worse situation than you're in.' " Stewart was 20 at the time and childless. "'You're telling me that they can go through this, make their payments and pay off their tuition, and you can't?' "
Stewart enrolled in FCC's HVAC program after being promised that, within a year, the school would find him a job in his field.
The complaint takes aim at these recruiting practices. It alleges that FCC is selling the promise of a career and financial success to cash-strapped communities of color where college feels out of reach, "discriminating against students on the basis of race by inducing them to purchase a worthless product by taking on debt they cannot repay."
According to Education Department data, 85% of FCC's students are people of color.
This practice of discriminating by targeting students of color has a name: Reverse redlining — a reference to the historical practice of excluding African American families from home ownership and denying them access to services. Reverse redlining is illegal, and it's what sets this suit apart from previous legal battles over alleged predatory practices by for-profit colleges.
"In a weekly memo to my board last Friday, I said, 'So the new angle of attack against our sector is that we are predatory to minority communities,' " says Steve Gunderson, head of Career Education Colleges and Universities, an organization that serves as the national voice for career education schools like FCC.
"We have always celebrated the fact that approximately 45 to 50% of the students in our schools are African American and Hispanic," he says. "We're proud of that."
"Classes were a scam"
Long before the federal government granted FCC $17 million in pandemic relief, the school was already largely government-dependent. According to federal data, the lion's share of FCC's revenue — 86% — comes from federal financial aid funds, namely Pell Grants and student loans.
At the same time, federal data also suggest that the college fails to prepare many students for their chosen professions. Under an Obama-era rule known as "gainful employment," schools could lose access to federal aid if graduates don't earn enough income to repay their student debts. According to the complaint, 16 of the 17 FCC programs evaluated under the gainful employment rule failed that metric, meaning graduates weren't able to repay their loans. (The gainful employment rule was repealed in 2019.)
The median annual earnings of FCC graduates who ultimately found employment ranged from $8,983 to $32,871, according to the suit, which helps explain why, according to the most recent federal data, just 23% of FCC students have been able to pay down any of their loans' original balance within three years of leaving.
"Classes were a scam, a waste of time," says Stephen Stewart. The equipment was "limited" and "outdated," he says, and the instructor admitted to the class that he had little experience with HVAC. Stewart's worst day, though, came near the end of his nine-month program, when he visited the career services department to ask when they'd help him find a job as they had promised.
Stewart says he was given a list of possible HVAC companies and told, "'You gotta get your job.' " So he did, with no help. But Stewart says it was clear that FCC hadn't given him the skills he needed to keep up in the job, let alone succeed, and he ultimately left. Today, Stewart is $15,000 in debt and says he feels "shattered" by the whole experience.
"The thing that upsets me the most about this is how much it preys upon people's hopes and dreams," says Ben Miller, who studies higher education accountability at the left-leaning Center for American Progress. "You know, you have a lot of folks who want to make a better life for themselves. They have maybe one shot at college, and you rip them off and basically ruin it."
But Gunderson takes a very different view, as head of the national association for postsecondary career colleges.
"[This lawsuit] is so frustrating, because this is nothing more than an organized national effort to destroy the reputation of the [career college] sector," he says.
Gunderson insists that career colleges, including FCC, have been held to unrealistic standards. He points to the gainful employment rule, which he says measured students' incomes relatively soon after graduation. "You've got to go into the five- or 10-year mark before most of these occupations have what you and I would call our respectable salaries."
But federal data also show that, even 10 years after enrolling in FCC, more than half of its students still didn't earn more than the typical high school graduate.
Gunderson says this lawsuit is just the latest salvo in a decade-long fight to discredit for-profit, career colleges — a fight he calls "monotonous and disappointing."
"Even if you're doing a terrible job"
The law requires that at least half of the $17 million FCC is receiving through the CARES Act must go directly to students, but makes few stipulations for the rest of those funds. In a letter, U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said institutions have "significant discretion" on how to award the assistance to students.
"We stand ready to deliver these funds," said Fardad Fateri, the head of FCC and its parent company, International Education Corporation, in a press release. "It is important we get these grants into the hands of our students right away, so they can better deal with this crisis."
FCC's $17 million is a small piece of the more than $14 billion lawmakers set aside in the CARES Act to help colleges and vulnerable students during the coronavirus pandemic. But Ben Miller says, in Congress' haste to help schools that serve low-income students, lawmakers are giving money to many schools with questionable records like FCC's.
"When there's no consideration of quality or outcomes, it's potentially a big award, even if you're doing a terrible job," Miller says.
Meanwhile DeVos has also championed separate policies that have made it easier for schools like FCC to continue to enroll students and receive federal student aid even as their graduates struggle. In 2019, DeVos repealed the Obama-era gainful employment rule that would have denied low-performing schools access to federal student aid.
Under the Trump administration, the Education Department has also changed the College Scorecard, a website meant to help prospective students compare colleges by price and performance. The department removed easy access to schools' loan repayment rates, though it says in a statement that it will release "new and more comprehensive loan repayment rate data in 2020."
In 2018, it also removed another important metric: How the earnings of a school's graduates compared to the earnings of high school grads. The department has defended removing this comparison, arguing that it is misleading because many of the graduates in the high school-only group have been in the workforce longer than the college students. But some critics see these moves as an effort to protect private, for-profit colleges.
"Rather than highlighting institutions that show the best employment and loan repayment outcomes for students, this administration has made a concerted effort to hide this information from students with no explanation as to why," says Michael Itzkowitz, who was director of the College Scorecard during the Obama administration. "What's become more transparent is their willingness to prioritize certain institutions — namely for-profits — even if those aren't the best options for students choosing to pursue a postsecondary education."
In a statement to NPR, the Education Department pushed back:
"The recent changes to College Scorecard created more transparency, not less. For the first time ever, College Scorecard now provides median debt and income levels by field of study, instead of only for the institution overall. These changes allow students and borrowers make better-informed choices about their educational and financial futures, regardless of the tax status of the institution they attend."
When students filed suit against the now-defunct for-profit Corinthian Colleges, claiming, like Britt and Stewart, that their schools had made promises about job placement and future earnings that they simply did not keep, DeVos revised another rule, known as "borrower defense," to make it more difficult for defrauded borrowers to get their money back. But the revision was so strict that 10 Senate Republicans joined with Democrats in March to rebuke the education secretary and reverse her decision.


npr--2020-05-08--How A Virtual Powwow Helped Heal A Spirit Broken During The Pandemic

How A Virtual Powwow Helped Heal A Spirit Broken During The Pandemic It 's powwow season — the time of year when across the country , Native American tribes should be getting together to celebrate their culture with food , dancing , singing and drumming .
Kay Oxendine is a member of the Haliwa Saponi Tribe in North Carolina .
`` Every year we know it 's coming ; like , the birds sing differently , '' she told NPR .
`` It 's almost like spring arrives when the powwow does . ''
Oxendine is an author and educator @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of powwows in the eastern U.S .
It 's a job she loves : telling stories to the crowd and introducing the dancers , singers and drummers .
She was set to be the first woman to emcee her tribe 's powwow , scheduled for Friday , April 17 , to Sunday April 19 , at the Tribal Ceremonial Grounds in Hollister , N.C. About 5,000 people would 've been there , but she knew it would be canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic .
What she says she did n't expect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still expecting the celebration .
`` So I wake up on Friday morning and it 's like I wake up and I open my eyes and I 'm looking , oh , my God , it 's here !
Literally was like a kid .
And I jumped out of bed , and I 'm like YAY , and I said to my son , it 's powwow time .
And he was like , 'Mom . '
`` '' I actually threw up .
I actually I got physically ill .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't give birth . ''
Then , she says she noticed on Facebook that a member of the Haliwa Saponi Tribal Council had scheduled a virtual Haliwa powwow .
`` And I 'm like , man , you know , stop , what are you doing ? ''
It seemed like such a strange idea .
But she says it was wonderful `` because what she did , she encouraged people to still dress in their regalia .
And so one of our previous tribal administrators , Archie Lynch , who is also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and he was out there and he had sage .
He was blessing the grounds .
It was in his backyard .
But , you know , it just meant the world to me . ''
Following the powwow , there 's normally an after party with a deejay .
This year , one of the tribal members held a virtual after party .
`` We were brought up on Otis Redding and soul music around here — music that just makes you want to get up and dance , '' she says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` I 'm sitting in my room , the music is blasting .
I 'm sitting in front of my computer , I 'm dancing in my living room .
My son thinks I 've lost my mind.
`` It was just what her spirit needed .
`` It was it was just the most beautiful thing I think I 've ever encountered .
It helped me .
It really helped me heal a lot . ''

How A Virtual Powwow Helped Heal A Spirit Broken During The Pandemic
Enlarge this image toggle caption Courtesy of Kay Oxendine Courtesy of Kay Oxendine
It's powwow season — the time of year when across the country, Native American tribes should be getting together to celebrate their culture with food, dancing, singing and drumming. Kay Oxendine is a member of the Haliwa Saponi Tribe in North Carolina.
"Every year we know it's coming; like, the birds sing differently," she told NPR. "It's almost like spring arrives when the powwow does."
Oxendine is an author and educator and the mistress of ceremonies for a number of powwows in the eastern U.S. It's a job she loves: telling stories to the crowd and introducing the dancers, singers and drummers. She was set to be the first woman to emcee her tribe's powwow, scheduled for Friday, April 17, to Sunday April 19, at the Tribal Ceremonial Grounds in Hollister, N.C.
About 5,000 people would've been there, but she knew it would be canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic. What she says she didn't expect was that her mind and body were still expecting the celebration.
"So I wake up on Friday morning and it's like I wake up and I open my eyes and I'm looking, oh, my God, it's here! Literally was like a kid. And I jumped out of bed, and I'm like YAY, and I said to my son, it's powwow time. And he was like, 'Mom.' "
She felt physically ill.
"I actually threw up. I actually I got physically ill. It felt like I was pregnant but couldn't give birth."
Then, she says she noticed on Facebook that a member of the Haliwa Saponi Tribal Council had scheduled a virtual Haliwa powwow. "And I'm like, man, you know, stop, what are you doing?" It seemed like such a strange idea.
But she says it was wonderful "because what she did, she encouraged people to still dress in their regalia. And so one of our previous tribal administrators, Archie Lynch, who is also my cousin, he lit a fire and he was out there and he had sage. He was blessing the grounds. It was in his backyard. But, you know, it just meant the world to me."
Following the powwow, there's normally an after party with a deejay. This year, one of the tribal members held a virtual after party.
"We were brought up on Otis Redding and soul music around here — music that just makes you want to get up and dance," she says.
So Oxendine got up and danced.
"I'm sitting in my room, the music is blasting. I'm sitting in front of my computer, I'm dancing in my living room. My son thinks I've lost my mind. "
It was just what her spirit needed.
"It was it was just the most beautiful thing I think I've ever encountered. It helped me. It really helped me heal a lot."


npr--2020-05-08--As Hospitals Lose Revenue, Thousands Of Health Care Workers Face Furloughs, Layoffs

Michelle Sweeney could barely sleep .
The nurse in Plymouth , Mass.
, had just learned she would be furloughed .
She only had four hours the next day to call all of her patients .
`` I was in a panic state .
I was sick over it , '' Sweeney said .
`` Our patients are the frailest , sickest group . ''
Sweeney works for Atrius Health as a case manager for patients with chronic health conditions and those who have been discharged from the hospital or emergency room .
`` It 's very devaluing , like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sweeney said .
`` Nursing is who you are ...
I 've never been unemployed my entire life . ''
It 's an ironic twist as the coronavirus pandemic sweeps the nation : The very workers tasked with treating those afflicted with the virus are losing work in droves .
Emergency room visits are down .
Non-urgent surgical procedures have largely been put on hold .
Health care spending fell 18 % in the first three months of the year .
And more than 40,000 health care workers lost their jobs in March @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which is expected to report thousands more for April .
Fae-Marie Donathan was among those who filed for unemployment in April .
A nurse for 42 years , she worked until recently as a per diem nurse in the Surgical ICU at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center .
As the pandemic took hold in the U.S. , Donathan , 64 , expected her skills to be essential , but was recently told she would no longer be scheduled .
`` I was thinking maybe I would have to worry about when I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Donathan says .
`` I was thinking totally the opposite , never ever suspecting that I would be sitting at home not getting any hours at work . ''
Donathan says she normally makes around $ 1,100 every two weeks ; she says her last paycheck was $ 46 in take-home pay .
Asked for comment , a spokesperson for the University Of Cincinnati Medical Center said in an email that the health system `` like many others , has experienced financial challenges as a result of the pandemic and has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needs as we seek to avoid layoffs . ''
The University Of Cincinnati Medical Center is among many : The American Hospital Association recently predicted that U.S. hospitals and health systems would end up taking a $ 200 billion hit over a four-month period through June .
Most of that money — $ 160 billion — is from lost revenue from more lucrative elective procedures .
`` The only people who are coming into the hospitals are COVID-19 patients and emergencies , '' says American Hospital Association Executive Vice President Tom Nickels .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , hips and knees and cardiac , etcetera , are no longer being done in most institutions around the country . ''
Nickels says hospitals are in a tight spot : `` They 're still having to have their institutions open .
They are still caring for people who come in .
They are still taking care of COVID-19 .
But that 's an enormous amount of lost revenue . ''
The revenue losses will more severely affect poorer and more rural hospitals whose finances may be marginal in the best of times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ certainly an existential threat , '' he says .
`` And I think [ it ] will threaten the ability of some of these hospitals to remain open . ''
Some nurses have traveled across the country to hot spots like New York City to find work , unsure if they 'll have a job when they return home .
But even there , hospitals that were once swamped are finally coming up for air and administrators are now reckoning with the financial impact of the pandemic .
Rozetta Ludwigsen , 64 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Wash. She 's gone from working a 40-hour week to only a few days a month .
`` I never thought we 'd be in this situation where there 'd be no work for us , '' she said .
Before the pandemic , Ludwigsen was hoping to retire within the coming year .
Now she may have to delay her plans for a year or longer .
In eastern Washington state , Shawn Reed , an ER nurse at MultiCare Valley Hospital , said she is sacrificing her own hours for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` When I look at a nurse ... who 's pregnant with her third child and I know she 's going to need hours now , I am willing to fall on that sword , '' Reed said .
`` I can do it here and there , but I certainly ca n't do it long term . ''
The Emergency Nurses Association ( ENA ) has created a relief fund for its members who are struggling financially .
Hundreds of their members have already applied for help .
`` Looking at it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have to worry about the profession and what 's the impact on the profession , '' said Mike Hastings , the president of ENA .
The federal government has been distributing a portion of the $ 100 billion Provider Relief Fund to hospitals and other providers , as part of the Coronavirus Aid , Relief , and Economic Security ( CARES ) Act .
Among the funding is a $ 10 billion allocation each for rural hospitals and pandemic hot spots .
Nickels , of the AHA , says it 's too early @ @ @ @ @ @ @ funding targeted for hospitals , and whether those funds will help hospitals retain workers .
But Randi Weingarten , president of the American Federation of Teachers , which is also the nation 's second largest nurses ' union , says it 's clear the federal funding is far from enough .
The union has identified at least 200 hospitals nationwide cutting worker hours , mostly in the form of furloughs , according to Weingarten .
Even as the pandemic tapers off in some places , hospital revenue losses will take time to correct @ @ @ @ @ @ @ potential `` payer mix '' problem before Americans go back to work .
Many people who lose their jobs will also lose employer-sponsored health insurance , and those private plans reimburse providers at much higher rates than publicly funded plans like Medicaid and Medicare .
The Economic Policy Institute estimates that nearly 13 million Americans have likely lost their employer-sponsored health insurance so far .
`` Even if [ patients ] do go back to the hospital , they 'll be paying a lot lower rate than they did when they had insurance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Whaley , a policy researcher with the Rand Corporation .
Weingarten says this crisis is an opportunity to rethink how the American hospital system is funded .
`` This particular issue about what do we do in terms of funding our hospitals is not an issue in Canada .
It 's not an issue in Great Britain . ''
she says .
`` It 's not an issue where there are better funding systems . ''
But short of reworking the entire finance system of American health care , Weingarten says individual hospitals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hours .
`` Instead of reduction of the workforce , there should be a reallocation of work , '' she says .
`` Thinking innovatively and resourcefully , health care workers should be cross-trained to work in areas of the hospital that are overloaded like ER or ICU .
Displaced workers could be trained and paid to staff a robust trace-and-isolate program as society reopens . ''
Without that reallocation , some nurses still in the hospitals are taking on extra tasks in their already grueling 12-hour shifts .
They 're mopping rooms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trash and arranging rides because the people who once did that are gone .
`` We 're kind of jack-of-all-trades at this point , '' said Amy Erb , a nurse at California Pacific Medical Center in the Bay Area in northern California and a California Nurses Association Board member .
`` We 're being phlebotomists , drawing labs .
We 're being social workers .
We 're being psychologists . ''
Then there are the days she 's had her hours cut which makes her worry about the future .
So far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
One nurse in a Detroit area hospital says all the extra hours she once worked have disappeared .
`` Our job title expanded exponentially , '' she said .
She spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of losing her job .
The one thing she thought she had was job security .
`` Then the layoffs started coming and I was like 'never mind . '
'' She now often cleans the rooms , answers phones because the staff who did that are gone .
The financial stresses are compounded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for healthcare workers .
`` People were dying left and right , '' she said .
`` The way we were treating them then is different than now , maybe they would still be alive if they came in today ... it eats me up at night . ''
She spent the first month of the pandemic crying every night .
Her unit is a COVID-19 positive unit .
Things are easing up now , but she still works with those COVID-19 patients everyday .
She 's less afraid , she spends more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She is their support system , their link to their families and their nurse .
Last week Palomar Health in north San Diego County in California laid off over 300 people .
But the workload did n't change , it just shifted to people like Sue Phillips , a critical care trauma and rapid response nurse .
`` We have very limited physical therapy , speech therapy , occupational therapy and that 's part of our care team , so that 's now going to fall on to our end to be providing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` It 's uncharted territory .
In my 25 years of nursing , I 've never seen anything like this before . ''
When a patient came in recently with broken bones , the doctor could n't turn to the orthopedic technicians .
Those technicians had been laid off .
So Phillips found herself putting traction on a hospital bed , a pulley system that slowly lifts and moves the broken body parts .
`` I 've never had to do that before , '' she said .
`` The operating room staff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't enough people to assist the physician in doing the surgery that day . ''
She said she was worried she 'd make a mistake .
Also gone is the lift team that used to help Phillips pick up and turn patients .
All of this , she said , adds stress to her job .
Meanwhile , her family is afraid to be around her because of her work .
She 's staying away from her husband .
On their 30th wedding anniversary Friday , they 'll celebrate apart .
`` We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks .
Where 's the end ?
When are things going to get a little bit back to normal ? ''
she asked .
`` Now we 've had these huge layoffs . ''

As Hospitals Lose Revenue, More Than A Million Health Care Workers Lose Jobs
Enlarge this image toggle caption Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Updated at 9:00 a.m. ET
Michelle Sweeney could barely sleep. The nurse in Plymouth, Mass., had just learned she would be furloughed. She only had four hours the next day to call all of her patients.
"I was in a panic state. I was sick over it," Sweeney said. "Our patients are the frailest, sickest group."
Sweeney works for Atrius Health as a case manager for patients with chronic health conditions and those who have been discharged from the hospital or emergency room.
"It's very devaluing, like a slap in the face," Sweeney said. "Nursing is who you are ... I've never been unemployed my entire life."
It's an ironic twist as the coronavirus pandemic sweeps the nation: The very workers tasked with treating those afflicted with the virus are losing work in droves. Emergency room visits are down. Non-urgent surgical procedures have largely been put on hold. Health care spending fell 18% in the first three months of the year. And 1.4 million health care workers lost their jobs in April, a sharp increase from the 42,000 reported in March, according to the Labor Department. Nearly 135,000 of the April losses were in hospitals.
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Fae-Marie Donathan was among those who filed for unemployment in April. A nurse for 42 years, she worked until recently as a per diem nurse in the Surgical ICU at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center. As the pandemic took hold in the U.S., Donathan, 64, expected her skills to be essential, but was recently told she would no longer be scheduled.
"I was thinking maybe I would have to worry about when I was going to get a day off," Donathan says. "I was thinking totally the opposite, never ever suspecting that I would be sitting at home not getting any hours at work."
Donathan says she normally makes around $1,100 every two weeks; she says her last paycheck was $46 in take-home pay. Asked for comment, a spokesperson for the University of Cincinnati Medical Center said in an email that the health system, "like many others, has experienced financial challenges as a result of the pandemic and has taken steps to align staffing with current needs as we seek to avoid layoffs."
The University of Cincinnati Medical Center is among many: The American Hospital Association recently predicted that U.S. hospitals and health systems would end up taking a $200 billion hit over a four-month period through June. Most of that money — $160 billion — is from lost revenue from more lucrative elective procedures.
"The only people who are coming into the hospitals are COVID-19 patients and emergencies," says American Hospital Association Executive Vice President Tom Nickels. "All of the so-called elective surgery, hips and knees and cardiac, etcetera, are no longer being done in most institutions around the country."
Nickels says hospitals are in a tight spot: "They're still having to have their institutions open. They are still caring for people who come in. They are still taking care of COVID-19. But that's an enormous amount of lost revenue."
The revenue losses will more severely affect poorer and more rural hospitals whose finances may be marginal in the best of times, Nickels says.
"That is certainly an existential threat," he says. "And I think [it] will threaten the ability of some of these hospitals to remain open."
Some nurses have traveled across the country to hot spots like New York City to find work, unsure if they'll have a job when they return home. But even there, hospitals that were once swamped are finally coming up for air and administrators are now reckoning with the financial impact of the pandemic.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Alex Brandon/AP Alex Brandon/AP
Rozetta Ludwigsen, 64, works at a small hospital in Anacortes, Wash. She's gone from working a 40-hour week to only a few days a month.
"I never thought we'd be in this situation where there'd be no work for us," she said.
Before the pandemic, Ludwigsen was hoping to retire within the coming year. Now she may have to delay her plans for a year or longer.
In eastern Washington state, Shawn Reed, an ER nurse at MultiCare Valley Hospital, said she is sacrificing her own hours for people who need the money more.
"When I look at a nurse ... who's pregnant with her third child and I know she's going to need hours now, I am willing to fall on that sword," Reed said. "I can do it here and there, but I certainly can't do it long term."
The Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) has created a relief fund for its members who are struggling financially. Hundreds of their members have already applied for help.
"Looking at it from a long-term perspective, you have to worry about the profession and what's the impact on the profession," said Mike Hastings, the president of ENA.
A question of funding
The federal government has been distributing a portion of the $100 billion Provider Relief Fund to hospitals and other providers, as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Among the funding is a $10 billion allocation each for rural hospitals and pandemic hot spots.
Nickels, of the AHA, says it's too early to tell the effect of emergency federal funding targeted for hospitals, and whether those funds will help hospitals retain workers.
But Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, which is also the nation's second-largest nurses' union, says it's clear the federal funding is far from enough. The union has identified at least 200 hospitals nationwide cutting worker hours, mostly in the form of furloughs, according to Weingarten.
Even as the pandemic tapers off in some places, hospital revenue losses will take time to correct, especially because hospitals may face a potential "payer mix" problem before Americans go back to work. Many people who lose their jobs will also lose employer-sponsored health insurance, and those private plans reimburse providers at much higher rates than publicly funded plans like Medicaid and Medicare.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Paul Sancya/AP Paul Sancya/AP
The Economic Policy Institute estimates that nearly 13 million Americans have likely lost their employer-sponsored health insurance so far.
"Even if [patients] do go back to the hospital, they'll be paying a lot lower rate than they did when they had insurance through their employer," says Christopher Whaley, a policy researcher with the Rand Corporation.
Weingarten says this crisis is an opportunity to rethink how the American hospital system is funded.
"This particular issue about what do we do in terms of funding our hospitals is not an issue in Canada. It's not an issue in Great Britain," she says. "It's not an issue where there are better funding systems."
But short of reworking the entire finance system of American health care, Weingarten says individual hospitals could also make changes to avoid cutting hours.
"Instead of reduction of the workforce, there should be a reallocation of work," she says. "Thinking innovatively and resourcefully, health care workers should be cross-trained to work in areas of the hospital that are overloaded like ER or ICU. Displaced workers could be trained and paid to staff a robust trace-and-isolate program as society reopens."
"Where's the end?"
Without that reallocation, some nurses still in the hospitals are taking on extra tasks in their already grueling 12-hour shifts. They're mopping rooms, changing sheets, taking out the trash and arranging rides because the people who once did that are gone.
"We're kind of jack-of-all-trades at this point," said Amy Erb, a nurse at California Pacific Medical Center in the Bay Area in northern California and a California Nurses Association Board member. "We're being phlebotomists, drawing labs. We're being social workers. We're being psychologists."
Then there are the days she's had her hours cut, which makes her worry about the future. So far her hospital has worked to avoid layoffs.
One nurse in a Detroit-area hospital says all the extra hours she once worked have disappeared.
"Our job title expanded exponentially," she said. She spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of losing her job. The one thing she thought she had was job security. "Then the layoffs started coming and I was like 'never mind.' "
She now often cleans the rooms and answers phones because the staff who did that are gone.
The financial stresses are compounded by an already stressful and terrifying time for healthcare workers.
"People were dying left and right," she said. "The way we were treating them then is different than now, maybe they would still be alive if they came in today ... it eats me up at night."
She spent the first month of the pandemic crying every night.
Her unit is a COVID-19 positive unit. Things are easing up now, but she still works with those COVID-19 patients every day. She's less afraid, she spends more time in the patient's rooms. She is their support system, their link to their families and their nurse.
Last week, Palomar Health in north San Diego County in California eliminated over 300 positions. But the workload didn't change — it just shifted to people like Sue Phillips, a critical care trauma and rapid response nurse.
"We have very limited physical therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy and that's part of our care team, so that's now going to fall onto our end to be providing that care," she said. "It's uncharted territory. In my 25 years of nursing, I've never seen anything like this before."
When a patient came in recently with broken bones, the doctor couldn't turn to the orthopedic technicians. Those technicians had been laid off. So Phillips found herself putting traction on a hospital bed, a pulley system that slowly lifts and moves the broken body parts.
"I've never had to do that before," she said. "The operating room staff was bare-boned staff, so there weren't enough people to assist the physician in doing the surgery that day."
She said she was worried she'd make a mistake. Also gone is the lift team that used to help Phillips pick up and turn patients. All of this, she said, adds stress to her job.
Meanwhile, her family is afraid to be around her because of her work. She's staying away from her husband. On their 30th wedding anniversary Friday, they'll celebrate apart.
Phillips is tired.
"We've been doing this now for six weeks. Where's the end? When are things going to get a little bit back to normal?" she asked. "Now we've had these huge layoffs."