npr--2020-06-03--Former Facebook Employees Blast Zuckerberg's 'Do-Nothing' Stance On Trump

Some of Facebook 's earliest employees are condemning CEO Mark Zuckerberg 's hands-off approach to President Trump 's inflammatory rhetoric about protests over police brutality .
In an open letter to their former boss , nearly three dozen ex-staffers said the company 's policy of allowing political speech to go largely unchecked was a `` betrayal of the ideals Facebook claims . ''
They urged their former boss to reconsider his stance , `` beginning by fact-checking politicians and explicitly labeling harmful posts . ''
The letter was first reported by the New York Times .
Facebook has come under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ groups and Democratic politicians for not taking action on posts by the president that critics say break Facebook 's own rules against inciting violence and spreading misinformation .
That includes a post about the protests over George Floyd , the black man in Minneapolis who died last week after a police officer knelt on his neck for several minutes .
It also includes a Trump post claiming falsely that California is sending mail-in ballots to all residents .
In contrast , Twitter has begun adding labels to the president 's tweets containing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Wednesday said it would no longer promote the president 's account in its app , because of concerns over tweets in which he threatened protesters with `` vicious dogs '' and `` ominous weapons '' .
In response to Twitter 's actions , Trump last week signed an executive order attempting to strip online platforms of long-standing legal protections .
And on Wednesday , the president 's 2020 campaign manager responded to Snapchat by accusing the company of political bias and trying to rig the election .
Zuckerberg has said he does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ company should be the `` arbiter of truth '' or restrict political speech , which he says is already highly scrutinized .
In both a company-wide meeting on Tuesday and a public Facebook post last week , he said he had struggled with how to respond to Trump 's `` divisive and inflammatory '' posts , but decided to leave them up in the interest of letting people see what the president had to say .
Facebook declined to comment on the former staffers ' letter to Zuckerberg .
It was signed by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Willner , who helped write the company 's original rules about what users were allowed to post , and Brandee Barker , its first head of global communications and public policy .
In the letter , they wrote that Facebook 's reluctance to limit what politicians can say creates a double standard .
`` They have decided that elected officials should be held to a lower standard than those they govern .
One set of rules for you , and another for any politician , from your local mayor to the President of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Facebook should be holding politicians to a higher standard than their constituents . ''
The former employees said they support current staffers who have challenged the company 's lack of action on Trump 's post .
Some employees held a virtual walkout on Monday , and one engineer has publicly resigned over the issue .
Editor 's note : Facebook is among NPR 's financial supporters .

Former Facebook Employees Blast Zuckerberg's 'Do-Nothing' Stance On Trump
Enlarge this image toggle caption Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images
Some of Facebook's earliest employees are condemning CEO Mark Zuckerberg's hands-off approach to President Trump's inflammatory rhetoric about protests over police brutality.
In an open letter to their former boss, nearly three dozen ex-staffers said the company's policy of allowing political speech to go largely unchecked was a "betrayal of the ideals Facebook claims." They urged their former boss to reconsider his stance, "beginning by fact-checking politicians and explicitly labeling harmful posts." The letter was first reported by the New York Times.
Facebook has come under attack by current employees, civil rights groups and Democratic politicians for not taking action on posts by the president that critics say break Facebook's own rules against inciting violence and spreading misinformation.
That includes a post about the protests over George Floyd, the black man in Minneapolis who died last week after a police officer knelt on his neck for several minutes. It also includes a Trump post claiming falsely that California is sending mail-in ballots to all residents.
In contrast, Twitter has begun adding labels to the president's tweets containing the same false and aggressive statements. Snapchat on Wednesday said it would no longer promote the president's account in its app, because of concerns over tweets in which he threatened protesters with "vicious dogs" and "ominous weapons".
In response to Twitter's actions, Trump last week signed an executive order attempting to strip online platforms of long-standing legal protections. And on Wednesday, the president's 2020 campaign manager responded to Snapchat by accusing the company of political bias and trying to rig the election.
Zuckerberg has said he does not believe that Facebook or any private company should be the "arbiter of truth" or restrict political speech, which he says is already highly scrutinized.
In both a company-wide meeting on Tuesday and a public Facebook post last week, he said he had struggled with how to respond to Trump's "divisive and inflammatory" posts, but decided to leave them up in the interest of letting people see what the president had to say.
Facebook declined to comment on the former staffers' letter to Zuckerberg.
It was signed by some influential early employees, including Dave Willner, who helped write the company's original rules about what users were allowed to post, and Brandee Barker, its first head of global communications and public policy.
In the letter, they wrote that Facebook's reluctance to limit what politicians can say creates a double standard.
"They have decided that elected officials should be held to a lower standard than those they govern. One set of rules for you, and another for any politician, from your local mayor to the President of the United States," they wrote. "Facebook should be holding politicians to a higher standard than their constituents."
The former employees said they support current staffers who have challenged the company's lack of action on Trump's post. Some employees held a virtual walkout on Monday, and one engineer has publicly resigned over the issue.
Editor's note: Facebook is among NPR's financial supporters.


npr--2020-06-03--Former UAW President Gary Jones Pleads Guilty To Embezzlement, Racketeering

Gary Jones , the former president of the United Auto Workers , has pleaded guilty to embezzlement , racketeering and tax evasion as part of a larger scandal over union corruption that has shaken trust in the union and exposed it to a possible federal takeover .
Jones admits he conspired to embezzle more than $ 1 million out of dues paid by union members , the Department of Justice said Wednesday .
The corruption started in 2010 when Jones was a high-ranking UAW official .
He became president of the autoworkers ' union in June 2018 and led the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2019 .
Jones and other union officials spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in union funds on personal expenses such as golfing , cigars , meals and liquor , and private villas while using fraudulent expense forms to conceal the embezzlement , the Justice Department said .
`` In just one of the years of the conspiracy , Jones used UAW money to purchase over $ 13,000 in cigars for the use of high-level UAW officials , '' the department said .
Other union officials cashed fraudulent checks and accepted bribery payments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ negotiating labor contracts more favorable to the auto company .
After a Department of Justice investigation , more than a dozen people have been convicted in the scandal , including both Fiat Chrysler executives and former senior UAW officials .
U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider said the Justice Department 's investigation is moving into a `` new phase '' and will shift its focus to reforming the UAW in addition to investigating the criminal conduct .
Rory Gamble , the UAW 's new president , said in a statement Wednesday that the corrupt officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and against everything we stand for as a Union . ''
He said the union has instituted new oversight and accountability reforms that `` will be expanded upon to ensure the crimes we 've seen never happen again . ''

Former UAW President Gary Jones Pleads Guilty To Embezzlement, Racketeering
Enlarge this image toggle caption Carlos Osorio/AP Carlos Osorio/AP
Gary Jones, the former president of the United Auto Workers, has pleaded guilty to embezzlement, racketeering and tax evasion as part of a larger scandal over union corruption that has shaken trust in the union and exposed it to a possible federal takeover.
Jones admits he conspired to embezzle more than $1 million out of dues paid by union members, the Department of Justice said Wednesday.
The corruption started in 2010 when Jones was a high-ranking UAW official. He became president of the autoworkers' union in June 2018 and led the group through the high-profile General Motors strike in 2019.
Jones and other union officials spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in union funds on personal expenses such as golfing, cigars, meals and liquor, and private villas while using fraudulent expense forms to conceal the embezzlement, the Justice Department said.
"In just one of the years of the conspiracy, Jones used UAW money to purchase over $13,000 in cigars for the use of high-level UAW officials," the department said.
Other union officials cashed fraudulent checks and accepted bribery payments from Fiat Chrysler executives in exchange for negotiating labor contracts more favorable to the auto company. After a Department of Justice investigation, more than a dozen people have been convicted in the scandal, including both Fiat Chrysler executives and former senior UAW officials.
U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider said the Justice Department's investigation is moving into a "new phase" and will shift its focus to reforming the UAW in addition to investigating the criminal conduct.
Rory Gamble, the UAW's new president, said in a statement Wednesday that the corrupt officials' actions "were selfish, immoral, and against everything we stand for as a Union."
He said the union has instituted new oversight and accountability reforms that "will be expanded upon to ensure the crimes we've seen never happen again."


npr--2020-06-03--In George Floyd Protests, China Sees A Powerful Propaganda Opportunity

Protests across the United States in the wake of George Floyd 's death have created an unlikely opportunity for China .
State TV has aired images of chaotic protest scenes during its widely watched evening news program , and offered searing commentary that has also highlighted the U.S. government 's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic .
`` American politicians must ask themselves , '' one announcer said , `` on what grounds do they spew their sanctimonious nonsense ?
Should n't they ask the American people for forgiveness ? ''
Newspapers in China have reported on looting and rioting , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for failing to address America 's racial inequality .
On social media , officials and propagandists have trolled America with schadenfreude .
`` I think the Chinese Communist propaganda apparatus is very grateful to have some burning cities in the United States right now , having had to suffer and feel deeply humiliated by the specter of Hong Kong being in a state of chaos , '' says Orville Schell , director of the Asia Society 's Center for U.S.-China Relations .
Analysts say the party wants to deflect criticism over China 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of America in disarray to make China look good in comparison .
U.S. support for anti-China protests in Hong Kong , which have been large and violent at times , is also in Chinese officials ' crosshairs .
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a news conference this week that `` double standards '' were typical of the U.S. '' Many people may want to ask this question : Why does the U.S. refer to those 'Hong Kong independence ' and black-clad rioters as 'heroes ' and 'fighters ' but label its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ' ? ''
he said .
`` Why did the U.S. have so many problems with the restrained and civilized way of law enforcement by the Hong Kong police but have no problem at all with threatening to shoot at and mobilizing the National Guard against its domestic protesters ? ''
The issue of the use of military force to quell demonstrations is particularly relevant this week , as critics of the Communist Party mark the 31st anniversary of the bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protests around Beijing 's Tiananmen Square .
The U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Beijing has long pushed back against U.S. criticism of its human rights record , calling it an internal matter .
As relations between the two countries have soured , Beijing has become more emboldened , political and media analysts say .
Aynne Kokas , a Kluge Fellow at the Library of Congress who specializes in Chinese media , says propaganda depicting America in a state of chaos has significant impact in China .
`` Domestically , it 's an incredibly effective tactic , '' she says .
`` For casual viewers who pick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media , this will shape how they see things . ''
The Chinese government tightly controls reporting and messaging in the news media , and foreign news is regularly censored and curtailed by a system of internet filters that block many outside websites .
And Schell says America 's problems could play to China 's advantage as competition between the two intensifies .
`` I think it is harder for the U.S. to hold itself up as a model that is functional when it not only has got a pandemic that 's run @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but when its cities are on fire with with race riots .
So I think it is a kind of a net win for China , '' he says .
With the economy severely weakened by the COVID-19 pandemic , the Communist Party is leaning more heavily on nationalism to boost its domestic image , says Xiao Qiang , with the School of Information at the University of California Berkeley .
`` At this particular moment , they desperately need this patriotic nationalistic support [ of ] the government , '' he says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chinese government is particularly [ in ] need [ of ] this type of propaganda making impact among the Chinese public . ''
Even so , some of China 's attempts at scoring points have n't always gone to plan .
On Saturday , State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus sent a tweet urging `` freedom-loving people '' to hold the Communist Party to account for its plans to impose national security legislation on Hong Kong .
Her counterpart in China , Foreign Ministry information department head Hua Chunying , tweeted back , `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reference to some of George Floyd 's last words with a policeman 's knee on his neck .
State-controlled news outlets took to Chinese social media to gloat about Hua 's retort , Xiao says , but some readers responded with : `` I can not tweet . ''
China 's Great Firewall blocks Twitter and many other foreign websites , he says .
Chinese propagandists did n't miss a beat , though , he says .
They simply deleted those complaints .

In George Floyd Protests, China Sees A Powerful Propaganda Opportunity
Enlarge this image toggle caption Vincent Yu/AP Vincent Yu/AP
Protests across the United States in the wake of George Floyd's death have created an unlikely opportunity for China.
State TV has aired images of chaotic protest scenes during its widely watched evening news program, and offered searing commentary that has also highlighted the U.S. government's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. "American politicians must ask themselves," one announcer said, "on what grounds do they spew their sanctimonious nonsense? Shouldn't they ask the American people for forgiveness?"
Newspapers in China have reported on looting and rioting, and editorials have blasted the U.S. government for failing to address America's racial inequality. On social media, officials and propagandists have trolled America with schadenfreude.
"I think the Chinese Communist propaganda apparatus is very grateful to have some burning cities in the United States right now, having had to suffer and feel deeply humiliated by the specter of Hong Kong being in a state of chaos," says Orville Schell, director of the Asia Society's Center for U.S.-China Relations.
Analysts say the party wants to deflect criticism over China's human rights record and paint a picture of America in disarray to make China look good in comparison.
U.S. support for anti-China protests in Hong Kong, which have been large and violent at times, is also in Chinese officials' crosshairs.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a news conference this week that "double standards" were typical of the U.S.
"Many people may want to ask this question: Why does the U.S. refer to those 'Hong Kong independence' and black-clad rioters as 'heroes' and 'fighters' but label its people protesting against racial discrimination as 'thugs'?" he said. "Why did the U.S. have so many problems with the restrained and civilized way of law enforcement by the Hong Kong police but have no problem at all with threatening to shoot at and mobilizing the National Guard against its domestic protesters?"
The issue of the use of military force to quell demonstrations is particularly relevant this week, as critics of the Communist Party mark the 31st anniversary of the bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protests around Beijing's Tiananmen Square. The U.S. slapped long-lasting sanctions on China afterward.
Beijing has long pushed back against U.S. criticism of its human rights record, calling it an internal matter. As relations between the two countries have soured, Beijing has become more emboldened, political and media analysts say.
Aynne Kokas, a Kluge Fellow at the Library of Congress who specializes in Chinese media, says propaganda depicting America in a state of chaos has significant impact in China.
"Domestically, it's an incredibly effective tactic," she says. "For casual viewers who pick up a newspaper or pick up state media, this will shape how they see things." The Chinese government tightly controls reporting and messaging in the news media, and foreign news is regularly censored and curtailed by a system of internet filters that block many outside websites.
And Schell says America's problems could play to China's advantage as competition between the two intensifies.
"I think it is harder for the U.S. to hold itself up as a model that is functional when it not only has got a pandemic that's run amok and it can't control, but when its cities are on fire with with race riots. So I think it is a kind of a net win for China," he says.
With the economy severely weakened by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Communist Party is leaning more heavily on nationalism to boost its domestic image, says Xiao Qiang, with the School of Information at the University of California Berkeley.
"At this particular moment, they desperately need this patriotic nationalistic support [of] the government," he says. "At this moment, the Chinese government is particularly [in] need [of] this type of propaganda making impact among the Chinese public."
Even so, some of China's attempts at scoring points haven't always gone to plan.
On Saturday, State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus sent a tweet urging "freedom-loving people" to hold the Communist Party to account for its plans to impose national security legislation on Hong Kong.
Her counterpart in China, Foreign Ministry information department head Hua Chunying, tweeted back, "I can't breathe" — a reference to some of George Floyd's last words with a policeman's knee on his neck.
State-controlled news outlets took to Chinese social media to gloat about Hua's retort, Xiao says, but some readers responded with: "I cannot tweet."
China's Great Firewall blocks Twitter and many other foreign websites, he says.
Chinese propagandists didn't miss a beat, though, he says. They simply deleted those complaints.


npr--2020-06-03--Primary Election Snafus Show Challenges For November Vote

The day after eight states and the District of Columbia held primaries — amid both a pandemic and civil unrest — proponents of mail-in voting said there were lessons to be learned for November , when millions more voters are expected to use absentee ballots .
They noted that voters had to wait for hours Tuesday to cast ballots at limited polling sites in Washington , D.C. , in part because many did not receive the absentee ballots they had requested .
Similar problems arose in Pennsylvania , Baltimore and elsewhere .
`` In 46 states and the District of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the right to vote by mail , but as we saw just yesterday that right is implemented with varying degrees of effectiveness , '' Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson testified at a House Judiciary Committee subcommittee hearing on voting rights on Wednesday .
Benson said states and local election offices can run more efficient and safe elections this year if they have enough resources .
She noted that expanding mail-in voting can be costly , but states are strapped for funds .
Congress has already approved $ 400 million to help election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states say they need much more .
Most have expanded mail-in voting for the primaries and expect to do so for the general election as well .
The Democratic-led House recently approved another $ 3.6 billion to help them do that , but the legislation is unlikely to pass in the Senate , which is under Republican control .
President Trump and others in the party have complained that mail-in voting is susceptible to fraud and should be available on a limited basis , despite voters ' concerns about the health risks of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fraud exists , studies have shown that it 's extremely rare .
`` This pandemic has blown up our economy .
It 's suppressed our liberties .
Let 's not blow up our elections , '' Tom Fitton , the president of Judicial Watch , told the House panel .
His group has sued several states and counties for failing to keep their voter rolls up to date , something Fitton claims makes mail-in voting exceptionally vulnerable to fraud .
`` I view this as the real threat to the integrity of our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Voter registration lists throughout the country are out of date , containing registrations for voters who no longer live at the stated address , who have died or are no longer eligible to vote . ''
But Benson said there are many protections in place , such as signature matching and the ability to track the location of a particular ballot , that prevent people from fraudulently voting by mail .
She was recently criticized by Trump for going down a `` Voter Fraud path '' for her plan to send absentee ballot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Trump falsely claimed that Benson would be sending actual ballots to every voter and he threatened to withhold federal funding from the state , although he later backed off .
Stacey Abrams , the chair of Fair Fight Action , a voter advocacy group , told the House panel that in 2016 more than half of all states reported `` zero substantiated allegations of fraud . ''
She said eight states reported one case each and the remaining states reported only a small number of cases , `` none sufficient to alter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is among those pushing for an expansion of absentee voting , while retaining the ability for voters to cast their ballots in person , if they choose .
She noted that mail-in voting does not work for everyone , including some or those with disabilities or no set addresses .
`` We want every American who has the right to vote to know that they have the freedom to do so and the access .
And that access will not exist if we have limited means and people have to put their lives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their ballot , '' she said .
In fact , all states currently offer both options .
The debate is over the extent to which each option is available , and how much communities can afford .
Like other places holding primaries yesterday , the District of Columbia reduced the number of polling sites — from the usual 144 to 20 — because it expected the overwhelming majority of residents would vote absentee .
But when hundreds of residents failed to get their ballots in time , they showed up in person , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have to wait for up to five hours .
The waits were so long that the D.C. elections office took the unprecedented step of allowing some voters to email their ballots in .

Primary Election Snafus Show Challenges For November Vote
Enlarge this image toggle caption Gene J. Puskar/AP Gene J. Puskar/AP
The day after eight states and the District of Columbia held primaries — amid both a pandemic and civil unrest — proponents of mail-in voting said there were lessons to be learned for November, when millions more voters are expected to use absentee ballots.
They noted that voters had to wait for hours Tuesday to cast ballots at limited polling sites in Washington, D.C., in part because many did not receive the absentee ballots they had requested. Similar problems arose in Pennsylvania, Baltimore and elsewhere.
"In 46 states and the District of Columbia, voters this year will have the right to vote by mail, but as we saw just yesterday that right is implemented with varying degrees of effectiveness," Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson testified at a House Judiciary Committee subcommittee hearing on voting rights on Wednesday.
Benson said states and local election offices can run more efficient and safe elections this year if they have enough resources. She noted that expanding mail-in voting can be costly, but states are strapped for funds.
Congress has already approved $400 million to help election offices respond to the pandemic, but states say they need much more. Most have expanded mail-in voting for the primaries and expect to do so for the general election as well.
The Democratic-led House recently approved another $3.6 billion to help them do that, but the legislation is unlikely to pass in the Senate, which is under Republican control.
President Trump and others in the party have complained that mail-in voting is susceptible to fraud and should be available on a limited basis, despite voters' concerns about the health risks of voting in person. While some mail-ballot fraud exists, studies have shown that it's extremely rare.
"This pandemic has blown up our economy. It's suppressed our liberties. Let's not blow up our elections," Tom Fitton, the president of Judicial Watch, told the House panel. His group has sued several states and counties for failing to keep their voter rolls up to date, something Fitton claims makes mail-in voting exceptionally vulnerable to fraud.
"I view this as the real threat to the integrity of our elections," he said. "Voter registration lists throughout the country are out of date, containing registrations for voters who no longer live at the stated address, who have died or are no longer eligible to vote."
But Benson said there are many protections in place, such as signature matching and the ability to track the location of a particular ballot, that prevent people from fraudulently voting by mail.
She was recently criticized by Trump for going down a "Voter Fraud path" for her plan to send absentee ballot applications to every Michigan voter in November.
Trump falsely claimed that Benson would be sending actual ballots to every voter and he threatened to withhold federal funding from the state, although he later backed off.
Stacey Abrams, the chair of Fair Fight Action, a voter advocacy group, told the House panel that in 2016 more than half of all states reported "zero substantiated allegations of fraud." She said eight states reported one case each and the remaining states reported only a small number of cases, "none sufficient to alter the outcomes of elections."
Abrams is among those pushing for an expansion of absentee voting, while retaining the ability for voters to cast their ballots in person, if they choose. She noted that mail-in voting does not work for everyone, including some or those with disabilities or no set addresses.
"We want every American who has the right to vote to know that they have the freedom to do so and the access. And that access will not exist if we have limited means and people have to put their lives at mortal risk in order to cast their ballot," she said.
In fact, all states currently offer both options. The debate is over the extent to which each option is available, and how much communities can afford.
Like other places holding primaries yesterday, the District of Columbia reduced the number of polling sites — from the usual 144 to 20 — because it expected the overwhelming majority of residents would vote absentee. But when hundreds of residents failed to get their ballots in time, they showed up in person, overwhelming the system.
Some voters reported have to wait for up to five hours. The waits were so long that the D.C. elections office took the unprecedented step of allowing some voters to email their ballots in.


npr--2020-06-03--Hungary's Government Asks U.S. Media To Apologize For Critical Reports

Hungary 's Government Asks U.S. Media To Apologize For Critical Reports Hungary 's government has asked American news outlets to apologize for what it calls `` baseless '' critical coverage of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán 's coronavirus emergency powers .
Granting Orbán special powers was the latest in a series of steps by Hungary 's government that have stripped the country of its democracy , critics say .
In an email Hungary 's Embassy in the U.S. sent NPR late Tuesday , the Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Relations Zoltán Kovács wrote , `` Hungary has been subjected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Europe . ''
The government came under criticism from European lawmakers and rights groups for handing Orbán special powers in late March to rule by decree during the state of emergency to respond to the coronavirus pandemic .
Now that Hungary 's government plans to ask the parliament to vote to suspend the prime minister 's sweeping powers , Kovács says he is offering American media organizations an opportunity to apologize .
`` Such an apology is due not only to Hungary 's elected Government , but also to the vast majority @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — regardless of party affiliation — have expressed support for the Government 's measures in recent months , and who have shown exemplary unity and fortitude in complying with them , '' writes Kovács .
He added media also owe apologies `` to your readers , viewers and audiences for being instrumental in misleading them in relation to the actions of the Hungarian government . ''
The letter ends with a list of 82 stories published online in April and May by NPR , CNN , Bloomberg News , The Washington Post and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a rights group and think tanks in the United States .
`` I see the debate over the enabling act and now the demand for an apology as a smokescreen , '' says Zsuzsanna Vegh , associate researcher at the European Council on Foreign Relations .
Even without the emergency powers act , Hungary 's democracy is in crisis , says Vegh .
`` The government can essentially push through any legislation , any amendment .
It can also alter , amend and change the Hungarian constitution , '' Vegh says .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people loyal to Orbán and to the Fidesz government , so it does n't really act as a check , either . ''
Fidesz is Hungary 's right-wing governing party .
Last month , European Union Values and Transparency Commissioner Vera Jourova voiced concern about the situation in Hungary , telling European Parliament members , `` On a daily basis we are assessing whether we can take legal action . ''
The apology request was not limited to U.S. media .
Prime Minister Orbán has previously demanded `` apologies for the disinformation campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ letter to European lawmakers in early May .
Kovács has also reportedly has sought an apology from academics , journalists and politicians in Finland .
Asked about Hungary 's letter to U.S. news outlets seeking an apology , NPR spokesperson Isabel Lara said , `` NPR stands behind its balanced reporting of this international story .
We are a trusted source of information for millions of Americans and we take this responsibility very seriously , as we did in this coverage . ''

Hungary's Government Asks U.S. Media To Apologize For Critical Reports
Enlarge this image toggle caption Andrej Isakovic/AFP via Getty Images Andrej Isakovic/AFP via Getty Images
Hungary's government has asked American news outlets to apologize for what it calls "baseless" critical coverage of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's coronavirus emergency powers. Granting Orbán special powers was the latest in a series of steps by Hungary's government that have stripped the country of its democracy, critics say.
In an email Hungary's Embassy in the U.S. sent NPR late Tuesday, the Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Relations Zoltán Kovács wrote, "Hungary has been subjected to a barrage of attacks unparalleled elsewhere in Europe."
The government came under criticism from European lawmakers and rights groups for handing Orbán special powers in late March to rule by decree during the state of emergency to respond to the coronavirus pandemic.
Now that Hungary's government plans to ask the parliament to vote to suspend the prime minister's sweeping powers, Kovács says he is offering American media organizations an opportunity to apologize.
"Such an apology is due not only to Hungary's elected Government, but also to the vast majority of Hungarians as a whole, who — regardless of party affiliation — have expressed support for the Government's measures in recent months, and who have shown exemplary unity and fortitude in complying with them," writes Kovács.
He added media also owe apologies "to your readers, viewers and audiences for being instrumental in misleading them in relation to the actions of the Hungarian government."
The letter ends with a list of 82 stories published online in April and May by NPR, CNN, Bloomberg News, The Washington Post and other outlets, as well as by a rights group and think tanks in the United States.
"I see the debate over the enabling act and now the demand for an apology as a smokescreen," says Zsuzsanna Vegh, associate researcher at the European Council on Foreign Relations.
Even without the emergency powers act, Hungary's democracy is in crisis, says Vegh.
"The government can essentially push through any legislation, any amendment. It can also alter, amend and change the Hungarian constitution," Vegh says. "The Constitutional Court has been staffed with people loyal to Orbán and to the Fidesz government, so it doesn't really act as a check, either." Fidesz is Hungary's right-wing governing party.
Last month, European Union Values and Transparency Commissioner Vera Jourova voiced concern about the situation in Hungary, telling European Parliament members, "On a daily basis we are assessing whether we can take legal action."
The apology request was not limited to U.S. media. Prime Minister Orbán has previously demanded "apologies for the disinformation campaign against Hungary," including in a letter to European lawmakers in early May. Kovács has also reportedly has sought an apology from academics, journalists and politicians in Finland.
Asked about Hungary's letter to U.S. news outlets seeking an apology, NPR spokesperson Isabel Lara said, "NPR stands behind its balanced reporting of this international story. We are a trusted source of information for millions of Americans and we take this responsibility very seriously, as we did in this coverage."


npr--2020-06-03--Chauvin And 3 Former Officers Face New Charges Over George Floyd's Death

Chauvin And 3 Former Officers Face New Charges Over George Floyd 's Death Derek Chauvin now faces a charge of second-degree murder in addition to earlier charges , and three other former Minneapolis police officers who were involved in George Floyd 's death face charges of aiding and abetting murder , according to new court documents .
In addition to Chauvin , the three other officers named in criminal complaints are Tou Thao , J. Alexander Kueng and Thomas K. Lane .
All four police officers were fired one day after Floyd died on Memorial Day .
Criminal complaints against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as Brian Bakst of Minnesota Public Radio reports .
`` About nine days ago , the world watched Floyd utter his very last words — ' I ca n't breathe ' — as he pled for his life , '' Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said at a news conference Wednesday .
`` The world heard Floyd call out for his mama and cried out , 'Do n't kill me . '
`` Chauvin , who is white , was initially charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter in Hennepin County last week after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the black man 's neck for nearly nine minutes .
But the higher charge has now been added , days after Minnesota Gov .
Tim Walz asked Ellison to lead the prosecution .
The second-degree murder charge carries a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison ; the third-degree charge has a 25-year maximum sentence .
The charge against Chauvin is categorized as `` Second Degree Murder - Unintentional - While Committing A Felony . ''
Discussing that charge , Ellison said , `` According to Minnesota law , you have to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ murder .
Second-degree murder , you have to intend for death to be the result .
For second-degree felony murder , you have to intend the felony and then death be the result — without necessarily having it be the intent . ''
When asked about the felony in question , he said , `` We would contend that George Floyd was assaulted , so that would be the underlying felony . ''
Ben Crump , the Floyd family 's attorney , issued a statement saying , `` This is a bittersweet moment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ AGEllison took decisive action , arresting & charging ALL the officers involved . ''
The Hennepin County medical examiner has ruled that Floyd 's death was a homicide , saying on Monday that the 46-year-old 's heart and lungs had ceased functioning `` while [ he was ] being restrained '' by law enforcement officers .
Floyd was pronounced dead shortly after his encounter with Chauvin and the other officers .
Video of the incident shows that the other officers did not intervene while Chauvin kept his knee pressed on Floyd 's neck @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of `` I ca n't breathe . ''
Keung and Lane held Floyd 's back and legs after the officers tried unsuccessfully to get him into the back of a squad car , according to the criminal complaint , which states : `` Officer Chauvin placed his left knee in the area of Mr. Floyd 's head and neck .
Mr. Floyd said , ' I ca n't breathe ' multiple times and repeatedly said , 'Mama ' and 'please , ' as well .
At one point , Mr. Floyd said ' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Officer Chauvin and the other two officers stayed in their positions . ''
Thao , who had arrived at the scene along with Chauvin , brought out a hobble restraint to use on Floyd , the complaint says , `` but the officers decided not to use it and maintained their positions . ''
After Thao watched his fellow officers subduing Floyd , the complaint states , `` The defendant then became concerned about a number of citizens who had gathered and were watching the officers subdue Mr. Floyd , and potential traffic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between those citizens and the three officers . ''
It adds , `` When one citizen stepped off the curb , imploring Chauvin to get off of Mr. Floyd , the defendant put his hands on the citizen to keep him back . ''
Thao , Kueng and Lane each face two counts of aiding and abetting — one for second-degree murder and one for second-degree manslaughter .
The charges carry maximum prison sentences of 40 and 10 years , respectively .
Lane , Kueng and Thao are being taken into official custody @ @ @ @ @ @ @ process of taking the officers into custody , '' said Drew Evans , superintendent of the state 's Bureau of Criminal Apprehension .
On Tuesday , Walz said the state is also investigating any potential civil rights violations by the Minneapolis Police Department — an inquiry that is expected to `` probe the last 10 years of Minneapolis police practices , '' as Minnesota Public Radio reports .
Floyd 's death , coming after the high-profile killings of Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery , has triggered huge protests in cities across the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ widespread use of curfews .
A memorial service for Floyd is set to take place Thursday afternoon at North Central University in Minneapolis .
Brian Bakst of Minnesota Public Radio contributed to this report .

Chauvin And 3 Former Officers Face New Charges Over George Floyd's Death
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jim Mone/AP Jim Mone/AP
Updated at 5:16 p.m. ET
Derek Chauvin now faces a charge of second-degree murder in addition to earlier charges, and three other former Minneapolis police officers who were involved in George Floyd's death face charges of aiding and abetting murder, according to new court documents.
In addition to Chauvin, the three other officers named in criminal complaints are Tou Thao, J. Alexander Kueng and Thomas K. Lane. All four police officers were fired one day after Floyd died on Memorial Day.
Criminal complaints against the four were formally filed Wednesday, as Brian Bakst of Minnesota Public Radio reports.
"About nine days ago, the world watched Floyd utter his very last words — 'I can't breathe' — as he pled for his life," Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said at a news conference Wednesday. "The world heard Floyd call out for his mama and cried out, 'Don't kill me.' "
Chauvin, who is white, was initially charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter in Hennepin County last week after a video showed he pinned his knee on the black man's neck for nearly nine minutes. But the higher charge has now been added, days after Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz asked Ellison to lead the prosecution.
The second-degree murder charge carries a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison; the third-degree charge has a 25-year maximum sentence.
The charge against Chauvin is categorized as "Second Degree Murder - Unintentional - While Committing A Felony."
Discussing that charge, Ellison said, "According to Minnesota law, you have to have premeditation and deliberation to charge first-degree murder. Second-degree murder, you have to intend for death to be the result. For second-degree felony murder, you have to intend the felony and then death be the result — without necessarily having it be the intent."
When asked about the felony in question, he said, "We would contend that George Floyd was assaulted, so that would be the underlying felony."
YouTube
Ben Crump, the Floyd family's attorney, issued a statement saying, "This is a bittersweet moment. We are deeply gratified that @AGEllison took decisive action, arresting & charging ALL the officers involved."
The Hennepin County medical examiner has ruled that Floyd's death was a homicide, saying on Monday that the 46-year-old's heart and lungs had ceased functioning "while [he was] being restrained" by law enforcement officers.
Floyd was pronounced dead shortly after his encounter with Chauvin and the other officers. Video of the incident shows that the other officers did not intervene while Chauvin kept his knee pressed on Floyd's neck, despite the stricken man's pleas of "I can't breathe."
Keung and Lane held Floyd's back and legs after the officers tried unsuccessfully to get him into the back of a squad car, according to the criminal complaint, which states: "Officer Chauvin placed his left knee in the area of Mr. Floyd's head and neck. Mr. Floyd said, 'I can't breathe' multiple times and repeatedly said, 'Mama' and 'please,' as well. At one point, Mr. Floyd said 'I'm about to die.' Officer Chauvin and the other two officers stayed in their positions."
Thao, who had arrived at the scene along with Chauvin, brought out a hobble restraint to use on Floyd, the complaint says, "but the officers decided not to use it and maintained their positions."
After Thao watched his fellow officers subduing Floyd, the complaint states, "The defendant then became concerned about a number of citizens who had gathered and were watching the officers subdue Mr. Floyd, and potential traffic concerns, and so the defendant stood between those citizens and the three officers."
It adds, "When one citizen stepped off the curb, imploring Chauvin to get off of Mr. Floyd, the defendant put his hands on the citizen to keep him back."
Thao, Kueng and Lane each face two counts of aiding and abetting — one for second-degree murder and one for second-degree manslaughter. The charges carry maximum prison sentences of 40 and 10 years, respectively.
Lane, Kueng and Thao are being taken into official custody Wednesday.
"We are in the process of taking the officers into custody," said Drew Evans, superintendent of the state's Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
On Tuesday, Walz said the state is also investigating any potential civil rights violations by the Minneapolis Police Department — an inquiry that is expected to "probe the last 10 years of Minneapolis police practices," as Minnesota Public Radio reports.
Floyd's death, coming after the high-profile killings of Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery, has triggered huge protests in cities across the U.S. — demonstrations that are continuing despite the widespread use of curfews.
A memorial service for Floyd is set to take place Thursday afternoon at North Central University in Minneapolis.
Brian Bakst of Minnesota Public Radio contributed to this report.


npr--2020-06-03--U.K. Willing To Admit Nearly 3 Million From Hong Kong If China Adopts Security Law

U.K .
Willing To Admit Nearly 3 Million From Hong Kong If China Adopts Security Law U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Wednesday that he would be willing to allow more than 2.8 million people from Hong Kong to live and work in the U.K. if China implements a controversial proposed national security law on the former British colony .
The law could take effect as soon as this month , and would expand mainland China 's control over Hong Kong .
Johnson wrote in a column that appeared in The Times of London that the law would infringe on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' agreement China reached with Britain in 1997 when Britain ceded control of the territory .
He added that the law `` would curtail [ Hong Kong 's ] freedoms and dramatically erode its autonomy . ''
If China were to implement the law , Johnson wrote , Britain is prepared to take in around 350,000 people from Hong Kong who already have British National ( Overseas ) passports and 2.5 million who would be eligible to apply for them .
He also noted that the U.K. would be making `` one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in history . ''
It would allow Hong Kongers with these passports to come to the U.K. for a renewable period of a year .
The current system allows them to come without a visa for up to six months .
The potential new system would include a right to work and , potentially , a path to citizenship .
British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab had previously suggested that the U.K. could admit a smaller group , according to a report from The Guardian .
Raab said Tuesday that Britain could take in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that if a mass exodus from Hong Kong took place he would want other countries to also admit people .
Johnson 's proposal comes just one day before the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown , which took place on June 4 , 1989 , when the Chinese military opened fire on citizens calling for economic and democratic reforms .
Johnson did not elaborate in the column about how the 2.5 million people eligible for a British passport would be able to attain one , or how arrivals from Hong Kong would attain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kong fear that their way of life — which China pledged to uphold — is under threat , '' Johnson wrote .
`` If China proceeds to justify their fears , then Britain could not in good conscience shrug our shoulders and walk away ...
I still hope that China will remember that responsibilities go hand in glove with strength and leadership . ''

U.K. Willing To Admit Nearly 3 Million From Hong Kong If China Adopts Security Law
Enlarge this image toggle caption Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images
U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Wednesday that he would be willing to allow more than 2.8 million people from Hong Kong to live and work in the U.K. if China implements a controversial proposed national security law on the former British colony.
The law could take effect as soon as this month, and would expand mainland China's control over Hong Kong.
Johnson wrote in a column that appeared in The Times of London that the law would infringe on the "one country, two systems" agreement China reached with Britain in 1997 when Britain ceded control of the territory.
He added that the law "would curtail [Hong Kong's] freedoms and dramatically erode its autonomy."
If China were to implement the law, Johnson wrote, Britain is prepared to take in around 350,000 people from Hong Kong who already have British National (Overseas) passports and 2.5 million who would be eligible to apply for them.
He also noted that the U.K. would be making "one of the biggest changes in our visa system in history." It would allow Hong Kongers with these passports to come to the U.K. for a renewable period of a year. The current system allows them to come without a visa for up to six months.
The potential new system would include a right to work and, potentially, a path to citizenship.
British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab had previously suggested that the U.K. could admit a smaller group, according to a report from The Guardian. Raab said Tuesday that Britain could take in those currently with passports, but said that if a mass exodus from Hong Kong took place he would want other countries to also admit people.
Johnson's proposal comes just one day before the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown, which took place on June 4, 1989, when the Chinese military opened fire on citizens calling for economic and democratic reforms.
Johnson did not elaborate in the column about how the 2.5 million people eligible for a British passport would be able to attain one, or how arrivals from Hong Kong would attain citizenship.
"Many people in Hong Kong fear that their way of life — which China pledged to uphold — is under threat," Johnson wrote. "If China proceeds to justify their fears, then Britain could not in good conscience shrug our shoulders and walk away... I still hope that China will remember that responsibilities go hand in glove with strength and leadership."


npr--2020-06-03--No Evidence Hydroxychloroquine Is Helpful In Preventing COVID-19, Study Finds

No Evidence Hydroxychloroquine Is Helpful In Preventing COVID-19 , Study Finds Taking hydroxychloroquine after being exposed to someone with COVID-19 does not protect someone from getting the disease .
That 's the conclusion of a study published Wednesday involving 821 participants .
All had direct exposure to a COVID-19 patient , either because they lived with one , or were a health care provider or first responder .
The study had an unusual design .
`` It was all web-based , '' says Radha Rajasingham , an infectious disease physician at the University of Minnesota .
`` People would go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in enrolling . ''
To qualify , people had to be within a few days of their encounter with a COVID-19 patient and not have any symptoms of the disease themselves .
Encounters meant being within 6 feet of a sick person for more than 10 minutes while wearing neither a face mask nor an eye shield or while wearing a face mask but no face shield .
The volunteers received either a five-day supply of hydroxychloroquine , or a placebo .
As Rajasingham and her colleagues report in the New England Journal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ participants developed disease ; 49 in the group receiving hydroxychloroquine and 58 in the placebo group .
That turned out to be an absolute risk reduction in risk of 2.4 percent .
That difference was not statistically significant , and `` it 's also not clinically meaningful , '' Rajasingham says .
She would like to have seen a relative risk reduction of 30 % or more before recommending hydroxychloroquine to asymptomatic patients .
She says hydroxychloroquine can have serious side effects , although the side effects reported in this study were relatively @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the possibility of using hydroxychloroquine to prevent or treat COVID-19 because it seems to impair the virus ' ability to infect cells in the lab .
The drug 's effectiveness in treating hospitalized patients is still an open question , but if there is a benefit , it is most likely a small one .
Now it appears the drug is not effective at preventing disease in people who have been exposed with minimal or no protection .
It remains an open question whether it might be effective in preventing the disease in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to prevent exposure .
There is currently a multi-center study underway intended to enroll 15,000 people to answer that question .

No Evidence Hydroxychloroquine Is Helpful In Preventing COVID-19, Study Finds
Enlarge this image toggle caption GEORGE FREY/AFP via Getty Images GEORGE FREY/AFP via Getty Images
Taking hydroxychloroquine after being exposed to someone with COVID-19 does not protect someone from getting the disease.
That's the conclusion of a study published Wednesday involving 821 participants. All had direct exposure to a COVID-19 patient, either because they lived with one, or were a health care provider or first responder.
The study had an unusual design. "It was all web-based," says Radha Rajasingham, an infectious disease physician at the University of Minnesota. "People would go to our website if they were interested in enrolling."
To qualify, people had to be within a few days of their encounter with a COVID-19 patient and not have any symptoms of the disease themselves. Encounters meant being within 6 feet of a sick person for more than 10 minutes while wearing neither a face mask nor an eye shield or while wearing a face mask but no face shield. The volunteers received either a five-day supply of hydroxychloroquine, or a placebo.
As Rajasingham and her colleagues report in the New England Journal of Medicine, 107 of the 821 participants developed disease; 49 in the group receiving hydroxychloroquine and 58 in the placebo group. That turned out to be an absolute risk reduction in risk of 2.4%. That difference was not statistically significant, and "it's also not clinically meaningful," Rajasingham says. She would like to have seen a relative risk reduction of 30% or more before recommending hydroxychloroquine to asymptomatic patients. She says hydroxychloroquine can have serious side effects, although the side effects reported in this study were relatively mild.
The prevention study was dreamed up by David Boulware at the University of Minnesota. "This is not my day job," he says. "My normal research is doing clinical trials in Africa for fungal meningitis of the brain."
He remembers thinking somebody needed to do something to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic, and the he realized, "I think that's us."
So he got his team together, and they put together this study of hydroxychloroquine. "Within eight days, we basically had the trial up and running," including all the necessary regulatory approvals." Remarkably, fewer than three months from the day was conceived, he had a paper in a prestigious medical journal.
Researchers have been interested in the possibility of using hydroxychloroquine to prevent or treat COVID-19 because it seems to impair the virus' ability to infect cells in the lab. The drug's effectiveness in treating hospitalized patients is still an open question, but if there is a benefit, it is most likely a small one.
Now it appears the drug is not effective at preventing disease in people who have been exposed with minimal or no protection. It remains an open question whether it might be effective in preventing the disease in people who have used appropriate protective gear to prevent exposure. There is currently a multi-center study underway intended to enroll 15,000 people to answer that question.


npr--2020-06-03--Publishers Sue Internet Archive For 'Mass Copyright Infringement'

When the Internet Archive announced that it was creating a `` National Emergency Library , '' temporarily suspending wait lists to borrow e-books amid the pandemic , a crowd of writers and publishers made their outrage clear .
Now , their complaint has made it to court .
The Internet Archive , or IA , `` is engaged in willful mass copyright infringement , '' four major publishers said in a lawsuit filed Monday in federal court .
The plaintiffs — John Wiley & Sons and three of the big five U.S. publishers , Hachette Book Group , HarperCollins and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ block the nonprofit group 's operations and recover damages for scores of allegedly infringed works .
`` Its goal of creating digital copies of books and providing them to whomever wants to download them reflects a profound misunderstanding of the costs of creating books , a profound lack of respect for the many contributors involved in the publication process , and a profound disregard of the boundaries and balance of core copyright principles , '' the publishers argued .
`` IA does not seek to 'free knowledge ' ; it seeks to destroy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ possible in the first place — and to undermine the copyright law that stands in its way . ''
The Internet Archive did n't respond immediately to NPR 's request for comment on Wednesday .
But in a statement issued Monday , Brewster Kahle of the Internet Archive expressed the group 's disappointment with the lawsuit .
`` As a library , the Internet Archive acquires books and lends them , as libraries have always done .
This supports publishing , authors and readers .
Publishers suing libraries for lending books , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while schools and libraries are closed , is not in anyone 's interest , '' Kahle said .
`` We hope this can be resolved quickly . ''
This is n't the first clash of words between the Internet Archive and critics who have accused it of piracy .
The organization describes itself as a library , which temporarily lends free digital copies of millions of books obtained through donations , purchases or collaborations with brick-and-mortar libraries .
The group has used a wait list to ensure that just one copy of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time — and professional groups representing writers and publishers have repeatedly called out the Internet Archive for `` infringement . ''
In recent weeks , their ire has been trained in particular on the National Emergency Library , a policy announced in March whereby multiple people can read the same book without having to wait for others to finish .
`` The Internet Archive hopes to fool the public by calling its piracy website a 'library ' ; but there 's a more accurate term for taking what you do n't own : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president of The Authors Guild said in a statement supporting the publishers ' lawsuit Monday .
`` What Internet Archive is doing is no different than heaving a brick through a grocery store window and handing out the food — and then congratulating itself for providing a public service , '' Preston continued .
`` It 's not a public service to violate the rights of thousands of hard-working authors , most of whom desperately need the income . ''

Publishers Sue Internet Archive For 'Mass Copyright Infringement'
Enlarge this image toggle caption Richard Newstead/Getty Images Richard Newstead/Getty Images
When the Internet Archive announced that it was creating a "National Emergency Library," temporarily suspending wait lists to borrow e-books amid the pandemic, a crowd of writers and publishers made their outrage clear. Now, their complaint has made it to court.
The Internet Archive, or IA, "is engaged in willful mass copyright infringement," four major publishers said in a lawsuit filed Monday in federal court. The plaintiffs — John Wiley & Sons and three of the big five U.S. publishers, Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins and Penguin Random House — are trying to block the nonprofit group's operations and recover damages for scores of allegedly infringed works.
"Its goal of creating digital copies of books and providing them to whomever wants to download them reflects a profound misunderstanding of the costs of creating books, a profound lack of respect for the many contributors involved in the publication process, and a profound disregard of the boundaries and balance of core copyright principles," the publishers argued.
"IA does not seek to 'free knowledge'; it seeks to destroy the carefully calibrated ecosystem that makes books possible in the first place — and to undermine the copyright law that stands in its way."
The Internet Archive didn't respond immediately to NPR's request for comment on Wednesday. But in a statement issued Monday, Brewster Kahle of the Internet Archive expressed the group's disappointment with the lawsuit.
"As a library, the Internet Archive acquires books and lends them, as libraries have always done. This supports publishing, authors and readers. Publishers suing libraries for lending books, in this case protected digitized versions, and while schools and libraries are closed, is not in anyone's interest," Kahle said. "We hope this can be resolved quickly."
This isn't the first clash of words between the Internet Archive and critics who have accused it of piracy.
The organization describes itself as a library, which temporarily lends free digital copies of millions of books obtained through donations, purchases or collaborations with brick-and-mortar libraries. The group has used a wait list to ensure that just one copy of a given work is in use at a time — and professional groups representing writers and publishers have repeatedly called out the Internet Archive for "infringement."
In recent weeks, their ire has been trained in particular on the National Emergency Library, a policy announced in March whereby multiple people can read the same book without having to wait for others to finish.
"The Internet Archive hopes to fool the public by calling its piracy website a 'library'; but there's a more accurate term for taking what you don't own: 'stealing,' " Douglas Preston, president of The Authors Guild said in a statement supporting the publishers' lawsuit Monday.
"What Internet Archive is doing is no different than heaving a brick through a grocery store window and handing out the food — and then congratulating itself for providing a public service," Preston continued. "It's not a public service to violate the rights of thousands of hard-working authors, most of whom desperately need the income."


npr--2020-06-03--From Freddie Gray To George Floyd: Wes Moore Says It's Time To 'Change The Systems'

From Freddie Gray To George Floyd : Wes Moore Says It 's Time To 'Change The Systems' The killing of George Floyd has inspired protests across the U.S. and around the world , with crowds evoking the names of other black men and women who have died in police custody — including Freddie Gray .
In 2015 , Gray was arrested in Baltimore , and put in a police van — shackled but with no seatbelt .
At the end of what was later termed a `` rough ride , '' Gray was unconscious and his neck was broken .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wes Moore chronicles the uprising that occurred in Baltimore following Gray 's death in his new book , Five Days : The Fiery Reckoning of an American City .
He says that in addition to addressing inequitable policing that occurs in poor and black neighborhoods , `` we also have to deal with the underlying conditions that our citizens , and oftentimes our citizens of color , are repeatedly being ... forced to endure . ''
The author says that Gray 's life and death illustrate the ways in which people of color @ @ @ @ @ @ @ systemic injustice .
`` Freddie Gray was born months premature , born underweight , born addicted to heroin , '' Moore says .
He notes that Gray was exposed to unsafe levels of lead as a child while living in public housing .
Moore says the deaths of Freddie Gray and George Floyd highlight injustices that go beyond police brutality .
`` The justice that 's also being sought must be an economic justice .
It must be health justice .
It must be housing justice , '' Moore says .
`` If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our memory , we will risk the opportunity to change the systems that are ultimately responsible for all of these injustices . ''
On what lessons today 's protestors can take from what happened to Freddie Gray in Baltimore I think it 's important for the country to understand the lessons of Baltimore , understand the lessons of what happened to Freddie Gray , understand the aftermath of what happened to Freddie Gray .
... Because we 're basically reliving history right now .
What we 're seeing and these are lessons that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prior , because I think it 's very indicative as to both where we are now , but frankly , very indicative so as to where we 're going .
I also think that when you 're coming on the heels of what we 're seeing in COVID-19 , when you 're coming on the heels of what we 're seeing in terms of this massive and , frankly , this exacerbated level of disparity that the first part of this year has really shown us , you see and you understand how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to boil over .
So while I share the calls for peace , I do think it 's important for people to wonder and to ask : ... Where 's our collective pain supposed to go when there still is no justice ?
That 's the tension that we 're seeing right now on the streets .
On the physical and psychological damage of the 2015 protests in Baltimore You saw places and buildings and historic landmarks up in flames .
Churches that were up in flames .
You also saw a level @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in many ways the city of Baltimore has still yet to heal from .
...
In just these past five years , there 's just been a level of violence where the [ annual ] homicide rate has been over 300 in the city of Baltimore .
When you look at the size of Baltimore , it 's making it literally the most violent city in America right now .
... We have had a level of mistrust that is then taking place amongst elected officials .
And so you 've seen how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the initial damage , but in terms of the quantifiable , measurable financial damage , but really how this has damaged the psyche of Baltimore for really a generation that has now felt the impact of this .
On the poverty and neglect that has plagued Baltimore for generations When ... we ca n't tell the difference between a building that was burned after the unrest of Freddie Gray or a building that was burned after the unrest after the riots that took place after Dr. King 's murder , versus a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it 's dilapidated and it 's been completely ignored — what does that say about our larger society ?
And what does that say about our ability to be able to address human pain versus pacify it ?
And so I think it really does go back and highlights this bigger point , and this bigger conversation , about how we have to think bigger and holistically about what is being demanded and what is being asked , and then what exactly we have to do individually and collectively to be able to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apples and bad apples '' conversation about police officers The thing I think we saw in Baltimore — and I think it 's a complete correlation between what we 're seeing in Minnesota — is it 's impossible to have a conversation about `` good apples and bad apples '' if we 're not talking about systems .
It 's systems that continue to be put in place that allow measures of inequitable policing .
It 's systems that are in place that do n't allow for measures of accountability , and where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ boards in place .
... And so this is not just about `` good apples '' versus `` bad apples . ''
All of us completely acknowledge that there are some absolutely remarkable officers that we have on the force , people who are committing their lives and dedicating their lives and risking their lives for the idea of public safety .
We also know that we want good people to be able to perform in good systems — and that 's where the adjustment needs to happen .
On the decision of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officers who were with Officer Chauvin when he killed George Floyd The way felony murder works ... [ is ] when a murder happens , that the people who were accomplices in it , regardless of what your role was , even if [ you ] were not the person that actually took the life of somebody else , you can be held not just accountable , but actually end up receiving a similar type of sentence .
We have to really think hard about this idea of toleration that then takes place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in George Floyd 's case ] had his knee on a grown man 's neck while he was screaming for his life , while he was saying that he could n't breathe , to the point that some of the last moments that he had on this earth was a 46-year-old man calling for his mother who died two years ago .
And at no point did any of the officers go and say to that one officer , `` That 's enough , '' or `` Ease up , '' or , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Go take a walk .
I got it . ''
And so there needs to be a level of accountability that people have for each other .
There needs to be a level of accountability that individuals have for the people who they are working with , particularly when these types of actions are taking place .
Because if there is a level of accountability that people have and they know that I will be held responsible for the actions of the people around me , then my actions are going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thinking about the type of reforms that are going to and need to and should take place , we know that when it comes to research specifically on the policing side , these are some of the actions and some of the things that we have to really think hard and really think critically about .
Amy Salit and Thea Chaloner produced and edited the audio of this interview .
Bridget Bentz , Molly Seavy-Nesper and Meghan Sullivan adapted it for the Web .

From Freddie Gray To George Floyd: Wes Moore Says It's Time To 'Change The Systems'
Enlarge this image toggle caption Patrick Semansky/AP Patrick Semansky/AP
The killing of George Floyd has inspired protests across the U.S. and around the world, with crowds evoking the names of other black men and women who have died in police custody — including Freddie Gray.
In 2015, Gray was arrested in Baltimore, and put in a police van — shackled but with no seatbelt. At the end of what was later termed a "rough ride," Gray was unconscious and his neck was broken. He died a week later.
Author Wes Moore chronicles the uprising that occurred in Baltimore following Gray's death in his new book, Five Days: The Fiery Reckoning of an American City. He says that in addition to addressing inequitable policing that occurs in poor and black neighborhoods, "we also have to deal with the underlying conditions that our citizens, and oftentimes our citizens of color, are repeatedly being ... forced to endure."
The author says that Gray's life and death illustrate the ways in which people of color are constrained by poverty, racism and systemic injustice.
"Freddie Gray was born months premature, born underweight, born addicted to heroin," Moore says. He notes that Gray was exposed to unsafe levels of lead as a child while living in public housing.
Moore says the deaths of Freddie Gray and George Floyd highlight injustices that go beyond police brutality.
"The justice that's also being sought must be an economic justice. It must be health justice. It must be housing justice," Moore says. "If we permit these tragedies to recede from our memory, we will risk the opportunity to change the systems that are ultimately responsible for all of these injustices."
Interview highlights
On what lessons today's protestors can take from what happened to Freddie Gray in Baltimore
I think it's important for the country to understand the lessons of Baltimore, understand the lessons of what happened to Freddie Gray, understand the aftermath of what happened to Freddie Gray. ... Because we're basically reliving history right now.
I think it's important for the country to understand the lessons of Baltimore, understand the lessons of what happened to Freddie Gray, understand the aftermath of what happened to Freddie Gray. ... Because we're basically reliving history right now. What we're seeing and these are lessons that could have and should have been learned prior, because I think it's very indicative as to both where we are now, but frankly, very indicative so as to where we're going.
I also think that when you're coming on the heels of what we're seeing in COVID-19, when you're coming on the heels of what we're seeing in terms of this massive and, frankly, this exacerbated level of disparity that the first part of this year has really shown us, you see and you understand how this frustration on so many levels continues to boil over. So while I share the calls for peace, I do think it's important for people to wonder and to ask: ... Where's our collective pain supposed to go when there still is no justice? That's the tension that we're seeing right now on the streets.
On the physical and psychological damage of the 2015 protests in Baltimore
Enlarge this image toggle caption Amun Ankhra /Penguin Random House Amun Ankhra /Penguin Random House
You saw places and buildings and historic landmarks up in flames. Churches that were up in flames. You also saw a level of psychological damage ... that I think in many ways the city of Baltimore has still yet to heal from. ... In just these past five years, there's just been a level of violence where the [annual] homicide rate has been over 300 in the city of Baltimore. When you look at the size of Baltimore, it's making it literally the most violent city in America right now. ... We have had a level of mistrust that is then taking place amongst elected officials. And so you've seen how this has shown itself, not just in the initial damage, but in terms of the quantifiable, measurable financial damage, but really how this has damaged the psyche of Baltimore for really a generation that has now felt the impact of this.
On the poverty and neglect that has plagued Baltimore for generations
Five Days The Fiery Reckoning of an American City by Wes Moore and Erica L. Green Hardcover, 256 pages | purchase close overlay Buy Featured Book Your purchase helps support NPR programming. How?
When ... we can't tell the difference between a building that was burned after the unrest of Freddie Gray or a building that was burned after the unrest after the riots that took place after Dr. King's murder, versus a building that's just been vacant because it's dilapidated and it's been completely ignored — what does that say about our larger society? And what does that say about our ability to be able to address human pain versus pacify it? And so I think it really does go back and highlights this bigger point, and this bigger conversation, about how we have to think bigger and holistically about what is being demanded and what is being asked, and then what exactly we have to do individually and collectively to be able to address that.
On the "good apples and bad apples" conversation about police officers
... it's impossible to have a conversation about "good apples and bad apples" if we're not talking about systems.
The thing I think we saw in Baltimore — and I think it's a complete correlation between what we're seeing in Minnesota — is it's impossible to have a conversation about "good apples and bad apples" if we're not talking about systems. It's systems that continue to be put in place that allow measures of inequitable policing. It's systems that are in place that don't allow for measures of accountability, and where we can put things like civilian review boards in place. ... And so this is not just about "good apples" versus "bad apples." All of us completely acknowledge that there are some absolutely remarkable officers that we have on the force, people who are committing their lives and dedicating their lives and risking their lives for the idea of public safety. We also know that we want good people to be able to perform in good systems — and that's where the adjustment needs to happen.
On the decision of whether or not to charge the police officers who were with Officer Chauvin when he killed George Floyd
The way felony murder works ... [is] when a murder happens, that the people who were accomplices in it, regardless of what your role was, even if [you] were not the person that actually took the life of somebody else, you can be held not just accountable, but actually end up receiving a similar type of sentence. We have to really think hard about this idea of toleration that then takes place. For nine minutes that officer [in George Floyd's case] had his knee on a grown man's neck while he was screaming for his life, while he was saying that he couldn't breathe, to the point that some of the last moments that he had on this earth was a 46-year-old man calling for his mother who died two years ago. And at no point did any of the officers go and say to that one officer, "That's enough," or "Ease up," or, "Hey, I got from here. Go take a walk. I got it."
And so there needs to be a level of accountability that people have for each other. There needs to be a level of accountability that individuals have for the people who they are working with, particularly when these types of actions are taking place. Because if there is a level of accountability that people have and they know that I will be held responsible for the actions of the people around me, then my actions are going to be different. And so we're thinking about the type of reforms that are going to and need to and should take place, we know that when it comes to research specifically on the policing side, these are some of the actions and some of the things that we have to really think hard and really think critically about.
Amy Salit and Thea Chaloner produced and edited the audio of this interview. Bridget Bentz, Molly Seavy-Nesper and Meghan Sullivan adapted it for the Web.


npr--2020-06-03--Pentagon Chief Rejects Trump's Threat To Use Military To Quell Unrest

Pentagon Chief Rejects Trump 's Threat To Use Military To Quell Unrest In a move that possibly placed his job in peril , Defense Secretary Mark Esper publicly disagreed Wednesday with President Trump 's threatened use of the 1807 Insurrection Act to quell widespread unrest over the death of George Floyd , a black man who died after a white Minneapolis police officer kneeled on his neck .
`` The option to use active-duty forces in a law enforcement role should only be used as a matter of last resort , and only in the most urgent and dire of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of those situations now , '' Esper told reporters at a Pentagon briefing .
`` I do not support invoking the Insurrection Act . ''
Esper added , `` I 've always believed and continue to believe that the National Guard is best suited for performing domestic support to civil authorities in these situations , in support of local law enforcement . ''
The 1807 Insurrection Act authorizes a U.S. president to deploy the military in times of domestic emergencies .
The law was updated in 2006 to include natural disasters and terrorist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to restore order .
In a brief statement Monday evening in the White House Rose Garden , Trump put mayors and governors on notice that if they failed to `` establish an overwhelming law enforcement presence until the violence has been quelled , '' he would take action .
`` If a city or a state refuses to take the actions that are necessary to defend the life and property of their residents , '' Trump declared , `` then I will deploy the United States military and quickly solve the problem for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Esper 's rebuffing of the president , according to Reuters , by asserting that `` Trump will use the Insurrection Act if needed . ''
Esper continues to be defense secretary `` as of right now , '' the news service quoted a White House source as saying , `` and if the President loses faith in him , we 'll let you know . ''
Esper also defended having accompanied Trump that same evening as the president strode through Lafayette Square , a public park in front of the White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ peaceful demonstrators by security forces clad in riot gear .
`` I was not aware of law enforcement 's plans for the park .
I was not briefed on them , nor should I expect to be , '' Esper said Wednesday when asked about the forceful expulsion of protesters in what he described as a law enforcement action .
`` But they had taken what action I assume they felt was necessary , given what they faced . ''
Esper also suggested he did not know in advance that he would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president brandished a Bible in front of a church boarded up following a fire in its basement during demonstrations the previous evening .
`` I did know that following the president 's remarks on Monday evening that many of us were going to join President Trump and review the damage in Lafayette Park and at St. John 's Episcopal Church , '' Esper said .
`` What I was not aware of was exactly where we were going when we arrived at the church and what the plans were once we got @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time publicly condemned the May 25 death that sparked a nationwide wave of protests .
`` The killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis policeman is a horrible crime , '' the defense secretary said .
`` The officers on the scene that day should be held accountable for his murder . ''
Esper had been sharply criticized for appearing to give tacit approval to the forcible removal of peaceful demonstrators to accommodate Trump 's stroll with him and others through Lafayette Square to the church .
In a letter to Esper published @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Miller , former undersecretary of defense for policy , wrote that he was resigning his position on the Defense Science Board immediately because of what Miller described as Esper 's failure to honor his oath to uphold the U.S. Constitution and its First Amendment that stipulates `` the right of the people peaceably to assemble . ''
`` You may not have been able to stop President Trump from directing this appalling use of force , '' Miller wrote in his resignation letter to Esper , `` but you could have chosen to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supported it . ''
Miller also chided Esper for having told the nation 's governors in a Monday conference call with Trump that they needed to `` dominate the battlespace '' when dealing with protesters .
Esper , a U.S. Military Academy graduate and Army veteran , told reporters that particular phrase was simply `` a military lexicon I grew up with '' that is used to describe `` a bounded area of operations . ''
`` In retrospect , '' he added , `` I would use different wording so as not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at hand or allow some to suggest that we are militarizing the issue . ''
The defense secretary said he has requested an internal investigation of reports that at least one helicopter flown by the District of Columbia National Guard had hovered low above demonstrators Monday evening , breaking tree branches and sending objects flying with the strong downwash of its rotating blades .
Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Rath Hoffman confirmed Tuesday evening that about 1,600 active-duty troops had been flown by military aircraft to bases outside Washington , D.C. , as part of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ measure in response to ongoing support to civil authorities operations . ''
Hoffman said that Esper had authorized moving an Army infantry battalion from the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg , N.C. , to what the Pentagon calls the National Capital Region .
Similarly , Army military police from Fort Bragg as well as from Fort Drum , N.Y. , were also dispatched as potential reinforcements and placed on heightened alert , according to Hoffman .
The Associated Press reported Wednesday that 200 troops from the 82nd were ordered back to Fort @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reversed that decision .
Former Defense Secretary James Mattis told The Atlantic in a story released Wednesday that the unrest following Floyd 's death and Trump 's responses to it show `` the consequences of three years without mature leadership . ''
Mattis told the publication Trump is the first president in Mattis ' lifetime who does n't try to unite Americans , or even pretend to unite them , but actually tries to divide them .
The former defense chief said America should n't be seen as a battlespace `` that our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Mattis resigned as Trump 's defense secretary in December 2018 over a disagreement on Syria policy .

Pentagon Chief Rejects Trump's Threat To Use Military To Quell Unrest
Enlarge this image toggle caption Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images
Updated at 7 p.m. ET
In a move that possibly placed his job in peril, Defense Secretary Mark Esper publicly disagreed Wednesday with President Trump's threatened use of the 1807 Insurrection Act to quell widespread unrest over the death of George Floyd, a black man who died after a white Minneapolis police officer kneeled on his neck.
"The option to use active-duty forces in a law enforcement role should only be used as a matter of last resort, and only in the most urgent and dire of situations. We are not in one of those situations now," Esper told reporters at a Pentagon briefing. "I do not support invoking the Insurrection Act."
Esper added, "I've always believed and continue to believe that the National Guard is best suited for performing domestic support to civil authorities in these situations, in support of local law enforcement."
The 1807 Insurrection Act authorizes a U.S. president to deploy the military in times of domestic emergencies. The law was updated in 2006 to include natural disasters and terrorist attacks as grounds for sending federal troops to restore order.
In a brief statement Monday evening in the White House Rose Garden, Trump put mayors and governors on notice that if they failed to "establish an overwhelming law enforcement presence until the violence has been quelled," he would take action.
"If a city or a state refuses to take the actions that are necessary to defend the life and property of their residents," Trump declared, "then I will deploy the United States military and quickly solve the problem for them."
The White House responded to Esper's rebuffing of the president, according to Reuters, by asserting that "Trump will use the Insurrection Act if needed." Esper continues to be defense secretary "as of right now," the news service quoted a White House source as saying, "and if the President loses faith in him, we'll let you know."
Esper also defended having accompanied Trump that same evening as the president strode through Lafayette Square, a public park in front of the White House that had just been violently cleared of peaceful demonstrators by security forces clad in riot gear.
"I was not aware of law enforcement's plans for the park. I was not briefed on them, nor should I expect to be," Esper said Wednesday when asked about the forceful expulsion of protesters in what he described as a law enforcement action. "But they had taken what action I assume they felt was necessary, given what they faced."
Esper also suggested he did not know in advance that he would be following Trump to a photo-op in which the president brandished a Bible in front of a church boarded up following a fire in its basement during demonstrations the previous evening.
"I did know that following the president's remarks on Monday evening that many of us were going to join President Trump and review the damage in Lafayette Park and at St. John's Episcopal Church," Esper said. "What I was not aware of was exactly where we were going when we arrived at the church and what the plans were once we got there."
Esper for the first time publicly condemned the May 25 death that sparked a nationwide wave of protests.
"The killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis policeman is a horrible crime," the defense secretary said. "The officers on the scene that day should be held accountable for his murder."
Esper had been sharply criticized for appearing to give tacit approval to the forcible removal of peaceful demonstrators to accommodate Trump's stroll with him and others through Lafayette Square to the church.
In a letter to Esper published Tuesday in The Washington Post, James Miller, former undersecretary of defense for policy, wrote that he was resigning his position on the Defense Science Board immediately because of what Miller described as Esper's failure to honor his oath to uphold the U.S. Constitution and its First Amendment that stipulates "the right of the people peaceably to assemble."
"You may not have been able to stop President Trump from directing this appalling use of force," Miller wrote in his resignation letter to Esper, "but you could have chosen to oppose it. Instead, you visibly supported it."
Miller also chided Esper for having told the nation's governors in a Monday conference call with Trump that they needed to "dominate the battlespace" when dealing with protesters.
Esper, a U.S. Military Academy graduate and Army veteran, told reporters that particular phrase was simply "a military lexicon I grew up with" that is used to describe "a bounded area of operations."
"In retrospect," he added, "I would use different wording so as not to distract from the more important matters at hand or allow some to suggest that we are militarizing the issue."
The defense secretary said he has requested an internal investigation of reports that at least one helicopter flown by the District of Columbia National Guard had hovered low above demonstrators Monday evening, breaking tree branches and sending objects flying with the strong downwash of its rotating blades.
Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Rath Hoffman confirmed Tuesday evening that about 1,600 active-duty troops had been flown by military aircraft to bases outside Washington, D.C., as part of what he called "a prudent planning measure in response to ongoing support to civil authorities operations."
Hoffman said that Esper had authorized moving an Army infantry battalion from the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, N.C., to what the Pentagon calls the National Capital Region. Similarly, Army military police from Fort Bragg as well as from Fort Drum, N.Y., were also dispatched as potential reinforcements and placed on heightened alert, according to Hoffman.
The Associated Press reported Wednesday that 200 troops from the 82nd were ordered back to Fort Bragg, but that later Esper had reversed that decision.
Former Defense Secretary James Mattis told The Atlantic in a story released Wednesday that the unrest following Floyd's death and Trump's responses to it show "the consequences of three years without mature leadership."
Mattis told the publication Trump is the first president in Mattis' lifetime who doesn't try to unite Americans, or even pretend to unite them, but actually tries to divide them. The former defense chief said America shouldn't be seen as a battlespace "that our uniformed military is called upon to dominate."
Mattis resigned as Trump's defense secretary in December 2018 over a disagreement on Syria policy.